The Maiden's Stratagem

by Margaret Gale

  Bingley nodded with exaggerated vigour, and sat forward in his seat, all attention.

  “When we went for a stroll this morning, in the garden here at Netherfield, you may recall that Miss Elizabeth and I outpaced you and Miss Bennet. We were out of your sight for several minutes when we turned the corner of the house.”

  Bingley looked surprised, “Were you? I hadn’t noticed.”

  “No, indeed. I am sure you had better things to think about at the time. I suspect your eyes never moved from the countenance of the lady you were walking with. You could probably not tell me whether it was raining, or blowing a gale!”

  “There is no need to be rude, Darcy. As soon as you have spoken to Mr Bennet and your betrothal is official, I am sure you will find it difficult to concentrate on much other than your lady, either.”

  “Perhaps,” he acknowledged wryly. “In any case, while we were walking in the garden out of your sight, Miss Elizabeth stumbled. I thought she might fall, and reached out to hold her. In all likelihood, she would have righted herself without any assistance from me, but as it was, I grasped her a little too firmly and held her a little to closely for propriety. We were alone in the garden, and I held her in a manner which any observer would have mistaken for an amorous embrace. The lady is entirely innocent in the matter, but my careless actions have compromised her. I am bound to offer her my hand.”

  Bingley gazed silently at his friend for near a minute, before blurting out: “And that is all? Good God, man, no harm was done. You were not even seen. Miss Elizabeth is not the sort to demand matrimony for an innocent mistake. What possessed you to declare it this evening? Now you are indeed honour bound. Too many people heard you to retract now.”

  Darcy allowed himself a slow smile. “Charles, I must admit I do not feel trapped. I am more relieved than anything else. You know I have no talent in social settings. I have admired Miss Elizabeth from almost the moment I met her, but have not been able to break through my reserve enough to woo her. Left to my own devices, it might have been months before I worked up the courage to tell her of my affections. Today was embarrassing at the time, but I find I am most content with the thought of being tied to Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Most content indeed.”

  Bingley had nearly choked on his wine at Darcy avowing he admired Elizabeth Bennet. “I had no idea you felt anything of the sort. I would bet my best hound that Miss Elizabeth had no idea either. You do know she heard you at the assembly, don’t you?”

  Darcy looked confused. “Heard me? What are you talking about?”

  “When I offered to introduce you to Miss Bennet’s sister and you refused, saying she was not handsome enough to tempt you into dancing, Miss Elizabeth was sitting right behind you. She heard every word. It would not surprise me if she thinks you dislike her, Darcy. When she stayed here she took every opportunity to argue with you. Didn’t the two of you even argue during your dance last night?”

  “Oh, God! How could I have said such a stupid thing? Why didn’t you stop me, Bingley? No, I know that’s not fair. I just opened up my big mouth and let the most outrageous insult spill out. There was nothing you could do to prevent it. And she heard me?”

  “Undoubtedly. Her whole family know of it. Really, Darcy, you might be content at the prospect of a marriage, but is the lady? Has she accepted you?”

  Darcy looked thoughtful. “She has not, as I have not yet offered. I must speak to her and then her father, as soon as possible tomorrow. I would have done so today, but did not want to distract from the happiness of your news. You and Miss Bennet deserved all the attention today. Thank you for alerting me that she overheard my insulting words. I must offer her an apology first, for I cannot allow her to think I do not admire her. You speak of her sister as an angel, but I swear, Charles, that Elizabeth Bennet is the most beautiful woman of my acquaintance. She is witty, caring, intelligent and modest. Truly, she has no equal.”

  Bingley laughed. “I never thought to see Fitzwilliam Darcy in love! We will have to disagree as to which sister is the most beautiful, for no one can hold a candle to my Jane. But I will allow you to prefer your Elizabeth, if you will. I hope the lady will come to see you in a similar light, as I am sure nothing could please Jane Bennet more than to have her favourite sister married to her husband’s best friend.” He rose and slapped Darcy on the back before declaring himself off to bed. They arranged to meet for an early breakfast before repairing to Longbourn. Bingley agreed to request another walk, so that Darcy and Elizabeth would have a chance to talk, and Darcy to propose, under the guise of chaperoning the acknowledged lovers.

