After a time, she said, “I would not put a price onaffection, Father, but I do not find anything wrong with his buying £2,000 worth ofesteem. However, that is a pittance compared to the esteem he gained by coming here and doing right, regardless of his motives. He has nearly infinitemoney, but no moretimethan you or I. He spent it here, doing what is right. I cannot fault him.”
Bennet leaned forward, reached across his desk, laid his hands palms up, and held them still until Elizabeth took them and squeezed.
“Never value affection over esteem, Elizabeth. If you have esteem, affection tags along like a newborn calf. I believe he is a good man. He has my esteem, and if he has yours, whatever happens between you will be as it should be… whatever that is.”
Elizabeth smiled and sat in quiet contemplation for a time.
“What causes that thoughtfulness?”
“I am thinking of what you have been telling me. Mr Darcy’s conduct very much suits my feelings, but why am I to be the judge?”
“Why indeed, Elizabeth? Why indeed!”
She nodded, and Bennet left her to her contemplation for a moment. He considered relighting his pipe, but another idea intervened.
“We have not walked the park for some time, or even the gardens, for that matter.”
She readily agreed, and a few minutes found them bounding up the path towards Oakham Mount. Well, she was bounding along, and he was walking sedately, but why quibble?
After a time, he asked, “Might we return to your ECS?”
Elizabeth looked perplexed.
“You like to make up scales with three-letter names. You have done it since you learnt about graph theory. What was that one you used on Miss de Bourgh… QOL for Quality of Life?”
“How did you know about that?”
Bennet put his hand to his ear and smiled.
“Do not worry. I open that cupboard rarely, and I never heard anything you would be embarrassed by. I heard you in the corridor, so it was notsosecret. Do not worry, no servant would risk Mrs Hill’s wrath by repeating it, and your mother or sisters would not even understand. I only caught a minor reference in a conversation with that lady and surmised the rest.”
“Very well, so what is the ECS?”
“That isElizabeth’s Coddling Scale: your measure of how much parents coddle their children.”
“Have we not beat that subject to death?”
“Nearly, but let us give it one more whack if you have no objection. I believe you are an aficionado of examining situations by reversing the characters, no?”
“As I told you, I changed my opinion about Mr Darcy by imagining Jane as a rich heiress and his friend as Mr DownOnHisLuck with no fortune at all.”
“I dare say Heiress Bennet’s good friend Charlotte Lucas dragged her from the Netherfield ball by force.”
Elizabeth laughed. That was exactly as it went.
“Let us try a different tack. Your Miss de Bourgh has taken on the onerous duty of bringing my wife into accord with Jane’s wishes for her wedding, no?”
Elizabeth decided to cease being offended that her father knew more than he should, and nodded.
“Let us assert that your young friend has been coddled all her life, while acknowledging that it is difficult to know how a very sick young ladyshouldbe raised, and that it would not be right to make judgements. Agreed?”
“Agreed.”
“Now, let us assume that she has a trusted friend to pull her out of the doldrums. In one mighty burst of bravery, she somehow contrives a situation where she has someone to guide her through society, at well over 23 years of age.”
“Where are you going with this?”
“It will become clear in a moment. We will perform a Reverse Mama Bear.”
