A Most Civil Proposal (25 page)

When they had finished the tour of the house and released Mrs. Taylor to her other duties, Georgiana ordered tea sent to the music room. There she consented to play for Elizabeth and Jane, after which she successfully enticed the sisters to take their own turns, and the morning passed most pleasantly.

While Georgiana sat with Elizabeth at the pianoforte playing the parts of a duet for Jane’s amusement, a knock sounded at the door and Colonel Fitzwilliam entered.

“Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth,” he said, bowing to each lady, “we meet again and so soon. Stevens told me that Georgie had company, but I certainly did not know you both were here.”

Turning back to Elizabeth and lowering his voice to a stage whisper so that all could hear, he said teasingly, “I hope you are making sure that Georgie is getting her full measure of practice, Miss Elizabeth. You
know
how Lady Catherine worries that she may slacken off, and she was
most
insistent that Darcy should ensure she practices every day!”

Georgiana giggled, “Richard, stop that! You have been using Lady Catherine to scare me for years, and I must admit that I thought her quite fearsome. But now that Elizabeth is here, that will no longer work; she has promised to protect me when my aunt next comes to visit.”

“And so she shall, Cousin, for she is quite fearless,” said Fitzwilliam, sitting down with the ladies. “I watched with considerable amusement as she would listen to Lady Catherine’s many suggestions, so often offered without pause for hours on end, and then respond by offering a contrary point of view in a manner that quite disconcerted her ladyship. Darcy and I have for years simply listened to my aunt’s many pronouncements without response, preferring avoidance rather than challenge, but Miss Elizabeth would have none of that!”

“Colonel Fitzwilliam!” Elizabeth laughed. “You make me sound positively formidable, and I have been trying to impress Georgiana with my amiability. You shall leave her quite confused, I am sure.”

“But you
are
formidable,” responded Fitzwilliam cheerfully. “Have you not shown yourself equally adept at dealing with Georgiana’s most
impetuous
brother?” Georgiana giggled at this comment, which made Elizabeth glance at her curiously. Obviously, the cousins were sharing a private joke, but her curiosity was soon forgotten as Fitzwilliam’s usual intelligent and amiable conversation quickly moved to other topics. He soon begged Elizabeth and Georgiana to play for him, lamenting that all too soon the both of them would be spirited off to the wilds of Derbyshire, leaving none to entertain a penniless and friendless colonel of the horse cavalry. Georgiana giggled again, and she and Elizabeth played several pieces for him, some together and others singly, all to effusive compliments from Fitzwilliam and more restrained, but no less admiring, praise from Jane. At last, as they finished a particularly difficult piece without any major errors, the general compliments were supplemented by a hearty round of applause from the doorway.

Twisting around on the bench, Georgiana and Elizabeth saw that Darcy and Bingley had come into the room while they were playing, observing silently from the doorway until they finished.

“Bravo! Well done indeed,” said Darcy with one of his rare smiles that Elizabeth was coming to appreciate more, especially as they seemed mostly directed her way. She could not help but be pleased that she appeared to have such a beneficial effect on her future husband, as it promised much for the future. Bingley quickly crossed to Jane and seated himself by her while Darcy sat on the couch beside Colonel Fitzwilliam.

“It appears that your morning has passed agreeably,” said Darcy, pleased and encouraged by the cheerfulness and lack of restraint he had already observed in his sister.

“Very much so, sir,” said Elizabeth. “Your sister has been a most charming hostess. And you were quite right in your description of her talents. She has both skill and a feel for the music that makes her presentation a complete delight.” Georgiana flushed slightly, pleased by the compliment but uncomfortable at being the centre of attention. Elizabeth noticed this and leaned over to clasp her hand. “Though we shall have to teach her to accept compliments with more grace, for she shall certainly be most effusively praised when more people have the opportunity to hear her!” This made Georgiana blush furiously, pleased and apprehensive at the same time, but Elizabeth gave her hand another squeeze, drawing at least a slight smile from the shy girl.

