Page 27 of The Duke of Derby (Pride and Prejudice Variation)

A week after Jane requested her father investigate Colonel Fitzwilliam, the duke called his eldest daughter into his study.

“I have received a report on your Colonel Fitzwilliam,” he said.

“He is not my colonel,” Jane replied.

Papa smiled slightly. “Given the information I have gathered and the fact that you have walked with the young man four times in the last week, I strongly suspect he soon will be.”

Jane ignored her father’s insinuation and said, “What have you found?”

“His income is sufficient for his needs as well as a few small luxuries, the most notable of which is a racing curricle and a single horse,” Papa said.

“Despite the expense of purchasing and keeping them, however, Colonel Fitzwilliam is in debt to no man.

He does not even have any open gaming debts.

“Additionally, he treats both his manservant and his landlady with respect, and my men could find no rumor of him ever mistreating a servant in any way. In fact, he has even stood up to his father when the earl attempted to fire a footman for simply standing in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Why would you investigate how he treats servants?” asked Jane.

“The way a man treats his servants is a good indicator of how he will treat his wife or any other person the man thinks is below him,” said Papa. “Now, on to the less savory side of the report.”

Jane felt her heart sink as her father said that. She feared that perhaps he had a mistress or a foundling child or something of that nature.

“This is the part of the report that took so long to complete. My men were thorough in their search, but they could find no evidence whatsoever that Colonel Fitzwilliam has ever fathered a child, not even with the professional ladies in London’s brothels.”

“That is good to know,” said Jane. She did not ask how often he went to such places, simply because she didn’t wish to know. That was a side of the life of a gentleman that Jane was perfectly happy to remain ignorant of.

“That is the extent of my report,” said Papa. “It would have been longer had there been anything negative to report, but it appears that your young man is as close to perfect as a gentleman in London can possibly be.”

“And what is your opinion of him?” asked Jane. “Do you think he will make a good husband for me?”

“I can’t think of a better man for the position,” said the duke. “However, that is merely an objective statement. If you don’t like him or can’t respect him, the rest matters very little. Let me not have the grief of seeing you unable to love or respect your partner in life.”

“I do like him,” said Jane. “He is easy to converse with, and he has a lively sense of humor reminiscent of Elizabeth’s. I also respect him. He has knowledge and experience I do not, but he is not overbearing when sharing a different perspective or even giving advice.”

“Give him time,” said Papa. “You have only known him little more than a week. I know you are in a rush to establish a family that can carry on the title, but there is no need to rush quite that much.”

“Very well,” said Jane. “I will make no decision as of yet. Still, it is good to know that your investigators found what I had already assumed, that he is a good man.”

~~~~~

Jane continued walking with Colonel Fitzwilliam nearly every day, since he always accompanied Mr. Darcy when he called on Elizabeth. Their conversations were always easy and pleasant, and Jane noticed that he had gradually become more comfortable around her.

They didn’t always speak of hobbies or entertainments. Sometimes they spoke of life experiences, both past and present, and Jane gradually developed a sense of what the colonel valued most in life.

At Elizabeth’s engagement dinner, Jane and Colonel Fitzwilliam were placed next to each other at dinner. Without even thinking of how it would look, both of them practically ignored their dinner partners on their other sides.

By the end of another two weeks, Jane was certain she loved the man, and she was equally certain that he would make an excellent partner in life.

There was only one thing that still held her back. She did not wish to be the one to propose.

Ever since she was a young girl, her mother had told her that she was sure to attract every man she met. The idea had been reinforced by her own experiences. She had always resisted the temptation to be vain about such a clear advantage, but she was not immune to the pleasure of having such power.

Even so, she had always done her best to be demure. The one thing that had managed to penetrate her mind and enter her dreams was the desire to have a man propose marriage to her in the most romantic way possible.

So, she put it off, not wishing to give up on that one last dream, the final vestige of normality from her old life.

~~~~~

Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam entered the study of the Duke of Derby. Only half an hour had passed since he received a note requesting his presence as soon as possible. He wondered what this could possibly be about.

“Ah, Colonel Fitzwilliam,” said the duke from behind his desk. “Please have a seat.”

Richard sat in the chair in front of the desk. “How can I help you, Your Grace?” he asked.

“I am afraid the time has come for me to ask the uncomfortable questions,” the duke said. “How do you feel about my daughter, Marchioness Northdale?”

This was a surprising question, though not as uncomfortable as the duke assumed.

It was surprising because it indicated that the duke saw Richard as a possible suitor for Lady Jane, which he didn’t believe he had ever been.

It wasn’t particularly awkward, however, because Richard was not ashamed of his feelings in the least.

“I have never met her equal among women,” he said.

“She has all the best qualities one dreams of and is absolutely beautiful on top of that. I love her, and I will only ever stop loving her if she tells me to. Even then, I would have to exile myself from her presence for the rest of my life to do as she wishes.”

