Imperative: Volume 1, A Tale of Pride and Prejudice (32 page)

She blushed.  “That was before I met Mr. Collins.” 

Mr. Bennet smiled at last.  “Very well, I will tell you.  You ask to be treated as a woman, but dear Lizzy you will always be my child, my favourite, as you well know.  I wanted you to be given a home that I know you love, to be able to stay on the land you have made your own since that first ramble you took by yourself, well, not quite by yourself because I followed you.”  He saw her surprise.  “I knew that you felt more connected to this estate than even I do, and certainly more than your sisters.  You would have cared for it; you would have taught your husband all that you know from sitting here and watching me.  You would have taught the next generation its story.  That is all, Lizzy.  There was no other man I had seen who was good enough for you.  I saw no opportunity for you to meet anyone worthy outside of our small neighbourhood, so in lieu of an excellent husband, I hoped to give you your home to love.  I did all of this before Mr. Darcy came along, and despite his earnest application for your hand, I found it incredible that such a personage as he would follow through.  So I kept the possibility with Mr. Collins alive, obviously much longer than I should have.”

“I see.”  His explanation sounded so much like her own excuses for his behaviour that it was tempting to believe him and leave it at that, but her emotions were too high from the evening before, and she pressed on.  “Papa . . . why so soon?”

“What do you mean?”

“Mr. Darcy told me that I was to marry Mr. Collins before Christmas, was he incorrect?”

Mr. Bennet closed his eyes.  “Mr. Darcy told you this.” 

“Does he lie?”

“No.”  Seeing her expectant stare, he shook his head.  “I have told you all that you need to know, Daughter.  You will marry Mr. Darcy and leave Longbourn for his grand estate far away.”

“And who will you give to Mr. Collins now?”  She said softly.  “I escaped him, but will Mary?”

“You forget that Mary is not you.  Her ideals and expectations are not the same; she already has shown him signs of respect by talking to him about the Bible.  Where you see him as ridiculous, she may feel herself quite proud to marry such a man.”  Elizabeth found herself gaping and closed her mouth.  “But, I leave it to her to decide if he asks.   I promise no undue pressure from me.  That tactic was a great mistake as was proven by you.”

“But Mama . . .”

“I will speak to her.”

“Why did you not speak to her last night?  Why did you allow her and my sisters to behave so abominably?”  Elizabeth cried and watched his eyes cast down.  “No, do not answer, I truly do not wish to know.  Let me leave this home with the loving explanation you have given me, and your hopes that I will be very happy with Fitzwilliam.  I assure you, I will be.  He will never regret asking me to be his wife.  Excuse me.” 

“Lizzy . . .” Mr. Bennet called after her as she opened the door and left the room.  A few moments later he watched her hurrying out of the house, haphazardly tying the ribbons on her bonnet, the front of her coat flapping as she hastened across the bare garden.  He went to the window and watched her come to a complete standstill.  From the drive, he spotted Darcy enter the gate on horseback, and move directly to her side.  He stopped and spoke to Elizabeth for a few moments, then to her father’s utter surprise, he saw him extend a hand to her.  She stepped up on a rock and then placed a foot on top of his boot, and suddenly she was up and seated before him.  Mr. Bennet could see her smile before Darcy dipped his head to kiss her, and off they rode.   It was completely and utterly against propriety, and he did not care.  “She will be happy.”  He turned and looked around his sanctuary.  “Just not here.”

“FANCY MEETING YOU HERE.”  Darcy’s lips twitched and he adjusted Elizabeth so she was seated securely.  “Hold onto my waist.”

“This is so wrong.”  She laughed and wrapped her arms around him.  “I thought that I told you to stay away.”

“I interpreted that as an invitation to visit.”  Again his lips twitched and this time the little smile appeared. 

“That is quite an odd interpretation; I do not speak in riddles.  In fact, I am rather plain-spoken.”

Darcy’s mouth dropped open.  “What utter nonsense that is!  Your speech is full of challenge and suggestion.  I foolishly wasted time being harassed by my cousin when I should have been answering your plea for rescue.  Forgive my tardiness, Elizabeth.  In future, I promise to respond with great haste.”

“Speaking of utter nonsense!”  Elizabeth laughed and gasped when the horse broke into a canter.  “Ohh!”

“Do you know how to ride?”  Darcy tilted his head.

“Of course, I do.”   Elizabeth sniffed and clung to him tighter.  “What proper lady does not?”

“Can you drive?”

