The Gardiner household had been up and about for several hours. The hubbub caused by even the best-behaved small children ensured that it was difficult to sleep in, should anyone have been inclined to indulge. As it happened, only Mr Bennet resented the early start to the day, and he was in a mood to resent just about anything, so it cannot be thought he would have welcomed keeping town hours any more should he have been given the options. He mustered a smile to greet his hosts and daughter at the breakfast table, attempting to engage Elizabeth in conversation but meeting only calm silence from that direction. Even the Gardiners - usually pleasant conversationalists - were unusually quiet this morning.
Mr Bennet shortly abandoned his facade of good cheer, threw his napkin down beside his half-empty plate, and declared his intention to spend the morning in Mr Gardiner's study in case there were any visitors seeking an audience. As an afterthought he added, "if you will not be needing the room, Gardiner?" Mr Gardiner assured him he was welcome to the study this morning, "as I plan to visit my warehouse to meet with a potential investor. I might take Lizzy with me to show her some of the new wares in from India, if that is alright with you?"
"Yes, yes. The more time she spends out of the house this morning the better. Show her your bibs and bobs. She needs some distraction. I find she has become much too solemn of late. Perhaps you can cheer her up. I entrust her to your care with all good will." All this was said without even glancing in Elizabeth's direction, though she sat not three feet from him, and then he left for the study, to devise some means to put Darcy off again without directly refusing him.
Elizabeth merely rolled her eyes. Her father's continued dismissal of her as too childish to know her own mind still hurt, but in the previous day's discussion, he had so broken her trust in his affection, that this further proof was like an ache in an old wound, rather than a new injury. A sympathetic glance from Mrs Gardiner reminded her that she was not alone, and she turned her mind to the real reason for her visit to her uncle's warehouse. She had more to look forward to than a preview of his Indian imports.
After breakfast, Elizabeth and the Gardiners made their way three blocks through Cheapside to the Gardiner Imports warehouse. As the warehouse was so convenient to their home, there was no need for a carriage, and the trio enjoyed a stroll through the busy streets, looking in shop windows and exchanging greetings with their friends and neighbours. They reached their destination in good time, a full half hour before Mr Darcy was expected.
Although she had designed the scheme they were following, Elizabeth could not suppress her nervousness. So many things could go wrong. Everything depended on so many variables falling into place at the right time. She could not settle, and paced nervously in her uncle's office until he laughingly suggested she might in fact need the distraction her father had prescribed for her, and took her to view the array of Indian scarves and silks that were set out in the display area near the front of the warehouse. "You really should look at my bibs and bobs, you know. I would not want Mr Bennet to be able to call me a liar!"
"If it is necessary to preserve your reputation as an honourable man, Uncle, then I will happily examine the latest stock," Elizabeth said with a smile. She welcomed the chance to do something other than wait, and indeed Mr Gardiner imported a fine selection of fabrics and spices, and she always relished the chance to see the exotic items that often accompanied his regular stock. "I hope Mr Darcy arrives soon, though. I find myself uncommonly anxious. I know it is silly, but until he is actually here, I cannot help but worry that he might change his mind, or that something unexpected might arise to prevent him from coming."
"Don't fret, my dear. Nothing could keep Mr Darcy away. He sent me a note last night, confirming that he would be here. He is a man of his word. You may rely upon him arriving on the stroke of eleven."
Elizabeth visibly relaxed, and a fond smile crept across her face. Her uncle was right, and she could depend on Fitzwilliam Darcy to keep his word. He would come. This confidence lasted until her uncle's fob watch showed eleven. She even maintained a reasonable semblance of calm until eleven-fifteen, though the quarter hour had dragged slowly enough to seem a lifetime. By the time a harried Darcy pulled a lathered horse to a stop in front of the warehouse at eleven twenty, she was on the verge of tears. She was so overcome with relief at his arrival that she turned her back on him in an attempt to regain her composure, leaving Darcy worried that she would not speak to him and enable him to apologise for his tardiness.
Instead, it was Mr Gardiner who greeted his somewhat breathless guest and directed a hand to take charge of his horse, which was much in need of care.
"I am sorry to have kept you waiting, sir," offered Darcy, in such earnest tones that Elizabeth gained the courage to turn around. The look of teary happiness he saw on her face both comforted and alarmed him. He took a step towards her before remembering his manners and bowing politely. "Miss Elizabeth, it is very good to see you again," he said.
This evidence of his continued affection was exactly what the lady needed, and she quickly dabbed at her cheeks before treating him to an unalloyed grin. Darcy gazed at her happily for a few moments before his reverie was interrupted by Mr Gardiner. "Thank you for coming, Mr Darcy. I have a joint venture of great importance to discuss with you. I learned last evening that it had become a matter of great urgency, hence my request for this meeting. I apologise for disrupting your plans for the day, but I am sure you will see the benefits of the scheme, and understand the need to act speedily while the opportunity still exists. Shall we step into my office to discuss it?"
