Page 32 of Wickham Likes 'Em Young
“I am very sorry for that.” Elizabeth blinked back tears, mourning her own loss of the Jane she thought she had always known; she had to admit that she too had had an unrealistic “practically perfect” viewpoint of her sister.
“I cannot tell you what will happen when Bingley and your sister talk today, but I cannot imagine it going the way I thought it would when I first rushed home to deal with the mines.”
“Oh! I completely forgot to ask you how the repairs to the mines are going!”
“No, no, no, Elizabeth. You said that you would answer my question about which question to ask once I told you how Bingley was feeling. You may not push off the question of which question I should ask, yet again, so that you might check on Pemberley’s mines!!”
“I should never do so, sir; I apologise for seeming to. Of course, I do long to find out how your sister fares, how your mines do, and I am positive that other questions will occur to me. But I should never delay answering your question about questions in order to ask my own questions for such important but unrelated topics.”
“Good.”
“But, that said, I do have a related topic that must be discussed before I can answer your question.”
Darcy chuckled and shook his head, confused, bemused, or perhaps only amused. “I am at your service, madam. What is the related topic that stands in the way of me posing my question?”
“I feel certain, from your words, that you do not think ofmeas perfect. Can you explain how that is possible?”
His whole body laughed that time. He even stopped walking in order to fully release that laugh. Elizabeth felt quite pleased to have caused such a laugh.
“I think of you as perfectfor me, Elizabeth. But you must certainly see that many people would judge you ill for yourvexing habit of dodging questions and for your impertinent comments, let alone for your enjoyment of word play and teasing. I assure you that many would disdain your decision to laugh and debate rather than to lie about feigning ennui, or to stand about looking down your nose at everything and everyone.”
“Oh dear, I did not realise my faults were this grievous. How can you put up with any of that?”
She was sorry, at first, to see the good humoured version of Darcy subside to the more serious man, but when he spoke, she caught her breath: “Elizabeth, your personality does not follow fashion, and I love that about you more than almost anything else. You smile and laugh when you are happy, which is most of the time, and you show people when you are angry. You engage in impertinence, and you allow your intelligence and knowledge free rein in your conversation rather than pretend ignorance in order to make men feel better about themselves. The very things that might garner you criticism from some earns my undying esteem.”
“Oh! Well, then, I suppose I should be especially impertinent and ask you for your hand in marriage. Fitzwilliam Darcy, I have always seen the good in you, the honourable and courageous and responsible man you are. I have also long regarded you as the handsomest man I have ever seen, and I have fallen in love with you. Would you make me the happiest woman in all of England and marry me?”
“I will. And now that you have forestalled my proposal very…cunningly…may I ask you, would you make me the happiest man in the world, and even in the known cosmos, and marry me?”
“I will. And do not think that I did not notice that you managed to outdo me in the happiest categories. I shall only be the happiest in England, and you of the entirety of the known cosmos? I call foul, sir.”
“It is only right that it should be so. I have many more flaws than you, but you have seen that I am a hard worker and a conscientious person; I shall work tirelessly to make you the happiest woman in all of the known cosmos. I too should love equality in our felicity!”
“Now that that is settled, should we check in with my father, and with Jane and Mr Bingley?”
Darcy agreed, and ushered Elizabeth into the house. They chuckled when they felt their pink cheeks sting as they warmed up, and Darcy seemed to take great pleasure out of unwinding Elizabeth from her shawl and two scarves. When they peeped into the parlour, they saw four Bennet sisters with Mrs Bennet…but no Mr Bingley in sight.
Darcy whispered his intention to go straight in to Mr Bennet, and Elizabeth hurried over to her sister, asking, “Has Mr Bingley left already?”
Jane looked as calm as ever as she said, “Yes, Lizzy.”
“And are things…well…between you?”
“We are not, perhaps, as close as some may have thought, but certainly we parted as cordial acquaintances.”
“Cordial acquaintances” sounded very cold to Elizabeth’s ears, and she could not help shuddering a bit. Jane did not ask where Darcy had gone, and Elizabeth felt a pang that she had no desire to tell her sister about their two proposals and two acceptances. But she felt Mary’s eyes on her, and she nodded a little at Mary’s raised eyebrows.
Mary gave a soft squeal, and she asked, “Lizzy, do you have time to check a musical piece I received from Uncle Gardiner?”
“Certainly I do,” Elizabeth said. The two girls went into the room with the pianoforte, and Mary asked enough questions that Elizabeth ended up sharing the “question about questions” jest and the result that she was able to propose first.
Mary gave her a hug. “I know you will do well together,” she said.
“I do, too,” Elizabeth said. And she realised with surprise that she did feel exactly that: calm acceptance that she and Darcy were very well matched. “Even our arguments will be fun,” she said to Mary, not without some wonder.
“Lizzy! Papa has asked for you and Mary to come back,” Kitty said from the doorway. “He is even asking for Jones to come to the landing with Lydia!”
“That was quick,” Elizabeth whispered to Mary as they re-entered the parlour.