“Like the wind.”

“Hmmm.”  His eyes twinkled to see the challenge in hers, and he whispered to her bonnet.  “If I were to ask you any question, would you ever deny knowledge?”

“Perhaps.”

“Again you skirt denial!  What subject claims your ignorance?”

“I . . .” Elizabeth paused and looked out across the fields.  “Duelling.”

“Well that is comforting.”  Darcy at last laughed softly.  “I shall not be skewered by a sword in the middle of an argument at Pemberley.”

“There is undoubtedly a handy candlestick around that I may use.”

“Hmm, you
are
ignorant; I believe that head bashing is not a preferred method for settling arguments.”

“You will have to grow accustomed to it then.”  She lifted her chin.  “Stubborn people sometimes require a strike to the head to see sense.”

“With a candlestick?”  He looked at her askance.

Her eyes sparkled.  “Oh, as you are soft, I will take you on with a pillow.” 

Darcy embraced her.  “Why do I look forward to our first battle?”

“When you find out, tell me.   I unfathomably look forward to it as well.”  Elizabeth touched the cleft in his chin then traced over his lips with her fingertips.  Darcy kissed them and she blushed. 

“Can you shoot?”  He lifted his brows.  “Aha!  You hesitated!”

“Oh, hush!”  Elizabeth sighed.  “Must you always have your way?”

“No.”  He smiled and slowed the horse.  “No, if that were the case, we would not be marrying on Saturday.”

“Because your sister . . .”

“No dearest, that is not what I meant.”  Darcy stopped the horse and held her close.  “If I had all of the time in the world, I would have courted you as you deserved.  I would have taken you around to the sights of Town, taken you to plays and danced your slippers off at balls.”  Elizabeth laughed with the thought.  “I would have shown you that I am not marrying you to save my sister, but . . .” He stopped and gazed into her eyes.  “. . . for you.”

“Oh.”  Elizabeth saw the same sincere expression he had always directed to her.  “Fitzwilliam . . .”

“I want you to understand that.  I truly do want you as my wife.  I cannot imagine any other woman,” he caressed his hand over her cheek, “who I would want to be in my arms right now or ever.”  His gaze moved to her mouth, and he spoke to her lips.  “Do you understand, dearest Elizabeth?”

“Yes.”  Elizabeth reached up and pulling his head down, kissed him.  After several breathtaking moments, she drew away only enough to speak, “Do you understand, Fitzwilliam?”

“Yes.”  He murmured and bent to reclaim her mouth as his arms wound around her.  The horse shifted and she nearly lost her seat.  “Whoa!” 

Elizabeth’s arms wrapped tightly around his waist and she laughed nervously as he pressed her face to his shoulder, “Perhaps this is not the safest place for this conversation.” 

“No . . .” The moment broken, Darcy reluctantly nudged the horse and they started moving.   “Did you sleep?”  Seeing her brow crease, he touched her face.  “Your eyes are shadowed.”

“Never tell a lady that she is not handsome.”  He did smile, but continued regarding her seriously.  Elizabeth learned at that moment he was not a man to be put off.  “I kept going over the night, again and again.  I apologize for my family, Fitzwilliam.  It was as if they set out to display the very worst of behaviour.  I am so ashamed.  What must you think of them?  What must you think of me?”

“Of you?”  He drew away and looked down at her.  “Elizabeth, you did nothing wrong.  It was not for you to control your family.  That was your father’s position.  He failed, not you.”

“But . . .”

“No, dearest, no excuses for him.  He could easily have bowed out after supper and taken the family home, and saved you the embarrassment that the last few hours brought.”

“I was more concerned with embarrassing you.”  Elizabeth looked down to the ground and felt his hand lift her face back up so he could meet her gaze.

“No, I had my own family member to occupy my worries.  Richard apologized to me for his horrendous behaviour towards you.”

“I was not offended.”  Hearing his sigh, she admitted,  “Perhaps I was.”

“I was.”  He looked at her pointedly.  “And he will not do it again.”

She spoke softly, “He made some painful points, and I thought about them all night.”

“I know, but he could have gone about it in a far better way.”

“He was making sure that I was worthy of you.”

“All he had to do was talk to you to know that.”

“And so he did.”  She smiled when he groaned.  “I cannot fault him for looking after you, just the way that he chose to do it.”

“From this moment on, that is your position alone.”  Elizabeth blushed and he kissed her softly.  “I do not agree with his methods, but then he does not agree with mine.  We are closer as brothers than he is with his own, but if you are uncomfortable around him, I will ban him from our homes.”

