“You see, what did I tell you,” Fanny crowed triumphantly. “Why would you want that…”
“SILENCE!” the Duke thundered. “Are you so simple you do not know when to keep your mouth closed? He turned to Bennet. “Remove this dunderheaded woman and her blonde daughter.”
Already scared by the Duke’s shouting at her, Fanny allowed Hill to lead her and Jane out of the drawing room without a word of complaint.
When the door was closed, the Duke nodded to Wickham who almost dragged a most unwilling Elizabeth to stand in frontof his master. An outraged Elizabeth looked to her father for protection, but he just stood in place, doing what he always did—nothing!
“You will marry me,” the Duke said as a way of a proposal.
“Never. You may do what you will, I will never marry you,” Elizabeth shot back. She kept her eyes on the man, never lowering her head or showing any fear.
“I did try to warn you, Your Grace,” Bennet stated with much relief. “Once Lizzy makes up her mind, she will not change it.”
As attractive as her resistance was, if she refused to recite the vows of her own free will, she would never be his wife. After the display she was putting on she had to be—would be his wife.
“In two days I will return and we will revisit this subject,” the Duke commanded.
“There will be no wavering on my part, not in two days, two years, or two millennia! Never will I be your wife,” Elizabeth insisted, her arms akimbo, chin up as she looked at the disgusting man in front of her.
Without comment, the Duke had his man assist him to stand, and he then walked out of the drawing room without another word.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Elizabeth had not waited for her father to speak, with tears of fury running down her cheeks, she had run out of the drawing room, through the house, and out of the kitchen door. She did not stop running until she reached Oakham Mount.
Still crying in frustration, she stomped up the path to the summit. When there, she began to rapidly pace back and forth.
If her father had not been so selfish, he would have allowed her to go live with the Gardiners years ago and thenshe would never have been the object of the disgusting man’s attentions.
She would not, could not, marry such a man. Elizabeth intended to honour the vow she and Jane had taken to only marry for the deepest love. Forgetting the age of the man, she did not even like him—yes, she had only met him in the last two days—in fact, truth be told, she hated the very sight of him! He was a man she could never respect as she had been witness to a union without respect, that between her parents, and it was something she would never accept for herself.
Until today, she had believed Papa loved her. Mama she knew did not, so anything she said or did would not be surprising to Elizabeth.
The scales had fallen from her eyes. Papa was unable—or unwilling—to protect her. Not one word had he said, other than anI told you soto the old man. If he knew she would refuse him, why did Papa allow the Duke to come to their home and importune her in that fashion?
She knew the truth, Papa was weak. She had seen the examples of his ineptitude over the years when it came to checking Mama’s excesses and he never did. Elizabeth could clearly see how Mama manipulated Papa. All she had to do was caterwaul a little and Papa would give into anything she wanted.
Elizabeth could only pray Mama would remain opposed to her being married to the Duke. If she somehow changed her mind, then the pressure on Papa would be relentless, which would translate to him demanding she marry the ancient man.
Mama would never change her mind. She would not allow herself to see the daughter she disliked with intensity become a duchess and not Jane.
For whatever reason, and Elizabeth could not fathom what it was, thank goodness, he did not want to marry Janey. As long as Jane was safe, Elizabeth would endure the slings and arrows directed at herself. She knew her own strength and would not be bullied into changing her mind regardless of what Papa demanded she do.
Hopefully, the old man would be so repulsed with her behaviour he would quit Meryton and leave both herself and Janey in peace.
Feeling somewhat more sanguine with things and with her confidence in her own willpower high, Elizabeth began to relax. She seated herself on the bolder near the eastern edge of the summit.
She untied and removed her bonnet and then placed her hands behind her for support as she rested, her body at an angle, allowing her arms to keep her in that position.
With the sun warming her, Elizabeth forced herself to forget about the situation at home—for a short time.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“You were not making sport with me, that man wants to marry Lizzy,” Fanny stated.
As soon as the Duke left their house, Fanny had sought out her husband. She had found him in the study. As much as she did not want Elizabeth to become a duchess over Jane, Fanny had realised the advantage to herself would still be great.
“As you saw,” Bennet responded tiredly. “You also heard Lizzy say she will never marry him, and you know Lizzy is not one to weaken her resolve.”
