“Do you think so? I am sure it is easy to be generous when you are not the one who is required to marry him.”
“I do not think he would have me.”
“The nephew of Lady Catherine de Bourgh? I think he would throw away Longbourn to claim you.”
The two of them smiled.
“What will you tell him when he asks?” Darcy asked, his voice soft.
Elizabeth was about to say she would refuse, but she paused and looked at Darcy.
“What do you think I should say?”
“Oh, no.” Darcy held up his hands. “I cannot possibly comment. It is not my place. The decision must be yours alone.”
“But I am asking for your advice. Mr Collins raises some interesting points. He is not wrong that there are advantages.” Elizabeth was not sure what she was doing. She only knew she wanted to see some sign in Darcy’s face that he might care for her rather than the bland, courteous mask he had shown her since he had returned. She wanted to see if he cared about her enough that she could provoke him by speaking of another man, even if he would never marry her. “I will be mistress of Longbourn,” she said. “My family need not worry about losing our home. And, according to him, there is a stain on my reputation now. He is not wrong. I have heard enough whispers myself to know that, no matter what goodwill people might show towards me, there will still be a whisper of suspicion about me. Mr Collins has told me very generously that he will overlook all that. Am I not fortunate?”
Darcy’s eyes darkened. He tried to look cool and indifferent, but he was tense, as though it was a struggle to master himself.
“Elizabeth, what are you doing?” he demanded in a cold voice.
Elizabeth blinked. “What do you mean, sir? I am contemplating my future as any young lady must do.”
“Why are you speaking like this? This is not you.”
“I beg your pardon, Mr Darcy, but although we spent many days together, you do not know me as well as you suppose. Did you imagine I would spend my life being the tiny sliver of who you know while you move on with your own? I must think of my future, sir. I am sure you can understand.”
Darcy stepped away from her. He ran a hand through his hair. With its slightly longer length, it looked almost as mussed as it had been when they had shared a room together. He looked as though he wished to speak but was at a loss for what to say. Elizabeth trembled as she waited for him to speak. Finally, he turned back to her.
“I cannot believe you are serious about accepting Mr Collins,” he said. “You think him foolish. You would never be happy with such a husband. Because, despite what you claim, I do know you. You could never be happy with a man who is not even close to your equal. No, I do not believe you mean what you say.”
Elizabeth scowled. “I am not sure why you feel you have the right to be so upset,” she said, Miss Bingley’s words still ringing in her ear. “It can be nothing to you if I marry another man. Why should you care?”
Darcy rounded on her and advanced towards her so quickly that Elizabeth almost stumbled back.
“Why should I care?” he demanded. “You really ask that question of me?”
Elizabeth swallowed. She had never seen such intensity in Darcy’s face before. “What are you saying?” she demanded.
“You must know. Even if you do not wish it, you must know.”
“I assure you I am all at sea.”
“Ah, so you will make me say it. Very well, I will. Even if both of us might wish it unsaid a moment later.”
Elizabeth’s heart pounded so loudly she was sure Darcy could hear it.
“Say it. Whatever it is, I want to hear it.”
“I love you,” Darcy said, his voice thick with emotion. “I loved you every moment we were away together. I loved you all the while we were apart. Why else did you think I returned to Netherfield instead of writing a note?”
Elizabeth could hardly believe he was saying those words. She was afraid to allow herself to believe them.
“But I do not understand,” she whispered. “You were so adamant that we should not be required to marry. You said you would not have been able to tolerate it.”
Darcy winced. “My words came out wrong. I meant I did not want us to marry under such circumstances, not that I did not want you for my wife. I did not want a marriage we had been forced into against our will, and I especially did not want it for you. I had hoped that we might return and escape detection, and then we might go about a normal courtship. But when I said it to you, you were so against the idea of marrying me at all and made it clear you did not care for me in that way. Even Lydia spoke of how you disliked me.”
