by Kara Louise
He tried desperately to remember any details about that day. Where was she going on to after he departed the carriage? He did not recall. He recollected a man and a woman waiting with her and who gave her assistance as she stepped into the carriage, when he carelessly ploughed into her. Her aunt and uncle . She was on her way now to visit her aunt and uncle in America. All right, but most everyone has an aunt and uncle . He turned to look at her and thought he could simply ask her if she sprained it by falling out of a tree, but that would most likely embarrass her. He was quite sure she did not finish her sentence because she did not want to let on that she had climbed a tree and fallen from it. He did not believe it would do any good to ask her if she remembered him and the carriage ride, as she most likely would not.
The crewman returned with some rolled-up cloths, and Mrs. Mullins began the slow, delicate process of wrapping her foot. Darcy stood back with his hand firmly planted against his jaw, rubbing it briskly as his mind searched the deepest recesses of his brain to try to recall anything more about her. Elizabeth glanced up and noticed a very disconcerted look on his face and she felt he was most irritated and impatient with this interruption.
“I am so sorry. So sorry,” was all she could say. She was convinced he was put out having to assist her, when he must have others things he wanted, or needed, to tend to.
Darcy watched as Mrs. Mullins gingerly wrapped Elizabeth’s ankle with the cloth. It was very evident to him how weak she was. His anger had increased now and he directed it at the ship’s policy, of which he had been unaware, allowing children to be doubled up in beds. He was angry at the conditions in steerage, even though, on the whole, they were better than most other ships. He was angry that he could do nothing about Elizabeth’s situation.
She was very ill and she would not improve unless she was out of steerage. But how to get her out was the question. Where else could she go? There was not one available bed on the ship.
Once her ankle was wrapped, Darcy came over and helped Elizabeth stand up, asking her to try to put some pressure on it. As she stepped down upon it, she winced in pain.
“Miss Bennet, I am afraid you are not going anywhere with your ankle like that for a while.”
“Well I certainly cannot stay here!”
Her liveliness, even when she was feeling as poorly as she was now, humoured him.
“You need not worry about that, Miss Bennet. I shall carry you to the dining area so you can get something to eat. Right now you need to eat for strength.”
Elizabeth tried to protest, but he was correct; she did not have the strength. This time when he picked her up, she was too tired to do anything but relax against him, and as her head fell against his chest, not only could she smell a pleasant scent that came from him, but she could feel his beating heart, which in itself, soothed and comforted her.
As he carried her toward the door, Darcy looked down at her and spoke. “You are not well. I can see that you are not getting enough sleep. Miss Bennet, this can turn quite serious if you do not take care of yourself. You must claim your bed back.”
Elizabeth let out a frail sigh. “Perhaps in a few days. The Rawlings girls are improving.” She took a few shallow breaths before she continued. “But I fear it is not so much for want of a bed, but that I am a light sleeper, and am kept awake more by the sounds of the crowded room than the discomfort of sleeping on the floor.”
“Miss Bennet, certainly there is something you can do.”
“Mr. Darcy, I am unfortunately ill, as are several people in steerage. I just need some fresh air and something to eat.” Her words were almost whispered, and fatigue prompted her to close her eyes.
Darcy looked back into his room and rested his eyes upon the second bed in his room, the only vacant bed in the ship. If ever he had come up with a crazy notion, he had one now. The words of his valet in this very room came back to him. Get a wife for the trip. He looked back at Elizabeth as he closed the door behind them and carried her to the dining area.
There were not many people inside, for which he was grateful. He placed Elizabeth on a bench off by herself and secured for her some hot tea and some hardtack biscuits.
“Thank you, Mr. Darcy.”
Darcy watched her as she slowly sipped the tea, but he did not leave. She looked at him curiously. He seemed intent on saying something, but no words were coming.
“Was there something else, Mr. Darcy?”
“Miss Bennet, I… I have a proposition that I would like you to seriously consider.”
