Teaching Eliza, page 8
As the family moved to dinner, Mr. Collins’ admiration was expressed towards his cousins, whom he extolled for their unrivalled loveliness, as well as towards the dining-room and its furniture. Mrs. Bennet would have been touched if not for the mortifying supposition that her guest were taking account of what would, one day, be his own property. Still, she was not one to look good fortune in the mouth, and she worked to draw her guest’s focus towards her choice for his wife. “Smile more, Mary,” she whispered into her middle daughter’s ear more than once during the meal, when it seemed that Mr. Collins might be tempted to look to the girl as a bride.
All of this Jane observed most keenly, ready to entertain dear Lizzy with the retelling before they retired for bed.
By the time Elizabeth returned home after dinner had been concluded and coffee, tea, and cakes set out in the parlour, it had been all but decided by everyone except, perhaps, Mr. Collins himself, that he would marry Mary. Elizabeth, considered by most to be second in beauty only to Jane, was now tired and somewhat bedraggled and not at all in her best humour, and Mr. Collins’ eye flickered only briefly over her form before returning to a serious discussion of some aspect of the Thirty-Nine Articles with Mary.
“Tell me more about him!” Lizzy begged of Jane when they were both upstairs preparing for bed. “He seems… not at all a sensible man,” she teased. “Does he improve upon longer exposure?”
Jane smiled in return. “No, not sensible at all. You would have been most amused at his extraordinary deference to Lady Catherine, and at his kind intention of christening, marrying, and burying his parishioners whenever it were required. He is boring and rather silly, but he seems to have taken to Mary, and she might be a good match for him. She is smarter than he, and might be the making of him if she manages him well.”
“Jane!” Lizzy admonished, “I have never before heard such criticism of anyone from your lips. You surely have taken a measure of Mr. Collins in the short time he has been here!” Her smile belied her severe words.
Jane was as complacent as ever. “Perhaps I have seen such perfection in Charles that I now measure all men by his standard.” She too smiled, a look of such angelic bliss that Lizzy would not say anything to upset her happiness. “But tell me, Lizzy, of your day! What of the esteemed Professor Darcy? Unlike our cousin, does he improve upon further acquaintance?”
“Oh, not at all, not at all!” Elizabeth threw herself back on her bed and laughed. “If anything he grows worse. He is rude and arrogant and absolutely insufferable. He possesses such perfect manners, but chooses not to use them unless taken to task over his lapse. He is supposed to be teaching me the ways of elite society, but I was the one to remind him to greet someone politely, to converse civilly, and to eat with the manners befitting a dining table and not a trough in the barn. And yet…” she trailed off.
“Lizzy?”
“And yet, he is clearly the expert he claims to be. We did little work today on my own speech, but he taught me much about the science of phonetics, and about what marks differences in accent and dialect, not to mention grammatical patterns and word choice. I have much to learn, dear Jane, but as much as I dislike the teacher, I know I shall be well taught.”
“And your resolution to pose as his betrothed?”
“Stands firm.” She sighed. “It will not be easy to convince the world that we care for each other, but if I can work to soften the professor’s harsh character as he works to improve my address, we might pull it off. We just might succeed.”
~
Within the week of Mr. Collins’ stay at Longbourn, he courted, proposed to, and was accepted by Mary, to the satisfaction of the lady herself, the elation of her mother, and the great relief of her sisters. Mr. Collins was unable to remain past his appointed departure date due to the requirements of his post at the parsonage, but he promised to return as soon as he might arrange matters with the honourable Lady Catherine de Bourgh of Rosings to claim his bride.
Jane and Bingley’s nuptials were being planned for the middle of December, after which they would repair to London until the snow melted; only then would they take a wedding trip. Aunt and Uncle Gardiner were often known to visit Longbourn with their family for the Christmas season and now planned to arrive some few days earlier than normal to be present at the wedding. After Christmas, they would take Lizzy back to London with them, ostensibly to spend time with her cousins and to begin procuring a wardrobe in preparation for her season as guest of the Baronet and Lady Grant. No one other than those immediately involved in the plan need know that the true purpose of the visit was to allow her to continue her studies with Professor Darcy, who would, of necessity, be returning to the city himself after Bingley’s wedding.
It was hoped that Mr. Collins might be able to return to Hertfordshire during this time as well to wed Mary, but it was understood that his duties as rector to the community in Hunsford might preclude his ability to leave for some weeks immediately before Christmas.
The Bennet household was, as might be expected, in a constant state of activity. With not one, but two daughters to marry off in such a short space of time, Mrs. Bennet found herself in the enviable position amongst her friends of complaining ceaselessly about the many tasks she must undertake and oversee in preparation. Lady Lucas, as she stated to any of her daughters who would hear her, would be quite green, for the latter would do almost anything to see Charlotte wed; at the advanced age of seven and twenty, such an eventuality seemed less and less likely to occur.
All the while menus were being planned and food ordered, lace and silks purchased, and clothing made by the various members and staff of the Bennet household, Lizzy returned again and again to the study at the back of the library in Netherfield to practise her vowels.
