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“No! I will not have it!” Mrs. Bennet’s shrill voice suddenly rose above all the others. “She is to marry Mr. Collins and only Mr. Collins! You must stop this travesty, Mr. Bennet!”

Darcy, Elizabeth, and everyone else in the room stopped speaking and looked toward the mistress of Longbourn.

Mr. Bennet scowled and, with a roll of his eyes, moved from his daughter’s side to his wife’s.

He took her elbow. “Come, Mrs. Bennet. We will discuss this in private.” Though his wife tried to dig her heels in, refusing to be silent, he urged her forward, not allowing her reluctance to persuade him to stop.

Her voice, which had never ceased protesting both Elizabeth’s engagement to Darcy and her husband’s manhandling of her person, soon faded as he propelled her down the hall.

“Mrs. Bennet is correct. You have been promised to me, Miss Elizabeth, and are not free to marry anyone else. I am outraged at the unbecoming and wanton behavior I have just witnessed.” Mr. Collins took hold of Elizabeth’s free arm and tried to tug her away.

Elizabeth attempted to yank her limb out of her cousin’s grasp. “This is not the place for such a discussion, sir,” she hissed at him. “You never asked for my hand, and if you had, I would not grant it to you.”

Darcy stepped between his betrothed and Mr. Collins.

“Let go of my future wife.” He caught the other man’s eye.

“Or there will be consequences for you that will be life-altering.” He paused.

“I am Lady Catherine’s favorite nephew and I have a great deal of influence on her.

” He winced inwardly, knowing that once his aunt found out about his engagement, he would likely fall in her esteem and his threat might be baseless.

Outwardly, he maintained his cold look of hauteur.

Collins paused; fear appeared in his eyes.

He let go of Elizabeth and stepped back.

“As I understand it, once a living is granted, it cannot be taken away, especially from someone with my valued qualifications. However, your aunt, though a liberal mistress and generous beyond comprehension, could make my life difficult if she were so inclined. Therefore, I will leave off for now.” He puffed himself up and pulled his waistcoat down.

“I am not finished, though. I will see Miss Elizabeth betrothed to me before this night is over.” He turned and exited the room.

Elizabeth, a blush spread over her entire countenance, turned to Darcy. “I am so sorry for my mother and my cousin. They are …” She trailed off, clearly unable to find words to describe their behavior.

Darcy laid his free hand over hers, which rested in the crook of his elbow. “Fear not. I am not upset, at least not with you. I am surprised at your mother’s reaction, I confess, but I would imagine Mr. Collins’ disappointment at missing out on such a lovely bride is understandable.”

A faint smile lifted Elizabeth’s lips for just a moment, but then she became serious.

Her eyes searched his. Finally, apparently seeing that he was telling the truth, she closed her eyes and sighed.

She looked at him again and smiled fully.

“Thank you for the compliment. I am sure it is untrue, but you seem to believe it, so I will not disabuse you of the notion.” A glimmer of her usual good humor appeared when she smirked at him.

