A/N: Finish reading this chapter and see whether you can guess the full name of the future Darcy heir.
Chapter 36: Mr. Darcy Proposed
When Miss Elizabeth came into the library, she appeared apprehensive as her father had told her Mr. Darcy's intent. She was reluctant to see Mr. Darcy so soon after the incident, but her father convinced her that if there was any chance that she would accept his suit, she should see him then instead of having to see and refuse a horde of young men later because it was a certainty that some of them might even be on their way to Longbourn as they spoke. However, if she was indeed too distraught, he would just have the front door barred until they removed to town. As usual Lizzy's courage rose at every attempt to intimidate her. She agreed to get the meeting over with even though she was not at all sure what she would say to Mr. Darcy's proposal. After all, she almost killed someone that morning, and her reputation might be in tatters.
Mr. Darcy was pacing in front of the Pennsylvania fireplace while waiting, trying to formulate his proposal to his beloved. As soon as she entered the room, he eagerly approached Elizabeth with out-reaching arms until he heard Mr. Bennet clearing his throat. Mr. Bennet glanced meaningfully at Mr. Darcy and said to Elizabeth, "Lizzy, I shall be in the study if you need me." Then he turned to Mr. Darcy, nodded, and retreated to his own room.
As soon as Mr. Bennet was out of sight, Mr. Darcy took two long strides and was in front of Elizabeth. He reached out his ungloved hands and grabbed both of Elizabeth's hands, which were also bare. Both took a deep breath on the skin contact, but neither tried to break the hold. Mr. Darcy lifted one hand to his lips for a feather-light kiss and then the other. Miss Elizabeth had always appeared poised and self-assured. This vision in front of him was one of hesitation and shyness. He had thought that he loved her. Now, he felt that his heart had melted for this slip of a girl whom he was determined to protect with all his might and cherish for all his life. He was certain before of his decision to make her his wife; now he could not fathom what had taken him so long to come to the point.
Still holding her hands, he asked softly, "Miss Elizabeth, are you well?"
Elizabeth lifted up her head then, but did not look at Mr. Darcy directly, and said, "I am as well as can be under the circumstances. Mr. Wickham did me no harm. Rather it was the other way round."
"I cannot tell you how relieved I am to hear from your lips that you have not been harmed, my dearest Elizabeth," Mr. Darcy said with a small smile, feeling in fact quite giddy when the endearment slipped out of his lips unintentionally. On hearing the same endearment, Elizabeth finally looked up to him with a questioning look in her eyes. She slowly withdrew her hands from the clutch of Mr. Darcy, which made him very disappointed indeed. Mr. Darcy then invited Elizabeth to sit. Once she was seated, Mr. Darcy started pacing in front of her but only for a few moments. Then he walked up to her with determination and kneeled on one knee, again reaching out to take Elizabeth's hands.
"Miss Elizabeth, you must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you. You have captured my heart and my soul with your beauty, your intellect, your effervescent spirits, and your kindness. Will you accept my hand in marriage?"
Elizabeth looked up at Mr. Darcy for a moment, and lowered her head down. Mr. Darcy was more than a little apprehensive at her being so demure, so unlike her usual confident self. When she did not answer still, Mr. Darcy became a bit anxious and asked, "Miss Elizabeth, I have asked..."
Elizabeth looked up slightly then, and said in turn, "I heard you, Mr. Darcy, and am honored by your offer. I must know, however, before I can give you an answer, whether you have asked to marry me because you want to save my reputation."
"My dear Elizabeth, your reputation is not ruined and therefore needs no saving. I must admit this morning's traumatic event made me realize how easy it would have been for me to lose you to another, even a scoundrel. I was going to wait till I have talked to my uncle the Earl Fitzwilliam before formally asking to court you once you are in town. However, when I heard about what had happened, I came straight here to seek your hand in marriage. I was on my way north to Wentworth-Woodhouse, my uncle's country seat, when I stopped in Meryton to hear the latest news about Wickham, who had been watched by my men. I had no inkling that what I heard would involve your being so cruelly importuned by that despicable man."
"Will your uncle the Earl not be disappointed in your not choosing a wife from the ladies he has chosen for you?"
Mr. Darcy was very surprised that Miss Elizabeth should have known about his uncle's house party and its purpose. He decided to not comment on it and answered her question directly instead.
