Chapter 17-19 If Mr. Darcy Dared

Hertfordshire boasted many a fine family, but none could complain about the generous spread of Mrs. Bennet’s table. Expanded to accompany not only the intendeds of Elizabeth and Jane, the Friday night dinner for the Bennets also included Captain Carter and Lieutenant Denny as well as Mr. and Mrs. Phillips, and Mrs. Long with her two nieces. To accommodate the imbalance of women to men, Elizabeth and Jane sat across from each other on their father’s end of the table, while Kitty and Lydia flanked their mother at the opposite end. Ever the shrewd matchmaker, Mrs. Bennet sat Captain Carter and Lieutenant Denny next to her daughters and Mrs. Phillips and Mrs. Long on their other sides. With Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley already engaged to her eldest daughters, Mrs. Bennet had successfully blocked the two eligible soldiers from conversing with the Long nieces.

Although the county had expressed confusion over the odd courtship of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, the explanation of a special license and a marriage in London had spread through the surrounding neighborhood. Instead of doors being shut, Elizabeth soon found herself with many invitations to dinners and evenings of playing cards that she coordinated with Jane to attend only when they had been invited together along with Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy.

Since their afternoon at Netherfield Park, the couples had spent an evening at the Longs, which necessitated their reciprocal invitation on that particular Friday. But they’d also been invited to the Byngs and attended, with all enjoying the now comical confusion over the carriages. The neighborhood felt happy to see two of its most eligible daughters engaged to marry wealthy bachelors, even if some jealousy arose in families with eligible daughters themselves.

Elizabeth beamed at Mr. Darcy as she offered him a plate of steamed asparagus with hollandaise sauce. She used the tongs to serve a helping of spears onto her plate and held the dish out expectantly to Mr. Darcy.

“Thank you,” he said, as he turned to hand the plate to Miss Miranda Long without taking any asparagus for himself.

As Elizabeth used her fork and knife to cut her spears into more ladylike bites, she made a note to inquire as to Mr. Darcy’s particular tastes. “You do not eat cooked carrots, not even candied. And you do not care for asparagus. Pray, what vegetables do you eat, Mr. Darcy?” Elizabeth asked as she helped herself to a mouthful of her meal. Unlike dining in others’ homes, as she was at Longbourn, a hearty dinner could cause no inconvenience.

Mr. Darcy squirmed slightly uncomfortably in his seat as he reached for the quail eggs poached with parsnips. “I am told I was never fond of eating vegetables since I was a child. I can usually tolerate root vegetables when stewed with meets, but prepared individually I find I pass them along more often than partake,” Mr. Darcy clarified.

To make conversation across the way, Elizabeth asked the same of Mr. Bingley.

“And what about you Mr. Bingley? Do you have a particularly favorite vegetable? Or are you of the same persuasion as Mr. Darcy and avoid them altogether?” She gave a sly smile in the direction of Mr. Darcy as he interjected to state that he enjoyed some vegetables. But Elizabeth had enjoyed many meals with her future husband, and she had never noticed him eat any. It would be a challenge she would rise to conquer when they, at last, lived together.

Mr. Bingley stopped staring at Jane when she repeated her sister’s question for him to hear. Mr. Bingley laughed at his faux pas and addressed Elizabeth directly.

“I enjoy many labors of the garden, though I am most happy when they are covered with a sauce.” Mr. Bingley answered.

After three courses of dishes, polite discussion all around, and perhaps some wandering hands that misplaced their serviette, the time came for the gentlemen and ladies to separate for a short period. Mrs. Bennet led the promenade of ladies to the parlor where coffee and tea awaited their arrival. Elizabeth and Jane were two of the last to leave the room, and could not help turning to take one last look at their respective grooms. The other men in the room did not miss the pointed attentions of the Bennet sisters, and as soon as the door closed scarcely waited before teasing both bachelors.

As Captain Carter availed himself of the chamber pot, Lieutenant Denny walked over to Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley where they stood very close to Mr. Bennet and Mr. Phillips.

“Pardon me for saying so, and though it is said to let there be no impediment to true love, you are uncannily lucky, Mr. Darcy. I can see now why you compromised Miss Elizabeth at the ball to force Mr. Bennet to accept your suit.” Denny laughed as though such ribald speech would not be considered immensely rude by the father and uncle of the lady he shamed.

