"Other than myself," he clarified.
Elizabeth stared at him, not comprehending, not daring to comprehend, what he meant.
Darcy seated himself on the sofa beside her, gathered her in his arms, and kissed her. Presently, he released her.
"Elizabeth, you have bewitched me, body and soul," he told her. "I not only love you most ardently, I admire you. Will you marry me?"
Elizabeth was about to speak, to say that she loved him, when the door opened and in walked Mrs. Phillips.
"We're back, Lizzy!" she announced. "Your mama is just coming."
As she completed her sentence, she caught sight of Darcy. It was obvious from the frozen glances the two gave each other that this encounter would not be a pleasant one.
"What are you doing here?" Mrs. Phillips stayed rudely.
"I came to offer for Elizabeth's hand in marriage," Darcy informed her.
It was the last thing Mrs. Phillips had expected Darcy to say. Her mouth fell open. A mixture of horror and astonishment flitted across her countenance.
"You what?" she squeaked.
"I have asked Elizabeth to become my wife," Darcy reiterated.
Until then, Elizabeth had uttered no sound.
However, Elizabeth was so annoyed by the way Mrs. Phillips behaved towards Darcy that she forgot her resolutions.
"And I have accepted him," she announced, before she could stop herself.
Only when the words were out did she realize what she had said. She gave a tiny gasp and ran out of the room. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, Mr. Collins's ring slipped from her hand and fell onto the floor.
Elizabeth gazed at it. It was like an omen, a sign from somewhere that she should give it back to Mr. Collins. Slowly, as if in a dream, she stooped to pick it up.
"Good afternoon, Miss Bennet," a voice from behind her greeted her. "I trust you are feeling better."
"Oh!" Elizabeth cried. "You startled me, Mr. Collins!"
"I beg your pardon," Mr. Collins replied. "I didn't realize you hadn't heard me come in."
"Granted. And yes, thank you, I am feeling better."
"Good."
"Mr. Collins?"
"Yes?"
"I have something to discuss with you."
"Shall we go into the drawing room?"
"No!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "I mean we would not be alone there. I think the music room might be best."
"Very well," Mr. Collins agreed and went there with her. When they were alone, he queried, "What is the matter?"
Elizabeth opened her hand in which she clutched his ring and handed it to him.
"I am very sorry, Mr. Collins," she apologized. "I cannot accept your offer of marriage."
"But?" Mr. Collins started to protest.
"I know," Elizabeth interrupted gently. "I said yes the second time, but I was pushed into that by my mother and by my aunt."
"I see."
"No doubt they believed that what they were doing was for the best."
"No doubt."
"But I fell in love with Mr. Darcy when I was in London," Elizabeth explained. "I could never honestly make my vows to another man."
"And he will marry you?" Mr. Collins asked, making Elizabeth feel guilty.
"Yes. He proposed this afternoon while you were out," she replied, casting her eyes down, "and I accepted."
"Very well. I shall take my ring back. But Miss Bennet?"
"Yes?"
"Are you certain—quite certain—that you are doing the right thing this time?"
"Yes."
"In that case, it only remains for me to wish you every happiness," Mr. Collins responded.
Elizabeth smiled brilliantly at him. "And I, you," she returned.
* * * *
Meanwhile, Darcy and Mrs. Phillips had been left facing each other in the drawing room, where the atmosphere crackled with their mutual dislike.
"I believe I have won this battle," Darcy commented, smiling as Elizabeth disappeared from view.
And with those words, Mrs. Phillips stormed out of the drawing room, in search of her sister.
Mrs. Phillips found Mrs. Bennet outside in the small garden, selecting various blossoms for the little posies that she kept in silver filigree baskets in the reception rooms.
"What a lovely day it is!" she declared as her sister approached her.
"Was," Mrs. Phillips corrected, scowling.
Mrs. Bennet blinked. "Why?" she gasped. "Whatever is the matter?"
"Mr. Darcy is here."
"What?" Mrs. Bennet was shocked by this revelation. "But why?"
"He has come, if he is to be believed, to ask for Lizzy's hand in marriage!"
Mrs. Bennet's eyes widened. She could not credit her senses.
"Mr. Darcy wants to marry Lizzy?" she whispered.
"Yes. He told me he proposed to her before we returned from our picnic."
"And did she reject him?"
"No. She accepted—in my presence!"
"Oh, no! It is impossible!"
"It is true, I tell you!"
"But she is engaged to Mr. Collins!"
"Exactly."
"Oh, dear, oh, dear," Mrs. Bennet murmured helplessly.
