“Oh, you must tell me about it!” Charlotte cried out.
Elizabeth noticed when she had the attention of her sisters, as well. “Mr. Darcy asked me to dance.”
Charlotte’s eyebrows lifted, and she glanced at Jane and Mary. “Oh? Did you accept or decline?”
“I accepted. I would not dishonor him. It would only further prove to him that I am below him, and I will not allow that.”
“You are a smart woman, Lizzie,” Charlotte said. The Bennet sisters were nodding. “Is he a good dancer?”
“He is quite talented, yes. I am pleased to have had the chance to dance with him.”
“He is quite handsome, is he not?” Charlotte said in a conspiratorial voice. “He might be the answer to your problem.”
Elizabeth giggled, shaking her head at Charlotte. “Surely not. I have nothing to offer the man. He is wealthy, owns a large estate, and looks down upon those of us who do not share those blessings.”
“You have other blessings to offer, Lizzie,” Jane said.
Elizabeth grinned up at her. “And why are you not off dancing with Mr. Bingley?”
Jane laughed. “He is mingling. He is not mine, Lizzie, though you make it sound as if he is.” Jane’s voice betrayed her desire for that very thing to come true.
“You may want to seek him out before another lady catches his eye,” one of their friends said, pointing her fan in the direction of Mr. Bingley—who was across the room, speaking with a young woman who was looking adoringly at the handsome man.
Jane pursed her lips. “I will do no such thing. A man will seek me, I will not seek him.”
Charlotte laughed. “Where did you come up with such a preposterous idea, Jane? We must seek them out or they will all wander the earth, not knowing where they are going or why they are there.”
The group of women laughed. “I would not say that about all men,” Jane replied. “And I would also say that there are women who fall into that category, as well.”
Charlotte nodded. “I must agree with you.” She turned back to Elizabeth, placing one hand on hers. “Lydia was telling me earlier that you might be looking for a suitor as soon as possible to try to sway your parents’ decision. I think it is an idea you should consider. I do not place as much emphasis on attraction as you do, Lizzie. I seek stability and security. These are two things Mr. Collins does have in his favor.”
“You may be right about his stability, Charlotte,” Elizabeth said. “But I desire to have more. I desire happiness and love, and the comfort of my husband’s arms when I am sad.”
“You do not think Mr. Collins would comfort you?” Charlotte sounded surprised.
“I am sure that he would. He is a gentleman, after all. But it would be far less comforting than if it came from a man I loved, not just a man I was forced to marry.”
“Mr. Darcy would be a much better choice for you,” Mary said in her quiet voice. Elizabeth’s eyes darted to her face. She didn’t want to consider that when the idea was so very far-fetched.
“Mr. Darcy would no sooner marry me than he would a pauper in the street,” she retorted in a laughing voice.
“I do believe I heard my name.” Darcy came up behind Jane and Mary, making them jump slightly. He laughed. “I do apologize for frightening you, Miss Bennet. Miss Bennet.” He bowed to each of them. “It was certainly not my intention. But when I heard my name being discussed, I thought I would join the party and see what was being said.”
“It was nothing, Mr. Darcy. We do apologize,” Elizabeth said quickly.
He shrugged. “What have you to apologize for? You must tell me. Were your words so harsh they cannot be repeated to me directly?”
Elizabeth’s face was hot with humiliation. Her cheeks were burning red. She wished more than anything that it didn’t show so plainly.
“Miss Bennet was just espousing that you would not be marrying anyone soon,” Charlotte spoke up, supplying an altered version of what had been said. Elizabeth shot her a grateful look.
Darcy’s eyebrows shot up and he looked at Elizabeth. “You do not believe me to be the marrying type?”
“I do not believe you would marry a woman on a whim,” Elizabeth responded. “I am quite sure you are terribly selective in the women you choose to spend time with.”
Darcy nodded. “That is true, my dear; I am quite selective. You do remember that I chose to dance with you, did I not?”
