Chapter 17: Of Difficult Conversations and Daughters' Disappointments
Alexander Villiers was a jovial young man. He had received much criticism when he decided to take religious orders. The Villiers were aristocrats. He had come from a long line of titled ladies and gentlemen. The Villiers' fortune was substantial and very old. When he told his parents he wanted to take orders, his mother had fainted. His father had been a bit more understanding. He was puzzled and could scarcely believe that his firstborn son wanted a life of service and simplicity when he had been brought up in a life of opulence, but the optics of having a son take orders were good for business and their public image.
When he saw the note from Mr. Darcy, he was immediately concerned. There had been a lot of movement of carriages, horses, and express riders back and forth from Lambton to Pemberley. He could see it from his house, which was quite close to the church and one of the main roads. He took his things and mounted his horse. His father would be so shocked to see him riding like this. Before Mr. Darcy offered him the position, he had started to lose faith that anyone would take him seriously. People heard his last name and judged him right away. They thought he had to be a lazy, impulsive man who had only taken orders as an item to scratch off his list of things he wanted to experience.
Mr. Darcy did not really care about his last name. He, of course, knew his family. They had done business for a while and moved in similar circles. He was a few years younger than Mr. Darcy, and even with his lack of experience, Mr. Darcy gave him a chance. He had taken that chance in stride. He wanted to serve. He wished to work helping those less fortunate. He wanted to prove himself. He wanted to show his family that this was not a fleeting pastime. He was on this path for good. He quickly made it to the main entrance. A footman took his horse. He was shown to Mr. Darcy's study, where both the estate master and his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, were pacing and seemed to be in distress.
"Good evening," the parson bowed at them.
They jumped in unison.
"I did not mean to scare you. I was announced."
"Of course, Parson. Excuse us. We are dealing with many delicate matters, and we are a bit tense," Mr. Darcy
"Villiers!" the colonel shook his hand. "Sorry… Parson. Old habits…"
"That is quite alright. It is still my family name. Tell me, gentlemen. How can I help?"
After being reassured he would keep their confidences, the cousins began their tale.
Jane could not believe there were still tears left to shed, yet she could not stop crying. She could not face her sisters. She could not face her mother. She could not talk to her aunt because she did not want to risk her condition. She just let the tears fall in the bathtub. Corinne cleared her throat.
"Miss Bennet?"
"Yes? My apologies. I was distracted."
"I brought you some ice water and spoons, Miss."
"Whatever for?"
"Your eyes are swollen, Miss. You put the spoons on ice and then place them on your eyes. It helps," Corinne smiled encouragingly. "Do you want to come out now, or should I-?"
"I will come out now. Thank you," Jane said, standing up on shaky legs. Corinne wrapped her body with a thick, soft, large towel that had been warmed thanks to being close to the fireplace. She dried her body hastily, gently patting her neck and wincing. Corinne helped her put on a nightgown and a robe. Then, she applied a layer of the healing balm and commented that -God willing- she would have little scarring. Considering recent events, her appearance should not be on her mind, but it was. She scared herself when she saw her reflection.
Her face was still red and even more splotchy than before. Her eyes were horribly swollen and red. Corinne brushed her hair and braided it while she pressed the spoons against her eyes. She seemed to know that Jane was in no mood to talk to anyone. Once she was done, she stoked the fire and added a few more logs. She curtseyed and left. Jane looked at the clock on her bedroom wall. It was late. She wished she could talk to someone. She took one of the small throw blankets on the fainting couch, wrapped it around herself, and took off. She wandered through the partially lit house. Most people seemed to have gone to bed. She took the stairs slowly. Her mind was so jumbled with thoughts that she crashed against someone as she was about to turn toward the library.
"Miss Bennet!"
She blinked, startled. She did not even attempt to curtsey, "M-Mr. Bingley."
"What happened?"
"What?"
"You… You look like you have been crying for a while."
"I have. If you excuse me, I want to be alone," she replied.
