Darcy finally did dance a couple of sets to satisfy his aunt, but he mainly watched Miss Bennet for the rest of the night. He did not ask her to dance and was not aware that she had left a slot open on her dance card for him. As with his observances at Meryton, he saw that her greetings with everyone she met were characterized by her natural serenity. However, whenever she looked at the Baron, her eyes sparkled brighter and her smiles were warmer, which made her whole face light up, even if it was quite a restrained change that would not be obvious to anyone who had not been watching her so closely. Thinking back, he realized this was similar to what he had seen whenever she greeted Bingley months ago. The differences in her face were subtle, but now he noticed them. He began to think that she had, in fact, felt something for Bingley, but now she had appeared to have transferred her affection to Glenwood. He realized that he may have lost his best friend because of his misguided advice.
After the Glenwoods had conveyed them back at Gracechurch Street late that night, Mrs. Gardiner was very complimentary about how well Jane had been received at the ball. While she did not mention it, her aunt had noticed that the Baroness had subtly questioned her about Jane's feelings for her son. Mrs. Gardiner carefully let her know that Jane admired and respected him, even though she was not sure of how deep these feelings were. This answer satisfied the Baroness as she was aware that her son intended to ask Miss Bennet for a courtship so they could get to know each other better.
Mrs. Gardiner was quite sure that Jane's warm reception by the people who were at the ball would satisfy the Baroness if her son did marry her. It was obvious that Jane would be accepted as the next Baroness. Mrs. Gardiner could not help but smile when she thought how Mrs. Bennet would react when she heard this news. Before the night was over, the Baron had asked Miss Bennet if he might call on her the next afternoon.
The Baron arrived at the Gardiner residence the next afternoon and was immediately invited in for tea. He asked that the Gardiner children join them as he had met them several times before and knew that this would be a good way to impress Miss Bennet. He made sure to ask them about their studies and encourage them to pay attention to their tutors. He succeeded in his desire to show Miss Bennet that he would be a good and attentive father.
After the children had had their tea, Mrs. Gardiner sent them back to their studies. She tried to be subtle and asked to be excused to go with them, leaving Jane alone with the Baron. He welcomed her departure as it gave him an opportunity to speak to Miss Bennet.
"Miss Bennet, I know that we have not known each other for very long, but I have been very impressed by everything about you. From how you were accepted by everyone at the Matlock ball, I know that I am not alone in this regard. I believe we could have a future together. I already admire and respect you and am confident that my feelings will grow into something much deeper. I hope that yours will as well. I would like to court you officially so we can get to know each other better. Would this be agreeable to you?"
Jane had thought that he might ask for a formal courtship, but her natural reticence made her wonder if he would be pleased with her. She was also not sure if he would consider her worthy of being his wife and his baroness. "My Lord, I am aware that this is a huge compliment you are giving me. Are you sure about this? I am from a small estate and have no connections with anyone in society. My family is not in the same class as yours. Are you sure that I would be acceptable?"
"I am sure. You are just what I have been looking for. If it makes you more confident about fitting in with our friends, my mother is sure that you will be accepted. She is quite a good judge of character and saw how you were received at the Matlock ball last night. She encouraged me to ask you. Even Countess Matlock mentioned how impressed she was with you. With two supporters such as these, you will certainly be accepted in society. You need not worry about that. My only worry is if your regard for me will grow into something much deeper."
Jane was still unsure about her reception by his friends, even after having her dance card filled so quickly at the ball. "My Lord, there is something else you should know. Last autumn in Hertfordshire, Mr. Bingley paid a lot of attention to me but then left without even saying good-bye. I am sure you noticed the way he acted last night."
He took her hands and gently interrupted her, "Please do not worry about that; Darcy told me about Bingley. If he was so foolish as to give you up without a word, then I am sure that his regard for you could not have been strong at all. I did see how he looked at you at the ball, but that was likely just jealousy at seeing you arrive with me. As long as you do not have any strong feelings for him, I am not worried. If he bothers you again, I will call him out." This statement impressed her.
"Now I will ask you again. Miss Bennet, will you accept a courtship with me so we can get to know each other better? In my mind, I am sure that we are suited for each other, but I want you to be sure about me."
