“Ah, yes – Darcy is always the consummate landowner, even when the land involved is not his own.”
“He seems to take his responsibilities very seriously.” Was she actually defending him to his cousin?
“He seems to feel some responsibility to act as landlord here since our aunt tends to give her tenants advice when she should be giving them assistance. His father did the same when he was alive.”
Elizabeth took a sip of her coffee, unable to think of a good way to lead into her prepared speech. Finally, she resolved to take the desperate measure of raising the subject out of the blue. “I have been giving a good deal of thought to your kind offer of yesterday. I cannot begin to tell you how honored I am to be the recipient of such an offer from you, nor how grateful I am for your concern for my well-being and reputation. You are truly one of the most amiable men of my acquaintance…”
He held up his hand to stop her. “Miss Bennet, although I am not practiced at such things, I can recognize the beginning of a refusal when I hear it. Shall we save ourselves the embarrassment of discussing it further and simply consider the matter closed?”
She let out a deep breath. “Naturally, if that is what you wish, but please permit me to say that I was very tempted, and under other circumstances would probably have accepted with pleasure.”
“Under which circumstances -- Darcy’s proposal or the question of whether you have been compromised?” He sounded as disinterested as if they were discussing a game of cards.
“Both, I suppose. I dislike the idea of having no choice about marrying, but I could never be happy knowing that my presence was causing a rift between you, and there is nothing you can say to convince me that would not be the case. You and Mr. Darcy seem more like brothers than cousins in many ways, and I will not be the one to interfere with such an old friendship.”
“Does this argument extend to refusing Darcy as well?”
“From a logical standpoint it should, but in fact I have not decided one way or the other. I have greater faith, you see, in your ability to tolerate such a disappointment than in his. You sensibly guarded your heart against me when you thought nothing more was possible, so I am disappointing only a few hours worth of hopes on your part. Mr. Darcy has been struggling with this for many months. I am sure he will be able to forget me if that is necessary, but I suspect he feels it too deeply to be able to put it behind him if he were forced to see me married to you.”
“You have captured our relationship in a nutshell, madam. I bend to the circumstance far more readily than my cousin does.” His voice had an edge to it.
“I will add that to my list of comparisons. I understand you can triumph over Mr. Darcy with a pistol, but not with a sword, that you are his equal in throwing ability, and that your ability at fisticuffs outdoes his, but not at boxing. I confess myself a little baffled as to what the difference between fisticuffs and boxing might be, but I will take it on faith that there is one.”
“Rules, Miss Bennet,” he said with a rueful smile. “Boxing has rules, and fisticuffs does not.”
Since he seemed cheered by her teasing, she said, “Are there other skills at which you differ?”
“There are many. He loses at cards – anyone can read his expression to know what cards he holds – but has the deep pockets to afford it if he chooses, while I do well at cards but cannot afford to play.” He shook his head with a mock sigh, then sat up, abruptly alert, looking over her shoulder out the window.
“Hell and damnation!” He hurried around the table and took her by the arm, urging her away from the window. “I beg your pardon, Miss Bennet, but I must ask you to go above stairs immediately, and to remain there until Darcy returns. You must move quickly now.”
Taken aback by his vehemence, she asked,“Why, what is the matter?”
“My father and my aunt are coming, accompanied, unless I miss my guess, by a solicitor. They believe you are engaged to Darcy, and this is going to be an extremely unpleasant scene.”
“I am not afraid to face them!”
“But I am afraid to let you do so, because if I do, Darcy will take that sword of his and carve me into little pieces, and he would be quite correct to do so. It would be kinder to hand you over to a squad of Napoleon’s soldiers. Please go, Miss Bennet.”
“Very well,” she said, mystified. “But why would they believe me engaged to Darcy when I am not?”
“Never mind that. Go now, and do not come down unless Darcy is here, even if I send for you, no matter what you hear me or anyone else say.”
He urged her toward the staircase and called for Sally, instructing her to send a boy for Darcy without an instant’s delay. Elizabeth was just out of sight of the stairs when the sound reached her of the front door slamming open without even the courtesy of a knock. She pressed herself against the wall where she could not be seen, listening intently.
The colonel drawled in a voice quite unlike the one she knew, “Why, sir, to what do I owe this honor?”
“Where is Darcy, damn him!” The roar must be from the earl.
“Out and about somewhere. Something about the flood.” Colonel Fitzwilliam managed to sound utterly bored. “Would you care for some refreshment? I warn you, the brandy here is an insult to the name.”
“Is that girl here?” Lady Catherine sounded as if she had eaten icicles for breakfast.
“The maid? How would I know?”
“That Bennet chit, you fool!”
“Her? She is most likely with Darcy. Do, please, make yourselves quite at home here – oh, pardon me, I see that you already have.”
Lady Catherine snapped, “Did he tell you that they are engaged?”
