A Most Civil Proposal (22 page)

While Darcy introduced Colonel Fitzwilliam to her aunt and uncle, Elizabeth took Miss Darcy’s arm, tucking it in hers before giving Darcy one of her impish smiles that he loved so much.

“If I might be allowed to borrow your sister for a few minutes, sir?” she asked archly. “I believe everyone else except for Colonel Fitzwilliam is well acquainted, and I have no doubt that both of you may adequately entertain my aunt.” Then she took Georgiana over to a couch, and the two girls sat down together while Darcy and his cousin sat down near Mrs. Gardiner. Fitzwilliam and Mrs. Gardiner easily fell into conversation, and Bingley, of course, needed no entertainment, as he had his Jane. For his part, Darcy was content just to watch Elizabeth and Georgiana.

Though she was forced to do the greater share of the talking at first, Elizabeth quickly determined that Jane was indeed correct in her assessment of Miss Darcy. She was possessed of both sense and good humour, with manners that were perfectly unassuming and gentle, and she was truly as shy as Jane had described, though she was clearly trying hard to uphold her end of the conversation.

Elizabeth several times glanced over at Mr. Darcy who seemed content to leave his cousin Fitzwilliam to attend to her aunt. His expression was one with which she was very familiar, though it was not the look of imperious reserve she had so often seen before. It was instead that dark look of interest, and she found it almost overwhelming to be the complete focus of those penetrating eyes. She had to force herself back to her conversation with Georgiana.

Georgiana had tried her best to prepare herself for meeting the unknown lady who was destined to become her new sister, but not even her brother’s lavish praise of Miss Elizabeth Bennet could offset the deep anxiety that had gripped her when the coach stopped before the house on Gracechurch Street. Despite the fact that she already had met Miss Jane Bennet, she was still afraid that she might be confronted with a sophisticated, if less imposing, version of Miss Bingley.

Her concerns were immediately put to rest by Elizabeth’s warm affection in conjunction with her lively wit and her understanding of Georgiana’s qualms. But the quelling of her fears did not bring ease of conversation to the younger girl, though she desperately wished to reciprocate Elizabeth’s attempts to draw her into conversation. It was only when Elizabeth steered the topic to that of music that Georgiana began to lose some of her timidity.

“Your brother says that you practice your music most diligently, Miss Darcy,” Elizabeth said, “and he also says that you are quite proficient.”

Georgiana looked up with a shy smile. “William is much too kind to me, Miss Elizabeth.” It was her longest sentence so far.

“I am sure he is only telling the truth. He has told me that deceit of any kind is his abhorrence!” she said, with a sly glance at Darcy, who only raised an eyebrow in return. “He is
your
brother, you know. He would never say it if it was not so, would you not agree?”

“Well, yes,” Georgiana said softly, dropping her head in embarrassment at the compliment. Then she looked up in sudden triumph, “He also told me that he very much enjoyed hearing
you
sing and play, and that must be true as well!”

Elizabeth coloured slightly at the further evidence that Mr. Darcy had been watching avidly when she had not suspected any regard at all.

“Well, we shall have many chances to play together in the future, and you can make up your own mind,” she said cheerfully, “though I will strive to only play duets with you so that you can cover for my deficiencies!”

Georgiana managed a giggle, and she impulsively reached over and squeezed Elizabeth’s hand, “I am so glad we will be sisters, Miss Elizabeth.”

“As am I, Miss Darcy,” Elizabeth said warmly. But then she cocked her eye at the younger girl. “However, if we are to be sisters, we cannot continue to call each other Miss Elizabeth and Miss Darcy. You must call me Elizabeth or Lizzy, which is what my sisters call me.”

“Oh, I could not!” Georgiana exclaimed in embarrassment.

“But you must!” Elizabeth replied with a laugh, “For others will find it strange if I call you Georgiana while you still refer to me as Miss Elizabeth or Miss Bennet. We would not,” she said with a wink, “want anyone to think we are quarrelling!”

