by Eden Forster
“That is not an unnatural surmise,” uttered Fitzwilliam.
Here, Darcy turned and glared at his cousin. Directing his gaze at Elizabeth, Darcy told the colonel to leave, citing his desire to speak with Elizabeth in privacy.
In response to the colonel’s initial objection to leaving the two of them alone, Darcy said, “I have a matter of a personal nature to discuss with Miss Bennet.”
As if unsure of Elizabeth’s sudden change in attitude, Fitzwilliam studied her inquiringly. “Miss Bennet?”
Elizabeth gave him no reply but rather turned away. She had other matters to ponder. There could not exist in the world two men over whom Mr. Darcy could have such boundless influence. That he had been concerned in the measures taken to separate Bingley and Jane she had never doubted, but she had always attributed to Miss Bingley the principal design and arrangement of them. Mr. Darcy was the cause! His pride and caprice were the cause of all that Jane had suffered and continued to suffer. He had ruined every hope of happiness for the most affectionate, generous heart in the world and no one could say how lasting an evil he might have inflicted. Oh, what she would not say to him when afforded the opportunity.
Tearing his eyes away from Elizabeth, Darcy turned to his cousin. “My purposes will be clear when next we meet.”
With that assurance, the colonel bid Elizabeth farewell.
Chapter Two
Darcy marched over to the mantelpiece and leaned against it.
There it is again, Elizabeth silently observed. He had exhibited that same agitated manner whenever they were alone before. Elizabeth waited and wondered what could be the gentleman’s purposes. Surely he meant to tell her that the colonel was mistaken, that Bingley was not the friend his cousin spoke of. Moreover, if what the colonel had said was indeed true, as she strongly suspected, then surely he meant to apologize.
At length, the gentleman stood straight and tall and began his speech. “In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”
Elizabeth’s astonishment was beyond expression. Prior to his startling speech, she had been preparing herself to hand him a proper set down for his ill-use of her sister, not entertaining a proposal of marriage. Thus, she could do no more than stare and remain silent.
This he considered sufficient encouragement, and the avowal of all that he felt, had long felt for her, immediately followed. He spoke well; detailing the nature of his struggles, the burdens that he would face because of such an unequal alliance and how he was willing to put all such things aside. Finally, he concluded with representing to her the strength of that attachment that he had found impossible to conquer, and with expressing his hope that it would now be rewarded by her acceptance of his hand.
When he was done, Elizabeth said, “Sir, I have to confess to being taken completely aback by your proposal.”
He looked puzzled. “What did you expect when I asked for a private audience with you?”
“I expected you to defend yourself.”
“Pray, defend myself against what?”
“Why, your cousin’s allegations! I expected you to deny you had a hand in separating Jane and Mr. Bingley.”
“I have no wish to deny my cousin’s assertions. I observed your sister and my friend carefully when we were together at Netherfield and I was persuaded that his attachment was stronger than hers.”
“Sir, you speak of attachments as though your powers of observation in that regard are impeccable when clearly they have failed you where your own sentiments are concerned?”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Mr. Darcy, you offered your hand in marriage to me. I have never desired your good opinion.”
“Yet—you have it and you would be wise to consider your next words very cautiously.”
“Even if my opinion of you was not unfavorable, do you think that any consideration would tempt me to accept the man who has been the means of ruining the happiness of a most beloved sister?”
With assumed calm, he said, “Miss Elizabeth, you are too intelligent to allow such an obstacle as easy to overcome as what you perceive as my ill-treatment of your sister, which I contend was a service to my friend, to ruin a most promising prospect for yourself as well as your family.”
Elizabeth thought to offer up the excuse of his ill-use of Mr. Wickham as additional cause to reject Mr. Darcy’s suit, but she held her tongue. Two people had made a point of discrediting Mr. Wickham’s claims. The first was Mr. Bingley’s youngest sister, Miss Caroline Bingley, whose testimony Elizabeth had immediately dismissed owing to the woman’s infatuation with Mr. Darcy. The second was Colonel Fitzwilliam whom Elizabeth admired and now, oddly enough, trusted. Why, even her sister Jane and her intimate friend Charlotte were wary of Wickham’s story. Charlotte had cautioned her against seeming foolish in the eyes of a gentleman ten times Wickham’s consequence. Jane’s opinion of Mr. Darcy was above reproach. This was but one of the reasons why Elizabeth was furious that Mr. Darcy had injured her sister so.
“It’s more than your ill-treatment of my sister that motivates me, sir,” Elizabeth began. “The truth is that I do not like you.”
She expected him to be repulsed, but instead he looked at her with an air of contrition mixed with tenderness she had never before detected in him.
“I contend you simply do not know me. You do not understand my true character. You simply need more time and I am perfectly willing to give you that time.”
“Sir, nothing you can do or say will ever persuade me to accept you; not after what you have done to Jane and Mr. Bingley.”
“I contend that Bingley has his own mind. How could you help but recall hearing him boast of his restless, dare I say capricious, nature? You heard him say that were he of a mind to quit Netherfield he would do so without hesitation. However, I am willing to make amends for any part I may have played in his not returning to Hertfordshire, if that is what it will take for you to think carefully about my proposal before coming to a decision.”