“And where have you taken yourself off to this fine morning, Darcy?” queried Fitzwilliam.

“Bingley and I visited my solicitor to consult on marriage agreements and the special license for myself and Elizabeth. Bingley shall soon be preparing for his own wedding, though he has more time at his disposal.” Suddenly he realized that Fitzwilliam was ignorant of the problems with Elizabeth’s father. “I believe that I have not informed you that a date has been settled on. We shall be married on this coming Saturday.”

Fitzwilliam grinned hugely. “Capital, my good cousin, simply capital! Precipitate to the last, I see!”

Elizabeth was amazed to see Darcy blush a deep red. She looked curiously at him, but her attention was drawn to Fitzwilliam, who leaned forward to ask her slyly, “Perhaps you might like to take a walk with me in the garden while Darcy recovers, and I can play the part of a helpful cousin to give you some background on the
impulsive
Darcy family. It is information that you will very much need to know in the trying years to come!”

“Fitzwilliam!” growled Darcy, but his cousin’s smile did not falter, and Darcy closed his eyes in exasperation.

“Will you relent, Cousin?” he asked, but the colonel only shook his head. “Very well, then,” Darcy sighed. He had hoped to tell this to Elizabeth in a more confidential setting, but he could see that was not to be. Even Bingley and Jane were interested as he began, “You may have noticed, Elizabeth, that Richard quite enjoys teasing me. You have probably also noticed that both my sister and myself tend to be somewhat reticent. It might have been different if my mother had lived, but even then it might have turned out much the same. We Darcys,” he smiled, “are not known to be great conversationalists.”

“However,” he said with a warning glance at Fitzwilliam, who appeared ready to interject a comment, “we Darcys are also known, at least among the family, to be somewhat . . . impulsive. My cousin enjoys relating the story of how my father courted my mother as an example of how . . . unconventional . . . the Darcy side can be, when in so many other respects we are the opposite.”

Elizabeth coloured slightly but said nothing as Darcy sat back in his chair and continued. “My father first met my mother when he visited the home of a friend from Cambridge, the elder son of the Earl of Matlock and the present holder of that title. My father was a young man of five and twenty, but my mother was then only sixteen and not yet out in society. He immediately —”

“And impulsively!” interjected Fitzwilliam.

“— lost his heart to her, and after considering the matter for a few hours, determined to speak to her father that very day. That very daunting person was considerably shocked and more than a little affronted when my father informed him of his feelings and of his intention to offer marriage to his daughter at a future date when it would be acceptable. Then, since she was not to be presented for some two years, he further informed the earl that he was cognizant of the fact that any attentions on his part at the present time would be wholly unacceptable, therefore he would immediately remove himself from their home. The family was upset, and some thought was given to ordering their son to sever the acquaintance, but, since the Darcy family was wealthy and prominent, it was decided to let the matter lie and act as events unfolded.

“My father thus did not see my mother for two years. Then, on the day following her coming out, he again presented himself to the earl and confirmed his intention to seek my mother’s hand in marriage. The earl, though considerably surprised by his most unconventional approach, was reluctantly impressed by his constancy and determination. At length he assented to allow him to plead his suit, but he informed my father that he would not yet allow my mother to respond, since she was only then starting her first season. Accordingly, he accompanied my father to his daughter’s presence, where my father formally offered his hand and then went away unanswered as previously determined.

“My mother then enjoyed the various events attendant on a young girl’s season, and my father had numerous occasions to see her in society, for he immersed himself in the social life which he normally avoided. My mother had several requests from young men to court her, and her family induced her to accept one particularly eligible gentleman. The courtship lasted for three months, when the man eventually made an offer, but she politely declined. She later told my father that she had already decided to accept his offer when he should be allowed to make it again. She evidently had no doubt of his dependability. Eventually, at the end of the season and with the other connection ended, my father was allowed to pursue her.”