Elizabeth raised one eyebrow at him, wondering what it was he was proposing. “What would that be, Mr. Darcy?”
“I… uh… I am concerned about your sleeping conditions…”
“I have told you there is no need for your concern.”
“Since you do not seem to be inclined to ask for your bed back…” He did not seem able to go on.
“Yes?” She lifted her eyes to his face but seemed unable to lift her head.
Darcy sat down on the bench opposite her. “I would like to offer you the spare bed in my room.”
He saw the flash in Elizabeth’s eyes just a moment before he felt the sting across his face.
She would have indignantly stormed off, but was prevented by her sore ankle and the weak state in which she found herself. Darcy reached up to the place on his now stinging cheek she had just slapped. “Perhaps you are not as weak as I believed.”
Elizabeth turned her angry eyes back down to the meagre nourishment in front of her. “Please leave me alone, Mr. Darcy. I beg you, please.”
Darcy took in a deep breath. “Miss Bennet, I ask that you just hear me out. I am not suggesting anything unseemly.” He continued to rub his cheek.
Incredulous, but with extreme fatigue consuming her, Elizabeth turned to him. “And just what are you suggesting then, Mr. Darcy?”
“You need a bed, and I… I have the only spare one on the ship. Obviously it would not do for you to share my room with me as we are not married.”
Elizabeth almost laughed that he seemed to be struggling to articulate something, and she was more curious about hearing him than serious about considering it, whatever it was. She did not say anything, but patiently waited.
“I suggest we have the captain marry us and then there would be no problem with you sleeping in my room… on that bed. It would be strictly a marriage on paper, not a… I would not… it would, of course, be strictly platonic.”
Now Elizabeth did laugh, however weakly. “Mr. Darcy, you are certainly a man of unexpected surprises. If you will excuse me now, sir, I would like to be left alone.”
“Miss Bennet, walking up and down these stairs will be even more dangerous for you now that your ankle has gone out. You are ill and are not sleeping well, which makes you more prone to getting seriously ill down there. Heavens! You are not even sleeping in a bed!”
“Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth’s head felt light and she wondered whether she could even express her arguments in an intelligible way. “I appreciate your concern, but what would induce you to make such an offer? What is in it for you, if I dare ask?”
Darcy leaned toward her. “I am tired of being harassed and pursued by the women on this ship. There are times I prefer solitude, and while, granted, most people leave me alone, there is a desperate group of women on this ship who will not. My getting married will bring an end to their disturbing me.”
Elizabeth shook her head, trying desperately to clear the thoughts that were now so foggy. “You want to marry me, so that these ladies, who are solely interested in securing a husband, securing you as a husband, will stop bothering you?”
“That is a correct assessment.” Elizabeth was stunned at how matter-of-factly he spoke.
“Mr. Darcy, I find this a highly foolish idea. What is to become of our marriage after the voyage? A marriage ceremony performed by a sea captain is as valid as one done by a clergyman.”
“I will have it annulled once I return to England.”
At this, Elizabeth was speechless. At her look of shock, Darcy continued. “There will be no problem in annulling it, as the marriage will never be consummated.”
Elizabeth looked down, blushing, as Darcy added, “I am sorry to have to speak frankly, but I want you to be assured, in advance, of what my intentions are… and what they are not.”
“Mr. Darcy, you may think you have an admirable idea that will solve your problems as well as mine, but there is one obstacle you have not considered.”
“What is that?”
“Captain Wendell! My father directly asked him if I could be put under his protection! He will never allow it!”
Darcy leaned in toward Elizabeth and tightly gripped his hands together, asking, “And if he does agree?”
Elizabeth was tiring more and more by the minute, and it was a strain for her to have to argue her point. “He will not, Mr. Darcy. I think we should leave it at that.”
“Miss Bennet, if he agrees to perform the ceremony, will you agree to it?”
