Chapter 10

After parting ways, Charlotte refusing to allow Mariah to call on Kitty and Lydia then, Col. Fitzwilliam, Darcy and Elizabeth made their way into Longbourn's sitting room. Upon seeing her second daughter already in the company of the gentleman, Mrs. Bennet frowned and instantly commanded Elizabeth to take the recipe from Lucas Lodge to the kitchen.

As Elizabeth left the room Darcy directed a severe frown at Mrs. Bennet, one that caused that lady to quell mid sentence in her effusions about her youngest daughter. "Madame," Darcy said icily. "I am willing to accord you the respect of being Miss Elizabeth's mother, but only if you cease in your attempts to foist a spoiled child on me as a suitable wife."

"But Lydia would be a perfect mistress of your homes!" Mrs. Bennet protested.

"And my figure is more womanly than any of my sister's," Lydia crowed.

"Mr. Darcy should be my husband! I am older then you Lydia," Kitty exclaimed petulantly.

"Miss Kitty, Miss Lydia," Darcy said tightly knowing he had to deal with the situation head on no matter how mortifying for Elizabeth's sake. "I am not interested in either of you as a wife-"

"But I am pretty!" Lydia exclaimed interupting him.

"Regardless of your features, I have no wish to wed a child," Darcy ground out.

"I am not a child! I am a woman!" Lydia exclaimed throwing herself at Darcy and attempting to give him a passionate kiss to prove her point.

"Lydia!" Mr. Bennet yelled harshly from where he had been standing unnoticed in the doorway, striding toward the pair hauling his daughter away from Mr. Darcy who had extracted his person from hers and was holding her at bay.

"Mr. Darcy has compromised my baby!" Mrs. Bennet shrieked rising. "He must be made to marry her!"

"Mr. Darcy has done nothing of the sort!" Mr. Bennet informed his wife harshly not releasing his grip on his youngest. When he firmly instructed, "Sit down, woman," Mrs. Benent dropped back into her seat and began to whimper and moan in distress as she fluttered her handkerchief. "When I gave Lydia permission to throw herself at her sister's suitor, I never anticipated she would do so bodily. What man in is right mind would deign to marry any woman in this family after Lydia's display? I have been far to lienent, but that ends now! You may consider yourself no longer out, Lydia! Your antics have crossed the line from amusing to indecent." To Darcy he said, "You need not fear anyone in this family making demands upon your honor. I can imagine you are desirous of putting as much distance between you and the inhabitants of Longbourn as possible as it is."

"On the contrary," Darcy said stiffly. "My intentions have not changed one iota."

"Papa?" Elizabeth said peering into the room wide eyed. She had passed her father lurking in the doorway as she went to deliver the recipe to the cook, but had expected to find him watching the proceedings in the drawing room with quiet amusement, not keeping a firm grip on her squirming sister and her mother moaning in distress from her favored seat.

"Lizzy," Mr. Bennet greeted her. "Splendid timing. Your sister it turns out is to, well, to forward, to be out in society any longer. You will be pleased to know I have decided to heed your request at last and toss her back into the school room, though I am tempted tp toss her back as far as the nursery. " Seeing Darcy step towards her, Bennet said, "Would you perhaps take the gentleman outside to the garden for some peace and quiet during their call while I attend to this matter? I should like to speak more seriously with Mr. Darcy in a bit."

"Of course papa," Elizabeth said as Darcy hovered protectively over her. Bemused she led the two back outside. Quirking an eyebrow she said, "What on earth did I miss?"

"Your youngest sister took exception to my cousin calling her a child," Col. Fitzwilliam said with a chuckle.

"Oh dear," Elizabeth said paleing.

"I do not think I have ever witnessed such a brash attempt at compromise," Col. Fitzwilliam commented. "Poor Darce never even saw it coming until she was upon him."

"Upon him?" Elizabeth asked with trepidation.

"I believe your sister sought to sway my opinion of her quite physically in a moment of madness," Darcy said stiffly.

"Threw herself at him and kissed him," Col. Fitzwilliam said enlightening Elizabeth to what happened. "I don't think I have ever seen anything like it. Darcy attempting to escape her clutches and her determined to make her point."

"I am so sorry. I am mortified," Elizabeth chocked out.

"There is nothing for you to be sorry about," Darcy said firmly. "You cannot be held responsible for your sister's actions. You are not the one who, who, well. Had it of been you I would have had a very different reaction and your father would have been demanding I marry you immediately, something I would have been all to happy to comply with."

"What must you think of us though? Of the Bennets? A family of impetuous improper individuals?" Elizabeth whispered.

"I think I hope the next one of them to attmepts to kiss me is you," Darcy said dryly.

Jane looked at her sister wide eyed and said in disbelief and said, "She tried to kiss Mr. Darcy? In full view of mama, Kitty and Col. Fitzwilliam?"