"My uncle will be pleased that I have chosen to be my wife a lady I love. A few months ago, a very disturbing event took place involving my sister Georgiana. She was only fifteen then and was deluded by the same scoundrel who tried to harm you this morning," Mr. Darcy paused as Elizabeth raised her head and looked at him with shock in her eyes. "Wickham went to Ramsgate in collusion with my sister's companion, a Mrs. Younge, renewed his acquaintance with my sister, and subsequently convinced her to elope with him, no doubt to gain my sister's fortune, which is thirty thousand pounds. It was the interference of Providence that I arrived in Ramsgate just two days before the intended elopement. On seeing me, my sister could no longer hold the secret she was told to keep and poured out the truth. I immediately dismissed the companion and banished Wickham, and warned him not to come close to my sister again or expect dire consequences. When I discussed this incident with my uncle and aunt, my aunt counselled me to marry so that my sister would have the guidance of a woman closer to her age in the immediate family to navigate this business of growing up to be a mature young lady. When my uncle heard this, he immediately suggested hosting a house party at Wentworth-Woodhouse for all his worthy acquaintances with eligible daughters and granddaughters so that as he described it, 'I would not need to lift my little finger to find my future wife.' He knew how I had never been tempted by any young ladies, many of them, to sound ungentlemanly and smack of conceit but it is the absolute truth, threw themselves at me on many occasions. He also knew that I was quite disheartened and indeed disgusted by the grasping nature of many of the mothers and their daughters I had encountered over the years. The truth of the matter is that my uncle loves to entertain, and will find any excuse to have a large party. He once had forty thousand guests at Wentworth-Woodhouse celebrating a visit of the Prince Regent – the Prince of Wales then. At the time, my mind was so troubled that I went along with this scheme. Soon after I came to Hertfordshire and met the most enchanting young lady who not only will make my days filled with joy and laughter… "
"And challenges," chimed in Elizabeth.
Mr. Darcy was overjoyed to hear Elizabeth essentially agreeing with him on how he saw her merits, and went on, "and challenges, if she agrees to be my wife….where was I when I was so charmingly interrupted…ah yes, she will also ensure that my sister's mind will be enriched and broadened to face her future with confidence and poise. Dearest Elizabeth, you have not answered my question. Will you make me the happiest of men?"
"Do you truly believe that I could be such a paragon of virtue not only to you but also to your sister?"
"Dearest Elizabeth, being a paragon of virtue is only one aspect of your person. I am equally bewitched by your beauty, especially your luminous eyes, and your light and pleasing figure." Hearing this, Elizabeth blushed deeply. She did not expect Mr. Darcy to be so explicit about his admiration of her physical attributes. Mr. Darcy also felt that perhaps he had overstepped, and hastily added, "I accidentally overheard your guiding Miss Bingley to better herself. The first thought that came into my mind then was how Georgiana would be benefitted by the wisdom and insight of such a sister."
Elizabeth looked up at Mr. Darcy then, quite astonished. "Would Miss Bingley be now qualified to be the future Mrs. Darcy? She is much more pleasant now, and also accomplished, beautiful, possesses a large dowry…"
Just then, Mr. Bennet came in and asked Mr. Darcy, "Is it settled?"
Mr. Darcy looked at Mr. Bennet without standing up, and then at Miss Elizabeth, and said, "Not just yet, Mr. Bennet. Miss Elizabeth has a lot of questions. I am trying to address all her concerns."
"Well, then. Lizzy is an enthusiastic student of Socratic questioning. Perhaps you could come to town after your visit to your uncle as planned, if you still choose Elizabeth, that is, so that Lizzy can mull over things and come up with more questions."
"No, Papa. I have decided to accept Mr. Darcy's offer," interjected Elizabeth, and then she raised her hand to cover her mouth, extremely surprised that she should blurt out her acceptance of the marriage proposal in such an abrupt and unladylike manner, and to her father instead of to the one who had proposed. She looked at Mr. Darcy then and said exasperatedly, "Mr. Darcy, what must you think of me!"
Mr. Darcy looked feelingly at Elizabeth, and said softly to her, "Dearest, I think you everything lovely. You have made me the happiest of men. He then picked up her hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss, which lasted longer than it should.
Mr. Bennet cleared his throat, and said, "I am pleased that the matter has been so very felicitously concluded, and Lizzy has been spared a hazardous voyage in the high seas. Do you need more time to ask and answer more questions, or shall we go inform the family of this happy news?"
"Papa, may I have just five more minutes with Mr. Darcy before we go to the family?" Elizabeth asked.
"I will do better and give you ten, as I have discovered that you two seem to have a lot to say to each other, but no more," winked Mr. Bennet.
"Thank you, Papa," said Elizabeth sweetly.
