~~PoP~~

Delicate discussions

In the morning, even before the invitations were sent, two riders accidentally met near the foot of Oakham Mount.

'Mr Darcy, what a surprise to see you out and about so early,' exclaimed Elizabeth mendaciously.

'Indeed, Miss Elizbeth, I had no expectation to encounter you until later today, when I was planning to call on you,' Darcy replied in a similar manner. 'But, since we have met so fortuitously, might I accompany you on your outing, since you are so well chaperoned.'

Darcy nodded politely, acknowledging John Farrer, who had been riding behind Elizabeth. John returned the nod and smiled to himself when he heard the words obviously intended for him to hear, so that he could report that the meeting had not been planned by either party.

When Elizabeth declared herself agreeable to his company, Darcy fell in beside her and they continued their ride at a gentle walk, while John dropped back to give them privacy to speak.

'Have we satisfied propriety, Miss Elizabeth, or do we need to keep up the performance further?' Darcy asked quietly.

Elizabeth laughed at his mischievous expression. 'I believe that propriety has been satisfied. While I do not for one moment believe that John was fooled, at least he can report our words if he should be questioned.'

'You may also rely on my discretion. I would never disclose that you mentioned that this is your favourite route for a ride,' Darcy reassured her with a teasing smile.

Feeling the need to return the teasing in kind, Elizabeth exclaimed with mock haughtiness, 'Mr Darcy, it is excessively presumptuous of you to believe that my revealing to you my favourite route could be construed as an invitation. How do you know that I did not mention it to warn you away from my path?'

'Because unlike many a simpering Miss, you speak your mind quite decidedly. I am certain that if you did not wish for my company, you would be able to make it quite clear to anyone but a fool.' He smiled to take the potential sting out of the comment and added, 'But I must confess that I find it refreshing. At least I do not have to guess what is on your mind.'

'And here I thought to be a woman of mystery.' Elizabeth sighed theatrically.

'Believe me when I tell you only callow youths and fools enjoy the company of mysterious women. Most men are simple creatures and much prefer to know where they stand without having to constantly employ guessing games.'

'Is that why most men prefer the company of other men? Because they can say exactly what is on their minds?'

'I had not thought of it in that fashion, but you are probably correct. Most men find speaking in riddles and inuendo exhausting. They prefer blunt speech, at least amongst friends.'

'And yet, it is those men who control how women have to behave. Who declare it inappropriate for a lady to be truthful. They make the rules which force women to appear compliant and insipid.' Elizabeth was warming to her subject. 'They declare that women are too weak minded to understand serious subjects. They–'

'Peace.' Darcy interrupted the flow of words. 'Please Miss Elizabeth. I quite agree with you, and I assure you that I am not one of those men who want the women in their lives to be purely decorative. I enjoy a vigorous debate. That was one of the things which drew me to you. You are prepared to speak your mind even when you disagree with me.'

Darcy gave a small chuckle and added with a grin, 'Or should I say that you enjoy speaking your mind particularly when you disagree with me.'

Elizabeth joined in his laughter. 'I confess you have found me out. I do enjoy being dis-agreeable.' She tilted her head and looked at him. 'I am pleased that you are not put off by my less than ladylike foibles.'

'As I said before, I prefer to know where I stand without having to guess. I hope that you will always feel comfortable telling me the unvarnished truth.'

'As long as you are prepared to do the same. I have no wish to be kept in the dark about issues which could affect my life, just because you think I might be too delicate to hear something unpleasant.'

Darcy was somewhat taken aback by that statement. He wanted to argue that he wished to protect her from all the unpleasantness which he knew existed in the world. But then he remembered that by protecting his sister from an unpleasant truth, he had put her in the greatest peril. It had been a hard lesson to learn, and he reminded himself that he must never forget it.

He therefore said, 'I quite agree. You may be assured that when it comes to information, I shall always treat you as a peer.'

~PoP~

By the time Darcy called at Longbourn, the invitations had been delivered.

When Darcy mentioned receiving an invitation to the ball, Elizabeth explained with an indulgent smile, 'Our grandparents have decided to celebrate my and my brother's birthday with a ball.'

'May I request the first set with you?' Darcy asked but was disappointed to learn that his lady had already promised that set.

