Chapter 4

Shortly after the new year, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam finally arrived at Pemberley. He had news of Wickham, who was, for once in his life, not running up debts since the letter from Darcy's solicitor had ensured he could not spend as freely in Meryton as he might have done otherwise. Fitzwilliam was not satisfied that they had done enough but hoped that Colonel Forster would keep an eye on the reprobate to prevent him from ruining anyone or anything else.

That first evening, over several glasses of port, Darcy confessed to his cousin his feelings for Elizabeth Bennet and his intentions to pursue the lady were they to see each other again. He did not, however, mention the dream in which he proposed to her, and she rejected him soundly. However, since the colonel would accompany him to Rosings in March, and that was where the two encountered each other in the dream, he wanted his cousin to know his plans in case Elizabeth was there when they arrived. Despite the fact that he still questioned the nature of the dream, he felt certain that they would encounter each other in Kent.

"What in the blazes are you thinking, Darcy? You cannot mean to connect yourself to such a woman," the colonel demanded once the story had been told.

"I love her," Darcy replied simply. "At the first event I attended in the village, I insulted her most grievously before we were even introduced, and I need to make amends for that before I can even begin to court her. I … I acted like the arrogant bastard you often accuse me of being when I first arrived in Hertfordshire. While I am certain Wickham told her a sad tale of my so-called mistreatment of him, she readily believed the tale because of my initial insult. I left her vulnerable to him. She may not have the fortune he requires, but she needs to know the kind of man he is. I have taken small steps to protect her and her sisters, but I want her to know the truth—the whole truth."

"She is beneath you, Darcy," Fitzwilliam insisted. "The family will not be happy with your choice. Particularly Lady Catherine."

"In status and wealth, perhaps," Darcy conceded, expending considerable energy to quell his rising anger at his cousin's attitude toward the woman he loved, "but not in character. Truly, she is my superior in every way that matters. I do not care about her status or wealth, and while I may not particularly like her family, I love her more than I can adequately express. She thinks little of my wealth and lineage and will not accept me unless she believes me to be worthy. I will need to strive to prove myself to her. I will also need to manage to speak to her without becoming a bumbling fool."

Fitzwilliam scoffed. "I cannot believe there is a single woman in England who would not accept your proposal of marriage, no matter how much you might have insulted them. Surely, you know you could crook your finger, and most women of the ton would come running. What kind of woman is this with no wealth and no connections who would refuse you if you deigned to offer for her?"

With absolute certainty, Darcy stated, "Elizabeth would refuse me. She values character over wealth." He could still feel the sting of her words from his repeated dream. By now, he was fairly convinced the dream was of what would happen if he acted as he did in the dream. When they met in Kent, he would court Elizabeth. Not that he knew how, but he wanted to try.

Quirking an eyebrow at his cousin, Fitzwilliam said, "I cannot wait to meet your paragon, as I believed you would never find one to meet your exacting standards. Lady Catherine will raise a fuss, cousin, regardless of the female, and my father and mother may refuse to accept the daughter of a mere country squire with no connections and no dowry to speak of."

Darcy spoke again, defiance evident in his tone. "Aunt Catherine will object to any woman who is not Anne, and frankly I do not care what your parents think about my choice. While I would prefer that they accept Elizabeth as my choice, I am my own man, and neither they nor Lady Catherine have a say in who I wed."

Fitzwilliam arched an eyebrow. "I look forward to meeting this lady. You are absolutely determined to pursue her?"

"I am," came the reply. "I do not know how I will go about it, since I must find a way to be in her presence once again. I am still waiting on Bingley to write to tell me that he has returned to Meryton so I can beg for an invitation. Georgiana eagerly looks forward to meeting her. I am certain Georgie will take to her, and in turn, Elizabeth will offer solace to my sister, as you and I have struggled to do, Richard. I simply need to orchestrate their meeting."

"Although I am still uncertain of your choice, cousin, I wish you well in the attempt to win your fair lady. You are clearly resolute, and I have little doubt in your ultimate success," Fitzwilliam replied, reaching over to clasp his cousin's shoulder. "Tell me more about her."

In late February,Darcy journeyed to London to briefly participate in the season. It was an unwelcome chore, but one he was obligated to endure, at least for a time. He deliberately arrived in London only a fortnight before he was expected in Kent, giving him an excuse to depart quickly.

