Gardiner and Philips found their opinions of the Darcy heir—which had been very good before—improving. It seemed he understood their niece very well already.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
When Elizabeth entered the study, she had been gloriously happy to see William. Her happiness diminished when she saw her uncles were also with him, and then when her uncles began to speak, she had wanted to lash out at them, all three of them.
Elizabeth’s building emotion had been fury that three men had sat around making decisions for her. The more her uncles spoke, the quicker she came to realise William had done the opposite while Uncles Edward and Frank had only wanted to protect her right to choose, even if they had put the cart before the horse.
When William had first met her at Castlemere and been rude, he had witnessed the look of fiery anger in her eyes. He had been convinced she would lump him in with her uncles as—he assumed—her righteous anger built at decisions being made without her input.
He had seen the moment she had allowed herself to hear the words and understand it was not what was occurring, and certainly not what he had endorsed.
“You have my thanks for involving me in this discussion about my future,” Elizabeth responded evenly. “Although I understand your reasoning uncles, you have to trust that after having my free will subjugated, never will I allow that to happen again. Whatever I agree to or not with regard to my future will be done because itismy choice. You both know my financial position.” Both uncles allowed it was so. “As such, you know better than anyone the main factor which drives so many ladies in our society to marry—security—is not one of my needs.”
The truth of her wealth was unknown to William, but he was aware she had inherited much. He fully intended to suggest—if she accepted him as her husband—the settlement would leave what she brought into the marriage under her control.
“We do know that Lizzy,” Philips agreed.
“Then you must trust that whatever decision I make about my future will be my free choice,” Elizabeth told her uncles. “There is nothing anyone can do to right the wrongs ofthe late Mr. Bennet, and being over protective does not balance out his lack of protection.”
Gardiner looked at Philips who shrugged his shoulders and then nodded. “You are a very wise lady, Lizzy,” Gardiner owned. “We will trust that whatever decision you make will be made because it is what you choose and not because you feel pressured.”
“If someone tried to compromise me for my fortune, assuming he survived the encounter with John, Brian, and Albert, I would still not marry him, so I can categorically tell you whatever I accept or deny will not be forced,” Elizabeth assured her uncles.
She understood her uncles were motivated by the unwarranted guilt they felt at not having been able to save her before it had been too late. Even had they known ahead of time, she would have done the same thing she had done to protect Jane and all her sisters. Although she had ultimately been blackmailed, it had in the end been a choice.
“Then I suppose Gardiner and I will leave you to it.” Philips turned to William. “You two will have ten minutes, the door will not be closed all the way, and bear in mind Biggs and Johns are positioned in the hallway.”
A shudder travelled down William’s spine. Elizabeth’s guards were not men of whom he would ever run afoul. He had no doubt they would doanythingto protect her.
“Alone at last,” Elizabeth smiled at her suitor.
“Lady Elizabeth…” William stopped at her raised hand.
“Elizabeth please, and I will call you William,” she commanded with the teasing affectation ofimperiousness.
“Yes,Your Grace,” William gave a low bow in jest. Elizabeth rolled her eyes at his silliness. “As I was about to say,I would like to suggest we do, in fact, begin with a courtship. Perhaps not three months as they wanted, rather a month or less,” William recommended. “Before you tell me why I am wrong, allow me to state my reasons.” Elizabeth nodded. “We have, in fact, known one another for a few weeks. I am sure I am falling, if not already, in love with you. I suggest this for ourselves and for no one else’s opinion. I think spending more time to get to know one another will not be harmful. What think you?”
“Never have I been in love before, but I am almost certain I am in love with you. Your suggestion for a month orlessfor a courtship does make sense.” Elizabeth smiled teasingly. “Fitzwilliam Darcy, will you court me officially?”
She thought William had taken offence at her forwardness, so she decided to explain herself to him.
“Whenheproposed, it was an order. I did not want to overstep, I know the asking of the question is in the province of men, but I just wanted to feel like it was truly my free decision this time.”
“Elizabeth, if I gave the impression I was anything but charmed at your asking me, I must beg your pardon,” William responded with a huge dimple-revealing grin. “I would like nothing more than to court you, Elizabeth Gardiner. Do you have a middle name?”
“It is Rose.”
“Yes, Elizabeth Rose Gardiner, yes, as many times as you need to hear it. Yes.”
William approached Elizabeth and took each of her dainty hands in one of his. All the while looking into her mesmerising emerald-green eyes, while his own sought permission, which he found there, he gently turned her handsover to expose the underside of her wrists. He placed a lingering kiss first on one and then the other. His lips on the pulse of each wrist sent her heart racing off at a roaring pace. Elizabeth swore she could hear it beating in her ears and it sounded like galloping horses. She knew this was not the time, but how she wished for him to kiss her lips. At least that would be one first they would share. She realised there would be many other firsts.
Once they were married, in her mind itwouldoccur, she would never close her eyes when he came to her and she would never have toprepareherself. If she knew nothing else, she knew William would always make sure they both experienced pleasure.
She was brought back to the present as she heard William’s voice pierce the fog of her dream of future felicity with him.
“Should I invite your uncles to join us?” William grinned. It was the second time he had asked her the same thing.
“Yes, I suppose so,” Elizabeth managed.
