Truth about Mr. Darcy

“Good morning, Miss Darcy,” she said. “How can I be of service to you today?”

Georgiana smiled. “Though there are several items I may wish to acquire, Miss Granby, we are here today to shop for a trousseau for my future sister.” She linked her arm with Elizabeth’s.

Miss Granby quickly—and rather openly—surveyed the Bennets, who were by no means dressed so fashionably nor so expensively as Miss Darcy, before offering Elizabeth a somewhat restrained smile. “Of course,” she said. “Allow me to offer my congratulations, Miss…”

Elizabeth raised her brow. “Bennet. Thank you,” she returned with equal coolness.

Miss Granby gave her another haughty look and said, “Well, Miss Bennet, please follow me, and we shall get you started.”

Though Georgiana thought she had made it clear to Miss Granby they were there primarily to shop for Elizabeth’s trousseau, she could not but notice with some distress it was she who received the solicitous attention of Mrs. Duval’s staff, and not her future sister. The lengths to which the staff went to be of service to her while almost pointedly ignoring Elizabeth bordered on shocking to the privileged girl, who was quite accustomed to receiving the very best of service. Indeed, she could not comprehend how Miss Granby and the other assistants attending them could behave in such a cool, condescending manner to the Bennets and, especially, to the future Mrs. Darcy. She turned to Elizabeth several times with an expression of real concern and no small degree of embarrassment, only to see her respond to Miss Granby’s rudeness by raising a brow and addressing the woman in an arch manner that appeared to express her total lack of intimidation. If Elizabeth was truly bothered by the staff’s indifferent attitude toward her and their lack of basic courtesy, Georgiana was forced to concede she did a convincing job of hiding it.

Indeed, Elizabeth hid her distress very well. Though she could not admit to being surprised by Miss Granby’s initial haughty attitude toward her, she was both startled and pained to see the contrasting deference so pointedly paid to Georgiana in her presence. No doubt her future sister was used to receiving preferential treatment wherever she went, but given the circumstances, Elizabeth had expected at least some form of conciliatory acceptance and civility toward herself, if not toward the members of her family.

Whether it was the elegance of the establishment or the elegance of the wealthy patrons in it who cast many not-so-surreptitious glances in the direction of their party, Elizabeth found her mother uncharacteristically reserved for such an occasion. Not even the vast array of lace, of which Mrs. Bennet had long held very decided opinions, could rouse her to her usual overzealous effusions. As a matter of fact, considering her two youngest sisters were also surrounded by the finest muslin and silk money could buy, they, too, seemed surprisingly subdued, exhibiting far better behavior than Elizabeth had ever imagined possible.

After sitting for so many hours in one attitude, examining patterns and selecting fabric and trim while being ignored by the staff, Elizabeth was in desperate need of a change of venue. Making her excuses, she rose and made her way to the other side of the shoppe. She was in the midst of admiring a beautifully embroidered pair of silk gloves when she happened to overhear two assistants engrossed in a rather animated conversation. Though they spoke in hushed tones, their voices carried easily to Elizabeth.

“But you must admit she gives every appearance of being a gentleman’s daughter, even if the gown she wears is not of the finest muslin.”

“She is the daughter of a gentleman, I hear, but he owns a rather meager estate —nothing to Mr. Darcy’s—and she is rumored to have several relations in trade.”

“In trade? My word! Are you certain?”

“Yes, and I cannot imagine why Fitzwilliam Darcy would lower himself to offer for a woman who is apparently so unconnected and penniless. She has a dowry of only fifty pounds per annum, I hear!”

“Fifty pounds! When, for years, he has had his pick of far more refined women with fifty thousand?”

“Precisely. It makes one wonder.”

“Can there be any real affection on his part, do you think? You never know. Perhaps he lost his heart to this little country beauty.”

