Chapter 9
Chapter 9
When the gentlemen arrived for supper that evening, Mr Darcy requested Mr Bennet’s time to go over the marriage settlement with him. The two gentlemen then retreated to Mr Bennet’s study. Elizabeth was surprised when Hill came to the drawing room a short time later to inform her that her father had summoned her to his study.
She knocked on the study door and asked, “You called me, Papa?”
“Yes, Lizzy, or I should say that Darcy here has requested your presence. Come, have a seat.”
Elizabeth sat down on a chair next to Mr Darcy”s and looked enquiringly at the two men. In response, her father thrust a thin stack of official-looking papers at her.
“What is this, Papa?”
“Your betrothed wants you to have a look at the marriage settlement, as he believes that it is your right to be aware of the details therein. He has also requested that I explain anything that is unclear or confusing to you.”
Elizabeth had no desire to go through the settlement. Even if Papa had not informed her of Mr Darcy”s conscientious nature, she was certain of his honourable intentions based on what she had learned of him in the last se’nnight.
“I do not believe it is necessary...” Elizabeth began but was immediately interrupted by Darcy.
“Please go through the document, Elizabeth. You should be aware of what it entails. You owe it to yourself and any children that we may be blessed with.”
After many days, the arrogant Mr Darcy had reappeared, and instead of being offended, Elizabeth found herself agreeing rather meekly to her surprise.
“Very well,” she said as she picked up the papers Mr Bennet had pushed towards her. Although there were a few legal terms that she did not understand, one thing was clear from the document: Mr Darcy had been extremely generous to her. She also discovered that knowing the specifics of the wealth of one”s betrothed was far more unsettling than having just a vague impression that the man was rich. The monies and the properties mentioned left her feeling slightly uncomfortable.
“You can ask your father or me if there is anything you do not understand or would like to ask.”
“No. I believe I have understood it sufficiently well.”
“But...”
“Do you have doubts about my intelligence, Mr Darcy?” Elizabeth asked, her brow arched in challenge.
Darcy smiled at her haughty expression. “Would I so dare?” he murmured.
Elizabeth smiled back at him, then admitted, “Well… while I understood the main import of the document, of course there was some legalese here that I could not quite comprehend. However, there is something else that I comprehend perfectly well, which makes me quite confident about the sanctity of this document.”
“And what is that, if I may ask?”
“It is what I have come to know of the man I am to marry.”
As Darcy gazed into her smiling eyes, he wondered whether he was coming down with something that left him short of breath so frequently these days.
He snapped out of his abstraction when Mr Bennet cleared his throat loudly. “Now that we have disposed of the matter of the settlement, Lizzy, I will give you two a few moments of privacy per Darcy’s request. It appears he has brought you a betrothal gift.”
“Oh!”
“Yes.” Mr Bennet then turned to Darcy and warned him, “The door to my study remains ajar, and if you are not back in the drawing room in ten minutes, I will come and fetch you.” Then, with a quick smile at them, he went out of the study.
∞∞∞
Once her father had left, Elizabeth turned to tease Mr Darcy for so assiduously maintaining appearances despite everyone at Longbourn knowing the reason for their betrothal. However, as she gazed into his soft eyes, she was overcome by a strange shyness that dried up the words on her lips.
Darcy cleared his throat self-consciously. “It is only your betrothal ring,” he said as he withdrew a small velvet box from the inner pocket of his coat. He opened the box and handed it to her. A delicate ring in the shape of an exquisite flower nestled inside. The flower had intricate petals of little rubies surrounding a larger core of a round emerald.
Elizabeth let out a soft gasp as she took in the beauty in front of her.
“It belonged to my mother. If you find that you want something more modern, we can get a new one. I...”
“No… no. I do not want anything else. The ring is lovely, and it is just right for me,” she said as she delicately traced the blossom with her finger.