Darcy smiled as he glanced over at Elizabeth. “The courtship lasted a grand total of three days, at which time he again tendered his offer, she accepted, and the earl’s consent was somewhat reluctantly given. It was, you see, a good but not a splendid match.”

Elizabeth, interested but not sure how to interpret this information, at length was moved to a teasing mood. “I suppose, sir, that this history is offered as evidence of the eccentricities of the Darcy family?”

Darcy smiled at her. “It is rather offered as an example of the lengths to which we Darcys will go to achieve a desirable goal.”

To this response, Elizabeth could not help but laugh, which was joined by the whole party, especially Colonel Fitzwilliam.

Chapter 18

Monday, April 20, 1812

Darcy had returned home the previous night to find a reply from Lord Matlock that he and his wife would be available at one o’clock the next afternoon. He spent the morning working his way through his back correspondence, and when the clock struck twelve, he sent word to Johnson that he would be leaving immediately. He then went in search of his cousin, finding him sitting in the rear garden with Georgiana and the two Miss Bennets, all of whom were laughing at one of his stories. Darcy was never able to determine to what degree his cousin mixed truth and fiction in the tales of his many and varied exploits in the service of his King, but he did know that he could not have survived to that date if even a quarter of them were to be believed.

“I am sorry to interrupt yet another sterling saga, Richard,” he said as he entered the garden, “but I must borrow you immediately if we are to reach your parent’s home by one.”

“But Darcy, I was just getting to the climax! You cannot force me to leave the ladies in suspense, man!”

“Ladies,” Darcy said firmly, “you must excuse us. I am sure he will finish his tale at another date. Of course, it is possible that his continuation will bear no resemblance to what he has related thus far, possibly because he makes it up as he goes along. But that you shall have to judge for yourself.”

“William,” Georgiana laughed, “do not speak so of our cousin. If he had not been a younger son and thus unable to buy more than a lieutenant’s commission, he would undoubtedly be a general by now!”

“You see?” said Fitzwilliam, rising to his feet and preventing his sword from clattering with the instinctive motion of one who has worn the weapon daily for more than ten years. “At least one of the Darcy family appreciates my service to my sovereign!”

In truth, Darcy knew that Fitzwilliam’s service had indeed been valuable, because he knew that his father, Lord Matlock, had actually offered to buy his son a majority at seventeen and a colonelcy at twenty, but Richard had refused, accepting only a lieutenant’s commission. His subsequent promotions had been gained through merit, and he had seen a goodly share of action on the continent, in Spain and the Netherlands. But Fitzwilliam did not voice that aloud in gentle society, preferring to pose as a gentleman soldier rather than the experienced professional he was.

“Sweetling,” Darcy leaned over to kiss Georgiana on the cheek, “enjoy yourself this afternoon. Remember, I am depending on you to make sure that Elizabeth purchases what is needed. If I am any judge of her character, I predict that she will protest that she surely does not need so much and will be quite reluctant to spend my money. I hope you will be able to convince her of the futility of such a course.” Elizabeth looked at him in confusion, for his face was perfectly serious, and it was only the stifled giggle from Georgiana that let her know the unpredictable Darcy was teasing her.

“Mr. Darcy!” she exclaimed. “If you do not stop this immediately, we shall have to reveal to the world that you actually
do
have a sense of humour!” Georgiana laughed aloud, and Darcy gave a slow smile while Elizabeth considered him with her chin cupped in her hand and one finger tapping on her cheek. “It is a warped and droll sense of humour, to be sure, but I am sure you will not be allowed in any of your clubs once it is made generally known,” she said with a solemnity equal to his own.

Darcy threw up his hands. “I surrender, madam! I should have known not to joust with you, and I yield the field to attend to family duties.” He turned to Fitzwilliam, “Richard, we must be off before I decide that my chances with your parents would be improved if I left you behind.”