Page 43 of Gold and Good Sense

There was a great deal of chatter about the various adventures they had searching for the perfect clothing and accessories for their new mother. Mary could see through their tales that her sisters were all very happy to have Lady Esther become their new mother.

In truth, Mary thought it was a good thing as well. She could see how happy her father was with the Lady, and Lady Esther seemed far more animated than she had been when she first joined them as a companion. She had also proven to be very good at gently encouraging them toward steady improvement. Even Jane had improved her manners, and Mary hadn’t thought there was room for improvement there.

Mary’s only quibble was the timing. She honestly felt sorry for her mother to have seemingly been forgotten so quickly, and she was determined to show her the respect she deserved.

Still, whether Mary wanted it or not, whether she approved or not, her father’s wedding day arrived. Wedding vows were said, and Lady Esther was a Lady no more. Instead, she was Mrs. Bennet, mother to the Bennet daughters. After which, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet set off on a wedding journey that was to take a fortnight, leaving the girls in the care of Mrs. Jamison.

Chapter 23

October 1, 1811

“Excuse me, Miss.”

The voice coming from the doorway caused Mary to immediately stop her piano practice. “Yes?” she said.

“There is a caller for you, requesting a private word,” said the maid.

Mary felt her eyebrows draw together in confusion. “Did Mrs. Jamison approve of this?” she asked.

“Yes, Miss. He is waiting in the bookroom.”

With no inkling whatsoever as to who the caller could be, Mary stood up from the piano and made her way to her father’s bookroom.

Inside was Judge Darcy, pacing across the room.

He stopped when he saw her. “Ah, Miss Mary,” he said with his usual odd mixture of stateliness and joviality. “It is good to see you again.”

Immediately, Mary knew what this was about, though she tried to chase the idea away. Even now, she could hardly believe that such an elevated man would want to marry her.

“It is good to see you as well,” she said. “Would you care to sit down?”

“Yes, yes. Of course,” he said, though she was fairly certain he would prefer to continue pacing. Still, she did not wish to stand under such shocking conditions. She sat down in the chair by the window, while he took the chair in front of the desk.

After a few more pleasantries, Judge Darcy finally came to the point. “Miss Mary, I am aware that this is a sudden request and that you likely aren’t expecting this. However, I find that as I age I wish for a companion in life to chase away the doldrums in the evening. With that in mind, I wish to ask you to marry me.”

“This proposal does not have the feel of any sort of romantic declaration,” said Mary. “Unless you tell me otherwise, I will treat it with more practicality than emotion.” She waited for a moment for him to object, but he did not. She continued. “My first question is, why me? It has not been my experience that gentlemen seek me out simply for my company. Yet, you have come here to this neighborhood you have never visited simply to ask for my hand. Why?”

“The men who eschew your company are fools not worthy of your contemplation,” said Judge Darcy, and Mary’s heart soared with elation. No one, not even her sisters, had defended her so vehemently before.

“As you know, my career as a judge requires a great deal of travel and socializing as well as a burdensome amount of pomp, which is necessary to ensure that those I judge look up to me as a higher power. However, the older I get, the more it all weighs upon me. I am looking for a quiet but intelligent companion, someone I can tell about my day who will understand the burden I bear. You are the first lady I have encountered who has been able to converse with me about the law, and you are decidedly relaxing to be around. I was planning to propose this past spring, but the terrible tragedy of your mother’s passing interrupted my plans.”

Mary was entirely flattered. Here was a man who had proven his intelligence and wisdom a thousand times over who was saying that she, alone, was the sort of companion he desired. It was the sort of declaration that made Mary wish to immediately agree, and she even went so far as to open her mouth to say as much, but she closed it before the words escaped.

“As you alluded to, I am still in mourning for my mother,” she eventually said. “Even if I agree, I could not marry you until after I put off my mourning.”

“Of that I am well aware,” he said. “My time is constrained by the various court sessions I must attend, and when your mourning is complete, I will be deep in the busiest session of the year, so I could not wait until then to propose. Should you accept, our wedding will have to be in the middle of December.”

As he mentioned his court sessions, additional practicalities began to intrude upon Mary’s happiness. “I am afraid my father is not at home for us to ask his permission,” she said. “You may have heard, but he married Lady Esther just a few days ago, and they have gone on their wedding journey. They will return sometime around the middle of October. That being the case, I would ask for you to wait for a reply until I have had a chance to consult with him. I was not expecting this in the least, and I feel the need of parental wisdom before making a decision.”

“That is very wise of you, Miss Mary,” said Judge Darcy approvingly. “I will be in the area until the last week of October, so I will be happy to wait. In the meantime, I hope I may call on you so that we can improve our friendship.”

“Of course,” said Mary. “I think I would like that very much.”

Judge Darcy smiled. “Very well, then. For now, I wish you good day, Miss Mary.”

“Good day, sir,” said Mary.

With that, she escorted the judge to the front door. When he had gone through it, she closed it and leaned against it, seeking support in her surprise.