Darcy and Elizabeth What If? Collection 1 (22 page)

She blushed and looked at the floor.

‘I asked him if I might have his permission to address you, and he said I might. So now I can ask you, Miss Bennet, if you will be my wife.’

Still looking shyly at the floor, she said, ‘Yes.’

He took her hand.

‘Jane – for I may call you Jane now - I will do everything in my power to make you happy, and to protect you and your family,’ he said.

Jane expressed her thanks and gratitude, and they sat down again.

It was all very orderly and sensible, and just for a moment he wished there had been more to it. He wished he had been in some doubt of his reception and he wished there had been strong feelings on both sides, so that it would have been a memorable moment; one was never likely to forget. But he was a sensible man and he dismissed such thoughts as being unworthy of him.

When Mrs Gardiner returned a few minutes later, assuring them that tea was on its way, Mr Darcy told her the happy news.

Mrs Gardiner smiled warmly and congratulated them both.

‘Jane is very dear to us,’ said Mrs Gardiner. ‘I hope you will forgive me, Mr Darcy, if I say that her family consider you the luckiest of men.’

Mr Darcy bowed. The world, he knew, would consider the luck all on Jane’s side, but he did not object to her family thinking he was lucky to win her. It was only natural. She was beautiful, good and gentle. She would provide ladylike companionship for his sister, she would provide Pemberley with an elegant mistress and she would provide him with an heir. This would safeguard the future of the estate, as well as Georgiana’s future, in the event that anything untoward should happen to him. And she would make him a sweet, biddable wife.

Yes, Mr Darcy was pleased.

The three of them sat down again and tea was brought in.

Mr Darcy said that he hoped Jane would do him the honour of visiting Pemberley as soon as it could be arranged, and he extended the invitation to Mrs Gardiner so that she could chaperone Jane.

Both ladies said how pleased they would be to visit.

They had just finished their first cup of tea, and Jane was pouring a second cup for each of them, when there came the sound of chatter and laughter drifting in through the open window. It grew louder, and was accompanied by a crunching sound as many feet walked over the gravel drive. A flurry of muslin gowns, bonnets, shawls, pelisses and capes followed the noise and there came the sound of the front door opening.

‘My sisters,’ said Jane. ‘They have been into Meryton.’

Mr Darcy stood up as the four young ladies, divested of their outdoor clothing, entered the room. Lydia flew in like a whirlwind, Kitty followed in her wake, Mary walked in stolidly with a book held in front of her face, and Elizabeth . . .

. . . His heart stopped beating.

. . . . Miss Elizabeth Bennet was the young woman from the carriage.

He froze. The woman with the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen - the woman he had spent the last two years trying to find; the woman who had haunted his thoughts and dreams ever since the moment he had caught sight of her - was now standing in front of him.

And he could do nothing about it.

If they had met a year ago . . . . even a day ago . . . it would all have been so very different. He would have paid court to her, wooed her and married her. But now he could do nothing because he was engaged to her sister.

His spirits plummeted as he stood there like a statue, for his proposal was a legal contract, binding on both parties, and one he could not escape. He was obliged as a British subject, as well as a gentleman, to go through with the marriage, or leave himself open to a lawsuit for breach of promise, as well as the condemnation of all and sundry for going back on his word.

He felt a terrible wrenching inside him as the trap closed tightly around him, and he thought in anguish:
I am marrying the wrong sister
.

Those thoughts lasted only for a moment. He reminded himself that he did not know the young woman before him. It was true that he had not been able to forget her, but what did he actually know about her? Nothing, except that she had a pair of fine eyes. But he could not marry a woman for her eyes. As Colonel Fitzwilliam had pointed out, he might not like Miss Elizabeth very much when he came to know her, or he might think her unsuitable for his wife. So there was no need for him to regret his engagement to Jane. Jane would make him an excellent wife.

Mrs Gardiner made the introductions. Mr Darcy bowed and Elizabeth curtseyed.

Then Jane said, ‘And now you have met all my family.’

Mr Darcy drew his eyes away from Elizabeth with difficulty. She was as lovely as he remembered her. Although she was not conventionally beautiful – not nearly as beautiful as Jane – there was a liveliness about her features that rendered them uncommonly attractive. They were surrounded by abundant dark hair that was tied up in a bun, with ringlets framing her face. The whole image was so pleasing that he had a sudden image of her portrait hanging in the gallery at Pemberley.

The portrait elongated in his mind to a full-length painting, with her lithe and energetic figure faithfully rendered, clad in a simple white muslin gown. The prevailing fashions suited her, with the high waist and slender skirt making the most of her height, and the short, puffed sleeves revealing her smooth and shapely arms.

But the image was shattered a moment later when she said pleasantly, but with a surprising strength underneath, ‘I am very pleased to meet you, Mr Darcy. I hope you will be worthy of Jane.’

Her words, polite on the surface but challenging underneath, were like a slap in the face. It was one thing for Mrs Gardiner to say they counted him fortunate for winning Jane’s hand. That was no more than family affection, and he honoured Mrs Gardiner for it. But it was quite another for Miss Elizabeth to suggest that he might not be worthy of Jane. He liked Jane very well, but there was no question of him being unworthy of her. He was Mr Darcy of Pemberley. He was worthy of any woman.

