Mr. Darcy and the Secret of Becoming a Gentleman (28 page)

“When I asked Miss Elizabeth to marry me—for the first time in Kent—I was stunned by her rejection.” Darcy bowed his head as he added, “Your previous comments about the male mind were quite apt. In my confusion, I asked her why she had refused me. She was good enough to list her reasons in a very forthright manner.”

Despite a repressed chuckle from Mr. Bennet, Darcy continued to explain. “She let me know she found my personality lacking in several respects and that she felt that Mr. Bingley's failure to return to Hertfordshire was my fault. But more than that, she explained she could never accept someone who had treated another human being so poorly. Apparently, she had credited a story Mr. Wickham had told her about me dishonoring my father's dying request that he receive a living in the church. May I ask, sir, have you also heard Mr. Wickham's complaints against me in this regard?”

“Mr. Darcy, since you have been forthright with me, I will be so in return. Yes, I have heard the rumors. While I felt Mr. Wickham a little too eager to tell his tale of injustice to anyone who would listen, there was nothing in your previous behavior in Hertfordshire to discredit his accounting of your personality.”

“Yes, I realize that now, and I have attempted to slowly rectify that. In Kent, with Miss Elizabeth, I was a little more direct. I attempted to explain to her all of my interactions with Mr. Wickham. I did so, both in my own defense and because I did not want Mr. Wickham to be able to continue to deceive her as to his true nature. I would like to tell you as well. I would request, however, that after you hear some of what I have to say that you not share it with anyone else unless you deem it absolutely necessary.”

“Certainly, sir.”

“Mr. Wickham is the son of my father's most valued steward. Being the same age, we grew up together, almost as brothers. My father saw to it that he received the best education possible, and we attended university together. From his exploits there and from other incidents in our childhood, I soon learned that Mr. Wickham's true character was as dissolute as he was skilled at hiding it. We grew apart, but when my father died, he was indeed provided for in his bequests. Mr. Wickham, however, mercifully chose to forgo a profession in the church given that his nature was so ill-fitted for such an endeavor. Instead, he requested and received a generous settlement in cash. He soon ran through that money and came back to me requesting the original living provided in the bequest. Looking back at it, maybe I should have given it to him, knowing now how much it almost cost me. But I did not. Having been rejected, and finally forced to fend for himself, Mr. Wickham's resentment of me apparently grew. In my absence, he set upon a scheme to make me suffer for my supposed injustices toward him and cure his financial woes at the same time. He attempted to seduce my sister, who was at the time but fifteen years old. Luckily, chance allowed me to intervene. He has since made it his business to soil my reputation wherever he goes, counting on the fact that I will not retaliate for the benefit of my sister's reputation.

“Mr. Bennet, I told you when I first sought this audience that I had two matters of importance to speak to you about. Whatever the outcome of the first, I need to discuss the second issue with you now, as it concerns Mr. Wickham. I could not help noticing that your youngest daughter, Miss Lydia, has expressed some desire to visit Mr. Wickham's regiment in Brighton. He cannot be trusted, under any circumstances. I know that you only have my word against his, but if you seek confirmation as to my financial dealings with Mr. Wickham, my solicitor can provide you with whatever proof you request. If you need further substantiation as to the other details that I have related here today, you have my permission to contact my cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, who is joined with me in the guardianship of my sister.”

Mr. Bennet sat in stunned silence, trying to comprehend all that he had been told. At length, he finally responded, “No, Mr. Darcy, that will hardly be necessary. I appreciate your candor. I know this must have been difficult for you to share with me. I will take your warning to heart.”

“Thank you.”

“Sir, I am still besieged with questions as to how your experiences in Kent with Lizzy led you to my library now. Obviously, her opinion of you was swayed by your revelation about Mr. Wickham.”

“Yes, in part. I found out later that she did believe me in that regard, but she still had other complaints against my character. We did not depart Kent on good terms.” Looking out the window to avoid the embarrassment of his next few statements, Darcy continued, “I did, however, take her criticisms to heart as to my demeanor, manners, and the way in which I have treated people. I determined to return to Hertfordshire with Mr. Bingley, now understanding that his reception here would mostly likely be received with favor. Unfortunately, that required that I first visit here alone, and when I did, and then sought out Miss Bennet to discuss Mr. Bingley, some… people involved got the wrong impression as to my intentions. I apologize for that and for my aunt's visit based on that misinformation.”