'I am afraid that rank has its privileges. My grandfather has already reserved that set.' She turned to Fitzwilliam. 'And before you ask, he insisted that Mary should dance that set with my brother.'

Bennet laughed at the woebegone expression of their visitors. 'Even as their father I have to give way to their titled relations. What is the point of having two lovely daughters and neither of them is available to open a ball with me.'

Richard grinned mischievously. 'Mrs Bennet, I most fervently hope that your son has not yet claimed your hand for the first set because I would be honoured if you were to stand up with me.'

Bennet growled, 'Foiled again,' as his mother laughed and accepted the Colonel's offer. She was aware that since she and the Earl were of an age, the first set would be moderately sedate dances.

As a consolation, the sisters mentioned that their supper sets were still available. Darcy and Richard immediately requested those sets, which were happily granted. Darcy also asked Elizabeth for the last set, seeing that he could not have the first, because he wanted to stake his claim by dancing at least two of the significant sets with her.

Richard considered asking Mary for a second set but thought it best to refrain so as not to raise expectations. He would have been horrified if anyone had pointed out to him that he was acting much like his cousin used to do before he met Elizabeth.

~PoP~

The next day, Darcy and Fitzwilliam presented themselves at Purvis Lodge at the specified time. They arrived in Darcy's carriage as they considered it impolite to arrive at an Earl's residence, even if it was in the country, smelling of horse. This would have been inevitable if they had been riding which would have been their preference.

On the way, they were still discussing the potential reasons for the invitation. They had done so ever since receiving the invitations and discovering they both had been invited.

'I can understand why the Earl would want to meet you,' Fitzwilliam said. 'After all, you are courting his granddaughter and he would want to take your measure. But I cannot comprehend why they would have invited me.'

'The simplest reason could be courtesy, as they know your parents. The most troublesome for you could be that they want to take your measure because it has come to their attention that you have been paying a great deal of attention to their second granddaughter,' was Darcy's thoughtful reply.

The tips of Richard's ears coloured as he spluttered, 'What do you mean… paying attention to Miss Mary?'

Darcy gave his cousin a pitying look. 'Only a blind man would not have noticed that you are forever seeking out her company.'

'I had not meant to be so obvious. I hope I have not raised her expectations,' Richard replied with a sigh.

'Why are you concerned about raising her expectations. I think she is perfect for you, especially as you have said for years that you needed to find an heiress to marry. As the future owner of an estate, she can certainly keep you in the comfort to which you are accustomed.'

'That is precisely the problem. While I was talking in the abstract, the idea of snaring an heiress was a desirable idea. But having come to know Miss Mary, I would hate for her to consider me a fortune hunter.'

Darcy looked dumbfounded for a moment before he started to laugh. 'Oh dear. What a conundrum. You have met a woman whom you like and who fulfills all your requirements but since you obviously care for her you are getting cold feet.'

Richard looked rather sheepish as he shrugged and said, 'What can I say. The lady is too lovely and delicate for a battle-hardened soldier like me. She deserves someone better.'

'I will never admit this again, but you are a good and honourable man. You deserve happiness as well,' Darcy reminded his cousin. After that statement, both were content to contemplate the women in their lives.

~PoP~

The Earl and Countess greeted their guests pleasantly, reminding their visitors of the occasions when they had been introduced.

While they sat down to enjoy their tea, the countess said with a teasing smile, 'You cannot imagine my surprise when my granddaughters mentioned the other night that they have been enjoying your company for several weeks. When I had tea with your mother last week, she appeared to be completely unaware of your current whereabouts.'

Richard suppressed a groan as he opted for a pleasant smile. 'I am afraid that I am not a particularly dutiful son. I have tended to go my own way ever since I was out of leading strings… much to the chagrin of my mother.'

'Colonel, I had not meant to make you feel uncomfortable or obliged to explain yourself. But I should warn you that you will not be able to remain here in anonymity for much longer, as your parents will be visiting with us for a few days. They will be arriving on Friday.'

'I suppose that I should have considered the possibility when I received the invitation to the ball. Miss Bennet informed us that you are giving the ball to celebrate her and her brother's birthday. It is only natural that you would wish to include some of your peers in the festivities.'