"Miss Bennet, please… Is there anything I can do? Can I help you?"
"Respectfully, sir. My neck tells me that I cannot trust you or yours. You may be quite charming; I grant you that. But upon closer inspection, you lack character. Even if you could help… You would not. I would have thought you could have at least apologized for her savagery, but no. You just left. You are your only priority. It took me a long time to realize that no one has ever had my best interest as a priority, so I have to prioritize myself. That means I will not entertain people who are as flighty as you, sir. I cannot afford to give second chances anymore. Have a good evening."
"Miss Bennet, wait… Jane, please-"
"I have never given you leave to address me by my name," she bristled.
"There is no need for such formality. There is no one here. I just rode back from-"
"I do not care. Good night," she turned to head toward the library, but Mr. Bingley's hand caught her wrist. She winced and turned angrily. "UNHAND ME!"
"What happened to your hand? Why is it bandaged? Who hurt you?"
"Let go of me! You are hurting me!"
"BINGLEY!" Mr. Darcy roared. He rushed toward them, flanked by the colonel and an unknown man. "Release her wrist immediately!"
"Who hurt her?!" Bingley snapped, letting go of her wrist slowly.
Miss Bennet felt tears start to leave her eyes again, "Mr. Darcy, I…. This is not… Colonel-"
"Miss Bennet, worry not. I know this is not your fault. Richard, Parson, please take Miss Bennet to the library and make sure a maid is present. She may need some tea or perhaps some wine."
The colonel looked at Bingley with such hatred that he took a step back. Richard stepped forward, grabbed him by his lapels, and roughly pushed him against a nearby column, "When a lady demands you unhand her, you swine, you have to let go immediately! You do not question her! You do not detain her! You let her go! That you even think you have any right to touch a lady who is quite alone in the middle of a darkened house makes me question both your sanity and your morals! I see you trying anything like this with Miss Bennet or any other lady in this house again, and I will drag you out of the house and teach you a lesson. Am I making myself clear?!"
Bingley nodded rapidly. He was pale. The colonel was quite scary. The Parson and the colonel took off after Miss Bennet, making sure to stay at least two paces behind her. Darcy grabbed Bingley by the back of his neck and pushed him into his study. Once he closed the door, he exclaimed, "What the bloody hell was that?!"
"I just wanted to help her. She looked like she had been crying. Then, I saw her hand, and I-"
"And you lost all sense of propriety? In my house? Out in the open where anyone could see you? What is wrong with you?"
"I am sorry, Darcy. I thought she needed my help."
"You did not... You wanted her to need your help."
"What is the difference?"
"The difference is that wanting her to need your help is self-serving and indelicate. You have not even asked for forgiveness or explained yourself for what you did yet, and you do this now? The only thing you may have managed to do is to scare her away. Miss Bennet's whole world was turned upside down today by terrible news. The last thing she needs is you to further affect her state by accosting her in the middle of the night, Bingley!"
"I was about to ask her to join me for a walk tomorrow so I could talk to her, but her bandaged hand caught my attention, and I lost my train of thought."
"You are not to talk to her tomorrow. You are not to approach her without Mrs. Bennet's explicit permission, and you are not to apply to Mrs. Bennet for permission until I deem it appropriate."
"What?! You cannot be serious."
"If you cannot abide by this, I will have you removed from the estate first thing tomorrow."
"Darcy!" Bingley was shocked.
"You heard me. Will you do as I say, or should I ask for the carriage to be ready at dawn to take you and the Hursts away?"
"I do not understand. I was not gone that long. What happened?"
"I cannot discuss that with you. It is a serious private family matter of the Bennets."
"Did Mr. Bennet pass?" Charles's eyes were wide.
"No."
"Is Mrs. Gardiner well?"
"Yes."
"I will not tell anyone."
"It is not my secret to share."
"But you told them, did you not?"
