A Plethora of Peers Chapter 22 - Memorable meetings, a pride and prejudice fanfic

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Memorable meetings

By the time Darcy and Fitzwilliam left Purvis Lodge, it was too late to call at Longbourn. As much as they would have liked to see the ladies, they returned to Netherfield instead.

Dinner was pleasant as Caroline was on her best behaviour so as not to risk being excluded from the ball. Afterwards the men remained in the dining room, engaged in quiet discussion.

'Hurst, I have been meaning to ask about your almost encounter with Miss Bennet in London. What made her so memorable to you? You seemed amused when you mentioned the occasion.' Darcy asked when the conversation flagged.

'Did you ever encounter Pemberton? Although you may not remember him as he was about my own age, and I doubt that you would have moved in his circles,' Hurst asked.

Darcy frowned and shook his head as Richard answered. 'I cannot say that I had anything to do with him, but Andrew mentioned him. He did not have a good reputation as he was a spendthrift, and that was one of his better qualities. Apparently, he was into gambling and heavily in debt. But he suddenly vanished from the scene. People wondered if he had gone into hiding to escape his creditors or if one of them caught up with him. That must have been about a couple of years ago.'

'You have an excellent memory. I think I even know the exact day and place he was last seen. He was lying on the floor of the ballroom at the Worthingtons. Miss Bennet was standing over him and berating him for being drunk in public.'

'While it is an interesting fact, I do not see how this can be relevant.'

'From a few very quiet whispers I have heard, he had been hoping to compromise a lady to force her into marriage as he needed her dowry to clear his debts. I suspect that he tried to target Miss Bennet.'

Darcy's first reaction was fury that such a man had dared to even think that he could importune Elizabeth, but then he remembered a conversation with the lady when she had mentioned her lessons in side-stepping. As he considered the facts, he started to chuckle which grew into fully fledged laughter.

'Good heavens, did he pick the wrong woman,' Darcy gasped between guffaws. When his companions enquired what he meant, he carefully suppressed his mirth to allow him to speak and said, 'I expect that you are correct in your guess that Pemberton had his eye on Elizabeth. I believe he was trying to run into Elizabeth and knock her over or at least entangle her in such a way that she would have no choice but to marry him, unless she was prepared to see her reputation in tatters.'

Darcy graced his friends with a wolfish grin. 'Instead, she moved out of his way at the last moment and then tripped him. To divert suspicion that she might have anything to do with his fall, she then scolded him for being drunk.'

Hurst answered that grin with one of his own. 'That was my suspicion as well, but I would never have said so in public.' He shook his head and said with admiration, 'These ladies certainly know how to deal with fortune hunters.'

Darcy agreed and said with a pointed look at his cousin, 'I cannot imagine either lady allowing themselves to be forced to do anything they do not wish. I am convinced that they can not only recognise real fortune hunters but can distinguish them from honourable men who just happen to lack excessive funds.'

Richard muttered, 'I only hope that you are right.'

~PoP~

In the morning, Darcy and Elizabeth had yet another accidental encounter during their morning ride.

After their initial greeting, Darcy was wracking his brain how to introduce the subject which was foremost on his mind. He was still struggling to formulate the question when Elizabeth said, 'Mr Darcy, is something the matter? You appear to be quite preoccupied. Are you perhaps unwell?'

That was just the opening he needed. 'My apologies for not being fully attentive. My mind was still on some advice Lord Ashcroft provided, and I was wondering how I could introduce the subject.'

'Now that you have piqued my curiosity, I hope you will not keep me in suspense.'

Darcy stopped his horse, prompting Elizabeth to follow suit, and he reached across to take her hand. 'Lord Ashcroft's advice was that instead of trying to guess what is on your mind, I should ask you how you feel about me. Whether you feel as I do.'

He smiled and gently squeezed her hand. 'I love you most dearly and if you feel the same, I should like to ask you a most important question.'

For a moment Elizabeth was breathlessly caught in that smile. For days, perhaps even weeks she had been unable to deny her attraction to the man. Even though he had proven himself to be imperfect, she had come to realise that he was perfect for her. She enjoyed spending time with him and thought his conversation to be second to none. The respect he demonstrated did him no harm either.

And then there was another aspect which she would never admit to anyone. He had invaded her dreams in the most inappropriate ways. While the images were vague, but the feelings they engendered put her to the blush as she recalled them in the mornings.

