His Uncle's Favorite

by Lilian, Lory

  “Robert, Anne is a reasonable person—and very wise. She surely did not inherit this trait from the Fitzwilliam family.” Darcy smiled. “I do not think she had any particular hopes…but we both know how difficult is to command the heart. I only want you to be careful. Forgive me if I offended you.”

  “No, no—you are right of course,” the colonel replied with no little worry. “I am grateful that you pointed out this particular situation to me. I shall be careful…”

  For the rest of the ride, Robert said nothing. His preoccupation was impenetrable, and Darcy attempted unsuccessfully to raise his spirits until they reached the club.

  ***

  Elizabeth felt trapped inside the house while her mind travelled through London in search of Darcy, and her heart startled each time a door opened.

  After the happy anticipation of Darcy’s visit to Hertfordshire, his brief call and the disturbing news of Miss de Bourgh’s arrival brought her countless worries and fears. The sharp-clawed grip did not abandon her chest the entire day while she waited in vain for any scrap of news. It was settled they would depart for Longbourn the following day after breakfast, and she felt something would intervene to prevent Darcy from accompanying them. Mr. Bingley was in Gracechurch Street almost the entire afternoon, and he received a dinner invitation; his joyful and enthusiastic acceptance sounded almost annoying to Elizabeth, though she knew she should be ashamed of such feelings.

  She finally returned to her room to prepare for dinner when a servant entered to announce that her presence was required in the library. Startled, trying to read something on the servant’s stern face, and too embarrassed to ask the reason, Elizabeth hurried downstairs. She opened the library door tentatively, and her heart nearly stopped when she saw Darcy by the window, staring outside.

  She took a few steps, and he heard her; he turned slowly, and she glanced at his preoccupied countenance, attempting to guess the news he was bringing. Then he smiled.

  “I am so happy to see you,” he whispered, holding her hands. Their eyes held, and his low voice sent cold shivers through her. They were inches apart, and she found no words to say how happy she was to see him. He leaned forward until his lips touched and lingered a few moments over hers.

  “Mrs. Gardiner was very kind and allowed me to speak to you a few minutes. And she congratulated me.” His smile increased, and his eyes still held hers.

  “Yes, she… I…” Speaking—as well as breathing—was still difficult. “I spoke to my aunt; I hope you do not mind. I have never kept any secrets from her. Besides, I think she guessed the truth long ago.”

  “I do not mind. I would not wish you to keep any secret from Mrs. Gardiner. Besides, it seems we are poor at keeping secrets; my entire family guessed, too, without my telling them a thing. Including Anne,” he laughed, and Elizabeth stared at him.

  “Miss de Bourgh? But how could she—?”

  “What can I say? It is another proof that we are the least perceptive people in the world when it comes to each other. Everyone guessed our feelings long before we did.”

  “That should be cause for worry, do you not think?” she replied, her heart lighter.

  “Not quite… But I would suggest we always speak our minds openly to avoid any further misunderstanding.” His lips gently pressed against hers again.

  The kiss began lightly, but her hands wrapped around his waist, and she leaned against him, seeking shelter in his embrace. His arms closed around her.

  “Mrs. Gardiner allowed me a few minutes to speak,” he said breathlessly. She glanced up at him, her cheeks crimson and her eyes sparkling. He placed another quick kiss on her forehead. “I feel horrible to betray Mrs. Gardiner’s trust, but I also feel horrible to be so close to you without kissing you. We must settle a date—you must settle a date. Do you think you will be able to decide by tomorrow? I would like to be able to present it to Mr. Bennet when I speak to him. Do you think we should fear any opposition from him?”

  Darcy spoke with such unusual haste and nervousness that Elizabeth was not certain whether he were joking or not. His final words puzzled her even more.

  “You will speak to Papa tomorrow? So you will come to Hertfordshire with us?”

  “Why would I not come? Have the plans changed?”

  “No, no…but I was afraid that… What happened to Miss de Bourgh? Is she well?”

  His face changed, and he moved her to sit on the couch, holding her hands tightly.