Once Mr. Bennet had left the room. Elizabeth turned to Mr. Darcy, asked him to share the settee with her, and said, "Mr. Darcy, I want to apologize for my endless questions and seeming reluctance to accept your offer of marriage. I must tell you that you have been the only gentleman of my acquaintance whom I could be prevailed upon to marry since the day my father made me understand that I must marry." Mr. Darcy made to interrupt but Elizabeth signaled with her hand that she has not finished. "I have enjoyed greatly all our previous conversations, discussions and even follies, and I think they bode well for a future life of happiness and companionship in addition to…."
Elizabeth hesitated here and Mr. Darcy helped her finish the sentence, "Love. In addition to love. Dearest Elizabeth, I have abundant love to give you. Do you have just a little for me even if you do not love me as much as I love you just yet?"
"Mr. Darcy, I am not yet conversant with the idea of love. I do believe that it is love for you I feel." Elizabeth's head dipped lower and lower and spoke haltingly when she discussed feelings that were so private to her.
Mr. Darcy had never before felt so happy in his life hearing that his beloved loved him back. He placed a finger under Elizabeth's chin and lifted her face to look at her, and asked softly, "My dearest, could you not call me by my Christian name?"
Elizabeth shook her head, still without looking at Mr. Darcy directly, "I would if I knew it."
Mr. Darcy laughed out softly, and said, "It is Fitzwilliam, Fitzwilliam George Wentworth Darcy."
Elizabeth now looked at Mr. Darcy directly and said, "Oh!" And then with a little more determination but still softly, "Fitzwilliam."
Mr. Darcy responded with a wide grin and grabbed Elizabeth's hand for another kiss. If Mr. Bennet had not been just outside the door, he would have taken hold of Elizabeth's face and kissed her properly as his betrothed. Just then, Mr. Bennet walked back into the room, and seeing Mr. Darcy's big smile and Elizabeth's dipped head, said with mirth:
"It seems that this pending union between the two of you will be a revolution of sorts. I have never seen you so gleeful, Mr. Darcy, and Elizabeth, never so bashful. I hope you two will not find these new revelations contrary to your expectations and regret the union a few years into your marriage."
Elizabeth lifted her head then and exclaimed softly, "Papa!" Mr. Darcy just smiled the biggest smile that anybody ever saw.
"Come now, Lizzy and Mr. Darcy. There will be plenty of time to reveal to each other the parts of you nobody else knows. It is time to go to the parlour to acquaint the rest of the family with your joyful announcement."
When Mr. Bennet led the two young people toward the parlour, Miss Elizabeth dropped back a little so as to stay Mr. Darcy as her hand was in the crook of Mr. Darcy's arm. She said urgently to Mr. Darcy, "Mr. Darcy…eh... Fitzwilliam, I must tell you that I am the worst sort of a blue-stocking, as you probably have gleaned from Father's comment on my studying Greek philosophers, and will probably not change, even for my husband. Do you think you can accept that?"
Mr. Darcy looked directly into her eyes and said, "I will accept no change of you in any respect. I love you exactly as you are."
Elizabeth pressed on relentlessly, "But you did not know about this aspect of me…"
Mr. Darcy put a finger upon her lips and whispered, "I had an inkling very soon after I saw you, and later reinforced by seeing your discoveries and ingenious inventions."
Mr. Bennet was standing at the entrance of the parlour waiting for the two lovers to catch up and shaking his head a bit before proceeding into the room, where the entire family had gathered after their morning tea.
Chapter notes:
1) On September 2, 1789, forty thousand people -gentry and peerage from the surrounding country of Wentworth-Woodhouse gathered for a day of festivities celebrating the visit of the Prince of Wales (later the Regent and then King George IV in the 1820's) and his brother the Duke of York. This is from the Wikipedia entry for the Fourth Earl Fitzwilliam. Also 'the Oracle described it thus: "It was in the true style of ancient English hospitality. His gates...were thrown open to the loyalty and love of the surrounding country. ... The diversions, consisting of all the rural sports in use in that part of the kingdom, lasted the whole day; and the prince, with the nobility and gentry, who were the noble earl's guests, participated in the merriment". The Annual Register said the ball was "the most brilliant ever seen beyond the Humber".' The original sources are cited in the entry as well.
2) Another Regency ball thrown by White's at the townhouse of the Duke of Devonshire had more than 2000 people paying a fee each to attend. The costs of the ball were just under £10,000! This is from 'An Elegant Madness' by Venetia Murray. The Upper-Class during Regency entertained hugely!