The other assistant snorted. “His heart? You mean his head, more like! I overheard Caroline Bingley, whose brother is Mr. Darcy’s oldest and dearest friend, tell her own very great friend, Cecelia Hayward, that Mr. Darcy was drawn in while he was a guest in her brother’s house. It was all so shameful to watch, she said. And shocking! Why, whenever the two of them were in company together, he could not tear his eyes from Miss Bennet’s well-featured charms, so to speak. Perhaps they were caught in a compromising position, and he is being forced to marry her. In any case, he certainly cannot go through with this marriage to such an unconnected woman.”

“No, certainly not. Can you just imagine what his titled relations will say when they hear about the match? No doubt the earl will put an end to the engagement straight away!”

They tittered loudly. “Oh, yes. Knowing Lord Matlock, he will be outraged over the disgrace his nephew will bring upon their entire family. You mark my words, there is no chance we shall ever see poor little Miss Bennet return as Mrs. Darcy. She will be sent back to the country in shame, and he will be married within a fortnight to his well-dowered cousin or another woman of the ton, who is far more suitable.”

Elizabeth had heard enough, and, shaking, she turned and walked out of the shoppe. Georgiana joined her only moments later, an expression of concern etched upon her face.

“Miss Elizabeth, are you well?” she asked.

Elizabeth swallowed down the hot lump that had lodged in her throat, and looked away.

“Pay them no mind,” she continued as she placed her hand on Elizabeth’s arm. “Anyone who has had the pleasure of seeing you and Fitzwilliam together can be left in no doubt of your love for each other. What those two women said inside was horrible, but it was nothing more than gossip, maliciously purported by Caroline Bingley, no less. She has always aspired to catch my brother, and now she is angered that all her scheming has come to nothing. And as for my uncle, I know he will love you. He is not so concerned with birth and connections as he would have the rest of London believe. The most important thing to him, and to my aunt, is that Fitzwilliam is happy, and they will be reassured of that the moment they see the way he looks at you.”

Though Elizabeth was touched by the words her future sister offered, she could not soon forget the rude treatment she received, the unkind remarks and the hurtful gossip she overheard, nor the resulting pain associated with it all. That morning, the happy prospect of ordering new gowns for her trousseau had greatly appealed to Elizabeth, but considering the emotional cost she was required to pay, she no longer felt equal to the task. She was eager to be away from Mrs. Duval’s shoppe as soon as possible and not at all looking forward to having to return.

*   *   *

While Mrs. Bennet, Jane, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia were eager to continue their shopping excursion in another part of London, Elizabeth and Georgiana chose to return to Darcy House. When they entered the foyer, it was nearly teatime, and Georgiana was informed that her brother was entertaining none other than Lord and Lady Matlock in the music room. Elizabeth, at Georgiana’s urging, accompanied her future sister, and when they entered the room, she saw an elegant older lady and two finely dressed gentlemen engaged in easy conversation with Darcy.

Georgiana’s eyes lit up with pleasure. “Aunt Rebecca, Uncle Henry. How wonderful to find you here.” She kissed them both before turning to the other gentleman. He appeared to be no more than several years older than Darcy. “Hello, Cousin. Have you come to meet Miss Elizabeth, or are you here only to tease me mercilessly, just as you always do?”

He laughed and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I am always eager to tease you, dearest, but I confess to being quite curious about the young lady who has finally managed to captivate my infamously imperturbable cousin.”

Smiling wide enough to show his dimples, Darcy hastened to Elizabeth’s side. “Elizabeth, please allow me to present my uncle and aunt, Lord and Lady Matlock, and my cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam. Aunt Rebecca, Uncle Henry, Richard, it is my very great pleasure to introduce Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn in Hertfordshire.”

Lady Matlock smiled kindly. Her husband addressed Elizabeth stiffly. “Miss Bennet, allow me to offer my congratulations to you. My nephew has been rather negligent in his duty, I am afraid, and saw fit to inform us of his engagement to you only the other day. If you are truly all he claims, I daresay you will find much happiness in your union.”