“You are punctual again, Eliza. Very good. Now let us begin.”
Elizabeth crossed her arms in front of her and glared.
Darcy sighed and rose from his desk. “Good morning, Eliza. How are you this morning? I hope you slept well and are ready to work.” He executed an elegant bow.
“I am very well, thank you, Professor. How are you today?”
“Must we do this every time, Eliza? It is most distracting and takes time from our studies.”
“Yes, sir. We must. For although our engagement will be merely a pretense, it must nevertheless be believable by our friends and relations. If the world is to believe that I have agreed to marry you, you must treat me accordingly. You must learn to say nice things, to be solicitous of my health and wellbeing, to pretend to care for me.”
“You forget, Eliza, that is it I who am the teacher here.”
“And you forget, Professor Darcy, that you have much to learn as well.” She faced him with her hands upon her hips.
Lizzy never knew what words would send the professor into a rage, a fit of the blue devils, or uproarious laughter. His temper was mercurial and he could move from amusement to ire in the blink of an eye. He was thoughtless, rude and quite selfish, but never, Lizzy realised, intentionally cruel. That was something in his favour, which was most welcome since she did have to pretend to love the man.
Now he surprised her by bestowing upon her one of his rare genuine smiles. He was always a handsome man, but when he smiled like this, unaffectedly, sweetly, he became for those few moments the most beautiful man she had ever seen. She must remember this look for those long parties they must of necessity attend, when she would have to feign real delight in his presence. Remember this smile , she told herself, and keep it fast in your mind to safeguard against those moments when you would happily see him dead at the side of the road .
“You are, as always, correct, Eliza.” His voice was gentle. “I have been left alone too long to my own devices and have had no one correct me when my behaviour begins to lapse.”
“Begins?” Lizzy caught herself too late. Resigned to her fate, she forged ahead, “Sir, your behaviour seldom does anything other than lapse.” Now she waited for the smile to transform into a scowl. Again, he surprised her.
“Yes, so I have been told by my cousin. Bingley would never dare to suggest such a thing, but Richard feels no compunction in recounting to me my many faults. I give you permission, Eliza, to remind me constantly to mind my manners whilst I teach you yours.”
That pride! His insufferable pride!
Darcy sat back down at the desk, then, with a pointed expression, asked Miss Bennet most politely if she would care to sit as well. She did so with a gracious ‘thank you.’
“Before we start, I believe we have some business to conclude,” Darcy now said. “We had outlined the terms of our agreement, but settled on no specifics. We ought to decide when to announce our engagement.”
Elizabeth felt herself grow slightly faint. This was the point after which there would be no return. She could run, offer her apologies and flee, but there was something of steel in her backbone, and she knew she would never act thus. She had given her word and she would live by her commitments. And, she admitted to herself, she had come to enjoy some aspects of her lessons, if not the teacher. But Darcy had not finished speaking.
“Yes, we should make the announcement soon. Unless,” he now spoke with a concern and tenderness she had never before heard from him, “you have changed your mind. This is a great undertaking that I ask. I will not hold it against you should you wish to reconsider.”
Where did that gentleness come from? Until this moment, Lizzy had not considered the professor to have a single bone in his body that might be concerned about the feelings of others. Yet now, without his cousin’s guidance even, he had offered her an escape from the scheme.
“I thank you for your consideration, sir,” she replied as steadily as she could manage, “but I have no wish to withdraw from our scheme.” She allowed her eyes to meet his own and replied simply, “Thank you.”
“Then if I may, Eliza, I propose the following. Your sister and my friend wed in two weeks, after which we will all repair to London individually and severally. It is known that you are here at Netherfield often as Caroline’s friend; it would not be unreasonable for us to have had many opportunities to speak and become attached to each other. I shall visit your father today to request permission for a formal courtship. I shall do so openly, so your mother will know of my supposed purpose. The news will be about Meryton by dinner time.
“We may then continue courting in London, where you have already engaged to visit your aunt and uncle. This is all quite reasonable and unexceptional. If we announce our engagement by Easter, the progression of our relationship will be seen as quite within the bounds of the expected and will be accepted easily. Does this suit you?”
“You have inquired twice after my feelings about the matter, sir! You have quite outdone yourself. Should I fear that I shall receive no consideration whatsoever tomorrow? That you have met your quota of pleasant words and exceeded it, and there will be no more for a week at least?”
“You delight in vexing me, Eliza. No, perhaps I merely feel moved to say something nice to the lady who will be betrothed to me. Your point is well taken, and indeed, it is no chore to be pleasant to one such as you.”
He offered her another smile that lit his dark eyes, and then without another word, drew out the sheets with the diagrams they had been using to explain some aspects of consonant formation at the roof of the mouth.
That afternoon they concluded lessons early and Professor Darcy accompanied Elizabeth back to Longbourn in Bingley’s carriage. The colonel declined the invitation to visit, citing some matters of business that had arrived in the morning’s post, as well as a letter from his mother wondering if she would ever see him again; Bingley himself was delighted to join the two for the short drive, always pleased for an extra opportunity to see his dear Jane. Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst had excused themselves from the outing with the explanation of having to see to dinner. Nobody suffered for their absence.
