Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Mr Bennet looked up as Elizabeth and Mr Darcy reentered his study. He tried to gauge their decision from their visages but was unable to read much from either. The only thing that made him hopeful for a favourable outcome was the amount of time they had spent on what supposedly should have been a quick question and its answer, given Lizzy’s antipathy to Mr Darcy. He motioned for them to be seated, even as he prayed that Mr Darcy had somehow convinced Lizzy of the necessity of their marriage. In his own discussions with the man, Mr Bennet had been pleasantly surprised to discover that when he exerted himself, Mr Darcy could be very persuasive and articulate.
Mrs Bennet’s hysterics coming on top of the unabated rumour mongering had reconciled Mr Bennet to the need for a union between his daughter and Mr Darcy, notwithstanding the unfairness of it. He did not, however, wish to force Elizabeth to marry against her will. If Darcy has failed, then I may have to take up that distasteful responsibility, he thought morosely.
“So, have you both come to an understanding?” he asked, then watched with interest as Mr Darcy raised a questioning brow at Lizzy, who nodded almost imperceptibly.
“I am very pleased to tell you, sir, that your daughter has made me the happiest of men by agreeing to marry me.”
Although he felt a great rush of relief at the other man’s words, Mr Bennet could not help but confirm with his daughter.
“Is that true, Lizzy? I hope you have thought through your decision,” he asked quietly, even as he once again admired Mr Darcy’s ability to bring others to his point of view. Mr Bennet could not know that it was his wife’s irate outburst that had caused Elizabeth to change her mind.
“Yes, Papa, I have,” Elizabeth replied with a small but reassuring smile.
Mr Bennet attempted to read his daughter’s countenance once more. She was hardly brimming with joy, but there were also no remnants of the trepidation and discontent with which she went into the interview with Mr Darcy, and he sighed in relief.
For a brief moment, he was embarrassed by his own hypocrisy. If Elizabeth had continued to refuse Mr Darcy, he would have done all in his power to persuade her otherwise. Yet now that she had made the decision to wed Darcy on her own, he was feeling virtuous for being such a considerate father. He had given Elizabeth the freedom to make her own decisions, all the while wanting her to make a choice that was his. He sighed resignedly. As much as he wanted to, he could not think only of Lizzy. Although he could not appreciate how Fanny had expressed her thoughts, she was right, regrettably. He had a duty towards all his family, and his conversation with Mr Darcy had made him comprehend how remiss he had been up until now.
“Then I wish you both very happy,” he said as he rose to shake Mr Darcy’s hand. He then enfolded his daughter in a warm embrace.
“Shall we go and inform the others of your decision?”
Both Elizabeth and Darcy paled a little as they pictured Mrs Bennet’s response to the news.
Extremely reluctant to expose Mr Darcy to her mother’s effusions, Elizabeth started to demur. “Is it necessary...”
“Yes, please,” Darcy responded at the same time. “We need to be consistent when we inform the neighbourhood about the betrothal. For that, we must all agree on what we should say.”
Mr Bennet nodded and motioned for the couple to follow him. “Let us go, then.”
“Mrs Phillips would still be here, I presume?”
“Ah, yes, I believe so,” Mr Bennet replied, even as the query made him wonder how much of his conversation with his wife had been overheard by Lizzy and Mr Darcy.
“And how much do you trust her and her husband to... to keep a secret and stick to the story we are about to tell them?”
“What story?” Elizabeth enquired, perplexed.
“Ah... I trust them implicitly when it comes to the wellbeing of my daughters. Martha and Joseph are both very fond of their nieces,” Mr Bennet responded at the same time.
“Hmm.”
“What story?” An impatient Elizabeth once again asked the man walking by her side.
Mr Darcy cast her a sidelong glance before suddenly smiling at her mischievously. “Well, the story of our secret betrothal, Elizabeth,” he said, pausing to let her walk through the door ahead of him.
Elizabeth was completely unprepared for his words and the realisation that, when Mr Darcy smiled like that, he transformed into the most handsome man of her acquaintance. Thoroughly befuddled, she glanced back at him and nearly collided with the door in the process.
“Be careful,” Darcy urged, catching hold of her arm and guiding her safely through the door. Embarrassment stained her cheeks a bright red; fortunately, her father drew Mr Darcy’s attention away from her.
“Which secret betrothal are you talking about, Mr Darcy?” Mr Bennet asked in a startled voice.
“I will explain, Mr Bennet, but to save myself from repeating the story all over again, I would prefer to tell it when Mrs Bennet and Mrs Phillips are also present.”
∞∞∞
Mr Bennet was the first to enter the parlour, where Mrs Bennet, Jane, and Mrs Phillips were already seated. As soon as Mrs Bennet espied her husband, she enquired, “So, did you manage to make your obstinate daughter see sense, Mr Bennet?”
