The Maiden's Stratagem

by Margaret Gale

  “I am pleased to announce that our Elizabeth has accepted a most eligible offer. She is engaged to marry Mr Darcy.”

  That was all he said: no embellishment, no explanation. The bald fact was thrown into the room, and fell upon each occupant differently.

  Mrs Bennet sat still in shock. It was several minutes before she could comprehend the import of her husband’s announcement. Elizabeth had been meant for Mr Collins. She was as good as engaged, wasn’t she? Oh, but Mr Darcy was such a fine, rich gentleman. Mr Collins was nothing next to him. And Mr Darcy was so very rich, richer even than Bingley. They would be saved. Surely Jane would secure Bingley, and if Lizzy married Darcy, then Mr Collins could have Longbourn and good luck to him. She would not have to listen to his stupid voice talk about his stupid cupboard shelves for the rest of her life. How clever Lizzy was! How rich Mr Darcy was! But why had Lizzy said nothing before now? The whole business with Mr Collins could have been avoided. Oh, it was all very vexing, but such wonderful news at the same time. To the surprise of her husband and daughters, Mrs Bennet sat silent for near ten minutes.

  In the meantime, the first to react was Mary, who came to congratulate Elizabeth and Darcy, giving her sister a hug and shaking the gentleman’s hand. Kitty followed suit, but Lydia could not help saying “Mr Darcy? La, but he is so boring, Lizzy,” before a stern look from her usually placid father reminded her of the courtesy she owed to a guest, and she added: “I do beg your pardon, Mr Darcy. I suppose we are to be brother and sister now.” Darcy gracefully accepted her apology, and Elizabeth gave her a look that promised a stern reprimand after the gentleman had departed.

  Mr Collins was near as shocked as Mrs Bennet. He had convinced himself that his cousin would accept his suit – that it was simply a matter of waiting a few days for her to fully realise her good fortune. To have his prize snatched from his grasp in such a way was an outrage. Had this whole family been hiding a courtship from his knowledge? Had Mrs Bennet been leading him on for her own reasons when she assured him that Elizabeth would welcome his addresses? He had been badly used indeed. Why, he was a most eligible gentleman. He had a comfortable living at Hunsford, the patronage of a most elegant lady of the first circles, and would one day inherit this very estate! To be treated with such contempt – to have his affections played with, only to be cast aside for a richer suitor – it was more than ought be borne.

  After watching his young cousins extend their congratulations to the engaged couple – perpetuating a fine charade of pretended surprise, just as if they were not all along part of the scheme to humiliate him – Collins turned without a word and walked from the room. Perhaps he hoped a dignified exit would impress upon his cousin’s family that he would rise above their petty games. Unfortunately for Mr Collins, his departure was noted only by a wry comment from his host: “Well if news of your engagement can so effectively silence that fool, I would that I could have announced it weeks ago, Lizzy.”

  Elizabeth, feeling all the unusual embarrassment of the situation, reprimanded her father: “You would have had me marry that fool, sir. He has reason to feel ill-used. My own fate is much happier than I could have expected only a day ago, but that gentleman has experienced a sudden and wholly unexpected reverse. As he is one day to be master of Longbourn, it behoves you to treat him with some compassion, else his resentment will be visited on our servants and tenants when you are no longer here to protect them, Papa.”

  Mr Bennet was not accustomed to being told off by his daughter, and was particularly humiliated by her doing so in front of Mr Darcy. Especially as she was quite right. He turned red and glowered at his favourite daughter. “You should be grateful for what I have done for you this day, Miss Lizzy, and not speak to me so. It is not your place.”

  Not at all daunted, Elizabeth simply huffed in disappointment at her father’s failure to acknowledge his error and turned her attention back to trying to protect Mr Darcy from the worst effusions of her family.

