An unlikely conversation.
This story begins in chapter 46 of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice:
"Oh! where, where is my uncle?" cried Elizabeth, darting from her seat as she finished the letter, in eagerness to follow him, without losing a moment of the time so precious; but as she reached the door it was opened by a servant, and Mr. Darcy appeared. Her pale face and impetuous manner made him start, and before he could recover himself to speak, she, in whose mind every idea was superseded by Lydia's situation, hastily exclaimed, "I beg your pardon, but I must leave you. I must find Mr. Gardiner this moment, on business that cannot be delayed; I have not an instant to lose."
"Good God! what is the matter?" cried he, with more feeling than politeness; then recollecting himself, "I will not detain you a minute; but let me, or let the servant go after Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner. You are not well enough; you cannot go yourself."
Elizabeth hesitated, but her knees trembled under her and she felt how little would be gained by her attempting to pursue them. Calling back the servant, therefore, she commissioned him, though in so breathless an accent as made her almost unintelligible, to fetch his master and mistress home instantly.
On his quitting the room she sat down, unable to support herself, and looking so miserably ill, that it was impossible for Darcy to leave her, or to refrain from saying, in a tone of gentleness and commiseration, "Let me call your maid. Is there nothing you could take to give you present relief? A glass of wine; shall I get you one? You are very ill."
"No, I thank you," she replied, endeavoring to recover herself. "There is nothing the matter with me. I am quite well; I am only distressed by some dreadful news which I have just received from Longbourn."
She burst into tears as she alluded to it, and for a few minutes could not speak another word. Darcy, in wretched suspense, could only say something indistinctly of his concern, and observe her in compassionate silence. At length she spoke again.
Austen, Jane (2012-05-16). Pride and Prejudice (pp. 204-205). Kindle Edition.
She looked at him earnestly as her tears subsided. It was in this moment that she realized how ardently she loved him. Now when it was all for naught. He would need to spurn her for the sake of his reputation. Only that morning, she had begun to think him still in love with her. She fancied that he might renew his addresses, but it could not be. He could not marry into her ruined family. This might be the last time she ever saw him. She took a deep breath and began, "Why have you come?"
He stared at her for a few moments before he came to sit beside her. He wanted her to confide in him, but as they were not at an understanding, she could not. Many scenarios would cause her to be upset by a letter. Something had happened to one of her family. Perhaps an accident had befallen someone. Her mother? Her father? Jane? He desperately wanted to know, but she would not tell him. Knowing her distress, he desperately wanted to hold her close and comfort her. He could not. Could he even say why he had come? He had spoken with his sister, and she had insisted that Elizabeth held affectionate for him. It gave him hope, and he was determined to find out the truth of it. But was now the time? What if her father had died and she felt there was no other alternative than to marry him now. He desperately wanted her love. Her hand did not matter if he could not have her love with it. But perhaps that would be enough to begin a romance. He needed to know her feelings and being honest might be the best way to move forward. "I came because you bewitch me. I have not slept well since the night you rejected me. I have tried to show you these two days how I have changed."
Elizabeth nodded that she had seen his altered demeanor. She had hoped it was for her, and now he confirmed it.
"My wishes have not changed. Last night, my sister gave me hope. Tell me at once if she had been incorrect."
Elizabeth burst into tears as she shook her head. Miss Darcy had not been incorrect, but she needed to tell him it could not be. She did not know if she were strong enough.
He took her response as acceptance and shifted forward to kneel in front of her. He took her hand and kissed it. "Please, dearest Elizabeth, end my suffering. Please agree to become my wife so that I may comfort you through whatever is troubling you."
"Would that I could. I must tell you, sir, so that you may act accordingly. I cannot," the words died on her throat. She took a deep breath and finished her sentence with, "agree to be your wife. The most dreadful thing has happened. I am ruined with my family. It cannot be kept secret. I cannot accept your hand and bring your family into our ruination." She paused as another wave of tears swept through her. He did not release her hand, although his heart was breaking with her refusal. He longed to know what had happened, but he knew not how to ask for information. Many situations swirled through his mind, each as unlikely as the last.
Finally, she gathered courage to relate the information in the letters. She explained how Lydia had run away under the pretense of marrying Mr. Wickham. They were now hiding in London, probably unmarried. "I doubt it can be concealed. My father has gone to London to look for them, but how can they be found?"
For a few moments his anger over took him, but he shook it off as he noticed her earnestly gazing at him. She expected him to leave her at this declaration. He claimed her hand once again and squeezed it to reassure her. "He will be found, and they will marry. I will see to it myself. Will you then allow me to court you?"
Elizabeth smiled in spite of the turmoil flowing inside her. "How can you risk damage to your sister's reputation?"
He smiled at the idea that her concern was more for his sister than for herself. "If they are wed quickly, there will not be time for the rumors to spread. There will be talk, but you are not part of London society. No one will care. If we enjoy a long courtship, no one will be able to connect the two events. Your neighborhood thinks well enough of you and your elder sister that Lydia's elopement will not cause permanent damage. Will you agree to a courtship?"
