“Because we are standing outside your cousin’s nursery, and I respect you and your uncle too much to steal what is not yet rightfully mine to take,” he replied.
She sighed. “You are entirely too principled, Fitzwilliam,” she teased. “You have the perfect argument not to give in to our desires, and I cannot argue with what you say.”
“My brother would merely take what he wanted and not worry about the possible consequences to his reputation or yours or how his actions might impact others,” Darcy told her seriously. “He would think mainly of the immediate rewards.”
“Immediate rewards?” she inquired.
“Yes,” he said, taking a deep breath to calm his wayward heart, “I can imagine kissing you would be extremely rewarding.” He stared into her eyes before closing them briefly and once again breathing deeply. “Come, Miss Elizabeth, let us find your aunt and uncle before I embarrass myself or do something I should not.”
She merely raised an eyebrow but followed him nonetheless. “I think kissing you would be rewarding, as well, Mr. Darcy,” she whispered as she walked past him and into the drawing room where the Gardiners sat.
Letting out an audible groan, he stood in the hall to take a few deep breaths before entering the room behind her. “Darcy, would you like to join us for dinner tonight? Or do you have plans with your mother in town?”
“Mother asked me to join her and Georgiana for dinner tonight, and I am afraid I will be late if I do not leave soon. But, if it is not an imposition, I could come another night,” he offered.
“Are you free tomorrow evening?” Mrs. Gardiner asked.
Darcy nodded. “Yes, I will be able to come then. Um, Gardiner, might we speak for a moment?”
Gardiner scrutinised the young man and then glanced at his niece, looking at her hands in her lap. “Come,” he commanded. Standing, he led the way to his study.
As soon as he entered, he turned and faced the younger man. “Well?” he began.
He stalled momentarily, blurting: “Miss Elizabeth agreed to allow me to court her. I know you gave me your permission lastweek when we spoke, but I wanted to tell you I had asked, and she has accepted.”
Gardiner could not stop the grin at the young man’s enthusiasm. “Well, I am pleased to hear it, Darcy. Is there anything else?”
Darcy sighed. “I would like to invite you to Darcy House soon so my mother might meet Miss Elizabeth. I must make the arrangements, though I will mention it tonight. Perhaps Mother will be willing to invite Miss Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner to tea one afternoon and then dinner another night?”
“Darcy,” Mr. Gardiner began thoughtfully, “I know you have only been calling on my niece for a week, and now you have asked to court her, but if I may ask, what exactly are your intentions toward Elizabeth?”
Gulping down his nervousness, he took a moment to steady himself before he spoke. “I believe I would like to marry her,” he stated, meeting the elder man’s eyes. “I know I have only known her a week, but I … I feel I know her well. While I am not quite ready to offer for her or even to say I am in love with her, I feel I am well on my way to being so. I am not one to act hastily, and I wonder about the rapidity of our connection, but I know I feel a … connection to her I have never experienced before.”
Gardiner smiled. “I understand exactly what you are feeling, my friend. It was much the same when I met my wife. We met and married within six weeks and, as you can see, are still happy more than a decade later.”
“Then I am not as mad as I had begun to believe,” Darcy laughed. “I felt thunderstruck the moment I saw her.”
“I noticed,” Gardiner laughed as he indicated the gentleman should sit across from him in front of the fire. “I have takenthe liberty of writing my brother about your suit, and he has permitted me to take care of all the arrangements. As far as he is concerned, there is no reason for Lizzy to return to Longbourn even to wed. He suggested his next daughter, Miss Mary, can take Lizzy’s place with us after she weds since he has the idea we asked her here to act as governess to our children. While I cannot deny that Lizzy does assist in the nursery, we asked her here for herself and to separate her from her family. I am frequently amazed at how callously her parents treat their children.”
“Elizabeth has mentioned something of that and a letter she received from her sister Mary,” Darcy agreed.
Gardiner raised his eyebrow at the gentleman’s informal use of his niece’s name. “I do wonder, Darcy, if you and Lizzy will not make it to the altar even quicker than Madeline and I managed it.”
Darcy’s brows furrowed in puzzlement as he processed Gardiner’s implications. “You believe Miss Elizabeth and I will … what?” His voice trailed off, a mixture of realisation and disbelief dawning in his eyes.
Gardiner nodded, his expression warm and reassuring. “Indeed, my friend, I have every reason to believe your courtship has been swift and sincere. I would not be surprised if you find yourselves exchanging vows sooner than later.”
A hint of a smile tugged at the corners of Darcy’s lips, a blend of emotions swirling within him. While he had been accustomed to maintaining an air of composure in various situations, he found himself somewhat disarmed by Gardiner’s straightforward assessment. The idea of marrying Elizabeth, sooner than expected, both exhilarated and unnerved him.
Gardiner continued, his tone light but earnest. “Considering the circumstances, you may want to contemplate a marriage by licence rather than waiting for the banns to be read. You see, Lizzy has not been in London long enough to qualify as a resident. Having the banns announced in Hertfordshire might invite a level of commotion best avoided.”
Darcy’s brow quirked in curiosity, prompting Gardiner to elaborate with a playful glint in his eye. “Ah, well, my sister is quite particular about her second eldest daughter. She might not be overly thrilled if Lizzy were to become the first among her sisters to wed. Although,” he added with an affectionate grin, “I have no doubt she would be equally unenthused if Lizzy were to marry a man who was ‘only a barrister’.”
His lips curled into a wry smile, and Darcy’s gaze met Gardiner’s with gratitude and amusement. “While I may not hold a grand estate, I possess some status as both the second son of a gentleman and in my role as a barrister. And, of course, your partnership has been instrumental in making me fairly wealthy.”
Gardiner acknowledged the truth of that statement. “I wonder how long you will wait before you propose, Darcy. Speak to your mother and make plans to introduce her to my girl, and then we will talk about the settlement. My girl will come to you with more than even she realises, thanks to the generosity of her grandmother and my success with investments. I have ensured Lizzy will come with a far more significant dowry than anyone in her family knows.”
“I did not … I had not considered her dowry and assumed it to be small, based on her comments. I am no fortune hunter,” Darcy protested.
