by Zoë Burton
“I would expect no less. You always were a dutiful boy.”
“Ah,” Richard interjected, “dutiful yes, but obedient? Not always! I shall enjoy acquainting your betrothed with your antics as a child.”
“As long as you are clear about your part in them, then that is fine. Do not think, though, that you shall escape the retelling unscathed. Your part in it shall be exposed, I promise you.”
“My part? Why, I was always led into mischief by my scamp of a cousin, who, by the way, was the mastermind behind each and every adventure.” The look of innocence on his face caused more laughter among his companions.
“Trust me in this, Cousin, this is one battle you will not win. Your perfidy as a youth will be exposed.” Darcy’s promise was given with an accompanying slap of Richard’s shoulder.
As the merriment between his son and nephew died down, Lord Matlock spoke again. “In all sincerity, Darcy, I am happy that you are taking this step. It will effectively stop Catherine’s machinations against you. All of them, including her threat to remove Georgiana from you.”
Darcy nodded, looking pensively into the glass in his hand. “I hope so. I truly do not wish to be at odds with what is left of my family.”
“Indeed,” Richard spoke for all of them.
Realizing there was nothing left to say, Darcy rose and took his leave. He had some thinking to do, and it would be best done in the privacy of his own home and his own chambers.
~~~***~~~
As promised, two mornings after the dinner at the Matlocks’, Darcy knocked on the door of Winthrop House at the earliest acceptable hour. He was eager to both discuss the settlement with Lord Winthrop and to spend time with his betrothed.
Darcy had half-expected to awaken the day after the dinner with regrets, uncertain that he was plotting his course with the right woman. To his amazement, the opposite was true. The longer time passed, the more positive he was that Miss Bennet was everything he had hoped for. Today would be a test, of sorts, to see if his suppositions of her worthiness were correct.
Escorted to the master’s study, Darcy was welcomed by Lord Winthrop with a handshake and the offer of a drink.
“None for me, thank you.”
“Yes, it is rather early in the day, and I am pleased that you declined. What about some tea, instead?”
“That I would enjoy.”
Winthrop stepped into the hall to give his request to the footman and then motioned his guest to a chair in front of the fireplace. He sat in the one next to it and the gentlemen chatted for a bit while they enjoyed their refreshments. Winthrop wanted to learn more of Darcy, and took advantage of this time to do so.
Eventually, however, they turned to the business of the settlement, with Darcy handing him the draft he had written and his companion reading it carefully.
“This is excellent, Darcy. You are very generous to our Elizabeth, far more so than many in your shoes would be.”
“I used my mother’s for an example. Miss Bennet will be Mrs. Darcy; she deserves everything that goes along with that title.”
“Indeed she does. You received only a taste of her unique personality at your uncle’s home. Elizabeth is the best parts of her parents combined into one glorious young lady. I do need to warn you, however, that her temper, once stirred, is fiery.”
Darcy had a sudden vision of her with her hands on her hips and her eyes sparking with anger, and was thrilled. “There is nothing the matter with that, if I do say so. I would not want her to fawn over me or agree with me all of the time. I prefer that she will challenge me.”
Winthrop chuckled, “Oh, challenge you she will, my boy. Come on over to my desk and I will share with you the portion I am giving her.”
An hour later, the gentlemen left the study and made their way to the drawing room upstairs. Elizabeth’s settlement had been hammered out to both gentlemen’s satisfaction, and they were eager to spend time with the ladies.
Darcy’s first thought upon seeing his betrothed’s smile was that he should like to kiss her again, but far more thoroughly than the brief one of two nights ago. However, that thought was not appropriate for the situation. Such things would have to wait for the wedding. I can guarantee I will push for a near date, he thought. He was a bit disconcerted by the almost-instant physical attraction he felt for her after such a brief acquaintance, but he was glad for it. It meant he would not have to force himself to produce an heir, as he had worried would happen with one of the ladies he had met earlier in the season. He bent over her hand, kissing it in greeting.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Darcy. I am pleased to see you today.”
