Chapter 11 #2
“Mama, the Mr Darcy we met in Hertfordshire was not a true reflection of the man. Let me tell you…” Lizzy proceeded to tell her mother all, the complete and unvarnished truth about the proposal, the refusal, the letter, and her set-down after reading the letter accusing him of being a hypocrite.
She then proceeded to tell her mother of coming to know the true man and how he had addressed, or was addressing, her reproofs.
When she was done, and it was almost a full hour later, her mother sat with her mouth open and silent as the grave for a full five minutes.
“He offered for you when he thought you were penniless and had no connections?” Fanny asked, now completely amazed.
“He did, Mama,” Lizzy confirmed.
“And in his advice to Mr Bingley he seems to have done Jane a favour,” Fanny verified as more a statement, but still wanted to know it was true.
“Yes Mama,” Lizzy agreed.
“He humbled himself, apologised to you and Jane, and has broken with the Bingleys?” Fanny hit the highlights of most import, and Lizzy had to agree her mother had chosen the same important things to confirm she would have if the roles were reversed.
She felt as chagrined as her father in presuming her mother had too mean an understanding and was ashamed of it.
“He did all of that and more Mama. His family are all pleasant, and Jane and I enjoy being with them. The only objectionable relative, the one that the late Mr Collins venerated, is in an asylum and we will never see her again.” Lizzy smiled mischievously and her mother chuckled.
“That man must be head over heels in love with you, Lizzy. After what you have told me I am assured that it is not due to your disclosing our wealth to him. How do you feel about his desire to woo you? He is the opposite of Mr Bingley and has resolution in spades.” She waited, unwilling to fall back into who she had been but a couple weeks ago and demand her daughter marry someone.
She had already failed in that endeavour and thanked God that she had.
“All I can tell you now, Mama, is I am not indifferent to him and count him as a friend. I do not love him… yet. What will develop in the future will develop, but I have given my permission for him to call on me from time to time. And before you ask, he has not asked and I have not granted a formal courtship,” Lizzy explained their current understanding.
“Well if that be the case, then he may one day be worthy of you, Lizzy. You can accept the invitation to dine with our thanks,” her mother said as she hugged her second daughter.
‘How did I ever think Lizzy less worthy or less pretty than Jane? She may not be a classical beauty like Jane is, but she is very beautiful in her own right. I was wrong about her intelligence. It has attracted a man, not driven one away. Anyone not able to deal with my daughter’s intelligence does not deserve her.
I will have to keep my eye out, but it seems like Mr Darcy may very well be the one that suits my Lizzy best,’ Fanny Bennet thought, deeply regretting ever treating Lizzy as less than Jane and Lydia in value of opinion and beauty.
The family, minus Lydia, had all assembled in the family sitting room, when Lizzy returned from her errand across the square.
The man himself had accompanied her and her footman.
Other than Jane and Lizzy, no one in the family had seen Mr Darcy since the ball in November when, for some unknown reason, he had danced with no other but Lizzy, not even Miss Bingley or Mrs Hurst. There was no look of pride or arrogance in his mien.
If anything, the Bennets who had not seen him since the ball, saw genuine contrition. Mrs Bennet recovered first.
“You are very welcome Mr Darcy, and we thank you for your kind and welcome invitation to dinner on Wednesday two days hence,” Mrs Bennet said as she welcomed her guest.
As shocked as the rest of the Bennets had been to see him, Darcy was now amazed and could not believe what he was seeing.
‘Who is this lady, and what has she done with Mrs Bennet? What has happened to the younger Bennet? She looks like a proper young woman, no outbursts and no flirting. The middle one, Mary, always behaved well, but seems so much more confident now. Thank goodness the little flirting hoyden, Laura, Lynette no, Lydia is not here. The two younger sisters are young ladies I would be happy to introduce to Georgie!’ After getting past his amazement he forced himself to answer his hostess.
“I thank you for your gracious welcome, Mrs Bennet. I requested to accompany Miss Elizabeth and her footman back to your home if it was not too much trouble; I wished to speak to Mr Bennet about the schools that Miss Elizabeth had asked me about. Before I do, there is something that I would like to say to your family if I may, sir?” Darcy looked to Mr Bennet respectfully and once he received a nod, he proceeded.
