Chapter 6 Confessions #2
Darcy groaned. “Your mother would be hopelessly outmatched. Lady Catherine may hold only a courtesy title—her father was an earl, her husband merely a baronet—but do not be deceived. She has declared herself queen of her little fiefdom in Kent and rules like an absolute monarch, answering to no one. Richard and I make an annual pilgrimage to ensure she has not driven the estate into ruin.”
Elizabeth stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter.
When she had composed herself, she said with a mischievous sparkle in her eye, “I almost wish to meet this great lady, if only to test whether I might best her—though I daresay she would find me the more formidable. Still, perhaps I ought to be just a little afraid.”
“Though you would not deserve her disapprobation, she will not like you,” Darcy admitted with a wry glance.
“Primarily because of my interest in you, but also because of your impertinence. What I find charming, she would call insolence. She cannot endure opposition and prefers only those who echo her every word.”
Elizabeth grimaced and studied him more closely, her tone growing sober. “Ought I to be concerned that she will attempt to interfere in our courtship?”
Darcy shook his head, amusement flickering in his eyes.
“No, you need not worry about her interfering. Lady Catherine, of course, will be displeased since she would be content only if I agreed to marry her daughter, but she cannot prevent me from marrying as I wish. In any other circumstance, she might genuinely admire you—though she would deny it with her dying breath. She has a grudging respect for anyone who can hold their own in conversation, especially if they manage to annoy her just a little. As for my annual visits, she tolerates them solely because she believes one day I will come to my senses and propose as she commands.”
Elizabeth’s eyes shone in humour, but she held in the laughter that threatened. “Are there any other family members I should be worried about? You mentioned a countess?”
“That aunt has been encouraging me to marry for several years, but I think she knows that I would never marry any of the debutantes she has introduced me to,” Darcy admitted.
“They are all the same. As I believe I said before, I like that you can debate and challenge me. I wish for a partner in marriage, not an adornment. I have seen too many of those sorts of marriages and never wished to subject myself to that kind of superficial connection.”
Her eyes bright, Elizabeth nodded her agreement.
“My parents are not well matched. I am uncertain what made them marry, but it is obvious that they have little in common. While I wish to love the man I eventually marry, I believe that mutual respect is nearly as important. I would not marry a man I could not respect.”
“I wish for the same,” Darcy said softly, stepping closer to where Elizabeth stood.
With deliberate care, he took her hand in his.
“I enjoy our debates, Elizabeth—more than I ever expected I might. My parents had a marriage not unlike that of your own parents’, in some respects, and I have always desired something different, which is why I had considered never marrying.
The earl and countess may not be entirely thrilled by my choice, but they will not oppose it outright.
They do wish for my happiness, and like my Aunt Catherine, they would not risk alienating me entirely.
I may lack a title, but Pemberley represents substantial wealth and power, and my uncle is rather fond of maintaining strong connexions to such things. ”
Elizabeth could not seem to find her voice.
She merely nodded, her gaze locked with his, searching his expression for some hint of doubt and finding none.
She did not think she loved him—not yet.
But with every conversation, every shared glance, she felt herself drawing nearer.
If this courtship were to end, she would miss him more than she cared to admit.
They lingered in silence, the air between them charged and fragile.
Then Darcy exhaled slowly and lowered his forehead to hers, his voice low and slightly rough.
“You said your father rises early. If I were to walk you home, would he be available? I wish to speak with him as soon as possible. You, my love, you are proving to be terribly difficult to resist.”
Elizabeth’s breath caught. “Do you mean that, William?” she asked, her voice trembling with something that felt very much like hope.
He did not answer at once. Colour climbed slowly from his collar to the tips of his ears, and he gave a small, sheepish smile. “I have never been in love before, Elizabeth,” he said quietly. “But I believe that is what I am feeling now. I do respect you, but it is far more than merely that.”
Nodding, Elizabeth took a step towards him, his arms moving to embrace her lightly.
“I respect you as well, William, but I am hesitant to admit to feeling love, not yet. I…I do not know what I feel for you at this moment. Just a few days ago, I thought I hated you, but you have shown me a very different side of you.”
“That is what courtship is for, Elizabeth, to allow us to come to know each other better,” Darcy replied. “Come, let us see your father before your mother wakes.”