Mr. Darcy and the Secret of Becoming a Gentleman (27 page)

“Sir, while I do wish to speak to you about marriage in general, I am not here on Mr. Bingley's behalf. I have come on my own.”

Somewhat shocked by what Mr. Darcy was implying, Mr. Bennet looked over the edge of his glasses at Darcy and replied, “Oh… well… then, I am not sure I can be of much help. You do understand that Jane is already betrothed.”

Unsuccessfully attempting to hide his exasperation, Darcy replied, “Yes, I am well aware of the fact, and I wish them nothing but happiness.” He then looked at Mr. Bennet for what seemed to the older gentleman an inordinately long time. As it became clear that Mr. Bennet was not going to make any sort of reply, Darcy suddenly rose and paced back and forth several times; he then tentatively sat back down on the edge of his chair. He fixed his gaze on the window beyond Mr. Bennet's head and stated, “Mr. Bennet, I have come to ask permission to marry your daughter; your daughter, Miss Elizabeth.” Having finally blurted it out, he looked to Mr. Bennet for his reaction, and seeing the alarm on his face, he began to speak very rapidly. “On my behalf, may I say that I believe I will be a good husband to her and I will do anything in my power to make her happy. I am not sure if you are aware, but I have more than sufficient holdings to support her quite comfortably. She will want for nothing. She will always have at her disposal whatever funds she sees fit. My younger sister is under my care, and I believe Elizabeth will be a wonderful companion and sister to her. I realize that I will be taking her from Hertfordshire, but I think she will find my estate, Pemberley, in Derbyshire, quite to her liking. While Pemberley is at quite a distance from here, we have several carriages, and I am sure she will be able to visit Hertfordshire twice or perhaps even three times a year. I realize this may seem sudden on my part, but it is actually the product of much thought and devotion. I know that you have Miss Bennet's wedding to consider and that this is a complication to those proceedings, but it cannot be helped. I would not bother you if I felt I could wait any longer. But… I cannot. Therefore… I would like your permission to marry Elizabeth as soon as possible.”

Mr. Bennet looked at Mr. Darcy in utter disbelief. That this arrogant young man felt he could come in and simply select Lizzy as his bride and then attempt to convince him of the suitability of their obviously ill-conceived match by listing his assets was beyond belief and bordering on an insult. Stunned by the sheer ridiculousness of the situation, he responded, “Mr. Darcy, this is quite extraordinary.”

Darcy was feeling both relief at having publicly declared his intentions and rising concern at Mr. Bennet's reaction. “Do you mean to say that the manner in which I made my request is extraordinary or that my request itself is extraordinary? If it is the former, I beg your leave. I have obviously never asked for permission of this kind before, and if there are questions that you wish to ask me, please feel free to do so. I will obviously have my solicitor send you whatever information you require as to my financial standing. May I say at this point, that I understand that Miss Elizabeth does not have much by way of a dowry. Obviously, given my financial holdings, I am not in need of any sort of contribution to my assets, and as a result, we need not even consider it as part of our discussions.”

Taking off his reading glasses with much deliberation, Mr. Bennet gave Darcy a level stare and then said facetiously, “Well, thank you. That is quite a relief off my mind.” He then added in a grave tone, “Mr. Darcy, I think there is very little for us to discuss. I do not mean to speak on Elizabeth's behalf, but I think I can say, with quite some certainty, that she would not accept your offer, and I will not force the matter. Except maybe to say that I find your interest in her to be quite unusual. I understand that you were disappointed by Jane's selection of Mr. Bingley, but I hardly think substituting her next sister in her place makes any sense. In that regard, perhaps for your sake, I should take this opportunity to make myself clear on the subject. I do not believe any of Elizabeth's other sisters will accept your offer either.”

