Page 58 of May I Have the Pleasure
“Exactly!” he said, happy that he did not need to explain that particular gem.
“Aside from that, their behaviour would embarrass the Darcy name, which would hurt us and our children.”
He nodded, not feeling the need to beat the subject to death.
“I suppose that would go in the articles as well?”
“Naturally!” he said, as if sending sisters-in-law to school or a governess was ordinary business in a marriage settlement. Of course, for all Elizabeth knew, at his level of society it was.
Darcy said, “That aside, let us get down to my suggestion.”
“Proceed at your leisure.”
“The problem is that I am asking more of you than you are asking of me. That imbalance makes your decision harder, so I propose we redress it.”
Elizabeth scrunched her face in confusion. “I do not understand. I offer nothing but my charms, such as they are, while you offer me everything. How is it that you ask more of me than I ask of you. It makes no sense.”
“Because you are thinking only in material terms, not in terms of what is really important. In those terms, I am asking more of you.”
“Explain!”
He stopped their walk so she could face him and they could look into each other’s eyes.
“In effect, I am asking you todiscard your securityfor the nebulous promise that we can make a love match of it. Mr Collins had weeks to think about a match with you. I have been thinking about making you my bride for months. For you to even entertain my proposal, you must either decide very quickly or abandon the security of Mr Collins’s offer and hope for the best. I propose to restore your security, so we are on an even footing with regard to the love match we both truly desire.”
“How?” she asked, more confused than ever.
“Let us do some arithmetic. Your mother has £5,000. In the four-percents that can generate £200 per annum. I have no doubt that your uncle in trade could invest it better and probably get £300 but let us use 200 for the moment. Have you any idea how close to the hedgerows that is?”
“Not really.”
“Not close at all. £200 is enough to have a house in Meryton, all your food and clothing and two or three servants. I believe your Aunt Philips runs her home on less than that. Your mother will be distressed by her loss ofconsequence, butnone of you will actually starve, or even live particularly poorly.”
“That makes sense.”
“Now we come to the crux of the matter. I could enter an agreement with your father that upon his death, Pemberley will contribute £100 per annum to your mother for her lifetime, and another £50 for each unmarried daughter. At that rate, she could even keep a carriage and another servant or two. The family would be of similar consequence as they would be with you as mistress of Longbourn.”
Elizabeth gasped. “Why would you do that?”
“To grant us more equal footing. If we want time to decideyoumust give up your security, whileIam simply moving £5,000 into an account dedicated to sustaining your mother and sisters. I will hardly notice the loss, as the money will generate income as long as your father lives and then return to my coffers within a decade or two—but it does balance our risks a bit. It will stop the bear cold.”
“Is this a wild idea for discussion, or a scheme that you are prepared to implement?”
“I would not have suggested it if I were not serious.”
Elizabeth thought about it for quite some time, neglecting the fact that they had been standing in the path staring at each other like fools for a quarter-hour.
She finally asked. “Why take the chance? It may be little to you, but it is a great deal of money.”
“Because I have been looking for the love of my life for a decade or more, but she does not love me, or even particularly like me. I am trading an insignificant sum for a better than even chance to claim you as my wife. You are giving up some security, but also the certainty of being tied to a fool. I think we are both risking something for the chance at happiness—but you are risking more than me. If we do not marry, I will be no worse off than I am right now, but you will have given up Longbourn.”
“It still seems overly generous on your part. Pray, explain your motivation.”
Darcy looked intently into her eyes. “My thinking on the subject is becoming clearer over time. At first, I thought I would use the security to prove toyouthat I am a better man than I appeared to be in Hertfordshire. A third of the way through, I began to think I wanted to prove the same tomyselfinstead of you. In the end, it was neither of those motives.”
Thoroughly fascinated, Elizabeth stepped closer, so they were only a foot apart, and asked, “In the end?”
“In the end, I want tobea better man than I was in Hertfordshire. I do not want to establish that I was worthy of love at Netherfield but simply misunderstood, because that would not be the truth. I was raised in pride and conceit, and it took today’s conversation to make me understand that I did not behave in a manner worthy of love, or even respect. I do not want toconvinceyou Iwasa better manthen. I want toshowyou Iama better mannow.”
