It did not change the fact that Miss Bennet’s reputation would soon be in shreds.
He might have gotten away with riding with Miss Bennet in the carriage. It was a risk he had to take, as Miss Bennet had pointed out at the time. But it had been a terrible mistake to bring Miss Bennet to his house. He should have provided blankets and sent them on their way. He had only compromised her further by bringing her into a bachelor’s establishment. His only excuse was that shock of the cold water and the rescue had affected his clarity.
Looking back, he had guessed something like this would happen, which was why he had decided to stay behind in the park. He had seen the look in the eyes of the young men who had watched them, their gazes blazing with the desire to spread a juicy piece of gossip. No doubt one of them, if not all, had followed him on horseback.
Silence fell across the room. One of the logs in the fireplace fell with a thud and a scattering of red sparks. Darcy twisted his glass in his hand. The glass felt cold and hard against his fingers as a numb sense of inevitability crept through him.
A sick certainty settled like a lead ball in his stomach. He knew what he ought to do. Or, rather, he knew what hehadto do.
“Is my life to be sacrificed on the altar for trying to prevent a death?” he cried, his every instinct railing against being tied down for such a foolish reason.
Georgiana gasped, and Richard scraped his chair back.
“Absolutely not!” said the colonel. “Do not get it into your head that you must marry that young lady.” He looked horrified. “You know nothing about her, nor about her family. They could be vulgar social climbers of the worst type. You cannot throw away your future for a stranger. You saved her cousin’s life and possibly hers as well. You do not have any further obligation towards her. You have gone far beyond duty already.”
“It is the only honorable thing to do,” said Darcy, his voice dull.
Richard let out a frustrated breath. “You cannot compound one error with another. You need time to consider the possibilities. You must not act hastily. You have not recovered from your illness yet. You are not thinking clearly.”
“On the contrary,” said Darcy. “The situation could not be clearer.”
“I have seen cases like this, where exposure to cold creates mental confusion. Maybe you should see a physician before you reach any decisions.”
“If my mind has been affected, which it has not, what good will a physician do? The damage is already done.”
“Darcy, you are taking the idea of gentlemanly behavior too far. You cannot marry a young lady whose uncle lives on Gracechurch Street!”
“Her father is in possession of an estate in Hertfordshire. He is a gentleman.”
“Think about it!” the colonel insisted, his voice urgent. “What would your mother say? What would your father? They will be turning in their graves. You cannot drag the family name through the mud based through some misplaced notion of chivalry.”
Richard came to his feet and did a quick turn around the room.
“I wish I had never told you about the bets at the club. I would not have done so if I thought you would contemplate something so utterly foolhardy.”
“Did you think I would stand by and do nothing when a young lady is being insulted?”
“Do not be ridiculous, Darcy. You have done more than enough for this merchant family. It is all very well to charge forward when a child’s life is at stake, but believing yourself in any way responsible for this young lady’s reputation is quite different. I suppose it is admirable, in a strange, twisted way, butyour duty is to your family and Pemberley, not to Miss Nobody of Cheapside, who has nothing at all to recommend her. Even if her father is a gentleman and owns an estate.”
Darcy grew irate at the colonel’s easy dismissal of Miss Bennet. “You cannot pass judgement on her because of her uncle’s address, Fitzwilliam,” he said, tight lipped, addressing his cousin more formally. “You do not know her.”
“And you have known her how long? A week? Not that it would not make any difference if you have known her for a whole year. It is very simple. She is not one of us. You cannot throw away your legacy, built carefully over generations, for a woman no one in our acquaintance would ever consider inviting into their home.”
“Are you saying I should walk away and allow her to be ruined?”
“She is a tradesman's niece, Darcy. You need not concern yourself with her any further. Besides, what reputation are you talking about? She is not even a member of Society. Think, Darcy. This is not about her. It is about Pemberley.Why do you think she deserves to become mistress of such an illustrious estate? How can you justify elevating her above women of far better birth? What kind of training has she received? You do not even know if she has received any education. You cannot allow a vulgar, ignorant person to take charge of Pemberley.”
It was a strong argument. As far as he could tell from his interaction with Miss Bennet, he had seen no signs of vulgarity. Her aunt and uncle’s manner were beyond reproach. He had the impression that she was intelligent and well-educated, but he had not spoken enough with her to pass judgement.”
Darcy shook his head. “So you think I should just leave her to suffer the consequences, when none of this was her fault?”
Richard looked exasperated. “None of this wasyourfault, either. Youcannotsacrifice Pemberley. For her, marrying you is a dream beyond her wildest imagination. For you, it is a blot onthe family name. How could you even consider it, even for a moment?” He leaned forward. “Besides, there are other ways of dealing with the problem, you know.”
Darcy had a sinking feeling he knew what Richard was going to propose. “Such as?”
Richard waved his hand expansively. “Ease your conscience in other ways. Give her a generous dowry so someone wouldwantto marry her, by all means, if it will make you feel better. Find a husband, if necessary. But you cannot allow guilt to reshape your future and the future of generations to come”
Money. It came down to that. Money could ease one’s conscience, if you had enough of it. Money would resolve the problem.