Elizabeth groaned and tipped her head back. “I believed the thought of marrying me repelled you, so of course, I would not allow you to think I hoped we would be together. I thought you quite arrogant, you know. I have my own pride, and I would not allow you that satisfaction. Lydia should not have said what she did, but it has been a while now since I felt that way about you.”
Darcy’s breath hitched. He took a step closer to Elizabeth.
“And now?”
Elizabeth’s eyes sparkled. “And now what?”
“Do not tease me, Elizabeth. How do you feel about me now?”
It was hard for Elizabeth to speak those words so openly, but she could not refuse the hope she saw in Darcy’s eyes, a hope he was almost afraid to trust.
“Well then, you must know I love you too,” she said. “And I missed you most ardently when we were apart.” She smiled. “I longed to have you by my side again. It was —“
The rest of her words were cut off when Darcy snatched her into his arms and kissed her so hard and completely that it stole Elizabeth’s breath away. When he finally released her, he pulled her into his arms, and she rested her head on his chest, unable to keep from smiling. How had she gone from such anguish to such joy in only a few minutes?
“I do not know what I have done to deserve such happiness,” Darcy said thickly, his lips against Elizabeth’s hair.
Elizabeth leaned back so she could entwine her arms around Darcy’s neck and smiled up at him. He kept his arms locked around her waist as if he had no intention of ever allowing her to go again.
“It will be an interesting day when our children and grandchildren ask how we came to marry.”
“You think we should tell everyone what really happened then?”
“What do you think?”
Darcy pressed a kiss to Elizabeth’s forehead. The adoration in his eyes made her almost dizzy with awe. To think she should be so blessed.
“I am happy to tell everyone once we are married,” he said. “Which I must tell you I hope is as soon as possible. I have been without you for too long already. Some of them might be angry with us for misleading them, but they will understand our reasons. Besides, I want to boast to our grandchildren about how their grandmother charmed desperate thieves so utterly that they were willing to release us.”
“And I want to boast of how their grandfather fought two men with pistols,” said Elizabeth.
Darcy kissed her again. Elizabeth’s knees were weak, and her heart was racing by the time he stopped. He pressed his forehead to hers and sighed.
“We should go to your father and tell him,” he said.
Elizabeth gave him a small kiss on the lips. “Tomorrow morning is plenty of time. Before our news becomes public property, I would rather keep it just for us for this one night at least.”
“Whatever you want, my love,” said Darcy. “But I will ask one thing of you. Will you do me the honour of dancing with me?”
“You have caught me quite off guard, sir. I cannot think of a reason to refuse you, so I suppose I must accept.”
Darcy smiled and kissed her. “Exasperating woman,” he murmured. “Come then.”
30
Mr Collins found Elizabeth in the breakfast room, where she sat near the window waiting for the sight of Darcy’s horse. He closed the door behind him and rested aga
inst it for a moment, watching her. Elizabeth had been too focused on watching for Darcy and did not notice his presence until he cleared his throat. She started.
“Mr Collins,” she said. Her eyes flicked to the closed door he blocked. “Is there something I can help you with, sir?” she asked. “My parents are not here. You will find my father in the library.”
Mr Collins smiled and took a step towards her. “It is you I wish to speak with, my dearest cousin, though your modesty does you credit. There is no need to be afraid.”
“I am not afraid, sir. I just cannot imagine what you would wish to say to me.”
“I think you know. I made my intentions very clear last night, so now it only remains for me to —“ Mr Collins lowered himself on one knee, gripping the table as he did.
Elizabeth rose from the window seat at once.
“Sir, I —“
Mr Collins cut her off. “From almost the first moment I entered this house, I singled you out as the companion of my future life. Though my intentions were interrupted—“ here he gave a little chuckle, “my desires were not. You will have no fortune, and you are no longer spotless, but I will not hold that against you once we are wed.”
“I cannot allow you to take such a step, sir,” said Elizabeth. “You are a clergyman. What would your parishioners say if they knew you were married to a woman of dubious reputation?”