  The exchange had not gone unnoticed by Darcy, who was pleased to hear his betrothed conduct herself with compassion, even towards Mr Collins. He nearly came to her defence at her father’s petty response, but a meaning look from his fiancée cautioned him to silence. Elizabeth had taken her first step to independence from her father’s rule, and Darcy stood ready to support her in whatever ways she would allow, but he doubted she would want a total estrangement. It was best he abide by her unspoken plea and rein in his anger. Instead of speaking, he simply took her hand and pressed it warmly.

  Mrs Bennet by now began to recover from her initial shock. After some fluttering of her handkerchief and several inappropriate and embarrassing questions about the gentleman’s estate, how many carriages he had, and whether he had a house in town, she suddenly conceived a great desire to spread the news throughout all of Meryton. “Mr Bennet, you must call for the carriage. I must visit my sister in Meryton to tell her the news. And Mrs Long and Lady Lucas must be told. My dear friends cannot be the last to hear such welcome news.”

  At this Darcy did speak up: “I beg you delay your news for a day or two, Mrs Bennet. I will write express to my family to advise them, and place a notice in the Times, but I would not wish my aunts, or my uncle the Earl, to hear the news indirectly. I owe them the courtesy of informing them myself. Perhaps we could make a formal announcement at church this Sunday, with the first reading of the banns?”

  Mrs Bennet was dismayed by this request, but on hearing that Darcy’s uncle was an Earl, realised that her new son-in-law was not merely rich – he outranked her in every way – and that she must give him his way in this. She would still be the centre of attention after church, and could tell her friends about her good fortune then. Come to think of it, she really had nothing to tell other than the fact of the engagement itself. Elizabeth had been very sly, keeping her understanding with Mr Darcy a secret even from her own mother. She would have to press her daughter between now and Sunday for more details of their courtship in order to put some meat on her tale.

  Better Late Than Never

  At this point, Jane and Bingley returned from their stroll in the garden. So focussed had they been on each other that they had not even noticed Darcy and Elizabeth’s absence until they turned to return to the house. Bingley had then revealed to Jane that he expected his friend was even now asking for Elizabeth’s hand in marriage. Jane was astounded, but perfectly ready to believe that they were as much in love as Bingley and herself, and delighted by the prospect that she and Elizabeth would have two such good friends as husbands. By the time they reached the porch, Jane had expressed herself even happier than she had been when Bingley had first declared his affections, for now she could share her happiness with her favourite sister.

  Bingley was overcome by the beauty of his beloved: her happiness fairly shone out of her. He clasped her hand to his heart and said earnestly “My dear Miss Bennet – Jane – you would make me the happiest of men if you would marry me. It is too much to know my friend is already engaged while we are still only courting. I am in no doubt of my own heart. I only want to give you time to be certain of yours. I do not want to rush you – do not answer me now if you are not ready – but I must ask: Will you marry me, Jane Bennet? Will you be my wife so that I may love you all my days? I cannot bear to think of living without you by my side. Whether it is today, or next week, or next month, I will wait for your answer, but I will never stop asking until you say yes.”

  Jane did not need a month or a week, or even a day, to consider her answer. She knew her heart, and it was Charles Bingley she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. There was so much she wanted to say, but a great laugh of relief bubbled up from deep in her chest, and all she could manage to do was to smile delightedly, nod her head several times, and eventually master her voice enough to say “Yes. Yes. A thousand times yes! My heart is yours, Charles Bingley, and I want to be your wife as soon as possible.”

  Bingley was positively bouncing with joy. H
e did not know whether to kiss his lady, or rush to her father’s study and ask permission to wed her, or to do cartwheels on the lawn! He settled for kissing her hands and saying “I should speak to your father. Do you think Darcy and your sister would agree to a joint wedding ceremony? I wonder when they plan to wed. Oh, Jane, you have made me so happy.”

  At the reminder of Elizabeth and Mr Darcy, Jane sobered a little and said “Perhaps we should wait to see how things are in the house? One engagement a day may be as much as my parents can cope with. I do not want to distract attention from Elizabeth’s happiness.”