"Miss Bennet told Richard herself. The Parson is a man of faith bound by his profession to keep our confidences. He is here to help the family deal with this challenging moment and has been trying to come up with solutions."
"I could help, too."
"No. Not unless the Bennets want to make you a part of this situation."
"Darcy… Please, if I can help them… even indirectly through you… Promise you will tell me."
"I promise. Now, go to your room. No detours."
Charles nodded and walked to his room as fast as he could. Once there, he realized that Darcy had just sent him to his room as if he were the late Mr. Bingley senior, and he had obeyed him as such.
Parson Villiers saw with sadness how Miss Bennet looked like she had been crying for days. She had been speaking to him. Colonel Fitzwilliam stood by the door to make sure Bingley did not try to come back. Jane felt much safer with the religious man and the colonel keeping watch. She also felt relieved when she unburdened herself with the parson. He listened to her attentively, without interruptions. Once she finished sharing and sighed, he straightened up in his chair.
"Would you like me to be there during your conversation with your family, Miss Bennet?"
"Yes, please… My sister Mary… She has always been the most religious of all of us. I am afraid of what this will do to her. Her dowry is entirely gone…"
"Of course. If I may, it will probably be better for someone to introduce me early tomorrow so I can talk to her for a while and so that she knows I am on your side."
"Yes, maybe Mr. Darcy is the best person for that. I know that if I try to see her before our conversation, I will turn into a weeping mess again," Jane sighed.
"Of course. I will go talk to Mr. Darcy. Try to get some sleep, Miss Bennet," he stood and bowed. "Colonel."
"Villiers."
The maid who had been tasked with being present in the library was dozing off in a chair by the door.
The colonel walked toward Jane. She lay her head back against the armchair's back. Her head felt heavy. Her spirit was battered. She sighed, shakily.
"Miss Bennet?"
"I am so sorry for the spectacle… I understand if you want me to rescind your courtship offer."
He frowned and sat on the coffee table in front of her, "I do not."
"Oh?" she looked up.
"I want you to be certain that I meant what I said. I want to court you properly."
"Why? Sir, I am your worst possible choice right now," she sniffed into a handkerchief.
"No, Miss Bennet… You are the best," he smiled.
"How do you mean?"
"Miss Bennet, your entire world was flipped upside down. Nothing makes sense anymore. Anyone else would be screaming about it from the rooftops. Anyone else would have told her family already because misery loves company. Anyone else would have collapsed into a ball and not left their room at all."
"I am still screaming on the inside, sir… I am so embarrassed. I was acting like a lunatic. Riding so dangerously, then snapping at you, the insults, and now Mr. Bingley… I am so sorry!" she covered her face with her hands.
Richard gently pried her hands away, "Miss Bennet, please do not apologize for a warranted reaction to the news you got. You fared a lot better than I would have. As for Bingley, if he importunes you again, he will see a side of me only invaders have seen."
"Thank you... I just feel so…"
"Betrayed?" he offered.
She nodded, "I knew I was not Mr. Bennet's favorite. I did not think his disregard went this deep… I feel like such a failure."
Her face crumbled into one of such pain that Richard could not stop himself. He pulled her up and hugged her to him, firmly but not too tightly. He was surprised that, in return, she buried her face in his chest and held him tighter as she cried. He kept one hand on the back of her hair and the other on her upper back, rubbing in small circles. "Shhh… All will be well, Miss Bennet. You are not alone."
She nodded against him. She realized that she had never felt so protected before. He kissed the top of her head and let go once she stopped sobbing. "I-"
"Do not apologize, Miss Bennet. Please. Darcy and I would like to talk to you first thing tomorrow about the conditions I could offer you were we to marry should you decide to accept a formal courtship between us."
"Sir-"
"Hearing us out is not a commitment. It is just a way for you to know your options a bit better. Perhaps that conversation will ease the talk with your family," he smiled.
"Thank you, colonel… Why are we whispering?" Jane blinked.
