If Only In His Dreams (6 page)

“Oh, well, yes.  I will see that some is made ready for you and our brot
her.  Elizabeth, would you be so
kind as to show our guest to our brother’s study?” Jane managed to sputter out her words once the shock of her sister’s behavior wore off.

“Certainly,
Mr Darcy,
if you would please follow me.”  Elizabeth showed Darcy to the door near the stairs leading to the upper level of the house.  “This is my brother’s study.” She explained as she knocked on the door.

“Enter.” The Master of Longbourn called out.  “Ah, Lizzy, I have been waiting for your return to speak to you.  I am expecting Mr Darcy to arrive…”

“It appears that I have already arrived, Mr Bennet, though I am later than expected.” Darcy exclaimed as he entered the room.  “I came upon your sister and we have been discussing matters and then, as I am new to the area, she was kind enough to escort me to your home, seeing as I did not know where it was located.”

“Welcome, Mr Darcy.  I am pleased that you and my sister have had a chance to speak.  I pray that she has remembered her manners and offered you some refreshments.”  Alex was nervous at this critical moment in the relations with Darcy.

“Your sister has been the utmost of proper behavior and has asked your other sister to see to some coffee for me.  It has been a pleasant morning, Mr Bennet, allowing me to know your sister better and for her to have a better understanding of me as well.”

“And there is no difficulty between you?  Elizabeth, have you accepted the arrangement with Mr Darcy?”

Darcy took the lead after glancing at Elizabeth.  “We have decided that, while you and I have agreed to an engagement, we would prefer that information be kept private for the time being.  I would not wish to sully Miss Elizabeth’s good name by announcing a sudden engagement, as it would appear as if she were compromised.  Instead, we would prefer to announce that we are courting, with the intention of marrying at a later time.”

Elizabeth looked at Darcy with a raised eyebrow.  “
You have made a slight alteration to our agreement, Mr Darcy.”

Smiling so that his dimples showed, Darcy nodded.  “I still wish for the world to know that I have made a claim for your affections.  It would not be right for any young men to think that they stand a chance of stealing you from me.  And I wish to be able to give you gifts, for I am quite fond of giving gifts to those I care for.”

Again, Elizabeth gasped.  This time, it was at the intimacy that was clearly written in Darcy’s eyes.

Alex watched the interaction between his sister and her betrothed.  “So you both agree to the arrangement; you are engaged, even though you prefer to have others believe you are simply courting?”

Darcy looked at Elizabeth’s expression and when she looked towards her brother, she nodded.  Once he had her agreement, Darcy nodded as well.  “I will send a letter to my solicitor to begin drafting the marriage contract, even though it will not be needed for some time to come.”

“Ver
y well, Mr Darcy,
and though you did not inquire last night, my sister’s dowry is twenty thousand pounds.” Alex stated clearly for Elizabeth’s sake.  “If you would not mind, Mr Darcy, could I have a few moments of my sister’s time?  We have not had a chance to speak since returning home last night.”

“Certainly, Mr Bennet; if you do not mind, I will have the coffee that Elizabeth asked to have prepared for me.”  Darcy left the room, closing the door behind him.

“Lizzy, please take a seat.” Alex motioned for his sister to take her preferred seat in his study.  “This is quite a change of opinion, Lizzy.  May I ask what led to this?”

“Alex, are you disappointed that I have agreed with the arrangement that you had already determined for me?  I know that I have no alternative, so I am attempting to make the best of the situation.  Mr Darcy and I spoke a great deal this morning and I believe I know him a little better than I did last night.  Not that I am allowing either you or him off the hook for your deciding my fate without any input from me,  for you will need to atone for that at a later time. 
I was the one who requested to announcement be that we are courting for the time being, for you know Mrs Long, she would have everyone believing we were caught in a compromising manner which demanded to have me engaged quickly.  I will not have people believe that of me or of Mr Darcy.  So, you know that the agreement is
in
place and soon the papers will be prepared and signed, and that will be that.  In the meantime, I am being courted, so that I can become more acquainted with my fiancé. So this should please you to know that I am obeying you.”

“It pleases me that you will have a wonderful future, Dear Sister.  I wish for you to know that it was difficult in some ways to make such a decision, though knowing of Mr Darcy and his family, and his estate in Derbyshire, before all of this makes it easier to do so with confidence that you will be taken care of.”

Elizabeth walked to the window and looked at the outside world.  “I am still not pleased with decisions that were made without consulting me, Brother, though I will do my best to live up to the agreement you made to Mr Darcy.”

“Lizzy, you know that I love you dearly.  I want what is best for you and for Jane.  It was left for me to see to your futures and I made this agreement, as I feel that it will be most beneficial
for you.  And perhaps for Jane,
for Mr Darcy is connected to many men, one of which may be the perfect husband for our sister.
”

With an impertinent smile, Elizabeth turned and looked at her brother.  “Who knows, Alex, you may find a young lady who would even accept you amongst Mr Darcy’s friends; perhaps a sister of a friend or business acquaintance.”

Alex nearly choked on his sister’s comment.  Though it had, of course, been a thought, Alex had made a decision that he would attend to making his sisters his first priority, before taking a wife of his own.  He had not found any of the young ladies in the neighborhood to be to his liking.  “There is no hurry to marry me off, Lizzy.  Men can father their heirs when they are a great deal older.  I prefer to ensure that you and Jane are well settled before I pursue a marriage of my own.”