As expected, the unannounced arrival elicited much excitement and speculation on the parts of those in the house. “Oh, oh, Mr. Bennet, who has come? You must see who has arrived!” could be heard from the driveway as Lizzy was handed down from the carriage by the professor.
Mrs. Bennet greeted Bingley with a curtsey and a kiss on the cheek. She did not seem surprised to see him. But Lizzy stood back and watched as she blinked her eyes in surprise when Professor Darcy walked through the door. She had heard of the professor’s uncivil behaviour towards Lizzy at the Meryton assembly some weeks before and had spent no little time in the intervening period chastising her daughter for having anything to do with the man.
“Sir,” she looked at him askance, then remembered her manners and curtseyed coldly. Lizzy knew her mother well: she would be polite to the man, but only polite, and even then, only because of his friendship with her future son. The smile Mrs. Bennet plastered onto her face deceived no one, but for once, the professor was too polite to say anything, for which Lizzy was terribly grateful.
“Do come in, gentlemen,” Mrs. Bennet cooed in Bingley’s direction. “I shall call for some tea. Hill…. Hill!” She began bustling about, organising the seating arrangements. “Here, this sofa is in a lovely spot for afternoon tea; it is well lit but not in the direct line of the sun. Here, let me remove this cushion so you may be more comfortable. Oh, look, there is room for Jane by Mr. Bingley. How do you like your tea, sir? Shall I call for more raspberry preserves with the cakes? Oh. And Mr. Darcy.” Her tone changed instantly to one of strained forbearance.
“Professor…” he corrected in a whisper, but Lizzy could hear that he was making an effort to be civil.
“I wished, rather,” he announced to Mrs. Bennet, “to have a conference with Mr. Bennet, if he is available.” He looked over at Elizabeth and smiled very slightly, and Lizzy felt her cheeks grow red. Perhaps I am a better actress than I imagined , she thought to herself.
“Oh, a conference with Mr. Bennet!” the lady of the house cooed, turning her own eyes to Lizzy. “With Mr. Bennet! Indeed! I shall send Hill to see if he is available.”
The smug grin on Darcy’s face told Elizabeth his very thoughts: this news will be universally known by the time the first star shows itself.
~
Darcy was conducted into Mr. Bennet’s study a few minutes later. “Well, Professor,” the older man greeted him, “do be seated. I imagine I know what this is about. Elizabeth has explained everything.”
Elizabeth. She seldom strayed far from his thoughts these days, something not unexpected, since he was teaching her, working with her, for most of the waking hours of the day. Her voice rang through his head, with her dropped consonants and rhotic vowels, chiding him to mind his manners. He had intended to come right to matters of business, stating his decision to have a formal courtship recognised, and then sitting quietly for a few minutes, long enough to let the others believe he had engaged in a real discussion. Instead, he found himself asking after Bennet’s health, and that of his family.
If Mr. Bennet were surprised he did not show it. Knowing little of Darcy’s propensity towards rudeness, he seemed happy to accept the conversation as the normal behaviour expected of a civilised gentleman. The brief civilities turned to questions about Darcy’s estate, and soon the two men were discussing some finer points of crop rotation and the differences in planting times between Hertfordshire and Derbyshire.
At length, they came back to the point of the interview. “Miss Elizabeth and I have decided to engage publicly in an official courtship,” Darcy stated, explaining the logical reasoning behind this decision. “Since you are aware of the actual nature of our arrangement, I shall assume there is no objection to having our supposed growing attachment made known. People will expect an engagement within a few months, and we will likely make that announcement around Easter. Have you any objections, sir?”
What objections could Mr. Bennet have? After all, he had given his daughter permission to enter into the agreement. Nevertheless, Darcy felt some compunction to conform to social expectations by making a formal request. He was unprepared for the long, cold stare cast upon him by the older gentleman.
“I cannot object now, and I will not.” Gone was Mr. Bennet’s sardonic smirk and careless tone. The man’s voice was now stern, his eyes hard. “But sir, no matter your rank, your wealth, or your education, if you hurt my daughter, I shall not rest until I have made restitution.”
Darcy swallowed and nodded. “Understood, Mr. Bennet. Our ruse is meant for society at large. I have no intentions to harm Miss Eliza in any way whatsoever. She has become…” the thought that had just come to him caught him somewhat off guard, and he had to think about it for a moment. “I have come to think more fondly of her than I ever have of my other students. Despite my slightly abrasive manner on the rare occasion, her wellbeing is of the utmost importance to me.”
“And so it should be.” There was no misunderstanding his meaning.
At last the two men shook hands, and Darcy returned to the parlour to suffer stoically through the cooings and ravings of Mrs. Bennet and the rest of the family. He sat next to Elizabeth, and said quietly to her, “It is done.”
~
He felt disconcertingly close to Lizzy on the small sofa. She had never been quite so aware of him, no matter how many hours they had spent alone in Bingley’s small study. Perhaps it was the cognizance that their supposed courtship was now acknowledged and public. She searched for something innocuous to say to mask her sudden discomposure.