Darcy stared at Mr. Bennet in disbelief as his cheeks flushed red with both embarrassment and anger. He attempted to calm his rising frustration by remembering how Elizabeth had felt in his arms that morning and the way she had looked at him just before she had welcomed his kisses. Steeling himself with the knowledge that only the two of them understood the depth of their affection and all they had endured to reach this point, he willed himself to respond to Elizabeth's father with patience. Darcy cleared his throat and said, “Mr. Bennet, I have already asked Elizabeth to marry me, and she accepted my proposal this morning. She is aware that I am making this request to you now. I understand that this might seem sudden to you, but it is not. I have every confidence that Elizabeth, Miss Elizabeth, returns my affections. Other than your concern that she would not accept my offer, do you have any other objections?”

“Mr. Darcy, I find this quite difficult to comprehend. Do you mean to say that Lizzy has accepted you?”

“Yes, sir, she has.”

Mr. Bennet looked at him for several moments before he added in a voice full of concern, “Mr. Darcy, I not sure what has prompted Lizzy to accept you, but I would ask that you think twice about it. Obviously, I cannot complain about your ability to support her, but I think it would be a grave mistake for you to attempt it in the first place. I do not mean to be blunt or, for that matter, cruel, but this is a matter of such gravity that I find I have no alternative. Mr. Darcy, it is my understanding that Lizzy has always disliked you. If she has accepted you, it must be for the material considerations you can provide, and while some women might be able to live a life built on such a basis, I know Lizzy would never be able to, even if the allure of all you can offer has momentarily blinded her. I cannot claim to comprehend the basis of your interest in her, but I think I am safe in assuming from your aunt's recent visit that your family will no more welcome Lizzy than they would have Jane. But, whatever your motivation, I must advise you to put it aside. Mr. Darcy, please believe me when I say I speak from experience. In the long run, it will only make you both unhappy. I know you have said that your interest in her is not sudden, but you have only returned to Hertfordshire a few weeks ago. You must look at it in the long run and understand that you will soon find something or someone else to divert your attention. In the end, you will see it is for the best.”

Darcy knew his interview with Mr. Bennet would not be easy, but he had never counted on a refusal. With the panic evident in his voice, Darcy exclaimed more forcefully than he intended, “Mr. Bennet, you do not understand the situation. You must speak to your daughter; she will confirm our mutual regard, and I can assure you that it is not based on material considerations on her part. Nor is my interest in her a transitory indulgence. I have been in love with Elizabeth since I met her last November.”

“Mr. Darcy, I would caution you. You have twice referred to my daughter in a most familiar manner, one which you have no right to claim. She may have caught your fancy last fall, but you have not seen her for months, and I know she did not return your affection at that time.”

Trying to calm himself, Darcy replied with as much civility as he could muster. “Mr. Bennet, you are correct. Please excuse my impropriety. It was most unintentionally done, and it will not happen again. With all due respect, though, I still believe you do not understand the situation. My acquaintance with Miss Elizabeth is more extensive than you may be aware. I saw her also in Kent while she was visiting Mrs. Collins. My aunt is Mr. Collins's benefactor, and I was visiting there at the time your daughter was at Hunsford.”

“Are you trying to tell me then, sir, that Lizzy formed an attachment to you while you were in Kent?”

Closing his eyes momentarily in exasperation, he replied, “No, I did not mean to imply that she returned my affections while we were together in Kent. She did not. I only meant to point out that our acquaintance is more extensive than you might have previously understood.”

“But you had affections for her while you were in Kent?”

“Yes, sir, that is correct. Even before then, when I was here in the fall.”

“But you never sought permission to court her?”

Feeling the sting of his words, Darcy simply replied, “No. I did not.”

“Mr. Darcy I am having a great deal of difficulty following you, but are you trying to tell me that you first liked her in the fall, but the attraction deepened in Kent?”

“Yes.”

“You then returned here this spring to continue to pursue her—and not Jane?”

“Yes, well, there is more to the story than that, but it is accurate in its essence. So you can see my interest in your daughter is more than a passing phase.”