"You don't have to worry," Mrs. Phillips reassured her. "I have already told him that he may not marry her. It is out of the question. Her engagement to Mr. Collins stands."
"I beg to correct you," Mr. Collins stated, coming up behind them, "but Miss Bennet and I are no longer engaged."
Mrs. Phillips was taken aback by the announcement and could only splutter with frustration.
"Oh, dear!" Mrs. Bennet responded.
"Pray say no more, Mrs. Bennet," Mr. Collins interrupted. "Miss Bennet has told me the situation, and we have agreed that it was best we parted, which we have done amicably."
"I am glad of that," Mrs. Bennet commented. "Will you stay for dinner, Mr. Collins?"
"No. I don't think so," Mr. Collins declined. "In fact, I've been invited to stay at Lucas Lodge for a few weeks."
"Oh. Must you go?"
"I feel it would be better if I did for the time being."
"Yes. Yes. I see."
"Mrs. Bennet," he murmured. "Mrs. Phillips. I hope we shall meet again, soon." The vicar gave an imperceptible nod of his head and walked away.
Until then, Mrs. Phillips had been so shocked that she could not utter a single word. She had stood there, unable to find her voice, until Mr. Collins was out of sight. Then, she spoke.
"You see what an arrogant fellow Mr. Darcy is!" she raged. "He has made Elizabeth turn down one of the best men in England!"
"In my experience," Mrs. Bennet remarked languidly, "no one has ever been able to make Lizzy do anything she did not really want to do."
"You are not going to give your permission for this wedding, are you?"
"Mr. Darcy has ten thousand pounds a year!"
"But the man is mean. You know his reputation!"
"Do I?"
"You cannot seriously consider him as a candidate for Elizabeth's hand. Can you?"
"Hmm. Can't I?"
Reputation or no reputation, Mr. Darcy was the wealthiest man in all of Derbyshire. Mrs. Bennet was not torn over what to do. She was overwhelmed with happiness at the unexpectedly dizzy social heights which her daughter, with little connections, had attained.
Mrs. Phillips swallowed. She sensed what was going on in her sister's mind. She was about to make another attempt to convince Mrs. Bennet to withhold her consent, when Elizabeth herself appeared in the garden.
"Good afternoon, Mama," she said. She wasted no time in coming to the crux of the matter. "Have you heard? My engagement to Mr. Collins is off," Elizabeth said, "Mr. Darcy and I are to be married instead."
"I have been told," Mrs. Bennet allowed.
"It will certainly end any gossip that my trip to London might have provoked," she pointed out.
No one would comment on her behavior once she was Mrs. Darcy... No one would dare!
Mrs. Bennet and Mrs. Phillips exchanged glances. That was one aspect the latter had overlooked.
"Yes," Mrs. Phillips murmured uneasily.
"You will give Mr. Darcy and me your blessing, won't you, Mama?" Elizabeth demanded.
What could Mrs. Bennet do except hug her daughter!
Chapter Twenty
The date of the wedding was set by Darcy, who would brook no delays. With his customary imperiousness, he insisted on paying for the entire function, which he envisaged on a grand scale.
Darcy also sent a rather large sum of money to Mr. Collins to compensate him for any inconvenience he might have suffered. After goggling at the generous amount, Mr. Collins accepted with pleasure. He was doubly delighted, as he now felt he might pay court with a clear conscience to Charlotte Lucas who he had recently become acquainted.
After the wedding, everyone repaired to Netherfield Park for the reception. There were so many guests that the house could not accommodate them all and they overflowed into the spacious garden.
"A toast for the happy couple!" Mr. Bingley exclaimed.
The toast was seconded by everyone present, including Caroline Bingley who had finally accepted defeat.
The lavish banquet was still in progress when Darcy spirited Elizabeth out without anyone noticing, and they made their way in an open carriage to Derbyshire.
When they arrived at Pemberley two weeks later, Darcy carried his new bride over the threshold, then lowered her to the floor. Before her she saw the servants lined up in a row in order of precedence, to greet their new mistress and welcome their master home.
Despite her initial apprehension, Elizabeth found herself smiling graciously and thanking them for their warm reception as if she had been born to play the role of Mrs. Darcy.
Then Darcy, having also thanked the servants, said, "We have both had a strenuous day and we know you will understand when we tell you that we would like to retire early."
Grins, winks, nudges and nods went round, as the servants bowed or curtseyed and hurried to assist their master and mistress to undress.
Elizabeth was ready. She entered the bedroom and walked nervously across it.
"Are you still cross with me?" she questioned.