“Oh, I could never quarrel with you, Miss Elizabeth!” Georgiana cried in dismay.

Elizabeth raised her eyebrow at her, and waited expectantly.

At length Georgiana relented. “Elizabeth.”

“That is much better,” she said. “Now, do you prefer Georgiana?”

“Well,” she said shyly, “I have not had a chance to make many friends of my own yet. William and Mrs. Annesley call me Georgiana, except that sometimes William calls me Georgie when he teases me. And cousin Fitzwilliam always calls me Georgie, but he teases me all the time, and calls me other names at times.”

“Georgiana is a lovely name, so I will call you that, if you please. But what is this about your brother teasing you?” She glanced over at Darcy as he sat watching her intently with a bemused expression. “We shall have to tease him right back!”

“Oh, no! I do not think I could tease William. He has been so good to me, and he has so many concerns to deal with.” This last thought caused a cloud to pass over Georgiana’s face, and Elizabeth immediately realized that memories of Ramsgate and Mr. Wickham had just intruded into the younger girl’s mind. A quick look at her brother showed his concern as well.

She reached over and squeezed Georgiana’s hand, before leaning close with a twinkle in her eye and whispering to her, “Then I shall have to tease him for both of us! Then you can laugh with me without having to be so bold yourself.” This last seemed to relieve Georgiana’s sudden discomposure. Elizabeth glanced again at Darcy and gave him an encouraging smile. Darcy immediately smiled back, and Elizabeth was surprised at how it dispelled his solemn demeanour and gave him an unexpected boyish exuberance. She turned back to Georgiana with yet another item to add to the catalogue of Fitzwilliam Darcy.

Georgiana had also witnessed her brother’s expression, and she covered Elizabeth’s hand with her own, “I have never seen William so happy, Elizabeth. I am so pleased that he has found you. I had begun to despair that he would ever marry.”

Elizabeth was also conscious of her good fortune; there were many things that she and Mr. Darcy still had to learn about each other, but she had already decided that she could not have been more fortunate in her new sister.

* * * * *

Mr. Gardiner arrived about a quarter-hour later. Darcy immediately rose to greet him, and drawing close, he asked quietly whether he might see him privately as soon as may be. From his stiffness of manner, Mr. Gardiner instantly perceived that the man was decidedly unhappy. He agreed, and the two men left the room so quietly that their absence was not at first noticed.

“Thank you for seeing me so quickly,” Darcy began as Mr. Gardiner closed the door behind him.

“It is quite all right. Am I correct in my assumption that you need to discuss your visit with my brother Bennet?” asked the older gentleman, offering his hand. Darcy clasped it, grateful that at least one of Elizabeth’s relations was eminently sensible and polite. Recounting the particulars of the morning’s encounter to one of less understanding would have been truly mortifying.

“You are quite correct, sir, and I must tell you that my journey was not an unqualified success,” he answered, pulling out the two letters Mr. Bennet had given him. “In fact, while he felt himself compelled to give his consent, he has taken a decided dislike to me and was quite emphatic in withholding his blessing to our marriage. I believe he will be more forthcoming in his letter to you.”

That Mr. Gardiner was upset by this news was obvious by the look he gave the two envelopes. Putting the note to Elizabeth aside for the moment, he held the other in his hand. “Before I read this, would you care for tea or coffee, Mr. Darcy?”

“Coffee would be preferable to my taste, sir, but I would be happy with tea as well.”

Mr. Gardiner nodded and ordered coffee for both of them before he broke the seal on his letter. He said nothing as he read, but Darcy could discern that he was quite uncomfortable with its contents. As he finished reading the several pages, the coffee was brought into the study, and he put the letter aside in order to serve.

“I see that you were not wide of the mark when you described your interview with my brother,” he said when they had both settled back in their chairs. “I am surprised. He is usually more sensible than this. However, I will not comment beyond that. I believe that our time would be better spent in consideration of what we should do and the plans we should make.”