Elizabeth nodded, unable to speak from all of her emotions welling inside her.
"You have made me very happy." He released her hand and cupped her cheeks. He wanted to kiss her, but the sound of footsteps rising up the stairs gave him pause.
Her aunt and uncle were returning with haste. Releasing her, he stood and moved to the window before the Gardiners rushed into the room. They were scared something had happened to their niece such was the discomposure of the servant who had searched for them. Finding her well, though shaken, put them at ease enough to look around the room and notice Mr. Darcy. Mr. Gardiner straightened his jacket before walking to the man.
"Good morning, Mr. Darcy. I must apologize for being so forward, but may I ask why you are here."
Mr. Darcy bowed politely. "I am here to be of service to your family. Miss Bennet has received news from her family." He looked to her, silently asking if he should tell them. She nodded, not feeling up to speaking. He slowly related the information from the letter. When finished, he added, "I have known Wickham all my life. I will be able to aid your search. I know his previous habits and a few acquaintances that can be paid to give his whereabouts. "
Mr. Gardiner sighed. "We cannot afford much, but we will give what we can."
Mr. Darcy wanted to say that would not be necessary, but he could see Elizabeth staring at him. He did not want her to feel obligated to him. She had only agreed to his courtship after he had promised to help find Lydia. "Very well. I will see to my guests and travel to London tomorrow morning. I suppose you will stop at Longbourn before moving on to London."
"Yes, I suppose. I had not really thought about it. Lizzy and Maggie can soothe the other Bennet women while I can help you and Mr. Bennet search for Lydia."
"I am certain my horse will travel faster than your carriage." He reached into his pocket for a card. "Here is my London address. Contact me when you arrive. My cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, will help me search. There is a history between him and Wickham that has not been resolved. He will be discreet. We should take care that no others learn of Miss Lydia's misfortunes. There are many things that need to be done, and I am certain you have desired my absence. I will make false excuses to my sister and the Bingleys for your departure. After Wickham and Miss Lydia marry, Bingley and I will return to Netherfield and pay our respects to your family."
Hope built in Elizabeth's chest. She smiled back at him and forced herself to speak. "Thank you."
His smile faltered as he walked over to her. "You need not thank me. If I had related some of my past while I had been in Hertfordshire, your neighborhood would not have trusted him, and this would have never been possible. My pride allowed this to happen. It is my duty to see it through." He bowed before her formally. "Until we meet again, Miss Bennet." He wanted to kiss her hand but felt uncomfortable in her uncle's presence. Instead, he left.
Mrs. Gardiner had been standing beside her niece quietly while she digested this information. "Lizzy, why was Mr. Darcy here now?"
Elizabeth took a deep breath. "He asked me to marry him."
Mrs. Gardiner sighed in relief, but quickly pushed her thoughts aside. "Was this before or after he learned of Lydia's elopement?"
"Before, which is why I could not accept him." Elizabeth stood calmly while tears flowed down her cheeks.
"He seems to have taken it well. Do you love him?"
Elizabeth nodded. "I could not accept his hand and ruin his name along with us. He asked for a courtship after learning of Lydia's foolishness. He said a long engagement would allow time to pass for people to forget about Lydia. He also said those in London were unlikely to learn of Hertfordshire gossip. An effect of it being a small market town with few links to London high society. I accepted his offer of courtship."
Mr. Gardiner stepped up to his niece. "He is correct. I congratulate you, Lizzy, on making a fine match, even if it is only a courtship. He has proven to be a worthy candidate. I doubt we could find you a better man."
Elizabeth sniffled as a new wave of tears threatened to consume her. "He is the best of men. I do not deserve him." She thought back to the terrible words she had spoken in Kent.
Mrs. Gardiner scoffed. "Such words will get us nowhere. Lizzy, help me write letters to my friends. We must leave immediately, or Mr. Darcy will be correct. His horse will quickly outstrip us."
The other two agreed, and the rest of the following hour was spent settling accounts and writing notes with false excuses. At last, they were in the carriage traveling south to Hertfordshire. In the long road, while the Gardiners were not inquisitive, they learned more of Mr. Darcy's history with Mr. Wickham. She did not go into very much detail about how she learned everything, and they simply assumed the lovers had spoken during a private conversation. Elizabeth allowed this false assumption, for it was better than having to explain why she had refused the offer of marriage she had received in Kent. While she was not normally guarded with her history, this felt like one story she could not tell anyone but Jane.
When her aunt and uncle left her alone at the inn to sleep, Elizabeth reflected at her good luck that Mr. Darcy had chosen to declare himself that morning. If he had been an hour later, they might have missed him.
His confidence bolstered Elizabeth's courage, and when they arrived at Longbourn, they were able to soothe both Jane and Mrs. Bennet that Lydia would be found married, although they did not mention Mr. Darcy's involvement. Mr. Gardiner left the next morning for London. He arrived in time to acquaint Mr. Bennet with his news before calling on Mr. Darcy.
AN: I have decided to continue this, or maybe it is better to say the person in my head decided I should continue this. I can't get the thought bubbles out of my head until I write them down. Enjoy!