“Ah, yes, we are very adept at acting on misinformation in this house. It is almost a skill, but our folly in that regard does not diminish my concern about your aunt's visit. But before we get to that, you should continue your story. Obviously, the details are of great interest to me, but it is also one of the more interesting tales I have heard in a long time.”

Unaccustomed to being made sport of to his face, Darcy endeavored to remember his goal in suffering through this ordeal. “There is very little more to be said. When I returned with Mr. Bingley, I attempted to take your daughter's reproaches to heart. With our previous misunderstanding behind us, she was willing to give me a second chance. I have been lucky enough to win her affection, and she has now agreed to be my wife. As I said before, I believe she will confirm that she has accepted my proposal because she returns my regard and not for any other reason.”

“So, you asked her to marry you twice?”

Darcy was tempted to tell him that it actually took three times to obtain an affirmative response, but decided the better of it. Instead, he replied, “Yes, that is correct. As to your question about my motivations, they are simple. I have loved your daughter for a very long time. I realized, after Kent, that I was not worthy of her, but I have endeavored to learn how to make her happy, and I believe I can.”

Mr. Bennet eyed Darcy for what felt an extended period and then finally smiled. “Well, Mr. Darcy, you have surprised me, and that does not happen often. In retrospect, I can see that my previous doubts about you were all based on—what did you call it?—misinformation. My only complaint of your character, which I have gleaned from my own observations of you, is that you might be excessively proud, but given that you have had to undergo two proposals to get my Lizzy to accept you, I cannot imagine that is still an issue between you.”

With a stony expression, Darcy replied, “No, sir, I would imagine not.”

Seeing that he had pushed the young man to his breaking point, Mr. Bennet added, “Sir, I appreciate all that you have told me here today. I would like to confirm with Lizzy some of the particulars of her present feelings for you, but I otherwise rescind my previous misgivings about your match.”

Interrupting him, Darcy said, “Thank you, sir. You will not regret this.”

Bemused, Mr. Bennet replied, “I suppose only time will tell on that score. But I was not finished. While I no longer have concerns about yours or Lizzy's intentions, I do have some misgivings about the reception Lizzy will receive from your family if I were to consent to this match.”

Darcy quickly replied in a decisive tone, “Sir, you should have no concerns in that regard at all. While my aunt has expressed some disapproval over an alliance between our families, she does not speak for me or, for that matter, the whole of my family. In any regard, I am master of my own estate, and I do not need anyone's permission to marry. My wife will be accorded the respect she deserves, and if my aunt cannot do that, then I will sever ties with her. I can promise you, sir, that no one will ever give Miss Elizabeth reason to regret her acceptance of my hand.”

Stunned by the energy and fervor of Mr. Darcy's response, Mr. Bennet looked at him once again, attempting to take stock of a man he had clearly underestimated. “Thank you. That is good to hear. I will just ask Lizzy to join us.”

Darcy listened as Hill was instructed to bring Elizabeth to them. As Darcy watched Mr. Bennet watching him, a wave of anticipation washed over him as he waited for Elizabeth's arrival. All he could contemplate was that another hurdle was soon to be removed from the path to his heart's desire.

As she entered the room, Mr. Bennet watched Lizzy immediately look to Mr. Darcy, who returned her gaze with a heartfelt smile that seemed to animate his whole countenance. Lizzy looked back at him with a dazzling smile of her own, as their eyes met for a brief moment. She then cast her eyes downward and took a seat in front of her father. Through these simple actions, Mr. Bennet's most fundamental question was answered.

“Well, Lizzy, it seems this young man wants to marry you. What have you to say?”

“Papa?”

“What have you to say about it?”

