Chapter 4
Darcy glanced at his cousins, Col. Fitzwilliam and the colonel's elder twin, Viscount Sutton the heir to Matlock, Benjamin Fitzwilliam, with a raised eyebrow as they waited in the parlor for his aunt and uncle. The three were of an age together and close friends. The two brothers were different, but in Darcy they collidided. The colonel was active and fond of physical pursuits, while the viscount prefered more academic endeavours. If Darcy wished to fence or ride he could always count on the colonel, but if he wished to discuss an academic publication, it was to the viscount he turned. All three knew just what exactly Lady Matlock was hoping with her upcoming dinner tomorrow to accomplish for the Colonel and both Darcy and Sutton were prepared to support him. Both had high doubts that Col. Fitzwilliam could be persuaded to marry and leave behind his military life.
"Richard," Lady Matlock said as she entered the room and walked over to her youngest son, embracing him. "I take it you stopped at Darcy House?"
"I had thought I would need to bring some life and cheer into the house for Georgie before her piano lessons, but Darcy has been whistling and grinning like a fool since I arrived earlier today. I don't suppose you know what he is about? I have had my batman settle my stuff here for the nonace," Richard said kissing his mother's cheek.
Looking hard at her nephew she said, "Whistling? What's this?"
Grinning broadly, Darcy said, "I have no announcement as of yet, but in a few days once I am free to travel when the settlement papers I have had drafted are done, I will, and I expect you to wish me and my intended happy."
Sutton, Col. Fitzwilliam and Lady Matlock's eyes all went wide. The first to find her voice, Lady Matlock said, "You plan to marry? To who? I have heard nothing of you courting anyone!"
"That is because, much like the young lady you wish to introduce Richard to, she is unknown in the ton. She is my choice. My only choice. I will not marry any other," Darcy said firmly. "I hope you can welcome her with as much enthusiasm as you do your own unknown lady."
"Had I of realized you would ever of considered an unknown young lady, and I did not think you woud look down your nose at her for her connections, I might have thought of putting her forward for you, but no matter. If you find this woman worthy, I am sure she is acceptable. You wouldn't connect the Darcy name to anyone unsuitable. I trust that Bingley woman did not succeed in comprising you or you wouldn't be so happy about your future."
"God no," Darcy said with a frown. "She is nothing like Miss Bingley. I must say though, that while my intended is exempalary, her relations are distasteful. She has an uncle in trade," he said his lip curling up in disgust. "Her father is nothing but a low country squire, her mother a vulgar fortune hunter and younger sisters are absolutely awful and certainly will not be welcome in my homes. Her ties to trade will naturally be severed as a result of marrying so far above the station of a tradesman. I won't have some vulgar shopkeeper entreating me for money every chance he can get."
"What's this? You are sure she is not a fortune hunter, Darce?" Sutton said speaking up. "If her relations are that bad, she may be as well and you have proposed under false pretenses to her. The settlement papers are not signed, you can safely withdraw. "
"I have not proposed yet, but not even her ghastly family could keep me from doing so. She is nothing like them," he said his features softening as he thought of Elizabeth. "I have seen how they embarrass her. Her relatives in trade are worse, I would imagine. She will likely be relieved I intend to cut the connection. I intend to bring the papers with me when I ask her to marry me so that I need not spend more time there then necessary."
"Perhaps I should use some of my leave to travel with you," Col. Fitzwilliam said. "She may have taken you in. I can meet her and help you judge whether she is a fortune hunter or not."
"Elizabeth is not a fortune hunter," Darcy said tightly, his features coldly displaying his contempt at the insult his cousins made against his Elizabeth. "You and Sutton are as close to me as any brother could have been, but if either of you persist in making these insulting assumptions about my intended you will have to answer to me. She is above reproach. Her unsavory connections do not define her. She has thrived despite the conditions she found herself in to become an intelligent, kind, compassionate young lady."
"A pearl among the swine, eh Darce?" Sutton said with a smirk. "I mean no insult. I look forward to meeting her and calling her cousin.
Neither Richard or I should have implied you were taken in by a fortune hunter."
"My apologies as well," Col. Fitzwilliam said. "You are too canny to be taken in by a fortune hunter in the country after successfully evading all of them in the ton."
