A Most Civil Proposal (21 page)

A sudden fear struck her. She could not meet her brother’s eyes, so she did not see the delight that danced in them as he stared at a vision of Elizabeth that only he could see. Instead, she stayed focused on her hands as she asked in trepidation, “I am confused, William, and, yes, very surprised. Are you really engaged?”

Darcy laughed. “Yes, quite engaged, dearest.”

Georgiana’s fear now began to choke her. She was baffled, and had to struggle to continue. “Who are you to marry, William? Is it . . . is it Miss Bingley?” she said so softly that Darcy had to strain to hear.

“Miss Bingley?” He threw back his head with a roar of laughter, which alleviated at least some of Georgiana’s anxiety. “No, no, Georgiana. I have been aware of Miss Bingley’s machinations since first meeting her and would have gone to my grave a bachelor before embarking on such a perilous adventure as forming an attachment with her!”

Darcy noted the look of relief in his sister’s eyes and squeezed her hand. “No, Georgiana, the young lady is no one you know — at least, not directly. You remember Mr. Bingley’s intended, Miss Bennet?”

“Of course, William. She is very nice, and I like her very much.”

“I am engaged to her sister, Miss Elizabeth Bennet.”

Georgiana’s eyes opened wide in amazement. Her brother was usually so very dependable that surprises were uncommon, but he had certainly sprung one on this occasion! She stammered, “How . . . I mean, when . . .?”

He explained their brief acquaintance in Hertfordshire and subsequent meeting in Kent.

“This is amazing, William,” she said with growing excitement. Surely, the sister to Miss Bennet could not be anything similar to Miss Bingley, could she? Perhaps she would at last have a sister who could also be a friend! “But why have you been so secretive? I cannot recall a single time when her name has come up in conversation. I do remember hearing Miss Bingley mention Miss Jane Bennet in the winter, though I do not believe she cared much for her.”

“No, she did not,” her brother recalled with some embarrassment, “and she did not like Miss Elizabeth Bennet at all. If you remember her ever making a derisive remark at my attraction to ‘a fine pair of eyes,’ she was referring to Miss Elizabeth.”

“So Miss Bingley does not care for Miss Elizabeth?” Georgiana smiled. “I must admit to feeling a certain inclination in her direction already!”

Darcy chuckled at her show of spirit. He was heartened to think that Elizabeth would provide a much more valuable example for Georgiana during the next few important years as she entered society than any of her other acquaintances would have done. “I believe that you will take to Elizabeth easily, though she is quite lively and witty. She is also,” he said with a smile, “a lady of exemplary fortitude. For example, she refused to be intimidated by Lady Catherine’s usual unending stream of suggestions and instructions, disputing her with considerably more spirit than I have ever been able to show.”

“Lady Catherine?” Georgiana was completely intimidated by her formidable aunt, and she did not see how anyone could successfully stand against her when even her brother avoided open conflict.

“Indeed. And she did so in such a skilful manner that her ladyship did not even realize that Miss Elizabeth was being impertinent. She was actually quite taken with her, at least at first. We spent much time together at Rosings, and that is where I got to know her better and found myself completely lost.”

Georgiana smiled at her brother. “It sounds so romantic. And it also sounds very unlike you, William!”

Darcy laughed, feeling the thrill once again of finally having things settled between Elizabeth and himself — or at least, most things settled, he reminded himself. He still needed to give her the unpleasant news of his visit with her father, which he knew would distress her. There was also the matter of that repulsive gossip printed in the
Chronicle
.

“Richard says that it is completely like me and only to be expected, considering the usual Darcy impulsiveness!” Darcy said with a chuckle.

“He does enjoy teasing you about that.”

“What do I enjoy teasing my too beloved cousin about, Georgie?” a voice said from the door.

Darcy and Georgiana looked behind them to see Colonel Fitzwilliam in his scarlet uniform, just entering the room.

“At trying to provide a model of socially acceptable behaviour to a totally disreputable relation,” said Darcy.

