Chapter 27

Elizabeth had spent a peaceful night beside Mary in their shared room and woke up quite well rested. The previous evening when she had checked on Jane prior to returning to her own chamber she was pleased to see her sister sleeping and imagined that that might portend a return to Longbourn by the following afternoon.

"Where are you hurrying off to?" Mary asked from her seat by the window. She had taken up her needlework after checking on Jane when the sisters had first risen. "That is your favorite dress, and your hair looks quite becoming." There was an air of teasing in her sister's tone that told Elizabeth Mary knew very well who she was going to meet, though she could not imagine how.

"I am not hurrying anywhere and while I want to thank you for the compliments, they seem laced with something so I will simply bid you good morning," Elizabeth rose, grabbing her bonnet and gloves from the table by the door. "I do plan on having some tea sent up to Jane in about an hour and coming to check on her before I go in to breakfast. Will you still be here?"

"Likely. We can go down together. You are certain you do not mind my leaving this morning?" Mary asked.

"There is no reason for you to miss your appointment with Mr. Cawley and Mr. Bates. I can see Jane home."

"Very well, enjoy your, I'm sure entirely solitary, walk and I will see you shortly."

Elizabeth smiled indulgently at her sister, but refrained from answering her unasked question, kissed her on the forehead and went on her way. She was met by Mr. Darcy at the end of the hallway.

"Good morning, sir."

"Miss Elizabeth, what a pleasant surprise," he said with a smile. "Would you care to walk out with me? It is unseasonably warm this morning and there are several pleasant paths around the house."

"What a nice idea. I would love to."

It was a warm and sunny morning and the two walked in companionable silence for a few minutes. When a bend took them out of view of the house Darcy spoke:

"Given our history with interrupted conversations perhaps it would be wise to begin with what was on your mind yesterday. I am eager to be of service to you if I may."

With that invitation Elizabeth began to explain to Mr. Darcy the broad and fine details of the entail of Longbourn. He listened attentively, asking questions and encouraging her to convey as much information as she could. By the time she finished he was nodding and making sounds which seemed to indicate to her that he was considering her words and reaching some sort of conclusion. When he did not immediately speak, she grew impatient.

"Well? What do you think?"

"I imagine presently my thoughts are not that different from your own. If your father had approached the elder Mr. Collins it is possible he might have been amenable, but it is also possible that you could have found yourself in the same situation you are now."

"Because the elder Mr. Collins could not sign away his son's rights as a potential heir," she finished for him. "Yes, I had only recently worked that bit out and I did not like how it removed a little, just a little, bit of my right to my anger at my father."

"I wouldn't say that," Darcy said with a scowl reminiscent of the night they met – all his expressions looked fierce and forbidding that evening. "From what you have told me your father has not taken seriously enough his duties to you, your estate and your family . . . too much has been left to you and now you feel no choice but to . . ."

"Mr. Darcy, I have chosen to be what I am, to do what I do and while I know it might seem unconventional I have found meaning and purpose in running the estate, in managing our tenants and expanding our farms in ways I had not in needlework, or drawing or visiting or whatever else I was told I was allowed to do. Longbourn has thrived under my care and I will not have you belittle my . . ."

"I did not mean to offend," he offered quickly.

"Your intentions and their effect seem to have little relation to one another at times."

"So I have learned," he mumbled. But she heard him. "What I should have said was you deserve credit, but even though it is perhaps an unwelcome sentiment I cannot help but feel you also deserve more support from your father."

Though her first instinct, always, was to defend her father to others Elizabeth bit back her initial response and allowed herself to feel the compliment and support in his words. However, she still felt she needed to justify her father, somewhat.

"I understand how it appears and I will not deny I came to my role out of necessity at first. However, in the past few years my father has come to regret his neglect and make what amends are available to him."

It was as much explanation as she could offer someone so wholly unconnected to her family even if he had become a new friend to her. Though he now knew some details of the entail this did not mean she was willing to share the financial situation of Longbourn, the old and new state of she and her sister's dowries, the property added to the estate, free of the entail, or other ways her father had exerted himself to improve their situation.

