Darcy's Voyage: A Tale of Uncharted Love on the Open Seas (8 page)

At this, Elizabeth was speechless. At her look of shock, Darcy continued. “There will be no problem in annulling it, as the marriage will never be consummated.”

Elizabeth looked down, blushing, as Darcy added, “I am sorry to have to speak frankly, but I want you to be assured, in advance, of what my intentions are… and what they are not.”

“Mr. Darcy, you may think you have an admirable idea that will solve your problems as well as mine, but there is one obstacle you have not considered.”

“What is that?”

“Captain Wendell! My father directly asked him if I could be put under his protection! He will never allow it!”

Darcy leaned in toward Elizabeth and tightly gripped his hands together, asking, “And if he does agree?”

Elizabeth was tiring more and more by the minute, and it was a strain for her to have to argue her point. “He will not, Mr. Darcy. I think we should leave it at that.”

“Miss Bennet, if he agrees to perform the ceremony, will you agree to it?”

Elizabeth struggled to look up at him. She could not make any rhyme or reason of Mr. Darcy’s proposal, nor come up with any argument against it. Finally, in great fatigue and weariness of mind she answered, “Mr. Darcy, if the captain is willing to do such a thing as this, then yes, I will agree.” She turned her attention back to the cup of tea and bread in front of her. “But I assure you, he will not!”

Darcy did not respond, but simply stood up. “Miss Bennet, if you would be so kind as to wait for me here until I return. I am going to speak with the captain immediately!”

Darcy hurriedly departed to seek out the captain, whilst Elizabeth sat quietly with her hands wrapped around the small tin cup that was holding her hot tea and providing warmth and steadiness to her hands. She felt weaker by the moment and knew she required nourishment to aid in her recuperation from the fever, and needed to stay off her foot to aid in her ankle’s improvement. At the moment, eating was cast aside as her hazy mind struggled to ponder Darcy’s proposal.

She could not entertain any serious notions about it, as she was convinced the captain would refuse. As she pondered the extent of Darcy’s wealth, however, she wondered if the captain would be prone to taking a bribe. Elizabeth shook her head. Darcy would have no reason to bribe the captain to perform a wedding ceremony to a common lady as herself.

If the captain said no—
when
he said no—Darcy would have to accept it. She would express her appreciation for his concern for her welfare, but would assure him she would manage as well as she could with the rest of the passengers in steerage.

She slowly sipped the tea and began taking small bites of the hardened bread that she softened by dipping in the steaming liquid. Although it was not truly palatable, it was sustenance. She forced herself to partake of it, thinking that if she had a clearer mind at the moment, she would be able to make better sense of what Darcy had just put forward. But try as she might, she could not!

She was torn whether to remain up here savouring the fresh air or to ask for some assistance getting back down to steerage. She knew Darcy would soon be returning from seeing the captain. For some reason she felt anxious about what news he would bring. In the state she was in, she had difficulty discerning whether she was troubled more that the captain might agree to marry them than she was that he might refuse. But neither did she look forward to returning to steerage as yet, so she determined to remain where she was and deal with Mr. Darcy when he came back.

If truth be told, at the moment and under the present circumstances, Darcy’s proposal actually began to sound quite appealing to her. She was surprised to find herself now rationally and practically viewing it as having some merit and see the benefit in it. He reassured her it would be strictly platonic, and she would no longer have to sleep on the floor or breathe in the stale and stifling air in steerage anymore. She would be in a better state to help those who were faring worse than she. She would actually be in a nice, clean, quiet cabin. Most importantly, he would later have the marriage annulled, and no one ever need know.
No one.

The alternative was not very appealing. Elizabeth had found each successive day and night in steerage more difficult. Now that she had taken ill herself, she knew it would likely be a lengthy illness without fresh air or sleep.

Elizabeth shook her head. No, she
must
be feeling the effects of the fever. All the other steerage passengers had to endure the same thing as she! She was not a weak, spoiled little girl who could not endure a little discomfort.
No, it was not a good idea
, she tried to tell herself,
not at all!

***

When Darcy went in search of the captain, his determined strides surprised even him. That he was pursuing such an uncommonly foolish path was highly out of character for him. For every action he took there was usually a methodical line of reasoning behind it. This time was a rare exception.

Each step he took away from Elizabeth was a constant reminder to him of the vast difference in their standing in society. If his family,
particularly
his aunt, were ever to discover that he had done such a foolish thing, that he had even
considered
such a thing as to marry a woman like her, his aunt would not hesitate to renounce him and cast him out of the family.