“Do not get any ideas, Lieutenant Denny, concerning my other daughters. I am keeping a close eye on you,” Mr. Bennet scolded the silly soldier who appeared to shrink back, looking to Captain Carter for assistance.

Mr. Darcy frowned. “I do not understand the point you are making, sir. I did not fear Mr. Bennet’s disapproval, and I can honestly say my behavior with Miss Elizabeth, while uncharacteristic, was not conducted through manipulation but from overwhelming emotion.”

“Aye, gentlemen like you have nothing to fear like a poorly soldier,” Denny said wistfully as he eyed the cabinet for the chamber pot, but Mr. Phillips had already taken the place to be the second to avail himself. Denny suddenly stood a bit taller as he thought of Mr. Bennet’s warning and a mutual sympathy for himself and Mr. Wickham. It was the way of the world, but a man of little means could play none.

“I did not think you well acquainted with Miss Elizabeth, Lieutenant Denny. Surely you are not saying you hold hope for Miss Elizabeth when you so eagerly court Miss Catherine?” Mr. Bingley asked, crossing his arms in defense of Jane’s sisters. He might not be a brother to the Bennet girls yet, but only by the wait of ten days’ time.

Lieutenant Denny held up his hands and waved them to signal his defeat. “No, no, not me. But Mr. Darcy here turned down Lieutenant Wickham when he wished to marry his sister. I only wondered if the experience influenced his behaviors.” Denny finally walked over to the chamber pot to relieve himself, leaving the men utterly astonished at this information about Mr. Wickham and Mr. Darcy.

Finished with his business, Mr. Phillips returned to stand next to his brother-in-law as Mr. Bennet gave a sharp condemnation of the young lieutenant but spoke looking solely at Mr. Darcy.

“What’s this? Are you alleging, sir, that Mr. Wickham made an honorable suit to Mr. Darcy’s sister and he was denied?” Mr. Bennet found himself feeling slightly the fool if such reports were accurate. He had allowed that perhaps passion between his daughter and Mr. Darcy had unduly influenced their conduct at Mr. Bingley’s ball. But if Mr. Darcy’s sister had been treated with proper respect by a suitor, and Mr. Darcy had to play the protective guardian, Mr. Bennet did not feel as though he wished to give Mr. Darcy the benefit of the doubt over his behavior in comparison. Why should Mr. Darcy demand a better standard of conduct for his sister and then not offer such to his daughter?

“There is nothing honorable whatsoever in a day of Mr. Wickham’s life. My sister is not yet fifteen!” Mr. Darcy spat.

Lieutenant Denny’s eyes widened as Captain Carter came around the table to join the conversation.

“So young? That is distressing, indeed.” Captain Carter looked to Mr. Phillips for assistance, but it was Mr. Darcy who spoke again.

“I cannot predict what fantastical story Mr. Wickham has shared, but am I to understand that the regiment here is now well acquainted with his tale regarding my sister?” Mr. Darcy asked.

The two representatives of Colonel Forster’s men nodded.

“Mr. Bennet, I wonder if I might ask for a private audience with you and your daughter, Elizabeth, in your study. These developments are distressing, and I’m afraid I must leave for London in the morning,” Mr. Darcy said.

“Of course, of course,” Mr. Bennet agreed to Mr. Darcy’s request as he soon thought of his youngest daughters, Kitty and Lydia. Though he had permitted Lieutenant Denny to sit next to Kitty, he could not imagine either girl marrying. They were far too silly for that! He had raised enough daughters to know such silliness was typical of the age and so therefore safely assumed Miss Darcy could not be of the same maturity of his elder daughters. A slow burn of anger began to form in Mr. Bennet’s belly as he wondered if Mr. Wickham had tried to compromise any of his daughters.

As Mr. Phillips and Charles interviewed the two soldiers for more of Mr. Wickham’s tales, Mr. Bennet led Mr. Darcy to the parlor, where they nearly ran into Elizabeth in the hall.

“Kitty just told us!” Elizabeth warned as the grim expressions on both her intended and her father’s face grew longer. “What kind of a monster—”

“That is enough, Lizzy. Mr. Darcy has asked to speak to us in my study, and I believe we should listen.”