Chapter 2
Darcy watched as Elizabeth swung her arms at her sides, her upset clear. His horse shifted underneath him. He watched as she bent down, scooped up another stick and threw it into the distance again before continuing on towards her destination. He frowned and nudged his horse to move in her direction. It was, he acknowledged, not his place to offer her comfort, but he could watch over her to ensure none accosted her while she was clearly upset.
He had realized as he lay awake at night, reviewing her words first during their dance, indicating a preference for Wickham over him, and then all their previous interactions that Elizabeth did not particularly like him. Her words last night had finally drawn his attention to what he had refused to acknowledge before, Elizabeth Bennet, the slip of a girl that held his, the master of Pemberley's, heart, did not care about his consequence, his wealth or his connections. She simply did not have a good opinion of him, even before Wickham lied to her. That thought ate at him.
Why, he repeatedly asked himself, did she dislike him? He could not imagine existing in a world where Elizabeth Bennet disliked him. He still told himself he could not marry her so it should not matter, but it did matter. It mattered very much. Her opinion of him meant a great deal to him. He could not bear to have her ill opinion.
When she angrily swiped at her eyes, he realized she was crying and with a growl encouraged his horse to speed toward her. Drawing up behind her as she whirled to face him, suprise on her features, he leapt from his horse amd strode toward her. Stopping, unsure of what he should do now that he was here, but aware he could not do what he wished, which was to crush her to him and hold her as she cried and vow that he would make whoever made her feel this way pay.
"Mr. Darcy!" Elizabeth exclaimed in surprise as the gentleman glared down at her from his great height.
"Are you well?" Darcy demanded gruffly. "Tell me who caused these."
"It is nothing," Elizabeth said swiping at her eyes and wishing that if anyone had to come upon her in this state it was not him.
"It is not nothing. You are upset," Darcy said tightly. "You should not be upset."
"I am female!" Elizabeth said with exasperation, lashing out at him. "I am allowed to be upset. If it offends you so very much, then leave."
"I cannot leave you here like this," Darcy said stiffly. He flexed his hand at his side, wishing he could reach out and touch her, but knowing he should not. He wanted to gently brush the tears from her face, an improper gesture.
"Oh but you can. Very easily. Let me explain how it is done. You climb up on your great black beast and ride away. Should be a fairly simple thing," Elizabeth cried out angrily swiping at her tears again.
"A gentleman does not leave a lady in distress alone. It is his duty to assist," Darcy argued. He knew it was a flimsy argument, but he could not leave this particular lady alone. It was taking a considerable will power not to haul her into his arms and comfort her how he wished to. He had no will power left to spare for attempting to make his legs leave her.
"A gentleman does not stay where he is not wanted. You have offered your assistance and I have declined it. Your duty is done. Now leave me be."
"I cannot," Darcy said.
"Fine. Then I shall go if you wont," Elizabeth snarled and stormed off back towards Longbourn, Darcy quickly following on her heels and catching up to her. Seeing him, Elizabeth gave a disgusted sort and muttered under her breath "Men. The whole lot of them are insufferable."
"If there is nothing I can do about it, perhaps you would like to atleast speak of it?" Darcy ventured.
"To you?" Elizabeth said in disbelief. She would rather fall into a patch of stinging nettles then share her troubles with him, she thought grimly.
"Yes," Darcy said stiffly. "I assure you of my discretion.
"No, thank you," Elizabeth said firmly.
"Are you sure? " Darcy persisted. He knew that it was none of his buisness technically, but anything that upset Elizabeth he considered to be his buisness regardless of what society and its rules said.
"I am sure," Elizabeth ground out. Like Mr. Collins though, he refused to take her at her word when she told him no and dogedly stuck to her side as she walked. He was at least silent, unlike Mr. Collins, she begrudgingly admitted.
As they neared Longbourn she was dismayed to see Mr. Collins in the garden with her mother in animated conversation. A groan escaped her. She left Longbourn to escape her mother and Mr. Collins and she had to leave her escape into nature to leave Darcy's presence. Was she to have no peace anywhere she thought with disgust?
Darcy seeing Collins and hearing Elizabeth's dismay quickly put two and two together and did not like the answer he arrived at. "Has your cousin inopportuned you?" he demanded harshly, his anger at the parson simmering beneath the surface.
"That is a matter that need not concern you," Elizabeth said archly. She refused to allow the morning's folly to be exposed to his disdain anymore then she had allowed it to be with her intemprate words when he offered his assistance earlier. She had calmed enough on the return walk to recognize she had been uncivil and acted shamefully. "My apologies for my earlier words," Elizabeth said stiffly. "I thank you for your escort, but you need not go any further."