“I have already had the opportunity to apologise to Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth, but I find that my honour will not allow me to go without asking forgiveness from all of you. From our first meeting on I behaved deplorably, as has been pointed out to me,” he said as he looked toward the second Bennet daughter, “I showed selfish disdain for all except my friends, who are no longer my friends.
My behaviour was ungentlemanly, arrogant, and yes Miss Elizabeth, hypocritical.
At first, after Miss Elizabeth pointed out my shortcomings and my hypocritical behaviour, I was angry, very angry.
However, the more I thought about her words, really considered them, the more I saw that I should be angry.
Not at Miss Elizabeth for speaking aught but the truth, but with myself for my abhorrent behaviour, pride, and arrogance.
“I especially apologise to Mrs Bennet,” he turned and addressed her, “I was so very rude to you at that first assembly, but at least I did not tell you that you were not tolerable enough to tempt me,” he offered with a small upturn of the corner of his mouth so she would know that his apology was sincere and he in no way held animosity.
The Bennets, excepting Lizzy and Jane, could not believe that he was willing to employ self-deprecating humour.
“Mrs Bennet, you were truly no worse than, and in most cases far better than, the match-making mamas of the Ton. But as was pointed out in my arrogant hypocrisy Madam, I judged your behaviour by a different standard than I would have a member of the Ton. I was completely wrong, and I humbly ask your forgiveness, Mrs Bennet.” He bowed to her.
“We all make mistakes young man, and I forgive you completely,” a very surprised Fanny Bennet, who had not expected a direct apology from the great Mr Darcy, offered her very gracious reply.
‘Who is this man and what has he done with the proud, disagreeable man that we met in Hertfordshire? I thought that Lizzy and Jane were reporting through the lenses of rose-coloured glasses, but no. This is a different and better man than we knew before. I see the way he looks toward my Lizzy for approval all the time. This man has not given up his quest to win my second daughter’s heart.
We will have to see if he succeeds and whether or not I approve of him.
I suppose that if Lizzy decides she will be his, I will not gainsay her, but I will not make it easy for him if, or when, we get there,’ Bennet thought to himself as he listened to the man humble himself before all of the Bennets present.
“I thought myself above you because of my estate and my wealth.
I was wrong, I am a gentleman and Mr Bennet is a gentleman.
That makes us equal. As much as I abhor the machinations and behaviour of my aunt, Lady Catherine, it was pointed out by a number of my Fitzwilliam relations, whom you will meet on Wednesday, that as much as I disliked what she was, my behaviour emulated hers rather than my beloved late parents.
Hearing that shocked me beyond belief, but thankfully before I defended myself, I saw that they were correct.
“Between the much-deserved set-down delivered by Miss Elizabeth and what my family showed me, including my sister Georgiana, my faults are being addressed. It may take longer than I, or anyone else would like, but I will address all of the reproofs that were laid at my door and correct them each to the best of my abilities.” Darcy bowed to the whole of the family.
After looking at his wife and family Bennet relieved Darcy’s anxiety as he looked like a man in the dock waiting for the judge to deliver his verdict.
“On behalf of myself and my family your apology is fully accepted, Mr Darcy. Let us move forward as friends and not dwell on the past anymore,” Bennet stated.
“You have my heartfelt thanks sir, and I would be honoured if you would address me as Darcy going forward,” Darcy said as he released a breath that he did not realise he had been holding.
“I will do so Darcy, so long as you address me as Bennet. If there is nothing else for my family, please join me in my study and we can discuss the schools.” Bennet smiled at the recovering Bennet ladies and loved that they were so pleased.
“Please lead the way, Bennet,” Darcy agreed.
As the two men left the family sitting room, a very quiet Lizzy could not keep her thoughts in check.
‘The more that I see him, the more I begin to believe that he may be the ideal husband for me.
It is not love I feel for him yet, as I told Mama, but I believe that it will be someday, and possibly sooner rather than later.
He is nothing like the persona of the arrogant man that I met in Meryton.
Yes, I was looking for bad in him after he hurt my pride and vanity at the assembly, and I have admitted that left me open to believe that lying snake Wickham.
How wrong I was! One had all of the appearance of goodness while the other possessed all of the goodness in fact.