I Met Mr Darcy Via Luton

by Fredrica Edward

  It was then that his eyes fixed upon the spiral stairs.

  "Were those stairs there before?" he panted, trying to remember the layout of the upper floor of Netherfield, and its disposition with respect to this corner of the house.

  "Of course not, Fitzwilliam," she replied, wondering how he could have lived at Netherfield for so many weeks and not know it like the back of his hand. "I had them installed last week."

  "And where do they lead?" he asked.

  Again, she wondered that this was not obvious, but dutifully replied, "The master's chambers."

  At this, Darcy blushed faintly; and Elizabeth began to think that it had not been so wise to install that staircase after all, given the recent reactions of two Darcy family members.

  Then Darcy got a devilish grin on his face and, grabbing her hand tightly, made as if to dash up the stairs. Elizabeth pulled her hand away with a jerk and stamped her foot, but then spoilt the effect by bursting out giggling.

  "You are very silly, Fitzwilliam. I copied them from the library stairs at Pemberley. Why do they give the wrong impression here?"

  "I was not implying that they give the wrong impression. On the contrary, I was thinking I could have made better use of the stairs at Pemberley, especially when I found you in the library alone."

  "Are you always going to be so frisky?" asked Elizabeth.

  "I fear it could get much worse once I get you up the aisle."

  Darcy would have taken her in his arms again, had there not been a knock at the door, which caused them to jump slightly apart.

  Elizabeth had forgotten she had asked Mrs Fletcher to serve tea half an hour after Mr Darcy arrived. Undertaking to set out the tea herself, she asked Mrs Fletcher to find Dr Gregory, while Darcy summoned his footmen to retrieve the strongbox.

  The donation was duly made and gratefully received before Dr Gregory hauled the strongbox off to the muniments room.

  Mr Darcy retrieved his curly-brimmed beaver and suggested a stroll in the garden with Miss Bennet for old times' sake. During this interlude, they made vague plans for the future. Elizabeth wished to consult with Dr Gregory regarding the date of arrival of his junior partner from Edinburgh and what sort of hand-over period would be required before she could wend her way to Derbyshire without guilt.

  Although no definite wedding date could be arrived at, Darcy determined there was no time like the present to request Elizabeth's hand from her father, and they decided to make the journey back to Longbourn immediately for the fateful audience.

  As they walked down the front steps, Darcy admired Elizabeth's small fine hands as she drew on a pair of brown kid gloves. He would have directed Elizabeth towards his chaise, which was waiting under the porte-cochère, but as they reached the bottom step, a gig appeared driven by a groom and pulled up beside them.

  "I must use this, sir, else I will need to beg a lift back to Netherfield in the morning," said Elizabeth.

  The groom stepped out and helped Miss Elizabeth in as she gathered her skirts about her. Darcy was then surprised when the groom handed her the whip and did not climb back in himself.

  "Well, Mr Darcy, are you coming with me, or shall you follow in your chaise?" asked Elizabeth. "Lydia is playing cards and will return to Longbourn with Mr Jones."

  Darcy climbed in beside her and attempted to take the reins whereupon she rapped him over his knuckles with the handle of her whip.

  "Desist, sir, this is my gig!"

  "Is it?" he said, looking about him. "When did you learn to drive?"

  "Well, at least it is my father's gig," Elizabeth amended. "It is a Bennet gig. I have been driving myself since I started working here at Netherfield."

  Darcy motioned for his coach to follow them; then sat rather stiffly as she drove out the front gates. Once it was clear she was not going to overturn them, he tried to relax.

  Elizabeth watched him covertly out of the corner of one eye. He was still holding the curly-brimmed beaver in one hand. She noticed for the first time that he was sporting a much shorter hair cut than she had ever seen him with before.

  "You have cut off all your curls, sir. What have you done with them?"

  Mr Darcy looked at her in surprise. Was Elizabeth flirting with him?

  "My valet got tired of taming them and convinced me to try a shorter style."

  "What a shame. I am sure that women favour curls."

  "Do they?"

  "Assuredly. Perhaps they remind them of puppies and kittens."

