Page 34 of A Life Diverted
Jane guided her suitor to the room Mama had indicated. She smiled at Kimberley, who was seated in the hallway next to the door, and then watched as David did not close the door all the way, as would be expected. Jane allowed him to lead her to a settee. She took a seat.
“As much as I am ready to proceed, please know that the last thing I want is to force your hand. I do not want you to feel, as I am sure Ellie did, that you have no choices,” David began.
It did not hurt him in Jane’s estimation that he was determined not to take her choices away from her. “Does Papa know why things may become accelerated?”
“Yes, I did tell him all. His main concern was that you not be forced into anything against your will. That is my aim too.” David paused to gather his thoughts. “I do not believe there will be much talk of my somewhat inappropriate behaviour towards you yester-night.”
“I object to that characterisation,” Jane insisted forcefully. “All you did was save me from falling when I fainted.”
“Yes, but rather than place you with one of the ladies, I refused to relinquish your care to another,” David admitted.
“And why was that?” Jane asked slyly.
“I, errr, wanted to make sure you were well and had not hurt yourself when you fainted,” David replied, somewhat uncomfortably.
“Was that the only reason you did not choose to release me?”
“No.”
“What is the true reason?” Jane pressed. “You can be honest with me; I promise you I will not be angry.”
“It will sound ridiculous after knowing you for little more than a sennight.”
“There is nothing you can say to me that I will judge you harshly for. On that you have my solemn promise.”
“I am either in love with you, or on the cusp of that feeling. It scared me that it was so very fast when, until now, I have never met any lady who has excited my interest as you have done. Yes, there is a possibility there will be some gossip, but I will admit that I was not displeased that we may need to accelerate our courtship and bring it to its natural conclusion much sooner than we might have.” David searched Jane’s face, hoping to see his feelings returned. He was not disappointed.
“ If you propose marriage and if I accept you, in order to combat any tittle-tattle that we had to become engaged and marry speedily, in a patched-up affair, I would want an engagement which would be from two to three months in length. With such a time between the proposal and marriage, only the most wilfully blind would believe any rumours about me being compromised and with child.”
With the encouragement of Jane speaking of the length of an engagement, David dropped down onto one knee and took each of her hands into one of his own.
“Jane Bennet, I could know you for months longer, and it would not make me surer than I am that you are the only woman with whom I want to join my life.
In case you are afraid I am doing this only because of your closeness to Ellie, it is something I knew I wanted before Monday night.
“I will not mention feelings I am not sure of…yet. As I told you, if I am not already in love with you, I am well on my way to being so.
“Although you are by far the most beautiful woman I have ever met, I have never looked for a pretty bauble to be my wife.
The substance of a woman, her intelligence, compassion, generosity, and character have always held far more sway over me than superficial looks.
You, Jane Bennet, are so much more than your external facade, and I could not respect you more.
You are everything I ever wanted in my wife, but so very much more.
“Jane, will you do me the absolute honour of accepting my hand? Will you marry me?”
“As you said about your feelings for me, I do not think I am in love with you at this moment,” Jane began to reply. “However, I am as certain as I have ever been about anything that it will not be long before I can state that I am in love with you.
“I always wanted the type of love and respect I see between my parents since as far back as I am able to remember.
Not that I doubted it, but you have demonstrated your respect for me in a tangible way by agreeing to a lengthy engagement.
To my mind, love without respect is not love, but merely infatuation .
“It was not a factor I considered in formulating my reply, but it does not hurt that Lizzy is your sister, and she will remain as one of mine no matter what.
“This is a long-winded way of saying yes. Yes, David, I will marry you.”
David shot up to standing and, with gentle pressure, pulled Jane to her feet. Slowly, yet surely, he lowered his head towards Jane. When she tilted her head up, placing her lips directly in the path of his own, any question about her permission was washed away.
When their lips touched, Jane felt frissons of pleasure travel to the farthest reaches of her body. His lips felt as soft and welcoming as she had imagined they would.
Not wanting to overwhelm his fiancée, David only intended to bestow some rather chaste kisses.
Evidently, Jane had other ideas. Her arms snaked around his neck, and when he attempted to draw back, she insistently pulled him towards herself.
Being the gentleman he was, he could not refuse a direct command from his betrothed.
The kisses deepened, and their tongues danced before the maid in the hallway cleared her throat.
Jane blushed deeply because she had forgotten about the time limit, but she could not regret the added time they took kissing.
“I think I need to speak to your father before we depart for Netherfield Park.”
All Jane could do was nod. She did not trust herself to speak yet. She was sure that she had rather swollen lips, but she did not repine that in the least. When David offered her his hand, Jane took it, and they exited the parlour.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Jane, will you come with me to speak to your father? He was concerned about your hand being forced. As such, I think your company would be welcome. ”
“Yes, David, I will. If you will wait in the study, I will bring Papa.”
As much as she did not want to relinquish her fiancé’s hand, Jane did so as he made his way towards the study. She waited until he had turned the corner, and then she entered the drawing room. “Papa, will you accompany me to the study, please?” she requested.
Bennet gave his wife a knowing look before standing and following Jane out of the drawing room.
Fanny had expressed to him that she would be sanguine with the match as long as it was Jane’s free choice.
Based on his daughter’s swollen lips, he was sure he knew what the question would be.
Jane looked like she was floating on air, which told him that whatever had been decided, it had been a mutual decision and not something forced.
It seemed that soon enough there would be fewer daughters in the house.
When Jane and her father entered the study, David was pacing back and forth. He stopped as soon as he saw them.
As he walked to take his seat at his desk, Bennet indicated the chairs in front of it for Jane and young Wendell to sit in.
“It appears you have come to a resolution. Whatever it is, was it a mutual decision?” Bennet enquired.
Both young people opposite him nodded emphatically. “Then go ahead and ask your question.”
“Jane has agreed to be my wife, and we seek your permission and blessing,” David asked directly.
“Have you discussed when?” Bennet questioned.
“Not a specific date, but I asked for a two-to-three-month betrothal period, and David has agreed. That way, even if there is talk based on my fainting, the length of our engagement will quash any salacious rumours,” Jane replied.
“That is wise. It will also allow your mother and me to become sanguine with you no longer living in the house. In addition, as I expect that at some point Lizzy will want to see the home where she was born, knowing you will one day live there will ease her way considerably,” Bennet mused.
“Welcome to the family, Son.” Bennet stood and offered David his hand.
David accepted his future father-in-law’s hand, and they shook vigorously.
Bennet pretended as if it had been painful as he jested by shaking his hand in the air. “Come, let us go make the announcement.”
Although the news was expected, it still led to a modest celebration.
A half hour later, the coaches departed for Netherfield Park. Cilla looked back until Ellie re-entered the house. They would return in an hour or two, which made the parting from Ellie more palatable for her.