He waited for her to answer. All the while, she could see a battle going on behind his eyes. Was he disappointed that she wanted to call off the engagement? Surely not. He disliked her as much as she disliked him.
“I really think we must try. If you agree, we can start with the notes. Perhaps we could talk with the servants that were enlisted to deliver them? They might give us a description of the person, or people, who asked them to bring us the summons.”
Elizabeth looked to her father for approval of the plan, but he was shaking his head. Her heart sank. After all, if he decreed they were still obligated to marry, then there would be nothing she could do. Even running away was impossible, for Elizabeth could not consider any solution that would leave her sisters vulnerable to her disgrace.“Will you at least let us try to find out what really happened last night, Papa?”
He thought for a moment, looking between the two of them.“I will allow it,” he said.“But I think you will still need to enter into an engagement, at least until we find out if there was foul play or not. That way, your reputation will not suffer beyond repair, Lizzy. What think you, Mr Darcy? What my daughter proposes would allow you to satisfy honour and protect your own reputation — though, of course, we all know that the consequences would not be nearly so dire as for my Lizzy — without such sacrifice as you were on the point of accepting. Do you agree?”
“I do, Mr Bennet.” Mr Darcy said. He studied the floor for a moment, then looked up at her again. His piercing gaze made butterflies dance in her stomach.“I will do my part to keep Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s name from being dragged through the mud.”
“Very well, then. I give my blessing to the match, Mr Darcy — and I thank you. You may announce your engagement whenever you see fit. I think it would be best that our master of coercion, whoever they might be, thinks that their plan has succeeded. That should give you sufficient cover to pursue your little investigation.” Her father shook hands with Mr Darcy, and the deed was done. Elizabeth smiled wryly at the deal being struck. She rather suspected she knew how a prize mare being sold at auction must feel.
“Thank you, Papa,” Elizabeth said, and turned to go. Stopping short, she glanced at Mr Darcy.“And thank you as well,” she whispered.
He stopped her before she opened the door.“Would you like to return to Netherfield with me, Miss Elizabeth? Or perhaps come tomorrow, so we may look over the scene of the crime, so to speak, and perhaps conduct some interviews with the staff who were present at the ball?” He glanced at Elizabeth’s father.“Of course, with your father’s permission.”
“Yes, of course she shall have my permission,” Mr Bennet agreed promptly. “After all, you have agreed to take Elizabeth. And if my daughter’s plan fails, she will be your wife in a month or so. She need not ask my permission for things any longer, but yours.” Mr Bennet took up his newspaper and opened it with a snapping gesture, a mischievous smile on his lips. He pretended to read, though it was obvious his attention remained on them.
The thought that her plan might fail made her want to flee the room and never return. How could her father be drawing any sort of amusement from the situation?“Perhaps tomorrow afternoon would be more appropriate? I must confess I am still reeling from the events of last night.”
“Yes, of course, I understand. Shall I have my carriage call for you at noon?”
“That will not be necessary. Papa, may I use the carriage tomorrow? If you do not mind, Mr Darcy, I should like to bring Jane with me.” Taking her father’s carriage would have two benefits; it would allow her to escape accepting yet another favour from Mr Darcy, and it would make it much easier to persuade Jane to come along. That would give her a chance to see Mr Bingley, and would provide her with some moral support besides. Elizabeth looked curiously at Mr Darcy, wondering if he would object to Jane’s presence. Just as she wished to give Jane and Mr Bingley the opportunity to converse, if they wished, Mr Darcy might well want to keep them apart.
“As you wish,” Mr Darcy replied calmly, and stood aside to allow her father to give his permission for the use of their carriage. Thankfully, Mr Bennet had no objections to the plan. They finished putting together the particulars of the next day’s activities and turned to leave her father in peace.
Mr Bennet rose from his chair as they finished, walking them both to the library door.“If you find anything at Netherfield, notify me at once and we can take the proof to my good friend, Constable Rathers. He is a most apt student of the law and a very perceptive man.”
Mr Darcy thanked her father, and he opened the door for them. Outside, they found her mother, Lydia, and Kitty hanging about, trying to look as if they had simply been passing by. Lydia and Kitty beamed up at Mr Darcy, admiring the detail of his handsome navy blue coat and no doubt abusing it as ugly in comparison with a red one.“Is it all settled then, Lizzy?” Lydia asked excitedly.
