My Beginning With Mr. Darcy [Book One]

by Lauren King

  “Will your Aunt not be upset that you disturbed her plans for the night? She has not even met me yet and I am already causing problems.” Elizabeth says worriedly.

  Without hesitation, Darcy states, “I do not want you to say that you are causing problems. You are not causing anyone problems. You are always trying to help people out of their difficulties. You are the one always suffering for others’ troubles. This is not a problem. Aunt Helen has never objected when Georgie stayed with her in the past. I am only asking her to be with Georgie for one night.” Darcy says easily.

  “But darling – what if she has engagements with your Uncle already? I do not think we should inconvenience your Aunt in that way. I do not think she will appreciate me insinuating into your family like that. I could stay home and Jane can go to the Allston’s Ball with my Uncle and Aunt as planned. This way there will not be an encumbrance upon anyone just to accommodate me. I do not feel right imposing on anyone. Of course, you should also go to Sir Thomas’ Ball, and then I will see you the next day, all right?” She feels better with this plan.

  “No, Lizzy; it is not all right. I want you to attend with me; otherwise, I will stay home.” Darcy responds frankly.

  “But darling...” Elizabeth does not get to finish her thought.

  “No but anything, Lizzy. I have already told you that I will not attend these events without you.”

  “Taking Mrs. Annesley away from Georgie and asking your Aunt to take Georgie for the night is such an imposition. I do not feel comfortable with it. Your Aunt will already have a bad impression of me even before she meets me. She will definitely think that we must be uncivilized not to have a family member chaperone us or have our own companion come along.” Elizabeth says forthrightly and with distress.

  Given that William’s Aunt is wife to an Earl they must do things and see things differently. They may not understand others who are not of their same social standing. She knows that William will not want her to attend the Allston’s Ball without him; accordingly, she staying home will be best solution. She does not mind it. She would rather be at a ball with William, but if it will be burden anyone, then she would rather not go.

  “How about this – I will ask Aunt Helen, first, if she has any engagements tomorrow night. If she does not, then I will ask for Georgie to stay with her. I will say that Mrs. Annesley will be occupied for one night which is true. I will not mention anything involving you; I would never deliberately put you in a bad light. What do you think?” Darcy’s idea is good – problem solved.

  “I do not want anyone to think that I was deceiving them or that I was calculating in order to get my way. I honestly do not mind not going to the ball, but I know you want me to attend with you. Therefore, if you think that is the best way, then I will be agreeable to your decision.” Elizabeth answers dispiritedly; she does not want to displease William.

  “Dearest, I really do not want to hear you talk like that about yourself anymore. You are not deceiving or calculating.” Darcy frowns indulgently at Elizabeth before continuing. “All right, how about this – Georgie can stay here to play with the children. There will the nanny and a full staff here, right?”

  “Yes, do you think that will be acceptable to Georgie?” Elizabeth perks up and is more hopeful with this particular idea.

  “I think so; you said she liked playing with the children, right?”

  “Yes, it seemed that way to me, and she said she had fun teaching Athena the piano forte.” Elizabeth becomes even more optimistic.

  “Then, I will ask her; this way we will not involve my Aunt Helen, at all. You truly are a good person.” Darcy says genuinely.

  She softly replies, “I just do not want to incommode anybody, especially when they do not even know me.” Elizabeth says genuinely.

  Before leaving for the night, Darcy asks Georgiana about letting Mrs. Annesley chaperone Elizabeth and Jane for tomorrow night when they will be at a ball with him. Georgiana can come here to play with the children during that time so she will not be alone. Georgiana agrees straight away, especially when she knows that William wants to attend the ball with Elizabeth who needs a chaperone before she can attend. Darcy takes Georgiana home, and then he goes to Matlock House to meet Richard, his Uncle, and his Aunt for the big reveal.