"My Lord, if you are sure that we could have a good future together, then I will accept a courtship with you, with my deepest appreciation."
He noticed the very becoming blush on her cheeks. "I will say that I am confident that you will find that we will make a perfect couple, but I will give you as much time as you need." While he wanted to kiss her properly to seal their agreement, he settled for a kiss to each of her hands. "Now, should I ask your uncle for his permission?"
"I am of age, so that is not necessary. However, I am sure that he would appreciate your asking him out of politeness."
He raised her hands and kissed them again, which increased her blush. He almost shook his head at how anyone could have given up on such a wonderful lady. What on earth was Bingley thinking?
Just then, Mrs. Gardiner came into the room and noticed how close they were sitting together. She raised her eyebrows at them, which caused the Baron to say, "Mrs. Gardiner, please forgive us, but I have just asked Miss Bennet to enter into a courtship with me and she accepted. I hope we have your approval for this."
"Jane is of age, so she does not need our approval, but my husband and I are very pleased with you. We are both confident that you are suited for each other. I am happy for you both."
The Baron was worried about something. "Miss Bennet, I am not sure how long you will be in town so we can continue our courtship. I assume you will want to return to your home at some time. If you do, I will have to go to Hertfordshire with you so we can continue to see each other."
"I was planning to return home in another couple of weeks. My sister has been asking when she will be seeing me again; she misses me. I can see how that could be a problem."
The Baron had an idea that he hesitated to mention. "Is there somewhere close to your estate that I could rent for a few months? I will need to return to Glen Crossing, my estate in Warwickshire, in the spring, but I certainly do not mind missing the rest of the season for such a good reason." He had wondered about the estate that Bingley was leasing and seemed to have given up, but he did not want to mention his name. Mrs. Gardiner was not so reticent.
"Jane, what about that estate that Mr. Bingley was leasing? Do you know if he will be returning to it? I know that he left there in November and has not been back since."
"From what his sisters said, they do not intend to return there." She did not want to suggest that the Baron go to Mr. Bingley in case there was trouble. "Mr. Darcy might know his plans."
The Baron smiled, "That is a good idea. I will go to talk to him." He also realized that he could not approach Bingley directly.
Before he left, he said, "My mother would like to invite you all for dinner this week." They agreed on a time and he left.
The next morning, the Baron went to Darcy House. Darcy was working in his office, but he received him as soon as he was announced. "Glenwood! Welcome. Did you have a good time at the Matlock ball? From what I saw, I believe you did. Now, what can I do for you?"
"Darcy, I did as I told you I would and asked Miss Bennet for a courtship. She accepted my request."
"Congratulations! She is a very fine lady and will make a wonderful wife for you if that is your intention."
"Of course it is. I hope that she will accept me once she has a chance to get to know me better. My plan is to court her for several months until we are sure that we are compatible, then ask for her hand. My problem is that she will be returning to her home soon, so if I want to be near her, I will have to go to Hertfordshire. That is why I am here. I will need somewhere to stay there. I know that Bingley had leased an estate near the Bennets' home, but he has not been there since November.
"Do you happen to know if Bingley plans to return to Hertfordshire? If not, do you think he might be willing to give up his lease? If he is, I would like to take it over. My problem is that I saw how upset he was when he saw me with Miss Bennet, so I am reluctant to approach him as he would likely refuse anything I ask of him." Darcy nodded his head in agreement.
"I have a favour to ask of you. Would you mind asking Bingley if he would be willing to give up his lease? He does not need to know that I am the one who wants it. All the paperwork could be done by our lawyers."
Darcy shook his head. "Glenwood, I understand what your position is and sympathize with it. However, there is something you do not know. Bingley's sisters did everything they could to prevent him from returning to Hertfordshire and I agreed with them. Now Bingley is angry with me for discouraging him from returning there, so I cannot approach him with any hope of his agreeing with anything that I ask of him either."
The Baron was surprised to hear this. "Why on earth would you discourage him? Miss Bennet is a wonderful lady. Is there something about her that I do not know?"