The colonel moved so she could see the maid, who was deep asleep, "Do you want me to walk you to your room?"
"If you do not mind… I'd rather not run into anyone else alone."
"It will be my pleasure," he lifted her uninjured hand and kissed her knuckles. Then, he placed her hand on the crook of his elbow. He shook the maid slightly. "We are all done here, Anna. I will walk her to her room. Please go back to sleep and excuse the inconvenience."
The maid blushed, "Of course, sir. Miss Bennet," she curtseyed clumsily and left hurriedly.
They did not run into anyone, thankfully. "Well, I hope you can sleep at least a few hours, Miss Bennet."
She nodded, "I will try."
He was about to leave when she stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, "Thank you for all you did for me today. Good night, sir."
Jane closed the door, and it took Richard a couple of minutes to be able to move again. He smiled and went to his room, hoping the next day would be better.
The following morning, Mr. Darcy woke up before the sun. He had slept little and poorly. He was already addicted to his nighttime routine with Miss Elizabeth. He was not able to see her at all and he missed her terribly. As it was too early for most things, he got ready without his valet and went down to his study to wait for the colonel and Miss Bennet. He was surprised to find both of them already waiting for him. He looked at them curiously.
"We could not sleep," they said in unison.
"I did not sleep that well either. Please do come in. Do you want me to ask for some tea?"
"I could not possibly have anything in my stomach…" Miss Bennet trailed off.
"Richard?"
The colonel shook his head.
"Miss Bennet, as you know, my cousin wants to enter a courtship with you."
"I am aware."
"There is some information you need before you agree," Mr. Darcy explained. "Richard?"
"Yes… I am the second son of an Earl. My father is the Earl of Matlock," Richard said. Jane's eyes widened, but she said nothing. "As a second son, however, I am not to inherit the title."
She blinked but kept quiet.
"I have decided I am done with the fighting."
"Sir?"
"I have been a soldier for five years. I have seen enough and done enough. I do not want to go to war anymore," he explained further. Miss Bennet nodded but did not say a word. He went on, "I would rather settle down and have a family of my own."
Jane blushed but said nothing.
"All this is to say I am not rich... I do well enough in my post as a colonel, but I could not give you the life of a gentlewoman as things are now."
"I do not think I can consider myself a gentlewoman anymore. Do you?" she winced.
"I do. Your father's actions are his alone."
"I agree," Mr. Darcy nodded. "I asked Richard to take things slow." Jane looked up at him, puzzled. He continued, "I mean, for you to court properly, to have a long engagement."
"Not that I disagree, but why, sir?" Miss Bennet asked, a bit perplexed.
"Well, because I want to have married Miss Elizabeth by the time you are to marry -that is if things work out between you."
"You want to marry first?" Jane blinked. It made sense for the rich to be eccentric, but this was particular.
"No, I could not care less, Miss Bennet. Except in one sense."
"Which one?"
"Once I marry Miss Elizabeth, you will be my sister."
Jane nodded with a small smile.
"As my sister, I can provide you with a good dowry and help you and my cousin, my future brother," he smiled at Richard. "Start a life with you in which both of you can be comfortable and at ease with your situation."
Jane stared at Mr. Darcy, confusion all over her face.
"Miss Bennet, it has been my wish for Richard to live a different life for a while now. He is Gigi's second guardian, and if -heaven forbid- something happens to me, and he is still in the military, he could be called into the frontlines and be killed. Then, Gigi would be all alone in the world."
Jane gasped and shook her head.
"I understand that given recent discoveries, you may need to solve your situation faster, but-"
"Sir, I was actually just hoping that when you and Lizzie had children, you would want me here to help raise them."
Mr. Darcy smiled, "And we would love to have Aunt Jane close by."
"The estates Darcy and I are considering are very close to Pemberley."
Jane smiled brightly, "I would be close to my sister?"
"You would."
