"Son, we need to talk." He wants to roll his eyes because whenever his father starts a conversation like that something unpleasant is bound to follow.

"Your mother has invited Lady Elizabeth and her brother."

"Why?"

"Apparently Lady Elizabeth has inherited quite a lot of money. Don't ask me how that is possible, I don't know."

"Enough to save this estate?"

"Probably. You know what is on your mother's agenda."

"I do."

"She'll try to throw you at Lady Elizabeth."

"Should I let myself be thrown? With a wedding planned for only four weeks from now?"

"I would say no. But it is ultimately your decision."

"I can't throw Cora over."

"Would you like to?"

"A few weeks ago I'd have said yes."

"And now?"

"I am not sure. Cora is nice and I am sure that we will never hate each other and that is something. But I don't have to make a decision right now, do I?"

"No. But your mother will make you sit next to Lady Elizabeth."

"I can live with that."

He doesn't know what to think and is rather nervous when the guests arrive. Elizabeth looks as lovely as ever and she seeks him out right away. Cora doesn't seem to be bothered too much but then she doesn't know who Elizabeth is and what he might have felt for her. He isn't sure what he feels about Elizabeth now. The dinner conversation with Elizabeth is rather boring. She keeps telling him about friends he doesn't know or care about. In the back of his mind he wonders why this bothers him because he always listens when Cora talks about her friends and he certainly doesn't know any of them as they live 4000 miles away, but somehow Cora has the gift of making things interesting. Maybe it is her voice, because Cora's voice is very melodic, something that can certainly not be said about Elizabeth. He says something that Elizabeth seems to find funny or at least pretends to find funny and he wonders why he has never noticed her laugh. It sounds shrill and suppressed at the same time. He hears Cora laugh at something that Maramduke has said and her laugh is something else entirely. It is open and natural. Not typically English, but lovely. Refreshing. And lovely. He returns his attention to Elizabeth because if he considers throwing Cora over for her he has to make a decision soon. The closer it gets to the wedding, the harder it will be. Elizabeth has now said something about the neighbors gossiping about her parents rumored marital problems. "For what do we live but to make sport for our neighbors?" he asks and she answers "What?" "Never mind", he says because he doesn't want to explain it to her. It seems comical to him that a woman named Elizabeth would not recognize the quote but then he realizes that this is a rather stupid notion. Elizabeth excuses herself to talk to his sister and Cora sits down next to him immediately.

"The neighbors will think that you are considering to throw me over for Lady Elizabeth." "Why?" "Because everyone seems to know that you at least used to be partial to her and now you've spent the whole evening talking to her." He decides to test something. "For what do we live but to make sport for our neighbors?" he asks and she answers "and laugh at them in our turn?" "Mr. Bennet was a very wise man", he says. "I think Ms. Austen was a very wise woman. She wrote the novel after all", she answers and they both have to laugh. "So will you throw me over? I have heard that Lady Elizabeth's dowry has been increased rather substantially recently." "Oh, that's an explanation. My father thought she had inherited and that would have been rather strange." "So will you?" He knows he has to be honest. "I don't know. Would you be mad?" "Now. I would be disappointed but I could live with it. But I would like you to be honest with me once you've made your decision." "That is the least I can do for you", he says to her and she seems thankful for that.

He makes his decision in bed later that night. When his father asks him about it at the breakfast table while they are still alone, he tells him that he has to talk to Cora first. He asks her to go walking with him as soon as she has finished breakfast and she acquiesces. "I suppose you've come to a decision." "Yes." He admires how much she can see through him already. "Cora, I am sorry about last night. I shouldn't have given Elizabeth so much attention." "You have a very hard decision to make." "I thought so too, but that it isn't true. The decision was rather easy to make. I thought I was in love with Elizabeth, but I don't think I ever was. Truth be told, I found her rather stupid last night and she set my teeth on edge. So no, I won't throw you over. Not for her. Not for anyone." He doesn't know why he said the last part, but he did and he knows it to be true. He knows he will be comfortable and content with Cora and his changed feelings for Elizabeth have shown him that being comfortable and content is worth rather a lot. "I am happy about that", she says and smiles. They keep on walking around the estate and he shows her spots where he used to hide from his governess when he didn't want to attend his lessons. "It is just as well that you know all these spots. We will be able to find our children when they try to hide rather easily that way. But depending on the governess, we might want to pretend to have no idea where they are." Her statement throws him off balance. He has never thought about the fact that Cora would be, no, will be the mother of his children. He looks at her and can't help thinking that she will probably be a very good mother. At that moment she slips and grabs his upper left arm to steady herself. He looks into her eyes and is overcome by the urge to kiss her. But they aren't married yet and they don't love each other, so he doesn't do it. But he doesn't mind that she doesn't let go of his arm until they are so close to the house again that they could be seen.

They keep on walking around the estate every day and Cora makes a habit of holding onto his arm. He lets her do it because he likes it, although he can't say why. Probably because she is a woman. He'd like any woman to hold onto him like that. He only prefers her because talking to her is so easy for him.