  “If you like, although I cannot imagine how I can wait until tomorrow. I know for certain that Darcy would not mind sharing the day. He hates to be the centre of attention. But I will be guided by you, my dear Jane. You know your family best.”

  “Well, then, let us see how things are inside before we decide.” With that, they entered the house, to find the Bennet family crowded around Darcy and Elizabeth in the front parlour. The betrothed couple looked positively besieged. Darcy was stood stiffly, with a fixed smile on his face, while Mrs Bennet spoke gushingly of hiring extra staff for a grand wedding breakfast. Elizabeth was trying unsuccessfully to quiet Lydia’s demands for an engagement ball. Mr Bennet stood to one side looking disgruntled for some reason, while Mary and Kitty stood watching the hubbub without much joining in.

  Jane and Bingley needed only one glance to each other to agree that now might be a good time to make their announcement after all. Bingley cleared his throat loudly. When he had garnered the attention of the room, he declared, “It seems congratulations are in order, Darcy, Miss Elizabeth. I am sure you will flourish in each other’s company. I am very happy for you both. But I must ask you to share your joy with myself and Miss Bennet. Jane has done me the honour of allowing me to request her hand from Mr Bennet.” And turning to that gentleman, he continued, “Sir, I know this may seem sudden since I requested permission to court your daughter only yesterday, but I have absolutely no doubt that Miss Bennet is the lady I wish to marry, and she tells me she feels the same way, so we see no point in further delay. Mr Bennet, I ask you to grant your consent and to bestow your blessing on us.”

  Mr Bennet was less surprised and more pleased with this request than he had been with the previous. Although it was not the done thing for Bingley to have asked him in front of Jane and the rest of his family, he couldn’t bring himself to resent the man for his impetuosity. “You have my consent and my blessing, son. Jane, my dear, I congratulate you. You have chosen well.”

  Jane went to him instantly, kissed him, and thanked him for his goodness.

  “You are a good girl;” he replied, “and I have great pleasure in thinking you will be so happily settled. I have not a doubt of your doing very well together. Your tempers are by no means unlike. You are each of you so complying, that nothing will ever be resolved on; so easy, that every servant will cheat you; and so generous, that you will always exceed your income.”

  “I hope not so. Imprudence or thoughtlessness in money matters would be unpardonable in me.”

  Mr Bennet merely rolled his eyes at Jane’s response, his tolerance for momentous decisions exhausted. “Now all this talk of weddings has quite worn me out. I will retire to my study. If any young men should come asking for Mary or Kitty or Lydia, send them in – I am quite at my leisure.”

  Much to Darcy’s relief, the focus of the room shifted to Jane and Bingley. He gave his friend a hearty handshake, and congratulated his soon-to-be-sister, then withdrew to the side of the room to observe. That Elizabeth was pleased for her sister was obvious – her congratulations were warm and genuine, the hug she bestowed on Bingley was spontaneous and affectionate, and some of the lines of tension had lifted from her brow.

  An Honourable Offer

  But the longer he watched, the more Darcy wondered whether she cursed the poor timing that had delayed this announcement until after her own fate was sealed. After all, she had acknowledged that if Bingley and Jane were engaged rather than courting, she might have escaped marriage to Collins without having to take so drastic a step as marrying Darcy. Would she now wish to be released from their engagement? At this thought, the gentleman paled and suddenly felt the need to sit down.

  Everything about their engagement was unexpected – only two days before he had been determined to quit Hertfordshire to escape his growing attraction to Miss Elizabeth, and apparently she had thought poorly of him. Then she had, only for a moment, considered trying to compromise him into wedlock, after which he had shamelessly announced their engagement, publicly attributing it to a compromise, before even having the common decency to propose to her. Indeed, the whole thing had been a comedy of errors. But the thought of ending their engagement filled him with dread: having realised the depth of his feelings for the lady, he could not be easy with the thought of releasing her.