Darcy gave her a delighted smile, taking the ring from the box he stroked it gently. “It is one of my favourite rings from my mother”s collection, and now that you have given it your approbation, I feel bold enough to admit that…”
“…that?” Elizabeth prompted curiously when he did not immediately make his confession.
He smiled at her impatience. “That I chose it for you not only because the colour of the emerald exactly matches that of your eyes, but also because the ring reminds me of you.”
Elizabeth blushed under his intense scrutiny. “How so?” she asked almost in a whisper.
“The green of the emerald and the red of the rubies are the perfect blend of nurture and fire, just like you,” he murmured so softly that she had to lean forward to hear him.
Elizabeth found herself trembling as she listened to his hushed voice and understood the care with which he had chosen her ring.
“Will you wear it for me?” he asked, as he extended the ring to her.
Not wanting to break the expectant silence, Elizabeth merely nodded and attempted to remove her glove. However, her unsteady hands made the task difficult.
”May I?” Darcy asked as he caught hold of her left hand and looked enquiringly at her.
Elizabeth nodded once more and watched in silence as he carefully peeled away her glove. She could not comprehend how something as mundane as removing a glove from her hand could turn so disquieting, making her hot all over and causing her breath to hitch.
Did Papa stoke the fire before he left? she wondered, looking anxiously over at the fire in the grate, but everything appeared to be in order. She cast a glance at Mr Darcy and found him gazing at her hand, which he had finally managed to free from the glove. His colour appeared rather high as well, and she was forced to surmise that it was indeed the fire that was causing the trouble.
As she stared up at him, she noticed that very unfairly, he had thick, almost femininely long eyelashes. The silence in the room suddenly felt fraught with an emotion she could not quite place. She opened her mouth to say… something… anything to break the web of tension tightening around them. But at the very moment Mr Darcy slid the ring onto her finger and she stayed silent.
“It fits perfectly! And on your hand, it appears more beautiful than it actually is,” he said huskily as he raised her hand to his lips. Elizabeth shivered as his lips brushed over her skin. How can one feel hot and cold at the same time? she wondered a little wildly.
“Th-thank you for this very precious gift, Mr Darcy,” she finally managed to mumble.
Darcy looked down at her lovely face, made more beautiful by the warmth in her eyes, the soft colour on her cheeks, and her gently parted lips, which made him want to bend down and capture them with his own.
Ought I? A kiss would hardly come amiss after a betrothal gift, he told himself a little desperately.
Hold your horses, Darcy! You promised. You promised her that you would not put any pressure on her.
But… courting couples often steal a kiss or two, and we are engaged!
And how many courting couples do you know where the young lady does not even like the gentleman? For heaven’s sake, do not rush matters, be the gentleman you wish to be for her.
But I no longer believe she dislikes me and…. Oh, very well!
The voice of caution won over the eager lover and with a sigh and a gentle squeeze of her hand, Darcy stepped back from her.
“I am glad that you like the ring, Elizabeth. Oh, by the by, I have written to Georgiana about your impending visit to London and have given her leave to call on you whenever you are free to receive her.”
Elizabeth blinked, surprised by the abrupt change in the subject. Looking at the play of emotions on his face, she had felt certain that she was going to receive her first kiss. And she would have allowed him the liberty… welcomed it even. However, now that he had chosen not to avail himself of the opportunity, she could not decide whether to be glad or sorry. How have my feelings altered so drastically in the span of a week? she wondered in dismay, then pulled herself together.
“Er… you have given permission to Miss Darcy to visit Gracechurch Street?” she asked, unable to keep the shock from her voice.
“No, Elizabeth, I have given her permission to visit my betrothed and her aunt, a very kind woman from Derbyshire who knew our mother,” Darcy said with gentle emphasis.
All of a sudden, Elizabeth felt ashamed of her contrary behaviour. He had shown her nothing but kindness ever since the day of the accident; then why did she keep reminding herself and him of his unfortunate behaviour in the past? It seemed especially petty when he had clearly tried to make amends not only by visiting her uncle and aunt, but also by giving permission to his dear sister to visit them. She was at a loss to explain why her scepticism about him kept raising its head even when she genuinely believed him to be a good, honourable man.
