Page 20 of A Rational Man (Pride and Prejudice Variation)

T he next day found Mr. Bingley pacing the Netherfield drawing room. “What think you, Darcy? Is it too early yet?”

Mr. Darcy replied, “I am beginning to think I should not have said anything to you about Miss Bennet; perhaps it was wrong for me to do so.”

Mr. Bingley stopped pacing quite suddenly. “Darcy, you will not be upset if I do not find that she is all you have promised?”

“I have promised nothing; I simply believe that you and she would be a good match. I know Miss Bingley has been eager for you to marry.”

Mr. Bingley laughed, merrily. “She is eager for me to marry into the ton , which you and I know to be impossible. Failing that, she would like me to marry your sister, as she believes that one such union will create another, similar union.”

“My sister is not of an age to marry, and I will never marry your sister, Bingley.”

“I know that; I only wish that Caroline did.”

“Let us be off, then, Bingley. You will know no peace until we pay this visit.”

Shortly thereafter, the two gentlemen were being welcomed into Longbourn’s parlour.

Mr. Darcy performed the introductions, and he had the great pleasure of seeing Mr. Bingley’s eyes widen upon meeting Miss Bennet.

Mr. Bingley immediately found a seat beside Miss Bennet, and was soon speaking to her most earnestly; causing her to blush most becomingly.

Mrs. Bennet was occupied in watching Mr. Bingley with Miss Bennet, thereby allowing Mr. Darcy to sit beside Miss Elizabeth without being noticed.

“This is the first time you have dared approach me, I believe,” she said.

“It is indeed, and I dare now only because your mother’s attention is elsewhere occupied,” he replied.

She nodded approvingly. “She sees what I see, which is that Mr. Bingley is already quite taken with my lovely sister.”

“I told him that I thought he and your sister would make an excellent match.”

Her brows rose. “Did you indeed! I find this most surprising, Mr. Darcy.”

“And why is that?”

“Because it is not rational. Mr. Bingley is, we are told, a wealthy man. He could do better than a poor country girl with no dowry or connections.”

“It is indeed rational, Miss Elizabeth. What she lacks in some areas, she more than makes up for in others. She has exactly the looks that Mr. Bingley finds attractive, but her manner and character are far superior to the other such ladies that he has met. In addition, I suspect she has been trained to run an estate.”

“She has, of course. She and I have been visiting the tenants of Netherfield as well as Longbourn for some time now, as there was no one else to do it. We hope that Mr. Bingley’s sisters will be willing to take that on.”

Mr. Darcy shook his head. “You will be disappointed in that hope, I fear; neither of his sisters will have any interest in the so-called lower classes. It speaks well of both of you that you do not share that viewpoint. Mr. Bingley would be disappointed in a wife with a poor-spirited or mean character.”

“Jane has not a mean bone in her body,” Elizabeth declared.

“Precisely, and nor does Bingley. I rather envy him, in truth.”

“But why?”

“He can marry as he pleases; only his sister has expectations of him, and he can easily defy her wishes has he a mind to do so.”

“And you are not in a similar situation?”

“Alas, no; I have been raised to believe it my solemn duty to shore up the family’s importance by marrying a young lady of wealth and connections.”

“So no unimportant country miss in your future, then?” She was teasing him, clearly; it was just as well that he could not read her thoughts.

“No.” He gazed at her steadily, wishing she could understand him.

But if she did understand him, she chose not to admit it nor to refer to it, for she only said, “Be advised that my sister will marry your Mr. Bingley only if she loves him.”

It was Mr. Darcy’s turn to be surprised. “Is his wealth and good character not enough?”

“No; she and I have both vowed to marry only for the deepest love.”

Too many novels, Mr. Darcy thought, but he said nothing.

Elizabeth said, “You are now thinking that we have read too many novels.”

His look of surprise had her laughing.

“I do not read minds, Mr. Darcy; it is just that this is what a rational mind would conclude. But, in fact, our stance is completely rational, though it does not sound so.”

