Page 27 of Till Death Us Do Part
“How so?” Bingley asked, at the same time Anne said, “How did shegoadyou, Fitzwilliam?”
Darcy sat back in his chair to think about the question. He waved to a brandy decanter, so Bingley poured brandy for the two of them, and a glass of sherry for his wife.
At length, Darcy asked, “Bingley, in the scant attention you were paying Miss Elizabeth,how would you describe her interactions with me?”
Bingley took his turn thinking deeply about the response. “She is an unconventional woman, much smarter than most, so not so easy to read, but all in all I would say… well… actually, I suspect she wasflirtingwith you. If she hated you, she would have avoided you. Any sensible person would. In fact, I would if I could get away with it. If she liked you, she would have been nicer. She was always teasing and challenging you, which makes me think—”
He paused, and Darcy just waited for him to continue.
“Let us make two hypotheses and give it the old Platonic Debate treatment. Let us suppose she heard that first slight and disliked you. What would she do?”
“Avoid me. She is very social, always in demand. She could have ignored me altogether with nary a thought for months or years at a time. Her sisters never said two words to me, nor did most of the other ladies.”
“My thinking exactly! Now you will have to admit that she is cleverer than the average huntress, agreed?”
Darcy nodded.
“Now let us suppose that both her and her sister were husband hunting—not that I think there is anything wrong with that, so long as they do not resort to cunning.”
“Their father’s estate is entailed on your new rector—who you need to put on a tight leash, by the way,” Darcy replied pensively. “Mr Bennet wasted most of his income and saved nodowries at all. Think of it! Pemberley’s new mistress brings not a single new connexion, and most of those she does have are in trade. For a dowry, one thousand pounds after her mother’s decease.”
Bingley gasped, happy he had avoided the Bennet trap, more by luck than skill.
“I will keep an eye on him—but the dowry! That makes no sense. Longbourn’s income must be… what… two thousand per annum? How is it possible that nothing has been set aside for their betterment? A few hundred a year in the four percents would have done wonders. Even one hundred would be better than nothing.”
“You tell me!”
Bingley shook his head in dismay. “Back to the point. What did the Bennet sisters know about us that could be readily discerned?”
Darcy thought about it a while. “They could both see your sister applying the usual tonnisharts and allurements without effect. She is about as subtle as a blacksmith.”
“It would be obvious to a keen studier of character, as Miss Elizabeth claims to be. Besides that, simple arithmetic suggests we have been friends for years and Caroline is no closer to being Mrs Darcy than Queen of England. It is no great stretch to conclude that strategy is ineffective. I doubt the eldest Miss Bennet would have worked that out, but Miss Elizabeth certainly could.”
“Agreed. So, if she hated me, she would avoid me. If she liked me, she would be nicer. If she were looking for a husband, she would spend her time sharpening her knives, trying out different tactics to see what works and what does not. She was in a position of extreme weakness, so would have to work out some sort of leverage.”
“Fitzwilliam Darcy!That is the most unforgiving and cynical speech I ever heard; and this from someone raised by Catherine de Bourgh,” Anne said emphatically.
Darcy looked at her, and blandly asked, “Are you disputing my facts or my conclusions?”
Anne thought a moment. “I do not know the ladies in question, so I cannot dispute it. However, I suppose the best expert on the capabilities of a pack of horses and hounds is a fox—at least while he is alive—so I suppose I must defer to your judgement, little though I like it.”
Both gentlemen chuckled and took another sip of brandy.
Anne said, “I cannot say I have spent that much time in society as the two of you, but Ihavebeen around. I cannot say that your description of your intended—”
Anne watched Darcy carefully and saw him grimace, but not with quite the expression she expected. She paused a moment, shook her head in confusion, and decided to circle back later.
“I cannot say sheisas you describe, but I can say shecould be. My new sister-in-law makes a good case in point.”
“I am certain,” Darcy growled.
“Returning to my husband’s question. How did you end up in such a vulnerable place?Think!”
“Why? They won, Anne. I am obliged. The game is over, and I lost.”
Anne frowned slightly. “Fitzwilliam, do you mind if I visit Pemberley. I have not been there for years.”
Darcy blinked at the incongruous question. “You know you are always welcome. You always have been and always will be.Whybring it up now though?”