  Elizabeth noticed Darcy’s change of demeanour. He had not been comfortable in the boisterous company of her excited family, but he had borne it with dignity and grace. She was not surprised nor offended by his withdrawal when Bingley and Jane arrived to take centre stage. However shortly after that, he had appeared thunderstruck, and now had clearly lost his composure. She could not account for it, but she was determined to discover the cause.

  Extracting herself from the conversation around Bingley and Jane, she quietly sat down beside Mr Darcy and took his hand in hers. “What ails you, Fitzwilliam?”

  Her use of his given name caught his attention, and brought him out of his silent musing. “Elizabeth, I am well. It merely occurs to me that Bingley and Miss Bennet’s engagement brings a level of security for your family, and you should not feel bound to me if you would prefer not. Despite everything that has been said and done, we can find a way out of this if you wish.” As he spoke his gaze remained fixed on their clasped hands, not wanting to see her eyes light up with hope at his words. When he did look up, it was to see a puzzled frown as she pondered his words. She did not look relieved. If anything, he would describe her expression as sad.

  “I will release you if that is what you want, Mr Darcy, but I need to make something clear. It is true that my cousin’s proposal pushed me into thinking about marriage much sooner than I might otherwise have done, and it prompted me to speak openly with you in a manner that was hardly proper, and Miss Bingley’s attempt to compromise you forced you into declaring for me without having time to consider all the implications. These things all happened, and it is impossible to know if we would be sitting here now, engaged, if they had not.

  “However, I did not accept your proposal because of Mr Collins, nor because of your rash words at Netherfield. I accepted your proposal because, having come to know you better in these strange circumstances, I found that I like and respect you, and am pleased with the prospect of becoming your wife. I will not hold you to a promise made in such unusual circumstances, if it is your desire to withdraw, but do not do so on my account: I have no wish to end our engagement with anything other than a marriage, sir.”

  Darcy closed his eyes in relief, letting out a breath he had unconsciously been holding while awaiting her reply, and sat back in his chair. Recovering himself, he turned a relaxed smile on Elizabeth and raised her hand to his lips. “Well, then, my dear, it seems we are stuck with each other.”

  Their quiet gazing in to each other’s eyes following this discussion was interrupted by Bingley loudly asking “Darcy, Miss Elizabeth, what do you say to a double wedding? Jane and I hope you will agree to share a wedding day with us.”

  After glancing at Elizabeth to gauge her opinion, Darcy replied, “Nothing would please us more, my friend, but I warn you, I am hoping for a short engagement. If my lovely Elizabeth agrees, I would like to wed just as soon as the banns have been read, so that we may be safely home in Derbyshire before the worst of the winter sets in.”

  Elizabeth was surprised at this news, but having endured a mere half hour of her mothe
r’s reaction to her engagement, she was quite amenable to holding the wedding as soon as possible. Many more weeks of this and she would go mad. Any sadness she might have felt for the prospect of leaving her childhood home had been done away with by her parents’ insistence that she marry Mr Collins. She could no longer view them with the unalloyed affection of childhood. Mr Collins was no longer a threat to her, but she could not easily forget the way her parents had put their own easy lifestyle ahead of planning for the future, and had been willing to condemn her to the worst sort of bondage as a result. No, she would miss her home and her sisters, but it was no hardship to leave her family behind and start a new life on her own terms in Derbyshire. “I see you are impatient to be home, Mr Darcy,” she said with a raised eyebrow and a mischievous look. “It is, after all, my duty to be obedient to your wishes, so I cannot but agree to your suggestion of a short engagement.”

  Darcy smiled, thinking obedience was the one part of the vows Elizabeth might have difficulty with. He murmured quietly, for her ears alone, “I would not have you obey me out of duty, Elizabeth, but only when you agree with me. I am relying on you to challenge me and keep me on my toes. Together we will make better decisions than either of us could alone.”