“At being impulsive,” said Georgiana.

Fitzwilliam gave a big grin as he came around to seat himself in a comfortable chair in front of them. “Has Darcy been confessing to his recent activities, Georgie?”

“Actually,” said Georgiana slyly, “I believe he has been confessing to providing you the source for a complete new story, Richard!”

“What is this, Darcy? Do I dare believe that you have already met with the delightful Miss Elizabeth Bennet? And that the lady has accepted you?”

“The answer,” said Darcy, “is ‘yes’ and ‘yes.’” He made a quieting motion to his cousin, lest Richard start recounting the entire eventful but embarrassing story of what had taken place in Kent. Fitzwilliam grinned at him in glee, but had no more desire than Darcy to reveal the details of that lively episode — at least not yet!

“Well, well, well,” said Fitzwilliam. “This does appear to contain the seeds of yet another Darcy tale.”

“Georgie was expressing the fear that I might have connected myself with Miss Bingley,” Darcy said, trying to change the subject by teasing Georgiana, and he did succeed in drawing a blush from her.

Fitzwilliam shuddered at the thought. “Dear Heavens, no, though I quite understand your concern in that area, Georgie. Miss Elizabeth is delightful and is in no way similar to the many fashionable society ladies — and their mothers! — who have been pursuing your brother with scant success these many years.” This thought cheered Georgiana considerably as he continued. “Georgie, we must share with Miss Elizabeth the story of your parents’ courtship. It should provide considerable insight into her new husband’s character!”

“You will not have the chance, Richard,” Darcy said with an attempt at dignity. “I have resolved to share that with Elizabeth at the first opportunity in the hope of salvaging at least some semblance of respectability!”

Fitzwilliam laughed heartily and turned back to Georgiana. “Miss Elizabeth is intelligent, lively, witty, and truly compassionate, Georgie. She will make a wonderful sister for you. In fact, if circumstances had been different — had I not been a younger son, or had Miss Elizabeth’s fortune been greater — I might have jousted with your brother for her favour!”

That earned a glare from Darcy, which amused him greatly. But then he noticed the sudden look of concern on Georgiana’s face. He immediately reached forward and took her hand.

“Do not distress yourself, Georgie,” the colonel told her gently. “Miss Bennet is not a fortune hunter. No, no, I can see your concern, but trust me on this. I cannot speak of just how I know, but I do indeed have definite knowledge that she is not. Your brother has connected himself with a most worthy young lady.”

Having been serious long enough, however, Fitzwilliam continued. “Though he has connected himself with a young lady of inestimable spirit who faced up to both Lady Catherine and your fearsome brother.”

“Indeed?” Georgiana said with a smile, both at his assurances and his jest. “She stood up to William too?”

“Aye, she did, Georgie. Faced him down and quite broke him to her will.”

“It sounds as if I will enjoy meeting this fearless young woman.”

“Fitzwilliam!” Darcy said in warning.

“And after she finishes instructing you in how to deal with imperious family members, Georgie, I would wager that the direction of the Darcy family affairs may pass to new and more capable hands!”

“Fitzwilliam!” Darcy said in heat, glaring at his irrepressible cousin in exasperation.

Fitzwilliam’s answer was a peal of laughter and a handshake of hearty congratulation that mollified Darcy somewhat but did not make him any less wary of what his cousin might plan for the future. But, at that instant, he had a more immediate concern.

“Georgiana, I will be calling on Elizabeth directly. If you are available, I would dearly wish for you to accompany me.”

“See what I mean, Georgie?” said Fitzwilliam in a stage whisper. “Your brother is smitten, I say. Smitten!” He looked back at Darcy’s glare blandly. “I believe that I also shall accompany you to offer my own congratulations, Darcy.”

“I might have missed it,” said Darcy, “but I somehow do not remember issuing an invitation.”

Fitzwilliam dismissed Darcy’s comment with a flip of his hand. “You are much too well bred to be uncivil, Darcy. It is one of the things that makes you so endearing to your poorer relations.”

