Page 24 of Eavesdroppers Never Hear
“Did I say something wrong or is something else bothering you. I cannot claim to be able to read you well, but you look like I could light a fire on your forehead.”
He started to speak several times but could not quite get going.
“Come, come, sir. You clearly have something to add.”
He finally cleared the logjam in his throat. “What I wish to say will seem ill-advised, or precipitous at the very least.”
Intrigued but aware the gentleman was far more nervous than the topic seemed to warrant, she decided a tease was the proper response.
“By all means, hold your tongue. I can see why you would choose delay—since timidity and silence worked so well for you this morning.”
He stared, while she wondered if she had taken it too far. Actually, sheknewshe had taken it too far but was uncertain how much.
He finally said, “I am thrilled to be your friend. It is quite something, considering you probably would have happily poked my eye out with a spoon this morning,” finishing with a grin, though it did not catch fire as he might have hoped.
“That is all forgiven and forgotten. Now, put on your brave face! Out with it!”
“I would like permission to call on you.”
Elizabeth stared. “I am perplexed. I should think it obvious you are welcome at Longbourn anytime.”
He looked frustrated. “I do not want to call on Longbourn. I want to call onyou!” he said definitively.
Elizabeth startled, unable to wrap her mind around the statement despite it being perfectly clear English.
“For what purpose?” she finally said to gain time.
“The only purpose a single man calls on a single woman: courtship. More specifically, I would like to court you with the goal of marriage.”
Elizabeth stared in confused wonder.
“Now you see why I worried about being presumptuous or precipitous,” he whispered.
Elizabeth started to speak a few times but could not get the words out.
Mary finally innocently broke the tableau. “Lizzy, it is growing cold.”
13.Discussion
“I am afraid I interrupt,” Mary asked, looking wide-eyed between Elizabeth and Darcy.
“You certainly do,” Elizabeth replied with a smile; “but it does not follow that the interruption must be unwelcome.”
“In fact, it is timely,” Darcy said softly. “I believe I have stunned Miss Elizabeth into silence.”
“And you know what an unnatural state that is,” Elizabeth said with a nervous chuckle.
Mary looked back and forth between the couple, while they looked at her, at the ground, at the tree, at the house, (at anything, really) except each other.
“Is this shocking discourse something I should hear, or shall I leave you to it?” Mary asked quietly.
The sun had quietly gone down during their ramble, and twilight was leaving them a half-hour at best before full dark.
“Pray remain,” Elizabeth said bluntly, then took a deep breath. “Mr Darcy has asked to court me.”
Mary froze for quite some time, the cold entirely forgotten, her face scrunched in deep thought. She finally whispered, “That explains a great deal.”
Elizabeth seemed surprised Mary did not ask how she answered, while Darcy seemed happy to have a distraction to allow Elizabeth to get over the entirely reasonable upheaval of his request.
