Chapter 3 #2
The behaviour of Mr and Mrs Bennet and their three youngest daughters at the ball had provided more than sufficient proof of the impropriety of such a connection.
Yet he could not deny that his concerns were not entirely selfless.
If Bingley married Jane Bennet, he would be obliged to see Elizabeth frequently. He was no longer certain that he possessed the strength to resist her beauty, her wit, and the growing attraction she inspired in him.
Before leaving Hertfordshire, however, he wished to see her one last time.
For that reason, he had concealed himself near the path she often took on her walks, intending to contrive what would appear to be a chance meeting. Elizabeth would never know that he was about to leave or that this might be the last time they saw one another.
The previous evening, they had danced together and argued, though he could scarcely explain why he found their disagreements so enjoyable. He wished their final meeting to be on better terms.
Elizabeth, meanwhile, was furious with her mother for forcing her to listen to Mr Collins's absurd proposal.
It was beyond her comprehension that Mrs Bennet imagined she could compel her to marry such a fool.
Fortunately, her father had supported her decision to reject him.
Nevertheless, Elizabeth knew her mother would not surrender so easily, and that it might be months before peace was restored at Longbourn.
So absorbed was she in her unhappy reflections that she failed to notice a large horse standing across the path.
She was a few steps away from colliding with the animal when a familiar voice called out a warning.
“Miss Bennet,” said Mr Darcy sharply, as Elizabeth appeared not to notice either him or his horse.
“Mr Darcy,” was all Elizabeth managed to say before turning away and hastily wiping the tears from her cheeks.
He immediately realised that she had been crying.
“Has something happened?” he asked, his concern overcoming his usual reserve. “Is there anything I can do for you?”
Elizabeth was surprised by the unexpected kindness of a gentleman who had so often treated her with indifference, if not outright disdain.
“No, thank you. Nothing has happened.”
She turned back towards him, her composure mostly restored.
“I am on my way to Oakham Mount. The weather is unusually clear today, and from the summit one can see the entire valley. If you will excuse me, Mr Darcy, I wish you a good day.”
For a moment, Mr Darcy was tempted to dismount and ask permission to accompany her. He knew, however, that doing so would be a grave mistake.
“Good day, Miss Bennet.”
After she departed, he remained where he was for several moments, watching her walk away until she disappeared from sight.
‘We shall not meet again, Elizabeth,’ he murmured. ‘I wish you every happiness.’
Then he turned his horse and rode away.
Within a few hours, he would leave Hertfordshire, and with any luck, peace of mind would finally return to him.
Elizabeth, meanwhile, reflected upon how very strange Mr Darcy was.
At times, he seemed proud, severe, and disagreeable; at others, unexpectedly considerate.
During her stay at Netherfield, she had formed what she believed to be a fair opinion of his character, and Mr Wickham's account had only confirmed her impressions.
Yet at that moment, she felt so miserable and disheartened that she cared little what Mr Darcy thought, said, or did.
When she reached the summit of Oakham Mount, she seated herself upon a fallen tree and gazed across the valley below.
‘How unfortunate it is to be a woman and possess so little control over my own future,’ Elizabeth thought.
For the thousandth time, Elizabeth wondered how different her life might have been had she been born a man. Like her father, she would have inherited an estate and would never have needed to concern herself with her future or with the welfare of her mother and sisters.
‘What is to become of me?’ she whispered aloud.
Unable to contain herself any longer, she began to cry.
◆◆◆
Mr Bennet had received a letter from Eleanor informing him that she intended to arrive at Longbourn a few days before Christmas.
Being the indolent man he was, he had not yet spoken to his family about the matter.
He knew, however, that he could not postpone it much longer and had already devised a plan.
Unfortunately, the recent business with Mr Collins had rendered Mrs Bennet almost impossible to manage, and Thomas needed her cooperation.
Foolish Fanny had been perfectly willing to sacrifice the most valuable of their daughters merely to secure a roof over her head.
Mrs Bennet had always favoured Jane, who was not only the most beautiful of her daughters but also the one who most resembled her in appearance.
Lydia was another favourite, for she possessed much the same temperament and disposition.
Kitty and Mary, meanwhile, were largely invisible to both their parents.
Mr Bennet's favourite was Elizabeth. She was the least favoured by her mother and the most intelligent of the five girls.
Since she was ten years old, he had carefully encouraged her involvement in managing the estate. He frequently invited her to sit in on meetings with the steward and gradually taught her the accounts, the books, and the practical business of running Longbourn.
In many respects, Thomas had done with Elizabeth exactly what his father had done with Eleanor.
Whenever Elizabeth mastered a new skill or assisted him with the estate's affairs, he rewarded her with his attention and approval.
Therefore, she kept the accounts and oversaw much of Longbourn's daily business.
Thomas had no intention of allowing Elizabeth to marry.
She was too independent to submit willingly to a husband, and, in any case, her lack of fortune made an advantageous match unlikely.
Since she had assumed so many responsibilities, Longbourn had become more productive and profitable, leaving him with ample leisure to devote to his books.
‘Well, Ella,’ he thought with some satisfaction, ‘I shall tell the girls that you are my cousin, the daughter of our Aunt Victoria. As for Mrs Bennet, I shall threaten to withhold a year's pin money if she refuses to cooperate in this harmless little deception.’
Mr Bennet knew almost nothing about Eleanor's life after she left Longbourn.
He had read one letter she sent from Canada, in which she explained that she had become a companion to a lady of considerable consequence.
Furious that she had abandoned him and left him to manage Longbourn alone, he had paid little attention to the rest.
Two or three more letters followed, and he threw them into the fire unread.
The life of a lady's companion in Canada held no interest for him.
During their brief meeting a week earlier, Eleanor had revealed almost nothing about herself or the life she had built abroad. He had seen her elegant carriage and assumed that she possessed a modest fortune of her own.
Had he known who Lady Campbell truly was, he would never have allowed her near his family, let alone Elizabeth.
He understood perfectly that a woman of Lady Campbell's wealth, influence, and independence possessed the power to completely alter his daughter's future. And that, above all things, was what he feared.