Beginning, Section II

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Posted on Tuesday, 12 January 1999

Elizabeth rushed into the library and slammed the door behind her.

"Oh, she is insufferable!" she cried, still facing the door. "As if she had some sort of claim on him. I do not see that Mr. Darcy gives her more attention than any other young lady."

"I see Miss Bingley has been bothering you as well." Lizzy spun around to face the man she had just been speaking of. She would rather have gone back out to face Miss Bingley again than face Mr. Darcy now. She turned to leave, but he called her back.

"Please stay Miss Bennet, I am afraid that I have been the cause of your discomfort this evening. You see, Miss Bingley has tried to gain my affections for many years now, without any encouragement from you understand, and she becomes easily jealous," he tried to remain calm as he spoke to her, but he knew this was it, the moment when he would find out if he was to spend the rest of his life with the woman he loved, or be forever miserable. "And this time she has every right to be. Miss Bennet, since the beginning of our acquaintance I have come to feel for you a most ardent love, and there is nothing in this world that would make me happier than if you would consent to be my wife."

Lizzy hardly knew what to say. She had gone from extreme anger, to extreme embarrassment, to extreme joy. He loved her. Those words kept running through her mind. He loved her and wanted to marry her. She could scarcely believe it.

After a few moments she was able to express her feeling for him in a manner which he could understand and after a few moments of awkward silence, they both began to laugh.

"Poor Miss Bingley! She came to me in an attempt to scare me away from you, but it seems as though she has driven me right to you instead," Elizabeth said with some real pity.

"And it was her harsh words about you that had me retreating to the library as well. Poor girl, I hope that she shall find another rich man to take my place."

"Oh Mr. Darcy, you do not really believe that she was only after your money! Surely not," she said in imitated shock. "No, but I really ought to thank her, for without her assistance this friendly acquaintance might have gone on for ages. I am sure she will be very happy in knowing that we shall owe all of our future happiness to her."

"And there will be much future happiness, my dearest, loveliest Elizabeth."

"Indeed there shall."

They could have gone on talking alone like this for hours, but Mr. Bennet soon entered the room. He had become very annoyed with his wife's assurances that once her two eldest daughters had become Mrs. Bingley and Mrs. Darcy, the lace on her own gowns would be twice as fine as Mrs. Hurst's. Lizzy left Mr. Darcy to make all the necessary disclosures to her father and returned to her company.

She wandered around the room speaking to no one in particular and thinking of nothing but him. When she could contain herself no longer she found Jane and Charlotte and pulled them into an empty corner. When they had heard all, they were very happy for Lizzy and sincerely congratulated her.

"I admit that Charles and I had hoped for such a union, but did not suspect it so soon. You both seemed somewhat unsure," Jane said.

"Well we did not expect it to happen so soon either, but we now owe Miss Bingley much thanks," Lizzy replied and they all laughed.

"But seriously Eliza, it is a great honour to be thus selected by Mr. Darcy. He is very rich and very important. You are extremely fortunate to have found such a husband," there was a hint of envy in Charlotte's voice as she spoke.

"Oh Charlotte, why must you always be so serious?" Lizzy teased. "It is rather lucky that he is so rich, but you know that it matters very little to me. You have always been the practical one, while I have been the romantic, but some day you will see. You will fall in love with someone wonderful, and the size of his pocketbook will never even cross your mind."

"At twenty seven I have almost given up, but we shall see. And now Lizzy, we shall leave you alone now, for here he comes."

"Thank you, but first promise me that you will not say anything, for I should like to at least be able to enjoy this evening without mother fawning all over him. She is so embarrassing." They both agreed most willingly and left her and Mr. Darcy to speak together alone.

"You have told them I see," Mr. Darcy said with mock disapproval.

"How could I not? They are my closest friends, and besides I became very impatient waiting for you. I began to think my father had refused his consent and the two of you were arguing over me," she laughed. "Now what did my father have to say? He has not actually refused has he, and forced us to elope?"

"No, he was very pleased and has given us one more dance before you are expected in the library to see him."

"Well he is most generous! Shall we dance sir?"

"Yes, but only if you will call me William," he insisted.

"I believe something can be arranged, William," she was very pleased with the way his name sounded when coming from her own mouth and he was equally pleased. They would have liked to continue that familiarity with which they had just been talking, but she again expressed her wish to keep their engagement from her mother, for the evening, and so they returned to being Miss Bennet and Mr. Darcy.