“Miss Bennet?Do I know her?”Lady Blackburn had heard a rumor that her nephew had been seen with a young lady, but she had refused to believe it.
“I do not believe so.Her father owns an estate in Hertfordshire.I met her last autumn when I was visiting my friend Bingley nearby.”
“I see.”Lady Blackburn was not a fan of the Bingleys.Charles Bingley was a nice enough young man, but he was young and green still, and Miss Bingley was positively horrid.He had another sister who had done relatively well for herself in marriage, but both she and her husband were such dreadful bores that any gains they had made in fortune or status were mitigated by their awful personalities.
“We attended dinner last evening at Hopewell House.”
Lady Blackburn’s chin tilted fractionally higher.
“The dinner was not a success.”
Now her brow raised to mirror her chin.Darcy gritted his teeth as he composed responses to all the statements his aunt was not speaking aloud.
“We had hoped that you might make a better emissary for Miss Elizabeth than Lady Hopewell,” said Colonel Fitzwilliam.
Darcy looked at his cousin gratefully, then turned back to his aunt.
“Just so, Aunt.If I may be frank,” she nodded her permission and he continued, “last night’s dinner did not show the family to advantage.I care very deeply for Miss Bennet, and I would not want to lose her over such a thing.”
Lady Blackburn’s eyebrows were near her hairline now, but still, she said nothing.
“If you can see your way to coming to know her and support her, I would be very grateful.”
“I can assure you, Mother, that Miss Elizabeth is an excellent choice for Darcy.She is witty, well-read, and lively by nature.She is also young and pretty and in excellent health.”
Darcy glared at his cousin.Elizabeth was not a mare at Tattersall’s!
“Most importantly,” continued Fitzwilliam, “she will keep Darcy interested and on his best behavior.Truly, she has worked wonders on him already.”
Darcy made a face at his cousin.It was true that Miss Elizabeth had had a softening effect on his nature and he certainly felt she was making him a better man, but he did not like to hear himself spoken of as if he were a dog being trained.
“I think if you came to know her, you would like her on her own merits,” added Darcy.
Lady Blackburn held up her hand to silence the gentlemen.“Boys, I think you had better tell me everything.”
Darcy and Fitzwilliam looked at each other, then they launched into the story of how they had come to this point.Darcy told her how he had met Miss Bennet in Hertfordshire and rather inconveniently insulted her before falling in love with her.He had tried to forget her, failed, and then met her again in Kent.Fitzwilliam told his mother how Darcy had been stupidly silent in front of Miss Bennet for how nervous she made him, and then how he had come to respect the lady on his own and consider her a friend.
Darcy explained that his reasons for hesitating had been her unruly younger sisters, vulgar mother, and lack of connections, but now that he knew the Gardiners, he knew they were worthy, genteel people—and rather financially successful—and in comparison to his own family, Mrs.Bennet and Lydia seemed rather mild.The eldest Miss Bennet was likely to be engaged to Bingley soon, and with improved connections, it was probable the other sisters would marry and not become a burden on Darcy’s coffers.
He held nothing back, explaining how Elizabeth had requested time during their courtship and how he was determined to give it to her, and how he was impressed by her integrity.He told her how awful his family had behaved at dinner the night before, and how worried he was that it would make Elizabeth rethink the idea of marrying him altogether.
Lady Blackburn listened attentively throughout, silently shocked that Darcy—Darcy!—would be so enamored of a woman he would risk his entire family for her.She had to admit that she was impressed that Miss Bennet had not immediately encouraged her nephew to propose, and it showed wisdom that the young lady recognized that this life may not be the most likely to make her happy.
But she could not like that her family would be what cost Darcy his greatest desire, nor that Miss Bennet might decide against him, rather than the other way around.She liked to consider herself a modern woman with a broad view of the world, but she was still a product of her environment, and the idea of a young country miss throwing over her nephew did not sit well.
On the other hand, she knew the Darcy family enough to know that Lord Hopewell was a snob of the first water, and his son was utterly useless.She and Lady Hopewell had been friendly when they were younger, and they were social acquaintances often included on one another’s guest lists, but she would not have called her a friend.No, she was too much in competition with Lady Hopewell to be her friend, though her nephew and son did not know that.They likely only saw two women who spoke to each other with smiles and compliments and assumed they must be friends.
Lady Blackburn shook her head.Men would never understand how female friendships worked.
“I must meet this Miss Bennet for myself,” she declared.
Darcy sat up, anxiety writ on his features.“Are you certain, Aunt?”
“I am.Do you think she is available today?”
Darcy turned to his cousin, then back towards his aunt, opening and closing his mouth twice before saying, “I will ask her, my lady.”
“Very good.Find out if she can receive me at two o’clock today and we will make the call.”
