Author's Note: This is a shorter chapter, but we see a few more interactions between various members of the family and learn a bit more about the Darcys. Let me know what you think, and I do appreciate all the reviews so far. If you see errors, inconsistencies, or just places where you feel the story could be improved, feel free to point them out or send me a private message.

Chapter 9

The meal was spent in light-hearted conversation in direct contrast to the emotionally charged episode from earlier. Those topics that had so upset the couple earlier were only alluded to tangentially, although Elizabeth was quickly growing comfortable with the matter. Her aunt had known that this would be a charged topic for her niece and would have recommended that the topic be addressed far more slowly, allowing Elizabeth time to consider matters quietly. Although her husband had his niece's best interest at heart, he did not seem to realise that Elizabeth, more than most, needed time to come to terms with important matters. She would have dined better had they planted the idea in her head and allowed her the time to rant and pace before facing Darcy. He would need to know this fact about her when they married, so perhaps it was best he learned it early on, Mrs Gardiner thought.

Soon they all retired to the dining room to discuss what had been revealed during the last day. Elizabeth was feeling more at peace with matters and was able to discuss the revelations that had been shared earlier. The news that Darcy would inherit an estate upon his marriage was very welcome. Although she cared for Darcy and would have been happy to live with him wherever he was, she would be much happier living primarily in the country.

By the time they parted that night, Elizabeth felt almost ready to give in to the inevitable and announce her engagement to Darcy. Now that the ball was in her court, she was unsure how to let him know of her changed attitude. As he prepared to depart, Elizabeth thought she would merely speak to her aunt again in the morning to ask her.

However, Darcy had other ideas and asked Elizabeth to escort him to the door. During their conversation after the meal, he had thought of a way that would allow Elizabeth to let him know when she was ready to accept his proposal.

"Elizabeth," he said to her after the maid had given him his hat and coat, "Earlier, I told you I would let you determine when you are ready for me to ask the question we discussed earlier, but thought it might be difficult for you to let me know. I thought it might be difficult for you to come out and say it to me directly and thought of a way for you to hint to me that you are ready."

"I admit, I was wondering how I would let you know when the time was right," she acknowledged.

He smiled at her. "It just goes to show you how similarly our minds work, my dear," he said, causing her to blush again at the endearment. Taking the velvet bag from his pocket, he pressed it into her hand. "When you are certain, Elizabeth, when you are ready for that question, wear this when you know you will see me. That will tell me it is time to ask."

"How long will you wait for me to be ready?" she whispered.

"As long as it takes," was the immediate reply.

Darcy spoke with his uncle the following morning and gained a greater understanding of his inheritance. His uncle also promised to speak with his son since Darcy's marriage would lead to the legacies becoming more well-known. As he did not relish the idea of his son going off to war again any time soon, perhaps the incentive of inheriting an estate would encourage his younger son to find a woman to settle down with.

The Earl was less pleased with Darcy marrying a woman who was unknown in the ton because with the estate, he could be considered a good catch for many of the women in the ton. But Darcy was adamantly against selecting a society woman who would have rejected him as a barrister, only to accept him as a land owner. "I have not changed in essentials, sir, just in what I possess. With the investments I have made, my income would have eventually been at least equal to what I will now earn from the estate, making me just as good a prospect as before. I am most happy with the choice I have made, and I will not be dissuaded."

"Perhaps it is just as well, my boy, since you cannot inherit until you are married anyway. All those women who would have turned you down will be most upset to learn that you were captured before you received the estate. I could have made a very advantageous match for you," the Earl cajoled.

"Advantageous for whom, my Lord?" Darcy asked. "Marrying Elizabeth will benefit me, as I will gain much in the form of a partner who will happily work by my side to make the estate prosperous. Marrying the daughter of one of your political cronies might have been advantageous for you, but it would not have made my life any better."

"There is no question that you are George Darcy's son," the earl replied. "I could never convince him of anything either. He was always determined to go it alone and did not want me to 'interfere' in his business. Your brother does not mind it nearly as much, and he has asked me to broker a match for him that would add to the status of Pemberley. If things work as I would like, I will match him with a titled lady and see if we cannot persuade the Regent to reinstate the marquessate that was once held by a Darcy."