  Lord Matlock - Uncle Henry is jovial to see Darcy as usual. Lady Matlock - Aunt Helen is warm and loving as always. Lady Matlock mentions that it has been weeks since he has come by and now he comes by so suddenly. Lord Matlock amusingly interjects that Darcy may be busy with all the balls and dinners with all the young ladies. Lord Matlock and Richard laugh at this. Richard knows exactly why Darcy has not been around lately, but he will let Darcy divulge that momentous disclosure. Oh, what a surprise his parents will be in – shock will be more like it.

  “Is Georgiana well, William?” Lady Matlock asks with concern.

  “Yes, she is, Aunt. Please, do not be concerned. I have some good news to share with you and Uncle.”

  “What is it, William?” Lady Matlock asks eagerly.

  “I would like to let you know that I am engaged to be married.” Darcy states confidently.

  “What?!” Lady Matlock blurts out instantaneously as she looks shocked.

  Lord Matlock is silent and intently looking at Darcy waiting for an explanation.

  “When? To whom? I do not understand, William. I did not know that you were even courting any particular young lady. Who is her family? Do I know them? Oh my goodness – no….” Lady Matlock’s eyes go wide with disbelief. “Has there been a compromise, William? Is she a fortune hunter and she put you in a compromising position and that is why you are suddenly engaged?”

  Richard laughs. His parents look at him in bewilderment, and then his Mother stares back at Darcy again awaiting her answers to all of her queries.

  “Aunt, she is not a fortune hunter, and there was no compromise. Her Father is a learned, gentleman graduate from Cambridge – Mr. Thomas Bennet of Hertfordshire. He owns the estate neighboring my friend’s leased estate.”

  “Bennet? Henry, do you know any Bennets?” Lady Matlock does not wait for her husband to reply because she is too keen and impatient to find out this crucial piece of news. She does not recall any Bennets this past season. “Was the young lady present during last season, William?”

  “No, Aunt; she did not attend last season.”

  “Which season was she present? Have I seen her at any balls or parties?” Lady Matlock presses on enthusiastically but with some concern.

  “No, Aunt; Miss Elizabeth has not attended any London seasons.”

  “What? No seasons at all? How did you meet her, then?” Lady Matlock is truly bewildered, now.

  Darcy explains how Elizabeth and Georgiana met and became true friends. He did not know that she was the daughter of the Bennets that he had met in Hertfordshire when he visited Bingley a couple of months ago. Darcy explains that Richard had met Elizabeth before he did.

  “Mother, you will like Miss Elizabeth. She is intelligent, witty, easy to talk to, not easily intimidated, considerate, kind to everyone, responsible, upright, not conceited, understanding, and genuine.” Richard says freely.

  “You sound partial to her, son and you met her first – what happened there?” Lord Matlock asks while chuckling and bemused.

  “Father, she is beautiful too. At first, I did pursue Miss Elizabeth. However, after talking with each other, we only felt friendship for one another, thus she requested that we remain friends. I did not want to lose her as a friend because she is honestly a good person. It is hard to find such a friend, thus we are good friends now. She is the perfect person for Darcy, Mother.” Richard explains candidly.

  “Well, it looks like she has impressed the both of you. I know the both of you have attended many seasons and experienced many ladies with their aggressive mothers, but there are some very clever, smart, and artful young ladies out there. Now, William, you are a prime target for fortune hunters and smart, calculati
ng ladies. Are you certain you know what this Miss Elizabeth is all about? Have you met her family? How are they? The family speaks much about a young lady, you know. How was her upbringing? Is she fit to be Mrs. Darcy and be a proper extension of you? Will she be a suitable mistress for Pemberley and all your estates? Will she embarrass you and your family? How does she treat Georgiana? You have to consider all of this and more, William. However, I do know you are quite astute, yourself, and you are a discerning young man, thus I trust your judgement. In spite of this, I feel that it is beholden of me to remind you of these points; you still are susceptible to being deceived by a beautiful face – any man is. That is why a beautiful young lady can get whatever she wants, whenever she wants, and from whomever she wants at anytime – generally speaking. Men gladly fall all over themselves for these pretty young ladies. Therefore, please be careful and consider all the factors.” Lady Matlock would not being her duty as Darcy’s loving aunt if she did not raise these questions to him. He must be careful not to be trapped by a fortune hunter.