Is this really something I should be even considering?
A man of my means and status…
He was distracted by his line of argument, reasoning, and questioning when he found himself face-to-face with another
Miss whatever.
He could not recall her name and had no desire to.

“Mr. Darcy, such a pleasant day it is. Would you not agree?”

This is why I am doing it!
The women assaulting him day in and day out when all he wanted was to be left alone. They would never learn that he was in no humour on this voyage to entertain thoughts of reciprocating their interest.

“It is a very nice day, and as such, I unfortunately must take my leave and discuss something with the captain!”

He quickly strode off, leaving
Miss whatever
disappointed and at a loss for words.

He thought of Elizabeth. She seemed to have a gift for knowing when to speak and when to be silent around him. He felt as comfortable in their silence as deeply as he felt invigorated by their intelligent dialogue. For these other women, any pause in the conversation prompted them to fill it up with nonsense and idle chat, none of which was satisfying to him in the least.

Darcy made his way to the captain’s cabin and paused. He thought back to the woman he met two years ago in the carriage—the woman he was fairly certain was Elizabeth. Could it be that the real reason he asked Miss Bennet to marry him was because he did not want her to get away again? Darcy closed his eyes and rolled his head back.
I cannot think like that! This is solely for her benefit now, and I cannot allow myself to dwell on any future possibilities, because there can never be any!

Darcy knocked sharply on the captain’s door, hoping he would find him there. A wave of nervousness began to roil up inside of him.

“Come,” a voice from inside called out.

Darcy slowly opened the door and peered in, finding the captain entering some notations in his log book. When he saw that it was Darcy, he pursed his lips together as if fighting off the urge to make some comment.

“Good day, Captain. Do you have a moment?”

“For you, Darcy, of course. Come in.”

Darcy walked in and the captain waved for him to sit down. Darcy obliged, but never really settled into the chair, constantly adjusting himself in it and nervously tapping his fingers on the armrest.

It was apparent to the captain that Darcy was obviously distressed or nervous about something. “What is it now?” Wendell asked, folding his hands firmly in front of him on the desk.

“I have a small favour to ask of you, Wendell.”

“Is the food not to your liking? Are you beginning to tire of the hardtack bread and dried meat? Are they not up to your expectations? Or perhaps you would prefer a more varied array of entertainments onboard?”

Darcy looked down at his hands that he now gripped together and held firmly in his lap. “No, sir. It is a rather odd, personal request.”

“Pray, continue.”

Darcy took in a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and then slowly let it out. “I would like you to perform a marriage ceremony.”

The captain’s eyes widened, then immediately narrowed. “Between who?”

Darcy leaned forward and spoke with forced decisiveness. “Miss Elizabeth Bennet and myself, sir.”

The captain remained gravely silent, gathering his thoughts and wondering what had prompted this man to make such a preposterous request. Finally he stood; his towering presence over the seated Darcy intended to make an impression.

“Darcy, I have only been approached with this particular request but a few times. I have presided over a couple of weddings in my years as captain. But being as how Miss Bennet was especially put under my protection by her father, it is very unlikely that I will agree to it.”

“Captain Wendell, are you refusing me?”

“Are you asking me as a passenger or as the owner of this ship?”

Darcy placed his hands on the armrest and pushed himself up, now looking directly in the captain’s eyes. “I am asking you to trust me, to vouch for my character, have confidence in my reasons behind this, and agree to marry us.”

The captain’s brow furrowed. “I have known you for many years, Darcy. I have always thought highly of your character. This is foolish; your family would disown you for marrying a woman from her class, and besides, I can hardly believe that she would agree. She barely knows you, and from what I have seen of her, she is not the type to latch onto a man solely based on his wealth.”

The captain watched Darcy’s face as he asked, “What exactly has prompted you to such an inclination as to marry Miss Bennet? Do you find yourself suddenly longing for a woman’s company?”

“On the contrary, Captain. This marriage is strictly to allow her the opportunity to get out of steerage and the propriety to sleep in the extra bed in my room so she may regain her health back. You must have heard yourself how she has been helping out passengers down in steerage who have taken ill themselves… to the point of endangering her own health. She gave up her bed, has now become ill herself, and just now she turned her ankle. Taking those stairs up and down will only aggravate it. She cannot remain down there, and this is the only solution! You, yourself, said there was no other bed available.”