"I had several concerns. First, I have seen Bingley fall in love with many attractive ladies in the past and I thought that his regard for her was just another temporary infatuation. She deserves better than that. Knowing how strongly his sisters did not want to be connected with the Bennets because of their relatively modest status, I worried how they would treat her if she became their sister. As well, you know how reserved Miss Bennet is, so I could not detect that she showed any special regard for him. I know now that I did not know her well enough to make this assumption. I am still not sure what she might have felt for him. I worried that she would accept him only as her mother was eager for the match. In the end, I talked to him about my concerns; his lack of confidence in himself made him hesitant about what to do, so he remained in town with his sisters rather than returning to Hertfordshire. Now Bingley blames me as well as his sisters for his decision not to go back there.
"I suggest that it would be better if you had your lawyer approach his to ask if he would transfer the lease. It would be best if he does not know that it is you who wants the lease. In case you do not know, it is a one-year lease that runs until the end of September."
Glenwood was shaking his head at Darcy's confession, but he did not chastise him about what he had done. "I understand why you cannot ask him. That term would not be a problem. I will get my lawyers to approach his. I doubt that he will know they are representing me.
"If I do take over the lease, would you be interested in going there with us? You would be very welcome. My mother will come with me to act as my hostess. You could even bring your sister if you want. I would appreciate your company and you could introduce me to the local residents."
"I am not sure if I will be able to go there as I am planning to return to Derbyshire in a month or so. If you do go there, I will let you know." While he would not mind introducing his sister to the two oldest Bennet ladies, he was not so sure about the three youngest. In any case, with Wickham in Meryton, he would not risk her meeting that scoundrel again.
The Baron soon took his leave and went directly to his lawyer's office. A week later they reported back to him that they had received Bingley's agreement to transfer the lease of Netherfield and the owners had no objection. They said that Bingley had not asked who wanted to take over the lease.
With this accomplished, Glenwood sent his staff to Netherfield to get it ready for him and his mother. A few days later, The Baron and Baroness arrived at Gracechurch Street to take Miss Bennet home to Hertfordshire. Jane was impressed by the luxuriousness of the carriage and the graciousness of the Baroness's reception of her. They had a pleasant journey to Meryton and Jane pointed out the drive that led to Netherfield as they passed it on their way to Longbourn.
When they stopped at the front entrance of Longbourn, Mrs. Bennet and her daughters came out to greet them. Jane had written to say that she had accepted a courtship with the Baron, so they were very interested to meet him. Elizabeth was carrying Tommy, who was excited to see this aunt. Elizabeth had stressed to them all that they did not want to make an exhibition with such important titled visitors, so they actually managed to restrain themselves with their greetings, except for Tommy, who squirmed out of his mother's arms to run to his Aunt Jane. She picked him up and hugged him as she went to her mother first, then each of her sisters in turn.
As soon as Jane had greeted them all, she introduced them to the Baron and Baroness. She was pleased that all her family members responded properly and respectfully, even though her youngest two sisters openly stared at the Baron. The Baroness went up to Mrs. Bennet and greeted her.
"Mrs. Bennet, I am so pleased to meet you and your daughters. I hope we will see each other often while we are here. As soon as we get settled, I will invite you all over for tea."
"My Lady, that is very kind of you. If there is anything we can do to help you get settled, please do not hesitate to ask. I would like to invite you and your son to dinner as soon as you are settled. Would two days from now be too soon?" Of course Mrs. Bennet wanted to do whatever was necessary to help the Baron court Jane. "I will also be pleased to introduce you to the leading families in the area as soon as you have time."
"We should be reasonably settled by then. I accept your invitation with thanks." They set the time, then they left to go to Netherfield. As they were on the short trip to there, the Baroness said, "The family seems to be quite respectable and their house, while not especially large, seems to be well maintained. The grounds are quite attractive. You said that Mrs. Collins had taken over management of the whole estate. She appears to have done a good job, at least from what I saw; she must be quite the lady. I am looking forward to getting to know her better."
When they arrived at the Netherfield manor house, they were quite impressed with its size and furnishings. Their staff had everything ready for them. The Baroness spent the rest of that day conferring with the housekeeper and the cook while the Baron rode around the estate with the steward. When they sat down to dinner, they were both satisfied with the estate and were confident that their stay would be comfortable.