Mr Bennet ignored the belligerent comment, instead preferring to share the joyous news. “Fanny, Martha, and Jane, I am very happy to tell you that Lizzy has accepted Mr Darcy’s hand in marriage and that I have given my consent for their betrothal.”
“Oh, my sweet Lizzy, you lucky, lucky girl! How rich and great you will be! What pin-money, what jewels, what carriages you will have!”
The shift in Mrs Bennet’s disposition at Mr Bennet’s announcement was so astonishing that for a few moments, Darcy could only stand and stare at her open-mouthed. He could not help wondering whether there were two of her—the bad-tempered banshee railing in the study less than an hour ago and the smiling, simpering matron who was hugging and caressing Elizabeth at that very moment. The lady even clapped her hands for good measure. “Ten thousand a year and a house in town! Oh, I shall go distracted!”
Darcy’s eyes met Elizabeth’s when Mrs Bennet paused to draw breath, and he felt sorry to see her blushing in embarrassment. Unfortunately, Mrs Bennet’s raptures were not yet over. “And such a charming and handsome man! As good as a lord! Oh, Lizzy!”
Even as he flushed at the fulsome praise, Darcy could not help but be amused at the alacrity with which he had transformed from ‘that odious man’ to a handsome and charming one. He wanted to share his amusement with Elizabeth, knowing she would be alive to the absurdity; however, his poor betrothed appeared too mortified by her mother’s conduct to appreciate the humour in the situation.
Fortunately for the betrothed couple, Mrs Bennet’s mind soon turned to practicalities. “Oh, Martha, what I would not sacrifice to go immediately to Emily Goulding’s house and see her face when we announce Lizzy’s betrothal.” Her tone was gleeful.
Mrs Phillips replied feelingly, “And I will come with you, Fanny! I really do not know what possessed her to talk so meanly of our Lizzy.”
“Well, I can tell you what possessed her, Martha. Two years ago, Emily suggested a possible alliance between Jane and Nathan, her eldest. I told her that my Jane’s beauty was not to be wasted on a local farmer. She has had her knife drawn out for me and my daughters ever since,” Mrs Bennet disclosed grimly.
Darcy’s brow rose at the revelation, even as he did his best not to reveal his distaste for Mrs Bennet’s mercenary boasting. Given Elizabeth’s protestations about the goodness of her neighbours, he had been puzzled by Mrs Goulding’s vicious gossipmongering. Finally, the reason for the mischief was known—clearly the sins of the mother were visiting the daughter.
He snapped out of his reverie when he heard Mrs Phillips exclaim. “Oh... so that is why she went on and on about it despite my repeated assurances that there were no goings-on between Lizzy and Mr Da...”
Darcy cleared his throat to gain everyone’s attention. “As for that, Mrs Phillips, I am sorry, but you will have to change your position,” he said apologetically.
“Eh? Whatever do you mean, Mr Darcy?” Mrs Phillips stared at him in owlish incomprehension.
“I mean that now you will have to acknowledge that you were being economical with the truth in your earlier claims.”
When all the occupants of the room stared at him uncomprehendingly, Darcy clarified, “Enough senseless and hurtful gossip has already taken place. Elizabeth should never again be subjected to such, and I do not want her accused of being forced into a betrothal,” he stated emphatically.
His words rang in the parlour, and Elizabeth stared at him with her lips parted in surprise. To hear him so vehemently defend her and her honour, especially after the emotional battering she had endured in the past few days, made her want to sit down and cry her eyes out. The contrast between his behaviour and that of her own flesh and blood, particularly her mother’s, was striking. She drew a shaky breath and widened her eyes quickly to prevent the tears from falling. She attempted to convince herself that he had admitted to doing this for both of their reputations, but her heart—her foolish heart—would not listen.
Blissfully oblivious to the emotional upheaval he had wrought in Elizabeth, Darcy continued blithely. “It would be best to let it be known that Elizabeth and I were already engaged when I brought her back to Longbourn yesterday. And that was why... Mrs Goulding could get a whiff of... ahem... these goings-on that you mentioned, Mrs Phillips.” Darcy paused to draw breath and was a little unnerved to notice five pairs of eyes fixed on him unblinkingly.
“When exactly did you two get betrothed? And why did Fanny not proclaim it from the rooftops right away?” Mr Bennet asked sceptically.
“Oh, I sought your consent two days ago at Netherfield, just as you all were leaving for Longbourn after the ball. Mrs Bennet could not have informed anyone since your family was the last to leave, even if I had not sworn you all to secrecy. And I did so because I wanted to notify my uncle, the Earl of Matlock, and seek his blessings for the match before making a public announcement.” Darcy grinned contentedly after coming up with a perfectly reasonable response to Mr Bennet’s objection.
