Chapter 39

"Cathy's letter declares her intent to be present at the ball," Lady Matlock said glancing up from reading her letter the next day.

"Well, Wallace paid a visit to the de Bough's townhouse the other week to alert them to the fact they would not be receiving an invitation to the ball so that they would have the opportunity to save face by having other plans. He made it clear that if they attempted to show up, claiming a connection like they did at the theater after the Richmond Ball, they would be turned away," Matlock reminded her.

Glancing back at her letter, Lady Matlock continued reading. Then addressed her husband again, saying, "Your sister mentions that de Bough has contacted her about getting Anne's dowry released. Evidently he expects to be signing settlement papers with a Sir Mortimer Wilder. Are you familiar with him?"

"No, cannot say that I am," Matlock responded with a frown. "I am not fond of Anne, but for the sake of the harm that girl could do to our family, I believe it would be wise to have him looked into."

…

Darcy resisted the urge to loosen his carvat as he waited for Hill to announce him to Bennet. He knew that technically he did not require Bennet's consent to marry Elizabeth. The ony person who had the power to grant Elizabeth's hand, was him. As her guardian he had the power to arrange whatever marriage he deemed fit for her until she was of age. A guardian could arrange a marriage and if the bride refused at the alter to say I do, it would not go through, but he knew it was possible for a guardian, be it a father or another, to pressure the bride into complying, without it being against the law. Despite being aware of this though, Darcy was nervous. He wanted Bennet's consent and blessing, for Elizabeth's sake. He knew she had choosen him and would likely still choose to marry him if Benent denied his blessing, but he also knew how hurt she would be. He would never be able to make it up to her. He found himself once again wishing he had presented himself better in Hertfordshire when he stayed with Bingley.

"So Darcy," Bennet said as the young man was shown into his book room. "May I offer you some refreshments? A brandy perhaps?"

"No, thank you," Darcy said stiffly.

"Well, what can I do for you?" Bennet asked.

"I came here today to seek your consent and blessing to marry Elizabeth."

"I was unaware you required my consent," Bennet said dryly.

"It is true that I do not, but I would like it all the same."

"And if I denied it?"

"I would marry her anyway, as long as she was still willing to have me and spend the rest of my life making it up to her."

"Making it up to her?"

"I plan on doing everything in my power to keep her happy and protected. If my past behavior has made it impossible for me to gain your blessing, I will have already failed at one of those things. I am aware that I was selfish and arrogant when I was in Hertfordshire before. I can freely admit that I do not deserve Lissy based on my previous behaviour. But I do love her more then any other suitor possibly could. I may have seemed cold and heartless before, but that was because I had not found my heart until I found her. I can promise you that I will spend every day of my life trying to be worthy of her."

"If you would have made this request last autumn I would have wished to deny you, even if a man in my position should not deny anything a man of your consequence condesended to ask for. Not only did my opinion of you change after our encounter at Rosings, my daughter's letters are filled with her thoughts on you, more so then I imagine she realizes. You have not only my consent, you have my blessing. I could not have beared to part with her to someone less worthy."

"Thank you, sir," Darcy said feeling relieved. "My other reason for calling in you today is to invite your entire family to stay at Darcy House for you, your wife and Miss Mary to attend the ball being held in Lissy's honor at Matlock House in a five days."

"You wish to welcome my wife and three silliest daughters into Darcy House?" Bennet said raising his eyebrows.

"It would be my pleasure," Darcy assured him. "It would please Elizabeth."

"Well, I will await giving my wife the good news of the visit and the ball, as well as the news that Lydia and Kitty will not be allowed to attend the ball, until after you have managed to depart safely and we will see you in London the day before the ball and likely only stay a day or two afterwards."

Thank you," Darcy said, a smile crossing his features. While he had come to value the Bennets, he was thankful to be spared Mrs. Bennet's effusive response.

"Well, why don't you tell me about what your investigations in London have revealed. You know from the copy of the file my brother-in-law Philips had copied that no new information appeared to come to light. Yet Matlock's last note to me indicated you were closing in on the culprit."

...

