Page 51 of A Prudent Engagement

“That,” Mr. Gardiner replied, “is the principal reason that she should be removed.”

Elizabeth shook her head and said in a smiling tone, “And you hope to avoid needing to listen to the complaints.”

“I do hope to avoid that. And I would like the bedroom that Jane used to return to general use,” Mr. Gardiner agreed cheerfully. “But your sister is not bad tempered. She is lively and energetic, and I think that if she is surrounded by people with good principles, she could become a useful sort of person.”

“My sister is very shy,” Darcy said. “I have given some thought to the benefits that she will gain from having such a sister as Elizabeth, but if she formed a friendship with Miss Lydia, it might be equally to the advantage of both—and her companion is a steady woman, the widow of an excellent clergyman.”

“You truly do not despise the idea?” Elizabeth asked in an anxious tone.

Darcy looked at her with a smile. That warmth always came back to his chest when he was around her. “I would be delighted to do anything that would be in the best interest of your family.”

Her glowing smile was once more ample reward for any difficulty.

Then Darcy asked, “Has Mr. Wickham seemed particularly fond of Miss Lydia?”

Elizabeth said with a frown, “He hardly paid any attention to her before I went to Rosings. She is the one who has been wild about him.” A pause. “We all were, I fear.”

That struck Darcy unpleasantly. “I do not like this. Especially since our marriage will make Miss Lydia and Miss Catherine a target of his scheming designs. I think Wickham would very much like to hurt me.”

If he was too forward in attempting to have Wickham removed from the neighbourhood, the miscreant might make accusations against Georgiana. There was much he could say, both true and untrue, and Darcy hoped to never hear anything said on the matter.

He might keep Wickham quiet with the implied threat of challenging him to a duel, but he did not wish to be forced to fight the man, and the plan might fail if Wickham was given a further reason for wishing revenge.

Darcy strongly disapproved of duels. They were prohibited by the law, and of even greater importance, he thought they were contrary to the laws of God.

With this rather inopportune thought in his head, they arrived at the parsonage and were directed by the reverend’s housekeeper to the drawing room.

Mr. Miles smiled as they entered and said, “Mr. Gardiner, I am glad to see you here as well.”

The smiling clergyman took Elizabeth’s hand and squeezed it. He said, “My dear, to think that so recently you were just this small, at my knee, following Mr. Bennet around and being encouraged to argue with everyone by him—poor man, I am sorry that he is not here to see your marriage. You have heard this far too many times these past few days, but I deeply valued him and shall be sad not to see his familiar face glinting back at me every time I look at your family pew.”

The way that Elizabeth pressed her lips together and tilted her head told Darcy that she was suppressing tears. She did not like to cry in front of most people.

“We would like to have the banns read from Sunday next,” Darcy said, hoping that a turn of the conversation to practical matters would give Elizabeth the chance to recover her composure. “I know that it is quite quick to marry after Mr. Bennet’s death, but my chief desire is to see the situation of Elizabeth’s family settled on a permanent and respectable basis.”

“Yes,” Mr. Miles agreed. “We shall still be mourning Mr. Bennet, but given such circumstances, I think that few people would say that there is anything odd about you not waiting till the end of the three months of deep mourning.”

Mr. Miles then put on a pair of spectacles and sat down at the small writing desk on the side of his parlour. “Mr. Darcy, please give me the exact spelling of your name so that there can be no mistakes—Miss Elizabeth’s we all know.”

Darcy did so.

“You do not think that it is precipitate—our marrying so quickly?” Elizabeth asked the rector in a tone that Darcy struggled to interpret.

“Not at all…” Mr. Miles replied absently as he dipped the quill in the ink again and wrote on the paper before him. “Mr. Darcy, what is the parish within which you are resident?”

“Kympton, in Derbyshire.”

“And how long have you lived there?”

“My entire life.”

“Before I can marry you, I must receive a certification from the rector of your home parish, stating that the banns have been published three times there as well as at Longbourn. You should not delay in sending the letter to him, as we generally do not publish the banns until seven days after the notice has been given.”

“You do not?” Elizabeth said in surprise. “I did not know that. But, Mr. Darcy, you do wish for us to marry as soon as possible.”

“I wish to marry when you wish for us to marry,” Darcy said in reply, rather wondering whether Elizabeth did wish to delay for the three months.

“Oh, but that is no answer at all,” Elizabeth said. Then she shrugged and smiled. “I am obligated to reply that I wish to marry at the time you wish to, and as neither of us will vouchsafe a preference, it will go round in a circle.”