Chapter 15

Drawing Room

Pemberley

5 th December, 1812

Fitzwilliam Darcy stepped up to the open door of the east sitting room and paused at the sight within. Georgiana and Miss Bennet were sitting at a small table, murmuring over a piece of paper, while Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst were seated by the fire, looking somnolent. This lasted until Miss Bingley spied Darcy in the doorway, whereupon weariness gave way to a welcoming smile as she rose eagerly to her feet.

“Mr. Darcy, good afternoon,” she exclaimed, as she made an obvious bid to show off her décolletage.

“Good afternoon,” he replied, turning his gaze toward Georgiana, who grinned and said, “Elizabeth and I are working on the presents for Boxing Day.”

“Oh!” he replied. “Thank you, Miss Bennet.”

“It is my pleasure, of course,” Miss Bennet replied cheerfully. “It is quite a task, given how large Pemberley is. My sisters and I all work on boxes for the Longbourn tenants, but our father’s estate is, certainly, far smaller.”

“Oh, indeed, it is hardly appropriate to mention Longbourn in the same breath as Pemberley!” Caroline simpered, which caused Darcy to turn and glower into her face. She looked startled and stuttered, “Of … of … course, Longbourn is a pleasant estate, but compared to Pemberley…”

“Longbourn is undoubtedly small compared to Pemberley,” Elizabeth agreed kindly.

“Well, I am very grateful for your help, Elizabeth,” Georgiana said decidedly. “Mrs. Reynolds has always taken care of purchasing items for the tenant families and servants, but this year I thought I should do it. It is a larger project than I imagined!”

“What kind of things do you purchase?” Louisa asked and then, at the look of surprise from the ladies, pinked slightly and said, “Hurst will inherit an estate in Yorkshire when his father dies, but we have never been there over the Christmas season, and I do not know what is done to care for the tenants.”

“The gifts are mostly practical,” Elizabeth said. “They are typically filled with food, and warm clothing, and pots, and extra wood for the fire, and that sort of thing.”

“We also buy toys for the children,” Georgiana piped up, “but Mrs. Reynolds says it is wise to largely focus on items which will help the tenants in their daily lives.”

Louisa rose to her feet and walked over to peer down at the piles of paper, and she nodded. “Oh, I see, you list each family along with the number of children and their ages and sexes...”

“Yes, exactly,” Georgiana said eagerly. “When we have written down everything that we need, we send the servants to Lambton to obtain the items, though I thought that perhaps, Brother, we could visit the toy store in Lambton and purchase items for the children personally?”

“We could,” Darcy said, smiling at his sister. “Though I am not certain whether that establishment will have sufficient stock. If you like, we could journey to Belper one day and visit the toy shops there? The selection and variety will be much larger.”

“Oh, that sounds wonderful!” Georgiana exclaimed, her eyes shining. “Perhaps we could all go?”

“I would, of course, be pleased to go wherever you like, Mr. Darcy,” Caroline Bingley said, “but I really must inquire whether it is appropriate for you, as high born members of the gentry, to devote so much time and money to the children of mere tenant farmers?”

Darcy’s teeth clenched at this remark, and Georgiana looked dismayed.

“On the contrary, Miss Bingley,” Elizabeth said composedly. “Those of us who are fortunate enough to live on an estate should be grateful for those who work the land and pay the rents. After all, it is their labor, often back breaking, which allows us to dress finely and eat meat at every meal. It is a small thing to purchase toys for the children, but I am confident they will never forget such small kindnesses.”

“Hear hear,” Darcy said, turning an approving gaze on Miss Bennet.

“Thank you,” she replied. “Now, I think I had better visit Mrs. Fitzwilliam, who is suffering from a bad headache this morning.”

Darcy nodded, stepped away from the door, and bowed as the lady departed. He found his eyes lingering on her pleasing, swaying form until Miss Bingley, only a few feet away, harrumphed indignantly.

He turned a startled look on her and caught her expression of disgust, which quickly smoothed into a bright smile. “Mr. Darcy, I am certain I speak for Louisa when I say that we would be delighted to assist Miss Darcy in purchasing toys for the, erm, children.”

“Thank you,” Darcy said drily. “That is exceedingly generous.”

/

Darcy’s Office

Pemberley

Mid Morning

7 th December, 1812

“Darcy, may I speak with you?”

Darcy looked up from his piles of letters and gestured to his cousin, Richard, who was standing at the door of his study.

“By all means,” he said. “Come in and sit down.”

Richard obediently did so, shut the door behind him, and sat down across from his cousin. Darcy, observing the gravity of his cousin’s usually cheery countenance, wrinkled his own brow and said, “Is something wrong?”

Richard sighed deeply and said, “Nothing is wrong, no. Something is … this is a wonderful thing in its own way, but it is also surprising. We are quite certain that Anne is with child.”

Darcy jerked in astonishment. “Truly?”

“Truly.”

“Congratulations, Richard!” Darcy said immediately, rising to his feet and striding over to the brandy and glasses sitting on a nearby silver platter. “That is wonderful news!”

“It is,” Richard agreed, accepted a glass a moment later, and lifted it. “To Anne!”

“To Anne,” Darcy echoed, and both drank.

Richard waited until Darcy had taken his seat again and said, “We are very pleased, of course, but it likewise causes some complications. She is not feeling well, and I hate to leave her here at Pemberley, but I also feel I must return to Rosings.”

“Shall I call a doctor?” Darcy asked worriedly.