  With these happy plans, the gentlemen retired to their beds in much better humour than either had expected at the beginning of the day.

  Confession

  The next morning, Elizabeth rose early planning to walk to Oakham Mount, about five miles away, to continue mulling her situation. A solitary walk through the morning woods was just what she needed to clear her head and, hopefully, find an alternative to marrying the odious Mr Collins. Unfortunately, as she walked quietly down the stairs, her mother’s bedroom door opened and Mrs Bennet called to her to wait.

  “You will not spend another day gallivanting about the countryside, Miss. You have a respectable suitor in this house, who desires more time in your company. You will remain home and extend some courtesy to Mr Collins. He has been told to wait five more days before you give him your answer, but there is no excuse for you to avoid his company in the meantime. I will have you sit with me in the parlour this morning. You may go and break your fast, but do not leave the house, young lady.”

  There was nothing for it but to comply with her mother’s instructions. After dragging her breakfast out as long as she could manage, Elizabeth found herself seated nervously in a single chair in the front parlour, attempting to concentrate on her embroidery, while her cousin sat close by, attempting to engage her in conversation, and her mother watched over them both, alert to any attempt by Elizabeth to leave the room.

  Her cousin’s capacity to fill all silences with his banal comments relieved Elizabeth of the need to say much – an occasional nod or murmured question was sufficient to keep Mr Collins in full flight for hours, it seemed. However she did need to concentrate sufficiently to avoid entrapment into any pretence of an understanding with the gentleman. On several occasions she needed to interrupt his speculations on the grace she would bring to his own parlour, or how much she could contribute to the comfort of his parishioners, in order to remind him that she had not yet accepted his suit, and it was improper for him to speak as if she had.

  “My dear cousin,” he said, “I have promised your father that I will give you the week you asked for before you make me the happiest of men. I cannot pretend to understand why you sought this delay, but I suppose it can only reflect favourably on your modesty and proper appreciation of your unworthiness for the elevated position that must necessarily result from becoming the mistress of Hunsford Parsonage. If you wish a few more days to fully prepare yourself for such a change in your condition, I am happy to allow you that time. I assure you that I have full confidence in you: with proper guidance from Lady Catherine de Bourgh, you will soon learn all that is needed to fit yourself to be my wife. In the meantime you must allow me to congratulate myself on the expectation of receiving your favourable answer in due course.”

  Elizabeth stifled the scathing riposte that immediately sprang to mind at such a statement. Just as in his original proposal, Mr Collins managed to combine insulting her personally, insulting her family, and obsequious mention of his patron, in a speech which did nothing to improve his standing with the lady he was supposed to be wooing. She dearly wished to deliver a set down that even the foolish parson might understand, but realised that she might yet be forced into marriage with this particular fool, and her future felicity could hardly be aided by humiliating him now. As Elizabeth cast about for anything she could safely say in response to such a speech, Mrs Hill
opened the door to announce the arrival of Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy.

  The gentlemen entered the room, encountering a flurry of effusive welcome from Mrs Bennet directed to Bingley, sycophantic bowing and greetings from Mr Collins directed to Darcy, and a wide-eyed, silent Miss Elizabeth who seemed more than usually pleased to receive their visit.

  Mrs Bennet sent Hill to summon Jane to the parlour, and then to organise tea. Certainly the visitors had called long before the polite visiting hour, but she was not inclined to stand in the way of anything that could be of advantage to her daughters, and promoting Bingley’s courtship with Jane was at least as high a priority for Mrs Bennet as it was for the gentleman concerned. She did not understand why Bingley persisted in bringing the unpleasant Mr Darcy with him, but she would even put up with him in order to help Mr Bingley come to the point.

