“I confess, that having children does make you seem older than twenty.”
“No, no, no. You should say that you thought me to be their elder sister when you first saw me.”
“But I did not.” Darcy had that dry manner that showed he was amused.
“And you do not like to say anything which is not true.” Elizabeth smiled at him. “And for that I shall forgive you—will there be any difficulties?”
“Mrs. Wickham,” Mr. Martin said, “could contest the provisions of any document she signs at her present age, but as it is not the case of her assigning money toyou, but of you assigning money toher, I do not see how that could ever become a matter of importance. There is, of course, no requirement for a settlement to be made before a marriage for the marriage to be valid, and the courts do not believe in enforcing settlements that were never made.”
“Does not Elizabeth need her father’s permission for the marriage? Since she is not yet of age.”
“No,” Mr. Martin replied to Darcy, “the text of the Hardwicke Act is quite clear. It does not apply to either a widow or widower.”
“I am then competent to marry, but not to sign a legal contract?—there is no condition where I might afterwards challenge the marriage itself on the grounds that I was twenty and silly?”
“Do you see yourself as particularly silly?” Darcy asked. “I always tend to see you as unusually serious.”
“Even with how much I like to laugh?”
“Your laughter is a serious matter to you.” Darcy’s eyes were warm.
“Oh, no. Don’t say that I laugh seriously.” Elizabeth laughed. “But I’ll not argue upon this point with you.”
The lawyer made a small harumph as Elizabeth ceased bantering with Mr. Darcy. “Ahem, silly or not, once a marriage has been solemnized under the laws of England, it cannot be set aside for any reason of that sort. If there was a matter of coercion—such as the case of that Scottish heiress who was kidnapped near a century ago one might bring case, though with only a small chance of success, but age is irrelevant to that.”
“You mean by Rob Roy’s son?” Elizabeth asked. “That tale?”
She thought that Mr. Martin nearly smiled, but perhaps he did not. Instead, he continued, “Or, ahem, as you surely know, in church law, if a marriage cannot be—ahem, I apologize for speaking of such matters in front you, madam, but you asked a question of legal import; in cases where the marriage failed to be consummated due to an inability upon the part of the husband, and where this can be proven, it may be set aside as not valid.”
“How could the husband’s incapacity possibly be proven?” Elizabeth asked.
“I believe they must sleep together for three years, in the same bed, while the woman remains a virgin.”
“Thatshall not be an escape formethen,” Elizabeth said laughing.
The lawyer attempted to look uncomfortable, stiff, and professional, but Elizabeth was quite sure that he was as amused by this conversation as her father might have been.
“I do hope,” Darcy said, “that you would never have reason to wish to exit our marriage.”
“A matter of legal curiosity,” Elizabeth said, smiling at him. “But I said I would be satisfied by all matters, and I am.”
“We have not even begun to speak of your pin money.”
“Might we call it my book money? I do not tend to buy so many pins.”
“I have seen how cautious you are with the clothes you have, and how few pieces that you have,” Darcy replied. “Iam looking forward to seeing you able to dress however you wish.”
Elizabeth flushed. “I certainly shall not put much stock inthat. I have once been forced to sell most of my wardrobe, and the returns from doing so were smaller by far than the outlays in purchasing the wardrobe. In matters of investment, I place my faith in consols and stock in the Company.”
“I plan to settle enough consols and stock in the Company on you, that you can dress as you please for your own sake, rather than as an investment,” Darcy replied.
“It would feel odd to me—I do not promise to spend very much on clothes for at least a year or two. I do not think that my current habits of economy will leave me quickly—oh, but if you mean to say that it is matter of propriety, of looking the part you wish me to, I can happily enough do as you command. But—”
“No, no.” Darcy took her hand, and he smiled at her again. “I merely wish to see you enjoy yourself. But I like the idea of calling it your book money as well—is pin money a legal term?”
“Not at all, only customary,” Mr. Martin replied, again without cracking a smile. “It will present no difficulty if Mrs. Wickham’s private funds are referred to as ‘monies for the purchase of books, and other sundry necessities’ in the marriage articles.”
Elizabeth felt a growing warmth. For the first time since Wickham had abandoned her she was relinquishing control over her own life. She was in a place where, despite not being in control, she felt safe.
