Darcy's life in London slowly returned to his usual routine. During the day he was busy with his business and trying to not think about Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Unfortunately, the pretty lady visited him every night in his dreams. He had been in London for four days, and in all that time he had not gone even once to visit Lady Victoria.
In moments of weakness, he dreamed of breaking off his engagement, but he knew perfectly well that it was not possible. His honour was at stake, his uncle, Lord Matlock, would disown him, Lady Victoria's reputation would be destroyed, and Georgiana's future would be ruined forever.
He was duty-bound to marry Lady Victoria, and he struggled to resign himself to his fate. With time, he would forget Elizabeth Bennet, and he would make an effort to be happy with Lady Victoria.
So, he went to his fiancée's house to visit her and also to speak with his future father-in-law regarding the marriage settlement.
Lady Victoria greeted him cordially, but coldly, a stark contrast to the last time they had seen each other a month ago. It was clear from her face that she was upset with him. After asking her some polite questions about her health and other trivia matters, Darcy finally asked, "Have I done something which distressed or offend you?"
She looked at him in disbelief and honestly replied, "I can't believe you asked me that question. Don't you realize that during your extended absence, I had to attend several parties and social events with only my parents. Some acquaintances made some remarks about your lack of interest in me, since you left London the day after you asked me to be your wife!"
Darcy blushed slightly. He knew she was right, nevertheless, he still tried to defend himself. "I am sorry for my extended absence. It was not my intention to upset you, or cause you discomfort. I hope you can forgive me."
She nodded, but she added, "But based on our conversation before you departed for Rosings, you mentioned you would be back in London within two to three weeks, but you stayed there for over a month."
He sighed. "You are correct. Unforeseen circumstances arose; making my stay longer than I had originally anticipated it to be."
"The considerate thing to do would have been to notify me regarding the delay. We are engaged; you could have sent me a letter explaining the situation." She took a deep breath. "Also, Lady Matlock informed me that you arrived in London five days ago. Yet, you didn't come to visit me until today."
"I apologize again for not coming earlier, but I was busy with some urgent business which couldn't postpone. "
Lady Victoria looked at him in disbelief; she was disappointed by her betrothed lack of attention, but if she was honest with herself, she didn't care for him. She had achieved her goal: they were engaged and would get married in a few weeks.
Before she could say anything else, the butler entered the room and told Darcy the earl was waiting for him in his study.
PPP
His future father-in-law greeted him courteously and offered him a brandy; Darcy declined the offer, and without a preamble began to talk about the marriage settlement. "Per our last conversation, yesterday I met with my solicitor, and to finish the marriage contract, I need to know the exact amount of Lady Victoria's dowry."
Lord Jersey paled slightly, and in a nonchalant tone replied, "I don't remember the exact amount, but if you wish, I will ask my solicitor. Unfortunately, he is not in London right now. I will have the final answer in several weeks."
As Lord Jersey spoke, Darcy watched him impassively. There was something odd; it was the second time he asked the same question and the answer was equally evasive. Annoyed, Darcy asked him directly.
"Last month I asked you precisely the same question and so far, you have not given me an answer. Enough of evasiveness and tell me the truth. Both your wife and your daughter told me her dowry is £30,000. Is it true, or did they lie?"
The Earl sighed and finally answered him. "Unfortunately, it is not true."
Darcy was getting more and more annoyed and dismissively asked, "How much is Lady Victoria's dowry?"
"A few years ago, it was indeed £30,000, but in recent years due to bad harvests and bad business deals, I was forced to use the dowries of both of my daughters in order to avoid bankruptcy. Currently, her dowry is just £3,000."
Darcy was shocked and furious. Lady Victoria and her mother had blatantly lied to him about Lady Victoria's dowry, and it was possible that even the Matlocks were part of this deception. He replied with disdain, "That dowry is unacceptable; I could withdraw the marriage offer for this reason, and no one would blame me."
The Earl paled further; he knew he had to play his cards right, or else he would risk losing everything. "Darcy, I understand you are within your rights to be upset. But an announcement of the engagement was published in the newspaper over a month ago. You know that if you do not marry my daughter, there will be many repercussions. Do you think Lord and Lady Matlock are going to support you? Do you think your sister is going to be well-received in high society if you do that? You forget that by rank I am above you, and although my fortune is diminished, I still have the power to make you miserable in the first circles. This is not a threat; it is just a warning of what may happen if you make the wrong decision."
Darcy clenched and unclenched his fits twice. He knew, Lord Jersey was correct; it was too late to call off the engagement without heavy consequences. He was furious at the deception, but most of all, he was angry with himself for not having taken the trouble to investigate the entire situation earlier.
Furthermore, he had never been a petty man, but since Lady Victoria had blatantly lied to him about her worth, he was going to make sure that she received a much smaller allowance than he had previously been willing to give her.