Page 10 of Why I Kissed You (Pride and Prejudice Variation)
When it was settled that they would marry after all, and Elizabeth had all but demanded Darcy make right his mistake regarding Jane and Bingley, the two settled at the table again to discuss what their next steps should be.
Upon hearing that Meryton—and thereby Longbourn—did not receive the London papers until half a day after their release, Darcy suggested one of the first actions to take would be to put an announcement in the society pages of the next day’s morning edition.
This would give them the advantage in controlling the spread of gossip as well as time for him to travel to Longbourn to formally seek her father’s permission to marry her.
“I also think it would be prudent for me to secure a license, so that we may marry as soon as possible,” said he.
Elizabeth was unable to prevent the shock that coursed through her from showing on her face. “You do not think we should wait for banns to be read?”
“We could, certainly, but those three weeks would be more than sufficient time for my aunt to act maliciously,” Darcy replied. “Even with our engagement announced, she will have the power to inflict damage. The sooner we marry, the sooner—”
“The sooner you can whisk me off to Pemberley?” Elizabeth interjected, before taking a sip of her tea.
Darcy smiled but shook his head. “Much as I should like to, no. I rather think we should remain in town for at least a fortnight after the wedding.”
“And why is that? ”
“I think it imperative we establish our union as a choice made for no other reason than our mutual happiness, rather than our being forced to marry due to compromise of any sort.”
Elizabeth had just drawn a breath to respond when there came a light knock at the door. Colonel Fitzwilliam poked his head in with a hopeful expression.
“I see the battle is at armistice,” said he as he stepped around the door and closed it.
Smiling, Elizabeth said, “No battle took place, Colonel. Only peace was discussed between us.”
“Only peace?” he prompted.
Darcy shot him a look, then relaxed his features a fraction and said, “And future happiness, cousin. Miss Bennet has realized that she spoke in haste when refusing me. After further considering the merits of my offer, she has acknowledged the honour I have paid her and accepted me with alacrity.”
Elizabeth looked at him with one eyebrow raised, as he had almost verbatim repeated her acceptance.
Fitzwilliam grinned broadly, but she was certain he knew the true reason she had agreed to marry his cousin.
Still, when he approached and bowed to her, his words were kind as he said, “I wholeheartedly welcome you to our family, Miss Bennet. You may not now think so given the … pressing circumstances … but I do not doubt you will be very happy with Darcy.”
He leaned closer and said in a conspiratorial whisper, “He’s not such a bad fellow, I assure you. Much more at his ease in intimate company, and you may even draw out a smile or two on occasion.”
Elizabeth smiled. “Is that a challenge, Colonel?” she asked.
Fitzwilliam laughed. “Not so much a challenge as a mission, Miss Bennet. I hereby charge you, as my new relation, to make Darcy smile more and brood less.”
“Theodore,” said Darcy in a warning tone.
“It’s quite all right, Mr. Darcy,” said Elizabeth. “After all, if we are to convince your friends and relations that we are happy, surely seeing you smile more will be one way of doing so. The challenge, therein, lies in figuring out just how I may accomplish my mission.”
“To you, Will,” said Fitzwilliam, “I charge the same mission. If you do not wish Miss Bennet to regret her decision to marry a reticent, reclusive fellow like yourself, you must make every effort to see her smile.”
“And you must make an effort to be more sociable,” added Elizabeth with a smirk. “Prove to me—and to others—that you are not as proud and conceited as we think you.”
Darcy glanced between them with one eyebrow raised, and then with only a fraction less of the haughty air she had long come to associate with him, replied, “Your challenge is accepted. Now, as to our discussion—”
“What were you talking of just now?” Fitzwilliam asked as he moved around the table and took up a chair.
Elizabeth watched Darcy visibly suppress either a sigh or a growl, and it was some effort not to laugh at his vexation.
“Miss Bennet and I were discussing what measures to take in order to limit the damage Lady Catherine might attempt to inflict to achieve her ends. Thus far, we have agreed to placing an announcement of our engagement in the paper and my acquiring a license that we may marry without waiting for the banns.”
Fitzwilliam surprised her by nodding his approval.
