"Such a permanent solution asmarriage!And to a man she did not love? That should never be considered as a solution to anything, not even an equally permanent scandal and an illegitimate babe. Perhaps marriage would have benefited the child, but Miss Darcy’s daughter has privilege enough. That superficial appearance of legitimacy cannot be a requirement for her happiness."
“You were enthused by Pemberley’s grounds when you visited them before Lydia’s misadventure with my ill mourned son-in-law.”
“The delight of the well-designed grounds perhaps reflects only upon Mr. Darcy’s designing ancestors—”
“Or perhaps,” Papa smirkingly interrupted Elizabeth, “poor guardians make good gardens.”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Not even a pun.”
Mr. Bennet looked unpleasantly smug nevertheless.
“Mr. Peake spoke highly of Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth added, “and Mr. Darcy’s affection for his sister is clear from how he kept her and her daughter with him — their presence at the house at all times meant we could not tour the house, but only the grounds.”
“Oh, yes, Gardiner acquired Peake during your Northern trip.”
“We did not go past the midlands.”
Papa waved his hands as though that was a triviality. “How did Gardiner meet Peake again, I never had the story quite straight.”
“At Darcy’s estate itself — he was an under steward at Pemberley, and because he was Mrs. Gardiner’s cousin, he gave us our tour of the estate, and then he called at our lodging in Lambton, and Mr. Gardiner convinced him to leave his position and join Mr. Gardiner’s firm.”
“Piece of good fortune for us all to match the ill fortune of Lydia’s misbehavior. Gardiner says that without Peake’s help he would have gone under within the last two years.”
“Mr. Gardiner told me as much.”
"A balance of expectations and stories — you plan to see Miss Darcy with your own eyes, and then make a judgement?"
Elizabeth smiled impishly. "Given my advanced age, I have no need to fear what harm may come to my reputation when it is known I consort with such women.”
Rather than laughing Papa sighed and pulled off his wiry spectacles. “Lizzy. You are only twenty and four — not an old maid, not on the shelf. Had your goal been to marry expeditiously, you would have good reason to be shamed for having reached such anadvanced ageunmarried, but your goal never was to snag the first eligible bachelor.”
Elizabeth laughed, made uncomfortable by Papa's serious tone. He could not intend to suggest, like Mama often did, that it was time for her to marry. “Since my goal never was to entrap any bachelor, eligible or otherwise, I can socialize with a scandalous woman without worrying what Mr. Several Thousand a Year thinks.”
“Yourageis not where your freedom derives from.” Mr. Bennet paused, Elizabeth looked at him. He had an expression of wishing to say something, but uncharacteristically lacking words. “Do dismiss all thought of marriage.”
Papa hurriedly added, “There is no gentleman who could interest you in this neighborhood, but widen your circle of acquaintance, maybe in London—”
“You wish me to leave you alone to face Mama’s nerves? Never. You would be lonely without me.” Elizabeth rubbed her hand harshly over the edge of their desk. She remembered Lydia, swollen with child, complaining about marital duties. Jane and Bingley’s bland friendliness. Despite her cleverness and sensibility, Mrs. Gardiner always deferred to her husband.
“Lizzy, I shall not live forever.” Mr. Bennet’s voice made Elizabeth look at her father, almost unwillingly. He was no more than five years past fifty and a healthy, if not vigorous, man. But in the lines and gray hair, time was slowly catching him. “Understand what you truly want. You do not need to marry. Were I to die tomorrow, there is already sufficient in the funds for you to be almost comfortable, but…someday I shall not be here, and I fear, my dear girl, you will be lonely as well.”
“Most husbands I have seen would hardly make a good companion.”
“Find a gentleman who is unique, as you are unique. I ask you only to be open to fortune’s bringings. This is your happiness which concerns me.”
Elizabeth’s heart glowed with tenderness towards her father when he showed his deep concern for her wellbeing. She did not want a husband to come between their closeness. If Papa had his way, he would do nothing but spend endless hours with his books, but affection for her had led him to work to make the most of the estate and to control his wife enough to allow economies to be found.
They had always, for as long as Elizabeth could remember, been bound close. She’d spent nearly as much time in this room with her father as she had asleep.
“Papa—” Elizabeth held her father’s arm and kissed him on the forehead. “I am not made for unhappiness — or loneliness — you know I am not. You are healthy and will live another twenty years. At least! And when you do die, many, many years from now, I shall cry a long time, and then I will find some other spinster old maid who is quite clever and who loves to laugh as much as I do, and we shall combine our resources and be very happy together. You have my oath: I love you too much to ever allow myself to be really unhappy.”
“My dear daughter.” Papa kissed her on the cheek. “I only worry for you — that you will miss forms of happiness. Do not close yourself.”
Chapter Four
A certain enthusiasm towards the assembly grew in Darcy over the course of his first evening at Bingley’s manor. Georgiana had no clothing suitable for such an evening out, not having expected any such opportunity to occur. She and Jane planned how to alter a dress to make it look suitable, and both ladies and their maids spent hours in embroidery and stitching. Anne was allowed into the drawing room with Bennet and she clapped her hands and enthusiastically watched her mother and Mrs. Jane.
The next morning Sir William Lucas called to return unhappiness to them all. “The committee — we’re beholden to each family of the neighborhood. You must understand, you must — young ladies there. Young girls, just come out. Please understand.”