Elizabeth glanced up from her reading in the library as Col. Fitzwilliam strolled in. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Littleton had insisted on staying after breakfast, chatting with her and then sitting in the music room with her and Georgiana while they practiced. When Georgiana went to attend to her other studies with Mrs. Annsley, Elizabeth had excused herself to go read in the library, knowing her cousin had an afternoon appointment. It appeared that Col. Fitzwilliam intended to take over now that Littleton was busy. She was not sure if her cousins were keeping watch over her at Darcy's request, or if it was their own form of playing mother hen since he was not around to do it.

"Good afternoon, Lissy," Col. Fitzwilliam greeted her with a smile. "I

would offer to read outloud with you but I have been most greviously insulted and told I do not do it right."

"That is because you manage to mangle the voices," Elizabeth teased smiling at him. "What brings you to the library today?"

"Who says it is not my practice to frequent the library around now?"

"While you certainly read more then Mr. Bingley," Elizabeth began.

"A monkey reads more then Bingley," Col. Fitzwilliam interrupted with a snort.

Elizabeth gave him a mock glare and continued on, "By your own admission, you are well read in military histories and books on strategy, but prefer to use your time in other pursuits, then spending the day indoors in a library."

"Very true, but the library has its own inducement today of your charming presence and I thought I would come keep you company."

"By your own initiative or did William request you and Wallace dog my steps today, despite the fact that I promised him to stay at Matlock House today while he went to Hertfordshire?"

"Clever are you not?"

"It does not take a genius to come to the conclusion that you appear to have set up a rotation to ensure I am with one of you at all times. You usually do not arrive at Matlock House prior to breakfast, yet today you did and Wallace does not normally choose to listen to the same song over and over again while Gigi and I practice."

"I will admit that Wallace and I were both concerned about leaving you alone today. You have not spent much time alone since the incident at the park and we both worried with Darcy gone you might dwell on it."

"And you two just could not resist the oppurtunity to hover like a mother hen."

"We are not hovering," Col. Fitzwilliam said with a disgruntled look. "We are diligently seeing to your protection. If you must make a farm animal analogy you may be the hen and we can be the brave, brawny guard dogs. Or at least I can be with my military training. Wallace can be a smaller, scrawy less brave beast."

Elizabeth laughed at this and said, "Perhaps we should allow Wallace to pick his own animal alter ego. I prefer to be neither the baby chick, or the hen. Hmmmm, Mr. Bennet once claimed that pigs were uncommonly intelligent, so perhaps I shall choose to be that. What do you say to that?"

"I say that though I cannot see the verbal trap, I know there is one but my curiosity leads me to say very well that will do."

"Well if I am the pig, neither of you could very well be a dog and keep me company, seeing as how the two do not get along."

"And just what animal would either Wallace or I be in this?" Col. Fitzwilliam said suspiciously.

"Well, I have observed that the pigs at Longbourn appeared to get on fine with the chickens, but I do believe you would rather not be labeled as such," Elizabeth said with a playful glance at him. When he nodded, she continued, "So the answer is obvious. I often observed rabbits and hedgehogs spending time near the pigs without any contention, so you must be Richie the Rabbit while Wallace may be more akin to the prickly hedgehog."

Laughing Col. Fitzwilliam said, "So my brother gets to be a hedgehog with quills, while I am sentenced to being a cuddly rabbit?"

"Well, Wallace can be rather prickly about some things," Elizabeth said grinning.

"Ironically that is something him and William have in common. So does that make Darcy also a hedgehog?"

"No, I do believe William may join me as a pig. After all, according the the chinese pigs are frank, kind hearted, resolute and responsible. Does that not sound like William? Perhaps not myself though, I cannot be the judge there. Of course the Chinese year may not place him as such, but we are discussing farm animals and bits of the zodiac seem a bit far fetched. Mr. Bennet considers it downright laughable. Can you imagine classifying individuals into a specific animal based on the year they were born rather then their personality and claiming that individual's personality is a result of that animal? It is preposterous, much like classifying someone based on their birth. I have seen enough of the ton by now to have my suspicion that high birth does not make an individual more worthy then one in trade, such as my Uncle Eddy is, confirmed. Therefore it seems that not every individual born in the same year would share the same personality. It seems a bit prejudice of these asian philosophers to me, even with my limited understanding of the subject."

"Where does Bennet come up with the idea to read about such strange subjects?" Col. Fitzwilliam said with a shake of his head.

"I believe it is the very oddity of them, that attracts him."