“And he chose…you?” Mrs Hurst asked, wide-eyed with incipient hilarity.
“Good God!” Mr Darcy exclaimed, though he kept his voice low. “If he meant to please my aunt, he has gone about it entirely wrong. Lady Catherine would not have taken to you at all, Miss Elizabeth. She greatly dislikes it when other ladies have opinions.” He smiled at her, and Miss Darcy could not restrain a giggle at this assessment. Elizabeth thought, not for the first time, how very well a smile became him. He was always handsome, even at his most solemn, but when he genuinely smiled, she could hardly tear her gaze away.
Elizabeth was recovered enough to see the humour in this description of his aunt. “I am certainly well-supplied with opinions,” she agreed with a laugh.
Miss Darcy leant forward confidingly. “I find Lady Catherine utterly terrifying. She is a very…forcefullady.”
“My cousin seems to think the moon rises only to cast its light upon her noble features,” Elizabeth replied drily, and the group dissolved into laughter.
* * *
Mr Collins chose that moment to join them, exclaiming his pleasure that the esteemed Mr and Miss Darcy were so well-entertained in his cousin’s humble abode.
Darcy, whose eagerness to see Elizabeth had been dampened by the presence of another caller, remained appalled by the man’s presumption towards her. “Do you call Longbourn humble, sir?” he said in disapproving tones. “I should never term it so; it is a gentleman’s residence and the heart of an estate, not a cottage.”
“Oh, I meant no disrespect, sir, none at all!” the obsequious little man hastened to explain. “It is as fine a house as could be wished for a small estate, very fine indeed. No, I only meant humble by reference to your own home, Pemberley, which your gracious aunt has described to me, and to Rosings, which you shall soon call your own as well. Two such large and elegant houses! I only thought Longbourn must seem humble to you, but you are too gracious and egalitarian to take such a view, I now see.”
Darcy stared at him in some confusion as he picked through that tangle of flattery and effrontery to glean his meaning in referring to Rosings. “Mr Collins,” he intoned sharply. “You speak of matters you do not understand. Rosings is not to be mine. I will thank you to cease speculating upon the matter.”
The clergyman’s eyes widened in surprise and delight. “You mean to settle Rosings on your bride? How generous! How remarkable! Lady Catherine will be extremely pleased to know it! I must write to her at once.”
“You must write to no one!” Darcy said, his voice as thunderous as his expression.
Mr Collins shrank back in confusion. Darcy felt the shocked gaze of everyone in the parlour. He flushed but quickly gathered himself and continued, in more sedate tones, “Very well, it seemsmyprivate business is also to be canvassed before all today. Mr Collins, I presume you refer to my aunt’s oft-spoken wish for a marriage between her daughter and myself. What you do not know is that neither my cousin Anne nor I wish for it, and so it shall not happen. My aunt can only desire it; she has no power to ensure its completion.”
“But surely,” the clergyman cried, “Lady Catherine’s wishes, when combined with the approval of your own excellent uncle, the earl, must move you—”
“Enough!” said Darcy in exasperation. He glared at the silly fellow. “Now, let us move on to a different topic. You have mortified me quite enough, sir, by insisting upon this one.”
Mr Collins sputtered inarticulately, seemingly torn between the desire to defend his patroness’ wishes and horror that he had angered her nephew. Darcy risked a quick glance at Elizabeth; she was looking at him with sympathy, not the disapproval of his display of temper that he had feared to see.
“La, Mr Darcy!” exclaimed Lydia, drawing all eyes. “Iwould not marry anyone I did not like, not for Buckingham Palace itself! But since we have heardallabout Rosings from our cousin—I daresay I could navigate the place blindfolded!—would you tell us a little of your Pemberley? Is it very like?”
He was pleased to see Elizabeth’s relieved nod of encouragement. Darcy smiled, his posture visibly relaxing. “I believe my sister could describe it better than I, for as you know, Miss Lydia, I am a man of few words.”
He was rewarded with laughter from all before he continued. “No, Pemberley is not like Rosings at all, except perhaps in size…”
CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
Darcy had hopedto confer privately with Mr Bennet during that first visit after their return, but the intrusive presence of Mr Collins prevented it. He was only able to surreptitiously request a meeting as they said their farewells, to which the master of Longbourn agreed with raised eyebrows and a speculative expression. When he and Bingley called the following afternoon, Mr Bennet invited Darcy to join him in his study. The lack of interest the second-eldest Bennet daughter took in the summons reminded him yet again of how far he had to go to win her.
Though Mr Darcy had requested the meeting, Mr Bennet spoke first. “I had a letter from my brother Gardiner recently, in which he mentioned that you called upon him at his offices while you were in town. I recall him extending the invitation while they were here for Christmas, but I am pleasantly surprised that you took him up on it, sir. I do not imagine you find yourself often in Cheapside.” He fixed the younger man with an enquiring gaze.
Darcy shifted uncomfortably, reminded of the conceit he had only recently vowed to correct, and which he had so openly displayed prior to the epidemic. “I came to like and respect Mr Gardiner during our brief acquaintance here, and when my business allowed, I was happy to take him up on his offer to sample some new varieties of coffee which he hopes to introduce to the London market, and of course to continue the acquaintance. It was also an opportunity to speak with him about the matter I wished to canvass with you today.”
Mr Bennet grinned. “And on that less than subtle hint, I shall do as expected and ask: What is it that you wished to discuss with me, sir?”
A bit disconcerted by the gentleman’s sportive manner, it took Darcy a moment to gather his thoughts. “I should open by saying that I have discussed this with Bingley as well, but no one else hereabouts. I feel you are best positioned to advise me on how to accomplish this without unnecessary fuss.” At his host’s look of interest, he continued, briefly describing his plan and the steps he had taken to discover whether it would be possible and how it might best be done.
Darcy produced a paper from his coat, setting it before Mr Bennet. “And here I have a list of what is required.”
* * *
Mr Bennet read over the information and asked several questions before agreeing to lend his assistance. Tucking the page into his drawer, he sat back and smiled. “Now that we have dispensed with your business, tell me, what are your intentions towards my Lizzy?”
He laughed as the young man spluttered. “Come now, I see how often, andhow, you look at her. If it is merely admiration of a pretty woman, I will not castigate you, but if you have hopes of my daughter I should like to know.”
Mr Darcy looked at him gravely. “Just yesterday, your daughter refused one eligible man’s offer. And now you ask me if I wish to put forward similar hopes?”