Crossing the room, Darcy took a seat next to Elizabeth. “You need not decide today or even tomorrow if you will accept my hand,” he began. He went on to propose a period of courtship with Elizabeth, feeling strongly that he would persuade her to change her mind. If, after six weeks, her feelings remained unchanged he would be silenced on the matter forever, he concluded.
“Six weeks, sir? Why not six months? Better yet, save both of us the inconvenience and propose six minutes. I assure you the added time will make no difference.”
“I would allow six months or even six years if I thought that is what it would take, but I know it won’t take that long.”
Elizabeth silently deliberated the matter. A woman would be out of her mind to deny such a man, she thought. On the other hand, anyone who knew how much she did not like him after his slight at the Meryton assembly would think her out of her mind to accept him.
Her voice unsteady, she asked, “Are you proposing a proper courtship, sir?”
He nodded.
Folding one hand over the other, she continued, “I would be remiss to dismiss such an advantageous offer and one that, should events unfold as you suggest, would please my mother exceedingly. However, it is incumbent upon me to tell you, sir, that I would not even consider your counterproposal were it not for my hopes for my sister Jane.”
“That is fair enough, I suppose. But our decisions for our lives cannot be formed by whether my friend Bingley and your sister come to an understanding. As much as I want a future with you, I do not wish to have my fate subjected to the whims of others.”
Elizabeth caught her breath when Darcy took her by the hand.
Gently brushing his thumb along her palm, he said, “May we agree on this one thing?”
Without regard to proprieties, she did not pull away. “I agree that so long as Jane and Bingley at least have a chance to see each other with no further interference from
you, then I shall not allow whatever happens between them to influence my feelings for you.”
His countenance warm and inviting, he said, “Then you admit to having feelings for me and it has been less than six minutes. I say we are off to a splendid start.”
Elizabeth may not have liked the gentleman, but she certainly liked it when he smiled. Smiling slightly in return, she said, “It seems we have a proper agreement, sir.”
“To be truly proper, we might secure it with some show of good faith.” Leaning closer while moistening his slightly parted lips, he meant to raise her hand and bestow a kiss on her palm.
Here, Elizabeth withdrew her hand quickly. “I say we must further stipulate that no one is to know about our agreement. That way, once the six weeks have passed, should either of us find that we are better apart, no one will have suffered any disappointment.”
Chapter Three
Lady Catherine de Bourgh had grown entirely impatient with her favorite nephew’s strange behavior of late. Not for the first time during this year’s visit to Rosings Park had he kept her waiting. She tore her eyes from the mantel clock to Colonel Fitzwilliam. “What do you suppose is keeping Darcy this time?”
“The last time I saw him the two of us were at the Parsonage House with Miss Bennet.”
“Do you mean to say you left him there and you have not seen him since?”
“Darcy asked for a bit of privacy with the young woman. Under the circumstances, I thought it was the thing to do.”
“The circumstances? What circumstances do you speak of? And what of the Collinses and Miss Lucas? Pray tell me they were at the parsonage when you left or did you leave my nephew and that impertinent Miss Elizabeth Bennet alone?”
“I believe the Collinses and Miss Lucas were all out.”
Her ladyship rose from her seat. “You left a single gentleman and a single young woman alone! What were you thinking?”
“Pray calm yourself, your ladyship. I am certain Darcy will be here soon with good news to convey. When I think of it, perhaps I should speak on the matter no more for it is Darcy’s place to inform you—” the colonel looked at his cousin Anne almost apologetically and cleared his throat “—the two of you of his intentions.”
Her ladyship had heard enough to form her own opinion about what was afoot. She made her way across the room and ordered her carriage. “This is not to be borne! I shall take matters into my own hands.”
Overall, Elizabeth could rightfully say that she was happier than she was dissatisfied. The sooner Mr. Darcy took his leave of Kent, the sooner he would begin making amends to Jane and Mr. Bingley. Thoughts of Jane’s happiness filling her head, she was suddenly roused by the sound of the doorbell. Her spirits were a little excited by the idea of it being Mr. Darcy, who had only parted company with her a quarter hour ago. Perhaps he had thought better of leaving her alone and he meant to sit with her until the Collinses returned. This idea was soon banished and her spirits were very differently affected when, to her utter amazement, Lady Catherine de Bourgh stormed into the room.
Her ladyship did not bother with the usual civilities. She glared at Elizabeth. “You can be at no loss, Miss Bennet, to understand the reason I am here. Your own heart, your own conscience, must tell you why I have come.”
“Indeed, your ladyship,” replied Elizabeth with a look of unaffected astonishment, “one must only assume you are here to see the Collinses.”
“Then you pretend to be ignorant of my being here expressly to see you, young woman?”
“Are you indeed?” Elizabeth responded, half smiling. “How shall I account for such an honor?”
Her ladyship said, “I have just heard a most alarming report from my nephew Fitzwilliam that my nephew Darcy was here with you.”
“As you can see for yourself, your ladyship, Mr. Darcy is not here.”
