Page 15 of Leave Her Wild
“A man of Mr. Darcy’s importance has so many things to address, I am surprised he has time to woo me, but he does,” Jane declared.
“I should hope so. You should be the most important person in his life,” Elizabeth argued. She took Jane’s hand and stroked the back of it with her fingertip. “It would be acceptable if you chose . . .”
“No more complaints, Elizabeth. I am very happy with my choice,” Jane chastised.
“As you say,” Elizabeth promised. “Then I shall say no more.” She leaned forward to kiss her dear sister’s cheek. “I should remove the flour from my hair. I shall see you at the midday meal.” She turned to leave the room, but Elizabeth paused at the door to look back at her sister, who again had fallen back onto the settee and had predictably burst into tears.
>>
By the time Darcy reached Meryton, he had convinced himself that there was nothing to be done but to make the best of the road upon which he currently traveled regarding his courtship, and there was no means to turn around or to abandon the course.
“There appears to be a militia quartered here,” Fitzwilliam remarked, one of the few sentences they had shared during their journey to the village.
Darcy looked up to the cluster of soldiers drilling with rifles. “I was not aware of one stationed here either. I wonder who their commander is.”
“I imagine we will discover the man tomorrow at church,” Fitzwilliam assured. “When did you mean to speak to the local clergyman?”
“I had hoped to arrange a meeting for Monday so Miss Bennet and I might marry on either Thursday or Friday next, but . . .”
“But what?” Fitzwilliam asked.
Darcy stepped from the way of others on the village street. “Have I made a terrible mistake, Fitzwilliam?”
“What type of mistake?” his cousin asked.
“In London, Miss Bennet was sweet and demure, and, though her family is not as wealthy as I had hoped, she is acceptable as the future Mrs. Darcy,” Darcy explained.
“Yet?”
“Yet, today, when I presented her my mother’s ring, she barely commented on it when I asked if it pleased her. Then when I meant to kiss her, she was as stiff as if she thought I raised my hand to strike her. I must produce an heir to save Pemberley. I do not wish a statue lying beneath me. What is worse is I will be expected to return to her bed time and time again. I never thought to entertain the idea of a mistress. Though their time together was not long enough, my parents adored each other. Your parents adore each other. I had always wished the same for my wife.”
His cousin appeared to be as perplexed as Darcy, but he said, “All you can do at this point is to be patient and gentle.” His cousin’s advice was what was expected of every honorable man, and something Darcy had already told himself.
Later, when they returned to Longbourn, Darcy was set on following his cousin’s advice, for it had aligned with his own thoughts; however, again, nothing had gone as he expected.
First, Miss Elizabeth Bennet had arrived in the room set aside for their meals looking more fetching than Darcy had thought possible. She wore a dark green day dress that not only set off the olive tones in her skin, but also brightened the green of her hazel eyes. Darcy noted how Fitzwilliam’s interestpiqued higher, and, like it or not, Darcy was jealous, for the lady had obviously dressed to please his cousin. More ironically, he realized the emerald ring the lady’s elder sister wore would be set off by what Miss Elizabeth had chosen, while it lost some of its beauty against the pale blue gown Miss Bennet wore.
Over the meal, Darcy’s irritation grew. His cousin had been placed at Miss Elizabeth’s side, and they had conversed easily throughout the meal, while he listened to Mrs. Bennet’s exclamations of joy at having her eldest engaged to marry. Beside him, Miss Bennet maintained her quiet manner. His only saving grace had been when Miss Mary asked of Samuel Ericks’s new parish. Therefore, Darcy was permitted to speak of Lambton and the area about Pemberley.
At last, the meal ended, and the ladies withdrew to the large sitting room, while the gentlemen retreated to Mr. Bennet’s study, where they conversed and drank a bit more port, though, in truth, Darcy was ready for another walk to burn off some of his frustration. At length, he and Mr. Bennet debated over Francis Bacon’s influence on Shakespeare’s tales, and he listened carefully to the questions asked of the man by Fitzwilliam regarding the land in Hertfordshire, as well as Mr. Bennet’s responses, which were, in truth, quite different from what Darcy would have said based on his experiences in Derbyshire.
Finally, they rejoined the ladies. Darcy had purposely led the way, and instead of claiming a seat obviously left open for him next to Miss Bennet, he had crossed to sit beside Miss Elizabeth, who was reading a book Darcy was confident most gentlemen would not understand, though he did not challenge her on it. Instead, he sat and looked out upon the room, many of those in attendance were watching him.
Fitzwilliam had sat beside Miss Catherine and across from Miss Mary. Darcy could hear his cousin ask of Mr. Ericks, immediately engaging both sisters.
Darcy knew Mr. and Mrs. Bennet watched him carefully, but he meant to win Miss Bennet’s favor by winning the approval of her closest sister.
“I pray I have not offended you, Miss Elizabeth,” he said softly. He knew the others watched him, but Darcy had convinced himself until Miss Bennet had heard Miss Elizabeth praise him, he and his future wife would know a gulf between them. If he were to win Miss Bennet’s loyalty, he must first win over the lady’s family, beginning with Miss Elizabeth.
“Why would you think so, sir?” the woman asked as she slid a knotted thread between the pages to mark her place.
“You avoid me as much as possible,” he began. “You disagree with all my opinions. You show me little respect, though my marriage to Miss Bennet will open doors to society, closed until now,” he said in hushed tones.
“My other sisters may claim the association and benefit from it,” she said in equal quietness, “but I want nothing of your patronage. I shall remain at Longbourn to tend both of my parents in their later years.”
“Would you not accept my cousin if the colonel extended his hand to you?” he asked in complete bafflement.
“As a minor son, your cousin will require a woman with a sizable dowry, as well as social connections in order for him to know his aspirations to serve in the Commons after his service to the King. I could present him with nothing but my respect and my loyalty. I would refuse his offer if it should come.”
