Page 36 of Till Death Us Do Part
Elizabeth stared in horror. She might be able to handle Mr Collins and make a marginally adequate husband of him. Charlotte Lucas certainly could. She could not think of anyoneelse, and Jane was singularly unable. She simply did not have the strength of character.
No matter how much Elizabeth might despise her sister right at that moment, she was not quite willing to consign Jane to an even worse fate than the one she was trying to escape. Mary was no better, as she was actively frightened of the man. Kitty and Lydia were far too young and silly to have their lives ruined.
“And if I wed Mr Darcy?”
“As Mrs Darcy, you would have some ability to help your sisters. Your marriage contract, as stingy as it is, does have provision for your mother and sisters. They would not livewellafter my demise, but they need not scrape by on your mother’s portion. If nothing else, Mr Darcy’s pride and sense of familial obligation demand they be reasonably settled. Also, being the sisters of Mrs Darcy will give your sisters some boosted social status, which might help them find husbands. Do not worry, I will not ask you to actively help, nor will I let your mother browbeat you. The name will suffice.”
Elizabeth stared at him. “So, you want my word that I will marry Mr Darcy.”
“Not just that. I would also have your word that you willtryto make a good marriage. I can assure you from experience that an unhappy marriage is not something to aspire to. You and Darcy are more alike than you think. For certain, he is a prideful, arrogant, pig-headed man who thinks much too highly of himself and looks down on everyone not of his circle—but I have seen worse men tamed by the right wife, and you have your own stubborn streak. You can do it if you put in some effort.”
“And why, exactly, would I put in the effort. Why not have a marriage of convenience and mutual antagonism like yours, where he goes his way and I go mine except for the occasional meeting necessary to birth an heir.”
Bennet stared at the floor.
“For your own benefit, Elizabeth. I realise we are not at all close now, and likely never will be again. I realise I may not have been a particularly good father, but I would prefer to see my mistakes end with this generation. You can do better, but only if you let go of your own pride and moderate your stubborn streak. I honestly think if you scratch the surface of your Mr Darcy, you will find oak.”
Elizabeth thought about it for several minutes. “I think I truly hate you, Father.”
He nodded philosophically. “If that is the price of protecting my family, I will bear it. I still hold out hope that if you willjust relent a little bit, you could have a good marriage—perhaps even a great one. I am afraid though, that the task will be up to you, and you alone—at least in the beginning. Mr Darcy is unlikely to be the first to bend.”
“So, you expect me to not only marry him, but then swallow my pride and—”
“Yes, swallow your pride and do what it takes to make yourself happy. Darkest before the dawn, and that sort of thing.”
Elizabeth thought for several more minutes. “I suppose you win! As you predicted, I will not send my sisters to suffer in my place. I will offer one bargain that is non-negotiable. I will stand up with the man, and I will say the vows. Before that, if you want to give me a trousseau, you are to let Aunt Gardiner buy it with no interference from my mother, not even an opinion nor even her presence. I will make my wedding dress myself from my ballgown. I have my own ideas about my appearance in this debacle. And then, after—”
Bennet looked at her carefully, and asked pensively, “After?”
Elizabeth blew out a big breath. “After that, I will be a dutiful, polite, and obedient wife, bending on every issue and following every directive to the letter.However,I will give himsix months. If during that time he says or does somethinggenuinely kind,justonething, verbally or in writing, then I will do my best to get over my prejudice and make a contented life, or at least not miserable. If, after six months, I have not heard a single kind word, I will do whatever I must to make my life bearable.”
“That does not sound like much of a challenge. I accept your bargain.”
With that, Elizabeth left the room without another word, took the sewing basket, and went to her own room, to begin the improvements for her ball gown, soon to be wedding dress.
15.Jitters
“Bingley, are you certain you want to participate in this debacle?”
The two gentlemen were sitting at an early breakfast with Anne on Darcy’s wedding day. The question had been asked and answered several times, but Darcy wanted to offer his friend one last chance to avoid it. He could always find another witness.
“Yes, my friend, I am certain. The Bennets may or may not have read about my wedding announcement, and they most likely think I was just toying with Miss Bennet’s affections, but we cannot be certain. This is the easiest way to show the lay of the land. I am also responsible for Netherfield for the duration of the lease, so it will not be my last trip to Hertfordshire. There is good sport, and I still need to see to the tenants and so forth.”
“I am happy to see you taking the responsibility seriously. I put out the word with my uncle’s associates and friends about Netherfield. It is conveniently close to town for any gentleman who does not also own one in Kent, so I will not be surprised if another lessor comes along. It was empty for a couple of years, but I suspect that is just because the owner has poor connexions.”
“If someone shows up who is suitable, that would be best. Until then, I am not going to hide from the neighbourhood, nor be ashamed of what happened. I am not the one who acted improperly, nor had I made anything even vaguely like a promise to Miss Bennet. Anne and I will stay a week or two after your departure and try to do what we can to restore our local reputations, and that of the Bennets, though I suspect both are lost causes.”
Darcy chuckled grimly. “As the unofficial King of Lost Causes, I can appreciate the effort.”
“You really think this marriage a lost cause?”
“I do not know. I imagine time will tell, but the signs are not auspicious. I did nothing wrong, so it will be up to Miss Elizabeth to earn my approbation, not the other way around.”
“Do not be too pessimistic, my friend. There may be more to her than you give her credit for. In fact, three weeks ago, I would have given good odds that you and Miss Elizabeth would get along well if you ever unbent just a little. I could never quite work out her interactions with you. I know you eventually came to believe she was flirting, but I never got that impression. Of course, I am not the most astute observer in the world, so you should not read too much into my musings.”
“To be honest, I think Miss Elizabeth could have lit your sister’s dress afire, and you would hardly have noticed.”
“There is that, and you must admit that, should that event come to pass, Caroline would well deserve it.”
