Richard shook his head slowly. “Darcy, sometimes I wonder at you. How can you be so skilled in business and estate matters, and yet so very naive in affairs of the heart? Of course, she did not accept you. I would not have accepted you either. You practically talked her out of it.”
Darcy’s brow furrowed. “You think so?”
“I know so,” Richard returned. “What woman in her right mind would accept a proposal from a man who begins by listing every reason she is unworthy? You told her again that her connections were low, that her family is beneath you. This is the second time you have made such a speech. I am surprised she has not closed her door to you altogether.”
Darcy rose and began to pace. “Elizabeth said she loved me. She admitted it but also said we were at an impasse and asked for time. She promised to accept no other until I return from Scotland and we can speak again.”
Richard leaned against the mantel with folded arms. “Then she has more forbearance than I expected. But mark me, Fitzwilliam, the best thing you can do now is stay away. Give her time to forget the sting of your words.” He paused and then looked gravely at his cousin. “However, she will return to London again within a fortnight, to her uncle’s house. Pembroke will have every opportunity to press his suit there.”
Darcy turned sharply. “She promised me she would wait.”
Richard lifted a brow with a half-smile. “Yes, and let us hope Pembroke’s renown and his fine address do not tempt her beyond endurance. He is handsome, he has a good estate, andhe is free of scandal. There is no reason in the world for her to refuse him. If you didn’t want her for yourself, you would agree that Pembroke is an excellent match.”
Darcy halted in his pacing and rubbed his eyes.
Richard’s voice softened, though his bluntness remained. “Well, cousin, let this be a lesson. When you next offer for a woman, remember that a compliment to her fine eyes will go farther than any slight to her relations. Women want to be cherished, not catalogued against a balance sheet.”
Darcy gave a half-smile that carried no mirth. “You are determined to school me, Richard.”
“And you are in need of it,” Richard replied. “Now get some sleep. Tomorrow you must take our aunt and cousin to London, and you will need a clear head for the road.”
Darcy said nothing more, but when Richard left him, he remained standing in the middle of the room, his thoughts torn between hope and despair.
Chapter 42: Kitty’s Wedding Plans
Mr. Warwick and his mother arrived at the parsonage on time and ready both to be pleased and to please. Kitty’s intended was a wealthy man of a prosperous estate. Because of this, Mary believed his mother might think herself above her company, but Mrs. Warwick was careful to help the young hostess feel at ease, and Mr. Warwick and Elizabeth kept the conversation at the dinner table flowing amicably.
Mrs. Warwick turned to Elizabeth, who was sitting at her right. “I am grateful that my son is to be settled at last. Now my only prayer is that I may live long enough to meet my grandchildren.”
Mr. Warwick took her hand. “Mother, your prayer will be granted because Miss Kitty and I will take good care of you.” He turned to Kitty and placed his hand on hers. “My betrothed is everything that I hoped for in a wife, but I never thought to find a woman with so generous a heart as hers.”
After dinner, the two men remained at the table drinking their port, while the three women moved to the best parlor. Elizabeth sat beside Mrs. Warwick and said, “If my question is impertinent, ma’am, pray forgive me, but I heard you say you are not well. What is the nature of your illness?”
The elderly lady replied, “It is my heart, dearie.”
Elizabeth patted the lady’s hand. “What does the doctor say?”
“I am to stay away from salty, rich foods, for they strain my heart. There is some truth in what he says. I do feel better when I eat simple, hearty fare. Stephen dismissed our French chef, andthe new cook serves plain dishes, and I do feel better on account of that.”
When the men joined the ladies, the conversation turned to wedding plans, for Mr. Warwick was anxious to set a date according to the wishes of his mother, who desired to see him settled while she still lived.
That night, seeking to turn her thoughts from the pain of disappointed hopes, Elizabeth sat at her little desk and composed letters to the editors of three ladies’ journals. She wrote out a different poem for each of the journals and hoped one of them would publish her work. As she toiled, she dabbed at the tears that ran down her cheeks. He had declared his love for her and had asked for her hand, and she had refused him.
She loved him. She had loved him for weeks before realizing the nature of her feelings. But they were at an impasse. Her connections in trade weighed upon him. He would be judged for lowering himself. If she accepted him now, she felt sure he would come to regret the marriage.
Elizabeth pressed her hands to her brow.If I accepted him under these conditions, I would become my mother.
Elizabeth shrank away from those thoughts. The promise she had made to Mr. Darcy was both a comfort and a burden. She had given her word, and she would keep it. But she was afraid of the life she would lead with Mr. Darcy. Her thoughts turned to Sir Lawrence Pembroke, who had demonstrated his admiration every time they were in each other's company. He was in every respect a suitable match. Should she wait for him instead? He already thought well of her, and her family did not matter a jot to him. Should she turn entirely away from Mr. Darcy and wait to see if anything developed between her and Sir Lawrence?
Elizabeth finished her letters, then crawled into her bed, praying for sleep. But sleep did not come. Mr. Darcy’s voice followed her into the night.I love you, and I respect you.And though she fought against it, she wept.
The next morning, when Elizabeth returned from her walk, she was surprised to find Kitty already dressed and sitting at the breakfast table.
But her sister was unable to sit still. “Lizzy, I am to be married! I can hardly believe this is really happening to me. And what a surprise for mamma.” She turned to her sister. “Do you think there will be any problem? Do you think Papa will refuse Mr. Warwick?”
Elizabeth sat down next to her sister. “Kitty, whatever do you mean? Why would Papa refuse Mr. Warwick? Do you know something of the man that the rest of us have not yet heard?”
Kitty blinked. “Why, no, Lizzy. Everything I know of Mr. Warwick is good. I was just wondering if Papa would make a fuss and refuse him.”