Elizabeth nodded back, without answering.
“I suppose that must mean that you are worthy of my time, and a marriage between us would not be on a whim. We would need to court for months beforehand. Otherwise, how would we get to know one another?”
At that moment, Charles Bingley came over to the crowd.
“Good evening,” he said, bowing to the group en masse. They all responded in kind. Bingley looked at Jane and held out his hand. “Are you free for the next dance, Miss Bennet?”
Elizabeth could see the look of delight plain as day on her sister’s face. Her eyes lit up and a smile covered her lips.
“I would be delighted, Mr. Bingley.” Jane rested her hand in his, and they moved away from the group.
One by one, the people who had been surrounding her left until it was she and Darcy, alone again. He sat down and leaned forward slightly to look at her, resting one arm on his knee. “Miss Bennet,” he said quietly, “why was my name brought up in a conversation about marriage?”
Elizabeth wondered whether she should tell Mr. Darcy about her problem. It certainly wasn’t his business. He had shown himself to be less than sympathetic to the people around him who might not be living their life as easily as he did his.
“My parents are arranging a marriage for me, and I am unhappy with their choice.”
He didn’t react to her statement. He continued to gaze at her in silence. She was uncomfortable for a moment before continuing, “We were discussing whether or not I might be able to find a more suitable gentleman before my parents make any final arrangements for me.”
Darcy nodded. “I see. And my name was brought up as a more suitable gentleman?”
Elizabeth squirmed in her seat, and flattened her fan so as to wave it at her hot face. “It was not brought up by me, sir, I assure you.”
Darcy shook his head. “You do not need to call me sir. Darcy will do just fine. And why should you not mention my name? Did you not enjoy the dance?”
“Oh, yes, I did,” Elizabeth said breathlessly and then looked away, fanning her face.
“I am glad to hear that.” Darcy mimicked her movement, turning his face toward the crowd, though he continued to talk to her. “Perhaps there is something that can be worked out.”
Elizabeth stared at him, her fan freezing in place. “Whatever could you mean, Mr. Darcy?”
He sat for a moment before turning to say, “You may be able to stall them by telling them that we are courting.”
Elizabeth was stunned into silence.
Chapter 8
“Why ever would you offer yourself in that way, Mr. Darcy?” Elizabeth was finally able to formulate the question when her shock wore off. “We do not know each other at all.”
“That is why God invented courting, my dear,” Darcy replied with a quick grin. She noticed that, though he often had a sullen, arrogant look on his face, he was also quick with a smile.
“I do not know that I could lie to my parents about this sort of thing. What would happen when we did not marry in the end?”
Darcy shrugged. “Perhaps we will. Perhaps we won’t. But it will give your parents and their suitor time to create some other type of arrangement. Surely they would not object to a courtship between us.”
“They do not know you, either,” Elizabeth responded.
“I was gifted with a lengthy conversation with your father recently.” He looked closely at her. “I assume you did not know that?”
“No, I did not.”
“It was but a few days ago. He did not mention you specifically, though he did speak
of his daughters. I knew who you were, as I was already introduced to you at the previous ball.”
Elizabeth nodded, the memory of his ignorant remarks running through her mind. She pushed the thoughts away, focusing on the Mr. Darcy who sat with her now. He wasn’t behaving in an obnoxious way, though Elizabeth was fairly sure she would see that side of him again. Before their dance, he had behaved as expected. Up until he asked her to dance.
“And what was said in this conversation?”
Darcy laughed. “It was a general conversation, nothing of importance. But it was pleasant, and I see that you and your family are quite compatible. I had a similar relationship with my father, who passed five years ago. He was an amiable man with many friends. His behavior toward others was not the same as mine. He would not always tell the truth, and would move around it so as to be civil. I do not like to do that. I will speak my mind.”
Elizabeth nodded. “I have noticed that about you, Mr. Darcy.”
“Is it such a bad trait?”