The duke smirked. “That is a pretty speech,” he said. “But love such as that never lasts as long as one would expect.”

“The fact that it is based on my respect for her character, which will never alter in its fundamentals, makes me confident that my statement, in its essence, is true.”

“If you love her so much, why have you not offered for her?” asked the duke.

“Because I have never considered myself worthy of her,” said Richard.

Duke Derby looked at him disbelievingly. “Come now, Colonel. Since when has any man been prevented from at least trying to achieve his heart’s desire simply by the thought that she is too good for him? I thought we were being honest with each other.”

“Your Grace is most observant,” said Richard. “Very well, the true answer is that I do not think she truly wishes to marry at present. The time I have spent with her was never about courting. Rather, I was simply keeping her company while my cousin courted Lady Elizabeth.”

“That is closer to the truth,” said the duke. “However, you neglected to take into account that the surest way to court Lady Jane is to, as you say, simply keep her company.”

“I see,” said Richard as he tried to keep any expression off his face.

“Now, tell me, if she should propose to you, as is her right based on her rank, would you accept?” asked the duke.

“In less than a heartbeat,” said Richard.

“I assumed as much,” said the duke. “Now, here is the real test. If you knew it would make her happy, would you propose to her instead of waiting for her to take the initiative?”

“I would do anything in my power to make Lady Jane as happy as she can be,” said Richard.

“Again with the pretty speeches,” said Duke Derby, slightly mockingly.

“Now, I will tell you something that I shall never tell another gentleman. My daughter dislikes the idea of proposing to a gentleman very much. Despite her new station and power, inside she is still a simple gentleman’s daughter, with all the silly romantic notions that come with it. ”

“I see,” said Richard, “and I understand. I thank you for the information. Does that mean that I would have your approval for such an action?”

“Yes,” said the duke. “When shall I expect the announcement?”

“Give me a few days,” said Richard. “If she wants romance, I need time to think how best to approach the subject.”

“Excellent,” said the duke with a hint of a smile and a twinkle in his eyes. “I look forward to hearing the story…many times.”

~~~~~

On the last day of October, Jane was disappointed to find that Colonel Fitzwilliam did not accompany Mr. Darcy on his visit to Elizabeth. Overcome with dismay, she declined to join them for their walk, sending Kitty instead.

Her disappointment was not long-lived, however. Shortly after Elizabeth returned from her walk, Colonel Fitzwilliam called. He asked to have a private word with her.

Jane could not believe her ears. There could be only one reason he would ask for such a thing, at least only one reason she could think of. Yet, she did not dare hope.

Once she had led him to the blue salon, she turned to him with a question on her face.

“I have come with a gift,” he said. He held out a delicate wooden box with exquisite scrollwork etched into it.

She took it and opened it. Inside, nestled among perfect white tissue paper and little balls of cotton, was a fine, delicate bracelet. It was made of what looked like two dozen small links which were set with alternating sapphires and emeralds.

“It is beautiful,” she said.

“May I put it on you?” he asked. She could sense the nervousness in his voice.

“That would be lovely,” she answered.

“I chose it because the sapphires remind me of your eyes, and I hoped the emeralds would remind you of mine,” he said as he fastened the delicate bracelet around her wrist.

The sheer romance and thoughtfulness made Jane catch her breath.

Once the bracelet was firmly around her wrist, she stared at the sparkling jewels that lay against her pale skin.

It was the perfect blend of the two of them, each distinct, but far more beautiful set together than either would be on its own.

“Lady Jane,” he said, “the first moment I saw you, I could not think straight.

Your beauty practically blinded me to everything else around me.

But it is not your beauty that has brought me to this point.

You have wisdom and determination, a spine as strong as steel.

Even so, you are not inflexible. You are the kindest lady I have ever met, yet you know when to be stern.

“I love you. I have since we danced together at your mother’s ball. I can think of no greater joy, no better purpose, than to be your husband. Will you marry me, Jane?”

With tears of joy in her eyes, Jane breathed out the single word, “Yes.”

Colonel Fitzwilliam took her hand and looked down at the bracelet on her wrist. “It looks perfect there. Exactly where it belongs.”

With his other hand, he wiped away a happy tear that had fallen down her cheek. Then, he kissed her.

Through all Jane’s thoughts of marriage over the last five months, she had only considered suitability.

When she had thought of love, she had mostly thought of the kind of daily love that comes with working alongside someone.

Occasionally, she thought of romance such as grand gestures and gentle compliments.

Sheer attraction had never figured into her plans.

She had been so wrong to leave it out, and she learned through his kiss so much she had never known before.

He was gentle but firm, showing exactly what kind of man he was through his kiss. Jane was lost in a sea of new sensations and new feelings.

When they separated, Colonel Fitzwilliam stared into her eyes. The expression of wonder that suffused his face was certainly mirrored in her own.

“I love you,” she said.