A Most Civil Proposal (24 page)

“When I saw Bingley just now, I remembered a thought I had when I left his house on Sunday,” he said sombrely. “I wondered at that time if I could have made a worse tangle of my affairs if I had actually set out with that as my objective.”

It seemed as if so many things brought up some difficult recollection in this increasingly complex man, and that would require some study on her part, Elizabeth thought, but she had to laugh at this particular memory. “Come, come, Mr. Darcy. This will never do! If you will not accept my philosophy to remember the past only with pleasure, then you will simply have to stop remembering anything, especially if it is going to cause you to assume such disagreeable expressions.”

“I am so pleased to have your assistance in telling him that, Elizabeth,” said Georgiana suddenly, who had joined them in time to hear the last comment. “At times, William can be the most dour individual.”

“I daresay,” said Elizabeth gaily, turning to the younger girl. “It will surely take the two of us together to relieve such solemn spirits!”

Darcy winced as the two dearest persons in his life combined forces against him, but then he could not help but smile as his obvious discomfort made both of them erupt in new laughter.
It could have been so very much worse,
he thought in sudden contentment, as Elizabeth and Georgiana fell easily into cheerful conversation.

Chapter 17

Monday, April 20, 1812

Darcy was thoughtful as he sat with his sister in the parlour the next morning after breakfast, but she was quite cheerful, anticipating the coming visit by her new friends. Prior to their shopping excursion with Mrs. Gardiner, Jane and Elizabeth were to spend the morning with her in order that Elizabeth might see the house while he met with his solicitor. Obviously, any anxieties that Georgiana had previously entertained regarding his choice of wife had been relieved, and he smiled to hear her say how much she had enjoyed the previous evening.

“I believe that you approve of Elizabeth, dearest,” he ventured.

“Oh, yes. She is so very nice.” She coloured slightly. “I shall try to be more talkative this morning, but it is still difficult for me.”

Darcy chuckled. “It is not so very much easier for me. Perhaps Elizabeth will help me as much as she helps you. We are both fortunate that I will not have to guide your entry into society without her aid.”

Georgiana’s good humour dimmed somewhat at the thought of her imminent coming out. “I am not looking toward that with any enthusiasm. I am not sure that I will be ready even a year from now.”

He cocked an eyebrow at her. “I thought that, since you do not have to fear being guided by Miss Bingley, you would be filled with anticipation for that happy event,” he teased.

“William, that is not funny,” Georgiana said in exasperation. “The thought of being presented at court and then having to attend all the balls and parties is rather frightening — especially the dancing.”

“Your dancing master says that you do quite excellently. He, at least, has no fear, and I have seen you myself.”

She looked at him anxiously. “That was different. Those were at small parties of families and friends, and you and Richard are the only partners I have had. But what . . . what if no one else wants to dance with me?”

Darcy chuckled. “Georgie, the problem is not going to be dealing with an empty dance card but rather how to fit all the requests into a fixed number of spaces.” He sighed in relief. “At least I will not have to try to weed out the fortune hunters all by myself. I daresay that Elizabeth could spot one as he entered the room every bit as fast as I could. Yes, I am indeed fortunate.”

“That is another thing that distresses me. How can I tell? I know I am not beautiful like Elizabeth or Miss Bennet. If someone pays attention to me, how will I ever know whether he is after me or my fortune?”

Darcy patted her hand. “Do not talk like that, dearest, you are a lovely young woman already and will grow even more so. As for knowing a young man’s intentions, I cannot say it will be easy. Just remember to take your time, listen to your own heart, and listen to Elizabeth and me — especially Elizabeth.”

The sound of the knocker at the front door alerted him. “And now, I believe, your visitors have arrived.”

As they waited for Elizabeth and Jane to be shown to the parlour, Darcy laid his hand on Georgiana’s. “Georgiana,” he said earnestly, “we have not spoken of this before, but do not feel that you are being forced into coming out next year. If you would prefer to wait, speak to me. I will not force you if you have reservations.”

Her spirits much relieved, Georgiana quickly leaned forward to kiss his cheek. “Thank you.”

* * * * *

Elizabeth was conscious of a rising sense of excitement mixed with anxiety as the carriage rumbled through the streets on the way to Darcy’s home. This would be her first glimpse of the house where she and William would live after they were married, and she was intensely curious.

William.
She tasted that word in her mind, wondering at the newness of it and yet also wondering at how it seemed to suit him so very well. She had thought of him as ‘Mr. Darcy’ for so long that it seemed as if it ought to feel strange to call him anything else. Yet he already seemed so very much a ‘William.’ It was all very strange how so many things that would have seemed unthinkable just weeks ago were now becoming accepted and even expected in her own mind — such as living in the house she would be visiting today, of being mistress of Mr. Darcy’s even larger estate in Derbyshire, of making her new home in those places and not returning to Longbourn except at some undefined time in the future when she would then be a visitor. Yet she was beginning to accept it, to expect it, and even to anticipate it. She felt a chill run down her spine at the intriguing thought of retiring each night to her own bedchamber where her husband might join her to claim his marital rights. She knew and accepted that such was only right and proper, but the thought of sharing her bed with another person, a man, and the mysterious things that they would do there was quite disconcerting.

And also quite exciting! She could not deny it despite her ignorance, and she felt yet another tingle run up and down her spine.

It was only a few minutes before their journey came to an end, and Elizabeth examined the exterior of the Darcys’ house closely as she and Jane stepped down from the carriage. She had half feared that she would be living in a smaller version of Rosings, but that was not the case at all. Darcy House was one of several townhouses on the square, all appearing to have been built at the same time and of the same general fashion. It was larger than her uncle’s house on Gracechurch Street, four stories in all, but not of especially elegant or ornate design. The outside was of fitted stone blocks, the windows were many and well sized. The door was made of heavy wood, carved but not elaborately so. It was impressive but not as impressive as she might have imagined.