Elizabeth had started to curse propriety which forced her to wait for him to declare himself. Caught up in the joy that her wait might be over at last she managed to whisper, 'Ask your question.'

Darcy's smile became even more brilliant and devastating to Elizabeth's equilibrium. 'I love you more than life itself and I cannot imagine my life without you in it. Would you consent to being my friend, my partner, my lover and my wife?'

Her breath caught at that list, and she gasped, 'You want me to be all those things?'

'Indeed, and I believe that you will excel at all of them. What say you?'

'Yes!' exclaimed Elizabeth firmly with an answering smile.

Darcy could not help himself. He dropped her hand as he reached up to cup her face and gently pulled her towards himself as he leaned forward. At the halfway point their lips met for a gentle and lingering kiss, which left both of them wanting more.

When their lips separated, Darcy leaned forward until their foreheads touched. 'Thank you, my love. I will do everything in my power that you will never regret your choice.'

They could have remained in that position potentially for hours if Spirit had not become restless and danced Elizabeth out of Darcy's reach.

Darcy gave the horse a frustrated look. 'Note to self. When proposing, dismount first,' he muttered.

The comment was rewarded by a tinkling laugh, followed by a pout. 'I should hope that as I have accepted, you will not need that advice.'

'Perhaps not for myself. But I can offer my sage guidance to family and friends.'

Since they were reluctant to admit anyone else into their happiness for a little longer, they continued their ride until Darcy escorted Elizabeth back to Longbourn, to speak to her father.

As they dismounted, John Farrer caught up with them. 'Some chaperone you were,' chided Elizabeth jokingly.

John shrugged and smirked. 'I figured that as long as you each stayed on your own horse, you couldn't get up to too much mischief,' was his laconic reply.

~PoP~

When they eventually returned to the house, they encountered an excitedly beaming Mr Collins.

'Please, Cousin, you may be the first to congratulate me on my great good fortune. Miss Lucas has agreed to become my wife. Is that not the most wonderful news?' he exclaimed.

Slightly taken aback that in her own preoccupation with Mr Darcy, she had shamefully neglected her friend and had not been aware of an attachment forming, she forced a smile onto her lips. 'Indeed, Mr Collins, you have my heartiest congratulations. Charlotte is indeed a wonderful woman, and I am assured of your felicity.'

'I believe you are quite correct. But I hope you and your family will not take it amiss if I return to Hunsford on the morrow so that I can inform Lady Catherine of my good fortune and make arrangements at the parsonage to receive my wife.'

'When are you and Charlotte planning to marry?'

'I hope to return on the sixteenth of December and marry two days later. This will allow us to return in time for me to perform the Christmas services. Miss Lucas most graciously agreed with this plan.'

~PoP~

Darcy added his own felicitations before seeking out Mr Bennet in his library.

As soon as Darcy had entered and Hill had closed the door behind him, Bennet examined his face and said, 'Yes.'

Uncertain of Bennet's meaning, Darcy said, 'I beg your pardon? What are you asking?'

'That was not a question, that was your answer.' Bennet grimaced a little and sighed. 'Lizzy will reach her majority in just two more days, at which point she will not need my permission. So, why should I drag out the interview unnecessarily.'

Darcy cleared his throat to gain time as he struggled to regain his equilibrium. He had not expected to gain permission so easily, but while he felt upset at Elizabeth's behalf on Bennet's almost casual acceptance, he had to agree that Bennet would not be able to stop Elizabeth from marrying how she chose. Eventually he said simply, 'Thank you.'

Bennet seemed to understand what Darcy was thinking from his expression, because he said, 'If it makes you feel better, I respect Lizzy's intelligence and sense. She knows what is best for her.'

That comment achieved its aim. Darcy smiled and said more sincerely, 'Thank you. That does make me feel better.'

'I love my daughters and have no wish to lose them to any man. But I know you well enough to know that you are the right man for Lizzy. I doubt that she could find anyone better suited to her. I expect you to try to make her happy.'

'I will do everything in my power to do so,' Darcy answered and shook the hand which Bennet extended to him.

~PoP~

Elizabeth, meanwhile, went to the drawing room where her sister and her grandmother had assembled to finish the project they had been working on for weeks, whenever any of them had any spare time.

The very finely embroidered waistcoat was a birthday present for James. 'I just hope he likes it,' Elizabeth fretted. 'He usually wears plainer clothes than this.'