Darcy lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to the back. He remained close by her side the rest of the evening.

~~~***~~~

The next day, Darcy presented himself at Longbourn’s door precisely at the time Mr. Bennet had ordered him to the day before. The housekeeper escorted him to a spacious room lined with bookshelves. Bennet rose from behind a desk near the single set of windows the space contained. Darcy bowed.

“Right on time, I see.” Bennet gestured toward a pair of wingback chairs next to the fireplace located close to the desk. “Have a seat.”

Darcy did as instructed, waiting for Bennet to follow him before he sat.

“I want you to know that I was being truthful when I told you last evening that I love your daughter. I have admired her from a distance for weeks.” He looked down.

“I apologize for my behavior. I did not set out to compromise her. I have never behaved so with anyone before.” He paused, lifting his hands in a gesture meant to indicate his uncertainty.

“I heard your wife telling someone that she was promised to your heir and I fear I panicked.”

Bennet snorted. “You feared not getting what you wished, so you rushed across the room and kissed Elizabeth like she was the last fresh water in the driest desert.”

Darcy turned red. He tried to push down the affront he felt at Bennet’s tone of voice. “Again, I apologize.”

Bennet shook his head. “Do not take offense. I spoke at length with my daughter last night and have come to understand her feelings in the matter. She is not at all distressed about the whole thing, and so neither will I be.” He paused.

“Let me call for tea and we can discuss the settlement. My brother Phillips should be along shortly. He is the solicitor in Meryton and my representative. He will write up the initial agreement and have his clerk make copies.” He rose and pulled the cord hanging beside the fireplace, then walked to the door.

Darcy heard him ask for tea and instruct the servant to bring Mr. Phillips in as soon as he arrived.

Bennet returned to his chair, settling himself down into it once more. “I will have Lizzy called for once we have the basic elements of the marriage articles worked out. She is the most intelligent of my children and I wish for her to know what to expect in the future.”

Darcy nodded. “I think that is an excellent plan.” He hesitated. “Miss Elizabeth is your favorite?”

Bennet dipped his chin. “I probably should not have one, but I do and I confess she is it. Lizzy is just like me in every way, except that of sex.” He looked at Darcy with a tiny crease in his brow.

“I taught my daughter everything she knows of driving and horses and carriages, including their maintenance and construction. She gains a great deal of enjoyment from caring for my gig. My will names her as the one who will inherit it when I am gone.” He gestured toward the door, beyond which Mrs. Bennet’s strident voice could be heard berating someone.

“None of the rest care for it at all, and my wife is horrified at the thought that one of her girls would be involved in activities that are not only unladylike but also menial.” He shrugged.

“I ignore her and have taught Lizzy to, as well. I warn you, however, that to deny her that outlet may not be a good idea.”

“I have no intention of denying it to her. I am rather fond of my own curricle, so I understand the enjoyment she gets out of it.” He paused, smiling down at his hands. “I confess I would love to race her. I have heard of the way she charmingly suggests it and then rejoices when she wins.”

Bennet laughed. “And she wins quite often.” He called out for the servant who had knocked on the door to enter and then said nothing else until the tea was served and the maid departed.

“I am happy to hear that you will not restrict her in this.” He took a sip out of his cup as he looked over the top of it.

“She is very well-read and loves to debate.”

Darcy lowered his teacup. “Sir, one of the things I love about your daughter is her intelligence. I have no desire for a stupid wife. I want someone to challenge me. I will not restrict her in anything except that which might endanger her beyond endurance. I will insist she does not drive about alone, or even walk by herself, especially when we are in town, and I will insist she keep me informed about her movements, but that is all. She only needs to tell someone … the housekeeper or butler, my sister, or myself … where she is going. I am not a gentleman who requires a wife to bend to his will in every aspect.”

Bennet nodded. “Good, good. You should be very happy, then. I only wished to warn you that if you tried, she would make your life miserable.” He winked.

Darcy laughed, an image forming in his mind of his betrothed with her hands on her hips, berating him.

Just then, the housekeeper announced Mr. Phillips and the gentlemen got down to the business of the marriage papers .

~~~***~~~

As the late morning hours turned into late afternoon, Darcy and Elizabeth left her father’s library to take a stroll around the gardens. Jane and Bingley trailed behind them.

“Thank you for not objecting to my father’s wish to include me in the discussion.” Elizabeth looked up at her betrothed and smiled.

“It was nothing, I assure you.” Darcy laid his free hand over hers where it rested on his arm and caressed her fingers.

“I would not want you to worry about the future and what will happen should the unthinkable occur. Besides, what better way to assure myself that you will not be taken in by an unscrupulous relative when I am gone?” He stopped and turned toward her.

“You are an intelligent woman, Elizabeth. I respect that.” He paused and lifted his hand to cup her cheek.

“It is one of the things that made me fall in love with you.” He leaned down and brushed her lips with his.

Elizabeth grinned. “You may live to regret my intelligence when I question your every decision.” She winked.

Darcy laughed, his eyes crinkling at the sides. “Never. It is not possible.”

“Well, we shall see. Perhaps I will be obstinate on purpose just to try you.”