Page 91 of Master of Himself

After his success in Meryton, Darcy returned to Longbourn with Elizabeth and Mary. Due to the lateness of the hour, he decided to delay his call on Lucas Lodge until the morrow. What’s more, he was fairly certain that Charles intended to address Miss Bennet during their walk home. If Mr Bennet gave his consent for one daughter to marry, perhaps he might agree to another. In any case, after the strife the Bennets had endured this past week, they could use a bit of good news.

They found Mr Bennet and his wife sitting in the drawing room; he with a book and she with her embroidery hoop. “Is Jane not with you?” Mrs Bennet inquired.

“We ran into Mr Bingley in the village, and he’s walking her home,” Elizabeth said.

Mrs Bennet released a sigh of relief. “Thank heavens he has finally returned. We’ll have a wedding at Longbourn soon, mark my words.”

“So you keep saying, my dear,” Mr Bennet said, without looking up from the page.

Darcy shared an amused glance with Elizabeth.

“How was your venture into the village?” Mr Bennet inquired, putting his book aside.

“We did quite well, I believe,” Darcy said, confident that the proprietors had understood his message.

Elizabeth offered him a cup of tea and sat beside him. “Yes, Papa, everyone warmly welcomed Mr Darcy into their shops and tolerated the rest of us with polite indifference,” she said with a careless smirk.

“The Fletchers were as kind as ever,” Mary said.

“No one threw us out, so it was a small success, I suppose,” Elizabeth said, to which Darcy couldn’t disagree.

Some minutes later, he heard voices in the vestibule, signalling that Charles and Jane had just arrived.

Mrs Bennet beamed with pleasure upon the couple’s entrance. “Oh, Mr Bingley, how good of you to see Jane home.”

“We have news, Mama. Mr Bingley and I are betrothed.”

Casting her embroidery aside, Mrs Bennet jumped to her feet. “I knew it would happen. Didn’t I say so, Mr Bennet?” she said in the highest spirits, throwing her arms around Jane and embracing her, while Charles looked on with a proud smile.

Mr Bennet didn’t share his wife’s enthusiasm. “I don’t recall consenting to a betrothal.”

“May we have your blessing, Papa?” Jane said with a hopeful air.

Mrs Bennet squealed with delight. “His blessing? Goodness gracious, my dear Jane. It’s Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy who have blessed us.” She blissfully lowered herself into a chair and opened her fan. “What a happy day for Longbourn.”

Although pleased for his friend, Darcy couldn’t be satisfied. “If Charles is allowed to marry Jane, shouldn’t I be free to marry Elizabeth?” he said.

Mrs Bennet directed a hopeful gaze to her husband. “You will give your consent, Mr Bennet, will you not?”

All eyes turned to Mr Bennet, who remained grim-faced. “My dear Mrs Bennet, I can hardly suppose that two precipitous betrothals will repair the damage that Lydia has caused.”

“Why ever not?” Mrs Bennet said, undeterred. “Everyone in the neighbourhood saw them dance twice at two assemblies. No one shall be surprised in the least.”

Darcy recalled the last assembly with some mortification. Had he truly convinced the neighbourhood of Charles’s devotion to Jane?

“Mr Bingley and Jane, perhaps, but what of Lizzy and Mr Darcy?” Mr Bennet said. “They revealed no similar fascination with each other.”

Undeterred by her husband’s opposition, she persevered. “They’ve been seen together these past two days in church and in the village. Would you deny the happiness of a young couple who love each other?”

“Two days, Mrs Bennet? Do you really suppose that such a short courtship would possibly result in their betrothal?” Mr Bennet said, still unmoved by his wife’s argument. Then he added, “Especially after the treatment we received in church yesterday.”

She resorted to her vinaigrette. “No one in this house ever listens to me.”

After an extended silence, the clock on the mantlepiece struck the half-hour.

“Then…do we have your consent, Papa?” Jane inquired in a meek voice.

Mr Bennet offered a hesitant smile. “Yes, my dear girl. You are of age, and I believe the neighbourhood is expecting the match, so it won’t cause the least stir.”