“W e will follow you.” Mr. Darcy glared imperiously at Mr. Collins as he gave the directive once their whole party was gathered on the road in front of the Philips’s house.
If such a look had been leveled at her, Elizabeth was afraid she might actually cower a bit.
Well, that is, she would if she had not come to know Mr. Darcy so well.
At present, she merely hoped the expression would quell her obnoxious cousin into obedience.
Unfortunately, however, Mr. Collins seemed as recalcitrant about accepting a directive without argument as Lydia did.
The man merely blinked at Mr. Darcy’s authoritative mien and protested. “But you will need a chaperone, will you not?”
Mr. Darcy’s glare did not soften as he answered. “I have Mr. Bingley and Miss Elizabeth has Miss Bennet.”
Mr. Collins shook his head. “That will not do, for I saw the way my fair cousin loses sight of anything other than Mr. Bingley this past half hour.” He gave Darcy an appraising look.
“And you do not seem at all like what my patroness believes you are.” He smiled at Elizabeth.
“Perhaps it is better for us to walk together and for Mr. Darcy to accompany his friend and your sister. That would solve the problem.”
Anger prickled the hairs at the nape of Elizabeth’s neck, and she felt Mr. Darcy’s arm tighten under her hand, indicating that she was not alone in her displeasure. “I do not see how that is better.”
“Come, come, my dear cousin,” he said as he hurried along behind them when they began to walk. “If you apply a little thought, I am sure you can see how things need to be.”
If she applied a little thought! Of all the degrading things for him to say!
Mr. Darcy drew to a stop. “You will either walk ahead of us or behind. I will not travel with you. Indeed, I do not wish to be associated with you at all. I do not know what you believe me to be, and while I find your impudence in implying that my character is wanting to be vexing at best and grounds for an early morning meeting at worse, that is nothing compared to your continued disregard for your cousins. Miss Elizabeth is among the most brilliant females of my acquaintance. Therefore, if she says that she does not see how your plan is better, it is because your plan – Is. NOT. Better!”
His words were spoken crisply and with force. One did not need to wonder if he was excessively angry or not. Though the volume of his voice did not rise at all, it still reverberated with fury.
Mr. Collins pulled himself to his full height and his chin to much higher than it would naturally be.
Then, looking down his nose at Mr. Darcy, he steepled his hands in front of his chest and said, “I have not said anything to Mr. Bennet yet, because I wished to see how you were planning to play out this little stratagem of yours, but you force my hand, sir. I shall not keep your secret any longer.”
Elizabeth’s brow furrowed as Mr. Darcy fairly shouted the word stratagem in question. Ostensibly, he did not know about what her cousin was speaking either.
“There is nothing else to call it. A man who is engaged to one lady and is paying court to another is performing some trick – and a dastardly one, at that!”
“Of all the stupid things I have heard!” Mr. Bingley cried as he stepped between Mr. Collins and Mr. Darcy.
“And I assure you with sisters such as mine, I have heard a great number of stupid things. However, what you have just said far exceeds them in senselessness.” He advanced a step on Mr. Collins, causing him to take a step backward.
“Darcy is a man of honour. He would never play with any lady’s heart. ”
“Then he has bamboozled you as well! I assure you that I have it on good authority that he is to be married next spring. I have already been enlisted to perform the ceremony.”
“And precisely who is he supposed to marry?” Bingley once again took a step forward, causing Mr. Collins to step backwards, and deftly creating space between his friend and the fool.
“Why, his cousin, of course.”
“And were you shown any marriage articles?” Mr. Bingley asked. “Was there a betrothal arrangement produced in your presence to verify these claims?”
“No.”
“That is because a document of that nature does not exist,” Mr. Darcy said with a shake of his head.
“I will not speak to you further on this matter. Whatever my aunt has told you is not true. I am not betrothed to her daughter.” He expelled a great huff of a breath.
“And both Miss Elizabeth and her father have been informed of my aunt’s desires and have been assured that they are not, and never have been, my desires.
I assure you, sir, that I am perpetrating no ruse! ”
Mr. Collins’s jaw twitched as he eyed Darcy. For a long moment they all stood in silence before Mr. Collins gave a nod of his head as if resigning his position on the matter. However, Elizabeth very much doubted that he had done more than make a show of quitting the field.
Mr. Bingley took another step forward, moving Mr. Collins back yet again.
“We do not need a chaperone. Most especially, we do not need one who is so easily blinded to the truth that is in front of him. You may continue to walk towards Longbourn five minutes after we have resumed our walk. You have a watch, do you not?”
Mr. Collins nodded.
“May I see it?” Mr. Bingley took out his own watch and compared it to the one Mr. Collins held. “Your watch is a minute behind mine. You will not resume your journey until the hour hand has passed the four by one click.”
“This is very high handed,” Mr. Collins grumbled.
“I will not argue that,” Mr. Bingley said with a chuckle.
“But you have proven it to be necessary, and I do this for your own good. Had you only said things that were demeaning about Darcy, this would not be required. However, you have spoken derogatorily about someone he loves, and I know from experience that doing something so foolish has deepened whatever small divide there may have been between you after your exchange in Mrs. Philips’s sitting room.
Therefore, I must warn you, both on my friend’s behalf and my own, that you should take care to treat your cousins – all of them – better than you have been, or measures will need to be taken.
I am not opposed to standing as Darcy’s second. ”
He turned to Jane and held out his hand. “Shall we, my dear?”
Once Jane had taken his hand, he looked once more at Mr. Collins. “Five minutes. Not a moment sooner.”
While Elizabeth was impressed by the tight bond between Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy and the thought of both of them defending her honour and that of her sisters, she was not so overwhelmed by those pleasant thoughts as to not be worried about how Mr. Darcy’s displeasure might play out.