Darcy raised a brow. “Did I not tell you I would come?”
“Oh, you did,” replied Elizabeth, “and I am happy to see that you are a man of your word.”
Smiling, he admitted it was true, adding, “I hope to show you more of my good qualities as we go along, and to learn more of yours.”
“I hope so, as well.” Her smile drew him in, and he found himself beginning to lean down to her mouth. He stopped himself before he could embarrass them both. They sat down together on a nearby settee and enjoyed a long chat. To the amusement of the rest of the people in the room, they were so absorbed in their own conversation that they quite ignored everyone else. Lord and Lady Winthrop looked at each other in triumph. The match was made; each was certain the young couple was well on their way to being in love, which made the circumstances all the sweeter.
Chapter 5
Darcy and Winthrop had decided when they reviewed the settlement to make the trip to Longbourn the following day. Winthrop had immediately sent his personal courier to Hertfordshire to inform Bennet that they were coming, in the hopes that he would prepare his family. While he was happy to see them all, his hopes were dashed when his friend’s wife’s loud exclamations of surprise were heard from inside the carriage. Grimacing, he rolled his eyes at Darcy before exiting. Darcy, who had been startled by the noise, took a deep breath and blew it out before following.
“Lord Winthrop! How good it is to see you! Mr. Bennet did not inform me that you were coming. I hope all is well with your wife?”
“She is, and she asked me to send her greetings. She is sorry she was unable to come. Elizabeth is well, also.”
“Oh, Lizzy,” Mrs. Bennet scoffed, to Darcy’s astonishment. “Do not allow her to give you trouble. You know how obstinate she can be. My poor nerves are just beginning to settle after what she did to my Jane!” Fanning herself with her lacy handkerchief, she continued, “You must be severe with her. Promise me you will!”
Winthrop controlled his annoyance with difficulty. “Yes madam, I shall be very hard on her.”
Mrs. Bennet nodded, then turned her attention to her other guest. “And who have we here? Have you met my Jane? She is such a lovely girl; she would make an excellent wife.” Mrs. Bennet, with a practiced eye, had examined the stranger as he exited the carriage. His clothes were very fine, which told her that he had a good income. His youth indicated that he was as yet unmarried. True, he may have a lover in town, but when a lady was not directly in front of a man, she was quickly forgotten, in her experience, and any circumstance of that nature was quickly glossed over as unimportant. Jane needed a husband and a way to throw her three youngest sisters in the paths of other rich men. Mrs. Bennet’s second daughter she gave not a care to. Let her godfather take care of her, she thought. Not once did it cross her mind that he already had.
Winthrop cleared his throat. Once he had her attention, he made the introduction. “This is Fitzwilliam Darcy, Mrs. Bennet. We have come to talk to your husband.” Winthrop could see that Darcy was surprised at the way he glossed over their reason for coming, though he knew the gentleman would not say anything out of turn.
“Good, good! Come in then and refresh yourselves! You know where to go, Lord Winthrop. I shall send Hill up with water and towels.” Finally turning to lead them into the house, Mrs. Bennet spotted her husband standing behind t
he rest of the family. “Mr. Bennet! Come greet your guests, and show them into the house!” With that, she hurried in herself, muttering under her breath something that no one could hear.
“Winthrop! Good to see you, my friend! I apologize for my wife. She is rather excitable at the best of times, as you know, though she steadily grows worse.”
Winthrop chuckled. “Indeed she does.” He turned to indicate his travelling companion. “May I introduce my friend to you?”
“Indeed you may.”
“Bennet, this is Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire. Darcy, this is my oldest friend, Thomas Bennet of Longbourn.”
The two men bowed in greeting before Bennet introduced the ladies standing behind him. “May I present to you four of my daughters, Jane, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia.”
Darcy bowed to the young ladies. “I am very pleased to meet you.” The girls curtseyed and murmured their delight, then, following a signal from their father, turned and entered the house.
“You did not share with Mrs. Bennet that we were arriving today?”