Elizabeth struggled to look up at him. She could not make any rhyme or reason of Mr. Darcy’s proposal, nor come up with any argument against it. Finally, in great fatigue and weariness of mind she answered, “Mr. Darcy, if the captain is willing to do such a thing as this, then yes, I will agree.” She turned her attention back to the cup of tea and bread in front of her. “But I assure you, he will not!”
Darcy did not respond, but simply stood up. “Miss Bennet, if you would be so kind as to wait for me here until I return. I am going to speak with the captain immediately!”
Chapter 7
Darcy hurriedly departed to seek out the captain, whilst Elizabeth sat quietly with her hands wrapped around the small tin cup that was holding her hot tea and providing warmth and steadiness to her hands. She felt weaker by the moment and knew she required nourishment to aid in her recuperation from the fever, and needed to stay off her foot to aid in her ankle’s improvement. At the moment, eating was cast aside as her hazy mind struggled to ponder Darcy’s proposal.
She could not entertain any serious notions about it, as she was convinced the captain would refuse. As she pondered the extent of Darcy’s wealth, however, she wondered if the captain would be prone to taking a bribe. Elizabeth shook her head. Darcy would have no reason to bribe the captain to perform a wedding ceremony to a common lady as herself.
If the captain said no— when he said no—Darcy would have to accept it. She would express her appreciation for his concern for her welfare, but would assure him she would manage as well as she could with the rest of the passengers in steerage.
She slowly sipped the tea and began taking small bites of the hardened bread that she softened by dipping in the steaming liquid. Although it was not truly palatable, it was sustenance. She forced herself to partake of it, thinking that if she had a clearer mind at the moment, she would be able to make better sense of what Darcy had just put forward. But try as she might, she could not!
She was torn whether to remain up here savouring the fresh air or to ask for some assistance getting back down to steerage. She knew Darcy would soon be returning from seeing the captain. For some reason she felt anxious about what news he would bring. In the state she was in, she had difficulty discerning whether she was troubled more that the captain might agree to marry them than she was that he might refuse. But neither did she look forward to returning to steerage as yet, so she determined to remain where she was and deal with Mr. Darcy when he came back.
If truth be told, at the moment and under the present circumstances, Darcy’s proposal actually began to sound quite appealing to her. She was surprised to find herself now rationally and practically viewing it as having some merit and see the benefit in it. He reassured her it would be strictly platonic, and she would no longer have to sleep on the floor or breathe in the stale and stifling air in steerage anymore. She would be in a better state to help those who were faring worse than she. She would actually be in a nice, clean, quiet cabin. Most importantly, he would later have the marriage annulled, and no one ever need know. No one.
The alternative was not very appealing. Elizabeth had found each successive day and night in steerage more difficult. Now that she had taken ill herself, she knew it would likely be a lengthy illness without fresh air or sleep.
Elizabeth shook her head. No, she must be feeling the effects of the fever. All the other steerage passengers had to endure the same thing as she! She was not a weak, spoiled little girl who could not endure a little discomfort. No, it was not a good idea, she tried to tell herself, not at all!
***
When Darcy went in search of the captain, his determined strides surprised even him. That he was pursuing such an uncommonly foolish path was highly out of character for him. For every action he took there was usually a methodical line of reasoning behind it. This time was a rare exception.
Each step he took away from Elizabeth was a constant reminder to him of the vast difference in their standing in society. If his family, particularly his aunt, were ever to discover that he had done such a foolish thing, that he had even considered such a thing as to marry a woman like her, his aunt would not hesitate to renounce him and cast him out of the family.
Is this really something I should be even considering? A man of my means and status… He was distracted by his line of argument, reasoning, and questioning when he found himself face-to-face with another Miss whatever. He could not recall her name and had no desire to.
“Mr. Darcy, such a pleasant day it is. Would you not agree?”
This is why I am doing it! The women assaulting him day in and day out when all he wanted was to be left alone. They would never learn that he was in no humour on this voyage to entertain thoughts of reciprocating their interest.