“Very well; convince me that it is rational to marry only for love!” Mr. Darcy declared.

Elizabeth frowned at him. “Husbands have complete control over their wives, do they not?”

“Well…”

“You cannot deny it, sir. We both know that coverture law is still in effect.”

“I fear it is so.”

“That being the case, a woman has no recourse once she has put herself, body and soul, into the hands of a husband. She may be beaten by him; she may be starved by him; any money or property she once possessed now belongs to him. The only way that she may assure herself of decent treatment is if he cares for her.”

“Under that rationale, the issue is not so much that you love him, but that he loves you.”

Elizabeth’s eyes opened wide. “But given that the wife must spend a good deal of her time in her husband’s company, might her life not be a good deal sweeter if she loves him as well?”

“I had not thought of it from the female perspective before.”

“That is because you are a man!” she said, smiling up at him.

“Quite so; I needed an intelligent and well-spoken female to explain it to me.”

She smiled. “A very rational response. Now, then, Mr. Darcy, have you seen William Blake’s painting entitled Newton ?”

“I have; it shows a – well, an undressed figure staring at a scroll, using a compass to measure a diameter. It is a rather odd portrait, to be sure, as I suspect that Newton’s arms are longer than would be anatomically accurate.”

“But what is Newton not seeing?”

“Why, he is rather intent on his compass…”

“And so does not see everything around him! What a lovely rock he sits on! And the plant life, the small creatures around him! He is completely oblivious to the beauty of nature. That is the point.”

“And you believe such oblivion to be the nature of rationality?”

“I believe that rationality, without the leavening of tender emotion, leads to a sterile life. I also believe that you are not as solely motivated by rationality as you would like to think.”

Mr. Darcy drew himself up.

“No, no, do not feel insulted. This is as great a compliment as I can give, I assure you.”

“But why do you say so?”

“Why, because you have recommended my sister to Mr. Bingley.”

They both immediately looked at the couple just mentioned, and saw that they were looking at one another a good deal, both faces wearing wide smiles.

“It is not a rational match, say what you will; but you want your friend to be happy.”

Mr. Hill then announced the arrival of Miss Lucas, and the company rose to greet her.

She was soon settled on Miss Elizabeth’s other side, putting an end to intimate conversation.

Mr. Darcy found himself rather glad of it, as he knew he was paying far too much attention to Miss Elizabeth, which would doubtless give rise to comment.

He had danced with Miss Lucas at the assembly, and had found her to be eminently sensible. He liked her very much, and was sorry that she was likely to remain unmarried, much like Miss Mary. If only there were enough gentlemen for all the worthy unmarried ladies of his acquaintance!

***

As Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley returned to Netherfield, Mr. Darcy was treated to a paean of praise on the subject of Miss Bennet, ending with, “Darcy, you were absolutely right. She is perfect in every way!”

“Your sister will not be happy, you know, Bingley.”

“Hang it, Darcy! I am my own man, am I not?”

“You tell me, Bingley – are you?”

“Of course I am! Do you doubt it?”

“Well, I do, sometimes, Bingley, if I am honest,” Mr. Darcy returned.

“What! How can you say that?”

“You give in to Miss Bingley rather often. I fear that if she opposes your match, you will end up giving in to her. I ask that you not give Miss Bennet expectations that you cannot meet.”

“You wound me, Darcy, you truly do.”

Miss Bingley met them at Netherfield’s front door. “Well?” she asked her brother.

“Miss Bennet is as lovely as Mr. Darcy claims!”

“I shall have to meet this paragon,” Miss Bennet said, teeth clenched.

“And you shall, as we are all invited to dinner next week. But I have been invited to call at any time, and so I shall, beginning tomorrow!”

Miss Bingley scowled at her brother, and spoke at some length about his impetuosity, and how likely he was to get all of them into some difficulties, but it was clear that Mr. Bingley’s mind was on something else entirely and he did not hear her.