  Lady Matlock breathes deeply. “Well, I have said my peace. If she is all that you and Richard have claimed and if you have chosen her after carefully thinking about all these factors, then I am satisfied. You are already engaged, so there is not much more you can do unless she turns out to be a real fortune hunter. In those cases, you can rescind your word and no one will blame you, especially with the stellar reputation you have all these years. Henry, did I miss any points?”

  Lord Matlock smiles satisfyingly at what a good aunt his wife is to his nephew and then responds, “No, dear; I think you have advised Darcy well. There are many factors, Darcy; I do hope you did not lose your clear thinking to a beautiful face and possibly regret it later. It is awful to be in an unloving marriage. Even though our marriage was arranged, your Aunt and I were lucky that we liked each other and then loved one another. Many of my peers’ marriage of convenience have been horrible for both the husband and the wife, yet they still have to endure it because they can do nothing else. Nowadays, you young people have many chances to be careful with whom you choose to be your wife. Choose carefully and well. It will affect your entire life and the lives of your children.” Lord Matlock says concisely and resolutely.

  “Thank you, Uncle, Aunt. As always, I appreciate your words of wisdom and your genuine care of me and Georgie all these years. I concur with both of you, and I have considered all the things that you have mentioned – and more. I feel that Miss Elizabeth is the right person for me because she has already proven to me her true goodness towards me and towards Georgie. There is no doubt in my mind that she is the best person to be my wife. I will bring her to meet you both at your convenience. Once you have interacted and spoken with Miss Elizabeth, then you will know why I praise her. She genuinely cares for me, not for my fortune. She did not jump at her first chance to be associated with me. She had turned down my request to court her the first time.”

  “Well, she sounds like an admirable young lady, indeed. Of course, we will meet her. Why do you not invite her to our family Christmas Eve dinner, then? You are betrothed, so she is practically family, already. Who will be attending with her, William – her Uncle’s family?

  “I will check to see if Mr. Bennet will be coming to town, and then he and Miss Bennet will attend with Miss Elizabeth; otherwise, her Uncle and Aunt Gardiner will attend in his stead.” Darcy must divulge the key piece of information about the Gardiners being in trade. His Uncle may object to having trades people at Matlock House. He hopes not because there may be conflict if that is the case.

  “Aunt, Uncle, I have to let you know that Mr. Gardiner is Miss Elizabeth’s Mother’s elder brother. He and his wife are very respectable and sophisticated, but he is in trade.” Darcy looks directly at his Aunt and then to his Uncle. Lord Matlock is surprised and once again, is silent. This silence has no trace of humor or understanding for Darcy’s situation. Darcy decides to wait for their response and reactions.

  Richard knows his parents well. They are both in shock because they have never thought that this situation could be possible due to who Darcy is. Darcy is the epitome of a proper gentleman; one would never think that he associates with tradesmen other than as his workers. Richard tries to ease the path to understanding how different the Gardiners are even though they are from trade.

  “Father, Mother, I have met the Gardiners, spoken with them, associated with them, and have eaten at their residence. You would never know that they were from trade. They are sophisticated; they speak intelligently and are well mannered. They treat people with kindness the way they would like to be treated. They may be in trade but by no means are they financially unfit. They are quite wealthy by the looks of their home. Mr. Gardiner has a respectable importing and exporting business of coffee and silks. No one would have guessed that the Gardiners were not genteel. I would not mind associating with them at all.”

  “They are that sophisticated and mannerly, Richard?” Lady Matlock asks with concern. What if the Ton finds out that Mrs. Bennet is from trade?

  “Yes, they are, Mother. I did not have any idea that they were from trade when I first met them. I have seen all of them in different situations and circumstances; therefore, I can tell that they are not merely acting the part. Even their small children are well spoken and well mannered. William and I have met Miss Elizabeth’s Father, and he is absolutely a gentleman – an intelligent, well learned, witty gentleman. Miss Elizabeth has taken after her Father and was raised to be intelligent, sensible, and good. Her Uncle may be in trade but there is no sign of that pervading to Miss Elizabeth in any unseemly manner, whatsoever. To be honest, there is no sign that Mr. Gardiner is in trade himself except for his address.”