Intent on apologising, she approached him; her hand raised in appeal. “I am sorry, Mr Darcy. I-I did not mean…”
“It is all right, Elizabeth,” Darcy interrupted her, trying not to feel disheartened at her obvious surprise at his changed views about her relatives in trade. After all, It was not that long ago when he had indirectly condoned the kind of snobbery she was accusing him of. He sighed resignedly. “Changing oneself and how one is perceived, are both slow processes.” He gave her a rueful smile and added, “I suppose it will get easier as we get better acquainted.”
Elizabeth nodded, even as she prayed that she had not spoilt the easy friendship that had grown between them.
“I believe we have already exceeded the time limit Mr Bennet allowed us; let us return to the others before he arrives to escort us back.” Darcy attempted a jest when he saw her downcast expression.
Elizabeth gave him a weak smile and turned to leave. As they approached the door, Darcy recalled another issue he wanted to discuss with her. Although it was a trivial matter, given how slowly he was gaining her trust, he wanted to avoid anything that could give rise to a misunderstanding between them.
“Elizabeth?”
“Yes?”
“Mr Bennet enquired about sending the notice of our betrothal to the newspaper, but I have requested him to wait. I will be sending the notice to the newspapers only after our wedding.”
“Oh?” Elizabeth attempted to speculate on the reason. Is he embarrassed to tell his friends and family about me? was her first insecurity laden thought. But if it was so, why would he agree to Lady Matlock’s plan to introduce me to the ton? she mused in puzzlement.
Before she could continue to argue with herself, he clarified. “It is because I want to provide Lady Catherine with a fait accompli. Aunt Susan and Georgie both concur that Lady Catherine is quite capable of causing mischief if she learns of our betrothal prior to the nuptials.”
I really need to stop jumping to the worst possible conclusions, Elizabeth admonished herself sternly before addressing him. “I suppose that makes infinite sense. I can very well understand their fears from what I have heard of Mr Collins’s noble patroness.”
∞∞∞
Just as the door to the drawing-room came into view, a sudden thought struck Elizabeth and she stopped in her tracks. “But… do you not think that Miss Bingley is bound to gossip about our betrothal?”
Darcy stopped beside her and smiled in appreciation of her quick thinking. “Oh, I had the same apprehension, so I requested Bingley to advise Miss Bingley against gossiping about the matter.”
Elizabeth gave him a disbelieving look. “And you believe that is going to stop her?”
Instead of answering her, he asked a question of his own. “Do you know what it is that Miss Bingley desires most ardently?”
Elizabeth nearly replied, “To be Mrs Darcy of Pemberley.” With difficulty she controlled her cattish instincts and shook her head.
“Well, she very much desires to be on intimate terms with the cream of London society, and she gets that opportunity only through Bingley’s friendship with me. I requested Bingley to inform her that if even a whiff of gossip reaches me, I would ensure that she never receives even one of those coveted invitations again,” he said grimly.
Elizabeth cast a surprised glance at him. “Oh, my! You can be quite ruthless when you choose.”
Darcy shrugged. “When it is a matter of protecting my own, I do whatever is needed. So, yes, sometimes I can be hard-hearted,” he said and waited for Elizabeth to pass out of earshot to add with a grimace, “And sometimes, I can also swallow my pride.”
He would have been quite disconcerted if he had known that all his efforts to maintain secrecy had almost gone in vain. Lady Catherine would have known about their plans but for Lady Lucas’s guilt about not being able to stop Mrs Goulding from maligning Elizabeth. It was also fortunate that Charlotte was near her father when he expressed his desire to write to Mr Collins about Elizabeth’s betrothal. She not only recognised the danger it would pose to Elizabeth’s felicity, but also shared her misgivings with her mother. And it was Lady Lucas’s aforementioned guilt that made her exert herself to convince her husband to let the Bennets be the ones to share their happy news with their cousin.