Elizabeth thought for a moment before answering. “It is not that you state your opinion but rather how you state it. If you are using tact, you need not worry about speaking your mind. If you are blunt to a point without filtering your words, you are being rude. There is a difference, Mr. Darcy, and I am certain you are aware of it.”
“You also speak your mind,” Darcy pointed out. “Are you always tactful?”
“I try very hard to be, yes,” Elizabeth retorted, lifting her chin.
“You are quite fascinating, Miss Elizabeth Bennet.”
Elizabeth felt a twitching in her chest. “Thank you, Mr. Darcy. I find you… quite interesting.”
He grinned at her. “I will take that as a compliment, Miss Bennet.”
They were quiet for a moment before he asked, “What do you plan to do?”
“I do not want to marry Mr. Collins,” Elizabeth answered immediately.
“Then it appears you will have no choice but to tell them that we are courting, and you are not available to marry Mr. Collins.”
“They may say that you must both vie for my hand.”
Darcy shook his head. “Do you think I am a more favorable suitor?”
Nervously, Elizabeth nodded her head. She still knew very little about him. He was terribly handsome, taller than her, and looked dashing in his fine outfit. She felt helpless, as though there was no other option. Would she be happy with Mr. Darcy? Would they even marry? And was she condemning her sisters to her rejected fate?
The questions ran through her mind like wildfire.
“Do you believe your parents would believe me to be a more favorable suitor than your Mr. Collins?”
“I daresay they would.”
“Then what do you fear from telling them that we are courting? It will only be a benefit and a blessing to them, as I am not a pauper by far.”
“Oh no, Mr. Darcy, I would never mistake you for that!” Elizabeth cried out quietly.
He chuckled. “I was not accusing you of thinking so, my dear, I was simply stating that I would be a more viable candidate for your hand than Mr. Collins. What does this man do, might I ask?”
“He’s a clergyman at a parsonage. His patroness is Lady Catherine de Bourgh.”
Darcy nodded. “I know of the lady. I believe I have met her once or twice. She is a forceful and demanding woman herself. But I respect her for all that she has done.”
“I have great respect for her, as well.”
They fell quiet for a moment. It was the first time since she had come to the ball that she felt comfortable and relaxed. Choosing to be courted by Mr. Darcy was choosing the lesser of two evils, in her opinion.
“It is obvious you do not want to marry him,” Darcy stated, keeping his voice quiet but loud enough to be heard over the music that had begun. “May I ask why? If he is a man of God, surely he is a gentleman in all respects.”
“I do not find him attractive,” she answered. “Neither in physical traits nor character. I find him to be slightly obnoxious. And I do not believe I would be happy married to him.”
“Would you be happy being married to me?”
Elizabeth looked at him closely. “As I have said, Mr. Darcy, I do not know you. I would need time to know you before I could do such a thing. My father knows that you have only just arrived. He will need to be convinced that we have made an instant bond. I do not know how we will do that. He knows me very well. I cannot pretend in front of him.”
“He will see your true feelings, will he?”
“I believe he will.” She nodded.
Darcy was quiet for a moment. “I would like to ask you to go with me on a ride tomorrow. Perhaps we can get to know each other a bit better before you announce this to your parents. It would be a shame to find out that we are not able to get along in the slightest. Or you will be forced to marry Mr. Collins and there will be no way to save you from it.”
“I do not want to marry Mr. Collins,” Elizabeth mumbled, saying it so low he barely heard it. It caused a smile to flash over his face. He tried to look serious again.
“This is quite obvious,” he said, thoughtfully. “And something you should approach your parents about before it is too late and documents have been signed. I suggest you tell them something that will delay the processing of such documents.”
“I will not tell them that we are courting but that you have asked me on a ride, and I would like to see how that goes before I enter any agreements with someone else.” Elizabeth’s voice was suddenly determined. Darcy was taken aback and then looked pleased.
