As the Season steadily progressed, Darcy’s possessive attitude with respect to Elizabeth became increasingly evident when she started to attract the attention of other men. Although Darcy strongly believed he could not have Elizabeth, he certainly did not intend that anyone else might. His constant fear was that another man would recognise her worth and steal her away from him. He knew he was being selfish and absurd. Still, he worried ceaselessly.
By and by, Elizabeth discovered that a potential suitor had appealed to Darcy, asking if he might court her. Without speaking with Elizabeth first, Darcy had flatly told the gentleman that Elizabeth was not interested. Matthew Clennan was a handsome man, kind and amiable, and at least twelve years her senior. In appearance, he might easily be taken as a more mature likeness of Darcy himself. He owned a modest estate in Devonshire. He had called on the Darcys on several occasions and had always been engaging. Elizabeth had soon suspected he fancied her. Though she had liked him very much, she had not been attracted to him. As she was not the sort of female to torment a respectable man, she had sought not to encourage him into thinking they might be anything more than acquaintances.
Upon learning of Darcy’s interference, Elizabeth was so angry that she stormed into his study and demanded an explanation. Darcy confirmed her accusations that indeed, he had spoken with the gentleman on her behalf. Elizabeth was livid.
“How dare you? You owe me an apology and your promise not to interfere in my affairs again!”
“I owe you an apology?” Darcy echoed, thinking he had done her a great service. “Whatever for, might I ask? I watched Mr. Clennan and you carefully, and was persuaded you were not interested. Was I mistaken, Miss Elizabeth? Are you favourably inclined towards Mr. Clennan?”
“No, I am not. That is not the point. The point is that I decide, not you.”
“Miss Elizabeth, you are a young maiden, living in my home, and under my protection. It is honourable and expected that would-be suitors speak with me of their intentions towards both Georgiana and you.”
“I am not your younger sister!”
“Clearly,” Darcy uttered, exasperated at having to account for his actions. First of all, Georgiana would never question him; but most importantly, he was in love with Elizabeth and spent nearly every waking hour thinking of her, not to mention his nights.
“Mr. Darcy, I cannot prevent anyone from coming to you to speak of their intentions, but do not presume to speak for me. I am nearly one and twenty. I speak for myself,” she insisted, now directly before his desk, tightly clutching her small fists at her side. Elizabeth stood her ground. “I demand an apology and your promise to desist!”
Darcy loved to see Elizabeth lose her temper thus. Deciding to provoke her even more, he raised himself from his chair. Leaning forward with his hands resting on the desk, he said, “I do not apologise, and I will make no such promise.”
“Insufferable man!” she furiously shouted, as she spun around upon her heals and stormed from the study, slamming the door on her way out.
Elizabeth was upset. She wanted desperately to rush out of the house, unescorted, for a long, solitary walk and a much-needed breath of fresh air. However, the last thing she desired was another confrontation with Darcy. Instead, she raced upstairs to the privacy of her apartment. She needed to think. Why must he be so controlling, overbearing, and stubborn? In truth, Elizabeth was disinterested in Mr. Clennan, as well as any of the other gentlemen she had met over the past weeks. Inexplicably, every man she met, she compared to Darcy. Whereas the gentlemen were amiable, sensible, and always did their best to flatter her ego, their discourses failed to stir the same passion she felt when she carried on conversations with Darcy. Though she was certain she was unaffected by him, she was sure that she desired passion in a relationship. Still, Darcy’s interference infuriated her. It is understandable that he should make such decisions for Georgiana, but why is he interfering in my felicity and chances for happiness? she asked herself.
Soft knocks on the door abruptly halted Elizabeth’s reflections. Georgiana spoke quietly outside the door. “Elizabeth, may I come in?” Elizabeth collected herself and invited her friend inside. Georgiana hastily approached Elizabeth and warmly embraced her. “Elizabeth, are you terribly annoyed with Fitzwilliam? I overheard you when you left his study. He has remained closed off in there, and you have been tucked away in here, ever since.”
“I am sorry, Georgiana. Your brother and I have never gotten along very well.”
“Please have patience with Fitzwilliam. He greatly admires you. He only wants what is best for you, for all of us. I could not bear it if a misunderstanding between you two results in your leaving us.”
