Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy: The Last Man in the World (2 page)

Elizabeth
stood and began to pace the room. "I grant you he is not completely
despicable, but I do not want to marry him!"

Charlotte
did not respond for some time. Finally she said, "No, of course you do
not; but, given that you must, there is nothing for it but to make the best of
it. Perhaps you cannot love him, but you must work on finding things to like in
him, Lizzy. Your resentment will do you nothing but harm in the end."

She
could hear the sense in her friend's words, much as she disliked them. Closing
her eyes tightly and clenching her fists, Elizabeth said, "So what is your
advice then, Charlotte?"

"Be
amiable to him, my dear. He must be violently in love with you to have made you
an offer; that will naturally incline him to treat you well, if you do not give
him reason to change his mind. Perhaps at some point your influence may be
enough to lead him to alter some of those behaviours you dislike in him."

"Your
advice is eminently practical," said Elizabeth, "but you know I am no
actress. I cannot counterfeit well, and I confess I feel no urge to make him
happy."

"I
am not suggesting this in his interest, but in yours. What will your life be
like if you make him miserable? Would you live with a husband
hates
you? Please, Lizzy, do not give him that power; for your own sake, find ways
you can be happy within a marriage you do not want. You need not spend much
time with him once you are married."

Elizabeth
was not a fool; she could see her friend's point, and she spent the next day
schooling herself to acceptance. It was not easy for one of her spirits. She
made a list of Mr. Darcy's virtues in her mind--albeit a very short list--and
repeated it to herself regularly. She could not help wishing something might
happen--that her father might refuse his consent, though it would solve
nothing, or at the very least that Darcy's return would be delayed. She did not
trust her own ability to dissemble; and, after the events surrounding his
proposal, she was not under the illusion that he would make no physical demands
during their engagement. She planned to make every effort to avoid being alone
with him.

His
arrival was timely, however, with news of Mr. Bennet's consent and a letter
from him to Elizabeth. She met him with a smile and put the letter aside for
later. Knowing her father, she did not expect it to contain the normal
platitudes, and she did not imagine he would be happy with this match.

To
her dismay, no sooner had Darcy appeared than Charlotte manufactured an excuse
to leave them alone together. Glancing despairingly after her friend, Elizabeth
said hurriedly, "Did you find my family well, sir?"

"Your
father was well, but I confess I did not see any of the others."

"My
mother was not aware of the occasion of your visit?"

"Your
father kindly offered to share the intelligence with Mrs. Bennet,"

Darcy
said in a tone of slight distaste. "I was happy to absent myself from the
occasion."

I
am sure you were!
thought
Elizabeth indignantly. Why tolerate more degradation than necessary?
"I am glad it did not take up any
more of your time,"

she said, trying to mask her hostility with a smile.
Remember, Bingley and Colonel Fitzwilliam think highly of him. He is truthful.
He is a good brother.

The
litany was becoming wearying.

"It
allowed me to return to your side as soon as I could," he said with
slightly more grace.

Elizabeth
wondered what he had been thinking, all those times he had stared at her in the
past. Clearly it was not only to criticize. She could not comprehend, though,
how he had come to love her, for love her he must, to make her an offer despite
his opinion of her family. She had rarely been anything but saucy and impudent
to him, and he had not often troubled himself to speak to her. Now her cheeks
coloured at what he might be thinking.

He
took her blush to mean something else, though, and moved to the chair beside
hers. Taking her hand, he pressed it to his lips.

It
is only a kiss on your hand. Other gentlemen have done the same, she told
herself. There is no reason to allow it to trouble you now.
Other men, however, did not fix their
eyes on her with such heated intensity, nor hold her hand a little too long.
She looked away uncomfortably.

He
gave a low laugh. "I would not have expected you to be shy,
Elizabeth."

His
use of her Christian name only fuelled her embarrassment. "Mr.

Darcy,
you must allow me some time to become accustomed to thinking of you as
something beyond an acquaintance."

"Surely
you knew I would be making my addresses."