  She had watched her second daughter, and recognised Elizabeth was on the verge of exploding in anger with Mr Collins. That would not do. When Bingley suggested he and Jane could take advantage of the fine day to take a stroll in the garden, Mrs Bennet was quick to suggest that Elizabeth and Mr Darcy accompany them once more. She certainly did not want the disagreeable Mr Darcy sitting about in her parlour, and allowing Elizabeth to walk off her ire before spending more time in Mr Collins’ company seemed like a good idea.

  Thus it was not ten minutes after the gentlemen arrived that Bingley, Jane, Darcy and Elizabeth set out to walk in Longbourn’s gardens. In a reversal of their usual pattern, Bingley pulled Jane swiftly ahead, looking for a secluded nook in which he could steal a kiss, while Darcy dawdled with Elizabeth.

  As soon as his friend and her sister were far enough ahead that they could not be overheard, Darcy took Elizabeth’s hand and placed it on his arm, turning them into a different path. “Miss Elizabeth, I must speak with you. I hope you will not be too angry with me, but events yesterday evening forced my hand, and now I have put you in a difficult position. Please hear me out as I explain.”

  Elizabeth was equal parts curiosity and apprehension. She urged the gentleman to explain himself.

  “I must start by explaining that I hold you in high regard, Miss Elizabeth.” She gasped, but he continued, not giving her time to comment: “Your beauty, intelligence, grace and wit have quite bewitched me, and I find that the thought of you marrying any other man fills me with anguish. I know I have not demonstrated my feelings in the way you deserve, and that you might rightly feel indifferent to me, but I hope you have at least enjoyed our contests of wit and some of our conversations. There is no other woman with whom I have so much enjoyed debating ideas – not my sister, my cousins, my aunts, nor any ladies of the ton. You are unique – a remarkable young lady, Miss Elizabeth.”

  She could remain silent no longer. “I admit to being amazed, sir. I had no inkling of any regard of the kind. I appreciate the compliment, Mr Darcy, but am well aware of the difference in our stations in life. Even with such admiration as you describe, I understand that you can have no serious intentions beyond friendship. It will be some comfort, I suppose, to know that whenever you visit your aunt at Rosings Park, we might be able to renew our acquaintance and enjoy some intelligent conversation.” Her attempt at humour did little to raise her own spirits, and brought a thunderous scowl to her companion’s brow.

  “Please do not talk of such a terrible fate, Miss Elizabeth!” he cried in distress. “If you were wed to that man, I could never visit my aunt again. I could not bear to see you married to that … that disgusting creature … when you should be married to … ” With some difficulty Darcy recovered his composure.

  He was silent for several long moments, before saying in a calmer tone, “But before I say more on that score, I have a confession to make. I find it difficult to admit to my actions, and only hope that you can forgive me when you have heard all. I beg you to listen without interrupting – what I have to say may rightly distress you, but please try to hear me out before you speak.”

  “I cannot say, sir, whether I will be able to do as you ask. Without knowing what you will say, how can I promise how I will react? But I will endeavour to remain calm while you tell me this terrible thing.”

  “I can ask no more. I thank you for your forbearance, Miss Elizabeth. I acted rashly, I know. I should have asked you first, but I had no time. If I hadn’t spoken, both our fates would have been too terrible to contemplate. You must forgive me, and believe that I would have consulted you first if there had been any chance to do so.” The words were spilling over each other, and Darcy knew he was making little sense. He drew a shuddering breath and stopped to reorder his thoughts.

  Elizabeth was confused. She had no idea what Mr Darcy was trying to tell her, but clearly it was something of import and something that affected her directly. After his earlier declaration of affection, she found it difficult to guess what he might have done, but his flustered state made it easy to conclude that he had acted rashly.

  “Please, Mr Darcy. What have you done, and how does it involve me?”

  Darcy spoke quietly, almost meekly, but she had no difficulty hearing his words: “I announced that I was honour bound to marry you as the result of a compromise.”