Jane turned to Richard, "Sir, are you quite sure you want me? I-"
"I do not think I have ever been more certain of anything in my entire life," the colonel smiled. "I would talk to your father, but-"
"No. He is not my father anymore. I am an adult. He has no say in this," Jane answered with a frown.
"I shall do as you wish. All Darcy and I want is for you to feel safe and comfortable."
"I know. I appreciate that more than I can say."
"So, you agree?"
"I do."
Richard smiled brightly, "You will not regret this, Miss Bennet."
"I know I will not, colonel."
"I will go see about the tea so you can talk further. Leave the door open," Mr. Darcy stood and left. They needed a few minutes alone.
The colonel stood up and helped her with her chair. She marveled at his height and his broad shoulders. He took her hands, "Thank you for this opportunity, Miss Bennet."
She shook her head, her eyes filled with tears once more. "Thank you for not giving up on me."
"You need not worry about that. You are impossible to give up," he kissed her forehead. "Sorry, I should not have, I-"
She placed one finger against his lip to quieten him, "You should have." She lifted her arms, and he hugged her tighter than the night before. "I feel so safe with you… So seen," she whispered.
He inhaled her scent and sighed, "I know it is probably wrong of me to say this, given my profession, but I feel safe with you, too. I never apologized properly for the greenhouse. I-"
"There is no need. You were there for my fit. I can be there for yours," she smiled, resting her hands on his chest as she let go slowly.
Mr. Darcy's voice loudly announced, "I am coming back to the study with the tea. Please clear the door. It is very hot."
The colonel chuckled and let go of Jane. He opened the doors wide. "Superb, cousin. Very subtle."
Mr. Darcy blushed. "It is my first time announcing to my office that I am back. I shall get better at it the more I do it, I suppose."
"You were perfect, sir," Jane chuckled. "I do not want to be indelicate, sir, but you said you would give me a dowry?"
"It is not indelicate, Miss Bennet. You need all the information possible. Yes, I will. I am thinking 20,000 pounds upfront and 500 a year," Mr. Darcy said as he calmly poured the tea into three cups.
Jane went pale. "Sir?!"
"What? Oh, I am sorry… You still do not want tea?" he blinked.
"Mr. Darcy! No! That is an exorbitant sum!"
He blinked, non-plussed, "Miss Bennet, you are worth every single pound."
Jane could not respond to that. It was such high praise from such a good, generous man. She tried, but she could not form words. Mr. Darcy handed her a cup and saucer.
"Sugar?" He asked.
She nodded, still shocked. He added one cube, and she pulled the cup away. Richard took his own cup and stared at Darcy. They never said a specific amount when they talked. He agreed with Miss Bennet. A 20,000 pound dowry was a lot.
"Darcy, what about the estates?"
"What do you mean?"
"Did you make inquiries?"
"Yes. The three best options are less than an hour away by carriage."
"You said you would gift me an estate, but with such a dowry, I cannot accept that," the colonel looked down.
"Oh, no. You can and you will."
"I cannot, cousin. It is too much!" the colonel exclaimed. Next to him, Jane nodded.
Mr. Darcy sighed, "You are as annoyingly stubborn as your father and mother combined. This is not charity."
"It feels like charity."
Mr. Darcy rolled his eyes, "Richard… Would it make you feel better if I loaned you the money for the estate?"
"Yes," he nodded enthusiastically.
"I will gift you sixty percent of the cost. Thirty from me and thirty from Gigi. I will loan you the remaining forty percent at no interest. Is that agreeable?"
"Yes, although fifty percent each and some interest would be better," he said. Jane nodded.
"I was going to push for gifting you seventy and loaning you thirty with no interest, but I know you, Richard... In your father's wise words, get out while you are ahead."
Richard sighed, "Thank you, Darcy. What you are doing for me," he took Jane's hand, "For us… is incredible, and we are very grateful."