“I … do not think so, not yet. She is not dangerously ill, merely unwell and disinclined to like many dishes. Her maid, Jenny, is a faithful creature, and we have also confided in Miss Bennet and Mrs. Reynolds. I am confident they will succor her and keep her good company. She wishes me to return to Rosings and throw her mother into the Dower House, and I think I should, but naturally I am uneasy, as I am not accustomed to shirking responsibilities that I see as my own.”

“I promise I will take very good care of Anne, to the best of my ability,” Darcy vowed.

Richard managed a smile and said, “Thank you, Darcy. I know I can trust you. I also know you will not mind if she spends much of her time in her rooms.”

“Of course I will not.”

“Miss Bennet has also promised to visit Anne often, and she is such a cheerful soul.”

“She is,” Darcy agreed heavily. Richard nodded, stood up, and said, “Well, I had best finish packing, as I wish to leave early tomorrow.”

“Richard?”

“Yes?”

“Could you … I would like to speak to you of a somewhat related matter, if you have a few minutes?”

The former colonel dropped back into his seat and said, “Certainly, Darcy. What is it?”

Darcy hesitated then rose, poured himself another drink, shuffled around for a full minute, sat back down, and took another sip of brandy before lifting his gaze to his cousin’s.

“Richard, I find myself very attracted to Elizabeth Bennet.”

The other man, who had been regarding the master of Pemberley with bemusement, now grinned and said, “I am well aware of your fascination with Miss Bennet.”

“Are you?” Darcy replied anxiously. “I thought I had hidden my interest quite well.”

“You need not worry,” his cousin responded. “It was Anne who alerted me to your consideration of the lady. Anne is very observant, and she told me how often you look at Miss Bennet. Once I was put on the scent, I noticed how you gaze at her regularly and pay attention to her conversations with others.”

“Do you think she knows?”

Richard tilted his head and then shook it. “I am certain she does not.”

“Good,” Darcy said in relief.

“Why good?”

“Because I do not wish for her to ... well, she ought not to hope for an offer when I am not...”

Darcy trailed off, swallowed hard, and said, “I feel guilty just considering marrying Miss Bennet. Her connections are poor and her family’s behavior poorer. How can I even imagine wedding a lady, however charming, who could not launch Georgiana into the ton, whose relations will make it difficult for our own children to succeed? Do you not agree with me?”

“I assume,” Richard said drily, “that my expression of distaste indicates that I do not agree with you. I may be the second son of an earl, but I am also a former military man. I have seen noblemen’s sons flee in the face of musket fire and low-born privates charge up hills into French bayonets. I would not recommend that you wed a dairy maid, Darcy, but Miss Bennet? She is a gentleman’s daughter, well educated, beautiful, charming, and as outgoing as you are reserved.”

“You think I should marry her, then?” Darcy asked eagerly, his heart speeding up with excitement.

Richard leaned back in his chair, considered, and said, “Perhaps, but perhaps not. I think there are two issues you must resolve before you can offer for her hand.”

“And they are?”

“Firstly, if you choose to make Miss Bennet an offer, you must do so from a position of utmost respect. Your offer will be a disaster if you propose in the manner of King Cophetua toward his beggar maid. You know that I consider Elizabeth Bennet a friend. She is a young woman with firm opinions and a strong sense of her own worth. That leads me to my second point, Darcy; I am confident if you offered for her today, she would refuse you.”

Darcy’s jaw dropped, and for a minute he could not even respond.

“ Refuse me?” he finally sputtered.

Richard sighed and stood up, walked over to pour himself more brandy and then returned to his seat. After a sip of the drink, he fixed a stern eye on the master of Pemberley and said, “That, Darcy, is exactly the sort of arrogance that will ruin any attempt to win Miss Bennet’s hand. She is not a beggar. She is a well-educated, clever, handsome young woman, now with a wealthy brother-in-law, and I expect she would far rather live out her life as a spinster than wed a man whom she does not love or respect. Do you understand? I know you have been used to ladies hanging on you and flattering you, batting their eyelashes at you, hoping beyond hope that you would notice their fair curves, but Miss Bennet is not that sort of lady. If you decide you wish to make her your wife, you will need to woo her, not inform her that you are condescending to pick her up out of the gutter and install her as mistress of Pemberley.”

Darcy realized that his mouth was hanging open, and he closed it with a snap. Richard rarely spoke so passionately, or at such length, and the things he was saying!

He was Fitzwilliam Darcy, master of the largest estate in Derbyshire! He was handsome, tall, highly educated, rich, and nephew of an earl!

How could any woman…?

How could Elizabeth Bennet…?

“I had not considered that Miss Bennet would refuse me,” he admitted.

“Of course you have not,” Richard said drily. “You and my brother, Michael, both have the blessing of wealth and standing, and while I have not spent much time in society these last years, Michael has complained frequently about being hunted for his money and position. He too cannot imagine a woman turning him down, and that has made him so exasperated that he has said to my mother that he may never wed at all.”

Darcy was distracted from his own concerns and lifted an eyebrow. “That cannot make Lady Matlock happy.”

“Oh, she is not, nor is my father,” Richard said with a grin. “She will be delighted to hear of Anne’s pregnancy. If Michael chooses to go to his grave a bachelor, at least she will have a grandchild through my marriage to Anne.”

“Yes,” Darcy agreed, his mind shifting again to the incredible idea that Miss Bennet might actually refuse him.

“I am tired and intend to leave early in the morning for Rosings,” Richard remarked, setting his glass down and rolling gracefully to his feet. “I will pray for wisdom for you as you consider your true feelings for Miss Bennet and how best to proceed.”

“Thank you,” Darcy said, downing the rest of his brandy. “You have given me much to think of.”