She immediately looked to Darcy, who raised his eyebrows to express his puzzlement. She clearly did not know what to think. Before she had been summoned to the library, she had been exceedingly concerned about the amount of time Mr. Darcy's request was taking. She thought it did not bode well for their cause. She knew her father had only spent a few minutes with Mr. Bingley before he consented to his offer for Jane. She thought her father would be pained by her choice, given all of the unkind things she had previously said about Mr. Darcy, but this seemed worse than she had expected. If her father was looking to her for her reaction, she decided to make her feelings on the subject crystal clear, so that her father could have no reservations based on her behavior. Coming to a decision, she boldly replied, “Father, I have accepted Mr. Darcy's proposal. I know I will be very happy. I can only hope that I can make him happy in return. While I did not always know it, he is the very best of men. I know we both want your blessing, but if you are not willing to give it, you should know that it will not matter in the long run, as I intend to marry Mr. Darcy in any regard.”

Mr. Bennet looked at Elizabeth, surprised by her response. He thought she would defend her choice, but had not counted on her allying herself with him over her family. He felt the sting of her rejection of his authority but soon tempered it with the realization that her response was what it should be. The reality of the situation was that she was, in fact, choosing Mr. Darcy over her family, over her father; her definitive commitment at the outset was a sign of her resolve. Attempting to stem his rising sadness over his impending loss, he turned to Mr. Darcy and said in as lighthearted a manner as he could muster, “It seems, sir, that your attempts to convince me of your suitability were unnecessary. My permission was never needed in the first place. Apparently, you are to wed my daughter.”

Darcy was ecstatic at Elizabeth's steadfast declaration. It was more than he had imagined. To hear her choose him without equivocation made his pulse race and his heart swell. But as the import of her gesture became evident, Darcy suddenly recognized Mr. Bennet's position. Turning to him, he stated, “I think your daughter has spoken too quickly, sir. Your blessing is both required and requested.”

Standing and extending his hand, Mr. Bennet humbly replied, “Thank you, Mr. Darcy, for that. You may be assured that you have my blessing. We must now simply determine how to tell the others.”

“Father, perhaps it would be best if I spoke to my mother by myself, unless, of course, you wish to speak with her.”

“Oh, no, there is no need of that. With two daughters to be married, I will soon hear of nothing else but wedding plans. Let me have a reprieve for as long as possible.”

“Very well, Papa.” Turning to Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth added, “Perhaps, sir, if I do not ask too much, you could retrieve Mr. Bingley and Jane from their walk. It would be best if I spoke to my mother alone. Afterward, I could join you in telling them.”

Smiling broadly at her, Darcy replied, “It would be my pleasure.” He then formally bowed his adieu to Mr. Bennet. As Elizabeth moved to follow him, Mr. Bennet asked, “Lizzy, do you think I could have a word with you privately?”

“Certainly, Papa.” Before turning to her father, Elizabeth gave Darcy a secret smile as he closed the door behind them.

“Well, Lizzy, it seems you are to leave us.”

Smiling, she replied, “I hope it was not too much of a shock.”

“I must own that, at first, it was. I am now more reconciled to it, but regardless of your choice, I am still wrestling with the fact that you will be leaving Longbourn. Derbyshire seems so very far away. I just wanted you to know that if you have any reservations, you should speak them.”

“Truly, Father, I have none. I am so very happy. I think I am happier even than Jane. She only smiles; I laugh.”

Mr. Bennet held out his hand to her and said, “Very well, child. I can see that this is what you want, and I believe you have enough sense about you to understand what it entails.” Hugging her, he then kissed her head. He closed his eyes as the reality of her impending departure settled over him. He then quickly moved away, attempting to hide the emotions he knew were visible on his face. Elizabeth watched him for a moment as he turned to stare out the window, feeling all the tenderness he could not express. She then left, silently closing the door behind her.

As she turned to go to her mother, she was startled to find Mr. Darcy standing in the hall, his eyes alight with joy. Even in her momentary confusion, she was able to note how very handsome he looked. As she started to speak, he gave her a devastating smile and put his index finger to her lips to indicate that she should remain silent. He then took her hand and pulled her to follow him into the dark corner of the adjoining empty hallway. He looked both ways, drew her to him, and leaned down to kiss her. Before his mouth met hers, however, she leaned her head slightly back from him and asked, “I thought you were going to find Mr. Bingley?”