“These are good questions,” the colonel conceded. “I cannot claim to have suffered many hardships in that regard.However, I may experience a shortage of funds in matters of greater consequence. Younger sons are not always free to marry as they wish.”
Elizabeth was surprised by his sincerity. “So they favour women of fortune?”
“Perhaps. Unfortunately, our habits of expense make us too dependent,” the colonel explained, “and few of my rank can afford to marry without some financial consideration.”
“That happens to most ladies, compelled by circumstances and familial expectations to marry for a secure future,” Elizabeth commented. “Love is rarely discussed. Even my dear father, who has always encouraged us to follow our hearts in marriage, is now taking back his promises and has lately told me to seek a man instead of fall in love—” She stopped abruptly with a wry smile, prompting the colonel to scrutinise her as though searching for hidden meaning in her words.
“I must admit,” he remarked, “that I find your father’s counsel rather sound. Falling in love can often be a blind occurrence that neglects a person’s inner qualities or flaws in favour of superficial beauty or talents.”
Elizabeth returned his gaze with curiosity. “I am surprised that a gentleman your age would approve of my father’s notions.”
“I sustain any notion that makes sense and holds merit,” the colonel asserted. “Some men, for instance, may find it difficult to inspire instant affection. This may occur for various reasons that are of little importance. I might even venture to say that such men often reveal their flaws at the outset, inadvertently overshadowing their finer qualities.”
Elizabeth glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, wondering whether he was speaking of Mr Darcy. And if so, why would he share such sentiments with her, unless…
“Consider my cousin,” the colonel continued. “He is often perceived as excessively serious, and some may mistake his reserved demeanour for aloofness.”
Elizabeth could not suppress a sarcastic smile, which the colonel observed. Undeterred, he continued in the same wistful tone. “I admit it can be aloofness sometimes, but tell me of, or better show me, a person free of faults. Is it not better to know from the beginning the faults of someone and discover later the qualities that are not evident but essential, instead of a blind attraction that often leads to overlooking truly profound faults until it is too late?”
“So your cousin is full of concealed qualities?”
“I did not say full… I said he possesses important qualities that make his aloofness and pride fade.”
“Such as?” Elizabeth was intrigued; her opinion of Mr Darcy was somewhat different.
“Such as a total devotion to his family, generosity, impetuosity—”
“Impetuosity?” Elizabeth asked and laughed lightly. Mr Darcy appeared to her as far from impetuosity as a wary fox.
“Would courage be better?” the colonel asked in the same playful tone, yet Elizabeth could see he meant what he said.
“Perhaps,” Elizabeth replied. She was tempted to add ‘dullness’, but decorum restrained her from speaking unkindly of a man the colonel clearly held in high regard.
Furthermore, she could not deny that she had not found him dull when they first met in Hertfordshire. The enigma surrounding Mr Darcy’s behaviour and the colonel’s peculiar praise left her utterly confounded.
“Darcy is also a great friend, looking after Bingley in that area where he seems to have a genuine weakness—with the ladies,” the colonel remarked. “From what Darcy confided during our journey here, I believe that Bingley owes him aconsiderable debt. However, I cannot be certain he was the individual in question. It was all conjecture on my part.”
“What do you mean?” Elizabeth pressed.
“It is a matter that Darcy would not wish to divulge entirely,” the colonel explained, “for should it become known to the lady’s family, it would undoubtedly prove unpleasant.”
“You may trust in my discretion,” Elizabeth assured him.
“I have little reason to assume it was Bingley. It could have been another friend. In any case, Darcy told me that he congratulated himself on saving a friend from the inconvenience of a most imprudent marriage without divulging names or specific details. I surmised it was Bingley due to his propensity to find himself entangled in such affairs and from knowing they had been together last autumn.”
“Did Mr Darcy provide any reason for his intervention or how he achieved such a rescue?” Elizabeth asked.
“He told me about a calculated lady in search of money and not love,” the colonel said using the terms of their conversation. “Yet I do not know the means he employed,” he continued, a faint smile gracing his lips. “He only related to me what I have just told you.”
Elizabeth fell silent, her heart swelling with indignation. After observing her, the colonel asked why she appeared so lost in thought.
“Well, Colonel Fitzwilliam, Meryton is a small town.”
“So, you know the story?”
“Let us say that I know the story from the other side…and you can imagine it appears very different.” Elizabeth spoke with such vehemence that the colonel looked away.
“Then who is the lady?” he asked, disturbed.
