“Never!” Darcy stood abruptly, his chair sliding back from the table as Elizabeth’s expressive eyes shot to him. “If I might have a moment of your time, Mr. Bennet. There is a matter of grave importance I need to discuss with you prior to the arrival of your heir. In private, if I may.”
Elizabeth’s father lifted his wineglass to his lips. Before drinking, Darcy caught the man’s minute smirk. “If you must.”
Mr. Bennet gave the impression that his sole purpose was to poke fun at someone else, someone not as mentally acute, for his satisfaction. His humor was acerbic. Darcy knew others like him. He refused to allow the man to intimidate him.
When the ladies stood to leave for the drawing room, Elizabeth whispered to Darcy, “Papa admires wit and intelligence. In comparing the two of you, I fearhedoes not have the advantage.”
Prior to the door closing behind the ladies, Elizabeth’s smile made his chest swell. Elizabeth was worth fighting for.
Bingley said, “If you do not mind, I shall join the ladies so you may have your discussion undisturbed.”
Without hesitation, Mr. Bennet replied, “Do not bother leaving. I cannot see this taking long.”
Bingley sat.
Was the man a fool? Was the future of his daughter not important enough to thoroughly canvas his prospects?
Once the ladies were out of the room, Darcy forced himself to calm. “Lady Catherine de Bourgh is my aunt, the elder sister of my late mother. Her estate is the seat of her husband’s family, which is only exceeded in size by Chatsworth and Pemberley. She treats all visitors with great condescension, never allowing them to forget their inferior rank. She is known to be formidable, dictatorial even. Should you allow any of your daughters to be under her authority, their lives would be managed by her to the nth degree. Nothing escapes my aunt’s notice.”
“Hmm…” Mr. Bennet tapped his fingers on the table. “Then you suggest that while Jane, Mary, and Kitty would beeasily overpowered, my Lizzy and Lydia would not. Perhaps Mrs. Bennet will place those two in the heir's path so he will have a choice.”
“You think so little of your daughters that you would marry them to an imbecile who is completely under the control of a tyrant? My aunt would never have a reasonable man under her authority. You care nothing of their happiness? Under the constant barrage of my aunt’s strong opinions, even someone as irrepressible as Miss Elizabeth would begin to fade into a shadow of herself. The wife of your heir would never have relief from the constant pressure to live up to an ideal that is unattainable by both her husband and my aunt.”
Mr. Bennet abdicated his authority under the guise of respect. “My Lizzy can stand up for herself. Lydia could as well.”
“Yet, neither should have to since it is your role to stand up for them. With that said, I offered my hand in marriage to Miss Elizabeth earlier today, and she accepted. With your permission, I will remove her from any effort by you or your wife to bind her permanently to your heir.”
Bingley gasped.
Mr. Bennet sat back in his chair. “Is that right? Tell me, is it true that you are no longer the master of Pemberley?”
“Yes.”
Mr. Bennet’s lips pressed together briefly. “Ah, then my wife’s gossip was not idle.”
“What she does not know is that I am not without resources. Currently, I can and will support my wife to the standard she has lived her life here at Longbournwith the promise of better in the days to come. Together, we will work for our happiness.”
He scoffed. “Tell me, Mr. Darcy. Is it because you fear the reports Mr. Collins will share about your recent decline that you approached me with your petition for my daughter’s hand this evening? If Lady Catherine is at all like you say, I imagine she will have her own opinions about what happened to you, ones that might shed greater light on your qualifications to marry my favorite daughter. After all, my cousin’s letters are full of ‘Lady Catherine says this’ and ‘Lady Catherine says that.’ I suspect Collins will be unrestrained with his speech and share everything he knows within the first hour of his arrival. Perhaps I should wait to hear what tales he tells before I answer you.”
“Do as you must.” Darcy struggled to give the appearance of nonchalance, though he cared more than he dared admit.
Elizabeth’s father turned in his chair to face away from Darcy. He sat in silence. Finally, he said, “I cannot allow this. Before I let Lizzy go, I need to know that she will be secure.”
“Like she is now?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Mr. Bennet spun towards him. Slapping his palm on the table again, he stared at Darcy. “Young man, I will allow thirty seconds for you to convince me of your worthiness.”
Darcy stood, stretching to his full height. “Despite the limitations society places upon females, your daughter does not hesitate to stand up for herself. She is equally, if not more, fierce when protecting her sisters. She does not easily tolerate idiots. At the same time, her willingness tooverlook flaws when a genuine, heartfelt apology is offered is exemplary. Her joy results from others being happy. She is eager to learn and grow. Elizabeth can think a matter through, although this is not always her first response. To me, she represents the best part of you and Mrs. Bennet.”
He took a breath. “As she is the product of her parents, so am I.” He splayed his palms for Mr. Bennet to see. “I do not possess the soft hands of most gentlemen because, from my infancy, I was taught the value of hard work. As my father was a man of principle, so am I. The Darcy family motto isOur Legacy, Our Honor. Because of this, I will cherish your daughter for her lifetime, doing everything within my power to make her aware of how much I appreciate her intelligence, her compassion, and her positive spirit.”
Mr. Bennet again turned away from him. “You do not mention love.”
Easing, Darcy dipped his chin slightly. “Words of deep affection will be between Elizabeth and me alone. As our feelings grow, we will share them privately.”
Mr. Bennet slowly rose to his feet, his hands dropping to his side. Facing Darcy, he said, “Very well. If she has accepted you, then you have been able to convince her of your worth. I only ask you not be too quick to take her away from me. Lizzy is my greatest blessing.”
Darcy understood. “I wish we had the time to do as you ask, Mr. Bennet. I need her, sir. We have agreed that we shall marry as soon as the banns are called since there is much to accomplish before winter sets in. Mr. Crosgrove is taking me to look at a property on the morrow. If it does not meet our needs, my uncle Hugh Fitzwilliam,the earl of Matlock, has offered me an estate in Derbyshire should we not find something closer.”