“Georgiana, you must not worry about that. I will be here for you until you march down the aisle, as long as you want me. I promise,” Elizabeth assured her, as she hugged Georgiana closer. She continued, “And do not worry about your brother and me; we are both very stubborn, but we manage to coexist, even if not always tranquilly.”
“Wonderful, now, let us both get ready. Remember, Fitzwilliam is escorting us to the theatre tonight. It will be very exciting. I can hardly wait.”
Elizabeth had forgotten. In spite of what she had said to Georgiana, she was furious with Darcy. She did not want to see him again so soon. She had decided she would stay in her room and brood, feigning a headache. Seeing Georgiana’s enthusiasm, Elizabeth realised that was no longer a possibility.
It was her job to accompany Georgiana out in public. Georgiana steadfastly refused any invitation that excluded Elizabeth. As there were many amongst the ton whose only interest was in the Darcys, Georgiana declined quite a few invitations. Little did it matter. In her eyes, Elizabeth was her friend as well as her equal. She did not intend to engage the society of those who chose to look down upon Elizabeth. Attendance at the theatre, operas, exhibits, private dinner parties with close friends of the Matlocks, and occasional private balls marked their calendar for the Season, along with a surfeit of callers of both genders. Darcy was always in attendance, much to the delight of the young ladies and their mothers, and to the chagrin of the gentlemen.
Fortunately, Elizabeth was not made to think she was hindering Georgiana’s prospects. While men found both women charming, only the wealthiest men of the highest circles approached Georgiana. Those gentlemen of more modest means sought out Elizabeth. Mr. Clennan was but one of those men. Luckily for Darcy, Elizabeth was unaware that he had spoken with another gentleman on her behalf to decline his suit.
Richard also planned to accompany them to the theatre that night. He often joined the Darcys, Elizabeth, and often times, Mrs. Annesley for social outings. As Georgiana’s co-guardian, he was as excited as was Darcy to participate in her coming out. Elizabeth’s opinion of Richard remained unchanged over the course of their acquaintance. She perceived him as an incredible flirt; much like Darcy in physical appearance, but far more amiable. He delighted in entertaining her, but not to the extent of their first meeting when she found him overwhelming in his attentions. Richard was particularly careful not to annoy Darcy in his interactions with Elizabeth. Although Darcy refused to admit it, it was obvious to Richard how Darcy felt about her. He knew his cousin too well. He simply did not believe Darcy’s intentions towards her were as innocent as professed.
In due time, Georgiana and Elizabeth joined Darcy and Richard in the drawing room for their departure for the theatre. Darcy did his best to engage Elizabeth and appear contrite. As no real apology was forthcoming, Elizabeth was not inclined to offer her forgiveness. The two were at an impasse.
There was at least one other young woman who looked forward to the night at the theatre as much as Georgiana. When Caroline Bingley learnt that their party would be seated in the Darcy box for the evening, she was ecstatic. Caroline always prided herself on what she perceived as her special connection to Darcy. How many other young ladies of the ton commonly shared his luxurious box? Indeed, Caroline felt herself to be rather special.
The performance that night was one of Shakespeare’s works, not that it mattered. People were there to see and to be seen. Caroline went to considerable lengths preparing for that evening, for at the height of the Season, she was the young lady who would be seen with Mr. Darcy; she planned to make sure of that. All eyes would be trained upon Miss Darcy, being that it was her first Season. By default, those same eyes would be on Caroline. Sure, Darcy’s sister would be seen on his arm during the interval and seated next to him in the box, but he had two arms after all, as well as two sides. Caroline believed after that night, there would be no doubt amongst the ton that she was Darcy’s choice.
Despite her usual tendency to arrive fashionably late to the theatre, that evening Caroline wanted to leave nothing to chance, for instance, that there might be no free seats next to Darcy, or Heaven forbid that little chit Eliza Bennet might be seated beside him. Imagine her surprise when the Darcy party arrived at the theatre shortly afterwards and was espied entering the Matlock box. Caroline’s indignation was evident. She quickly turned to her brother and demanded an explanation. Charles responded to his irate sister with a smug smile and refocused his attention to the stage.
