“Harrumph! I would sooner convince the overreaching miss to release you from her clutches. Two thousand will do it.”
Richard shook his head and clucked his tongue. “You should have gone with the mad argument, Darcy. There will be no shaking her now.”
“Elizabeth cannot be bought. Nothing you can tempt her with will persuade her to change her values to suit you,” Darcy said proudly.
Aunt Catherine blustered and quibbled, but Darcy had to return to Longbourn.
Rising from the fainting couch, Anne kissed him on the cheek. “Allow me to wish you and your Elizabeth happy. You will not be received at Rosings before a twelvemonth, but I pray that does not prevent you from inviting me to visit you at Pemberley.” Her gaze flickered over to her irate mother. “She will refuse to accompany me, I am sure.”
“I shall disown you if you go without my blessing!” Aunt threatened.
Anne shrugged. All her mother had brought to her marriage was a title and a dowry. The fortune and estate would pass to Anne from her father whether Aunt Catherine approved or not. “I shall spend a merry time at Pemberley with Darcy and his new bride. It is your choice to persist in this stubborn manner, Mother.”
“And watch you willfully cast away your birthright? Foolish child! Until you are capable of making advantageous decisions on your own, I see no alternative but to choose for you.”
“I am hardly a child, Mother. I am twenty-seven and firmly shelved.”
“Another imprudent choice!”
As mother and daughter flung “poor choices” back and forth at each other, it occurred to Darcy that he should give Elizabeth what she most wanted: a choice.
Caution told him the risk was too great to proceed with his idea. Despite that, he realized that caution may have served him well in his lifetime, but if he were to make amends with Elizabeth, he must accept the possibility that she could refuse him.
However, if it worked…
He would need Anne’s permission. “Anne, might I have a word with you and Richard?”
Both looked at him agape, but they agreed.
After a quarter-hour discussing his plan, they parted ways from Bingley’s study—Richard with Darcy, and Anne with a warning. “This had better work, Darcy. Not only will Mother make you miserable, but I shall make you pay if you fail.”
Richard unlodged the ball of nerves lodged in Darcy’s stomach with a firm clap on the back. “I cannot believe you are doing this. It is madness. It is perfect madness.”
Darcy could hardly believe it either. Perhaps hehadgone mad.
CHAPTER35
Darcy would have preferred not to have an audience accompanying him to Longbourn, but he could not shake Richard from his side. They cut through the fields and came across Bingley and John Lucas. Bingley joined them and parted from the latter, who wished them well and agreed to return to Netherfield on the morrow.
After the trio scraped their boots to Hill’s satisfaction, they were shown into Longbourn’s drawing room where the entire Bennet family sat at apparent leisure. Darcy knew better. The panting breaths, flushed cheeks, bits of ribbon escaping from under cushions, and the empty teacup he saw Mrs. Bennet shove behind her back made it evident that no callers were expected that afternoon. Least of all him.
Elizabeth sat watching him like a cat feigning indifference. He should have brought Arthur. She could not stay cross withhim.
Miss Bennet greeted them warmly, prompting her mother to ring for tea. “Mr. Bingley, I pray Miss Bingley has recovered from her headache?”
Bingley shuffled in place. “Yes, yes, thank you for inquiring.”
“Of course. We could do no less for our neighbors andfriends.” Miss Bennet emphasized the last word, capturing Bingley’s full attention when she continued. “It is my sincerest hope that we may continue as friends, Mr. Bingley. Nothing less and nothing more.”
Darcy held his jaw up. Had she just let down Bingley?
Bingley’s relief was instantaneous. Miss Bennet had spared him from disappointing any expectations. In doing so, she encouraged him to act as agreeably as he always did. Darcy checked Mrs. Bennet, but the lady contentedly fanned her face, mumbling, “An earl’s son!”
Sothatwas how the wind blew! Now that Darcy saw it, he wondered how he had not noticed before. Richard tried not to blush or smile too widely, but he had rarely been successful at hiding his emotions.
Seats were taken—Darcy sat as near to Elizabeth as he dared—tea was served, and polite conversation reigned. Bingley would stay at Netherfield Park for the next two years at least, after which he would decide whether or not to purchase the estate. “I already like my neighbors, and with my sisters returning to London, I daresay it will be more peaceful.”
At this news, Elizabeth perked up. Her eyes brimmed with questions, but she asked only one. “Do all of your guests plan to return to London?”
