He could not do it. He could not allow it.
“Very well, Mr. Bennet,” said Darcy. “I believe I understand the situation better. I will make you this bargain. If you refuse to allow Mr. Collins to marry Miss Elizabeth, I will attempt to persuade her to marry me. If, after one month, she still refuses to marry me, I will pay you ten thousand pounds which you can use to care for your wife and any remaining daughters once you leave this life. This is all on the condition that you never again attempt to pressure any of your daughters to marry where they do not wish.”
“You would do all this for a family that you have no connection to?” asked Mr. Bennet.
“I would risk that and more for the chance to have Miss Elizabeth in my life,” said Mr. Darcy. It was said with a fervency Darcy himself did not expect, but he knew now that he meant it. He should not have fought against his inclination for so long, and he could only hope that he had not ruined all his chances through his ridiculous pride.
Mr. Bennet was silent as he looked at Darcy. Then, he shook his head. “Young love is rather ridiculous, is it not?” he said. “I remember feeling rather similar about Mrs. Bennet, but things have changed dramatically since then. Very well, Mr. Darcy, I accept your offer, though given its complexity and importance, I would prefer to make a written contract so that we can each be clear as to its terms.”
“I have no objections,” said Darcy.
“In that case, there is no time like the present,” said Mr. Bennet as he got to his feet. “It will take me a few minutes to get my carriage ready. I assume you rode your horse?” When Darcynodded, Mr. Bennet said, “Just ride your horse into Meryton, to my brother-in-law Phillips. He is a solicitor and the soul of discretion despite his wife’s specialty in spreading rumors. I will meet you there as soon as I can.”
The two gentlemen left the study together. Once they were in the hall, Darcy noticed that Miss Elizabeth was descending the stairs. Somehow, the knowledge that he would be spending the next month attempting to court her good opinion made him feel more in awe of her than ever before. She was more beautiful in her simple morning gown than she had been in her best ballgown the night before.
She almost immediately noticed him staring at her, and she stopped and returned his stare, though it was clear that there was no awe or admiration in her gaze. In fact, now that he was aware of it, he could detect the antipathy that simmered beneath the surface.
Forcing himself to speak, he said, “Good morning, Miss Elizabeth,” and he gave her a brief, short bow.
“Good morning, Mr. Darcy,” she said, bobbing a minimal curtsey in return.
They stared at each other for another few moments until Mr. Bennet cleared his throat and said, “Shall we?” He was holding one arm out toward the front door.
“Ah, yes,” said Darcy, turning to leave the house. “I shall see you in Meryton shortly.”
An hour later, the contract was drawn up and signed. Mr. Phillips promised both parties a copy as soon as possible, but he kept the original in his files. Darcy had until December twenty-seventh to convince Miss Elizabeth to marry him willingly. If she refused him for any reason before that date, even if she later accepted him, he would be obliged to pay Mr. Bennet tenthousand pounds, which was to be used exclusively for the care of his family after his death. Additionally, Mr. Phillips added a secrecy clause. If either party told anyone of their deal, there would be penalties.
Darcy then headed back to Netherfield. Though he was anxious to begin his courtship, there was business that needed to be taken care of. He had promised his sister, Georgiana, that he would return to London in time for Christmas, but that would not be possible if he was to stay in Hertfordshire to woo Miss Elizabeth. So, he would need to make a short trip into the city to see what could be done.
When he arrived at Netherfield, the house was in an uproar with servants rushing about and packing up various objects. When he asked the servants, he was told that Miss Bingley had decided to follow her brother to London.
He eventually found Miss Bingley herself. “Why have you suddenly decided to leave?” he asked.
“I am on a mission to save my brother from a grave mistake,” she said. “You must have seen how devoted he is to Miss Bennet. I cannot allow him to marry so far beneath him. So, Louisa and I are heading back to London to convince him to stay there instead of returning here only to be reeled in by those artful Bennets like a big fish. I assume you will be accompanying us.”
“I do have business in London, but I have already made plans with some of the locals to return in a day or two. I cannot break my promise,” said Darcy.
“You?” asked Miss Bingley, clearly stunned. “I have barely seen you speak to any of the locals. Who could you possibly wish to make plans with?”
“I am afraid that is my own business,” said Darcy. He did not wish to tell Miss Bingley of his intentions of marrying Miss Elizabeth. The lady had already shown that she could behave poorly when in the grips of jealousy, and he had no intention of allowing her to interfere in his plans.
Miss Bingley narrowed her eyes. “Well, at least we may travel together to London,” she said. “I am certain that once you are there you will have no desire to return to this awful backwater place.”
“Perhaps,” was the only concession he was willing to make.
“The Hursts and I will be ready to leave in a couple of hours,” she said. “Will you be joining us in their carriage?”
“I am afraid I must be off even sooner than that,” said Darcy. “I will be taking my own carriage. Though I thank you for the offer.”
With that, he headed upstairs, completely ignoring the look of irritated confusion on Miss Bingley’s face.
Chapter 4
When Elizabeth descended the stairs the morning after the Netherfield ball, she was astonished to find Mr. Darcy exiting her father’s bookroom. She knew they had barely ever spoken to each other, so she could not imagine what business Mr. Darcy would have with Papa so early in the day.
When Mr. Darcy noticed her, he simply stared at her for a few moments. His stare practically forced her to look at him. There was an expression on his face she had never seen there before, something more human, more feeling, than she would have imagined possible. Yet, she could not define what it actually was.
Eventually, he broke their staring contest by bowing and wishing her good morning. Even his voice caried more emotion than was usual with this man. Good manners forced her to return his greeting, though confusion kept her from saying anything else.
