“Mr Darcy, I believe you are a true gentleman, despite the paucity of evidence supporting that belief. Jane and Ineedto speak with you confidentially…now! I will give you my word no expectations of any kind will fall on you or Mr Bingley, but a short conversation is essential.”
“How do you propose to do so in a crowded ballroom?”
“Events overtake us, and beggars cannot be choosers. Jane and I will separately and invisibly meet in the library in half an hour. I need you to unobtrusively meet us after making a public excuse for retiring from the ball briefly. We will chaperone each other, and you must bring your valet, a maid, or however many people you need to ensure your reputation is not compromised. Everyone knows men’s reputations are made of stone while ladies’ are paper at best, so Jane and I assume all the risk, and we accept that without qualms. I know you will be sceptical, butI demand your compliance as the most basic duty of a gentleman.”
“You demand a great deal.”
“I do,” she said, pausing to think before continuing. “I expect a great deal, butI have faith in you. Thirty minutes—do not disappoint me.”
With that, she faded into the crowd like a ghost. I was half-burning with an odd mixture of rage and indignation, but also a rather large dose of curiosity. She admitted to having faith in me, which was unexpected to say the least. I doubted I had given her very much reason to do so. Perhaps, just perhaps, she esteemed me just a bit as well, and I did not hate the idea as much as you might think.
While I very much hated the whole idea of meeting two unmarried ladies in private, I had to admit one thing:
She played the gentleman card with aplomb and left me no real choice. It was not within me to fail to live up to her faith.
13.Intervention- Jane
Lizzy's plan was absolute madness, but I was fed up! I wanted the whole confusing ordeal over with one way or another.
I suppose it was slightly unfair to assume Mr Darcy and Miss Bingley would drag their brother away by force based on my family’s abhorrent display at the ball, but not by very much. Whilst Lizzy did not hear the gentleman’s conversation with the… lady, she did see it, and she is neither stupid nor foolish. The topic was obvious. Miss Bingley’s plan of action was equally clear, though we could not honestly say what the gentleman’s thoughts on the matter were. There was only one absolute fact we could rely on.If Mr Darcy decided Mr Bingley should leave for his own protection, he almost certainly would!
One could argue I should let it happen and it would serve as a good test to see if the man had enough resilience to become a good husband. In fact, had I not rescued Miss Darcy, and therefore given the man my full attention up to that point, I would consider it an entirely fair test. By that time, he would either have confidence of my affections or be too stupid to make a decent spouse. It would have been a perfect trial.
Of course, in that scenario, I had to laugh at the other changes that would have occurred. Assuming Mr Darcy would have slighted Lizzy regardless, she would have made mincemeat out of him. She would have told a gossip about the slight, and the entire neighbourhood would be laughing at him behind their fans while he had no clue. Of that I was certain. From that standpoint, it seemed we had reached the worst of all outcomes. Elizabeth thought marginally better of Mr Darcy than he warranted, and I thought marginally worse about Mr Bingley.
Regardless, our family’s behaviour was a fixed constant of the universe. They would have acted just as appallingly nomatter what preceded the ball, and the Netherfield tenants would be in danger of decampment. That gave me a thoroughly disquieting thought.Miss Darcy’s stupidity was the only thing giving us even a fighting chance.
I did not like Lizzy’s plan, but desperate times and so forth. When we entered the library, Mr Darcy was already there, but to our surprise he was alone.
“Mr Darcy, thank you for coming,” Elizabeth said politely.
Their reactions were curious, but they were equally skilled at hiding their thoughts; it would have been just as productive watching Roman statues.
“Your servant,” he said rather incongruously, though a twitch of amusement in his countenance was… interesting.
“Where is your chaperone?” Elizabeth asked nervously.
“My valet is unobtrusively guarding the door. He will swear on his father’s life that he was in the room the whole time if anyone asks.”
We nodded, not surprised that this was not necessarily the man’s first midnight rendezvous, and that he had active measures in place to prevent compromises.
As previously agreed, I took the lead, since it was my future at stake.
“Mr Darcy, we have not much time, so may I just come to the point, and I would beg you to forgive very plain speaking.”
“Pray continue.”
I did not like what had to be done in the least. It was nerve-racking, though it hardly compared to being chased by a gang of ruffians through the streets of Ramsgate, which Miss Darcy seemed to survive.
I took a deep breath and let it all out at once.
“We are aware you dislike just about everyone and everything about Meryton. It is obvious to the most casual observer, and you have never been the least bit subtle.Furthermore, you almost certainly despise our family, as would any sensible person, and you have been particularly harsh on Elizabeth and me from almost the first moments of our acquaintance. Despite your disapprobation, I will ask—nay,insist—that you do something you will probably not like. You eye the nascent relationship between Mr Bingley and me with disfavour. You are nowhere near as skilled at hiding your feelings as you think, and you have no hope at all of discerning mine. I now ask—nay demand—your word as a gentleman that you will not interfere in any way. In exchange, I will give you my solemn vow as a lady, that I will not marry without respect, admiration, and affection, regardless of what my family might say, think, or do. You have no way to know this and are unlikely to suspect based on my family’s behaviour—but Elizabeth and I are as implacable as stones when we believe we are right. Neither of us wishes to repeat our parent’s mistakes, and neither will we marry without the proper feelings. We both aspire to a love match, with not a care in the world that they are not fashionable. In our view, affection, honour, and felicity beat fashion and fortune any day. I cannot say if Mr Bingley and I will make a match or not. All I can say right now is that neither of us know enough about each other to decide properly. If he asked for my hand today, I would explain certain things he is presently unaware of and request a proper courtship. If my family interfered, I would ask to move it to London. If we should find ourselves similarly attached and wed, but my mother makes our married life difficult, I will ask him to move far enough away to provide relief. The same standard will apply to his pernicious sisters, which is one of the issues that would require discussion before even a formal courtship.”
I paused only fractionally and stared at him hard enough to make even my mother silent.
“I ask very little of you, sir.All I demand is themost basic duty of a gentleman, which is to let other men make their own decisions. You are his friend, not his father or brother, and he is no green boy. You are neither to encourage nor discourage him, though if you would curb his sisters and prevent his departure long enough for us to decidetogetherif we might have a future, I would appreciate it. All I ask is your forbearance, with my promise that I am only resolved to act in that manner, which will, in our shared opinions, constitute our happiness, without reference to you, or to any person so wholly unconnected with us.”
I felt like a cross between Mr Collins and Lydia, since I had not made such a long-winded speech in my life while breaking nearly every rule of propriety, but at least I had my say for once.