Darcy nodded to acknowledge his cousins apologies and said, "I will not allow any to insult her. An insult to her, is an insult to me."
"You are in love," his aunt said softly. It was not something she had been certain would ever happen. Her nephew was a caring, compassionate man, but he had a tendency to shut himself off from others. She was pleased to see that he had allowed a young lady to touch his heart. He was loyal and devoted, she was relieved he would follow his heart and not society's dictates.
"Richard, my boy! You are back!" the earl said striding into the room. "And you need not fear coming under your mother's matchmaking gun this visit. I have found the perfect girl for Ben and I am sure she will be busy with his matrimonial prospects this time instead of yours."
"It appears we are all in for wedded bliss," Sutton said sarcastically. "I thank you for the offer, father, but as I have told mother in the past, Richard and I can find our own way to domestic felicity. Evidently, Darcy here, has managed it, and I would have wagered he would need the most convincing to propose to any lady."
"I have heard no tales of you courting anyone," Matlock said, turning to Darcy in suprise.
"She isn't known among the ton," Col. Fitzwilliam said before Darcy could answer. "As is the case for the young lady mother wishes me to meet Saturday at dinner. It appears though, mother, that you will be to busy matching Ben up so we shall just have to let this one go. Better luck next time."
"But your mother invited her and her relations here for dinner Saturday. A small affair you told me," Matlock said turning to his wife. After meeting her in the bookstore earlier I thought she would do perfectly for Ben. You selected her for Richard?"
"Well yes. He needs to marry and retire. I thought she would be the perfect inducement for him to do so. Though I do see what you mean about how she may as well aslo be perfect for Ben," Lady Matlock said thoughtfully. "If she doesn't take to Richard, perhaps she will take to Ben. It works out well either way as far as welcoming her to the family," Lady Matlock said. "Though I would like to see Richard out of the army before he is sent to war again."
"I felt a connection to her the moment I laid eyes on her," the Earl said with a chuckle. "Of course when she revealed her name and connection to the Gardiners, it made perfect sense to me. You are right my dear, she would do well for either, our scholarly son or our more active son. She ends up connected to us no matter what."
"Oh no, age before beauty. Ben can have her," Col. Fitzwilliam said jovially.
"Nonsense. I may be a few minutes older, but in this I will yeild to my younger brother. I shall allow you to be first in this and may I wish you well, Richard," Sutton said in the same manner.
"Father has never indulged in any matchmaking, he found her for you, you may have her," the colonel argued.
"No, you may have her. I don't want some miss that doesn't know ancient Greece from ancient Egypt," his brother shot back.
"You would both be lucky if she would consent to have either of you," their mother broke into their argument with displeasure.
"Not only can she tell Ancient Egypt from Ancient Greece she can tell Ancient Rome from Ancient Greece and found the idea of Atlantis intriguing. I had a fascinating discussion with her," Matlock said tightly. "Yet here you two great lobs sit, disparaging a young lady you have never met. If Darcy wasn't so top lofty and engaged I would introduce her to him to get her in this family. She is a true treasure."
"He isn't engaged yet," Col. Fitzwilliam said with a chuckle. "Maybe you can change his mind." Seeing the murderous look on his cousin's face he added, "Peace Darcy. No one intends to come between you and your chosen bride."
"Just what is this paragon's name that you are both so determined to see join this family?" Sutton asked with amusement.
Together the Earl and Countess said, "Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Loungbourn, Hertfordshire."
Darcy face went absolutely white and he said hoarsely, "No!" His voice firming he surged to his feet and said vehemently, "No. Absolutely not. My Elizabeth is marrying me." Then rounding on his cousins who sat in shock at his sudden vehement outburst said, "How dare you disparage her? Your father is right, she is a true treasure but she is not for the likes of either of you. She deserves a gentleman that truly loves her. She is to be my wife!"
"You intend to propose to Lizzy?" Lady Matlock asked in shock. Then recalling all of her nephew's earlier words, she angrily said, "How dare you speak so condescendingly of my friend Maddy and her husband! Mr. Gardiner may be in trade, but he is an upstanding gentleman like man. Lizzy is practically like a daughter to Maddy and Edward. Maddy may not have come right out and said it, but when Lizzy needed a safe place to flee, it was to the Gardiners her father sent her and you have the nerve to speak of them with disgust!"
