"I wanted a witness. Nobody at Longbourn will believe this story."
Mrs Bennet laughed. "I shall."
"You believe everything, my dear."
Darcy, despite himself, felt the corner of his mouth twitch.
Unfortunately Mr Bennet noticed. "Do not look encouraged, sir. We have not yet reached the encouraging portion of the conversation."
His expression became more thoughtful. "The difficulty is that the answer ought properly to be no. You are not engaged. Indeed, as I understand it, you have already proposed once and received an answer which should have settled the matter."
"Yes."
"And yet here you are."
"Yes."
Mr Bennet looked him up and down, taking in the disordered cravat, the flushed face and the general appearance of a gentleman who had abandoned dignity several hundred yards ago.
"You do not appear to be a man much discouraged by obstacles."
A silence followed.
The traffic jam that had trapped the carriage was slowly untangling itself. Drivers shouted. Wheels creaked. A farmerattempted to reverse a cart and there were several shouts of encouragement alongside more forthright and less well-meaning advice.
Nobody in the Bennet carriage paid the slightest attention.
At length Mr Bennet said, "If I refuse, will you simply write anyway?"
Darcy hesitated and Mr Bennet raised an eyebrow.
"I should prefer not to."
"An admirable answer. Although not an entirely encouraging one."
There were chuckles from the inside of the carriage.
"You understand," he said, "that fathers are not generally expected to assist gentlemen who have designs upon their daughters."
"I understand."
"Particularly when those gentlemen have spent the last week alarming them."
Darcy accepted the rebuke. "Yes."
Mr Bennet sighed. "The trouble is that I no longer know whether preventing you is worth the effort."
Mrs Bennet leaned from the window. "It is not, Mr Bennet. I have seen the way they look upon each other. There is no point in denying what is obvious."
"Mama!" chided Elizabeth.
Mr Bennet ignored her comment. "Thank you, my dear," he said, reaching back to pat her hand. He shook his head before returning his attention to Darcy. "Very well. You may write."
Relief arrived so suddenly that Darcy felt almost light-headed. Mr Bennet immediately raised a hand. "There are conditions."
"Of course."
"Your letters will be addressed to Longbourn, care of myself."