When he took note of her raised brows, he said, “Forgive me Miss Bennet, but I must agree that is the wisest course. The sooner you are married, the less chance our aunt has of allowing her anger at being thwarted to cause any harm. Marrying quickly may cause some little speculation as to how soon your first child will come, but such talk will remain behind closed doors so long as you and Darcy appear every bit as happy together as you claim to be.”
Elizabeth’s cheeks had warmed at the colonel’s speculation as to the talk to be expected and found she could no longer meet Darcy’s gaze.
“Now, after I have taken you to your uncle at Gracechurch Street,” said Darcy, “I will first go to Darcy House to share the news with my sister. Then I will accompany Colonel Fitzwilliam to his father’s that I might share the news with him.
I may have to tell Lord Disley the true circumstances in order to prevent his raising too much objection. ”
Elizabeth again felt alarmed. “Is that really necessary, sir? How are we to portray ourselves as a happy couple if he knows I first refused you?”
Darcy glanced at his cousin. “I at first thought I might get away with not sharing that particular detail, but then I recalled having told Lady Catherine and Mr. Collins that you had refused my offer, which she may well bring up to her brother. I will therefore tell the earl what I told both them and Mrs. Collins: that I did not present my suit in a favorable manner, thus overwhelming your sensibilities and leading you to request time to consider my offer.”
That he was being kind enough to describe her actions in a favorable manner brought some relief to Elizabeth’s agitation, as they all knew that was not at all what had really happened.
It moved her to realize he was already making an effort to prevent her feeling any misery in her choice by ensuring that her behaviour, at least, did not meet with any disapprobation.
She could do nothing else but recognize this.
“Thank you for that, Mr. Darcy. I know how much you abhor deceit; I, too, am not easy with having to lie to our relations. But neither do I wish to cause anyone pain, my father most especially. For all his faults, he loves me most dearly, and if he should have any inclination that I am unhappy in my choice, it would surely break his heart.”
Darcy reached for her hand and took it up to press it warmly between his own. “Then we must keep our spirits up, you and I, and find in the prospect of a lifetime together what happiness we can.”
Her smile was weak as she nodded her agreement. “When do you think to see Mr. Bingley and my father?” she asked.
Drawing a breath, Darcy replied, “Bingley I will make an attempt to see tonight, after—if not before—I see the earl. I will go to your father tomorrow and purchase the license on my return to London.”
“Shall I go with you to my father?” Elizabeth asked next.
“If you insist upon attending me thither, I shan’t prevent you,” Darcy said. “However, I think your time tomorrow might be better spent in London.”
A frown marred her features. “Whatever for?”
“To commission your wedding clothes, of course.”
Elizabeth glanced at Fitzwilliam and scoffed, then looked back to Darcy to say, “Sir, I have not the funds to purchase a new wardrobe, and I very much doubt my father will be able to spare the money. His income is but a fifth of yours and he has five daughters and a wife to support, do not you remember?”
Darcy pressed his lips together in a tight line, then drew a breath and said, “Miss Bennet, I will not be asking your father for the funds, nor do you need to. I have accounts at the best dressmakers in town for the sake of my sister. I will write a note for you to present at any shop you have need to visit informing them that your purchases are to be charged to me.”
Stifling a groan, she replied, “Sir, I cannot condone that. It is not your place to purchase my wedding clothes, and to be perfectly candid, I do not see the sense in buying an entire new wardrobe when all the clothes I have are still perfectly serviceable—some of my gowns are even less than six months old.”
For the second time that day Darcy reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Elizabeth, you must have new clothes.”
Elizabeth drew a breath to refute the claim when Fitzwilliam softly cleared his throat, then said, “Beg pardon for interrupting, but Darcy is right. You will be the wife of an extraordinarily wealthy gentleman, and—ridiculous as the practice is—as a woman you will be judged by the quality and fashion of the clothes you wear.”
Elizabeth cocked an eyebrow at him. “You mean to say that I must ‘look the part’ as it were?”
Fitzwilliam grinned and snapped his fingers. “Precisely, my soon-to-be cousin! Allow me to query you this: Besides the harpies of the ton , who will make more of a point about your wardrobe—my illustrious Aunt Catherine, or your own dear mamma?”