“I do not think that is necessary.  I will enjoy proving him wrong.”  She was glad to see admiration kindle in his eyes.  “Perhaps we can have some revenge?  He seems to enjoy needling you?”

“Yes.”  Darcy shook his head.  “It is the cost of his affection.”

“Well, can we not join forces and do the same to him?”  She laughed when the slow smile appeared.  “You know his weaknesses, and I will simply respond in support, together we might . . .”

“Teach him some manners?”

“Or silence his tongue; in any case, it will be great fun to see him squirm.”

“Preferably publicly.”

“Oh yes, recompense under similar conditions.” 

“I never imagined that such a devious person lay behind those deceptively lovely eyes.”  Darcy kissed her and smiled.  “I say that in the kindest terms.”  Elizabeth laughed and hugged him.  “How are things at home?”

“Oh, quiet, I suppose.  Lydia and Kitty have kept to their rooms, going over their experiences at the ball.  They will talk about it incessantly for months, I am sure.  Mama was with them when I left.”  She sighed.

“Do you have much to do with your younger sisters?”  Darcy tried to see under her bonnet.  “Or are they too trying to give them the time?”

“It is more that I am too trying to them.  I demand that they work or read, or do something useful with their time, but all they care about are ribbons and soldiers . . . I suppose I was the same then.”

“I somehow doubt that.  You were busy working or reading.”  He saw her smile and nodded.  “I thought as much.”

“Jane, of course, was sewing and humming to herself.”  Elizabeth smiled and noticed Darcy’s sigh.  “What is it?”

“She is so complacent!  How are you to read her thoughts?”

“That is the pot calling the kettle black!  You and she are not so dissimilar, both of you keep your feelings well hidden except to your closest companions.”  She laughed to see his surprise.  “Fitzwilliam Darcy!  Think of it!  Did I have any idea that you were courting me?  I thought you hated me, did I not?”

“Yes . . .”

“Well, I can assure you, Jane is just as enigmatic, although she is sweet and tender where you were . . .”

“shhhhh.”  Darcy put his fingers to her lips.  “I know what I was, and I strive to improve.”  Creasing his brow he spoke thoughtfully, “So your sister’s outward behaviour might very well be covering a turmoil of emotion within?”

“Is that what you were doing?”  She asked softly.  Darcy nodded.  “You see now the danger of being silent.”

“It may leave you married to someone you cannot abide.  I am very glad I left my inhibitions aside and spoke to you.”

“I am only sorry that I was too blind to see your turmoil within.  I see it all so clearly now.” Elizabeth caressed his brow.  “You let me in.”

“I believe that you always wanted me.  Will you tell me your first thoughts of me?”  She blushed and shook her head.  “I will prise it from you one day.”  They sat quietly embraced for a few moments, looking out over the meadow.

“Mr. Collins spoke to Papa about Mary.”

Darcy stared.  “Good Lord, the man is unstoppable!”

“He received direction from a higher authority to bring home a wife, and he is nothing if not obedient!”  Elizabeth laughed.  “Should it not please your aunt that somebody listens to her?”

“Undoubtedly.  What do you think of such a match, should it come?”

“I was set against it, utterly, but Papa pointed out that she and I are quite dissimilar.  She is rather proud of her accomplishments, and she actually appreciates Mr. Collins’.   I have no idea if she loves him or ever will, or what she wants in a husband.  She has never spoken of it.” 

“But you say that you are dissimilar, so you must have some idea of what she wants.  I know; tell me what you want in a husband, then perhaps we can decipher her wishes.”  Darcy held her eyes and read so many emotions.  “Tell me.”

“You are far too clever . . .”

“Tell me, dearest.”  He urged, and kissed her.  “Tell me your wishes.”

Elizabeth hesitated, but he held her eyes and waited, and her courage rose.  “I want a man I can respect.”  Darcy nodded.  “And hold in . . . affection.”  She blushed, and he took her hands in his.  “Oh, Fitzwilliam.”

“Are you still confused, or are you simply overwhelmed?  Or perhaps I have finally begun to live up to those first thoughts you had of me?”  He kissed her warm cheek, and whispered.  “No matter, dearest.  Respect and affection, I promise you that.  And I promise you this, I feel both for you.”  Darcy’s mouth hovered over hers.  “And when you are ready to hear it, I will tell you what else I feel for you.”