It was clear that Darcy was not best pleased at the prospect of a business discussion, but he was too much the gentleman to demur, and in any case, he understood the importance of remaining on good terms with Elizabeth's favourite relatives, and so he simply bowed his head in acquiescence and followed Mr Gardiner and Elizabeth into the manager's office.
Like his study at home, Mr Gardiner's office displayed a pleasing combination of good taste, comfort and utility. He took a seat behind an imposing desk of dark wood and leather upon which a ledger, pen and inkwell were neatly arrayed. Darcy and Elizabeth took the two seats waiting before the desk, although Elizabeth turned hers so that she was facing the two men equally. This prompted Darcy to shift his own chair so that they sat more in a circle than otherwise, despite the presence of the desk.
"I must admit I am intrigued to know what venture is so urgent as to require my immediate attendance, Mr Gardiner," Darcy said. "I am usually averse to the sort of speculations that demand their investors commit funds without taking the time to consider things carefully, but I trust you do not speak of anything like that.?
"Indeed not," replied Gardiner, barely repressing his smile. Despite the urgency of his summons, he did not seem to be in hurry to commence laying out his business proposition. Instead, he began to discuss Bennet family arrangements - a matter which at another time might have fascinated Darcy but which at the moment only served to irritate him. He had ridden across London at a pace which had endangered both his mount and several pedestrians, a ride which would doubtlessly become the topic of gossip in the ton, only to be met with idle chit-chat.
"I understand you share guardianship of your sister with a cousin," began Gardiner. At Darcy's wary nod, he continued, "Then I am sure you will understand what I mean when I explain that when Lizzy is in my care and my brother Bennet is not there, I stand in loco parentis, and have many times acted in his stead. Indeed, it is a standing arrangement between us - he has long granted me the power - and the duty - to act the part of Lizzy's father." He smiled in fond reminiscence, adding "and many is the time I have had to put my fatherly foot down to curtail some hare-brained scheme she dreamed up. I must say, though, that I quite approve of her hare-brained scheme for today."
Darcy turned a confused face to his beloved, who was, uncharacteristically, blushing and looking at the hands firmly clasped in her lap. "Elizabeth?" he asked, and was delighted to see that the eyes she raise to meet his own were sparking with some hidden excitement. "Does this scheme involve me?"
"I most fervently hope so, William," she replied, but then confusingly returned the conversation to business: "Please listen very carefully to my uncle's proposition."
"If you wish it." Darcy reluctantly tore his gaze from Elizabeth's and turned back to Mr Gardiner, who had been entertained by the interaction between the two lovers, but was ready to get down to business.
"Mr Darcy, the joint venture I speak of is the Bennet family. You have previously spoken of your determination to make that family your own, so I do not think it is a venture you have failed to give due consideration to. I would not rush you sir, but there is now a degree of urgency which makes it imperative that you come to the point today. Now, actually. As you see, I am here. Elizabeth is here. And Mr Bennet is not. Therefore it is my duty to act in place of Elizabeth's father."
Seeing Darcy about to quibble, he said, "No, do not speak yet, sir! I know what you would say: 'Mr Bennet is only a few streets away.' I do not deny it. But anyone who knows my brother-in-law knows he will not stir himself away from a book room for anything less than a crisis - a few streets might as well be half the kingdom away when it comes to Thomas Bennet! In any case, as we parted this morning, he expressly entrusted Elizabeth to my care while we were out of the house. This is important, sir, and you must accept that I have a better understanding of these matters than you."
Darcy looked to Elizabeth, who was nodding enthusiastically in support of her uncle's comments, before he slowly bowed his head to Gardiner, silently inviting him to continue uninterrupted.
"Good, then," said Gardiner crisply, to all appearances the tradesman about to offer his wares for sale, "let us get to business. I am here. Elizabeth is here. Mr Bennet is not. I have learned from trading with the East that many people believe that there are particular moments that are more favourable for making important deals than others. I would say, Mr Darcy, that this particular moment - right here and right now - is a particularly auspicious moment for this particular joint venture. If you have a question to ask, sir, now would be a very good time to ask it." Noting Darcy's raised eyebrows, he quickly added, "And make very sure it is the right question. It would not do to leave anything unsettled that might require you to ask for more at a less auspicious moment."
Darcy was flabbergasted. Was Mr Gardiner really suggesting he should bypass Elizabeth's father and ask consent from her uncle? And he had said this was Elizabeth's idea? He had always understood Elizabeth to be particularly close to her father. Could she really have thought this through properly? Ignoring Gardiner for the moment, he turned to take his beloved's hands in his own and look carefully at her face as he asked, "Is this really what you want, my love?"
"Trust me, William," she replied earnestly, "I want this more than anything."
"Well then," he said, sinking to one knee on the wooden office floor, "I might have preferred a more romantic setting, but I Miss Elizabeth Bennet, will you do me the very great honour of becoming my wife?"
Elizabeth was teary again, but smiling luminously with it. "I would be delighted, William. If my uncle consents, then I am yours. I love you most dearly."
She turned to Mr Gardiner, who knew his cue, and sternly demanded, "Do you have something to ask of me, Mr Darcy?"
