Shocking Proposals

The two men sat down at a wood desk, with intricate carvings and scrollwork up the legs and around the edge of the top. Darcy sat in a well-worn, much liked chair with emerald green upholstery that had faded with time to be more of a light green than an emerald. Gardiner, on the other hand, took his seat in a high-backed, newer leather chair that he pulled up to the other side of the desk.

"Now Darcy-"

"I would like to settle five thousand pounds on Elizabeth for every year after I will die. I want to be certain that she wants for nothing, regardless of the expense of what she should want. Everything else does not matter to me." Darcy said earnestly.

"Dear Lord." Gardiner hunched in his chair. "So much? I am glad to hear that, but it is quite a large sum. You are aware that I can only give Lizzie two thousand pounds for her dowry. If she were under the care of her mother and father, it would have only been seven hundred fifty to one thousand pounds."

"Money is no object to me. To be quite frank, I have made more money through trade, investments, and through the land then I could ever hope to spend. If Elizabeth was a selfish person, which I thank the stars for every night that she is not, I would settle less. But I know that she will always hesitate to ask for assistance in any way, it her nature. And I do not want her to struggle. I do not want her to have to have to ask, since it is something she will be uncomfortable with." Darcy took a breath before he continued. "She is more precious to me than anything. I would give her all my income if it would make her happy. I have told the town I have an income of ten thousand a year. But in the reality of the situation, I have an income of twenty to twenty-five thousand pounds a year, with the interest that builds on my savings every year."

Gardiner hissed through his teeth. That was more money than he could ever dream of. "Why?" He asked. "Why so much?"

"My great-great grandfather was a heavy gambler." Darcy swallowed. "He all but lost Pemberley. My great grandfather wanted to make sure that never happened again. Through marriage and good business sense, he managed to get all the money back, and then some. And then my grandfather made a very risky investment, and he all but tripled the value of the Darcy name and of Pemberley. Ever since that day, the Darcy family have made it its goal to be able to provide for the grand-children of the estate. It is a safety that many a family do not have."

"Lizzie will surely be safe with five thousand a year." Gardiner agreed.

"So then should we draw up the settlement?" Darcy reached into a drawer and pulled out a piece of paper.

"It sounds reasonable to me. However, there is the matter of daughters." Gardiner smiled as Darcy blushed.

"Any daughters that I would be fortunate to have would have large dowries as well as something left to them in my will." Darcy stammered.

"You seem to have it all figured out." Gardiner laughed.

"I have had some time to think about it." Darcy sighed. "Ever since I asked Elizabeth to court me it has been my intention to marry her. I have loved her for some time."

"I know. She told us. She also wrote to us about the waltz the two of you shared." Gardiner stated pointedly.

"Sir…" Darcy bit his tongue.

"She enjoyed it quite a lot." Gardiner put Darcy's mind at ease. "Although I am quite sure you and your friend scandalized all of Hertfordshire."

Darcy blushed before joining Gardiner in a light laugh. "Yes, I was under that impression as well.

"I believe we should draw up our agreement now." Gardiner brought them back to the original topic.

Darcy cleared his throat and reached for his pen. The two put pen to paper and wrote out the settlement and Gardiner was leaving the house of Lord Darcy before it was time for lunch. Deciding it would be more enjoyable to walk, he returned along the same path that he and Darcy had taken to get to the home. When he did get home, he found his wife waiting for him in his study.

She waited until he sat down in his chair. "I hope everything went well."

"Better than any guardian could ever imagine." Gardiner laughed.

"Really?"

"Five thousand a year after his death." He whispered.

"Oh my…" Madeline gasped. "Will you tell her?"

"I do not know. She will not like it. I know that. And I believe that Darcy would want to tell her himself."

"Lizzie will not like us keeping this from her."

"True. But I believe it is for the best."

Little did the two know that Lizzie Bennet was behind the door, and heard every word.

To those who are celebrating it this weekend, Happy Thanksgiving! To everyone else, Happy Weekend!