  Mr Darcy smiled to reveal two beautiful dimples that Elizabeth had never seen before.

  "Then, of course, I will stay my valet's hand in future."

  She had also noticed he was wearing a different cravat, having abandoned the frothy muslin of a cravat tied in the waterfall style he had previously affected for a pressed coloured cravat with a single diamond pin.

  "You have also changed the style of your cravat."

  "And does that meet with your approval?" he asked.

  "Indeed, it suits you well. I can only assume that Mr Brummell popularised those elaborate muslin cravats because he has a scrawny neck."

  Now Darcy was sure Elizabeth was flirting. He was rather proud of his bull neck.

  His smile widened, and for the first time, Elizabeth could see what pearly white teeth he had.

  "I am glad to be a source of amusement to you, Miss Bennet. I fear I have too often been the source of other less pleasant emotions."

  He moved slightly in his seat, and she became aware that his well-muscled thigh was pressed up against hers. Was it intentional? Men did tend to sit with their legs wide apart, so perhaps he really did need to occupy so much space… Suddenly the seat of the gig, which she had previously thought quite capacious, seemed a little cramped. He was so warm.

  Within no time, they had traversed the three-mile distance to Longbourn and were turning into the front gates. Elizabeth felt Darcy stiffen beside her and glancing briefly at him, she saw his air of hauteur had once again descended on him.

  Chapter 50: The audience

  Mr Bennet was standing at the library window sipping port when the gig drove in the front gates of Longbourn.

  "Here's your sister Lizzy home, Mary, conveying some gentleman. Make haste and see who our visitor is, will you?"

  Mary got up from the ledgers and hurried out.

  Upstairs in the sitting room, Mrs Bennet heard the gig drive in the front gates.

  "Is that Lizzy, so soon?" she asked. "Oh dear, something must be wrong! I told her not to help lift those soldiers! No doubt she has hurt her back! The women from the village should do that work! Run to the window and see, Kitty."

  "It is Lizzy, Mama, but there is a gentleman with her," said Kitty. "Who can it be?"

  "One of the soldiers, my dear, I suppose; I am sure I do not know."

  "La!" replied Kitty, "it looks just like that man that used to be with Mr Bingley before. Mr what's-his-name. That tall, proud man."

  Mrs Bennet arrived at the window. "Good gracious! Mr Darcy!–and so it does, I vow. What can he be doing with Lizzy?"

  By the time Mrs Bennet had arranged the hair under her cap to her satisfaction and come down the stairs, she found Lizzy sitting with Mary in the parlour.

  "Did I not see Mr Darcy, Lizzy? Where has he gone?"

  "He has some business with Papa. He has gone into the library."

  "Whatever can it be? Oh! I do hope it is not bad news from Yorkshire. Perhaps something terrible has happened to Jane or Mr Bingley!"

  "Be calm, Mother! Mr Darcy has just come from London. I am sure it is nothing of that nature. Perhaps you should call for tea."

  "Tea?" replied Mrs Bennet, "Oh!" Then after a pause: "Hill!"

  Shortly after the tea arrived, Mr Darcy appeared in the parlour and, approaching the table where Lizzy was sitting with Mary, whispered, "Go to your father, he wants you in the library."

  Lizzy had expected this, and after inviting Mr Darcy to sit down to tea with her mother, she was
gone directly. But after receiving his cup and saucer from Kitty, Mr Darcy took his tea to the window and proceeded to stare outside, leaving Mrs Bennet to exchange bemused looks with her two remaining daughters.

  Lizzy had steeled herself for the following interview. She did not fear her father's opposition, but he was going to be made unhappy; and that it should be through her means–that she, his favourite child, should be distressing him with her choice, was almost more than she could bear.

  On entering the library, she found her father walking about the room, looking grave and anxious. "Lizzy," said he, "what are you doing? Are you out of your senses to be accepting this man? Have not you always hated him?"

  How earnestly did she then wish that she had kept her former opinions to herself. It would have spared her from explanations and professions, which it was exceedingly awkward to give; but they were now necessary, and she assured him, with some confusion, of her attachment to Mr Darcy.