“No, I did not. I apologize for that, as well. I know you had requested I do. I found, though, that I could not bear to have my wife’s disapprobation of Lizzy be reignited. It is finally calm here, and she has settled. It will be enough to manage once the two of you are gone.”
As they followed Bennet into the house and up the stairs, Winthrop asked, “Is she still angry, then?”
“Yes, very much so. It has been weeks since the incident, and all Jane’s assurances that Lizzy was acting on her behalf, and my insistence that it will all work out in the end, have not appeased her. She must express herself; it is impossible for her to hold it in. I finally forbid the girls from speaking of their sister, and eventually, with no one fanning the flames, her ire abated. She has not forgotten, as you could probably deduce from her statements outside. However, she is no longer ranting about it, and peace has been restored.” Opening the door to his chambers, he motioned them inside. “I believe I saw Mr. Hill leave as I reached the top of the stairs, so there should be hot water and towels on the stand. Winthrop, you know where my book room is. Please join me, both of you, when you are ready.” Bowing again, he left the room, pulling the door shut behind him.
“Well, Darcy, you have met your future family. What do you think?”
Darcy watched as his companion removed his tailcoat and rolled up his sleeves. “Mrs. Bennet is very…” He searched for an appropriate word. “Exuberant. I take it from your conversation with Mr. Bennet that this is a normal occurrence?”
“It is. I told you some of the circumstances my friend lives in before; however, I am certain that hearing about it and experiencing it are two different things.” Winthrop finished washing up and reached for the towel.
“Yes, most definitely. I was more shocked by her lack of interest in her daughter, to be honest. As I said when we were at my uncle’s the day I proposed, I cannot imagine feeling that way about my own child.”
“Let me assure you,” Winthrop put his hand on Darcy’s shoulder, gripping it tightly. “Elizabeth is nothing like her mother. She has a most caring and generous heart. Trust me.”
Darcy nodded. “She certainly has not shown any behavior similar to her mother’s so far in my presence. I do trust you, sir. Your reputation is solid, and I saw the care with which you attended to Miss Bennet’s settlement. I believe that you are correct, and while I am uncertain I will be able to be at peace in Mrs. Bennet’s presence, I will not apply her behavior to my betrothed.”
“Excellent! Take your turn with the water and let us go down to talk to my friend.”
A few minutes later, they were being admitted to Bennet’s book room. That gentleman rose as they were announced, bowing to them from behind his desk and gesturing toward the chairs grouped on the other side of it. “Please, have a seat.”
Once they were settled and glasses of port were poured all around, Bennet began the discussion. “I apologize again that I did not warn Fanny of your visit. I have become, I think, a weak man where she is concerned. It is easier to allow her to do as she wishes than to try to check her.”
Winthrop nodded. “Yes, we have spoken of this before. It is your life, my friend, and your home to do with as you please. My hope was merely to pave the way. I do not judge you, as you know. I am not any more perfect than you.”
Bennet smiled. “Yes, and this is how we became such good friends, as I recall.”
Winthrop laughed. “That is a story for another time, I fear. Oh, I have missed you, Bennet. Letters are just not enough; I feel like a young man again sitting here with you.”
“And I, as well. We should make more of an effort to visit, as we used to. Before you leave, let us make firm plans to do so.”
“We shall.” Winthrop gestured to Darcy. “In my express, I told you of a suitor for Elizabeth. Young Darcy here is the gentleman of whom I was speaking. What I did not say in the letter, because I did not want to arouse your wife any further than my arrival already would, is that he has already proposed, and Elizabeth has accepted him. I assured him that you had granted me full guardianship, but his honor impelled him to meet you anyway.”
Bennet nodded, his attention having moved from his friend to his future son-in-law, who he examined carefully. “I did not think she had been in town long enough to form an attachment. The match was arranged for her?”
“Yes, it was. Darcy’s uncle is a peer who wishes my support for a piece of legislation. Darcy needs to marry, for reasons of his own, and as you had asked me to arrange something for your daughter, when I learned of it, I took advantage of the opportunity.”