"Your cousin, Mr. Collins, is my aunt's parson. I have plans to speak to him, so I see no harm in escorting you all the way home," Darcy said firmly. He intended to make it clear to the parson he cease his pursuit of Elizabeth. He hoped to God the man had not requested a courtship with her. Her mother might have forced her to accept such an offer but Darcy would see to it the parson withdrew if that was the case. Her mother would doubtless blame Elizabeth and he wished he could spare her that, but it all depended on how far Collins had gone in making his interest known. If he had only hinted at it and no offical courtship had been sanctioned,Mrs. Bennet would have less to reapproach her daughter with.
…
"Your suit of Miss Elizabeth is unacceptable. Have I made myself clear that you are to abandon this ill attempt to gain her hand?" Darcy growled at Mr. Collins. "You will tell your cousins that you withdraw your pretensions to her hand."
"Yes. Of course. As you wish, sir. I would never have, if I would have known of your disapproval for the scheme, I never would have acquiesced to Mrs. Bennet's suggestion of my Cousin Elizabeth as a bride. I would not dream of disappointing you in my choice of companion. After all with your marriage to Miss De Bough, that flower of womanhood, you will be closely tied to Rosings and-" Collins exclaimed wringing his hands.
"I am not engaged to my cousin," Darcy ground out. "Just as you shall not be engaged to yours. Miss Elizabeth would make an improper choice of bride for you. You would not suit."
"Yes, I see now that my cousin is to headstrong and impertinent to make a proper wife. It is highly doubtful she will ever marry. Once her father passes she will have to look to me for her security and I shall remember this day and know how to act when she is left to exist as naught but a poor relation relaying on my benevolent charity."
Eyes narrowing, Darcy said in steely tones, "A gentleman does not seek to revenge himself on a female under his protection. See that you take care to treat all of your cousins, including Muss Elizabeth, with generosity and kindness. Find a different bride. I will be most displeased if I discover you have continued to cause Miss Elizabeth discontent."
"Naturally sir. I merely ment that once I am head of her household my cousin will learn her proper place in the world," Collins told him cringing under the great gentleman's gaze. Mr. Collins being of mean understanding did not bother to consider why Darcy was concerning himself with his or Elizabeth's martial affairs but rather went about trying to appease the man.
As Darcy mounted his horse to return to Nethefield his gaze sought out Elizabeth. He was disappointed to see no sign of her. He wished he could have spared her the indignity of the parson's proposal. From what he gathered from Mr. Collins recounting of it and the situation, it had been insulting and appalling. The man had thrown every material thing Elizabeth lacked at her and had the absolute gall to act as if he bestowed a great favor on her by offering for her. It had made Darcy's blood boil to hear the parson speak of her in so insulting of terms. He had half a mind to introduce Elizabeth to other gentleman to show Mr. Col!ins just how lacking the man was as a potential suitor for Elizabeth. Of course off the top of his head he could not think of a single eligible man he was acquainted with that was worthy of her, furthermore he had no desire to further any gentleman's suit of her for reasons he did not wish to examine to closely.
…
"Miss Bingley, I agree with you," Darcy said betraying none of his distatse for her. She had accosted him as soon as he entered the house from his morning ride and confrontation with Collins. "Your suggestion of removing to town to join Charles is a good one. He has given rise to expectations within the neighborhood that will only drop with his absence."
"I am glad you agree," Miss Bingley said with a pur of satisfaction. "I shall instruct the servants to pack and be prepared for all of us to depart tomorrow together. Once in town I am sure we can work together to persuade Charles of the dangers of such an attachment."
"I will join you all in the capital anon. First though I have some buisness I must complete here," Darcy announced tightly. He diliked Miss Bingley's insinuations that they work together, as if they were a couple. He knew she desired to become Mistress of Pemberley, something he would never condone.
"Buisness?" Miss Bingley said pursing her lips.
"Yes. It is unlikely I will ever find myself in this part of the country again if Charles is perusauded to see the evils of such a choice, so I must see to it now."
"Shall we wait for you to depart with us?" Miss Bingley said with a flutter of her lashes. "What business ties you here?"
"You need not wait. It would be best if you went to town. My business is of a personal nature and I must take care of it while I can."
Miss Bingley making an incorrect assumption purred, "Of course. We shall leave you to seek your satisfaction. I imagine the deserted house will allow you to complete the affair in a timely manner. Once you have slaked yourself on your 'buisness' you will be well prepared to throw the dust of this backwards hamlet off. Netherfield is naturally at your disposable to enjoy while you entertain yourself with the singular type of delight to be found with many a country blossom."