  "Or, in other words, you are determined to have him. He is rich, to be sure, and you may have more fine clothes and fine carriages than Jane. But will they make you happy?"

  "Have you any other objection," said Elizabeth, "than your belief of my indifference?"

  "Yes, I do. We all know him to be a proud, unpleasant sort of man; but above and beyond that, is this not rather sudden?"

  Having confided only in her Aunt Gardiner, Elizabeth was at a loss as to how to describe the emotional journey she had travelled.

  "It is not so sudden…" she ventured.

  "Hmm?" said Mr Bennet. "When I stated my reservations to Mr Darcy, he said that his feelings were of a longstanding nature; and when I expressed my scepticism, he claimed that he proposed to you at Hunsford."

  "What?!" blurted Lizzy.

  "So Mr Darcy is telling porkies, is he?" asked Mr Bennet.

  "No," said Lizzy, thinking furiously, "but I'm surprised he brought that up," she added; then, with a flash of inspiration, "…since I refused him! Men are so vain!"

  Mr Bennet raised his eyebrows at this, but with a twist of his mouth acknowledged it might be so. "So you have thought deeply about this?" asked Mr Bennet.

  "Yes, Papa, Mr Darcy is a better man than I earlier gave him credit for. I do like him, and I believe he will suit me very well."

  "Then you will be relieved to know," said her father, "that I have given him my consent. He is the kind of man, indeed, to whom I should never dare refuse anything, which he condescended to ask. I now give it to you, if you are resolved on having him. But let me advise you to think better of it. I know your disposition, Lizzy. I know that you could be neither happy nor respectable, unless you truly esteemed your husband; unless you considered him matched in intelligence to you. Your lively talents would place you in the greatest danger in an unequal marriage. You could scarcely escape discredit and misery. My child, let me not have the grief of seeing you unable to respect your partner in life. You know not what you are about."

  Elizabeth, understanding the personal nature of her father's advice was greatly affected. She was earnest and solemn in her reply; and at length, by repeated assurances that Mr Darcy was really the object of her choice, by explaining the gradual change which her estimation of him had undergone, relating her absolute certainty that his affection was not the work of a day, but had stood the test of many months' suspense, and enumerating with energy all his good qualities, she did conquer her father's incredulity, and reconcile him to the match.

  "Well, my dear," said he, when she ceased speaking, "I have no more to say. If this be the case, he deserves you. I could not have parted with you, my Lizzy, to anyone less worthy."

  To complete the favourable impression, she then told him of Mr Darcy's patronage of Dr Gregory.

  Mr Bennet was quick to see the association between Dr Gregory's success in setting up his hospital and his Lizzy's current contentment in her new job, but kept his counsel. Well, well, Mr Darcy–first a piano, and now Netherfield. What next will you be buying for my daughters?

  "Papa, there is one more thing…"

  "Yes, my dear?"

  "Could you distract Mama for a moment so that I can talk to Mr Darcy before he leaves? And would it be possible to wait until he is out the gate before we tell Mama?"

  Mr Bennet smiled and nodded.

  When they walked back into the parlour, he asked Mrs Bennet to attend him in the library.

  Once they had departed, Lizzy walked Mr Darcy to the front door.

  As they stepped off the front porch and proceeded to his carriage, Lizzy whispered, "Proposed to me in Hunsford? You are very unscrupulous, sir!"

  "When I see the prize before me, I find I can be so," smiled Darcy.

  "Will you stay in Hertfordshire tonight? Dr Gregory will make the master's chambers at Netherfield available to you."

  "I fear not, Elizabeth; I did not come expecting to stay, and have not even a valise with me. Tell Dr Gregory I will return in a fortnight for a proper tour. In the meantime, I believe I need to send a notice to the Gazette and apprise a few of my relatives."

  "What will Lady Catherine say?"

  "It matters not. My uncle is the important one to sway, and I need only mention your gentle birth and dwell on your great beauty to win him over."

  "My father was correct. Now you are really telling porkies."

  Clasping her dainty right hand between both of his large ones, Darcy brought it to his lips. "You undersell yourself, my dear. For a long time I have thought you the handsomest woman of my acquaintance."