She could not hear the colonel’s response, but the earl could have been heard in the next county. “You should have stopped it, then!”
“I did my best. He wouldn’t listen, so I tried proposing to the girl myself – even told her that my brother was sickly and I was his only heir. No luck, not even when I dangled a countess’ title.” Again, he used that languid drawl.
“You should have compromised her, you fool!”
No wonder Colonel Fitzwilliam had not wanted her present!
“Tried that, too, but Darcy doesn’t let her out of his sight, day or night. I should know; I tried climbing in her window last night. Pity, though – she’s a toothsome piece, and I wouldn’t have minded a taste or two. Oh, well - can’t have everything, you know.”
Elizabeth’s jaw dropped. What could he be playing at?
“You stay out of this, birdwit!” the earl snarled to someone - perhaps Lady Catherine? Elizabeth wondered if there would be blood on the floor by the time this was over.
The colonel said, “How did you find out so quickly? He only told me last night.”
“The damn fool put it in the papers! We will have to say it was an error.”
Elizabeth’s hand flew to her mouth. How could it be in the papers? They had been stranded here this whole time!
“The papers? Probably the soliticitor. Darcy says he wrote him already about the settlement.”
The sound of running feet overtook the conversation, then she heard Darcy’s voice. “Good God, Richard! What is the matter?”
“You have guests,” the colonel drawled.
Darcy made some sort of reply, then exclaimed, “Mr. Bennet?”
“None other,” came the familiar voice, sharp with anger. “You seem to have forgotten my existence, so I thought perhaps you needed a reminder that my daughter is not yet of age, and you cannot and will not marry her without my consent -- which, I might add, I have no intention of giving, now or ever.”
Elizabeth closed her eyes, then slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor, her knees bent to her chest. Her father! He must have heard all of the terrible things the colonel had said. This had to be a nightmare.
“Doesn’t matter,” the earl snapped. “You aren’t marrying her, Darcy. You know perfectly well I have plans for you.”
The colonel said in a sing-song voice, “You have plans, Lady Catherine has plans – Darcy, you are very well planned for!”
That was it – Colonel Fitzwilliam was trying to draw his father’s ire away from Darcy by playing the rake. Despite whatever had passed between the two men the previous night, apparently their old bond still held. The colonel was playing the role for both of them because he knew Darcy couldn’t do it for himself, and from the ease with which he did it, Elizabeth suspected this was not the first time.
Lady Catherine had been silent too long. “He is marrying my Anne, and that is the end of it. That chit may have fooled him with her arts and allurements, but he is promised to Anne.”
“Be quiet, Catherine! He can do far better than Anne.”
“He must marry Anne! She needs him, and his mother and I planned it when they were in their cradles!”
“I don’t care if all the saints in heaven planned it. He isn’t marrying Anne. If she needs to marry someone, she can marry Richard.”
“How lovely for me,” the colonel remarked. “I rather fancy being master of Rosings Park, especially once you move to the Dower House, aunt.”
“Ungrateful monster!” cried Lady Catherine. “This is the thanks I get for all I have done for you! I’ll see you hung if you come near my daughter.”
“What a charming family gathering this is,” said the colonel. “Wouldn’t you say so, Darcy?”
Elizabeth buried her face in her hands. The colonel had been right – it would be a relief if a squad of Napoleon’s finest soldiers stormed the house. She hoped his antics were giving Darcy a moment to collect himself before facing the onslaught.
Darcy had apparently seen enough. “I thank all of you for sharing your opinions with me. I am certain you have only the best of motives. However, the fact remains that my choice of wife is exactly that – my choice. I owe no duty to anyone but myself. Mr. Bennet, I would like to speak to you privately. There are factors here of which you are not aware.”
“I doubt it. That gentleman there has already been kind enough to inform us that you have been spending your nights in my daughter’s bedroom. I have nothing to say to you. Now, where is my daughter?”
Elizabeth could only imagine the look of betrayal Darcy must be sending in the colonel’s direction. His voice was quite clipped as he said, “I do not know what you have been told, but nothing untoward has happened between Elizabeth and me. She will tell you the same.”
“Darcy, I know you will see reason.” The earl was apparently changing tactics, now all oily politeness. “I cannot imagine you would risk Georgiana’s reputation this way.”
“My marriage will have no effect on Georgiana’s reputation. Miss Bennet is respectable.”
The colonel drawled, “You misunderstand him, Darcy. That was a threat. If you persist in marrying Miss Bennet, he means to ruin Georgiana’s reputation in retaliation.”
Elizabeth could not believe her ears, especially when this response was met not with a denial, but by silence. That was the end of it, then. She would not be marrying Mr. Darcy. She would never see him again. Suddenly, she found herself choking back a sob. When had she come to care about him? She bit down on her hand until it hurt. How could she expect Darcy to sacrifice his sister for her sake? He could not. No, she would leave here alone, with her reputation in tatters and nothing to show for it but an aching heart, all because Lord Matlock said so.