"I
assure you, sir, there was nothing in the world I expected less," she
replied spiritedly. It was one thing to be pleasant to him, but there was no
reason to pretend she had been part of some covert courtship process.

"I
cannot believe you failed to notice my interest in you," he said. "Or
did you think perhaps I was only trifling with your affections?" He
sounded amused by his conceit.

"Sir,
it never crossed my mind that you particularly noted my existence, or thought
me more than merely tolerable. " She realized she was very close to
provoking a quarrel with him, and reminded herself how disadvantageous such an
action would be. With a distinct effort she smiled at him.

He
looked at her probingly. "Perhaps that explains something."

Elizabeth
was not at all certain she wished to know what it explained, but she responded
as he evidently expected. "And what is that?" In another lifetime she
might have said it archly, or even chosen to tease him by ignoring his hint,
but no longer.

He
did not quite smile, but his eyes warmed. "I had not realized I was taking
you by surprise."

She
gave him a puzzled look, then her eyes grew larger as he leaned toward her, his
intent obvious. He said, "Perhaps this time you will not be caught
unawares."

His
lips touched hers. She felt a moment of panic at the intimacy of it.

She
would not let it show, though; instead she forced herself to think how her
marriage might provide another chance for Jane and Mr. Bingley.

Although
it was distinctly odd to be kissed by Mr. Darcy, it was neither terrible nor
disgusting, she decided; it was tolerable. The thought of applying that term to
him was rather amusing. Perhaps she should start trying to think of him as tolerable.

"Yes--that
is better," he said softly as he drew away.

If
all he expects of me is not to push him away when he wants to kiss me, it should
be simple enough.
She would have
to ask someone, perhaps her aunt Gardiner, how much more there was to marriage.
The thought made her

blush,
which seemed to please her new husband-to-be.

Chapter 2

Charlotte
was tactful enough to ask no questions after Mr. Darcy's visit, and Elizabeth
took her first opportunity to escape to her room. Reading her father's letter
was her first order of business, though she feared what it might contain.

I
have only a moment to write you, Lizzy, so I must speak my mind directly.

Mr.
Darcy has asked my permission to marry you, claiming he has your consent. I
must caution you to consider carefully before you enter into this engagement. I
cannot see you being happy with Mr. Darcy. Have you not always hated him? Is
his wealth enough reason to tolerate a man you dislike as your husband? I know
your temperament, and I cannot believe you would be truly happy unless married
to a man you could esteem as your superior.

Please
do not give me the pain of seeing you so unhappy in your choice of a partner in
life. I have given him my permission; indeed, he is not the sort of man to whom
I could deny anything once he had lowered himself to ask for it, but I beg you
to reconsider while there is still time. I will not tell anyone of this matter,
most especially your mother, until I hear from you with your final decision.

If
only she could follow his advice! Unfortunately, she had no such choice.

She
folded the letter carefully and placed it in her drawer, then thought better of
it and took it to the fire. There was no reason to save it. She would have to
dispose of any document which spoke so of Mr. Darcy soon enough, else risk his
finding it. She shivered, watching the letter shrivel and turn black, thinking
of the loss of privacy marriage to him would entail.

No,
she resolved, I must not think this way. I shall merely need to learn new habits
of privacy.

It
was final now. She could no longer hope for a miraculous escape. Her father had
consented, and Mr. Darcy would no doubt be telling his family tonight. She
smiled a little, wondering how Lady Catherine would take the knowledge of her
new niece and the thwarting of her plans for her daughter. No, she did not envy
Mr. Darcy that interview.

The
next day Mr. Collins returned early from his morning call at Rosings Park, his
face ashen and his manner agitated. Bursting into the sitting room, he insisted
on an immediate conference with Charlotte.

Elizabeth
and Maria exchanged puzzled glances as Charlotte disappeared behind her
husband.

When
Charlotte returned a short time later, her distress was evident. "I barely
know how to say this, Lizzy, but please believe this is not my desire. Lady
Catherine is beside herself with anger over your ... situation," she said.
"She learned of it this morning, and she apparently holds you wholly
responsible for the ruination of all her plans. Mr. Collins, I am sorry to say,
insists you leave this house immediately."

