Page 74 of Till Death Us Do Part: Book 2
“How so?” she asked curiously.
Darcy thought back to that time almost five years earlier. “I can remember his logic well. In fact, I can remember his exact words: ‘Your wife paid a high price for your freedom. Do you intend to disrespect her memory by throwing it all away?’”
He stared in the fire, while Amanda just waited to see what he would say. He seemed lost in his own thoughts, so she eventually asked, “Was that all?”
Shaking his head, Darcy said, “Oh, no—the man was relentless. He said, ‘There are two possibilities. She is dead or she is not. If the former, then nobody should be silly enough to pine away for her longer than necessary, as death is the final curtain, the time when all debts are collected, the one thing that cannot be undone. But just for a moment, let us suppose that it was an elaborate ruse—that she isnotdead—that I am not trustworthy—a fair enough assessment, as I would not trust me if I were you.’”
Amanda laughed. “I am not certain I would either. Was that all?”
Darcy smiled ruefully. “Not by half. He said, ‘If it was some sort of elaborate ruse, then Mrs Darcyconsciouslyanddeliberatelydecided it was worth a lifetime without protection, worth throwing you and her family into a profound state of guilt and grief for however long it took them to get over it—all so she could giveyouthe freedom you do not truly, in my humble opinion, deserve. If she had the funds you mentioned, she could, withconsiderablyless effort, have left you a note saying she was abandoning you, and sailed to Ireland, or Canada, or just about anywhere in the world, and disappeared so thoroughly evenIcould not find her. For a few hundred pounds she could obtain a new name with unassailable heritage and a written backtrail. It is easier than you might think, and she would have beendone. If she did perform this elaborate ruse, it was entirely toyourbenefit, andherdetriment, because she cannevergo home—not ever.’”
Amanda stared at him a moment. “That is an,” then paused a moment thoughtfully, “entirely accurate description, I would think.”
“I wanted to lash out—at him, at the world, at myself—but eventually I decided to honour her last wishes. I have been trying to do that. I reformed my character, improved my manners—I daresay you would hardly recognise me if you had known me then. I have even been searching for a wife.”
Amanda laughed. “A man like you—rich and handsome—I would say if you have been searching for a wife, you have not been putting much effort into it.”
He chuckled. “Perhaps it is harder than it sounds.”
Amanda was, at that moment, unfortunately sipping on her wine, which left her coughing up a storm.
When she finally got herself under good regulation, she said, “You make things too complicated.”
“What do you mean?”
“You are an intelligent man, but sometimes intelligence works against us. We think simple things should be complicated, when really, they are not.”
“Pray, elaborate.”
“It is quite simple, Mr Darcy. You need first and foremost todecidewhat you are going to do. There are few things more powerful than an unambiguous decision. It sounds to me like you never quite let go of the last bit of your marriage. You nevercommittedto the search. It is time to put your past behind you.”
He thought a few minutes, and finally replied, “I will accept that premise.”
“After that, it is simple. Go to a ball. Dance with a lady. Converse with her during the dance. If you like her, ask her to dance again. If that goes well, ask to call on her. If that goes well, invite her for a ball, or meet her at a house party, or take her riding or for a drive, or somehow find a way to spend more time with her—withoutraising unreasonable expectations. You want to raise just the level of expectations your potentialaffection warrants. That is trickier than it sounds, but within your capabilities.”
Darcy chuckled at the seeming simplicity of the process. Mrs Thorne made it sound so simple, but it was his absolute insistence in not raising expectations that was partially responsible for so misunderstanding Elizabeth; but other than that, she was essentially correct. The process was in fact, not complicated at all.
Amanda gave him a moment to catch up, then continued relentlessly. “If things work out well, ask to court her. If that goes well, ask for her hand. If that goes well,say the vows and mean every word.If, at any stage of this process, you find you are not suitable, very politely abandon the effort and try again. Repeat until you are wed. It is not so very complicated. You simply need todecideand make a start.”
Darcy laughed. “It all sounds so simple.”
“It is simple. Just get a start. Find a ball to attend and get on with it. Commitment is the key.”
Darcy found both of their glasses had only about one drink left, so he held his up in salute. “To courtship!”
“To courtship!” Amanda joined, and they clinked glasses.
After finishing, Darcy said, “I cannot remember a more enjoyable evening, Mrs Thorne, but I suppose I should go.”
She nodded. “Good night, and good hunting, Mr Darcy.”
26.Business and Good Deeds
“Mr Darcy, what are you doing here?”
The question might have sounded abrupt or nosy in most situations, but in the three weeks since what they euphemistically called theSpanish Wine Incident, Darcy had come by the shop more often. While their newfound friendship was still somewhat tense, and Mrs Thorne was still guarded when sober, their meetings had become regular events. Amanda seemed to expect nothing from the gentleman save his friendship, and he gave every sign of thinking similarly.
Darcy smiled, enjoying the abrupt but unpretentious question. “The same as you, I imagine.”