Darcy looked at her in surprise.
"Still cross?" he repeated. "I wasn't aware that I had been cross. Why? Should I be?"
"You were quiet during the journey."
He knew what she was referring to and in an instant his arms went around her. Then his lips were on hers and she was savoring that ice cold kiss that made her shiver with ecstasy. A moment later, he released her.
"Why did you think I would never marry you?" he wanted to know.
"Miss Bingley told me you would never propose to me," she explained, "because you intended to marry the wealthiest woman you could find. Nothing less would do, and..."
He put his finger on her lips, silencing her. "Well she was wrong, wasn't she?" he countered.
The realization hit Elizabeth.
"Yes," she agreed.
He smiled, swept her up in his arms and carried her to their silk-draped bed, where he laid her down. Then he leaned over her and began to kiss her, making her whole body tingle.
"Fitzwilliam?" she asked suddenly.
"Yes?"
"Where do you suppose Miss Bingley got that idea?"
Darcy sighed and stopped his love-making. "Must you know now?" he questioned.
"Yes."
Darcy sighed again. "I told her that," he confessed.
"Why?"
"I thought—I hoped—that it would discourage her. But it didn't."
"Oh." Pause. "What made you do it? What prompted you to say that to her?"
"You know very well!"
"Do I?"
"Yes. You were there. You saw how she affected me!" He snorted with disgust. "Caroline nearly drove me insane. She hunted me ruthlessly!"
"And you didn't care for her?" Elizabeth queried.
"Never!"
"Not even once?"
"What sort of catechism is this?" Darcy demanded, exasperated.
"My sort," Elizabeth muttered in reply.
"For your information I never encouraged her and I never even liked her not even in the beginning. I only barely tolerated her because I care for her brother."
There was an edge to his voice and Elizabeth knew that she had annoyed him. But there was no help for it. She had to ask and there had not been any other opportunity.
She put her hands around his waist and kissed him there, making the muscles in his body jump with an agony of delight. When she had finished, she found herself lying with her head in his lap and her body somehow curled around his.
"I'm sorry," she murmured contritely, "but I have to know now."
Darcy drew a long deep breath.
"Very well. We'll have it all out. But after we've been over it, that's it. I want to hear no more about Caroline Bingley." He tilted her head up. "Agreed?"
"Agreed."
"Promise?"
"Yes."
"Good."
There was a brief pause and then he spoke once more.
"Caroline is a greedy, grasping, selfish, spoiled woman," he stated. "She wanted to marry me—for my status I presume, since there was nothing else about me that met her liking—and she convinced herself that she stood a chance."
"Didn't she?"
"Not an earthly."
"Satisfied?"
"Yes, that is...I”
"Yes?"
"What made you pick me out of all the people at the George Inn?"
"It just wasn't my day that day," he teased. "Everything had been going wrong and this was one more mishap."
Elizabeth sat up with a start. "Fitzwilliam!" she exclaimed.
"Serve you right for asking!"
"Fitzwilliam..." she repeated.
But he stifled her protests with his kisses, and it was some minutes before they stopped.
"And now," Darcy stated, "there is something I want to know."
"What?" Elizabeth queried.
"What made you go with me that day?"
"Well, I had a nasty bump on my head, so I wasn't quite myself."
He held her closer. "The truth!" he insisted.
Elizabeth fluttered her eyelashes at him.
"I thought it would be exciting," she answered.
He relaxed. "And was it?" he questioned.
"Yes."
"Good," he purred. Then he added, "You were a godsend to me in more senses than one."
"Was I?"
"Definitely."
"I must have been a nuisance, too, though, especially in London."
"Why?"
"Oh, you know, not doing what I was told to, quarreling."
He laughed. "Oh, yes. You were a problem," he agreed, "but not in the way you think."
There was something in the way he looked at her when he spoke, which made her inquire, "In what way, then?"
"You nearly drove me mad," he stated.
"I didn't!"
"Yes, you did."
"How?"
"I wanted you so much. And it almost sent me out of my mind having to treat you as if you were my cousin."
"Hmm," Elizabeth mused. They were married now.
"You don't have to do that anymore," she remarked.
"No, thank heaven!" he exclaimed with feeling. "I can't tell you what a strain it was holding myself in."
"And now you can let go," she commented. Immediately she noticed a change in the way he was holding her and she glanced up at him.
"Yes!" he breathed.
There was so much passion and so much love in that one word that Elizabeth felt her heart begin to pound wildly and the blood race through her veins with excitement.
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Darcy's Charade Page 14