“Ah, there they are at last! Lizzy, what did Mr Darcy give you?” Mrs Bennet asked loudly.
Elizabeth hid a grimace and replied, “My betrothal ring, Mama.”
“Ooh… let me see it, Lizzy!”
“I will show it to you later, Lydia.”
“Come, now, Lizzy, do not be so disagreeable. All I want to do is to admire the ring Mr Darcy gave you.” Lydia was usually like a dog with a bone when it came to getting what she wanted.
“Go ahead and show your ring, Lizzy. After all, we are only family in this room,” Mrs Bennet seconded Lydia’s request. Elizabeth could not decide if it was a desire to add Mr Bingley to the family fold or a genuine wish to see the ring that made her mother support Lydia.
Elizabeth heaved a sigh and removed her glove once more to display the ring to those present in the drawing-room.
“Oh, how very beautiful!” Jane exclaimed then added softly, “The ring becomes you, Lizzy, very much.”
“It is lovely indeed, but it appears to be quite old. I would have liked a new one, preferably with a large diamond. Lizzy, why do you not ask Mr Darcy to get a new one for you, one with a solitaire?”
Trust Lydia to ruin a beautiful moment with her tasteless remarks. Elizabeth gritted her teeth and tried to control her anger. After all Lydia was only being her thoughtless self, she could not know of the care with which Mr Darcy had chosen her betrothal ring.
“Well, is it not fortunate then that the ring is for me and not you, Lydia? I love it as it is, and anyhow I dislike diamonds!” Elizabeth added for good measure.
Darcy had been intently observing the play of emotion on Elizabeth’s face. He felt a warm, gossamer-like feeling wrap around his heart as he heard her defend his choice with such passion. However, an imp of mischief made him go to her and murmur in her ear. “It is good that you have clarified that, Elizabeth. Last week, I saw the most exquisite diamond earrings displayed in a jewellery shop. I was hoping to buy them as I thought they would look beautiful on you… but now I am glad that I did not squander my money on them.”
Elizabeth was astounded to hear him speak in such a common manner and glanced at him in consternation. However, when she looked into his eyes, she was met with a gleam of gold twinkling down at her.
Thinking it beneath her to respond to such a blatant tease, she only rolled her eyes at him. “Odious man!” she muttered as she flounced away to go and sit beside Kitty. The warm chuckle that followed her sent a delectable shiver down her spine.
∞∞∞
The odious man was right this time too, like he usually is. Elizabeth smiled to herself as she read Georgiana Darcy’s response to the missive that she had sent to Darcy House on her arrival in London, the previous evening. The response had come at a very early hour this morning and contained a request from Miss Darcy to visit them with her companion, Miss Annesley. It bore testimony to the fact that not only did Mr Darcy know his sister very well, but that he had been correct about her eagerness to meet Elizabeth.
Although they were going to visit Uncle Gardiner’s warehouse this morning to select the fabric for her gowns, followed by a visit to the modiste, Elizabeth requested her aunt’s permission to invite Miss Darcy and her companion to tea in the afternoon. Her aunt was more than happy to oblige, and the invitation was sent out to Miss Darcy before the Bennets trooped down to the Gardiner warehouse.
When Miss Darcy and her companion arrived that afternoon, Elizabeth was once again reminded forcefully of that charlatan, Lieutenant Wickham. As she sat conversing with the shy, sweet-natured girl, Elizabeth recalled that Wickham had called her insufferably proud, like her brother. She wondered if anything the lieutenant had shared with her could be taken at face value, as it was now apparent that the man was a habitual liar.
Elizabeth also learned that despite her sweet nature, Miss Darcy—Georgiana, as she had asked her and Jane to call her—was quite adept at twisting people around her little finger. As soon as she learned that Elizabeth and her party would again be going shopping on the morrow, Georgiana Darcy turned puppy-like eyes on her soon-to-be sister. “Oh, I love to go shopping, especially for fabrics and gowns. Fitzwilliam forgets the time when he is in a bookshop, but I tend to lose myself whenever I am at a milliner’s,” she said with a girlish giggle.
