Author's Note
I know nothing about marriage settlement details, so hopefully any inaccuracies are not too distracting!
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Chapter 5 - Longbourn - Discussion
The next morning, Mr Darcy came to discuss the wedding paperwork with Mr Bennet. He had arrived while Elizabeth was out walking, and she returned home to find him waiting for her.
"Miss Bennet!" he greeted her, smiling broadly, "How are you this morning? Did you enjoy your walk?"
"I'm very well, I thank you, Mr Darcy," she replied, smiling back, "And yes, I had a lovely walk."
"I'm just on my way back to Netherfield," he said, "But would you allow me to introduce you to my sister this afternoon?"
He had explained to her the night before that he was staying at Netherfield with Miss Darcy. Mr Bingley, still in London, had generously offered Mr Darcy his home for the time being.
Miss Darcy, still a bit shy of large groups, had not come to the dinner, but Mr Darcy had said she was looking forward to meeting Elizabeth. Elizabeth was curious to meet Miss Darcy - she wondered if Mr Wickham's sentiments on her character were accurate.
"I would be very happy to meet her, Mr Darcy," she replied.
"Thank you, Miss Bennet," he said, his cheeks flushing slightly with pleasure.
He left for Netherfield, and Mr Bennet called Elizabeth into his study.
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"Well, Lizzy," said Mr Bennet, "Your Mr Darcy is a curious man, indeed."
"Why ever would you say that?" asked Elizabeth, feeling slightly nervous.
"Well, given the nature of the... ahem," Mr Bennet coughed, "Engagement, I had expected that the settlement would require some negotiation on my part."
"However," he continued, "Mr Darcy is either a very stupid man, or a man very much in love."
"I'm sorry?" Elizabeth queried.
"The settlement is exceedingly generous - much, much more than I had anticipated," replied Mr Bennet.
"He's even taken special precautions to ensure your comfort after his death, in the absence of an heir," he continued, "It's unusual, but not unheard of."
"I suppose he was thinking about the entail on Longbourn?" Elizabeth ventured, hoping to avoid any questions on the subject.
"Perhaps," replied Mr Bennet, regarding her expression with some scrutiny.
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Elizabeth didn't know what to make of the generous settlement. Mr Darcy certainly was not a stupid man, like her father had suggested, but hadn't he fallen out of love with her? Had he gotten over his anger already?
Mrs Bennet, Kitty and Lydia had gone to visit Mrs Philips that afternoon, so Elizabeth and Mary were home to greet Mr and Miss Darcy when they arrived.
Miss Darcy stepped timidly out of the carriage, aided by her brother, who was smiling nervously.
"Miss Elizabeth Bennet, Miss Mary Bennet," he began, "I'm delighted to introduce you to my sister, Miss Georgiana Darcy."
All three women bowed.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Darcy," smiled Elizabeth.
"Oh, but you must call me Georgiana!" said Miss Darcy, "As we're to be sisters. I mean, if you would like to." She blushed.
"Certainly, if you will call me Elizabeth," said Elizabeth, "Or Lizzy, as my other sisters do."
Mr Darcy was beaming.
"I hear you're very fond of music?" Elizabeth asked.
"Oh yes," Miss Darcy responded, "Very much so. I would love to hear you play!"
"Oh, well, I will be happy to oblige you," Elizabeth replied, "But I daresay you would be better to ask Mary - she is the musical talent of the Bennet family. Let us go inside."
The four stepped into the house.
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Mr Darcy watched Miss Elizabeth in wonder. She was so kind to his sister, making her feel comfortable, and drawing her out of her shyness. Georgiana hadn't been herself since the incident with Mr Wickham, but she had smiled and laughed this afternoon, seeming almost like her old self.
His heart swelled with pride as she played the piano, and with pleasure when Miss Elizabeth played and sang. He could imagine spending evenings at Pemberley in a similar way, and felt that he would easily be contented if that were to be his life.
When Miss Mary Bennet and Georgiana began to discuss the intricacies of their favourite concertos, Elizabeth moved across the room to speak with Mr Darcy.
"Thank you for introducing me to your sister, Mr Darcy," she said, smiling at him, "I'm looking forward to spending more time with her at Pemberley."
