That woman was vulgar, loud, self-focused, with little understanding.
Elizabeth would be so much happier once she was away from her and the mess and noise of Longbourn.
When he reached Longbourn this morning, Elizabeth greeted him with a fixed smile. Her usual joy at his presence was dimmed. Instead she looked… determined.
“Fitzwilliam, might we speak today? — let us go out and walk in the wilderness for a little.”
Darcy nodded agreement.
Might we speak? There was something surprisingly unsettling about that phrase when spoken by a woman.
With a smile at her, he left one of his crutches behind, and using her arm as his other support swung his hips forward for each step along the road.
Even though they had practiced the motion, it was slower and more arduous to walk this way than when he managed with two crutches. Elizabeth was strong, but he simply did not like to put his full weight upon her, in the way that he could with the crutches.
But it was still inexpressiblylovelyto be supported by the woman who was to be his wife in this way.
They did not speak at all as they walked into the clumps of trees and bushes threaded through with stone pathways that marked the edge of the Bennets’ miniature park.
Suddenly Darcy exclaimed, surprising himself as much as Elizabeth, “Tell me what is upon your mind. Do tell me — I shall worry myself until you speak.”
She sighed. “You will be unhappy when I say this.”
Darcy had a sudden spike of anxiety, as though she meant to end their engagement. Even though that was ridiculous, his face turned ashen, and he froze, leaning against Elizabeth.
She finally said, “Iunderstandthe importance you place on station, and the sensibilities of your family. I have thought… I think for the last week I have thought more about this than anything else, trying to accustom myself to your way of thinking, to your preferences as far as I can. I love my aunt and uncle. I do not wish a separation from them. You know they are coming tomorrow, I beg you to put aside your prejudices, your prejudgements, and meet them, and see if you might like them — to converse with them as equals.”
Relief.
Darcy’s tense chest relaxed, and he laughed shakily. “Isthatwhat you want? — I certainly can speak with them kindly and with friendshiptomorrow, but beyond that, we have already settled the matter.”
“No, no! — I hate to see itsettled. I want you to call on them. I want to have them to dine with me. I want… they aremy family. You said that nothing is so important as family — is it so odd that I feel the same way?”
“Elizabeth.” If he did not need both arms to support himself and remain standing, he would have pinched his nose, and rubbed his forehead in frustration.
Was this conversation going to recur again, and again, and again? They had settled it. And he had bought Elizabeth some very fine, and expensive, jewelry while he was in London, in part as an unspoken gesture of kindness to her for having accepted his point.
It was settled already.
“Do not pretend that simply saying my name ends this dispute.” Elizabeth’s voice was sharp.
“Have they put you up to this? Is there some investment they need money for, and they hope to persuade me to enter in on it? Is it that if they are seen dining with a Darcy, all their creditors will believe they are sound?”
He’d known he’d need to deal with clawing in-laws when he decided to marry Elizabeth, and he knew what to do.
“No. No, no.Iwant this. Formyself— you are so… so convinced that money is everything, that you cannot even imagine familial affection as the motive for behavior.”
“I care a great deal about my family.”
“Yourfamily. Because they are rich, and all descended from an earl.”
“No, because they aremyfamily.”
“I care about my grasping, mercenary, trade relations who only exist to impose on you, and take your money, because they aremyfamily.”
So he’d offended Elizabeth.
And he did not even know them. Darcy was fully aware that he was making assumptions, even offensive assumptions, about Mr. Gardiner. They were easy to make because he knew Mr. Gardiner’s sister far too well.