Darcy's joy at securing Elizabeth's love spilled over: the expression of heartfelt delight, diffused over his face, became him. He resumed his seat, his natural fastidiousness revealing itself in the way he absently brushed the dust from his trouser leg and straightened his waistcoat before addressing Mr Gardiner.
"Sir, your niece, Miss Elizabeth, has made me the happiest of men by agreeing to my proposal of marriage. I now seek your consent and blessing for our union."
"Well done, lad!" Gardiner's approbation was clear. "I happily grant you my consent on behalf of her father, and my blessing as well. I cannot imagine any good reason Mr Bennet might have for refusing your request, and am confident that any loving father would have me act expeditiously to secure his beloved daughter's future. Now, just to make things formal, I have a draft settlement here. It can always be varied later if you are not satisfied with the terms, but it would comfort me to know my Lizzy's future was secure even should some mishap befall you before the wedding."
Darcy's eyes bulged at this impudence. A marriage settlement was not a thing to be taken lightly, and all his native caution against being rushed into financial arrangements came to the fore. "Is such haste really necessary?" he asked in surprise, but before he could continue, a small hand reached across and rested on his forearm, effectively stilling him.
"It would be for the best, William," Elizabeth said.
It was enough. If his Elizabeth asked it of him, then he would trust she knew what she was about. He looked at the document Mr Gardiner presented, and was surprised at the very modest terms proposed. He took the pen from Gardiner's desk, dipped it in the inkwell, and firmly scratched out the figure written in as Elizabeth's pin money, replacing it with a much larger number and initialling the change, as well as each of the three pages, before signing in full at the end. He watched in silence as Mr Gardiner added his own initials and signature before setting the pages aside for the ink to dry.
"I will have my solicitors draw up a replacement at my first opportunity, but this will do for now," he said. Turning to Elizabeth he added mildly, "I hope that some day you will explain all this to me, my dear."
"Now that we are engaged," Elizabeth answered, "I can tell you everything." and she proceeded to do so. Darcy's dismay that Mr Bennet had planned to reject his suit was soon replaced by anger when Elizabeth enumerated the various arguments he had put forward in support of such a stance.
"But you had a ready answer for all his objections, Elizabeth. And you say you assured him of our mutual affection. Why could he not see the benefits of the match?" The previous evening Darcy had granted Mr Bennet the benefit of the doubt: despite his uneasiness with the hostile tone of the interview, he had convinced himself that Mr Bennet merely wanted to bet sure of Elizabeth's happiness before granting his consent. But to hear such a litany of objections, including some he had previously heard from Elizabeth herself in response to his first proposal at Hunsford, hurt him deeply. "I have done nothing to earn such enmity from him!"
"Oh, my dear, it was not about you at all," said his betrothed.
"Not about me?" he asked, confused. "But it was me he was speaking about!"
"There were two things really motivating him. One he did not even realise himself, and the other he revealed toward the end of our conversation. Be patient, my dear, and it will become clear. First, my father is an indolent man. Having formed a view, he does not like to give himself the bother of changing it. He would rather invent arguments for his original position, however spurious they may be, than to accept evidence that calls his opinion into question. As a result, he is quite a belligerent arguer. It did not matter how much I explained to him his errors, he had taken a stance, and was not inclined to change it."
Darcy interrupted again: "We all like to think we are right, and are unhappy to be proved wrong, but only a fool would believe themselves never in need of correction!"
"I fear Mr Bennet has heard none but his own counsel for too many years," suggested Mr Gardiner. "But you still have not told him the most important reason, Lizzy."
Thus prompted, Elizabeth braced herself to reveal her father's true character, and the depth of his betrayal of his favourite daughter. "Mr Bennet grew angry when I refuted each of his objections. In his anger, he explained the true reason he would refuse you, or any other suitor: he is determined to keep me at Longbourn to do all the work of running the estate (so that he need not shift to do so), and to provide him with amusement in the evenings. You might have been the heir to the throne and he would still have refused you. You were irrelevant. He thought only of himself - his ease and his comfort.
"Oh, he would have delayed giving you a straight answer as long as he could, for he enjoys what he calls "making sport" of others, but in the end he would have refused his consent. I am not of age for another eight months, and even then marriage without his consent would have caused a scandal. I would rather not impose that on my sisters and mother, nor begin our married life under a cloud of gossip.:
Elizabeth could see that Darcy was incandescent with rage by now. It was not an unexpected reaction from a man who took his responsibility for those under his care so seriously, and it warmed her to know he felt such anger on her behalf, but the day was not yet over, and she needed him to play his part. She deliberately lightened her tone, saying cheerfully, "So it seemed best to secure parental consent without giving Mr Bennet an opportunity to give you his answer. I must thank my dear Uncle Gardiner for teaching me some Latin - in loco parentis - and for enabling us to put another Latin phrase into action: carpe diem! Now, my dear Mr Darcy, we must beard the lion in his den (though I think we will find him nothing more than a surly barn cat)." Turning serious once more, she added, "We have outmanoeuvred Mr Bennet. He cannot undo an engagement made with parental consent and where a settlement has been signed. But it would be best for my family - for our family - if we can contain his reaction."
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