Mr. Darcy looked at their joined hands. "All I want in return is for you to be happy. Miss Bennet, you did not deserve what happened to you. Neither does Miss Mary, nor your other sisters. I do not need Miss Elizabeth's dowry. I believe the best course of action would be to give it to Miss Mary, seeing as you already have a dowry. But it is your choice… And hers. I will talk to Miss Mary in an hour. I want her to know she has options."
"You are ever so kind, sir."
"I just try to be a good brother," he blushed a bit.
Jane smiled. She stood up and went around the desk. She motioned for him to stand and hugged him tightly, "Thank you. I do not care when you marry Lizzie. You are already my brother… You are the brother I always wished to have when I was growing up, except better. I could not have imagined something like this."
Mr. Darcy, smiled and patted her back, "I am glad to be… Now, if you two do not mind, I have to talk to Parson Villiers and Miss Mary soon, and I need to write a letter before I do."
"Of course," the colonel offered Miss Bennet his arm, and they left the study.
After a conversation with the parson, given all the recent developments, Mr. Darcy felt a bit better regarding Miss Mary's future. Villiers had great ideas, and both he, the parish, and, most importantly, Miss Mary would benefit from the arrangement he had in mind. Mr. Darcy called Mary into his study. She was pleasantly surprised to find he had made good on his word. A Parson was with him.
"Good morning, Miss Mary," Mr. Darcy smiled. "I want you to meet Parson Villiers. He is our friend and confessor."
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"I am delighted, Miss Mary."
"We have a proposition for you."
She blinked.
Mr. Darcy motioned for her to sit. "Please know, first and foremost, that you are under no obligation whatsoever to accept."
"We just want you to listen to what we have to say, consider it, and perhaps in a few days, you will be ready to decide."
"Very well. I am all ears."
"Miss Mary… A bit over one year ago, Mr. Darcy allowed me to take over the parish. Since then, I have met many wonderful, hard-working men, women, and even children who are helping their families. I have been concerned with the children not having any chance at an education because they work."
"That is very unfortunate."
"Quite. Mr. Darcy is convinced that if he offers the families some sort of financial incentive if they spare their children a few hours a day, they could use that time to learn to read and write, perhaps some basic numbers. Nothing too complex."
"I think it is a wonderful idea. Mr. Darcy is very generous."
"Indeed. However, I find myself in need of a person who can help me educate these children. I do not have the time due to all the other parish duties, and even if I did, I believe children feel safer and more at ease with women. I know you are a gentlewoman, and you probably wish to marry and have your own family. Maybe you never considered employment an option, and we do not wish to offend you."
Mary looked pensive and sad.
"Miss Mary, it is only an option. It is not an imposition. Just think about it. You can, of course, say no," Mr. Darcy smiled encouragingly.
"I thank you both for thinking of me for this."
"Now, as a teacher, you would have a salary, of course. It would be enough to allow you to afford your own home. However, once we marry, Miss Elizabeth and I would love for you to live with us. Gigi would be over the moon as well."
Mary's jaw fell. "You would want me to live here?"
Mr. Darcy smiled, "Of course."
Mary jabbed her fingers in the inner corners of her eye to press her tear ducts and stop the tears from coming.
"Miss Mary?"
"Pardon me… I just… I am so happy you and Lizzie would want me to stay here. I have always felt like people… tolerate me. But they do not want me around. If I am there, it is fine. If I am not, it is better."
Mr. Darcy felt something wither inside him. What a horrible thing for such a young person to say. He stood and went around the desk. He took her hands. She looked up questioningly. "I will be blessed to have a sister like you, Miss Mary. I am deeply sorry you have felt like that. Here at Pemberley, we want you around. Your presence would add greatly to our family."
A sob shook her body, "Thank you," she squeezed his hands. "Pray excuse me, Parson Villiers, Mr. Darcy. I should see to my aunt."
"She is a very different lady, is she not?" the parson asked after she left.
"Yes. Miss Elizabeth told me she was shy and modest, but I am starting to think she does not have a good self-image, and that worries me."