“It is a very nice day, and as such, I unfortunately must take my leave and discuss something with the captain!”
He quickly strode off, leaving Miss whatever disappointed and at a loss for words.
He thought of Elizabeth. She seemed to have a gift for knowing when to speak and when to be silent around him. He felt as comfortable in their silence as deeply as he felt invigorated by their intelligent dialogue. For these other women, any pause in the conversation prompted them to fill it up with nonsense and idle chat, none of which was satisfying to him in the least.
Darcy made his way to the captain’s cabin and paused. He thought back to the woman he met two years ago in the carriage—the woman he was fairly certain was Elizabeth. Could it be that the real reason he asked Miss Bennet to marry him was because he did not want her to get away again? Darcy closed his eyes and rolled his head back. I cannot think like that! This is solely for her benefit now, and I cannot allow myself to dwell on any future possibilities, because there can never be any!
Darcy knocked sharply on the captain’s door, hoping he would find him there. A wave of nervousness began to roil up inside of him.
“Come,” a voice from inside called out.
Darcy slowly opened the door and peered in, finding the captain entering some notations in his log book. When he saw that it was Darcy, he pursed his lips together as if fighting off the urge to make some comment.
“Good day, Captain. Do you have a moment?”
“For you, Darcy, of course. Come in.”
Darcy walked in and the captain waved for him to sit down. Darcy obliged, but never really settled into the chair, constantly adjusting himself in it and nervously tapping his fingers on the armrest.
It was apparent to the captain that Darcy was obviously distressed or nervous about something. “What is it now?” Wendell asked, folding his hands firmly in front of him on the desk.
“I have a small favour to ask of you, Wendell.”
“Is the food not to your liking? Are you beginning to tire of the hardtack bread and dried meat? Are they not up to your expectations? Or perhaps you would prefer a more varied array of entertainments onboard?”
Darcy looked down at h
is hands that he now gripped together and held firmly in his lap. “No, sir. It is a rather odd, personal request.”
“Pray, continue.”
Darcy took in a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and then slowly let it out. “I would like you to perform a marriage ceremony.”
The captain’s eyes widened, then immediately narrowed. “Between who?”
Darcy leaned forward and spoke with forced decisiveness. “Miss Elizabeth Bennet and myself, sir.”
The captain remained gravely silent, gathering his thoughts and wondering what had prompted this man to make such a preposterous request. Finally he stood; his towering presence over the seated Darcy intended to make an impression.
“Darcy, I have only been approached with this particular request but a few times. I have presided over a couple of weddings in my years as captain. But being as how Miss Bennet was especially put under my protection by her father, it is very unlikely that I will agree to it.”
“Captain Wendell, are you refusing me?”
“Are you asking me as a passenger or as the owner of this ship?”
Darcy placed his hands on the armrest and pushed himself up, now looking directly in the captain’s eyes. “I am asking you to trust me, to vouch for my character, have confidence in my reasons behind this, and agree to marry us.”
The captain’s brow furrowed. “I have known you for many years, Darcy. I have always thought highly of your character. This is foolish; your family would disown you for marrying a woman from her class, and besides, I can hardly believe that she would agree. She barely knows you, and from what I have seen of her, she is not the type to latch onto a man solely based on his wealth.”
The captain watched Darcy’s face as he asked, “What exactly has prompted you to such an inclination as to marry Miss Bennet? Do you find yourself suddenly longing for a woman’s company?”
“On the contrary, Captain. This marriage is strictly to allow her the opportunity to get out of steerage and the propriety to sleep in the extra bed in my room so she may regain her health back. You must have heard yourself how she has been helping out passengers down in steerage who have taken ill themselves… to the point of endangering her own health. She gave up her bed, has now become ill herself, and just now she turned her ankle. Taking those stairs up and down will only aggravate it. She cannot remain down there, and this is the only solution! You, yourself, said there was no other bed available.”