Elizabeth nodded and said, "Papa too, though she did not know he was there."

"And now papa has put her back into the school room, suspended her pin money and forbidden all the officers other than Col. Fitzwilliam from calling?"

"He has. He means to ask uncle to help him find a school for Lydia. I would never have believed he had it in him," Elizabeth confided to her sister. "Mama had a fit of the vapors, taking to her room, and then Aunt Phillips arrived. She naturally went up to console her. I imagine mama is placing all the blame on me for Lydia being returned to the school room. Papa just had to announce it to me in front of mama as, 'You will be pleased to know I have decided to heed your request at last and toss her back into the school room,'" Elizabeth said with a roll of her eyes.

"And what do you think him and Mr. Darcy discussed in his study afterwards?"

"I do not know. Papa has not said anything," Elizabeth said with a frown.

At that moment their Aunt Philips entered the drawing room. With a disdainful sniff in Elizabeth's direction, confirming for both sister's that blame had been placed on Elizabeth, the woman said, "My sister rests as best she can under the circumstances, Jane. I will return to check on her tomorrow. I shall see you then, but now I must return to Meryton." To Lizzy she said, "You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Miss Lizzy!"

Lizzy's response was to say nothing while her sister silently stood and escorted their aunt out.

Darcy sat quietly thinking about his conversation with Mr. Bennet earlier. He had been uncertain what to expect when he entered Mr. Bennet's study. It certainly had not been Mr. Bennet offering him Elizabeth's hand. He had desperately wanted to accept and have a betrothal contract drawn up right away. Declining had been one of the hardest things he had ever done. When Mr. Bennet had looked at him in defeat and said, "So you no longer want her after her sister's actions after all. I cannot say I blame you," Darcy had quickly corrected him assuring him he wanted Elizabeth as his wife but that he respected her to much to take that choice from her.

When Bennet had quietly asked, desperation in his voice, "And what if since you have declined I revoke my refusal and grant my cousin my consent for her hand? It has occurred to me that I need to secure my daughters' futures by any means possible, as soon as possible."

Darcy had then informed Mr. Bennet just what had occurred at Lucas Lodge earlier Mr. Bennet had appeared to age before his eyes. In his eyes Darcy had detected the look of fear. It appeared that Mr. Bennet had finally realized the jeapordy his daughter's futures could be in from his indolence in raising his youngest. If she was foolish enough to fling herself at a gentleman uninterested in her, in front of witnesses, what coulld she have done, or may do, with others? The interview had ended with Mr. Bennet assuring Darcy of his consent if Elizabeth accepted him and a promise not to force his daughter into a betrothal with another man.

As disgusted as Darcy had been about the amusement Mr. Bennet derived from Mr. Collins proposal to Elizabeth he had been grateful her father supported her refusal. He had been irritated by Mr. Bennet's assumption of a refusal from Elizabeth, but had dismissed it since he had every intention of earning Elizabeth's good opinion and heart. Now that same man who had been amused to refuse suitor after suitor for his daughter, in a spur of the moment decision, had decided he should attempt to secure whatever suitor he could for her.

As Darcy and Elizabeth rambled along the path to Oakham Mount, Jane and the colonel trailing them, at Elizabeth's request, he filled her in on what her father had discussed with him in the study. He felt no guilt in telling her since their discussion had involved her future. He had already stated his opinion to Mr. Bennet that he respected her enough to trust her to make decisions for herself.

"My father attempted to force a bethrothal?" Elizabeth asked aghast.

"He was concerned about your future," Darcy said gently. "Refusing him was the hardest thing I have ever done, especially after he mentioned Mr. Collins as an alternative. I love you, but you have a right to make your own decisions. As I told your father, I have every intention of earning what I want," he said emphasising the word earning. "And I believe I sucessfully disabused him of the idea that Mr. Collins was acceptable in any way."

"Thank you, " Elizabeth said softly, her mind whirling. "I have never liked my choices being taken from me. Most would say I am to independent."

"You are intelligent and capable. Perfectly able to make rational decisions. I do not believe anyone likes having their choices taken from them."

"No they don't," Elizabeth said meeting his eyes. "I am grateful you did not accept my father's offer. Though if it comes down to you or Mr. Collins, I wouldn't hesitate to choose you." Blushing vividly she added, "I find myself more inclined toward you the more I know of you."

Darcy broke out into a beaming smile and said breathlessly, "You can have no idea what it means to me to hear you say so."'Wryly he added, "Though I hope you will eventually wish to choose me not just because I am the lesser of two evils."

"You are not the less of two evils. You are by far the superior gentleman. Even without Mr. Collins, I would be inclined toward you. I think I have been inclined toward you since the assembly."

While hearing such made Darcy wish to drop to one knee and propose immediately he sensed that Elizabeth was not quite ready for that yet but hoped she soon would be. Instead he changed the topic and the two continued on in enjoyable conversation.