'You are perceptive, Colonel.' The countess smiled with amusement at the discomfiture of her guest.

'Once someone hits me over the head with a plank,' Richard refuted the statement with a deprecating smile.

The conversation turned to more general topics until the Earl said, 'Mr Darcy, I wonder if I could speak to you in private for a few minutes?'

It was Darcy's turn to suppress a groan and answer with a polite smile, 'I am at your disposal.'

The gentlemen excused themselves and retired to the Earl's study.

~PoP~

The gentlemen had barely settled into comfortable chairs by the fire when the Earl asked without preamble, 'What makes you think that you are good enough for my granddaughter?'

As soon as the Earl invited him to a private conversation, Darcy suspected the subject to be discussed and had a little time to consider his answers. As a consequence, he was able to reply with equanimity, 'I doubt that any man is good enough for Miss Bennet, by I love and respect her and wish to do everything in my power to make her happy.'

'Would you let her go?'

Darcy was not expecting that question, but after a moment's consideration he was able to say, 'I would not like to do so, but if, as a last resort, that was the only way to ensure her happiness…'

'So, you would not give her up without a fight?' challenged the Earl.

'Not unless Miss Elizabeth sends me away of her own free will. But only if she does so after calm consideration. Certainly not because she does so in a fit of pique.'

The Earl relaxed and laughed. 'Good answer. I know that Elizabeth is strong and needs a partner who can stand up to her… but without trying to overpower her. You will have to tread a very fine line.'

'It has been brought home to me that she is my peer in every way. I expect that we will argue on occasions. We both have a certain amount of pride and possibly even some prejudices, but since we are both moderately reasonable people, we should be able to resolve any differences amicably.'

'Another good answer.' The Earl tilted his head and suggested, 'I have the feeling that you are already speaking from experience.'

'We are both learning about each other. I am pleased that we are able to discover the less ideal aspects about each other before we make an irreversible decision. I hope that when Miss Elizabeth agrees to marry me, she will do so because my good points outweigh my bad.'

'You are already decided on your course?'

'I am simply waiting to give her enough time to know her heart… I already know mine.'

'If you do not know her heart, perhaps you should ask her?' the Earl hinted.

Darcy gave him a searching look, but Ashcroft's bland expression gave no other hint.

~PoP~

In the drawing room, a similar but different discussion was underway.

Ashcroft and his wife had decided on a divide and conquer strategy. While he interviewed Darcy, she was doing the same to his cousin.

'Colonel, now that we have some privacy, I would like to ask you a question and would appreciate an honest answer.'

'You wish to warn me off Miss Mary?' With a sinking heart, Richard hazarded a guess.

'Not at all. I simply wished to ascertain what your intentions are towards my granddaughter. My granddaughter Mary that is.'

Fitzwilliam refused to meet her eyes and rubbed his hands together in agitation. He opened his lips several times but could not find the right words. He, who normally was gregarious and eloquent, did not know what to say.

'Let me guess. You like Mary but when you discovered how wealthy she is, you felt that if you acted on that liking, she would consider you a fortune hunter since you cannot match her wealth,' the countess said calmly.

Fitzwilliam's eyes widened and flew to her. 'How did you know?' he gasped.

'Your parents have spoken about your pride and how you refused their help because you thought it to be charity. Are you not aware that all parents want what is best for all their children? Do you think that your brother would begrudge you one small estate when he stands to inherit the earldom and all the fortune that comes with it?'

'No-o-o. Andrew is a good and generous soul.'

'So why then do you think that Mary or her family would think you a fortune hunter?'

'You would approve?'

'We only care about the happiness of our grandchildren. Ashcroft and I have had the great good fortune of a felicitous marriage. That is what we hope all our grandchildren will have.' The countess gave him a gentle smile. 'Colonel, I am not telling you what you should do, other than follow your heart… whichever way it tells you to go.'

When Richard's eyes lit up at her words, she had one more piece of advice. 'But whatever you decide, I would ask that you would speak honestly with Mary.'

'I most certainly will, my lady.' Fitzwilliam answered with a beaming smile.

~PoP~

~~PoP~~

A Plethora of Peers (working title) by Sydney Salier, Copyright © 2023