If not for the fact that Caroline knew Lady Matlock did not favour her, she would have forced her brother to escort her to the Matlock box to try to finagle an invitation to dinner after the theatre. Rather than all eyes focused upon Caroline as she had intended, it seemed all eyes were honed in on the Matlock box. At least, Caroline’s eyes were. To her dismay, Miss Theresa Rupert was also a guest in the Matlock box. Caroline mentally calculated the number of times the young lady had been seen in Darcy’s company over the past weeks.
Upon entering the Matlock box, Darcy greeted everyone cordially. He thoughtfully told Miss Theresa that it was a pleasure to see her again; but rather than take the seat next to her, which was clearly intended for him by his aunt’s design, he offered the seat to Georgiana.
Thus situated, Darcy viewed the night’s performance of The Taming of the Shrew with particularly keen interest. Of course, he had seen it before; as a long-standing patron of the theatre, he had seen the performance on at least two other occasions. However, that night it seemed as if he viewed it from an entirely new perspective.
All the occupants of the Matlock box descended upon Matlock House for a light supper after the theatre. It was a pleasant affair for everyone. Though Elizabeth was not seated close enough to Darcy to be bothered with conversing with him, she could observe him discreetly. Darcy was seated beside Miss Theresa. He was not at all discourteous. While he did not start any conversation with her, he always responded to her inquiries with civility. Based upon Elizabeth’s observations of the two, it seemed Miss Theresa had risen to the level of Caroline Bingley in Darcy’s estimation; that indeed was a significant improvement.
Days passed. Soon even Georgiana was affected by the undercurrent of tension between Elizabeth and her brother. She surmised Elizabeth had not yet forgiven him for the lapse that caused their quarrel. Elizabeth sought to minimise her presence in Darcy’s company when possible. That proved a challenge, in and of itself, for since the start of the Season, Darcy never left the house unless he was escorting Georgiana and, consequently, Elizabeth around town. To the extent Elizabeth could not escape Darcy’s presence, she responded to him with feigned civility. Georgiana wanted to speak with Elizabeth and Darcy about their situation, but she did not want to put herself in the position of choosing sides, so she remained silent. She hoped the two of them would work out their differences soon.
Before the stand-off between the two of them was allowed to last much longer, Darcy asked Elizabeth into his study to explain his actions. Despite his underlying motive, he knew he was right to speak on her behalf to potential suitors, and Elizabeth knew he was wrong to do so without consulting with her.
Darcy spoke of his role as master of his household and his obligation to receive callers, along with Georgiana, when he was present in the home. He said he would continue to exercise his right to remain in Georgiana’s company when a gentleman caller was in his home, even if it meant remaining when the caller was clearly there to see Elizabeth.
Willing to do anything to heal the rift between them, Darcy promised that he would not speak on her behalf again unless she gave him leave to do so, and he offered a sincere apology for his past interference. Lastly, he spoke to Elizabeth of her role as his sister’s companion. While he understood that given her personality, she could not help but attract many admirers, her primary responsibility was to Georgiana.
Later that afternoon, as Elizabeth took a stroll in Hyde Park, accompanied by her maid and a footman, she reflected upon Darcy’s words. She imagined that if she were to meet someone with whom she wanted to accept a courtship, she would have to quit her job as Georgiana’s companion immediately, and move back in with her uncle and aunt. As a young maiden, she would need to be properly chaperoned during the courtship, and other than the Gardiners, who would be able to do so? Unless it is to be an extremely short courtship, how would I continue to help support my family in Meryton, as well as not be a burden to the Gardiners?
Over the next days, the tension between Darcy and Elizabeth gradually faded, and the two returned to their former level of amity. As much a relief as it was for them, it was equally so for Georgiana. As an outside observer, she could see that neither of them was especially happy during the impasse.
Determined not to interfere in Elizabeth’s affairs, Darcy remained a silent spectator when gentlemen callers were received in his home. He noticed that one gentleman, a relatively new comer amongst the ton, appeared to visit more regularly than most, and he was not there to see Georgiana.
Darcy also noticed the gentleman always endeavoured to be near Elizabeth at many of the private balls they attended. The last time they had attended the theatre, the gentleman had appeared to watch Elizabeth more than he had watched the play. Darcy began to make inquiries to find out as much as he could about the mysterious man.
The gentleman’s name was Mr. Arthur Garrett. He was five and twenty, and wealthy in his own right. Mr. Garrett gained entry into society by the marriage of his younger sister into a prominent family. The Garrett family was among the landed gentry; though, like the Bingleys, their fortune was earned in trade.