Mr Collins waved a hand in a dismissive gesture. “There is such a distance between Kent and Hertfordshire that they will not hear of it. Even if they do, I am confident that they will respect me more for setting an example of forgiveness and redemption. Your concern shows how well suited you are for life as a clergyman’s wife, no matter what your past has been.” He beamed up at her as though he expected her to receive his indulgence with joyful relief.
“I thank you again and again for the honour you bestow on me, sir, and I am not insensible to it. Few men would take on a woman with my past, as you say,” she added dryly. “But I cannot accept. No matter the state of my reputation, I do not believe we would make one another happy. We are too different in ways that would not suit.”
Mr Collins stared up at her incredulously. “You cannot be serious.”
“I am most serious. I wish you very well and very happy, and by refusing you, I am doing all in my power to help you be so.”
Mr Collins shook his head, a disbelieving smile crossing his face. “I understand young ladies often refuse young men they secretly mean to accept to increase their love by suspense. They also do not wish to seem too eager. But I must point out, Cousin Elizabeth, that there is little point in trying not to seem eager now when you have already ruined your reputation. You cannot close the stable door after the horse has bolted.”
“Mr Collins —“ Elizabeth began in a warning tone as her patience rapidly came to an end.
Voices outside the door distracted her from saying anything else. Her mother’s voice was raised in argument as she refused to allow someone into the room. Mr Collins also turned to look in annoyance when the door opened, and Darcy hurried into the room. He stopped to observe the scene in front of him; Mr Collins kneeling on the carpet, his hand clutching the table to support himself, Elizabeth before him, the irritation in her eyes melting into relief.
“Mr Darcy,” cried Mr Collins. “You must forgive us, sir. Cousin Elizabeth and I were just finishing our conversation. I hope you will be the first to congratulate us on our marriage.”
Mrs Bennet, who had followed Darcy into the room, gasped and clapped her hands with delight.
“A daughter to be married! Oh, how wonderful.”
“I did not accept you, sir,” Elizabeth snapped.
“Of course you have. Why be coy now when you have already been—“
Darcy, who had been watching the scene with some amusement, immediately stepped forward.
“I would think carefully about how you plan to finish that sentence,” he said in a cold voice.
Mr Collins flinched. “I merely meant that—“
“I know what you meant. But I am shocked, sir. A clergyman announcing an engagement without the lady’s agreement? A lady who has already agreed to marry another man? What would my aunt say?”
Everyone in the room went still, including Elizabeth.
“Marry another?” Mr Collins said. “I do not wish to contradict the nephew of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, sir, but I think you are mistaken. My cousin is not engaged to another man. It will be impossible for her to find someone after —“
A flashing look from Darcy made him cringe.
“— after the terrible things she has endured,” he finished weakly.
“Lizzy engaged? That is impossible, sir. No one wants to marry Lizzy apart from Mr Collins.” Mrs Bennet looked at her daughter in bewilderment. Elizabeth could only shrug. Mrs Bennet gasped. “You are not engaged to Mr Wickham, Lizzy? I know how you like him. Oh, you sly thing, and you never said a word.”
Darcy’s face darkened.
“I am certainly not engaged to Mr Wickham, Mama, and I have never cared for him enough to accept him before realising I do not care for him at all.”
“Then who is Mr Darcy speaking of? I do not understand.”
All three of them turned to look at Darcy. His eyes filled with warmth when he looked at Elizabeth, and he smiled.
“Elizabeth is engaged to me.”
Mrs Bennet gasped while Mr Collins shook his head and spluttered a denial. The words Lady Catherine and outrage could be heard several times, but Elizabeth could only look at Darcy.
“Have you—“ she began.
“I have spoken to your father, yes. I met him in the garden as I rode to the house, and I asked him right away. He was astonished, but he agreed at once.”
Elizabeth’s face lit with joy, and she moved around the still prone form of Mr Collins to launch herself into Darcy’s arms. He laughed as he caught her and kissed her. It took them a moment to recall they were not alone.