"Are they in mourning?" Parson Villiers asked. He had never seen someone so young dressed so... severely.
"No. She usually wears dark colors: black, brown, deep green, and such..."
"That is unfortunate. My sister says that few things can help a lady feel as good as a new dress that makes her look her best. Perhaps Miss Darcy's modiste could get her to try something new."
"I will tell Gigi... It is worth a try. I have rarely seen Miss Mary smile or laugh."
"It worries me... She does not know about her father's poor decisions yet, but she seemed so blue."
"Yes, I will make sure to spend some more time with her and double her lessons with Gigi's tutor. She seems to enjoy that time a lot."
"Good, sir... Well, you still have several difficult conversations left."
"I do. I hope my lawyer gets-"
"Mr. Darcy, your barrister is here," White knocked on the door.
"Come in."
"Darcy, I expected the house, nay, the estate, to be on fire! Why did you send your fastest carriage for me? Before the sun was even thinking about coming out, no less!"
"Well, it is in a metaphorical fire, Walker."
"Bloody hell. What did you do? Did you finally break out of your stiff shell and get involved with a woman, and now you are way over your head? Was there a compromise? What in the goddamned world could not wait until normal calling hours?"
Mr. Darcy frowned and looked pointedly to his right side, "Walker, you do remember Parson Villiers, yes?"
Walker finally looked to the corner of the room. "Oh." He harshly slapped his own mouth. "Pardon my potty mouth, Villiers. Please, do not condemn me to hell and eternal damnation!" the lawyer joked.
"Fortunately for you, Walker, I am well aware of how awful of a mood you are in early in the morning. I remember Cambridge," he shook the offered hand.
"Thank the Lord for that."
"Mr. Darcy, I will say hello to Miss Darcy while you update Walker."
"This Bennet person is a complete dunce… I did procure a copy of the entailment."
"What do you think?"
"Breaking it would take too long and much more money. I think you could buy off this Collins person. Offer him a sum in lieu of the property."
"How much do you think?"
Walker slid a piece of parchment to Darcy, "You are welcome to look over my math."
"This is much less than I expected," Mr. Darcy frowned.
"Sir, my informant tells me that the lands are in pitiable condition considering their potential."
"I see. This is… doable."
"It is."
"Did you make an anonymous offer yet?"
"I did."
"What response did you receive?"
"An interested one."
"Good. Be conservative in negotiations. I am prepared to go twenty percent above market value. Maybe even thirty percent, provided that the paperwork is finalized by the end of the month."
"Understood. I think thirty is a little much. You could use that difference in repairs. Trust my source. You will need to invest a lot."
"That is fine."
"Noted. Please tell me I get to meet this lovely creature you are marrying who has you throwing money out of the windows…"
"You do. Later."
"Wonderful. My source also did some digging into Bennet's financials. He has debts to merchants in his town."
"Of course he does. How much?"
Walker slid another parchment, "This is the worst management by an educated landowner I have seen in my whole career."
"I know."
"Well, at least you can now provide them more clarity."
"I hope so."
"Lizzie," Mr. Darcy came behind her in the library.
"William," she replied with a small smile when she noticed they were mostly alone.
"I know Miss Bennet asked to talk to you, your mother, and Miss Mary."
"Yes, it was most strange… I was very disappointed that I did not get to see you last night."
"I know. I am sorry. You will understand later today. I was trying to figure out how to help your family."
She frowned, "What? What do you mean? Why? Is it Jane?"
"It is not my place to tell you," he lifted her face by the chin. "All I need you to know is that nothing has changed or will change my mind or heart. I am determined to marry you."
"William, you are scaring me."
"It was not my intention, dearest. I will walk you to the family room. I would love to be there to support you if you want me to be a part of your conversation," he kissed the top of her head.
"You already know everything?"
"I believe so," he nodded.
"Then, join us," she gave him a quick peck on the lips and pulled him to the family room by the hand. She was glad to know that whatever may come, they would face it together.