One morning, Darcy sat in the drawing room with Georgiana, Elizabeth, and Mrs. Annesley as they received calls from Mrs. Rupert, Miss Theresa, a jovial gentleman named Mr. Long, and Mr. Garrett. Darcy sat just off to the side of the room, his thoughts thousands of miles away, when Mr. Garrett approached him.
“Mr. Darcy, might I have the privilege of a private audience with you this morning?”
Startled, Darcy responded, “What... oh, yes, yes of course, Mr. Garrett. Please join me in my study.”
The two gentlemen left the drawing room, barely noticed. Darcy felt as though he was taking the longest walk of his life. Once the gentlemen were in the study and seated at the desk, the two men embarked upon a conversation that could only cause Darcy considerable pain and discomfort. Darcy was so caught up in his own thoughts on the implications of the discussion on his life that he was brought back to the present, most alarmingly, when he thought he heard Mr. Garrett say that he wished for a private interview with Elizabeth.
“Pardon me, Mr. Garrett. What did you just say?”
“Mr. Darcy, I asked if I might have a private interview with Miss Elizabeth.”
It was suddenly Darcy’s decisive moment, as he vividly recalled Elizabeth’s words never to speak on her behalf again and his promise to abide by her wishes. After a minute or two of hesitation, Darcy replied, “Yes, of course. Please excuse me for a moment.” Darcy walked to his door and told the footman to ask Miss Elizabeth to see him in his study. Utterly resigned to his fate, he returned to his chair to await Elizabeth’s arrival.
Elizabeth was somewhat puzzled. What purpose did Mr. Darcy have that meant calling her into his study while callers were being received? She excused herself and quickly made way to find out the reason for his summons. Upon entering the room, Elizabeth was surprised to find Darcy and Mr. Garrett seated at the desk. The two men immediately stood upon her entrance. Darcy walked over to Elizabeth and asked her to take a seat.
“Thank you for joining us, Miss Elizabeth. Mr. Garrett has requested a private interview with you. Now, if you two will excuse me, I will return to my other guests in the drawing room. Good day, Mr. Garrett.” Darcy bowed slightly in Elizabeth’s direction and headed towards the door.
Elizabeth beseeched, “Mr. Darcy, please do not feel obligated to leave your own study on my behalf. I am sure Mr. Garrett can have nothing to say of which you should not be privy.”
Darcy directed his attention to Mr. Garrett. “As you can see, sir, Miss Elizabeth is very modest.” Turning to Elizabeth he said softly, “I shall leave the door open. My footman will remain just outside. Please be assured of your privacy.”
Upon Darcy’s departure, Mr. Garrett moved to a seat closer to Elizabeth. Without interruption, he spoke endlessly of his deep admiration for her and his abiding devotion. As Elizabeth sat in a state of déjà vu, she could not help thinking to herself, Have I not been here before? The reality of the gentleman, best described as Mr. Collins’s identical twin brother, standing before her with an extended hand, broke her trance-like state.
“Miss Elizabeth, shall we go to Mr. Darcy to inform him that you have accepted my suit?”
“Mr. Garrett, what are you saying? I have agreed to no such thing.”
“My dear Miss Elizabeth, you have not disagreed. Let me just say that you have made me the happiest of men.”
“Please forgive me, and allow me to make myself perfectly clear. Though I am honoured by your request, I do not accept it, sir.”
“My dear, though I never thought so before, I am beginning to comprehend why Mr. Darcy said you were modest. I see that it is your modesty that obliges you to suspend your immediate acceptance of my suit.”
“Mr. Garrett, please refrain from referring to me with such terms of endearment. I cannot, and I shall not, accept you.”
“Miss Elizabeth, despite your manifold attractions, you can by no means be certain that an offer like mine shall be made to you again.”
Thinking to herself once more, As if I have never heard that before. Finally, she stood and said, “Mr. Garrett, please believe me when I say I do not accept your offer. I beg your pardon, sir.” Elizabeth curtseyed and quickly exited the room, leaving a rather befuddled Mr. Garrett behind.
Elizabeth returned to the drawing room to see a different group of callers being received. She quickly found a seat and attended to the conversations of those around her. Elizabeth refused to look at Darcy.