"What!"
exclaimed Maria, who remained blissfully unaware of Elizabeth's engagement, as
had Mr. Collins before receiving intelligence of it from Lady Catherine
herself.

The
news did not come as a complete surprise to Elizabeth, who had not shared Mr.
Darcy's lack of concern for Lady Catherine's reaction to his announcement.
Although she had not anticipated Mr. Collins would go so far as to expel her
from his home, it was an outcome with certain favourable aspects for her. She
had no desire to remain in Mr. Darcy's vicinity for any longer than necessary;
soon enough she would have no choice in the matter but to be at his disposal.

"What
then am I to do?" Elizabeth addressed her question to Charlotte, ignoring
Maria's outburst.

"Mr.
Collins has already left to make arrangements for you to take the next post to
London," said Charlotte with some embarrassment. "I tried to convince
him it was not in our best interests to anger Mr. Darcy, but it did no good. He
is adamant. I cannot imagine what Lady Catherine said to him; perhaps it is
best for you to be gone before she decides to take you to task directly. But it
is hardly fitting for you to travel alone. Perhaps I should send to Mr. Darcy?"

"No,"
Elizabeth said quickly. "I would rather not trouble Mr. Darcy."

It
was eventually decided that Maria Lucas would accompany Elizabeth to London as
planned, only departing immediately instead of a week hence.

Although
at first Maria was sorry to be deprived of the pleasure of visits to Rosings,
once she heard the details of Elizabeth's situation, she recognized there was
little merit in remaining at Hunsford while the Collinses were in deep disgrace
with Lady Catherine.

As
the coach pulled away from Hunsford village, Elizabeth's mind turned to how she
was to explain her sudden appearance to her aunt and uncle. Beyond this lay the
question of how to present her engagement to them. Should she tell them the
truth of it, or present a prettier picture in which she gladly accepted his
addresses?

In
the end she chose the path of caution and told them her opinion of Mr. Darcy
had undergone a change after seeing him amongst his family, and of her current
pleasure in their engagement. Jane was, perhaps, the most predisposed to accept
this story. Having always valued Darcy herself, she took little persuasion that
Lizzy might have learned to do so as well.

Her
aunt, whose only exposure to Darcy had been hearing about his faults from Mr.
Wickham at Christmastime, was more concerned.

"But
Lizzy," said Mrs. Gardiner. "What of how infamously he treated poor
Mr. Wickham? I am worried about your marrying such a man, and one you held in
such disdain only a few months ago."

Elizabeth
was little prepared to meet this charge and produced an incoherent answer to
the effect that, if Mr. Darcy were as proud as Wickham claimed, he would not be
marrying her. Her aunt appeared dubious but ceased to press her.

Elizabeth
was grateful for the respite, as she had more than enough to worry about
regarding Mr. Darcy's response to her precipitate departure.

She
suspected he would not be happy she had left without a word; now that they were
officially engaged, there was no reason she could not have left him a note, or even
written to him once she reached London. But she had taken the coward's way out,
and now she could not make herself put pen to paper. It was somehow less
palatable to be deceptive about her feelings in writing than in person.

He
would have no trouble finding her. Charlotte would be happy to tell him her
destination. It was only a matter of how long he chose to wait before coming
after her. Elizabeth was not looking forward to discovering what sort of temper
her husband-to-be possessed, nor how he would react to finding himself among
her low connections in Cheapside. She wondered whether he would stay the
remaining days he had planned at Rosings, or whether he would follow her
sooner. Assuming he did not immediately discover her departure from Hunsford,
the earliest she could expect to see him was the following afternoon.

She
was therefore taken by surprise when the Gardiner's manservant announced Mr.
Darcy's arrival the following morning. Nervously she stood as he entered, but
to her relief he looked no diff erent than usual, rather distant and severe,
but not angry. When he managed to catch her eye, he actually seemed pleased.