“Then perhaps you might be of at least some service, Richard, and accompany me to visit your parents tomorrow afternoon? I wish to inform them in person rather than sending a letter.”

“Of course.”

Darcy stood to leave. “The carriage will be ready in a quarter hour. If you could entertain Georgiana until then without any further damage to my character, Cousin, I have some business to attend to before we leave.”

As Darcy left the room, he heard Fitzwilliam say behind him, “Had you not noticed Darcy’s rather odd behaviour of late, Georgie? That should have warned you that something unprecedented was in the wind!”

Darcy heard the tinkling of Georgiana’s laughter behind him, and he did not have to look back to know that Fitzwilliam was completely ignoring his admonition against further damage to his character. He could only shake his head as he closed the door.

* * * * *

Darcy looked up at the knock on the door to his study, and his butler entered.

“Your carriage is ready, sir.”

“Very good,” said Darcy, putting down his pen. “Oh, Stevens,” he said to his butler, who had turned to leave.

“Sir?”

“You may make a small announcement to the staff, telling them that I am soon to be married.”

His butler first looked at his master quizzically since Darcy’s wide smile at first made him wonder whether the younger man was jesting. But his look told him that his master’s smile was a smile of delight, not of humour.

“Truly, sir?” he asked, still not certain that he was reading his employer correctly.

“Truly, Stevens,” he replied.

“Then I believe congratulations are in order, sir,” Stevens said with a smile. “It would do this heart good to see a mistress in the house again. And children, too, of course. Indeed it would, sir.”

“I think so too,” Darcy said cheerfully, “but now I have to depart.”

Stevens smiled to himself as the master strode off, almost bouncing from exuberance. He had held his position for most of Darcy’s life, and he was quite fond of his young master. It would be good so see him well settled before his own time came, and perhaps there might even be time for children before then.

Chapter 16

Sunday, April 19, 1812

Elizabeth was reading to her cousins in the sitting room with Jane and Bingley when she heard the sound of a coach on the street below. She closed her book and looked out the window to see the familiar, red-coated figure of Colonel Fitzwilliam handing down a tall young lady from the carriage steps. It could only be Mr. Darcy’s sister, whom Jane had described so admiringly. She cringed inwardly as she remembered how easily she had believed Mr. Wickham’s description of Miss Darcy’s exceedingly proud manners. She dispatched her cousins to the nursery and informed her aunt that their guests had arrived.

She reached the sitting room moments before the visitors were announced, and this time she was more prepared when Darcy’s eyes instantly found her as he stepped into the room. She returned his smile and crossed the room to greet him, surprised and gratified to feel an honest pleasure at his arrival. Of course, it did not hurt that his eyes darkened in intensity when he first caught sight of her or that his gallantry continued as he bent to kiss her hand before turning to his sister.

“Elizabeth, may I present my sister, Miss Georgiana Darcy? Georgiana, this is my betrothed, Miss Elizabeth Bennet.”

Georgiana and Elizabeth made their curtsies.

“I am pleased to meet you, Miss Elizabeth. My brother has told me much of you,” Georgiana ventured in a voice so soft that Elizabeth had to strain to hear.

“And he has told me much of you also,” Elizabeth responded with a smile. She turned to greet Colonel Fitzwilliam, pleased to again see his friendly face.

“My dear Miss Bennet,” he exclaimed, “it is wonderful to see you again! Darcy told me the good news, and I invited myself along to give you my most sincere congratulations.”

“Thank you, Colonel, but I must correct you. The title of Miss Bennet belongs to my elder sister, Jane.” She gestured to her sister, who was standing close at hand, and made the introductions.

The Colonel bowed deeply. “I am most pleased to meet you, Miss Bennet. Please accept my abject apologies, and allow me to offer you my congratulations on your own recent engagement.” Jane was pleased at his gentle manners and nodded her head in acceptance.