Mr Collins’s hand was over his mouth in horror, as though he had just witnessed a carriage accident. Mrs Bennet was shakily sitting at the table, her eyes wide with astonishment.
“Well — bless me — ten thousand a year — Mr Collins is nothing to it, nothing at all—“
“You cannot be serious, Mr Darcy. Your aunt will never allow this marriage,” Mr Collins said as he stumbled to his feet.
Elizabeth and Darcy both turned to look at him, Darcy’s arms still around Elizabeth’s waist.
“I think you will find that my aunt has no authority over who I marry.”
By now, the rest of the Bennet girls had entered the room expecting news of Elizabeth’s engagement to Mr Collins. The giggles on the youngest girls’ faces faded to confusion when they saw her in Darcy’s arms. Mr Bennet merely folded his arms and leaned against the door frame to enjoy the scene.
“Lizzy, what is happening? I thought you were to marry Mr Collins?”
“She will marry no one but me,” said Darcy.
“But you have always hated him.”
“Really? I find him quite tolerable now.”
“But how did this even happen?”
“You cannot marry a girl like Miss Elizabeth,” Mr Collins cried. “Mr Darcy, think what you owe your family. Your poor, dear aunt will be distraught. She deserves more than this shock. And what of your poor cousin, Miss de Bourgh? You are engaged to her. Will you throw her over?”
Darcy threw Mr Collins an irritated, dismissive look.
“I am not engaged to my cousin, and I never was. I am not responsible for my aunt’s wishes.”
In Mr Collins’s world, there was no higher authority than Lady Catherine and the shock of hearing her spoken in such a disrespectful manner almost made him stagger.
“As I said, Mr Collins, I thank you for your offer, but I cannot accept it,” said Elizabeth lightly. “Now, if you all do not mind, my future husband and I have much to discuss.”
Darcy beamed down at Elizabeth.
/> “He smiled,” Elizabeth heard Kitty whisper to Lydia. “Did you see that, Lydia? He actually smiled.”
“Mr Darcy,” said Mr Collins. “I beg you to listen to me, sir. You will make the most enormous mistake of your life if you go ahead with this match. Cousin Elizabeth is not fit to be the wife of a man of your station, and I do not only refer to her lack of wealth or her connections. Do you know what she was doing while you were away?”
“Of course I know. Elizabeth had been kidnapped. Why do you suppose I should not be aware of it?”
Mr Collins gasped that Mr Darcy did not see the problem at once. “Then you must know that she spent a week alone with these men. It is not her fault, although her tendency to run about the woods alone can certainly be said to contribute to it. But it means that her reputation has been damaged beyond repair. Lady Catherine will never accept her as a niece.”
“She does not need to. The rest of my family will adore Elizabeth and accept her with open arms. If my aunt has an issue with my wife, she is welcome to distance herself from us.”
Mr Collins shook his head. “I do not know what wiles my cousin has used to ensnare you, Mr Darcy. She has trapped you with her arts and allurements. I understand, of course. They almost worked on me, too. But once you overcome this madness, you will be ashamed all your life of the woman you married. She is tainted.”
“He likes that word a lot,” Elizabeth said.
Darcy merely looked at Mr Collins appraisingly. Mr Collins, taking it that his words had hit home, clutched his hands in front of him as if praying for Darcy to see sense.
“I suppose Elizabeth would be tainted if she spent so much time alone with these men,” he agreed.
Mr Collins nodded eagerly, his hand pressed to his chest in relief.
“She is, sir. I am sorry you found out this way, but I could not in good conscience allow you to proceed without knowing of it.”
“Then why do you wish to marry her?”
Mr Collins hesitated.
“Because I am willing to overlook it,” he said weakly.
“Then why should I not?”
“Because you are too high. It will be a disgrace for you, but I can show her as an example of forgiveness and redemption.”
Rescuing Elizabeth Bennet: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Page 18