  Another Proposition Altogether

  “You announced WHAT?”

  “I was at Netherfield with Bingley and his family. I had just decided to approach you today and offer you my hand. I suspected you didn’t hold me in great affection, but I hoped I would at least be a better prospect than Mr Collins, and that with time you might come to feel some small part of the regard for me that I have for you. I wanted to take the time to court you, to win your heart and then to propose. You deserve no less. But with the deadline bearing down on you, I could not wait to woo you properly. I intended to propose in order to give you a more palatable alternative, and to save me from the agony of knowing you to be married against your will to … to that man.”

  “And why did you not follow that course, sir? I cannot say how I might have answered you, but certainly I was in a mood to find any alternative to Mr Collins attractive. Why rob me of my choice, and why tell them I compromised you? I would be lying if I told you I did not resent such high-handed conduct. I may have few choices, but I treasure the few I have. Can you have any explanation for treating me with so little respect? Is this your punishment for my foolish actions yesterday?”

  “Please, Miss Elizabeth, I apologise most sincerely. I do respect you, and would not for the world have acted so if there had been any choice. Please hear me out before you judge me. I spent much of yesterday evening considering whether there was any chance you could come to like me enough that our marriage would grow to be more than a marriage of convenience. I hoped so – I was certain of my own feelings, but not of yours. As I said, I decided to lay the question before you and let you decide. But then something happened which forced my hand. Miss Bingley threw herself into my lap, in front of her family and several servants, and attempted to force a compromise of her own. Marriage to Miss Bingley would be near as dreadful for me as marriage to Mr Collins would be for you. As a man, I would have greater freedom to flee my spouse, but I am not made for infidelity, nor could I neglect my duties for so selfish a reason. And although I shudder at the very thought, I need an heir. If forced to marry that shrew, all joy would be stolen from my life. To make matters worse, I would be forced to marry her knowing that my heart belonged to another.

  “It was an unbearable prospect, and I’m afraid I grasped at the only escape I could think of: I would not have to marry Miss Bingley if I was already beholden to another. I told her she was too late – that this was the second compromise of the day and I was already honour bound to marry you, Miss Elizabeth. I did not say who had executed the compromise, and am quite willing for the world to believe the fault was mine. I would not have your reputation sullied in any way.

  “I later spoke to Bingley, and had somewhat regained my wits by then, and told him it was entirely accidental – that you h
ad stumbled and I had rushed too quickly to your aid, holding you more closely than was necessary, and more closely than your father could be expected to forgive.

  “I am so very sorry. I should have found another way out of my dilemma. But my thoughts had been full of my plans to propose to you, and with the shock of finding Caroline Bingley in my lap, all I could think was “Not her! I want to marry Elizabeth Bennet!” and before I stopped to think, I had spoken my desires aloud and your fate was sealed. If I could undo it, I would, but it is too late.”

  He stopped to look earnestly at Elizabeth. She was clearly still angry, but at least she was listening. He hurried to stand in her path, and sank down onto one knee.

  “Miss Elizabeth Bennet, I find that I love you. I beg you to forgive me and to consent to be my wife. I will dedicate myself to making you happy, and if you cannot find affection for me after the foolish way I have acted, I promise that I will ask nothing more of you than that we try to be friends. If you want a marriage in name only, then that is what we would have. My wishes are for a marriage of the deepest love, but I know love can only be won, not demanded. I beg you to give me the chance to win your love. Please, Elizabeth, marry me.”

  Elizabeth gazed in wonder at the man kneeling before her. Her feelings had been so various in the last ten minutes that she found it hard to know what to think. She had been angry at Darcy’s presumption – to have spoken so without her consent – and then, despite her anger, amused at the image of Caroline Bingley tripping into the lap of a surprised and appalled Darcy. She had listened with disbelief to his protestation of affection, but gradually came to accept, from the deep sincerity with which he now begged for her hand, that he must indeed feel something for her, incredible as it seemed.