“In fact, I was on my way to London for this very errand yesterday. Like any man newly betrothed, I could not leave without bidding goodbye to Elizabeth. So, I went to see her, only to discover that she had been in an accident. And when I returned her to Longbourn, a very astute and perceptive Mrs Goulding saw what no one else could. Since that good lady has already let the cat out of the bag, we have decided to let our friends and neighbours in on the secret,” Darcy concluded wryly.
There was a long pause in the parlour after he finished narrating his tale. Unfortunately, his cryptic storytelling proved a little too much for poor Mrs Phillips’s comprehension skills.
“Fanny! I have been so worried about Lizzy, and you did not even bother to tell me that she and Mr Darcy are already engaged? I thought Joseph and I were family!”
AsMr Bennet absentmindedly heard Jane clearing up her aunt’s misconception, he realised that Mr Darcy had spent a lot of thought coming up with a plausible story.
“If you have any plans to write the kind of lurid novels my girls are always reading, Mr Darcy, then let me assure you that you have a long and successful career ahead of you,” he said dryly.
Darcy shook his head with an amused smile. “I am quite happy being a gentleman, sir.” He then addressed Mrs Phillips. “Madam, may I request that you invite the two ladies who were present here yesterday to your home for tea this afternoon?”
“Of course, but... what should I tell them? Do I inform them about your betrothal?
“No, Mrs Phillips, I will take care of that when we arrive at your house later.”
“Oh... but then what...” Mrs Phillips’s voice petered off uncertainly.
“Instead, as soon as you hear us announced in your parlour, please begin asking Mrs Goulding to desist her gossiping, as you have been doing so valiantly up until now,” Darcy suggested.
“Then, I must go immediately and send out the invitations.” Mrs Phillips rose. “I will be eagerly waiting for you all, Fanny. Mr Darcy has very kindly given us the opportunity to see Emily’s face at close quarters as we tell her Lizzy’s news,” she called out to her sister even as she sailed out of the door.
Mrs Bennet, who had been following the conversation in the room with an uncharacteristic silence, suddenly came to life at her sister’s words. “I too cannot wait, Martha,” she said gleefully, although her sister was no longer around to hear her.
Mrs Phillips’s words had, however, broken the spell that Mr Darcy’s storytelling had cast on Mrs Bennet. Her thoughts once again dwelt on how fortunate Lizzy had been in getting a proposal out of Mr Darcy of Pemberley—the key to a better life for the Bennets.
Mr Darcy’s relatives and other members of the ton would undoubtedly attend his wedding. I should immediately start planning for a grand wedding breakfast. Oh! There is so much to do.... With visions of herself being feted and admired by important members of the ton dancing before her eyes, Mrs Bennet enquired of Darcy, “Mr Darcy, have you and Lizzy decided on a date for your wedding?”
“Umm...” Darcy began, but Mrs Bennet proceeded without waiting for his response.
“A wedding in March would be ideal. The weather would be pleasant, and I would have enough time to plan a wedding worthy of your noble relatives. I am assuming your uncle, the earl, his lady wife, and Lady Catherine will all be gracing the occasion. They should not feel that the Bennets are incapable of putting on a grand event. We can have the wedding in London and...”
As Mrs Bennet droned on, Darcy, who had been listening to her with growing trepidation, blinked and turned his head to look at Elizabeth. At the same moment, she dragged her appalled gaze away from her mother and glanced his way. One look at her ashen countenance told him of her unhappiness with Mrs Bennet’s elaborate plans. Any doubts about her feelings were laid to rest when she widened her eyes at him in a mute appeal. He smiled reassuringly at her before turning to address Mrs Bennet.
He may have tried a more diplomatic approach, if the lady had been less cruel to Elizabeth when she ranted in the study, but as things stood, it accorded him almost a malicious pleasure to answer her with all the arrogance at his disposal.
“I am sorry, Mrs Bennet; I have a few very busy months ahead of me, starting in the middle of next month. I would therefore prefer the wedding to take place within the next two or three weeks,” he said, trying to depress any pretensions she may have had about planning elaborate weddings. Suddenly it occurred to him that Elizabeth might not be comfortable with the idea of marrying so soon, and he added more gently, “Unless Elizabeth has an objection to the plan.”
“Why would she have an objection...” Mrs Bennet began, but Darcy interrupted her. “Elizabeth?”
Elizabeth had been horrified to hear her mother’s grand plans regarding their wedding and her desire to insinuate herself among Mr Darcy’s relatives. So, she should have been relieved that he had unceremoniously rejected Mama’s disconcerting schemes. Well... she was, but... only three weeks until her wedding? Oh, Lord! She was not ready for that! As she mused, Elizabeth glanced at her mother and observed the pursed lips and the frown. She sighed resignedly.
