“One who values her intelligence and would feel privileged to receive her counsel. One who supports her interests, not seeking to reshape them to my own preferences. One who would make her happiness my primaryconcern over my own comfort or social standing.” Darcy paused. “One who comprehends that Miss Bennet requires a partner, not a master.”
“Those are fine words, Mr. Darcy, but pretty speeches like that will not win Lizzy. She requires substance, genuine feeling, and above all, respect for her considerable wisdom.”
“All of which I am prepared to offer. Everything I have discovered about her compels me to provide that and more. She challenges me to think more clearly, feel more deeply, and act more justly than I did before I knew her.”
“Hmm.” Mr. Bennet picked up his pen, turning it over in his fingers. “You know, Elizabeth asked me a question yesterday that I found to be illuminating. She wanted to know what I hoped to discover in Rome beyond our scholarly objectives. Might I pose the same question to you?”
“I hope to discover different cultures with an open mind and allow myself to embrace them. I have been set in my ways, but I intend to change that…to recognize the value in the lives of others.”
He took a deep breath and continued, “I hope to learn whether Elizabeth and I might build a solid relationship, taking advantage of this time when we are both removed from the constraints of Society.”
“And what if you discover that you cannot adapt to such uncertainty? What if the adventure reveals incompatibilities between you?”
“Then I will accept that outcome with as much grace as I can manage,” Darcy said.
Mr. Bennet looked directly at him. “I was not favorably impressed by our first acquaintance, young man.Your initial insult at the Meryton assembly was egregious. Your interference in Jane’s happiness was…troubling.”
Thankfully, Elizabeth’s father had not finished. “However, I have observed changes in you since our reunion in Porto. More importantly, I have observed my favorite daughter’s response to those changes.”
“Would you share your recent observations?”
“She looks at you now with curiosity instead of disdain. She listens when you speak rather than merely waiting for you to finish. She seeks your company where she once endured it.” Mr. Bennet smiled. “These are significant developments for my Lizzy.”
“Then you do not object to my courtship?”
“I do not object, though I reserve the right to do so if you do not show continued evidence of change or if Elizabeth rejects you for any reason.”
“That is more than fair. Thank you, sir.”
“Now that your request has been granted, where do you think we should begin looking once we reach Rome?”
It was an abrupt change of topic, but Darcy appreciated the retreat to safer ground. He bent forward with interest. “Are you familiar with the Basilica Julia or the Curia?”
“My thoughts had gone to precisely those places.” Mr. Bennet brightened. “Though the phrasebeneath marble feetpuzzles me.Are we seeking a clue literally beneath a statue?”
“Perhaps. Or it might be a metaphor?beneath the foundations of Roman law, hidden where legal proceedings once took place.” Darcy warmed to the subject. “Thechallenge will be narrowing our search in such a vast archaeological area.”
“I suspect that this clue may prove more self-evident once we are actually standing among the ruins.” Mr. Bennet gathered his papers with obvious satisfaction. “I am tremendously eager to discover manuscripts that have been lost for over a thousand years. The prospect takes one’s breath away.”
“I share your excitement, sir. Though I admit my enthusiasm encompasses more than the possibility of discovery.”
Mr. Bennet chuckled. “Yes, I dare say it does. Well then, since you have my permission to court Elizabeth, do call me Bennet. Mind you, do not disappoint my daughter or me.”
“I have no intention of disappointing either of you. And feel free to call me Darcy, as does my cousin.”
“Very well, Darcy. Now, shall we rejoin the others? I believe the sunset promises to be spectacular this evening.”
Elizabeth saton her father’s narrow bunk, her travel journal open across her lap and her pencil moving across the page. The gentle rocking of theMary Catherinehad become so familiar now that she barely noticed it.
22 April 1812—Second day from Gibraltar
Below the date, she filled a page with a description of the Spanish coast and what Captain Morrison had shared about navigating the Mediterranean Sea in this region. Next, she speculated about the wonders she mightsee in Rome. Then she began writing what was foremost in her thoughts.
I had an illuminating conversation with Fitzwilliam today that has increased my eagerness to see how our courtship will develop. He listens with attention and shares his thoughts without condescension. This journey seems to have stripped away his prideful armor.
I now suspect that my initial impressions of his character were formed during his worst moments, while his feelings for me were developing in my home neighborhood, where I was comfortable and at my best. Perhaps we are finally meeting each other as we really are.
What will happen when we return to England? His unfavorable opinion of my mother and younger sisters was obvious in Hertfordshire. He insists that he loves me, and he does not even seem to notice my flaws. Can he ever overlook theirs? Could we be happy together if he cannot?