"I'm so glad, Miss Elizabeth," he said, "I can't tell you how pleased I am with the way you two have taken to each other. Georgiana has had a difficult year, and I've been worried about her. I think a sister like you is just what she needs."
He reached out and enclosed her hand in his own.
"Mr Darcy," said Miss Elizabeth, blushing slightly, and smiling up at him in the teasing way he was beginning to crave, "If your sister is going to call me Elizabeth, don't you think that you might as well?"
He smiled broadly.
"Elizabeth," he said, relishing the sound, "Will you call me Fitzwilliam?"
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A few days later, Elizabeth and Mr Darcy were walking together in the grounds of Longbourn. Elizabeth was finding more and more that she could enjoy his company. He was kind and thoughtful, and she discovered that they had many shared interests - Shakespeare, poetry, nature. Sometimes she even found herself forgetting her anger towards him, but then she would recall Mr Wickham, or the situation with Jane and Mr Bingley, and she would feel confused and deflated.
They had been conversing pleasantly about Lord Byron's work, when Mr Darcy paused by a bench, indicating that Elizabeth should sit down. She did, and he sat beside her.
"Elizabeth," Mr Darcy began, "There's something of which I think we need to talk."
"Oh," replied Elizabeth, nervously.
"I mentioned to you, back… back in Hunsford, that we might have a kind of… alternative marriage," he continued, "Have you considered your feelings on that matter?"
"I have thought about it a little," Elizabeth replied, "But I admit that I spent most of that time considering your feelings."
She glanced at him, noting the surprise on his face.
"I must confess I was surprised by your offer," she ventured, thoughtfully.
She certainly did not feel equal to conversing openly about marital relations, but perhaps she could focus on the issue of succession.
"I had thought that it would be incumbent on you to produce an heir?" she asked.
Mr Darcy sighed.
"You're right," he said, "My family, Pemberley, the Darcy name… they're all very important to me."
He held her hand in his, looking at her piercingly.
"But not," he said firmly, "So much that I would put them before… your comfort and happiness."
Elizabeth was at a loss for words. The news was not a surprise to her, but she had not expected the intensity of his expression.
"I… I thank you, sir," she replied.
"Please," he said, smiling gently, "Fitzwilliam."
"Fitzwilliam," she repeated, blushing slightly at the endearment that was still not quite familiar, then asked, "What will you do about an heir?"
"I have considered the matter," he replied, "And I think there are a number of options we could consider. Georgiana will hopefully have children, so I could leave Pemberley to one of them. We may even take on a ward or raise a God-son in future. It wouldn't be unusual for a barren couple to do so."
Elizabeth's eyes widened slightly at the revelation that he had truly considered all of this.
"I apologise, Elizabeth," he rushed to continue, "I did not mean to imply that you are barren. Just that, if we keep our arrangement to ourselves, as I hope we will, then that will be the natural assumption, if you do not bear children. Do you feel that you can keep this secret?"
"Oh," replied Elizabeth, "Yes, of course. You are very… good to agree to this. Surely the very least I can do is to preserve your privacy and dignity."
"Thank you, Elizabeth," he said, squeezing his hand, "And I would like us to make decisions about any wards we take on together. I imagine you would like to raise a child?"
"Oh! Yes, I would," replied Elizabeth, her mind wandering.
She felt sad at the idea that any child would not be her own, but she loved spending time with her younger cousins, and she truly did want to be a mother, so raising any child would be a blessing. And she was touched that Mr Darcy had thought about that as well.
"I do hope, Elizabeth," Mr Darcy continued, "That we may grow to become good friends. I know that I have failed to make a good impression on you or your family, but I hope that in time, you'll be able to forgive me.
"Perhaps one day you will grow to love me, and we will have a true marriage, but do not worry - I do not hold out hope that those feelings will develop." He paused.
"In any case, we will be spending a lot of time together, and if we can develop a friendship, we may live in comfortable companionship."
"I… I would hope for that too, Fitzwilliam," Elizabeth replied. She felt a little disappointed by his assertions, but could not quite discern why.
Even Elizabeth, herself, was not entirely sure that the hopes to which she referred were only for his friendship.