“I will answer any questions your parents have to ask.”
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at him. “I do not see what you gain by entering this arrangement with me, Mr. Darcy. Why would you take yourself off the market with the other lovely ladies you danced with so that I am free to make more choices with my life? What has it to do with you?”
“You are asking me why I would care to help you,” Darcy replied. “In a way that makes it sound as though I was doing something wrong. I am helping you. I may possibly see some potential in you for someone who does not come from wealth. You have a great deal of character. I enjoy bantering with you.”
“I banter with no one,” Elizabeth said firmly. “Bantering is for children.”
“Not necessarily true,” Darcy shook his head. “If it were not for bantering, some relationships would be of the utmost boredom. I would not want to live my life with another person who does nothing more than agree with me on every topic. Does one have one’s own opinion? If so, speak it. If not, you have less of a brain than that of a tiny maggot, and I would not want to attempt to hold a conversation with you. Debating topics is one of my favorite things to do. You seem like a challenging opponent when serious discussions are brought up.”
“I have been told I have a good head on my shoulders.”
“You are an intelligent woman,” Darcy agreed, nodding. “And I agree with what you have decided to tell your parents. I will come by Longbourn tomorrow at half past two, if that suits you.”
“It does. Thank you for the invitation, Mr. Darcy.”
“I look forward to it then.” He stood up and bowed. “Good evening, Miss Bennet.”
“Good evening, Mr. Darcy.”
Chapter 9
The night proved to be a long one for Elizabeth. When she returned from the ball, it was too late to speak to her parents. Both had already retired to bed. She lay awake in her bed for so long she was sure she would soon see the sun rise, and walk around looking tired and haggard all day.
She turned over on her side and shoved one hand in between the two pillows on her bed. “Sleep, where are you?” she murmured into the darkness. “Why do you elude me? What have I done to deserve such torture?”
She turned over to the other side, blinking rapidly, though she could see nothing in the pitch black of the night.
She turned to lie on her back and looked up. She replayed the memory of her c
onversation with Mr. Darcy in her mind. It had been so… so unexpected. She could think of nothing else in her recent memory that had surprised her as much as his suggestion that they perform a mock-courtship in order to get her out of a sticky situation.
She pictured the morning, when she would be forced to tell her parents a little white lie. But did it have to be a lie? Elizabeth turned over on her stomach and pressed her face briefly in her pillow. What would become of this mock-courtship? They would be spending a great deal of time together. If she found him to be as obnoxious as she first found him, how would she possibly handle it?
A thought went through her mind, making her turn over on her back and put her hands squarely on her chest. What if he fell in love with her? Or worse—her falling in love with him. If it wasn’t returned, she couldn’t imagine the kind of pain she might be forced to endure. Heartache wasn’t something she wanted to experience. She had seen it happen and knew what several friends had gone through. Not to mention she had been hearing rumors that Bingley and Jane were courting and some people of the ton were less than happy about the union.
What she’d heard being said included words from Mr. Darcy’s own mouth. She hadn’t heard them herself, but she was told what Darcy was saying by others. It was all so confusing. If he had bad-mouthed her sister and their family, what would he gain from marrying her?
Elizabeth shook her head. He wasn’t planning to marry her. He wasn’t serious about the courtship.
She wondered if Darcy had something against Mr. Collins. Perhaps the two of them did know each other, and were mortal enemies. Elizabeth smiled in the darkness. It was hard to fathom Mr. Collins having a mortal enemy. He reminded Elizabeth of a toad sitting on a log in the middle of a swamp, waiting for dinner to fly by. Who could a toad have as an enemy?
She giggled softly. Did foxes eat frogs? Elizabeth pondered the question. She didn’t know the answer, but a fox was what she thought of when turning Darcy into some type of animal. She couldn’t imagine that he would want to set up this courtship just for fun and games. He had a motive. She just didn’t know what it could be.
A Convenient Darcy Marriage Page 4