The large metal knocker made a deep, reverberating sound and an older man in old-fashioned, formal dress opened the door and bowed to them as they entered.

“Good morning, ladies,” he greeted them. “You are the Miss Bennets, I presume? Miss Georgiana is awaiting you in the parlour.”

As he led them down the hall, Elizabeth took the opportunity to glance inside several rooms. One, obviously the library, had floor to ceiling shelves heavily laden with books, while another, dominated by a massive pianoforte, appeared to be dedicated to music. From what she was able to observe in passing, she could see that they were furnished with well-made and well-finished fixtures, and oriented more towards functionality and comfort than showy decoration.

Darcy was sitting with his sister when she and Jane were shown into the room, and both of them rose immediately. Georgiana preceded her brother, crossing to each girl to share a quick embrace and a kiss on the cheek, surprising Elizabeth with the warmth and familiarity of the greeting. Darcy waited for his sister to finish welcoming the guests, and when Elizabeth turned to him, she recognized the warmth and approval showing on his face. She could not tell, however, whether this was due to her own increased sensitivity and familiarity with him or whether he was simply expressing himself more openly in the familiar environs of his own home and family. Nonetheless, he welcomed her with a warm smile, bowing and raising her fingers to bestow the lightest of kisses on them. She smiled in return, cheered by his usual warmth and gallantry, and she could not help but wonder if this would be his normal reaction to her.

Surely, he will become more informal as we grow more accustomed to each other,
she thought,
but in the meantime it is really quite nice to be treated in such a gallant manner.

Life with this most complex and perplexing man promised many rewards as well as many challenges, and Elizabeth was certain that the coming months and years would be far from dull.

Darcy soon excused himself to keep his appointment with his solicitor, and the three ladies were left to themselves. After their conversation about music the previous night, Elizabeth was very interested in hearing Georgiana play and sing, but the younger girl suggested a tour of the house first and music later. Accordingly, the housekeeper, Mrs. Taylor, was summoned since Georgiana explained that her brother wanted Elizabeth to confer with her on any changes she might desire to make.

“I am very pleased to meet you both,” the older woman responded with a curtsey before she turned to Elizabeth. “Miss Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy gave me explicit instructions to take the best care of you. He asked me to take special notice of any changes you might like to make in your own chambers.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Taylor,” Elizabeth responded with a smile, “I shall keep that in mind.” But the taste and elegance of the few rooms she had seen was very much to her liking, and she expected the same from the rest, so she added, “I am not disposed to change for the sake of change, and since everything I have seen of the house thus far has been quite impressive, I believe that I shall take some time before I start recommending alterations.”

Mrs. Taylor smiled back at the friendly young woman. She had worked for the Darcy family since she was a young girl, coming to the house after she married her Henry, then a very junior groom at Pemberley. She had been recognized over the years for her talents and sense, and after her husband’s passing, she had become the housekeeper of Darcy’s London house, a position of considerable prestige and trust. Confident of her position in the household, she nonetheless appreciated being treated with the dignity due that position. She also appreciated that Miss Elizabeth did not appear to be one of those elegant and fashionable ladies of society who treated the staff like serfs. Many of
those
ladies would have jumped at the opportunity to completely redecorate the house in order to put her own stamp on it.

Elizabeth was greatly interested as Georgiana showed them through the various public rooms of the house and then took them upstairs to show the private areas. Her first stop was the room intended to be Elizabeth’s new sleeping chamber, and, as she had expected, it was very much to her liking.

“I understand that it has been little changed since my mother’s death,” Georgiana told them, “though I really cannot remember. I was only five when she died.”

“It is perfectly delightful,” said Elizabeth, and Jane echoed her sentiments. The walls were a light green, trimmed with wood and wallpaper that, when Elizabeth looked closer, appeared to be in much better condition than was likely for a room that had not been used in more than ten years. Mrs. Taylor smiled as she observed Elizabeth’s close inspection, and she offered, “The rooms were cleaned up and readied for use earlier this year at the master’s direction.” She smiled at the other’s quizzical expression. “When we received that unusual request, I suppose we should have realized that the master’s attention had been captured by some young lady, but none of us at the time suspected anything.”

Georgiana and Jane both smiled at Elizabeth’s sudden blush, but she said nothing as she entered the dressing area. “It is not only more elegant, but also much larger than I had expected,” she said to her sister. She pointed at the extensive closet, which was easily large enough to hold scores of dresses. “I cannot imagine ever needing so much room.”

“I suspect that you will need to purchase a good many more dresses than you know, Elizabeth,” Georgiana said slyly from behind her. “And I volunteer to be your guide to make sure you know all the best shops!” The three ladies laughed gaily and continued their tour in good humour.

Mrs. Taylor was pleased by the ease and liveliness of the young Miss Elizabeth as she accompanied the ladies on their tour. She had obviously formed a bond of friendship with Miss Georgiana, and her sister was equally polite and pleasant. Her opinion of the future Mrs. Darcy, at least on first meeting, was favourable. The lady seemed to possess both sense and manners, though it would take more experience to make a full judgment. After receiving her instructions from Mr. Darcy that morning, she had been consumed with curiosity to meet the young lady who had attracted the master’s interest and who would be the mistress of his household. Her character was also a matter of great interest among the staff though Mrs. Taylor was determined to ensure that interest never degraded into speculation and gossip. This was, after all, the
Darcy
household, and such unseemly behaviour was not countenanced.