It was on the tip of his tongue to retort, “Let us hope she is worthy of me”, but he remembered his manners just in time. And, more than that, he did not want to hurt Jane. She was sweet and gentle, and a far more suitable wife than the impertinent young woman who was standing in front of him with her whole attitude radiating her reservations about him – no matter how fine her eyes.

He saw now the folly of the last few years, when he had allowed the memory of those eyes to mesmerise him. Their liveliness matched an impertinent character, and that was not what he wanted from a wife. What he wanted was someone who would look up to him and admire him, and think he was wonderful. And he wanted someone who would not overwhelm his sister.

Miss Elizabeth Bennet no doubt had her virtues – although, with the exception of her eyes, he had yet to discover them – but gentleness and an inclination to admire him were not among them.

All this passed through his mind in a matter of moments, so that he was able to reply with only the slightest of pauses. He said, with cold politeness that sounded very much like arrogance, ‘I shall certainly try.’

Miss Elizabeth was not abashed, as he had intended she should be. Instead, she replied teasingly - with her eyes sparkling - ‘I am glad to hear it.’

That young lady
has ideas above her station
, thought Mr Darcy haughtily.

Mrs Gardiner sat down and the others followed suit.

Mary, Kitty and Lydia had contented themselves with staring at Mr Darcy so far, but now Lydia seemed about to speak. Mrs Gardiner, sensing some foolish utterance was coming, made sure the younger girls were plied with cake and tea, so that they would not feel compelled to speak.

‘Mr Darcy has just invited me to Pemberley,’ Mrs Gardiner said to the assembled Miss Bennets. ‘I am looking forward to seeing it again. I have only seen it from the outside, for, as you know, I used to live in the neighbourhood. But Mr Darcy has kindly invited me to chaperone Jane.’ She turned to Mr Darcy. ‘I am sure you will not mind extending the invitation to Jane’s sister, Elizabeth, so that Jane will have some companion of her own age.’

Mr Darcy was taken aback. Invite Miss Elizabeth to Pemberley? Nothing could be further from his wishes.

But, on reflection, there was something sensible in Mrs Gardiner’s suggestion. He would inevitably have estate business to attend to. And besides, he did not mean to spend all of his free time with Jane. She was a lovely young woman but she would quickly bore him and he meant to continue his usual outdoor occupations as well as spending time with his male friends once they were married. It was as well for Jane to get used to this routine when she visited Pemberley, so that she would be prepared for what lay ahead. So it was only kind to allow her a companion of her own age when he was busy elsewhere.

It was also perhaps as well for Miss Elizabeth to see Pemberley as soon as possible, so that she knew how vast and impressive it was. Once she saw him in his home setting, with his servants treating him deferentially and the whole neighbourhood looking up to him, she would realise he was not the kind of man who should be plagued by an impertinent female.

Again, all this passed through his mind in a matter of moments. He gave a bow and said haughtily, ‘Miss Elizabeth will be most welcome.’

‘Good, then that is settled,’ said Mrs Gardiner.

‘I am sure I would like to see Pemberley,’ said Lydia, who had by now finished her cake.

‘And so you will, but not this time,’ said Mrs Gardiner firmly. ‘You will remain here with Kitty and Mary in the care of your aunt and uncle Philips.’ Then she turned to Mr Darcy. ‘When do you propose the visit to Pemberley should take place?’

‘Next week. I will leave for Pemberley tomorrow, so that I can make sure everything is ready for your reception. Then I will send my carriage for you on Wednesday.’

‘Wednesday will suit us very well. We will make our arrangements,’ said Mrs Gardiner.

Mr Darcy’s eyes were drawn once more to Miss Elizabeth. She was not quelled by his icy civility, and he found himself thinking that the sooner she married Mr Bingley, the better. She would then be settled in her own home instead of being forced to live with him at Pemberley. She was far too independent and opinionated to make a comfortable house guest, and as she was too old to be tamed by a governess or sent away to a seminary, then marriage was the best way of making sure he did not have to see her very often.

With this in mind, he said to the company in general, ‘Tell me, what do you know of Netherfield Park?’

‘I know very little of it,’ admitted Mrs Gardiner.

‘It is a fine estate and it is available to rent as the owner has died,’ said Elizabeth boldly. ‘Why do you ask?’

‘I have a friend who is looking for an estate and I wondered if Netherfield Park might suit him.’

‘It depends on what your friend is looking for,’ said Elizabeth. ‘Netherfield Park is a gentleman’s residence with sizeable rooms and an extensive park. It is only a few miles from Longbourn and so you already know the neighbourhood. The estate is in good order and it is to be let furnished. Some of the servants have stayed on, to look after it until a tenant can be found. They are all local people and I believe they would be willing to work for the new owner, if he desired. If your friend wants to view the estate he should contact Mr Morris. But I wonder at someone of your acquaintance wanting to rent an estate. Do your friends not all own estates of their own?’