Darcy frowned. He heard plenty of innuendo in Miss Bingley's words but didn't believe she could possibly mean what it sounded like. That illusion was shattered with her next words.
"After all you have invested such time in cultivating the chit you should have a chance to enjoy her fine eyes and fruits of your labors. My brother does not understand that one need not marry these objectional country misses to sample them," Miss Bingley said with a sneer. "He does not understand how the gentlemen of the ton work. I do though. A little dalliance here and there is a part of sophisticated society as long as the gentleman is discrete. It is practically what these little penniless nobodies were made for."
"You go to far, Madame," Darcy hissed angrily. "Your insinuations are vile and insupportable. A gentleman does not seek to take advantage of those beneath him."
"Mr. Darcy," Miss Bingley said frantically. "You mistake me. I merely wished to assure you that I understood and would always be willing to be accommodating when you desired to act in the manner of a gentleman befitting your station. I did not mean to imply you would impose your self on her, I happen to know you will generously recompense the chit for her time and what she gives you."
"I have no intentions of seducing the daughter of a gentleman," Darcy declared his gaze burning into Miss Bingley with righteous anger.
"Then what business could you possibly have here? Can you deny it involves Eliza Bennet?" Miss Bingley said crossly. "I have seen the way you lust after her. It is a perfectly natural conclusion that since you cannot mean to marry the chit, you mean to have a brief afffair with her. To get her out of your system so that you can focus on the qualities you desire in a wife. An accommodation such as this is surely one of those qualities in addition to other acomplishments," Miss Bingley said preening.
"It is not," Darcy said icily.
"Forgive my presumption. I only wished to be of help," Miss Bingley said coyly. "I misread the situation, shall we put this little misunderstanding behind us and go on as we were? For Charle's sake."
"I have no wish to set eyes on you again, Miss Bingley," Darcy said tightly. "Your brother is my particular friend. I care greatly for him, but you are a blemish on his good name. At this moment I have no wish to spend any time in your society. I will take a tray in my room tonight. Do not expect me to see you and the Hursts off tomorrow. I will be in contact with Charles when I return to London. Do yourself a favor and keep your vulgar base insinuations to yourself. You do not want to cross me."
"That I am sure will be for the best," Miss Bingley simpered, convinced her position was secure, after all had he not just admitted he cared greatly for her brother, who would never cast her off. She was convinced that Darcy need only a few days to cool down and things would ressume as they had been. She was the perfect Mistress for his homes and once he calmed down he would finally realize it, she told herself.
Outwardly Darcy was calm as he left Miss Bingley, but inside he was snarling with rage. If she were not a woman and his close friend's sister he would have called her out for her slander against him and against Elizabeth then and there. As it was he decided quickly to send a note to his butler denying the woman entry to Darcy House if she attempted to see Georgiana. As soon as he was back in London he woukd make it clear to Bingley that his sister was as of this moment person non gratas to him. Never again would she trade on her brother's friendship with him in society. She had succeed in making a dangerous enemy and he had no intentions of letting her insults to Elizabeth's virtue pass.
He knew that it was true that many men of his station would think nothing of dallying with a woman that was of a lower station, but he had never been one such man. He respected and loved Elizabeth to much to even consider asking for anything less then her hand and showering her with the devotion that surely would be her due.
Once in his room he paced angrily and yanked off his cavarat. Had he not have just gotten back from a punishing ride to clear his emotions as far as Elizabeth was concerned he would have called for his horse to ride off some of his anger and frustration. How dare she, he thought angrily, condem Elizabeth, a woman without equal, as being nothing better than the potential play thing for some rich man. If any so called gentleman he knew ever attempted to toy with Elizabeth he would call them out.
The realization that once he left the area he would never know what happened to Elizabeth had him sinking to his knees. How was he to go through life not knowing she was well? That she was safe and protected? That she was happy? A moments consideration had him arriving at a solution, he would hire someone to keep her under surveillance for him. He certainly had enough money that it was an easy enough solution. If she was ever in need of aid or in distress he would then know. He would arrange for reports and he would know what suitors she had so he could have then checked out and ensure her future husband was worthy of her.
The thought of her married another had pain shooting through him, but he pushed it aside. He darkly thought to himself that if the fates were kind her family would scare off any potential husbands so he would never be forced to know the pain that she was someone else's wife. He attempted to shake the thought off as unworthy. Elizabeth was meant to be loved and cherished. If he could not marry her, surely he should not begrudge her a happy future, he told himself.