“Clearly he’s not here at this moment, but that does not mean he was never here. Tell me at once, what business did my nephew have with you that required a private audience?”
“Pardon me, your ladyship. You may ask questions of a personal nature that have nothing at all to do with you, but I am under no obligation to answer them.”
“You ought to know, Miss Bennet,” replied her ladyship, in an angry tone, “that I am not to be trifled with. Colonel Fitzwilliam gave strong hints that Darcy was here with you with the intention of making you an offer of marriage. Though I know it must be a scandalous falsehood and that it is indeed impossible, I instantly resolved on setting off for this place that I might make my sentiments known to you.”
“If you believed it impossible to be true,” said Elizabeth, coloring with astonishment and disdain, “I wonder you took the trouble of coming at all. What could your ladyship propose by it?”
“This is not to be borne. Miss Bennet, I insist on being satisfied. Has my nephew made you an offer of marriage?”
“Your ladyship has declared it to be impossible.”
Lady Catherine would not be dissuaded so easily as that. She went on to explain to Elizabeth why it was impossible that Darcy should make her an offer of marriage, unless, of course, he had lost all reason, having been drawn in by her arts and allurements in a moment of infatuation that had made him forget what he owed to himself and to all his family. The grand lady further explained that Darcy was engaged to be married to her daughter Anne and that the engagement was of a peculiar nature in that it had been decided while the two of them were in their cradles. Lady Catherine did not intend to see her favorite wish prevented by the likes of Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Concluding her lengthy speech on why a marriage between Darcy and Elizabeth would never occur, she glared at Elizabeth. Intent on having the last word, she demanded, “Tell me once and for all, are you engaged to my nephew?”
Though Elizabeth would not, for the mere purpose of obliging Lady Catherine, have answered this question, she could not but say after a moment’s deliberation, “I am not.”
Lady Catherine seemed pleased. “And see that you never enter such an engagement.” Finally satisfied she had accomplished her purposes in being there, Lady Catherine quit the room.
Meanwhile, at Rosings, the colonel was taken aback when he strode into the library in search of a good book to read and saw Darcy standing by the window. He cleared his throat to get his cousin’s attention. “Darcy, I never expected to find you here.”
Darcy turned to face his cousin. “Why were you looking for me?”
“Lady Catherine was asking about you earlier, and I told her that you were at the Parsonage House with Miss Bennet.”
“I do not imagine that met with our aunt’s pleasure.”
“Indeed, it did not, which is why I am surprised to find you here. I rather hoped you and Miss Bennet were still together in order that you might bear the brunt of her ladyship’s wrath together.”
“Do you mean to suggest that her ladyship is with Miss Bennet? What exactly did you tell our aunt?”
“As little as possible, I assure you. I told her that you ought to be the one to inform Cousin Anne and her of your intentions as regarded Miss Bennet.”
“Fitzwilliam, what have you done now?”
“What have I done? Did you not tell me that you wanted to speak with Miss Bennet in privacy? I know how much you admire her—dare I say love her? I fully expected your purpose in dismissing me was in order to declare your intention to the young lady—to offer her your hand in marriage.”
“I wish you had kept your suspicions to yourself.”
“It is not as though I shared the details with our aunt.”
“No—but you did say enough to give her cause to suspect, did you not?”
“Well, did you offer your hand to the lovely Miss Bennet or did you not?”
“I will only say that Miss Bennet and I are not engaged. What I mean to say is we are not yet engaged. I dare not say anything more to you lest I risk the entire world knowing exactly what has transpired between Miss Bennet and me.”
The
colonel’s face fell. “Does your hesitance to confide in me have to do with what I said about your friend Bingley? Had I known how it would upset Miss Bennet, I would not have said a thing. I can only suppose she knows the family. Pray there is no connection.”
“As a matter of fact, there is a connection. The woman you spoke of is Miss Jane Bennet, Miss Elizabeth’s eldest, and, if I might add, favorite sister. You and your loose lips, my friend, may have been the means of further impeding any chance at all of my garnering Miss Elizabeth’s good opinion and ultimately winning her heart.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam dismissed his cousin’s assertion with a wave of his hand. “Any other woman would leap at the chance to become the mistress of Pemberley.”
“As we both know, Miss Elizabeth Bennet is not just any other woman. I must go to her.”
“Shall I accompany you?”
“I think not. You have done more than enough damage for one day.”
Upon returning to the parsonage and being shown into the parlor where he had left her, Darcy saw Elizabeth sitting by the window, staring out.
“My aunt,” he said.
Turning to face him, she said, “Yes, I had the honor of her company soon after you left.”
“How can I make amends?”
“I dare not hold you accountable for your aunt’s actions, any more than you would hold me accountable for my own, I pray.”
“No,” Darcy began, his voice signaling relief, “we might never make it to the altar were it the case that we allowed others’ actions to form our own opinions.”
“However, sir, after much deliberation over our having agreed that we would wait six weeks before deciding upon our future, I must add one crucial stipulation to our agreement.”
“Oh, and what is that?”
“You must tell your aunt that you do not plan to marry Anne.”
“Surely my aunt knows better than to expect such a thing?”