Page 52 of Mr. Darcy and the Mysterious "Miss B"
“I assure you, sir, my intentions towards your family are entirely honourable, despite the irregular nature of our arrangement.”
“Oh, I do not doubt it. Elizabeth explained the particulars yesterday, and I must say, the scheme shows considerable intelligence on both sides.” Morton leaned back in his chair. “You need escape from an unwanted match, and she needs funds to preserve her family’s security. It is, in its way, quite practical.”
The matter-of-fact tone should have been reassuring, yet Darcy struggled with the strangeness of discussing his personal affairs—even fabricated ones—with a man he had never met before.
“The financial arrangements are straightforward enough,” Darcy said, grateful to focus on concrete details. “Longbourn’s debts, as you outlined them, are well within my means to settle. The legal documentation can be prepared within the week.”
“Most generous. Most generous indeed.” Morton paused, studying Darcy’s face with uncomfortable intensity. “Though I confess myself curious about one aspect of this business.”
“Yes?”
“Elizabeth mentioned that your friend Mr Bingley figured prominently in the original difficulty with Jane. That it is he whom my niece Jane truly admires.”
Darcy shifted in his seat, his hands curling up. “I fear I bear responsibility for that situation, sir. My interference was misguided.”
“And yet Elizabeth seems to believe you can rectify the matter?”
“I intend to try. Charles—Mr Bingley—was genuinely attached to Miss Bennet. I convinced him otherwise through my own prejudice and poor judgement.”
Morton nodded. “Jane spoke of Mr Bingley yesterday, you. When she described her feelings about the proposed marriage to James.”
“Did she?” Darcy’s attention sharpened.
“Oh yes. She glowed when she mentioned his name. Quite the most animated I have seen her since her father’s death.” Morton smiled. “It was clear to anyone with eyes that her heart belongs entirely to your friend.”
The observation should have been reassuring, yet Darcy could not help but wonder whether such displays of feeling could be trusted.
“My friend is equally attached to her, though he has been led to doubt her regard.”
“Has he indeed?” Morton’s face brightened. “I do hope such doubts will be cast away now. Jane deserves the very best, you know. She is such a gentle soul, so kind to everyone around her. Even when James was at his most trying, she never spoke harshly of him. said she could not feel for him as a wife should. Of course, there were other charges laid against my nephew but those came more from Miss Elizabeth.”
Morton’s voice softened when speaking of Jane. Whatever manipulations his nephew might have employed, this man’s affection for the Bennet family appeared genuine.
“Charles is a good man,” Darcy said with conviction. “If Jane will have him, I believe they would be very happy together.”
“Excellent! Then perhaps some good will come of this tangle after all.” Morton leaned forward eagerly. “Two happy couples instead of two unwilling matches. It has a certain poetic justice, does it not?”
Two happy couples. The phrase hung in the air between them, and Darcy felt something twist uncomfortably in his chest. Morton seemed to be assuming that his engagement to Elizabeth might become more than mere pretence.
“Mr Morton,” Darcy said, “I hope you understand that Miss Elizabeth and I have entered into this arrangement purely for practical reasons. There is no expectation of lasting attachment.”
“Of course not,” Morton replied, but his eyes held a knowing glint that reminded Darcy rather forcibly of Mrs Bennet. “Though I have found, in my experience, that proximity and shared purpose have a way of fostering unexpected developments.”
“I assure you, sir, our understanding is quite clear on the temporary nature of the arrangement.”
“I am certain it is. Elizabeth is nothing if not forthright about her intentions.” Morton’s smile was positively benevolent. “Tell me, Mr Darcy, what are your impressions of Elizabeth? As a person, I mean, setting aside the business aspects of your arrangement.”
The question caught Darcy off guard. “Miss Elizabeth is… remarkable. Intelligent, spirited, fiercely loyal to her family.”
“Indeed, she is. Quite the most independent-minded young lady I have ever encountered. Thomas—her father—always said she had twice the sense of most men and three times the courage.”
“He was not wrong,” Darcy said, then caught himself. “That is, from what I have observed, she possesses strength of character.”
Morton chuckled. “Careful, Mr Darcy. You sound almost admiring. One might think your feelings towards my niece were rather warmer than mere business partnership would suggest.”
Darcy’s face burned. “I hold Miss Elizabeth in high regard, naturally. She is helping me escape a most unwelcome situation.”
“Naturally.” Morton’s tone suggested he found nothing natural about it at all. “Well, then. Shall we discuss the practical arrangements? I assume you will wish to meet with my solicitor to ensure everything is properly documented.”
