Page 28 of Honor Requires

“It is, I fear. I am her most troublesome daughter, and it will take her by surprise that I managed to secure the affections of such a wealthy man.” She sighed. “Perhaps you will not wish to connect yourself to a family with such…disparate manners.” Mr. Darcy had, in many instances, hinted at his desire to make Elizabeth his wife. They spoke of the future as if it were a certain thing.

“Pemberley is a long way from Hertfordshire. Perhaps we shall see your family once or twice a year.”

Elizabeth swatted at his arm. “Teasing man. My mother will certainly prevail upon you to throw her daughters in the paths of other rich men. We shall not escape the obligation so easily.”

“Then we might host them one at a time during the season.”

He sounded very sure of his plan, but Elizabeth knew her mother. She would harangue Mr. Bennet until he agreed to transport the whole family to Derbyshire. “Perhaps,” she ventured, “my mother would be satisfied with that…and the occasional visit to the north. And we might stay at Longbourn on our journeys south.”

“That sounds agreeable. I am sure I shall become used to the verbosity of your family in due time.” Mr. Darcy pulled her closer. “I confess, I am unused to any chaos in my homes. Georgiana is shy, as you know, and she is much younger than me. My life has been calm and peaceful. Mayhap some liveliness will do me some good.”

This pleased Elizabeth. By his own profession, her liveliness had brightened his days considerably, lightening his mood and demeanor. They complemented each other. It was as if they were two halves of the same coin.

Darcy fell silent then, and they walked in companionable silence.

“Is there something on your mind?” she asked after a time.

“There is,” he confessed. “A neighbor has fallen on difficult circumstances. We are distantly related, on my father’s side—Mr. Langford’s father was my father’s third cousin. He holds Derby Grange, the estate nearest to Pemberley.”

Darcy paused, as if weighing how much to reveal.

“His son died last year,” he went on, “and left the estate encumbered with debts of a most imprudent nature. The loss alone would have been blow enough, but the consequences have proven…extensive.”

Elizabeth’s expression eased, though she said nothing.

“Six months ago, Langford applied to me with what he termed a partnership. He wished to fell timber on my land—Pemberley’s northern wood—and divide the profits between us. The proposal was framed as mutually advantageous.” A faint note of dryness entered his tone. “It was nothing of the sort.”

“And you refused him.”

“I did.” Darcy’s gaze did not waver. “I have no need of the income, and I will not see Pemberley stripped for the sake of another man’s mismanagement. I offered, instead, to purchase the debts outright and hold them privately—without interest, and with no demand beyond what he might reasonably repay over time.”

Elizabeth’s brows lifted slightly. “That was…a generous alternative.”

“It was not received as such.”

“No?”

Darcy’s expression hardened, though his voice remained composed. “Langford is a magistrate, accustomed to authority, and not inclined to place himself under obligation—least of all to a man he has known since childhood. My refusal denied him access to Pemberley. My offer placed him, in his own mind, beneath me.”

Elizabeth considered this. “And he could not bear either.”

“Precisely.” A brief pause followed. “He spoke of family—of expectations, of mutual interest, of what is owed between relations. But what he required was not assistance. It was acquiescence.”

“And you would not give it.”

“No.”

Elizabeth leaned her head against his shoulder briefly. “You are not at fault, sir. And your conscience must be considered clear. Did you not offer him aid? And he refused to accept, since it was not what he wished. You are blameless”

“You are correct. Still, I received a letter from him just today, with the same demands. The letter…I believe Mr. Langford might be bordering on desperation. He accused me of shaming my father’s name. Surely, he must know I seek to act in a manner my father would deem acceptable. George Darcy was not one to blindly aid anyone, even family, without some security or assurances on his side. My father always insisted that my duty was to Pemberley and those who fell under its purview first.”

Elizabeth smiled, her heart warming. Darcy was truly a gentleman in every respect. He was honorable, dutiful, and genuine.

I love him, she realized. Was it possible to feel deeply for someone after only a few weeks? But no, it had been nearly two months since their meeting. July was but a breath away, and the Gardiners were due to return to London before the middle of that month.

“Thank you for your words, Miss Bennet. They are greatly appreciated.” Mr. Darcy sounded calmer now and she could feel him relax as they continued to walk.

“How is Miss Darcy today?” she ventured to ask.