“I... I have no objection to your suggestion, Mr Darcy, and if you are agreeable, I would prefer a quiet wedding here in the Meryton church.”
“That would be perfect.” Darcy smiled at her before turning to address her father. “As you are already aware, Mr Bennet, I shall be travelling to London on the morrow to get the marriage settlement in place. If you agree, I shall also obtain a special licence while I am there.”
As she watched her father smilingly offer his consent to Mr Darcy, Elizabeth could not help but observe the difference in Mr Darcy’s behaviour with her father as compared to her mother. However, her mind was too occupied with other concerns to ponder this oddity for long.
She was to marry Mr Darcy in less than a month! Suppressing her panic, she looked around, and her gaze found Jane, who was staring at her with concerned eyes. Her sister opened her mouth as if to say something, then thought better of it.
“Later,” Jane mouthed, and Elizabeth nodded at her in acknowledgement. She then looked at her mother, who was surprisingly cheerful for someone whose plans for the wedding of her daughter had been summarily upended. Soon, the lady herself revealed the reason.
“Oh, Lizzy! You will be married by a special license! Just imagine how jealous Emily Goulding and the others would be,” she whispered gleefully.
Trust Mama to forget her current disappointment in the hopes of one-upmanship in the neighbourhood, Elizabeth thought wryly, then came out of her ruminations to hear Mr Darcy say, “... you believe that going to the Meryton Inn this evening for a few pints of beer would suffice?”
“Yes, and I will invite Phillips, Goulding, and the others for celebratory drinks. That should take care of everyone, lock, stock, and barrel.”
“Hmm. Well, then I shall take your leave and see you later today at Mrs Phillips’s.”
∞∞∞
That night Darcy found it difficult to sleep as a strange feeling of euphoria held him in its thrall. He had accomplished everything that he had set out to do that evening, and the exhilaration reminded him of the first time he had had champagne on his seventeenth birthday. Elizabeth’s reputation is now safe! sang his heart.
It had been fairly easy to convince Mrs Goulding and Lady Lucas of his and Elizabeth’s secret betrothal. All it took was a generous helping of flattery and a smattering of charm. It had been galling to flatter the woman who had launched a campaign against Elizabeth, but he had gritted his teeth and managed it. Restoring Elizabeth’s good name was more important than his resentment. Therefore, he had exerted himself to convince his audience that all he and Elizabeth were guilty of was the eagerness of a newly betrothed couple—a transgression that both ladies were willing to look at with indulgence.
Once he had assured himself that the latest gossip in their midst would now be the sly manner in which he and Elizabeth had concealed their affections for each other, he had gone with Mr Bennet and Mr Phillips to the Meryton Inn. Although Mrs Goulding and her aides had proven to be more than capable of spreading gossip across Meryton, he had wished to speak with the menfolk, especially the soldiers who had attended Mrs Goulding’s card party the day before.
Was it only yesterday when his and Elizabeth’s lives took an unexpected turn? It seemed much longer.
He would not want to repeat the two hours he had spent in the public room of the Meryton Inn. Socialising with a lot of strangers, the majority of them unwashed, imbibing more than he liked, and pretending to appreciate ribald jokes—quite a few of them at his own expense—were not things he particularly enjoyed. Nonetheless, he had tolerated them and feigned enjoyment, all in order to demonstrate to those men that he was a man content with his betrothal and happy with his lot in life. Wickham at least had the decency to remove himself from the premises soon after their party had entered the inn. The combined weights of his and Mr Bennet’s angry stares had proved too much, even for that thick-skinned rogue.
I never asked Mr Bennet why he was so upset with Wickham; Darcy wondered, then discarded the thought for a much more agreeable one—Elizabeth.
He smiled to himself as he recalled that they would soon be married. However, as his mind turned to their conversation from this morning, the smile faded slowly. In all the excitement this evening had generated, he had forgotten her dislike of him and her reluctance to inform others of their betrothal. He could understand her reluctance, for she was marrying a man who she did not particularly like. Ideally, he would have preferred to have properly courted her before their marriage. To court her as she deserved in the hope of improving her impression of him. To demonstrate that he was not always boorish and difficult to please. Unfortunately, he did not have the luxury of time. Mrs Bennet’s meddling and his desire to protect Elizabeth had ensured that they would marry in less than a month.
What should I do to win her trust and approbation? he pondered anxiously. Slowly, an idea came to him, and the relief of it finally allowed sleep to claim him. “Who said a man could court the woman he loved only before marriage?” he mumbled just before he became lost to the world.