After such a statement, there was nothing Elizabeth could do but invite Miss Darcy to accompany them. As expected, Georgiana jumped at the invitation. For a moment, Elizabeth worried if Mr Darcy would be unhappy that she had invited his sister for a visit to a warehouse near the docks. However, a private word with Mrs Annesley quieted her misgivings. It appeared Mr Darcy had written to Mrs Annesley as well, granting his permission for Miss Darcy to accompany the Bennets whenever she pleased, either by herself or with her companion.
At the rate that man is going, a time would soon come when I would be more discriminating and haughty than him, she thought, only half in jest!
∞∞∞
That evening Georgiana Darcy received two unexpected guests—her aunt, Lady Matlock, and her cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam.
“So, how did you find Miss Bennet, Georgiana?” Lady Matlock asked even before she had taken a seat.
“I suppose you are asking after Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Miss Bennet is her elder sister, Aunt.”
“Lord! You and your brother can be so pernickety at times. All right, how did you find Miss Elizabeth?” Lady Matlock corrected herself in some irritation.
Georgiana swallowed, not really understanding why her normally imperturbable and kind aunt was being so crabby. It was only because she had met Miss Bennet along with Elizabeth that she had pointed out the error, not because she was finical or impertinent.
She could not have known that, with Elizabeth in London, the reality of her brother’s upcoming marriage had struck Lady Matlock hard. She wanted to meet Elizabeth and assess the young lady on her own merits, but Darcy had tied her hands. He had been courteous enough to write to her of his betrothed’s upcoming visit, but he had also let her know firmly, if politely, not to try to see Elizabeth in his absence.
I regret that you will not be able to meet Elizabeth this time. However, I would like to present her to you and my uncle at the first possible opportunity after our marriage. Despite the diplomatic wording, the warning was clear—do not attempt to meet Elizabeth on your own. Although Lady Matlock did not want to openly defy Fitzwilliam, she knew that she would have to disregard his warning. While she had faith in his words and his superior understanding, she could not let him wed without at least attempting to determine what kind of young woman he was marrying. He may come to regret his decision in the future, but at that point he would have no recourse. She owed it to her sister, Anne, to discover the truth, and if all was not as Fitzwilliam proclaimed, then to seek a way out of this predicament.
So, here she was, prepared to engage in subterfuge to get what she wanted. The poor lady was feeling on edge because she did not normally indulge in deception. Additionally, she did not want to discover anything that would hurt her dear boy. The mere possibility was making her anxious.
“Oh, bother!” she muttered and snapped out of her reverie to listen to Georgiana.
“… on one hand she is not at all how I had envisaged her, and on the other, she is exactly what I had anticipated.”
“That is very cryptic, little one. I wish you would be more explicit and less poetic,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said wryly.
Georgiana grinned up at him. “That really was not very helpful, was it? Well… let me try to put it more lucidly,” she said and sat silently for a while, gathering her thoughts.
“So… when I learned that Brother had finally fallen in love after so many years, I… I was expecting that the woman would be exquisite… an epitome of elegance and beauty. But when I met Elizabeth, she was… different.” The young girl was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she missed the look exchanged by her cousin and his mother.
“In fact, it is Miss Bennet who in looks resembles the woman of my imagination. She is truly angelic in beauty and disposition.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam’s brows rose at that. “I think it would not be proper if I do not pay my respects to the Bennets,” he said.
“Please do not get your hopes too high, cousin. When I visited the Gardiners’ home, Mr Bingley was also present there, and it appeared to me that he has already engaged Miss Bennet’s affection,” Georgiana warned him in amusement.
“Oh, Lord! Bingley and his angels!”
“Can we get back to the subject at hand? Are you saying Miss Elizabeth is a dowd, Georgiana?” Lady Matlock asked impatiently.