Bennet, who had looked away from Darcy and back to his friend, now turned his attention to his hands for a moment. He then looked back up. “Well, young man, welcome to the family. Elizabeth is a good girl, intelligent, though she remains just as silly as any of her sisters. I wish you well.”
Darcy was taken aback. This was the attitude of her father? To his mind, it was no better than that of her mother. He struggled to keep a civil tongue in his head, taking a moment to gather himself before replying. “Thank you, sir. I have not known her long, but her conversation is delightful. I noticed nothing that would indicate she is not a gently-bred lady; no vulgarity or inappropriate behavior. I am certain we will get along well.”
From the sour look that briefly crossed Bennet’s face, it could have been deduced by either gentleman with him that he was displeased. However, everyone in the room was aware that, by giving Winthrop guardianship over his daughter, he had effectively abdicated responsibility for her and was in no position to argue with a suitor.
“Yes, well.” He cleared his throat, uncertain as to what to say.
Winthrop took charge of the conversation, turning it to another topic. They visited for another quarter hour before they were summoned to the drawing room for tea with the ladies.
“Come in gentlemen; have a seat.” Mrs. Bennet directed first Lord Winthrop to a chair, and then urged Darcy to sit on a settee beside Jane. Once he was seated, she clasped her hands and examined the pair with a smile. “Look, Mr. Bennet, do they not make a beautiful couple?”
Darcy was alarmed. “Ex-.”
“Indeed they do, Mrs. Bennet, but a couple they shall not make.”
“Why ever not? Surely Mr. Darcy would like a beautiful wife on his arm?”
“I am certain he would; however, Mr. Darcy is not available to wed Jane.” Mr. Bennet paused until he was certain he had his wife’s attention. “Because, you see, my dear, he is betrothed to Lizzy.”
“Lizzy?” Mrs. Bennet asked in disgust, turning around to examine Darcy once more. “Lizzy does not deserve a man as good looking and obviously rich as you. She deserves no better than what I will give her and that is Mr. Collins, who will take over the estate when Mr. Bennet dies. You, Mr. Darcy, had much better take Jane.”
While the youngest two Bennet girls giggled behind their hands and the two elder ones blushe
d blood red, the rest of the room’s occupants displayed either amusement or mortification. For Darcy, the offense to his betrothed, who he found quite lovely, was unconscionable. He rose in indignation.
“Mrs. Bennet. Miss Elizabeth is a wonderful and charming young lady. Her accomplishments are many. She deserves the very best the world has to offer; I am privileged to be the one to give those things to her; me, no one else. I will not tolerate anyone speaking so poorly of her, not even her parents and sisters.” He turned his angry glare upon the giggling girls, immediately stopping their merriment. Speaking to Mr. Bennet, he added, “If Miss Elizabeth does not desire to visit here, I will not force her. After the display of uncaring and selfish behavior I have seen today, it is my greatest desire to protect her from it. Good day, sir.” He then turned to his travelling companion. “I will be waiting for you outside, Lord Winthrop. Please do not rush your visit on my account.” With that, he removed himself from the room.
“Well, I never!”
“Enough, Mrs. Bennet.” Her husband’s words stopped her mid-gasp. “Your second daughter is the one who is engaged. Jane’s time will come in due course. You may stop your screeching about how terrible Lizzy is, and you may do it now.”
Mrs. Bennet could barely contain her shock and anger. She stared at him for a full minute before flouncing out of the room in a huff. She could be heard calling for the housekeeper to bring her salts as she rushed up the stairs.
Winthrop sighed, putting his hands on his knees with his elbows out. “Well, my friend, that was badly done, all of it. Though, I am happy to see that you put a stop to Mrs. Bennet’s effusions.”
“Yes, yes.” Bennet sighed. “It is likely too little, too late, but at least Lizzy’s betrothed will not be further affronted. I suppose we must cut our visit short then?”
“I am afraid so.” Winthrop stood and waited while his friend joined him. “I know that you do your best, Bennet. Truly I do. I will write to you when I get back to town, and we can set a date for a visit, what do you say?”