“Many would, I imagine.”
“I am not certain Miss Elizabeth is one of them.”
Fitzwilliam exhaled loudly.“No, I do not think she is.Though it would be damn imprudent of her.But she has done it before.”
“What?”Darcy’s eyes shot to his cousin’s.
“She turned down her cousin, Mr.Collins.That is why he married her friend.Did you not know?You were in the neighborhood at the time.”
“I heard something of it, but I thought she had put him off, or perhaps her father had.”
“No, it was apparently a big to-do.Her mother wished for the match and she refused his offer.Her father stood by her.Deuced awkward at home, I can imagine.Collins is to inherit her father’s estate.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Collins is a buffoon, and she would have been miserable with him.But she could have managed him if she had a mind to.Mrs.Collins is doing a fine job of that.If she was willing to turn him down for being a ridiculous man with good prospects, she might have refused you for being overly proud.It is unlikely, but she is young, and impetuous I think.”
“Yes, she is somewhat impetuous.”Darcy took a deep breath and ran his hand over his face.“Fitz, what should I do?”
“You have already spoken to the lady.Do you feel your honor is engaged?”
“Yes, though she may not remember it in the morning.”
“She may not.Do you wish for her not to?It could be your escape if she does not recall your words—or if she did not wish for them.”
“I know it is not the most prudent match, but I cannot imagine marrying anyone else.”
“I see.Then you have only one option.”
“What?Propose in the morning?”
“No!You must court her until you are certain she will say yes.”
Darcy nodded thoughtfully.“You know, I had not even wondered about her answer before this evening.”He stood and poked at the fire.“I had thought only my mind needed to be decided.Once I had made peace with such an unequal match, she would be mine for the taking.”He stared at the flames absently.“I had not given a thought to her wishes or desires, or even her heart.I am a poor suitor indeed.”
“It is not unusual that you would think a woman in her position would accept you.Most would.You are not so very uncommon.A trifle conceited perhaps…”
Darcy paid him little attention.“I have been sitting here this last hour thinking of what I would have said to her this evening.I would have spoken of my trouble in admitting my feelings, of how difficult it had been to come to the conclusion that the joy of having her as my wife was greater than the degradation of her connections and the objections of my family.”
“You did not actually say her family was a degradation, did you?”asked Fitzwilliam, a look of disbelief on his face.
“No, she began laughing before I could say more than a sentence.”
“Thank heaven for that!Good God, man, what were you thinking?You cannot tell a woman you love, in the middle of a proposal, that her family is a degradation and your relations will hate her, but it is all well and good because you are prepared to bear it for her sake!”
“What?I wanted her to know I had thought of the obstacles and was prepared to face them, for her.”
Fitzwilliam sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.“Darcy, can you truly be this stupid?”
Darcy huffed and a look of indignation came over him.“I was paying her the compliment of honesty,” he said stiffly, his posture rigid and his jaw clenching.
“No, you were congratulating yourself and wounding the lady.”
Shock overspread Darcy’s features and Fitzwilliam gentled his tone.
“No one wishes to hear about their horrible connections.She knows it, you know it, but it is not necessary to discuss it, especially during a proposal.It is not the time.”
Darcy looked at him suspiciously.