He felt himself bridle at her tone of voice. Everything she said sounded like a direct challenge, and he wondered if she were really pitting herself against him, or if he was imagining it. He could see no reason why she should be against him. In fact, she had every reason to be grateful to him. But instead she behaved as though she disapproved of him. Or, no, perhaps not as if she disapproved of him, more that she was reserving judgement until she knew him better.

Most people of his acquaintance judged him on his house, his name and his fortune. It was a new experience to find out that someone was only prepared to judge him on himself, and he was not sure if he liked it. A part of him found it intriguing but another part of him found it insulting. He was not used to such confused feelings.

They led to even more confused feelings, because a part of him admired Miss Elizabeth for her independence, and a part of him disliked her for her impudence.

No woman had ever awoken such strong and confusing feelings in him.

But Miss Elizabeth was waiting for an answer.

‘Not all of them, no. This particular friend would like to buy somewhere eventually, but it would suit him to rent to begin with,’ he said.

‘A sensible idea,’ said Mrs Gardiner, nodding her approval. ‘In that way, he can familiarise himself with the neighbourhood and the people before committing himself to living anywhere.’

‘I am sure he can have no objection to the people or the neighbourhood here,’ said Elizabeth, quick to defend her home.

Mrs Gardiner smiled indulgently at Elizabeth’s loyal outburst. ‘I am sure that Mr Darcy did not mean a slight on Meryton, but perhaps his friend is more used to town life.’

‘He has a varied experience of life,’ said Mr Darcy, thinking of Bingley’s origins in trade. ‘But he likes the country and so I will view the estate tomorrow, to see if it is suitable. If it is, I will organise a viewing for him.’

‘You seem very good at organising other people’s lives,’ said Miss Elizabeth.

And there it was again, that note of challenge, thought Mr Darcy, and this time he could swear he saw a mocking smile playing about her lips. Was he imagining it? Was she really challenging him and mocking him? Or was she not, after all, only complimenting him? If he took her words at face value then she was definitely flattering. That must be it. Normal people flattered him and praised him. It was unheard of for anyone to tease him. Not even his sister would risk such a familiarity.

And yet, as he looked into her merry eyes, he could not rid himself of the feeling that she was laughing at him.

And so he drew himself up to his full height. Then, ignoring her comment, he bowed and said, at his most haughty, ‘I will bid you all good day.’

When he had gone, the younger girls were full of questions and Jane started to tell them all about Mr Darcy’s proposal.

‘Will you walk with me in the garden, Elizabeth?’ asked Mrs Gardiner.

‘Willingly,’ said Elizabeth.

Once they were outside, Mrs Gardiner said, ‘It was quite wrong of you to tease Mr Darcy in that manner, Elizabeth. Remember, he does not know you as we do. He did not know what to make of your remarks.’

‘Oh, Aunt, I am sorry,’ said Elizabeth, as they walked across the emerald green lawn towards the wilderness. ‘But he was so proud and arrogant that I thought that if I did not begin by being impertinent then I should grow to be afraid of him, and that would never do. I cannot be afraid of my brother-in-law. Moreover, I do not want Jane to be afraid of him. And so I set about teasing him, for there is no surer way to puncture someone’s conceit than to laugh at them.’

Mrs Gardiner shook her head disapprovingly, but nevertheless there was a smile playing about her lips.

‘I should tell you off, Elizabeth, but a part of me feels that you are right. Mr Darcy is more awe-inspiring than I had imagined.’

‘Yes, he most certainly is,’ said Elizabeth.

They went through into the pretty little wilderness garden and sat down on a stone seat. The legs of the seat were carved in the shape of winged lions. Long grasses grew all around it, full of wild flowers, and above it was an apple tree which afforded them some pleasant shade.

‘I was intrigued by Jane’s letters,’ said Elizabeth. ‘I was also intrigued by her description of Mr Darcy and I looked forward to meeting him in the flesh. But he is not at all what I imagined. Jane told us of his good manners and his kindness, and so I imagined an altogether different kind of man.’

Mrs Gardiner arranged her shawl around her shoulders and then said, ‘I can see how that might come about. Yet Jane’s description of him is just.’

‘Is it?’ said Elizabeth. ‘I would not describe Mr Darcy as good mannered or kind. Indeed, only someone of Jane’s innate goodness could think so. I would describe him as proud and conceited . . . and completely the wrong sort of husband for her.’

‘No.’ Mrs Gardiner shook her head decisively. ‘You are quite wrong, Lizzy. Mr Darcy is exactly the sort of husband I would like to see for Jane.’

Elizabeth loved and respected her aunt and so she did not take offence, even though her aunt was contradicting her. Instead, she listened to what her older relative had to say, and Mrs Gardiner continued.

‘Jane is a lovely young woman but she is of such a pliant and generous disposition that she is easily cheated, as you have seen with your own eyes.’

‘Yes, that is true,’ said Elizabeth. She picked a handful of daisies and started threading them together in a chain. ‘Some of the more unscrupulous shopkeepers give her poor goods and service, knowing she will not complain. Some of the servants, too, take advantage of her gentle disposition. They invent headaches so they can stay in bed in winter, or so they can loiter about outside in the summer, instead of getting on with their work.’