She squeezed his arm, which still lay as solid as a rock beneath her fingers.
It was enough of a movement to cause his eyes to shift to hers.
She smiled at him, and he returned the expression, though it did not seem to be more than a reflexive response.
Oh, dear! This was not good. Was he reconsidering his attachment to her family? She would not blame him if he was.
“We shall never have to see him again after this visit,” Elizabeth said softly as they walked alongside Jane and Mr. Bingley.
“Never,” Jane repeated. “Not after we tell our father how he spoke about Mary and Elizabeth. Mama might forgive a slight of one of her daughters’ beauty.”
Elizabeth saw Mr. Darcy’s lips twitch in amusement.
“However,” Jane continued, “Papa’s displeasure, once riled, is much more of a burning bush.”
Mr. Darcy’s brow furrowed at the comment.
“Always burning yet never consumed,” Elizabeth explained. “It is fortunate that his temper is not easily provoked. I believe it is only Mr. Collins’s father who has ever pushed him to such a level that resulted in breaking off with him completely.”
“Until today,” Jane said. “You know as well as I do that had Papa heard any of what was said to Mary at our aunt’s home or to you just now, Mr. Collins would be removed from Longbourn immediately and sent on his way.
The only thing that might keep our father from ousting the man is knowing that Mama would likely bear the brunt of the retaliation for his actions. ”
“Never.” Mr. Darcy’s voice and features were firm. “Your mother will be well-provided for. She will not be left to the mercy of that fool.”
A sigh of relief escaped from Elizabeth of its own accord. “Does that mean that you still intend to marry me in the future?”
He looked startled. “Why would you think otherwise?”
“You said you did not want to be associated with Mr. Collins.”
“I also do not wish to be associated with Lady Catherine most days, but still, I visit her once a year and see to the things of which she has very little understanding.” He chuckled and shook his head.
“Wishing not to be associated with someone is not the same as not being associated with them. It just simply is not always possible. That being said, however, if my aunt were to speak poorly of you, as your cousin did just now, she would likely never receive a visit from me again. Indeed, I think it is beyond time to see to the hiring of someone to do the things I have done for her.”
“You would break off your relationship with your aunt on my account?” That was unexpected.
He nodded. “If she spoke poorly about you, yes.” He straightened his arm, causing her hand to drop to his hand.
Then, with a glance over his shoulder at Mr. Collins, he lifted her fingers to his lips and kissed her gloved knuckles.
“I love you. I meant it when I said it before, and it will always be true.”
“I say!” came a call from the parson who was some distance behind them.
Mr. Darcy simply chuckled and kissed her knuckles again.
“I would not have taken you for a man who taunts another, sir.” Elizabeth was happy for this new bit of revelation into Mr. Darcy’s character.
She knew that he could withstand teasing from those about whom he cared, but she had not thought that he was the sort of fellow to provoke anger from someone he did not count as a friend.
“He rarely is,” Mr. Bingley assured her.
“I am sure it is not a credit to my account at all,” Mr. Darcy began, “but that man drives me to want to do a great many things that are not noble. Taunting seemed to be the best option.”
“You did mention calling him out. The colonel would be impressed.” Mr. Bingley looked at Elizabeth. “It is usually Colonel Fitzwilliam who threatens morning meetings on Darcy’s behalf.”
“Is his temper so quick? Should we be worried for Mary?”
Mr. Darcy laughed. “No. Richard barks more than he bites.” He continued chuckling.
“However, he has a high standard for honour and tends to point out when that standard has not been met by offering to clear up the situation at dawn.” He blew out a breath.
“To my knowledge, there has only ever been one time when he was abjectly serious about keeping the appointment.”
“And Darcy and I would have stood as his seconds.”
Mr. Bingley’s comment was met with a nod from Mr. Darcy.
“It must have been something rather dreadful,” Jane said.
“It was.” Mr. Bingley cast a glance at Mr. Darcy who, once again, nodded.
“The fellow to provoke such a response was Mr. Wickham,” Mr. Bingley continued.
“Indeed?” Elizabeth cried. “Was it related to his penchant for playing cards?”
“No, but it was a play to win ill-gotten gain.” Mr. Bingley shared a pointed look with his friend.
“You likely noticed how Mr. Wickham and I greeted one another.”
“I did. Did he do something to harm you?” To Elizabeth’s horror, Mr. Darcy replied for a third time with a nod.
“He attempted to steal my sister from me.”
Both Elizabeth and Jane gasped. There really could be no other response to such a shocking statement.
“He played at being in love with her and had persuaded her to elope with him. Providentially, I arrived before the scheme could be carried out.” He shook his head. “She was devastated to discover that all he loved about her was her money. That is why she has been melancholy as of late.”
The comments and expressions from the earlier meeting between Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham made perfect sense to Elizabeth now, and it presented her with a new concern.
“Miss Darcy should not come to Netherfield,” she said, putting her worry into words.
“I am afraid it is too late to stop her arrival,” Mr. Darcy countered. “I had a message this morning from Richard that he was arriving tonight.”
“Oh, dear!” Jane cried. “Whatever shall we do?”
“There is nothing to do. Wickham will not try anything with my cousin in attendance; therefore, Georgiana will be safe. I know that I cannot hide her away from the world forever, no matter how much I wish to do just that. I will not have her kept captive by him. Instead, I will surround her with new friends and a future sister.” He blew out a breath. “She will be safe.”
This final comment was spoken softly, and Elizabeth was not sure if he was saying that to reassure her and Jane, or if he was saying it to himself. Most likely, both. And she would do her part to make it so.