"I will take your word for it." His tone suggested he would not.

"Simply because the role the originated in necessity does not mean the need continues to exist. My father recognizes both my desire and my abilities. Can you not accept that?" she did nothing to hide the anger or challenge in from her voice.

"Of course," he nodded, and she felt he was conceding her point, a little, and decided to leave it at that and return to the matter at hand. "Do you have any thoughts pertaining to the entail?"

"Other than the solution you are quite obviously considering?"

"Mr. Darcy, you are coming perilously close to a subject I believe I have made clear is not one I am willing to discuss with you," her voice was firm, and she held his gaze, allowing him to see her resolve before continuing, "if you are unwilling or unable to help me, I accept that but please do not mistake my seeking your assistance for my willingness to discuss . . . certain other matters."

"My apologies." Again, she sensed a half-truth in his words. In this case she imagined he was sorry for having offended her but not sorry for actually trying to speak of something he wanted to know more about from her. "Again, my thoughts likely align with your own. Would the current Mr. Collins be amenable to some kind of financial remuneration in exchange for repudiating his claim? If he were would you not then have the same problem with any potential children of his, should he have any sons?"

"Yes exactly," she responded, somewhat listlessly, before continuing, "I would need to examine the entail itself to determine if there is any way to sever the entail entirely and to ensure any documents were drawn up in such a way as to ensure they could not be disputed later."

"Again, we are in agreement, only I do not believe your review would be sufficient. These documents can be quite complicated and . . ."

"Because I am a lady their language is quite beyond me?" she interrupted with her accusation.

"Not because you are a lady precisely but because you are a lady who is not a solicitor." He responded calmly. "If your father would permit me, I would be happy to bring them to my man in London who could render us an opinion."

"That is very kind of you, Mr. Darcy," Elizabeth said gratefully. "However, I am afraid that would not be possible. I do not wish my father to know I am attempting any of this."

"And why is that?" When she hesitated, he pressed, "would answering that bring us perilously close, once again, to a forbidden topic?"

Elizabeth glared at him and considered her answer. Mr. Darcy already felt poorly enough of her father and she was certain his opinion of Mr. Collins was considerably worse. If he believed Mr. Bennet was forcing his daughter into a marriage of convenience to save his estate there would be no redemption for him at all in Mr. Darcy's eyes. She could not allow that. Not stopping to consider why it mattered so much that Mr. Darcy think well of her father she said:

"My father cares only for my happiness. I would not want him to believe there is a means to achieve that only to discover we are wrong."

Mr. Darcy looked at her for a long moment, seeming to take in her words very carefully.

"Very well, but how do you suggest we gain a better understand of the entail without examining the document?"

"I believe I can rely on the discretion of my uncle Phillips. He is a solicitor in Meryton. I will ask him to request the document from my father under some pretext."

"I have met your Uncle on several occasions, Miss Elizabeth," he said with some exasperation, and I do not approve of deception."

"I do not require your approval, Mr. Darcy," she said without rancor. "As I was saying, once he is in certain possession of the document, I will meet and discuss this idea with him. If he believes it possible, we may have need of your London man. May I seek you out if that is the case?"

"Of course," he replied almost dismissively, "but I would prefer to be part of that meeting with your uncle."

"Why?"

"Three heads are better than two?"

It wasn't the most persuasive or comprehensive argument, but Elizabeth was grateful he wanted to help and imagined he would have insight and perspective that she and her uncle might not. Further, she knew there was more to the creation of the entail than her uncle had told (which was certainly more than the nothing her father had told her but was still not much) or than he knew himself so, perhaps, the intimidating and interested presence of Mr. Darcy would encourage disclosures where previously little had been offered to her. Of course, it was just as likely the presence of a stranger would cause her uncle to be more circumspect, but he could not tell her less than he already had so she deemed it worth the risk.

"Very well."

His smiling response seemed out of proportion to the concession, but Elizabeth had little time to contemplate this as they had reached the house once again. Almost as soon as they crossed the threshold, they were met by an eager and, possibly, irate Miss Bingley.