  “Anne is as well as can be expected. She is staying at Selina’s house, and she seems to be pleased with the present arrangement. But Aunt Catherine arrived in Town, and she is very upset. She wished to take Anne back to Rosings…and…” He stopped and looked at Elizabeth then kissed her hand. She caressed his face, her hand resting on his cheek.

  “Forgive me; I am afraid I have exposed you to a most unpleasant situation. My aunt’s main purpose seemed to be to force me to marry Anne as soon as possible.” Elizabeth looked at him, stern and pale, and he placed another kiss on her hand. “I decidedly refused, and she became very angry. It seems she received a letter informing her about my…interest in you. She is furious with you as she holds you responsible for my rejection. We had a violent disagreement. She has declared she will not rest until she has her way. She is even less reasonable than we knew her to be. I am truly sorry…”

  “Please do not apologize; it is not your fault in the slightest. Do you know who might have sent her the letter? And how does Miss de Bourgh bear all this?”

  “Lady Sinclair sent the letter. And it is my fault. I am disappointed in myself for not settling this situation long ago. Both you and Anne are now exposed to Lady Catherine’s anger because of my cavalier attitude. Oh, you asked about Anne—she is well now. She will stay with Selina for the next few weeks…and Georgiana will keep her company. I invited Anne to join us at Pemberley for the summer. I hope you do not mind.”

  “I think it is a wonderful idea—Miss Anne’s company will be a valuable addition to our party. So Georgiana will not join us? I shall miss her dearly, but I think her presence will be very beneficial for Miss de Bourgh.”

  “Georgiana will miss you as well, but you will meet again soon. Besides, I confess it is convenient for me; I was a trifle worried at the prospect of her going to Hertfordshire while Wickham is in the area.”

  “I understand your worry. So—you will come to Hertfordshire with us?” she asked again, her voice hopeful.

  He laughed, and his hands cupped her face as he gently kissed her eyes.

  “You do not seem to have much trust in my word, Miss Bennet.” His lips pressed against hers with tender passion.

  “I do trust your words…and we should settle a date. I already have a suggestion,” she managed to whisper with a last breath, until she abandoned herself to his kiss. He suddenly started to laugh, his lips still pressed against hers.

  “Am I correct in presuming that Lady Catherine’s menace has hastened your decision? Her presence in town seems to be of infinite use, which ought to make her happy for she loves to be of use.”

  “No, not really… I had decided a couple of days ago, but I did not dare to speak earlier. I thought six months, perhaps?” Her cheeks instantly turned crimson, and she blushed even more when he stared at her in surprise. “Do you believe it would be too soon?”

  “Surely you are mocking me, Miss Bennet! Six months? You might as well have said six years! You are teasing me, are you not?”

  He seemed equally surprised and upset, and his eyes seemed to plead for a positive resolution to the stressful situation. She started to laugh.

  “You do not believe it would be too soon, it seems. Then by all means, please do choose a date yourself. I promise I will accept any date that my father would agree with.”

  He looked at her with perfect seriousness.

  “It would only take a few days for a special license. I do not believe I need more than a week to make all the arrangements,” he declared, and her eyes ope
ned wide in disbelief.

  It was his turn to laugh.

  “If I were to think only of my wishes, a week from today would be a perfect time; but I do not wish to raise any speculation about a hasty marriage, so I believe three months would be a perfectly reasonable and properly long engagement. It would give us time to inform your family and to make all the announcements as required.”

  “It sounds a perfect arrangement, Mr. Darcy.” She smiled with delight.

  “It will be perfect—almost two months of engagement at Pemberley. It will give you time to became accustomed to the estate and to make any changes you like.”

  “I am certain I will love being engaged to you at Pemberley, Mr. Darcy,” she said teasingly, her smiling eyes moist with emotion.

  His gaze became darker, and his voice lowered as he leaned to whisper to her.

  “I am certain you will, Miss Bennet.”

  A determined knock at the door interrupted their interlude. They separated hastily, and Elizabeth was certain her cheeks were burning when she greeted Mrs. Gardiner.