Darcy nodded in agreement, understanding that the other man would not criticize his brother directly. Since Mr. Bennet had not forbidden the marriage, his dislike of Darcy was of no real significance; it would make the planning more difficult, to be sure, but it would not prevent it.

“My brother has authorized me to act for him in all respects of this matter,” Mr. Gardiner continued, and again Darcy nodded since this was in line with Mr. Bennet’s character. He had washed his hands of a distasteful task in order to return to his beloved books, and Darcy struggled to conceal his distaste for the man’s indolence and indifference to his daughter’s feelings at such an emotional time.

“As soon as I returned, I drafted a note for my solicitor instructing him to obtain a license so that Elizabeth and I may be married in whatever place meets with her approval.”

“That seems a prudent move,” said Mr. Gardiner, “but we should consult with Lizzy and my wife for their opinions.”

“Perhaps you might invite Mrs. Gardiner to join us now before we inform Elizabeth of this.”

“Thank you, I shall do so. I am accustomed to discussing even my business matters with her; she is a woman of considerable insight.” Mr. Gardiner quickly excused himself and returned shortly with his wife who was not, however, as effective as her husband in concealing her feelings at Mr. Bennet’s reaction.

“This is not at all fitting, Mr. Gardiner!” she exclaimed. “Lizzy would no doubt prefer to be married from Longbourn, and he is denying that without any justification other than personal aversion!”

“Perhaps so, Madeline, but he is her father and is within his rights. And he did not refuse consent, which is the situation with which we must deal. The question now is: how shall we advise Lizzy when we break this news to her?”

“With respect to a site, I might suggest my family’s chapel in town, St. ———, or else the chapel at Pemberley,” said Darcy. “Either would be agreeable to me, but I would not force a choice on Elizabeth; I am amenable to her wishes.”

“And I would further suggest our own church, St. ———, which Lizzy has often attended when visiting us. But we shall have to wait to see what Elizabeth thinks,” said Mrs. Gardiner. “She will not be pleased at having to make this choice — not at all.”

“It is not as bad as it might be, Madeline,” said her husband. “While my brother is adamant in his own disapproval, he will not forbid either her mother or her sisters from attending.”

“That is something,” agreed his wife. “Perhaps Elizabeth will have another opinion. Now, what about her wedding clothes? I know my sister will wish to help both her daughters with their shopping.”

Mr. Gardiner was not able to contain his uneasiness, and he was forced to disclose that Mr. Bennet was completely set against any purchase of wedding clothes for Elizabeth. Mrs. Gardiner was so outraged at this that she simply sat in silence, knowing that any further outburst on her part would be inappropriate.

But when I have some privacy with Edward,
she thought, j
ust wait!

However, in this matter, Darcy was dismissive. “This is of no consequence, Mrs. Gardiner. I will provide for whatever Elizabeth should require out of my own funds; she shall not be forced to do without.”

“That is most generous, sir, but hardly necessary,” objected Mr. Gardiner. “We will be more than happy to provide for any purchases my niece may need to make.”

Darcy only smiled. “Do you remember the part of the marriage ceremony in which the husband vows to endow his wife with all his worldly goods? I would not have you support such unexpected expenditures simply to uphold a social custom regarding the wedding clothes. Consider, sir, that if I am run down in the street by a runaway coach on our way out of the church, Elizabeth would soon have the use of my entire fortune!”

And with this good-natured jest, Mr. Gardiner gave way. “I will contest no further, sir,” he said with a smile. “Now we need to apprise Lizzy of this unfortunate news.”

“There is one other thing, sir. I also instructed my solicitor to prepare the marriage agreements, and he should have a rough draft in a day or two. I will bring these to you when they are ready since you will now be acting for Mr. Bennet in this matter.”

“Quite correct, Mr. Darcy. Now, we had better bring Lizzy into this conversation. Madeline, would you ask her to come here while you entertain our guests?”

* * * * *

When Elizabeth entered the study, she was sobered by the grim expressions on the faces of both men, but she was not long left in doubt as to the reason.