The other day I had an idea. What if Elizabeth did not get angry about Darcy's abysmal proposal.
Since I was busy finishing Turnabout, which is now live on Kindle and KU, this one-shot had to wait.
I hope you enjoy it. 😉
~OD~
Oh Dear
Miss Elizabeth Bennet was sitting in the parlour of the Hunsford Parsonage, reading a book when she had a most unexpected visitor, who proceeded to give a most unexpected speech.
'In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you,' Mr Darcy cried with great feeling and continued on to express in great detail why he should not marry Elizabeth.
He concluded with representing to her the strength of that attachment which in spite of all his endeavours he had found impossible to conquer; and with expressing his hope that it would now be rewarded by her acceptance of his hand. As he said this, she could easily see that he had no doubt of a favourable answer. He spoke of apprehension and anxiety, but his countenance expressed real security.
Elizabeth waited with bated breath until the gentleman stopped speaking.
At last, she clasped her hands together and raised them to her chin in an attitude of prayer. 'Oh, Mr Darcy,' she gushed. 'You do me too much honour. I cannot possibly accept such an eloquent offer. You are quite correct; it would indeed be a degradation to have a person of such lowly antecedents as myself pollute the shades of Pemberley.'
Darcy, who had been leaning against the mantlepiece in an attitude of arrogant confidence, felt a change come over his haughty but condescending expression as he grasped the meaning of the lady's words. Strange as it seemed, Miss Elizabeth was rejection his gracious offer of marriage.
Her words confused him so much that he was dumbstruck as she continued her speech.
'Indeed, you must not go against all the dictates of your conscience and propriety. It simply would not do for you to be associated with a family where many members are of such uncertain behaviour.'
She was agreeing with his assessment of all the obstacles he had to overcome, but it seemed that she was saying that he should not do so.
'I can quite see that having a mother-in-law who is concerned with seeing her daughters well married to honourable gentlemen must be quite mortifying to someone as decorous as yourself, especially as you have such a wonderful example of a lady's behaviour as your aunt… Lady Catherine, who would never push her daughter at any man.'
Wait… did she just compare her mother to Lady Catherine?
'I am but a simple country maiden and not worthy to be raised to such exalted heights as your wife. I am sure that I should cause you the greatest embarrassment due to my unspeakable relations.'
While Darcy agreed with her assessment, had he not mentioned the same things to her in his speech, he felt bad that she would feel the sting of her inferiority so badly.
'Mr Darcy, there was truly no need to fear that you would be related to Miss Bingley via a marriage to me, and you did not need to separate a most loving couple such as my dearest sister and Mr Bingley, despite their great mutual attachment.'
No, it could not be. Was Miss Bennet truly in love with his friend? Did he unconsciously occasion pain to them both in an attempt to keep Miss Elizabeth out of his life?
'Although I can see why you would have done so, as I am certain that you would also have wished me to distance myself from those relations in trade who were responsible for teaching manners and deportment to my dearest sister and myself. Yes, I can see why being related to my Aunt and Uncle Gardiner would cause such mortification to someone of as an exalted rank as yourself.'
She did have a point. Now that he was not overcome by passion, he had no wish to acknowledge her relations in trade.
'But as I said before, I am simply the daughter of a gentlemen and therefore was brought up to love my family and a simple country life and I am not suited to high society. For all those reason, I simply cannot subject you to the embarrassment of accepting your proposal.'
With those words, Elizabeth curtsied and opened the parlour door in an unmistakeable gesture,
Darcy, being completely shaken and discombobulated by the self-sacrificing nature of his lady-love stumbled from the cottage without a further word, only a brief nod of utmost respect.
The lady had just saved him from himself.
.
.
.
.
scroll down
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
As the front door closed behind the gentleman, Elizabeth raised her eyes to the ceiling and muttered, 'Idiot,' and then went back to reading her book.