  Their hostess glanced briefly at the couple; he was still holding Elizabeth’s hand. It was obvious something special had happened between them, and Mrs. Gardiner smiled to herself but said nothing.

  She invited Mr. Darcy to join them for dinner, but he declined as he had some business to finish that evening. It was settled that Mr. Darcy with Mr. Bingley would return the next day around noon to fetch Elizabeth and Jane. A few minutes later, Mr. Darcy left, followed through the window by Elizabeth’s gaze; the happiness shining from her face was more dazzling than ever.

  ***

  As busy as he was with preparations for his trip to Hertfordshire, Darcy thought little about the previous day’s events. Anne was well settled at Selina’s house, and there was no reason to worry about her, so Darcy turned his mind to more pleasant subjects—like the time he would spend with Elizabeth. Therefore, when the door opened and Lord Matlock and the colonel entered, red-faced and furious, Darcy needed some moments to understand his uncle’s anger.

  “That woman is completely out of her mind. Where on earth can she be? I thought she came to see you! She left the house early this morning; heaven knows where she went. Upon my word, if she does something stupid, I shall never speak to her again!”

  “Lady Catherine left without a word,” the colonel explained.

  Darcy looked up in surprise. “Perhaps she returned to Rosings?”

  “That would be reasonable behaviour, which is why I suspect you are wrong,” the earl replied. “I was afraid she was here, continuing to argue with you. We also checked with Selina, but she is not there either.”

  “Uncle, you should not worry so much. Aunt Catherine has servants with her; she is not in danger, wherever she might have chosen to go. There is little she may do, really.”

  “I surely hope so. Well, I think we should return home; I have wasted my morning in a most stressful manner. We shall call at Gracechurch Street to say goodbye to Miss Elizabeth and Miss Bennet. I trust you will take care of them during the journey, Darcy.”

  “I would not worry about that,” said the colonel, laughing. “So, Darcy, you will return in about two weeks if I remember rightly.”

  “Yes. I plan to finish all my business in town before summer, and then I shall travel to Pemberley before you to have everything prepared for your arrival.”

  “Oh, nonsense,” the earl said. “Everything is always prepared at Pemberley. Mrs. Reynolds is taking care of the house perfectly. You worry too much. Well, convey my best wishes to Mr. Bennet; I hope to see him again very soon. If not for this mess with Catherine, I would surely join you in Hertfordshire.”

  “I have great hopes that you and Mr. Bennet will have many opportunities to spend time together in the future.” Darcy smiled as he made his farewell to his relatives.

  ***

  Mr. Bennet could not remember another time in his life when he felt equally happy and content nor more grateful for the surprises that had permeated his life in recent weeks.

  Though he had suspected it since his visit to Town, the confirmation that his eldest daughters were bound through deepest affection to two remarkable gentlemen filled his heart with joy, and it dissolved all the worries that had burdened him for years.

  It was not only the knowledge that his family would have a secure future, no matter what happened to him, but the certainty that his daughters would have lives filled with love.

  He felt his eyes burning with tears as he recollected all his discussions with Elizabeth since she was an infant—how proud he felt to have such a spirited, bright, witty daughter and how much he feared that she would never find a man to appreciate her qualities and allow her spirit to live free. He always feared that Elizabeth would choose never to marry, as her openly expressed wishes and expectations from a man were unlikely to be fulfilled. Even she used to joke about being a spinster and spending her life caring for Jane’s children. But his fears slowly dissipated when he met Darcy in London and easily guessed the gentleman’s admiration for his daughter.

  Yes, he had never felt equally happy and content before, he thought, as he continued to enjoy the peace and silence of the library.

  Mrs. Bennet was visiting her sister Philips in Meryton, together with Lydia and Kitty. Since he received and shared the news of Mr. Bingley’s proposal to Jane, Mrs. Bennet had little else to live for except making arrangements for a wedding whose date was not even settled and sharing her good fortune with everyone she knew. Regarding Mr. Darcy’s proposal, Mr. Bennet maintained perfect secrecy; if Mrs. Bennet discovered that truth, her entire attention would descend on Mr. Darcy—and that would be unfair to both gentlemen. Mr. Bennet laughed to himself at the prospect.

