“Is that a benefit or drawback?”
“Like most things in life, it is neither or both—depending on circumstances.”
Darcy nodded. Mr Bennet continued. “If you find her, try to remember you needbalance. Apologise for whatever offences you have committed, but do not grovel. She despises weakness more than bad manners. Offer rational explanations for your thinking, before and after the proposal. Paint a picture of what your marriage would be like. Show her that you respect her, and you need her. Let her ask as many questions as she wishes and give her honest answers. Do not delude yourself that you can fool her.”
“That is exceptional advice. I shall follow it to the best of my ability.”
“Like as not, the way these things work out, you will meet her somewhere away from here. It is my belief that my daughter’s fate—or that of any of my daughters once they are of marriageable age—should be by their own choice. If Lizzy accepts you, then you have both my consent and blessing; though neither will be necessary in a few weeks.”
“I thank you.”
“Enough of that. May I presume Jane brought you here to repair your reputation?”
“You surmised as much?”
“I merely state the obvious.”
“Yes sir. There is, however, another matter of some urgency I must address. There is a man in town who preys on young ladies and incurs debts he cannot pay. To my shame, I knew he was here before I left in November and did nothing. It is time I dealt with him definitively.”
“Why did you not act?” Bennet asked with a frown, though he had little room to criticise a man for indolence.
“He holds… certain leverage.”
“And you still propose to proceed?”
“Yes. My courtship of Miss Elizabeth, should it ever be known, would expose your other daughters to danger. I will of course protect all of them as my sisters should Elizabeth accept my suit, but it would be best to have the threat removed in the first place.”
“How do you propose to do that?”
Darcy exhaled slowly. “I have given Mr Wickham chance after chance after chance, and others pay for my negligence. I will give him a choice. He is for the Navy, never to return to England on pain of death; or I have enough vowels to send him to debtors' prison for the rest of his short, miserable life. As for the leverage, I will inform him that one wrong word will compel me to tell my cousin where he is, which would almost certainly end in an ignominious death. I believe he will see the benefits of the King’s Shilling.”
Mr Bennet’s brows rose. “Well, if that needs doing, you had best get to it. By now, he knows you are here. Shall we ride out and see the deed done?”
“You will help?”
“Of course!”
“I shall also need you to obtain anaccurateaccounting of any debts he has incurred with local merchants. I will pay a portion of them, but I would rather not be cheated, and the temptation will be great.”
“Let us set to it, then.”
As the men rose and donned their coats, Mr Bennet said, “By the by, there is an assembly in about a fortnight. We should buy tickets for your party while we are at it.”
Pemberley
True to form, the rain started about twenty minutes after Elizabeth and Margaret left Sudbury, leaving them thoroughly soaked and covered in black grime by the time they halted before Pemberley. Elizabeth dearly hoped the villagers could find something to cover themselves for the journey, and that her assumption of a welcome proved valid.
In a better mood, she might well have thought Pemberley the most beautiful estate in the world, but at that moment, ‘most beautiful’ meant merely ‘driest.’ She would have been quite content with her father's pig shed, so long as it had enough animals to keep it warm. This wasnothow she had expected to first see Pemberley, though to be honest, for the longest time she never expected to see it at all.
Two footmen hastened to assist them, both carrying umbrellas and dressed in fashionable livery. Much to their credit, neither man seemed to think it unusual for young ladies to arrive riding double, astride, covered in mud, and neither man scrupled to assist, despite the cost to their attire.
The first footman, a rather handsome man of around Elizabeth’s age, said, “Allow us to assist you, miss. Our butler is unfortunately indisposed, as is the under-butler and the housekeeper, but if you will step inside, I am certain the mistress will want to speak with you. Robert will take the horse around to the stables.”
Elizabeth liked the young man very much. “Thank you, that is very kind. Is the master at home?”
“No, ma’am. He is not expected for some days.”
“Who has charge of the house? Excuse me, that is an impertinent question; it is just that we must discuss a matter with whoever is in charge, and we must do so immediately.”