'I know that James has exquisite taste and likes to dress elegantly when in company. And I am certain that he cannot fault this in elegance as I have rarely if ever seen a more elegant waistcoat,' Mrs Bennet reassured her granddaughter as she examined the garment which was in a pale blue silk, with the very fine embroidery in dark blue silk thread.

Elizabeth had finished decorating the last button, which Mary was now attaching to the garment, when another visitor was announced.

'Colonel Fitzwilliam, it is good to see you,' Mrs Bennet greeted him with a smile.

After all the greetings, Fitzwilliam looked around and commented, 'I expected to see my cousin since he has been absent all morning.'

'He has been keeping me company,' announced Mr Bennet as he led Darcy into the room. 'You are just in time to congratulate him on his engagement.'

The announcement was met with the best wishes by everyone for Elizabeth as well as Darcy. Once the hubbub had died down, Mrs Bennet smiled at Elizabeth and teased, 'At least now we know why you returned from your ride with such a glow. I thought that it could not have been the cold air alone.'

~PoP~

The gentlemen agreed to stay and partake of refreshments and it was only natural that the conversation tended towards the wedding of the engaged couple.

While most of them joined in the discussion Fitzwilliam used their distraction for a quiet conversation with Mary, whom he persuaded to sit with him across the room from the others.

After a few minutes of general conversation, Fitzwilliam blurted out, 'Miss Mary, I had a most intriguing conversation with Lady Ashcroft yesterday where she gave some unexpected advice.'

'And what advice was that?'

Richard adjusted his cuffs, quite unnecessarily, as he said nervously, 'She advised that I should speak honestly with you and ignore the strictures which propriety places on us, which would have us express ourselves in innuendo and riddles.'

Mary saw the nervousness and wondered at the cause. Was he nervous because he was going to tell her that she had misconstrued his interest or was it because the opposite was true? She took a deep breath and tried to still her hands which were twisting a handkerchief.

'While I suppose that the rules of propriety were established for good reasons, they can cause us to misinterpret people's thoughts and intentions. Perhaps the reason why I am disinclined to spend much time in high society is that I struggle to decipher their meanings.'

Taking another deep breath, she said, 'Grandmother knows that I am more at ease in the company of people who speak their mind plainly… for good or ill.'

Fitzwilliam smiled ruefully as he said, 'In that case, I shall take you at your word and I speak plainly.' He hesitated a moment before he went on in a rush. 'Miss Mary. I have come to admire you greatly. But I am concerned that you might consider me a fortune hunter like so many others. While I am not completely without funds, my wealth is but a fraction of yours.'

Only years of training prevented Richard from squirming in his seat as he said, 'In the spirit of honesty, I must tell you that for years I said that I was in search of an heiress, because as a second son I am reliant on my own efforts. While the theory was sound, it did not take into consideration how I would feel when I met a lady about whom I truly cared.'

'For a man who was going to speak plainly, you are still quite unclear,' Mary said as her hopes soared. 'Are you speaking hypothetically or are you saying…' She trailed off. Years of being taught propriety could not be so easily set aside as she had thought.

Richard noticed the shining eyes and threw caution to the wind. 'I am speaking of a very specific lady. I care greatly about you and hope that you would consider entering into a courtship with me. I hope that in the not-too-distant future you might even consider me as a potential husband.'

'In theory I would be delighted to enter into a courtship with you.' As Richard beamed, Mary held up a hand to stop him from speaking. 'I have only one issue… I could not bear to marry a man who was already married… to the army.'

Fitzwilliam's face fell at that statement and Mary explained, 'I could not bear to sit at home, afraid that the next letter I received was to inform me that I was a widow. I am not strong enough for that.'

Mary was quiet after that admission, allowing Fitzwilliam to absorb the information.

After a minute or two, he quietly said, 'I suppose that the excitement of battle has lost much of its gloss since I joined the army. Perhaps it is time for me to retire and learn how to be a civilian.'

'I have no wish to force you to make a choice right now, Colonel. Please consider this carefully and let me know what you decide… whenever you have made your decision.'

The Colonel had suspected that he would have to make such a choice at some time and was grateful that Mary was prepared to give him the time he needed.

~PoP~

A/N: As you've probably gathered, we are getting close to the end of the story. There will be only a few more chapters. Once I post the last chapter, I will edit the story to ready it for publication. That should take only a couple of days.

After that I will have to remove the bulk of it because Amazon insist on exclusivity for Kindle Unlimited.

I hope you will enjoy the upcoming fireworks. 😊

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