  A mild source of disquiet at Longbourn was Lydia and Kitty’s behaviour. They were strangers to discipline and restrictions, and for the last two weeks as Mrs. Bennet was occupied with other things, Lydia and Kitty were left completely to themselves. They would come and go as they pleased, walking almost daily to Meryton to meet the officers, purchasing useless articles and then arguing over them for hours. Not a single moment of their time was spent in a beneficial way, and Mr. Bennet was neither oblivious nor indifferent to the consequences that might be suffered by their young minds and weak characters. However, since his wife seemed pleased and content with their younger daughters’ behaviour and saw no reason to restrain them, Mr. Bennet could do little that would not create friction within the family—which he did not wish to do.

  With the latest fortunate events, Mr. Bennet hoped that his younger daughters would have opportunities to spend time with Jane and Elizabeth away from their mother’s lenience, and that their behaviour might change as they grew older.

  However, until such time, it was distressing to bear the daily grievances about the regiment’s departure from Meryton and Lydia’s constant complaints about not following them to Brighton for the summer. He knew it would be foolish to allow Lydia to leave his sight—especially to a camp full of soldiers—but to have her constantly crying of her misfortune in being kept at home was even more difficult to endure.

  His musings were abruptly interrupted by a din of voices that shattered the house; he thought he could recognise Hill but the other voice—so strong that he was uncertain whether it was a woman or a man—he had never heard before.

  The library door was thrown open and slammed against the wall; Mr. Bennet had no time to rise from his chair before the guest invaded his room.

  “You are Mr. Bennet, I presume!”

  A puzzled gaze was his only reply while Mr. Bennet kept to his chair with perfect calm. The guest allowed the silence no longer and demanded with severity, “Well? Are you Mr. Bennet or not? I would appreciate an answer; I have no time to lose.”

  “Forgive me; I was under the impression that you already had decided I was Mr. Bennet, so I never suspected you might require an answer regarding my identity,” the gentleman said with amusement after the first
puzzling moments. “And speaking of identity, may I inquire to whom I have the pleasure of speaking in my library?”

  “I am Lady Catherine de Bourgh!”

  Mr. Bennet was positively shocked. All amazement, he finally rose from his chair.

  “Of course—I should have guessed immediately; forgive my ignorance,” Mr. Bennet responded in all honesty. How was it possible that he did not recognise the formidable lady instantly as the noble patroness so warmly described by Mr. Collins? He attempted to form a proper invitation to the house, but she interrupted him.

  “You have very small rooms here,” she said with a brief glance around. “Even smaller than Mr. Collins told me. This could hardly be called a library.”

  “Yet, I do call it a library.” He did not dare presume what brought the illustrious lady into the neighbourhood, but obviously, it was not a courtesy visit. Lady Catherine was unhinged about something, and Mr. Bennet quickly anticipated an opportunity to amuse himself while solving the mystery.

  “Lady Catherine, though your presence honours me, I confess I cannot imagine to what we owe your ladyship’s extraordinary visit. May we be of some assistance?”

  “Yes, you may. I did not come here for the pleasure of the trip; you can be sure. I have rarely had such a disagreeable journey. Is your daughter at home? I need to speak to her.”

  Mr. Bennet’s puzzlement increased as well as his amusement.

  “You need to speak to my daughter? Is there a specific daughter you have in mind, or will any of them do? My eldest are expected from London later today, but my youngest will be home any minute.”

  “Mr. Bennet, you should not assume me tolerant of your mockery! I did not come here to be the brunt of your jokes. I wish to speak to your daughter Elizabeth immediately!”

  “With Lizzy? On what subject, if I may ask?”

  “On the subject of her preposterous behaviour and questionable character! And you, as her father, should take appropriate measures to remedy this intolerable situation.”

  “Lady Catherine, of what situation are you speaking? And I must insist that you explain your harsh words regarding my daughter. I can see you are upset, and I cannot imagine why.” At the offensive words about his favourite daughter, Mr. Bennet immediately became serious. There was no room for amusement.