The anticipated letter from Bingley finally arrived, but he was not in Meryton. Only a day after Darcy's arrival in London, Bingley appeared with his sister at Darcy House.

"Darcy," his friend greeted him exuberantly. "How have you been? I have heard little from you this winter."

"I have written twice as often as you, my friend. I thought you intended to return to Hertfordshire to learn to manage the estate you leased," he replied in a far more sedate manner. He nodded toward Miss Bingley and briefly acknowledged her presence. Since Georgiana was not in residence, he found it odd that she had accompanied her brother.

Bingley laughed at his friend's statement. "Caroline wanted me to attend several events with her. I have delayed my departure twice now, but I hope you will accompany me when I go next month."

"I am due at my aunt's in a fortnight. I am to spend Easter with her, after which I will return to London. I would gladly accompany you to Hertfordshire in May," Darcy replied.

"You cannot mean to return to that backwater county, Mr. Darcy," Miss Bingley burst out. "Or to encourage my brother to do so. Did you not agree with me in the autumn that Mrs. Bennet was pushing her daughter at my brother? That Miss Bennet did not care for him?"

"I was mistaken to have interfered at all, and I said as much to your brother in December. Miss Bennet did not strike me as a fortune hunter, and I cannot speak to her disposition toward my friend. If he desires to return, then that is his decision, and I will support him in it," Darcy replied coldly.

Miss Bingley blanched. "I must speak with you, sir," she all but screeched.

"Then speak," he said, his mouth set in a hard line.

"In private," she whispered while her brother looked on in surprise.

"There is absolutely no reason for us to speak in private. Whatever you need to say, you may say it here, in front of your brother."

"Very well, then," she huffed. "Miss Bennet has followed my brother to town in her pursuit of him. What do you say to that?"

"What?" Bingley cried. "Miss Bennet is in London? How do you know? How long has she been here?"

"She paid a call several weeks ago. I have yet to return it, as I wanted to ask Mr. Darcy's advice in the matter," Miss Bingley snapped, her nose in the air.

"Surely you are familiar with the protocols regarding visits, Caroline. If she visited several weeks ago and you have yet to return it, you have sent the message that you desire to cut the connection," Bingley protested. "That was abominably rude of you."

"I am well aware of the protocols. I wanted to speak to Mr. Darcy," Miss Bingley insisted.

Darcy stared at his friend's sister. "I agree with your brother in this matter. Not returning the call is extraordinarily rude. How did you know she was in town? Your brother indicated you told him you had not received any letters from the lady in question."

Miss Bingley blanched but refused to answer. Darcy watched his friend's face redden slightly as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Caroline, what have you done? I demand that you give me the address the moment we return home. Then you and I will pay a call on Miss Bennet, and you will apologise for your oversight. Is it fair to assume that you have not kept up a correspondence with her either?"

Darcy held out his hand to his friend as he guided the pair to the entrance. "I suggest you send a letter to Miss Bennet's uncle, explaining the situation before you call. Or you could have your sister send around a card asking when the best time to visit might be. Arriving unannounced and uninvited could be perceived as being just as rude as failing to return the initial call. Miss Bennet may not appreciate being surprised in such a manner, especially after what your sister has done."

Bingley nodded while Miss Bingley continued to look on with her lips held tightly together. She narrowed her eyes at Darcy and reached out to grab his arm. "Please tell me that the impertinent Miss Eliza has not caused this change in you, Mr. Darcy. You cannot have seen her since we departed from Netherfield, but has she somehow convinced you to act against your instincts? Surely you saw that she did not care for you, that she preferred the son of your steward, did you not? Do you not remember how awful that family is?"

Darcy looked down at her hand on his arm with disdain, and she hastened to remove it. "I have seen no one from Meryton since we left in November. The only thing I have done is to be honest with your brother. While I may not have noticed any particular regard between him and Miss Bennet, that does not mean it does not exist. And as I told your brother, Miss Bennet is a gentleman's daughter. Is that not what your parents wanted for him? When he purchases an estate, whether it be Netherfield or one somewhere else, he will have done exactly what your parents wished for him to do."

"But Mr. Darcy …" Miss Bingley began, but Darcy cut her off.

"Miss Bingley, I have nothing else to say on this matter."

With that, Darcy stalked away, leaving Bingley and his sister standing in the foyer.