  Elizabeth blushed, and was trying to think of what to say in reply, but Darcy removed all possibility of this when, instead of planting a kiss on the back of her hand as she had expected, he sucked the tip of her index finger into his mouth up to the first knuckle and ran his tongue around it, before lowering her hand, which he retained within his grasp.

  Lizzy clenched her toes within her slippers as she stifled a squeak, conscious that Mr Darcy's servants were nearby, and Mr Hill behind her.

  "Au revoir, Elizabeth," he said, cool as a cucumber.

  "Au revoir, Fitzwilliam," she returned, trying to match his sang-froid.

  Smiling, Darcy climbed into his carriage and rapped upon the roof with his cane, leaving his love standing in the drive.

  Mr Bennet kept Mrs Bennet distracted in his library by going over the household accounts for a good half-hour until he heard the carriage drive away, whereupon he let the cat out of the bag.

  On first hearing the news, Mrs Bennet accused her husband of pulling her leg, and when she finally did believe him, she was unable to utter a syllable for a good two minutes. At length she burst out with:

  "Good gracious! Lord bless me! only think! dear me! Mr Darcy! Who would have thought it! And is it really true? Oh! my sweetest Lizzy! how rich and how great she will be! What pin-money, what jewels, what carriages she will have! Jane's is nothing to it–nothing at all. I am so pleased–so happy. Such a charming man!–so handsome! so tall!–Oh, my dear Lizzy! I hope he will overlook me having disliked him so much before. Dear, dear Lizzy. A house in town! Every thing that is charming! Two daughters married! Ten thousand a year! Oh, Lord! What will become of me. I shall go distracted."

  This effusion could easily be heard in the parlour, and Elizabeth rejoiced that she had the forethought to let her betrothed escape. Kitty and Mary looked at her for confirmation; and upon receiving it; both hugged their sister. Her mother soon appeared to congratulate her daughter in person.

  "My dearest child," she cried, "I can think of nothing else! Ten thousand a year, and very likely more! 'Tis as good as a Lord! And a special licence. You must and shall be married by a special licence."

  "I think not, Mama, it will be a long engagement, as I cannot leave the hospital straight away, so we might as well read the banns."

  "But my dear, you should get him up the aisle as soon as you may. What if he should change his mind?"

  "I do not think there will be a problem with that, Mama; and think, you w
ill have more time to plan the wedding."

  This idea worked wonders on Mrs Bennet and she immediately set to planning how she could outdo the effort she had made on Jane's behalf. As Mr Darcy was of twice Mr Bingley's consequence, she was determined the ceremony and reception should reflect that.

  As Darcy wended his way back to London, he contemplated the turn that events had taken. After heading off to Hertfordshire with his cap in his hand, he was returning an engaged man. Would wonders never cease?

  Because of the sheer awfulness of his aunt's intervention, all the scenarios that had revolved in his head on his way to Hertfordshire inevitably involved Elizabeth yelling at him or hitting him with something.

  But some other part of his mind had registered the fact that Elizabeth had not abused him to Lady Catherine, frankly and openly. What was it his aunt had quoted? "that your mistress must have such extraordinary sources of happiness necessarily attached to her situation, that she could, upon the whole, have no cause to repine."

  It taught me to hope, he thought, as I had scarcely ever allowed myself to hope before.

  Darcy had been more than grateful at how calm Elizabeth had been when he first approached her in the Netherfield library. As soon as she had mentioned marriage, the penny had dropped, and his lips had formed the words of his proposal, before he scarce knew what he was about.

  He silently thanked that other part of his brain for having the temerity to take over. Carpe diem!

  Chapter 51: Carpe diem

  Arriving back in London, Darcy stopped first at his uncle's townhouse. Descending from the carriage, he instructed the coachman to drive on–there was no point leaving the horses standing in the street when he could easily walk home. His uncle was, of course, not at home, but nor did Darcy expect him to be so. The earl was likely with his mistress in a part of town where the real estate was less expensive and where one wouldn't run into another three members of the House of Lords by just walking down the street. Darcy left a note requesting an audience, then walked back to his townhouse across the square.