  Darcy must intervene to assure his Uncle and Aunt of his perspective and his inclination. He wants them to know that he also understands their viewpoint.

  “Uncle, Aunt, I understand your standpoint and your dilemma with entertaining a tradesman in your home as the Earl of Matlock. I cannot blame you for your perceptions, but I do ask that you be open minded about the fact that not all people in a certain category will be bad. I would like for you to judge the Gardiners for themselves – putting aside their social status. If after that you still feel that you cannot associate with them, then I surely cannot coerce you. However, they will become my family too once I am married to Miss Elizabeth. I will always protect my wife from being slighted by anyone, anywhere, and at anytime. I know you both would not do that to me and especially to someone as nice and good as Miss Elizabeth.”

  “I am just like everyone else; I do not want to align myself with anyone bad whether they are of higher class or lower class. I am sure you know of some very shameful gentlemen in the Ton, Uncle.” Darcy looks at his Uncle and Lord Matlock gently nods in acknowledgement. “I know some too, and I certainly stay clear of them. Therefore, you both can be assured that I have seen that the Gardiners are respectable and are very decent people to garner my praise and acceptance. I have seen how they are, and I find that they are worthy people with whom to associate independent of them being my betrothed’s relatives.” Darcy pauses briefly before continuing. “Obviously, this is your dinner party for your entire family, thus I will not impose upon you. You can meet Miss Elizabeth and Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner on a different day so that it is not discomfiting to anyone. I will invite you all to my home for the official introductions. This was my original plan anyways.”

  “Darcy, I am glad that you are understanding of everybody’s perspective and you are willing to accommodate and make allowances. Certainly, I do not want to cause you any difficulties given that you will become family with Miss Elizabeth’s family. I have never had to face this situation as it pertains to me entertaining a tradesman in my own home as the Earl, so I am taken aback a bit. However, that does not mean I did not hear or did not understand all that you have expressed. You are reasonable, thus I will also be reasonable. I agree with your plan to meet everyone at Darcy House. At leas
t, there will not be too many people to contend with like at a large dinner party. Otherwise, Miss Elizabeth and any other Bennets are welcomed at Matlock House on Christmas Eve dinner. I trust yours and Richard’s assessments of the Gardiners; hence, I am inclined to think that the Gardiners are worthy. I would not mind assessing them myself; I am certain there will not be any problems.” Lord Matlock says forthrightly.

  “I understand, Uncle. I invite you, Aunt, Richard, and Andrew to Darcy House for dinner on December 26th at six o’clock. I will send over the invitations tomorrow.” Darcy says confidently.

  “Well, now that it is all settled. I want to know when you are planning to wed, William.” Lady Matlock asks frankly.

  “We have not spoken of a specific date yet, but I would like it towards the end of January or February some time. We only just got engaged last Wednesday in Hertfordshire when her Father consented.”

  “So will her dowry help you, Darcy?” Lord Matlock asks candidly.

  “Her dowry is very small, Uncle; her Father’s estate is not large. As you well know, I do not need her dowry. I need her to be the best wife to me, be the best mother to my children, and be the best mistress to Pemberley. From what I know of Miss Elizabeth, I am confident that she will fulfill those three important roles admirably.” Darcy says decisively.

  “Fair enough; you know what you are about. She is a very fortunate young lady to have secured your love and devotion. Congratulations, Darcy. I look forward to meeting Miss Elizabeth.” Lord Matlock extends his hand and they happily shake in understanding.

  Lord Matlock chuckles, and then says to his wife, “You no longer have to worry about a young lady for Darcy, my dear – only for Richard.” The men chuckle.

  “I am happy that you are satisfied with your betrothed, William. I do wish you the best in your marriage. I also look forward to meeting Miss Elizabeth.” Lady Matlock is happy for William; he deserves such a young lady.