“Mr. Darcy, even if I could overlook the fact that you came here to pursue my daughter and failed to seek my permission to court her, all this shows is that it may be more difficult than I first comprehended for you to move past your interest in her. But my underlying concern remains the same. You, yourself, have admitted that Lizzy had no special regard for you in Kent, but only accepted you after your very brief reunion here this spring. Despite being in your company for several weeks, she never developed even a friendship with you, before you suddenly began to pursue her with an offer of matrimony. I know my Lizzy, and I know that she would not accept your attention for your wealth alone, but perhaps she is feeling the pressure to marry now that her sister is spoken for. She may be willing to accept you for the wrong reasons, but I am under no such obligations.”

“But she is not accepting me for the wrong reasons. I know that for a fact.”

“Mr. Darcy, the masculine mind is an amazing thing, but being able to discern the basis of a woman's attraction to it is not one of its skills. I am afraid you are particularly unqualified to clearly see Lizzy's motivations, and while I am surprised by her behavior, there is no other rational explanation.”

Darcy boldly replied, “I know for a fact that Miss Elizabeth has accepted my proposal out of her regard for me, without any thought to my financial or social standing.”

Amazed at Mr. Darcy's singular behavior, Mr. Bennet replied, “Mr. Darcy, I will ask my daughter, but after making such a declaration, I must say, I would be remiss not to hear you out. What makes you so sure?”

As Mr. Bennet awaited his reply, Darcy realized the position he had placed himself in. He loathed being forced to expose his innermost struggles to this man—to any man. It was something he was particularly unaccustomed to enduring. Especially as he was being forced to do so, in order to defend himself. But what was his other option? He tried to imagine himself in Mr. Bennet's position. He knew that if it were someone seeking Georgiana's hand, he would feel entitled to ask such questions. If he was honest with himself, if he put himself in Mr. Bennet's shoes, he probably would have thrown himself out after he had admitted to having pursued Elizabeth for an extended period of time, without first making his intentions clear to her father. No, he owed this man an explanation, even if some of it would not sit well. It was only his pride that was stopping him, and he had long ago vowed that he would not let that get in his way when it came to Elizabeth.

But in telling his tale, he knew he would have to divulge information about other people who might not wish it. Certainly, he could not discuss all of the details of what had transpired between Miss Bennet and Mr. Bingley without their permission. Moreover, his story would not reflect well on Mr. Bingley's sisters, and given that they were soon to be related to Mr. Bennet, he felt it would cause more harm than good. The same, however, was not true about Wickham or, for that matter, even Georgiana. From what Miss Lydia had said the other night about her wish to follow the regiment, he had vowed to discuss Wickham, in general terms, with Mr. Bennet today, in any regard. It was a risk, but he could hardly allow Wickham to continue to insinuate his presence in Elizabeth's family.

Squaring his shoulders and giving Mr. Bennet a grim smile, he said, “Mr. Bennet, I would be happy to tell you, although there are parts of this story that will not please you. I apologize in advance.”

Mr. Bennet indicated that he should continue. “As you know, I first met your daughter last fall. Suffice it to say, I did not make a good impression. Despite what you may have heard about my estimation of her, though, I was indeed very quickly taken with her, with everything about her. I found her spirit, her wit, her natural goodness, and her beauty unequaled by any other woman I had ever met. But concerns that I have long since realized have no consequence intruded, and I attempted to ignore my attachment toward her. I left with Mr. Bingley, thinking that I could put Miss Elizabeth out of my mind. When I saw her again in Kent, I realized the extent of my love for her, and that whatever my family's objections, I wanted her as my wife or I would never marry… So I asked her to marry me in Kent. She refused my proposal outright. So you see, I know that Miss Elizabeth is not presently accepting me for my position or for my wealth. If she were interested in either of those things, she could simply have accepted my first proposal. If she wanted, she could have been my wife months ago, but she refused simply because she did not like me. I also do not believe her sister's impending marriage has motivated her to accept me now. I know I am the second suitor she has rejected in a year. It seems clear she would rather remain unmarried than enter into an alliance that did not please her.”

For once, Mr. Bennet let his detached demeanor slip and exclaimed, “This is most extraordinary. I had no idea. I am not sure if I am more vexed that you and Lizzy never saw fit to let me know any of this or amazed that you have now secured her acceptance. How did this come to pass? Why has she accepted you now?”