“Of course, dear brother, though I am certain that Jane will agree with me that we would not wish to see you alone here at Longbourn when we are moved away to begin our new families.”  Elizabeth gave him an impish grin before she quickly made her way out the door of the study.

Shaking his head, Alex could not help but realize that his sister was telling him, in her own unique way, that she was still displeased with his making decisions for her
, even if she had agreed to do as she was told.

Darcy was in the dining room, enjoying a cup of coffee and some biscuits that Jane had requested brought to him.  She had left the room to see to some household issues, so Elizabeth found him in the room alone.  Before stepping into the room, Elizabeth quietly watched the man who would become the most important man in her life.  He was tall, muscular, with dark
wavy hair.  If she had to admit the truth, she did find him to be quite handsome.  His dark eyes seemed bottomless when he gazed at her, and his dimpled smile sent shivers down her spine.

Sitting his cup down, Darcy stood up and began to move towards the door where Elizabeth stood.  “Forgive me, Miss Elizabeth, I had not heard you.”

A blush began to creep onto Elizabeth’s cheeks.  “I just barely arrived at the door, so it is not surprising that you did not hear me.  My slippers are extremely quiet on this flooring.”

“
You have not had a chance to enjoy any refreshments, would you like me to remain with you so you are not alone?” Darcy offered a chair which he had pulled out for her.

“My thanks to you, Mr Darcy, you are a very kind gentleman.” Elizabeth stated as she stepped to the chair and took a seat.  Mrs Hill had entered the room to check on Darcy and she inquired if Elizabeth wished for food along with her normal tea.  Elizabeth became self-conscious about eating in front of Darcy, but she decided that she needed something on her stomach.  “Some toast and preserves would be wonderful, Mrs Hill.”

Alex entered the room to find a very harmonious feel between the two.  Thinking to himself that he was correct in his thoughts that they would make a solid, loving couple, Alex moved to pour himself a cup of coffee and take his customary seat at the table.  When Mrs Hill returned to the room with a plate of toast and a jar of preserves, Alex asked her to have Jane join them in the dining room.

Jane made her way to the room a few moments later.  Seeing that Elizabeth appeared calm, as did both of the men, Jane entered and sat next to her sister.

“Ah, Jane, it is a pleasure to announce that our sister has agreed to the arrangements to marry Mr Darcy.  There will be a long engagement, and for the
present time, we are announcing that they are courting.  We would not wish for anyone to make a mistaken notion that there was anything inappropriate, as there has not been.”

“I believe this is much better, as Lizzy will have time to become comfortable with the notion over some time before the engagement is announced.  I am quite pleased for you both.”

“Thank you, Jane.  Your support and love is important to me.” Elizabeth stated.  “And having his own sister, I am certain that Mr Darcy is also grateful to have the support of my sister in this decision.”

“Indeed.  Georgiana will be excited to meet you, I am sure.  And my mother will be as well.  If you do not mind, I would like to invite them to come.  I am certain that Mr Bingley will welcome them at Netherfield, and they can spend some time getting to
know you, Miss Elizabeth.”

“It would be nice to spend some time getting to know them as well.” Elizabeth said.  Why was she constantly blushing whenever he spoke to her in front of others? 

Chapter 6

Miss Caroline Bingley stomped into the drawing room where her sister was arranging some flowers in a vase.  “I cannot believe our brother.  He has no notion as to where his guest is, says that Mr Darcy is expected to return by early afternoon, as they are to ride out on the estate.  What could possibly keep Mr Darcy away from here for hours; he does not know anyone outside our party.”

Louisa Hurst was quite accustomed to hearing her sister’s ranting.  “Perhaps he is making friends with some of the neighbors.  He seemed quite pleased last night at the assembly; I have never seen the man so at ease in the company of strangers.”

“That horrible Bennet family, I wish we had never met them.  Our brother was so taken with the elder sister and Mr Darcy must have taken pity on her sister.  That is the only reason I can think of that Mr Darcy would not only
dance with someone outside our party.”

“I was truly amazed that Mr Darcy danced a second time with Miss Elizabeth Bennet, he did not even do so with you or I.” Louisa commented, looking at the flowers and not seeing the deep red shade Caroline’s face became.

Finally, Caroline shouted with fury.  “He must have felt sorry for the girl, as our brother danced twice with her sister.  That is the only reason I can find that
Mr Darcy would behave so unlike himself.  I have never seen him behave so strangely.  I fear that the girl will take his kindness as a sign that Mr Darcy is interested in her, when he was only taking pity on her.
”  She then made her way to the window and looked out, glancing in all directions.  “Do you think that Mr Darcy has become injured or thrown from his horse?  Ac
cidents occur often and with his
not being familiar with the neighborhood, perhaps he took a wrong turn.  We should have the staff begin a search of the estate to find him.”

Charles Bingley entered the room to hear his sister’s last remarks.  “Caroline, I a
m
quite sure that Darcy is well and he will return soon; there is no need to fret over his safety.  I believe that he spoke to one of the stable hands about finding someplace called Oakham.  I assume that he heard that it was a pleasant spot to visit and has ridden there to see the place for himself.”

“Why did he not tell us of this delightful location?  We could have joined him in such a pleasant diversion.” Caroline fumed.

“Sister, you know that Darcy has enjoyed time on his own riding in the country.  I will not allow you to overwhelm the dear man by insisting to be at his side
every hour of the day.  I will see that he has time to relax and enjoy himself while he is here.”