When Darcy began to speak, Elizabeth covered her ears with her hands. She understood why he had to renounce her, but did not want to hear him say it, or it would echo in her mind forever. But she could hear him anyway, speaking in that same distant voice she had heard the previous night. “You offer me the choice between ruining Miss Bennet’s reputation or Georgiana’s. I have given Miss Bennet my word, and I will not withdraw it.”
Her hands were on her chest now, holding in her pounding heart. Had he really said that? She could only imagine how much it hurt him – and all for a woman who had not even accepted his proposal, but whom he would still not allow to be injured. It was too much to bear. Even the colonel seemed to be speechless in face of this.
Elizabeth could not stand it. Without a thought to the consequences, she picked up her skirts and raced downstairs. She reached Darcy’s side and slipped her hand into his arm. “I am quite surprised at all I have just heard,” she said with a false brightness. “My lord, of course you wish to see your nephew make a brilliant marriage, but he has proposed to me and I have accepted, and we have a number of witnesses to that. I will not release him from the engagement. Before you try to force him to break it, I urge you to consider the effects of a breach of promise suit. He would only have to pay me a settlement, of course, but everyone will know that he broke a publicly acknowledged engagement after compromising the lady in question. Under those circumstances, will any gentleman risk allowing his daughter to contract an engagement to him? I think not. While it might be more satisfying to you to see both your niece and nephew ruined, would it not be more sensible to concentrate your efforts on making a brilliant alliance for Miss Darcy, since Mr. Darcy’s case is already quite hopeless?” She did not dare to look at her father.
The silence that met this statement was broken only by Colonel Fitzwilliam’s slow clapping. “Oh, brava, Miss Bennet! Spoken like a Fitzwilliam born.” He was sprawled in an upholstered chair with one leg hooked across the arm of it, a large glass of brandy in one hand. He gave a quick wink when he caught her looking his way. “I say, Darcy, is there any more of this ghastly brandy to be had? This was the last of the bottle, and I am not nearly foxed enough if I am to be forced to deal with my family all day.”
She felt a rush of gratitude toward him for defending not only Darcy, but her as well, when he owed her nothing and had reason for resentment as well.
“There is another bottle in the study,” Darcy said slowly, but he was not looking at his cousin. His eyes were fixed on her face.
It was at that precise moment that Elizabeth realized that, in her impulsive rush to defend Mr. Darcy, she had also utterly committed herself to marrying him. Her skin prickled with goosebumps as she met his gaze, her insides churning with the knowledge that she had just agreed to be his wife, flesh of his flesh, till death parted them. He would take possession of her body, and she would live by his side. It felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her and she had forgotten how to breathe.
“Did you mean that?” Darcy spoke just above a whisper, his words directed only at her, as if he had forgotten the presence of all the others.
For some reason, his doubt put her own worries to rest. They might still disagree on many things, but somehow they would work it out together, and that idea made her feel light as air and as if the sun had just come out. “I meant it,” she said, then with a sense of daring she stood up on tiptoe and whispered in his ear, “About marrying you, that is – not the other part.” Having no reputation left to ruin, she discovered, could be quite freeing.
A slow smile dawned on his face. He took her hands into his, a pulse of fire racing where their fingers entwined.
Then the colonel was standing, swaying slightly. “Oh, please, Darcy. You may be happy about gaining a leg-shackle, but is far too early in the day to subject me to your amorous displays.”
The earl wheeled to face his son. “You worthless ingrate! You are a disgrace to the Fitzwilliam name.”
Richard held his glass up as if to examine the contents. “A disgrace to the Fitzwilliam name? Dear me, my memory must be failing me. Why is it that the proud Fitzwilliam name is no longer as proud as it was? Could it be because….”
“Miserable cur!” shouted the earl.
Elizabeth lost track of the shouting match when her father approached them, his face hard. He made no acknowledgement of Darcy. Instead he took her arm in a painful grip and said, “We are leaving now.”
“We cannot leave, not with….”
His face turned purple. “You will obey me. I have been far too
lax with you, and I am paying for it now.”
Darcy said, “Mr. Bennet, we have a great deal to discuss, but perhaps we could do so outside.”
“I have nothing to discuss with you. Come, Lizzy.”
“Please, I know you are angry, but can you not spare a moment listen to Mr. Darcy – and to me? This is not what it seems, and….”
“Enough. You are my responsibility and under my rule, and if I tell you to go, then you will go.”
Elizabeth hardly recognized the man who stood before her. “But…”
Darcy stepped in. “Mr. Bennet, I ask you to allow me a few minutes of your time.”
“You have no rights in this matter at all, and you will unhand my daughter!”
Looking bewildered, Darcy released her hand, searching Elizabeth’s face as if for clues. “I have the greatest respect for your daughter, sir.”
Mr. Darcy's Refuge Page 11