"I am certain my father rejected that suggestion every time you made it," Darcy protested. "It does not surprise me that George wishes to see it reinstated, as he thinks it will add to the prestige of Pemberley, and he hopes it will grant him even more money for him to waste. He is my brother, and while I do care for him, he will do more to ruin the so-called prestige of Pemberley rather than add to it."

The earl guffawed. "You and your brother have never seen eye-to-eye on very much. Your father wished he could have passed over your brother and given you Pemberley, but the entail meant he could not. He always felt you would have done a great deal for the estate without attempting any 'foolishness' like trying to reinstate the title. Your father did not think much of the aristocracy, in part because he was so much richer than many of them and worked hard to keep and build that wealth."

Darcy agreed, and the two spent the rest of the morning speaking of the late Mr Darcy and the legacy he had left. The earl greatly admired his younger nephew and wished him well, asking him to bring his intended around. When Darcy explained he was not yet engaged to the lady in question, his uncle laughed, telling him that she would be soon. That led to the earl telling the story of how George Darcy had met Lady Anne Fitzwilliam and their whirlwind courtship that had led to the altar in less than two months. For George, it had been love at first sight, and he had had to persuade Lady Anne to accept him. George had courted her relentlessly until she finally capitulated when she realised he would not quit until she agreed.

That same morning, Elizabeth and Mrs Gardiner visited Darcy House to take tea with Lady Anne and Georgiana. Darcy House was a large townhouse located along Park Lane in Mayfair and it was very elegantly decorated. Lady Anne was everything welcoming to both women but made a particular effort to get to know Elizabeth.

"Miss Bennet, I am so very pleased to meet you and am thrilled that Fitzwilliam has found you," Lady Anne said. "He cares for you very much."

Blushing furiously, Elizabeth struggled to reply at first but finally found the words. "I have enjoyed meeting Mr Darcy and getting to know him. And I am very pleased to be here to meet you and Miss Darcy. It is quite a privilege to see such a beautiful home."

Lady Anne looked around her. "I have always appreciated the quiet elegance of Darcy House. When I married my husband, there was little I needed to do to redecorate this home to make it my own. My husband was never one for ostentaion, and I could tell that he did not like Matlock House when he would call on me. So I made sure that Darcy House remained elegant, but comfortable. My sister, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, preferred the ostentation of my mother. Her home Rosings is very … ornate, but it is uncomfortable. Of course, my sister prefers people to be uncomfortable in her presence since she thinks that gives her an advantage over them."

Elizabeth laughed. "I could picture my mother doing something like that if she had the money to do so," she replied. "I always had to battle with her over lace on my dresses. I despised lace, but she felt that the more lace, the nicer the dress."

Georigana laughed at that. "I am glad that I am not out yet and I can still dress like this," said the girl indicating the simple dress she wore. "And I am fortunate that Mama has simple tastes in clothing as well."

"Yes, you are," Lady Anne said. "I had similar battles with my own mother when I was out in society. The first set of clothing I ordered as Mrs Darcy was far simpler than anything I had ever owned before and I think George was somewhat surprised by the lack of frills. He had always wondered about my taste in clothing before that point and he got a good laugh when he learned that I dressed the way I had as a compromise between what my mother thought necessary and what I liked. Now," she said, turning toward Elizabeth, "Miss Bennet, I would like to take you around to introduce you to my modieste. I know my son has not proposed yet, but it is just a matter of time. Fitzwilliam is very much like my husband George, and once he has made up his mind, there is no disuading him from his course. George knew he wanted to marry me almost the moment he met me, and courted me assiduously until I agreed. We were engaged within a fortnight of our meeting and married six weeks later. We would have both married sooner, but my mother insisted on a minimum of six weeks, although she argued for six months. George threatened to abduct me and take me to Scotland and my father agreed to the six weeks."

All the ladies laughed at this. "However, he would not have actually done so as he respected me too much to see our reputations ruined in society for something as silly as that. Papa knew that as well, but went along with it and even Mama was satisfied in the end."