Elizabeth, who was beginning to wonder the same thing for a very different reason, ventured, “I have no quarrel with Mr. Darcy, and Miss Darcy is a very sweet girl. Do not forget that if she takes a liking to Mary and Kitty, she may well be able to put them in the way of some very wealthy men.”
Mrs. Bennet, who had not thought of this most attractive prospect, cried, “Of course, what an excellent thought! Lizzy, do not forget she may be able to assist you in that regard, as well. You are not getting any younger, you know!”
Her daughter struggled hard not to smile as she said, “Perhaps, if I am truly fortunate, Miss Darcy might even have someone in mind for me already.”
Although reassured Georgiana would receive a pleasant, if possibly overcivil, reception from her family, Elizabeth was nonetheless troubled by her parents’ reaction to Darcy. She suspected the prospect of a son-in-law with all his wealth and grandeur would be enough to overcome her mother’s abhorrence of the man, but she feared her father would be distressed by her choice. This unpleasant reflection eventually led her to solicit Jane, who was soon to go to London to make the final arrangements for her trousseau, to speak with the Gardiners requesting their support in improving Darcy’s reputation with her parents.
Jane’s departure, however, left Elizabeth without a confidante, an unhappy position she hoped would be relieved by the upcoming arrival of Miss Darcy, who would no doubt be more than happy to discourse with her on the subject of her brother. In the meantime, she made every effort to absent herself from her family when possible by means of long walks and errands in Meryton.
One day, after a return from such an expedition, she arrived home to the news that her mother had yet again confined herself to her rooms with a fit of nerves, and all Elizabeth’s requests for information regarding the source of the crisis resulted in either giggles from Kitty or judgmental looks from Mary. Finally, with some exasperation, she went to the library to apply to her father regarding the matter.
“Ah, Lizzy, you are precisely the person I need to see. Please sit down,” he greeted her.
“I was hoping, sir, you could explain to me what has led to my mother’s distress in this latest instance.”
“An interesting question, since you seem to be very much at the center of this,” he said, and in response to Elizabeth’s raised eyebrow, continued, “Apparently Hill, while cleaning your room today, made a certain discovery, which, then being represented to your mother, led to further search and further discovery. This in turn led to your mother’s attack of nerves, and the job falling to me to inquire about the presence of certain items in your room.”
Elizabeth’s mind jumped immediately to Darcy’s letters, and she felt a surge of anxiety that the long-delayed discussion was about to occur. “Which items do you have in mind, sir?”
Mr. Bennet produced Darcy’s handkerchief and most recent note. Laying them down in front of her, he proceeded to drum his fingers lightly on his desk while watching her closely.
She found herself wishing desperately Darcy were beside her, or at Netherfield, and if not Darcy, at least Jane. She hated to see her father disappointed in her, his favorite child, but even for him, she was not prepared to forswear Darcy.
“Now, what am I to make of these?” he asked finally.
Elizabeth reverted to the use of her wit. “I have an admirer with excellent taste in poetry and a preference for fine linen.”
Her father’s lips twitched. “Perhaps, Lizzy, you would care to enlighten me somewhat further regarding this mysterious gentleman with the initials of FD.”
Recalling with a start that Darcy signed the letter only with his initials, she debated with herself whether her father was in fact perfectly aware of his identity, or was truly in ignorance. Perhaps he considered Darcy such an unlikely candidate for her affections as not to be on a list of possibilities. If it were at all possible, she would prefer to postpone the confrontation regarding Darcy until she could face it with his support, and the possibilities for delay appealed to her mischievous side. “He is a young man from whom you will be hearing in good time, whose intentions are honorable, and whose resources will be sufficient to support me.”
“And his name is…?”
“His name will certainly be a surprise to you when he approaches you.”
Mr. Bennet, evidently amused by her evasions, said, “Lizzy, I have informed your mother that in light of your good sense, I can only assume that your anonymous friend is someone you met on your travels, perhaps in Kent. While I would have preferred to be approached by the gentleman in question before he began sending you compromising letters, I could perhaps overlook it if the circumstances warrant. I will warn you, however, that if by some unlikely chance your FD should prove to be a person of our acquaintance with those initials, you may safely assume that I will not look favorably on the match, given he is someone I can neither like nor respect. I find it hard to believe, however, that your judgment could fail you to such an extent.”
She had not expected this level of disapproval. In increasing distress, Elizabeth confined herself to saying as calmly as possible, “It is my firm belief my choice is an impeccable one, and I will hope to eventually have your agreement on that. Apart from that, I will only say that I am resolved to act in that manner, which will, in my own opinion, constitute my happiness.”
“Well, Lizzy, in that case, all I can say is I hope my faith in your good sense is not misplaced. I remind you that your mother may be less forgiving in the matter of your refusal to name names than I am.”
“Of that I have no doubt,” she said dryly as she took her leave of him, attempting to conceal her feelings of disappointment and resentment.
Irritably snatching up her bonnet, she strode outside, ignoring the calls of her sisters. She set off at a fast pace, not knowing in which direction she went, and at length found herself in the back corner of the gardens where she had so lately been with Darcy. Surrounded by her memories of his gentleness and passion, she attempted to face the painful reality of her father’s words. To her surprise, she found her father’s refusal to approve the match was exactly calculated to make her clearly understand her own wishes for the first time, and she admitted to herself at last that she would indeed offer Darcy a positive response to his proposals on his return, with or without the blessing of her family.
She could not, however, give up the matter of her father as hopeless. The Gardiners would be at Longbourn for the wedding, and she would beg them to intercede with Mr. Bennet on her behalf. Perhaps he would listen to their greater knowledge of Darcy, and with their support and Jane’s, perhaps it might come to a satisfactory resolution after all.
“Lizzy!” Kitty ran up to her, bonnet askew and windblown. “There you are! You sly thing, why didn’t you tell me? I would have helped you, just like I helped Lydia!”
Elizabeth, with a sigh, crossed her arms and looked heavenward in dismay.
“But who would have thought it? We all thought you so proper, and all the while you were meeting secretly with Denny!”
“With Denny?” Elizabeth asked in confusion.
“Did Father tell you that I was the one who figured it out? I knew his first name was Frederick, and I knew that he admired you, and then Father said, ‘So that was the source of all her information about Wickham!’ You should have seen his face!”
“Kitty,” Elizabeth said with incredulity, “do you mean to say he thinks I have been having a liaison with Mr. Denny? Wickham’s friend Denny?”
Kitty nodded excitedly.