She could not deny the excitement she felt at his request. Her heart screamed for her to accept his courtship without delay, but her rational mind asserted itself first.
“Before I answer your question, I have one or two of my own,” Elizabeth asserted.
“For you, I am an open book.”
“You were correct, we are equal in the strictest sense, but you have noble relatives, do you not?”
“I do, my Uncle, the Colonel’s father is the Earl of Matlock and his eldest son is Viscount Hilldale,” Darcy clarified.
“Do they not want you to find a wife from theTon?”
“The same day I spoke to Giana, I told my aunt and uncle all as well. They were not complimentary about my behaviour and told me I was a simpleton to allow my pride to stop me from seeing if there could be something between us. So,ifyou eventually accept me, they will support us fully.”
“I assume the aunt who spread the story of your supposed engagement to her daughter will not be so sanguine?”
“Lady Catherine would react the same way regardless of who I marry, as long as it was not Anne. The fact neither of us want to marry the other would not factor into her thoughts. My aunt has been out of society closeted at Rosings Park for years so regardless of her own opinions, she has no influence in society and certainly not any over me and my choices,” Darcy explained.
Elizabeth sat silently for a few moments. “In that case Mr. Darcy, as long as my father approves, I will be happy to be courted by you.”
His first inclination was to pull her into a hug and taste her sweet—as he was sure they were—lips. Darcy restrained himself and bestowed kisses on the tops of both of Miss Elizabeth’s gloved hands. He turned each over and repeated his action on the pulse of each wrist, where his lips contacted her skin.
There was a hitch of Elizabeth’s breath as she felt his lips on her skin. She could feel goosebumps rise on her arms as her heartrate increased with the pleasure of the contact.
“May Zeus and I escort you back to Longbourn? If you approve, I need to speak to your father.”
“Zeus?” was all Elizabeth managed as she fought to regulate her breathing and heart.
“My stallion. He is a gentleman and will follow us to your home,” Darcy related.
With a nod of permission from Miss Elizabeth, Darcy stood and offered her his hand to assist her to stand. She gladly accepted it and with her hand resting on his forearm, they began the walk down the path.
Chapter 32
Bennet was in his study going over his ledgers and examining information on new farming methods with a view to increasing Longbourn’s income and finally beginning to save like Gardiner had begged if him since the day he had married Fanny.
There was a knock on his study door. Based on the time of the morning he was sure there was only one who would be at the door. “Come Lizzy,” he called out.
The door opened and it was in fact Lizzy, but she was not alone. Darcy followed her into the study. The two came and stood in front of his broad oak desk. Bennet sat back, placed his spectacles on the open ledger, and raised his eyebrows in question.
“Mr. Darcy has something to ask you Papa, and I am here so you will know this is no joke,” Elizabeth stated.
Although he had suspected Darcy held his second daughter in tender regard, Bennet had not thought he would come asking for Lizzy’s hand so soon. He had hoped to have her with him for a little longer especially with first Mary and then Jane marrying soon and leaving Longbourn. There was no advantage in procrastinating.
Bennet extended his hand, palm up. “Go ahead, I will hear what Darcy has to ask of me.”
“You are too intelligent not to have noted my regard for Miss Elizabeth,” Darcy began.
“Smart man, start out complimenting my intelligence,” Bennet remarked sardonically.
“This morning, I met Miss Elizabeth while on her walk and after revealing some things which may have deterred her from granting my request, she allowed me to ask for, and then granted me a formal courtship, with your permission, and hopefully blessing, of course.”
“What did you confess?” Bennet asked evenly.
As concisely as he was able, Darcy told Bennet all from the decision to abandon Netherfield Park to his return with Bingley to the neighbourhood. He was perfectly candid and did not gloss over anything which could show him in a negative light if the listener chose to see him that way.
“Lizzy had the right of it when she stated you corrected your course before taking any actions to hurt Jane and my family, even though you now know it was already too late to turn Bingley from his fiancée,” Bennet stated after a few minutes to chew on everything Darcy had told.
“It would be a terrible world to live in if we were all condemned for our thoughts and not our actions,” Elizabeth added.
