17. Darcy House, London—Saturday, 23 December 1809 #2
“I was ten, and I bowed to my own reflection in the lake, so I could try to see what the person I bowed to would see. A goat became apparently quite vexed about my encroachment upon his bramble and butted me into the lake.”
His intended’s joyful peal of laughter made Darcy feel another wave of happiness in a seemingly endless series.
Being at the Gardiners’ home seemed to define happiness.
Darcy asked to see the older children so he could give them small gifts—small, sturdy wooden birds that were also cleverly designed bird whistles.
He was pleased to be invited to see the new baby, as well.
Although he only saw little Tommy for a few moments, it felt almost holy to see such a tiny and perfect baby.
He could not help squeezing Elizabeth’s hand, attempting to communicate that he hoped they would have one of these in the not-too-distant future, and her squeeze back and small nod made him feel that she was agreeing wholeheartedly.
Darcy exchanged congratulations and genuine well-wishes with Mrs Gardiner, who invited him and Georgiana to accompany most of the Gardiner family to Evensong services on the twenty-fourth and, afterwards, partake of a simple Christmas Eve dinner at their home. He eagerly agreed.
Elizabeth declined to come up with a wedding date, explaining that her mind was in too much of a whirl to think clearly, what with the birth, the holidays, and the engagement. However, she did approve him purchasing a common license to marry at Darcy’s church.
Everything about the morning at Gracechurch Street was joyful.
Darcy did not have nearly as much joy visiting his own aunt and uncle.
At Richard’s suggestion, Georgiana was returned to Darcy House with Mrs Annesley before the two men went to Matlock House. Richard asked their butler if his parents were available for Darcy’s visit, indicating that the smaller family sitting room would suit them.
Darcy’s aunt hurried in almost immediately, rushing to him and kissing him on the cheek. “Darcy! You have been in town twelve days and only now are visiting?”
He was surprised. She was a woman who neither hurried nor rushed, and she sometimes gave him a formal kiss on the cheek at the end of an event, but it was unprecedented as a greeting.
And the Matlock family was not prone to casual drop-in visits.
He had sent the customary note to apprise his uncle and aunt of when he would arrive in Town to pick up his sister, and he had arrived at the promised hour.
He had asked if his uncle, aunt, or cousins were available to be greeted, and both the butler and, later, Georgiana had informed him that no one was at home.
“You know Aunt,” Georgiana had said as she and Mrs Annesley boarded Darcy’s carriage. “She is always out, making calls, meeting with the board of this charity or attending that salon, going to dinners and the theatre and routs and…. Well, you know.”
Darcy had known and had not worried in the least about there being nobody at Matlock House to greet him. It was typical. This…was quite a surprise.
“I wrote to accept your invitation for Christmas Day,” he said. “I expect you got my note?”
“Of course! Of course I did.” Aunt Matlock sat near Darcy and said, “Tell me, how are you? What has kept you busy since your arrival?”
Darcy briefly glanced at Richard, who played the mimic behind his mother’s back, rolling his eyes and grimacing.
“I have been courting a young lady, a gentlewoman I met in Hertfordshire. She, like me, is an avid horticulturalist and bird breeder, and we have been corresponding entirely on those topics, through her father, for two years. When we finally met, the connection over natural history deepened dramatically. Yesterday I asked her to marry me, and she said yes.”
Aunt Matlock gasped and slumped, just for a moment, and Darcy was reminded of a pig-bladder ball deflating—and then he scolded himself for thinking of such a disrespectful comparison.
She straightened swiftly and turned on him with an unexpected frown. “Darcy! You cannot just marry some girl the family has not met.”
“I definitely can, Aunt.”
“She is a gentlewoman, you said. Her father owns an estate?”
“Yes.”
“But…Hertfordshire? What is her name? Who is her father? What are her connexions?”
Darcy exchanged another glance with Richard.
He found himself more amused than angry, but he knew that his aunt was heading in a direction that was likely to cause him anger.
He decided to flip the script a bit, putting forward what his aunt would think of as bad news first. “My intended’s name is Miss Elizabeth Bennet.
She is eighteen, she is the daughter of a country squire, and she has no dowry and only a very small inheritance.
Her main connexions are an uncle who is a small-town attorney and another uncle who lives here in London, a very well-to-do businessman. ”
He saw his aunt’s horrified eyes and shocked brows, and he watched as she drew a deep breath and opened her mouth—and at that moment, he interrupted with the words, “Also, you should know that I am deeply in love with her. I have never felt even a thousandth with any other woman what I feel for my Elizabeth. I will marry her, since she has accepted my suit, and I will marry no other, no matter the inducement. You should also know that Georgiana adores Elizabeth and that Richard has met her and her relations today, and he also approves of them.”
His aunt turned to look at her son. “You met this…Elizabeth person?”
“Miss Elizabeth Bennet,” Richard corrected.
“Yes, I met her and her uncle. She is delightful, beautiful, and charming. She is also fiercely intelligent—I could tell after a quarter hour that Miss Bennet is far more clever than I am, and I would never wish to tie myself to a lady who would so outwit me. That said, everything else about Miss Bennet is exactly what I wish for in a bride, and I presume her intelligence is likely the most attractive feature for our Darcy here. She will not outwit him, but nor will he outwit her.”
“Intelligence? Is that truly what you have been so fastidious about, Darcy?”