“I am afraid I prefer something with a little darker coloring, but Miss Bennet is perfect for you, my friend.”
“A little darker coloring, you say?”
“Yes, I do say.” Darcy avoided the question as he watched Bingley pour them both drinks.
“You are being mysterious this evening, Darcy.” Bingley handed him a glass of port as they found chairs across from each other in the drawing room. “I noticed you and Mr. Bennet had whatappeared to be an enjoyable conversation at dinner.Thank you for trying to be cordial to Jane’s family.You are a dear friend.”
“The conversation with Mr. Bennet was enlightening, but I must admit it was not totally for your benefit, Bingley.”
“Do tell, Darcy.” Darcy’s words peaked Bingley’s interest.
“Bingley,” he began, not sure if he dare say the words, “I asked Miss Elizabeth to be my wife.”
“Darcy, this cannot be! I saw how you showed her preference at Pemberley, but I also saw you do so at Netherfield last fall. Then you two would be nearly in an altercation the next moment.You seem to always be in contention rather than in love.”
Darcy laughed; Bingley’s assessment of his relationship with Elizabeth Bennet was accurate.“I cannot explain it; I have been in constant turmoil since I beheld her at the Meryton Assembly.”
“But you refused to even dance with Miss Elizabeth then!”
“An act for which I will always owe her an apology,” Darcy chuckled ironically. “I have been a fool in love; everything about the woman went against my principles, but, much to my chagrin, I found Elizabeth was exactly what I needed. She is the only woman who dared to challenge me—to humble me.”
“Remarkable!” Bingley exhaled loudly.
“That is a true estimation of Miss Elizabeth—remarkable!” Darcy mused.
“Tell me more.When did this love begin? She did accept you. Of course, she did,” Bingley reasoned.
“I wish I could tell you when it began. First, I noticed her; after all, you kindly threw the two of us together in your pursuit of Miss Bennet.” Bingley laughed lightly as he recalled his early infatuation with Jane Bennet. “I thought her to be adiversionfor the lack of society I found in Hertfordshire; but then, I found, I could think of little else but Elizabeth Bennet. I concocted ways to engage her in conversation—what you interpreted as our verbal battles. Think about it—in all our time in Hertfordshire, besides your sisters, to whom did I show any attention other than Elizabeth?” Again, Bingley chuckled with the realization. “And Miss Elizabethhasaccepted my proposal of marriagethis time.”
“Wait a minute! This time? I do not understand, Darcy.”
“I proposed to Elizabeth last April at Hunsford, and she sent me packing.”
“Darcy, you jest. She refused you?”
“Most emphatically! I treated her poorly, and sherewardedme with her disdain. In reality, my interference in your life, plus Mr. Wickham’s deceit colored Elizabeth’s opinion of me.All my wealth could not persuade her otherwise; but her understanding of the real situation allowed her to finally love me.”
“This explains the changes I have seen in you, Darcy. Elizabeth Bennet allowed you to be the man I always saw as your friend, but rarely saw in public.”
Darcy took a sip of the port as the changes came slowly but predictably to mind. “I will ask for her father’s consent tomorrow so please do not say anything, Bingley, until then.”
“I may tell Miss Bennet, may I not, Darcy?”
“If I know Miss Elizabeth, your Jane knows by now; Elizabeth and Jane are more than sisters; and now, Charles, we will be more than friends; we will be brothers.”
The joy on Bingley’s face was evident. “We shall be brothers, Darcy,” he laughed aloud. “What say you to another walk in the country tomorrow, Brother? This time you and Miss Elizabeth may get lost legitimately.”
“Bingley, you read my mind perfectly.”
The rest of the evening they spent in intimate conversation, each man extolling the merits of his perspective bride. As they prepared to retire for the evening, Bingley looked at Darcy and said, “Darcy, may I have the pleasure of telling my dear sister Caroline not only am I to marry Miss Bennet, but you are lost to Miss Elizabeth? It will be a fitting revenge for her intrusion into my private affairs.”
“I would not want to be in the room with Miss Bingley when she receives that letter,” Darcy weighed.“Pity the poor servants.”
“After you receive Mr. Bennet’s consent, I will write amostlegibleletter to her. I would not want my renowned poor handwriting to keep this important news from Caroline.” Both men found the image of Caroline Bingley reading the letter to be very amusing.
Entering Longbourn the following day, Darcy’s eyes went immediately to Elizabeth, and she rewarded him with a purse of her lips and a smile. He could tell from her expression his appearance vexed Mrs. Bennet, and the remark pained Elizabeth. He also realized his earlier behavior would be hard to explain away to Mrs. Bennet and the others. Bingley could not totally control his enthusiasm for upon their entrance, he looked at Elizabeth so expressively and shook hands with such warmth, she knew immediately Darcy informed Bingley of their engagement. Bingley turned to Mrs. Bennet and said aloud, “Mrs. Bennet, have you no more lanes hereabouts in which Lizzy may lose her way again today?”
Mrs. Bennet laughed lightly at his humor. “I advise Mr. Darcy, Lizzy, and Kitty to walk to Oakham Mount this morning. It is a nice long walk, and Mr. Darcy has never seen the view.”
