Page 9 of The Gossip War
He leaned forward in the chair and looked at me carefully.
“As to the first question, I hope you will forgive me for sounding boastful, but there is an enormous difference between daughters of Longbourn and sisters of Pemberley. Your sisters will marry well, and much sooner than you think possible. I do not know about the younger ones, but your elder sister is likely to marry very well and very soon. I would be surprised if you survived an entire season, Miss Bennet.”
I wanted to be angry about his boastfulness but there was one slight problem: He was right! It was hard to be angry about a man stating a simple fact. It would be as nonsensical as complaining about the tides.
“It is hard to argue that point, Lizzy. It is not your beau’s fault our parents are indolent.”
Lizzy let the beau reference go, and Mr Darcy had enough sense not to add anything and ploughed forward.
“As my wife and sisters, you will all enjoy a season if you want one—or two or three if you so choose. You will all be presented to the queen. It will be no hardship. In fact, my aunt would be thrilled. I admit your younger sisters could use some polish and a few accomplishments, but it is all achievable readily enough with a governess or school at my expense. It is a readily solvable problem.”
I was tired of beating that dead horse. In fact, he could have simplified it to ‘I am a good match for you because I am rich and connected,’ without losing any force, so I simply sighed, “I concede the point, so shall we address the second part.”
He nodded. “Remember, I am only talking practicalities at this moment. As to your point about why I should marry you; I believe your presence would make my life better, and the reasoning is less selfish than it sounds. You are intelligent and well-read, easy to talk to (or argue with). I would not fear a life filled with endless noise about balls, gossip, and on-dits. You are as beautiful as your elder sister, regardless of what your mother thinks. You like the country and enjoy many of the things I do. Only a fool would pass up such a woman!”
He gave me a moment to absorb that (or about a tenth of the time I would need), then continued gently.
“To all that, you add much more! You have no doubt noticed I am not a very social man, to put it lightly. I offended half the people in Meryton without even being aware. I doubt it was the first time.”
Jane smiled sweetly and gave the knife a twist. “Closer to three-quarters.”
Mr Darcy and I just laughed, which I assume was Jane’s goal.
He shrugged to accept the hit without complaint.
“I believe a lively wife would help me get past these difficulties, so long as I prove myself amenable to instruction, or at least example. Imagine that first assembly if I had you by myside as my wife. It would have proceeded very differently, and my reputation in this town would be far better. The same thing will apply in Derbyshire, London, or wherever else we travel.”
He then looked thoughtful. “I also believe your caring nature would help my sister. Perhaps I can enlist both of you. I confess that she needs something I have no idea how to provide, but I believe you do. Even your silly younger sisters might prove useful. My sister lacks both liveliness and courage, and they have a surfeit.”
Jane surprised me by chiming in. “Lizzy, we always assumed Mr Darcy would only care about fortune and connexions, but assumptions are dangerous. In practical terms, this match would be less one-sided than we thought. Why would a gentleman with an overabundance of wealth and connexions need more of what he already has, while disdaining that which he desperately needs?”
I thought about it for quite a long time before acknowledging, “All right, you win that point.”
He nodded but seemed to sense I was not finished, so he waited patiently as I gathered my thoughts. “Our parents are an unequal match, so we have decades of experience in the kind of life such incompatibilities provide. Jane and I have had our fill and more.”
Mr Darcy leaned even farther forward in his chair, looking thoughtful. “Make no mistake. You and your sister are my equals. I believe you have already improved me, though this discussion would be the first evidence you have of such. I never would have admitted that even yesterday, though it seems perfectly obvious now. With my eyes so dramatically opened, I refuse to close them again.”
Now that was an interesting assertion. I had no idea how to answer, but I suspect I blushed a bit (all right, more than a bit).
Feeling overwhelmed, I said, “And to all that, I can add the asset of not the least bit similar to Miss Bingley,” which got the expected chuckles.
“I concede all your arguments. I will fully accept that in practical terms, we are a good match. Perhaps that is enough.”
He was still perched on the edge of his chair. “I am by no means finished.”
I raised my eyebrows a bit in surprise but nodded to continue.
With that, he slid off the chair and onto one knee, then reached over and took my hands.
“All that is important, but it is not the key point. Like both of you, I always hoped and dreamed of a love match. I thought success unlikely, but I hoped all the same. My parents had one, but my exposure to the social circles I inhabited all my life left me sceptical.”
I was shocked, but he continued with little pause.
“I will not insult your intelligence by saying I fell in love with you in the last hour, but I like you a great deal. I have for weeks, though in my arrogance and pride, I never did anything about it, aside from fighting the feeling. I was not yet aware of what was truly important. I am not madly in love with you, but I am remarkably close, and I doubt it would take much to push me over the line. More importantly, once I quit acting like a mutton-headed fool, I hope and believe you will fall in love with me as well.”
At that point, my mouth was hanging open long enough for Jane to warn me about catching flies.
“Love is not just infatuation. I believe it is composed of affection, respect, and faith. I like you a great deal and have for weeks. I respect you even more, especially after the events of this morning, where you thoroughly outfoxed half a dozen people. Ihave faith that you will return my love once I show you my true self, which I have kept carefully hidden.”