“Oh, not at all, Aunt. Please do not misunderstand me. Elizabeth is lovely and she has the most engaging smile, yet… when you come away after meeting her, what stays with you… is not her beauty, but the warmth she exudes, the vivacity of her laughing eyes and the sense that… that you have met someone you can rely on,” Georgiana explained, then appeared a little abashed at her own fervour.
For a long moment, Lady Matlock and Colonel Fitzwilliam stared at her in a surprised silence, before Georgiana continued, “The strange part is that most probably Miss Bennet is the kinder, gentler of the two, but somehow you instinctively know that when you are in a tight corner, it would be Elizabeth who would step up.” Her voice petered off.
“Well, I am very glad to hear your assessment, Georgiana.” Lady Matlock said after a while, feeling genuinely relieved. Her niece was such a restrained girl ordinarily, that if she was waxing eloquent like this, then she genuinely believed what she was saying.
Georgiana giggled suddenly. “And like Brother, Elizabeth is quite easy to manag… ahem… what I mean is that she is very kind. As soon as she realised that I love shopping for dresses and the like, she invited me to accompany them tomorrow.”
“I think I need to talk to Darcy about you,” Colonel Fitzwilliam muttered to himself.
“Oh! And when and where are you going, if I may ask?” Lady Matlock enquired.
“Um… Mrs Annesley and I will be going to Mr Gardiner’s warehouse tomorrow around noon,” Georgiana revealed slowly, realising for the first time that her aunt and Richard might not be too pleased to know her destination. She hastily looked away from them, praying that neither of them would object. As a result, she once again missed the meaningful glance that Lady Matlock and her cousin exchanged.
“I hope Johnny will be accompanying you?” was all Richard asked. Johnny Cooper was a former soldier from Richard’s regiment, who was forced to leave the army due to a debilitating injury to his left hand. He had been employed as a footman with the Darcys ever since the events of Ramsgate.
“Of course, Cousin. He accompanies us whenever I am travelling without Brother.”
“Well, I hope you enjoy your outing,” Lady Matlock said as she rose to take her leave.
∞∞∞
“I did not feel so much like a spy even when I actually did that brief stint for the head office in 1809,” Richard Fitzwilliam grumbled as he climbed in one of the lesser-used Matlock carriages, which today was travelling without the Matlock crest. The footman and John Coachman were also not in their usual liveries. While Richard was in his uniform, his mother was wearing an outdated, nondescript gown and had put on a hat with a veil.
“Please stop acting the fool, Richard.” Lady Matlock shook her head in annoyance.
Richard ignored her acerbic words and added, “And let me tell you frankly, Mother, if Darcy ever comes to know of this, I will confess it was all your idea.”
Lady Matlock grinned at her son at that. “How craven! And you are a brave soldier in His Majesty’s army!”
Richard opened his mouth to respond to the insult, but Lady Matlock continued, “And I will not believe it if you suggest that you are not eager to meet the young woman Darcy has decided to wed so suddenly.”
Richard let out a sigh. “It is the first time he has confessed to being in love, Mother, and while he is usually economical with words, he has never been this tight-lipped. I feel as if he is hiding something. I could not stand it if he was miserable after marriage. He does not deserve it.”
Oh, Richard, you are so worried when you do not know that Darcy was forced to offer for Miss Elizabeth. Just think about my plight, Lady Matlock mused; however, outwardly, she only muttered, “Who does?”
“You have no idea how much evil exists in the world, Mother, and how many people truly deserve the misery!” Richard said shortly as he turned to stare out of the window.
For a brief moment, Lady Matlock grieved for her son who had seen only the Lord knew what atrocities as a soldier. Then, with a sigh, she returned to the matter at hand.
“Well, Georgiana’s glowing words have brought me much relief. She is such a calm child, not given to unruly starts. If she is so approving of Miss Elizabeth, I begin to feel easy.”
“Hmm.” Before Richard could say anything else, the carriage came to a halt, and he leapt down from it to assist his mother.