"Flee?" Darcy said urgently. "What happened? Is she in danger? I must go to her," he said starting toward the door.
"Sit right back down young man," Lady Matlock said with authority. "After all you do not have her direction, I do. She is not in any immediate danger. You on the other hand are. Something else has just occurred to me. Lizzy was to delicate to actually name names. Like Maddy she does not bandy about speculation or gossip, or I might have made the connection sooner, but she did share the most amusing antidote with me about a proud disagreeable man who insulted her the first evening she saw him, by calling her tolerable but not handsome enough for him. That he, a complete stranger in their area, refused to give his supposed consequence to a young lady slighted by other gentlemen, when there was more ladies than gentlemen at the dance. He then spent the remainder of his visit glaring at her at every opportunity, catoluging a list of her faults. According to her, he quite despises her and the feeling is mutual. I confided to her that if she saw the gentleman at any time when I was with her, to point him out and I would quite enjoy putting him in his place. She laughed and said she hoped to never lay eyes on him again, but in the event his friend, who she did not name, married her sister she would be forced to be civil so that would never do. Do you know who this gentleman was? It does not seem like an accurate description of Mr. Bingley who I know you stayed with recently, nor his brother-in-law. Did he have any other friends stay with him while you were there making the acquintance of Miss Elizabeth?" the countess finished with false sweetness. Madeline had shared the exploits of her favorite niece with her for years and Lady Matlock had felt she knew her well before meeting her and was feeling quite protective of Elizabeth now. To think that her own dear nephew had treated her treasured friend's niece in such a manner was infuriating.
A complete silence had descended on the room, broken by the colonel's sudden fit of laughter. Gasping between his laughter, he managed to say, "It appears congratulations are a bit premature. I assume you will not be proposing now that you know she dislikes you."
"Of course I still intend to propose," Darcy said hotly. "She can learn to like me after we are engaged."
"Congratulations are still premature," Lady Matlock said cooly. "You can propose all you want, but you will not receive the response you wish. Elizabeth was sent from her home after refusing her cousin, the heir to her father's estate. She merely thought him ridiculous, so she refused him. You think she would accept a man she has been given no reason to like and reasons to dislike? You are absolutely right, she is not a fortune hunter. She will not accept a proposal from you anytime soon."
"I met her cousin, he is a bumbling fool. I am a sight better of an option for her than him," Darcy said in disgust.
"True. But do you really think Lizzy would be mercenary enough to accept you? She won't be coerced into marriage, whatever logical arguments you may believe will result in any answer other then a resounding no. Especially given her reccent experience. A proposal from you at this time would not be wise, not when she is already feeling backed into a corner. Bumbling fool her cousin might be, but her father was concerned that his wife and the man in question would attempt to force the issue. This does not go beyond this room, but Maddy confided to me that this person, whoever he is," she said with a sneer. "Attempted to gain access to Elizabeth's room the night she refused his proposal. Her father had ordered her to sleep in her elder sister's room for safety luckily and had her on a coach out the next day."
"I will kill him," Darcy said in a deadly tone. The thought that her cousin would attempt to impose on her to force her into marriage sent a cold rage burning through him.
"As would I, Maddy and Edward," Lady Matlock said gently. "I do not share this with you so that you can go off and wreck havoc on him. I tell you so that you can understand some of what Lizzy has recently undergone. She does not need a man she thinks she shares a mutual dislike for offering for her. I will admit that unlike Richard or Ben, you are starting out with a distinct disadvantage. Either of them start on neutral ground, but you start with Lizzy already misunderstanding you."
"Just hold on a minute mother," Col. Fitzwilliam broke in. "I speak for both Ben and myself, that if William is in love with the girl, neither of us intend to poach on his territory."
"You haven't met her yet," the earl said wryly. "I wouldn't make such a promise yet if I were you, no matter how eager you both are to avoid the parson's trap.
"Darce is like a brother, I would not seek to steal his lady from him any more then I would steal a lady Richard was in love with from him," Sutton said firmly. "We both cede the field to William, mother."
"I love her," Darcy said firmly. "I will marry her." Ever since he had made the decision to marry Elizabeth, his conviction that it was the right course for his future had firmed, until it had become an immovable fact in his mind. He refused to back down from the vision of his future with her as his wife. He had realized that his happiness was irrevocably tied to her.