The captain firmly placed his hands behind his back, tilted his head down, and began pacing around the room. “And Darcy, what is in this for you?” His question sounded grave.

“Captain, I swear upon my dead father’s grave that I have no ulterior motive. I give you my word that I will not lay a hand on her. You know, sir, that I do not give my word unless I am willing to keep it. She gets the chance to improve her situation while onboard this ship, and I…”

The captain looked up. “And you?”

Darcy felt somewhat sheepish now, but confided to the captain, “Being married will bring a stop to all the ladies on this ship who have been plaguing me with their unwanted attention!”

The captain forced a laugh, feeling very little humour in the situation. “Your dilemma is heavy indeed. And what is to happen after the voyage, Darcy? Are you determined to go through life married to a woman you do not love, whom you have vowed you will never touch?”

“My plan is to have it annulled once I return to England.”

The captain stopped pacing and turned to look at Darcy. “Are you now?” He rubbed his chin vigorously as he wondered whether this was truly an act of compassion on his part. “And what do you really know of Miss Bennet? How do you know she will not come after you for your money once she is legally married to you, even attempt to stop the annulment?”

Darcy looked at the captain. “I do not believe she would.”

“Neither do I,” admitted the captain. “But I still do not like this. I assume you have spoken to her on this subject?”

“Yes, I have.”

“And she is willing to marry you solely for propriety’s sake so that she can avail herself of the empty bed in your cabin only to have this holy union later annulled?”

“Yes, she is willing if you agree to perform the ceremony.” His hand clenched in reaction to this minor stretching of the truth a bit, something he disliked doing immensely.

“Again, Darcy, I ask, is this request of yours being made as a passenger or as the owner of this ship? As the man whose ultimate authority I am under?”

“Whichever it takes to get you to agree.”

The captain went back to his desk and sat down. “When do you wish to have this
ceremony
performed?”

Darcy let out a breath as he realized the captain was leaning toward agreeing, however sceptical of it he was. “As soon as possible. What do I need to do?”

The captain opened his desk drawer and pulled out some papers. “Fill these out. You both need to sign them, and then bring them to me when you return with Miss Bennet. We can begin as soon as you like.”

Darcy grabbed the papers. “Thank you, Captain. She is waiting in the dining area. I shall return with her promptly.”

The captain only nodded, as he could scarcely believe what had just transpired in his cabin, let alone understand it. He wondered what had ever prompted him to agree to perform such a ceremony, and what had ever gotten into the Master of Pemberley even to conceive of such a course of action!

***

When Darcy returned to the dining area, he found Elizabeth making a concerted effort to talk with some passengers who had gathered around her, inquiring about her ankle and her illness. She still looked tired, and he hoped the other passengers were not causing her too much exertion. As she turned her head and saw Darcy walk in, her heart made a barely noticeable leap, especially when she saw the papers he carried in his hand.

Darcy walked toward her and apologized to those she was conversing with, asking that they forgive him, but he needed to speak with Miss Bennet alone. They gave Elizabeth some reassurances about her health before leaving, turned a curious eye to Darcy, and then departed.

Darcy took a seat across from her. “The captain has said all that is required is for us to sign these.”

Elizabeth took in a slight gasp of air and felt her body shudder as he spoke the words she had assumed she would not hear. Obviously the captain was willing to perform the wedding! She could not look at him, but looked down, eyeing the very formal-looking papers that he spread out in front of her. Words refused to come, and she could not formulate one thought to press her argument against doing this.

Darcy had secured a pen and some ink, and pushed them toward Elizabeth. “The captain is willing to do this, Miss Bennet.”

She looked up at him with weariness flooding her surprised eyes. “As are you?”

He nodded. “It will benefit us both, but primarily yourself.”

“And you will have it annulled once you return to England?”

“Your family and friends need never know. And you will certainly never see any of the other passengers on this ship again, as they will be staying in America. As far as they know, we fell in love on the ship and decided to marry.”

“We hardly have looked like a couple in love, Mr. Darcy.”

Darcy cocked his head. “Who is to say what love looks like, Miss Bennet?”

Elizabeth looked up and met his gaze. She felt as though she was simply entering a business transaction with someone, and yet there was something in his eyes now that had not been there before. She also felt there was a stronger beating of her own heart that she could not ascribe to anything. She took another deep breath as she pondered this man. She wondered if he had ever been in love. Had there ever been a woman who lived up to his impeccable standards?