“Yes, Lizzy, tell us,” Kitty urged.
“A moment please, girls,” Elizabeth said repressively. She shot them a warning look over her shoulder as she walked Mr Darcy to the door and said a polite goodbye. She made sure the door was well closed and Mr Darcy was a few paces away before turning to them and replying.“Yes, I am afraid it is settled.”
“Oh Lizzy, do not be ridiculous! You know you are the luckiest of women. Mr Darcy may be dull, but even so, to be the first one engaged! I wish I were engaged,” Lydia exclaimed. She linked arms with Kitty and began whispering about what it would be like to fall in love and get married.
Elizabeth could only sigh. She parted with her younger sisters and went out into the garden to find some solitude. Wrapped in a heavy woollen shawl, she walked about in the chill air among the dead and dying foliage. Her life felt like the barren landscape stretching before her. The grasses that had been so full and green earlier that year were now dull and brown or had been harvested and tilled, leaving behind clumps of brown earth.
She stood on one side of a low rock wall that had been constructed at the back of the Longbourn estate, with the fallow fields stretching out before her. As she gazed at them, she reminded herself that spring would come again, and things would grow once more. Perhaps her life would be like that, if only she could work hard enough to find the person who had tried to destroy her future.
A moment later, Jane came up beside her and nodded, staying silent as she too gazed out over the grey landscape. Elizabeth linked arms with her sister and leaned her head on her shoulder.“Dear Jane, you always know when someone needs a bolstering hand, don’t you?”
“Well, I cannot say I always know, but with you — most of the time I can tell when you are in despair. Did the meeting with Mr Darcy not go well?”
Elizabeth leaned up and motioned to the little wooden ladder that was spread over the rock wall. They climbed over and began traversing the fields, walking arm in arm as they had so often done on happier days.
“No, the meeting did not end badly. Indeed, it went too well, I think,” she said sadly. She bit her lower lip, wondering if it would be wise to share their plan to clear their names with Jane. She was without guile and would have a difficult time pretending that the engagement between her and Mr Darcy was genuine if she knew it was for show. At least for the time being, it would be kinder to say nothing.
“You are displeased about the arrangement, I know. But did you not find Mr Darcy to be a gentleman above reproach? He acted valiantly yesterday. Surely you can agree on that?”
“Valiant? Yes, I suppose so,” Elizabeth said. It was not the word she would have chosen, and yet…her thoughts turned unbidden to the moments they had been locked in an even more inappropriate embrace. She was glad that no one had seen them as they had lain prone on the floor. At least when everyone had rushed into the room, she had been sitting, and Mr Darcy had only been kneeling very close to her, cupping her cheek. Her heart raced at the mere thought of it again, and she silently chastised herself for allowing her thoughts to turn in that direction again. She had to admit Mr Darcy had shown himself to be truly self-sacrificing and honourable over the past twenty-four hours.
But even to Jane, Elizabeth could not admit the most shocking part of that night. For that one moment, as he had held her so tenderly in his concern, she had almost thought Mr Darcy wished to kiss her. More than that. For a moment, she had seen in him a man she might have wished to kiss.
Chapter 8
The next day, Darcy found it difficult to settle down to any occupation. He shook his head ruefully at himself. It was not like him. He could usually count on his powers of concentration, no matter his surroundings. Today, however, his thoughts seemed to stray continuously to the visit the two eldest Bennet sisters would pay that day — and the investigations that he and Elizabeth would begin under cover of that visit. Inviting his fiancée and her sister to tea would do very well to throw the others off the scent – especially the nosey Miss Bingley. Since his engagement to Elizabeth, she had been more sharp-tongued than ever. A good thing that it was not withinherpower to limit who he invited to Netherfield. Darcy would never have to worry about Bingley when it came to inviting guests of his own, and that went doubly for Miss Bennet. His friend had been all for the idea, stating that it would be wonderful for Darcy to get to know his soon-to-be bride a little better before the wedding was to take place. If he had more personal reasons for his enthusiasm, he chose not to mention them in front of his sister.
Understandably so. Caroline Bingley was less than enthusiastic.“Really, I cannot believe we are obliged to entertain today. Are we not still recovering from the ball?”
