Read Online The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy by Mary Lydon Simonsen - Free Book Online
Authors: Mary Lydon Simonsen
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You have seen them together, when they are together. Both have impeccable pedigrees, but they cannot tolerate each other and all of this was easily predictable. Will, pursue Miss Elizabeth. She will challenge you.”
Pursue Elizabeth . Simple advice. But what Richard did not know was that he had already attempted to pursue her and was rejected with a vehemence that had stunned him: “I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to marry.” She would have accepted an offer from a dustman before she would have consented to marry him.
Thinking back to that afternoon, he wondered at his own behavior, which was the antithesis of how he usually acted. It was spontaneous, irrational, and, in the end, self-defeating. He had never intended to ask Elizabeth to marry him, which was obvious by the mode of his declaration. He was working it through in his mind. Unfortunately, that process was spoken aloud, and not realizing that Elizabeth might find his musings to be offensive, he did not even look at her while he was pointing out her defects. If he had, he would have said no more. In his mind, he could now recall the pursed lips, the raised shoulders, the flashing eyes. He had seen eyes like that before, at Pemberley, when a bull had chased him out of a pasture.
Well, what had been done could not be undone, so he would make his way to London. Once at home, his beloved sister would put him in a better humor.
Chapter 9
Darcy’s first opportunity to visit with his sister was in the early afternoon when she had finished her lessons with her German tutor. It was not too long ago that she would have run across the room and thrown her arms around him, but within the last year, he had noticed that she walked in the measured steps of a lady before throwing her arms around him. These changes were inevitable, but he missed the complete lack of inhibition of her younger years.
Georgiana was a talker, and although the intrigues of young ladies who had not yet come out into society were of little interest to him, Darcy listened to her as if she were discussing the debates in Parliament.
“Will, must I continue with German? I hate it. I always feel as if I am spitting at someone. The only reason I have to study German is because the old king speaks it, and I very much doubt I shall ever have an occasion to address him in English or German. I have been declared to be proficient in Italian and French. May I please stop my German lessons?”
“Yes, when you return to seminary after Twelfth Night, you do not have to study German.” He was entirely sympathetic on this point. He had never liked German lessons and did not do well at them despite his parents having employed a tutor from Saxony.
Georgiana had been expecting her brother to insist that she continue and was thinking of additional arguments when he had given in. This was not like Will. A lot of discussion was required before any decision was made regarding her education. Looking at her brother, she wondered if something had happened at Rosings Park. She knew that a visit with Aunt Catherine was unpleasant because her constant negativity wore on everyone, but Will was very good at paying only enough attention so that he could answer a question if asked. He never engaged, as that only served to prolong the pain. Putting her hand on her brother’s arm, she said, “What is the matter, Will? You look so tired.”
“I am tired. The journey from Kent took longer than usual because of the rain, but as I wrote in my letters, Aunt Catherine and Anne are well and send their love, as does Richard.”
“Are you sure there is nothing wrong? You look sad.”
“Georgiana, I need a good night’s sleep, and then all will be well.”
“But all is not well. I can see it in your eyes. You have had a sadness about you ever since Wickham…”
“You are mistaken,” he said, interrupting her, “and we shall not speak of him or anything to do with that
Pursue Elizabeth . Simple advice. But what Richard did not know was that he had already attempted to pursue her and was rejected with a vehemence that had stunned him: “I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to marry.” She would have accepted an offer from a dustman before she would have consented to marry him.
Thinking back to that afternoon, he wondered at his own behavior, which was the antithesis of how he usually acted. It was spontaneous, irrational, and, in the end, self-defeating. He had never intended to ask Elizabeth to marry him, which was obvious by the mode of his declaration. He was working it through in his mind. Unfortunately, that process was spoken aloud, and not realizing that Elizabeth might find his musings to be offensive, he did not even look at her while he was pointing out her defects. If he had, he would have said no more. In his mind, he could now recall the pursed lips, the raised shoulders, the flashing eyes. He had seen eyes like that before, at Pemberley, when a bull had chased him out of a pasture.
Well, what had been done could not be undone, so he would make his way to London. Once at home, his beloved sister would put him in a better humor.
Chapter 9
Darcy’s first opportunity to visit with his sister was in the early afternoon when she had finished her lessons with her German tutor. It was not too long ago that she would have run across the room and thrown her arms around him, but within the last year, he had noticed that she walked in the measured steps of a lady before throwing her arms around him. These changes were inevitable, but he missed the complete lack of inhibition of her younger years.
Georgiana was a talker, and although the intrigues of young ladies who had not yet come out into society were of little interest to him, Darcy listened to her as if she were discussing the debates in Parliament.
“Will, must I continue with German? I hate it. I always feel as if I am spitting at someone. The only reason I have to study German is because the old king speaks it, and I very much doubt I shall ever have an occasion to address him in English or German. I have been declared to be proficient in Italian and French. May I please stop my German lessons?”
“Yes, when you return to seminary after Twelfth Night, you do not have to study German.” He was entirely sympathetic on this point. He had never liked German lessons and did not do well at them despite his parents having employed a tutor from Saxony.
Georgiana had been expecting her brother to insist that she continue and was thinking of additional arguments when he had given in. This was not like Will. A lot of discussion was required before any decision was made regarding her education. Looking at her brother, she wondered if something had happened at Rosings Park. She knew that a visit with Aunt Catherine was unpleasant because her constant negativity wore on everyone, but Will was very good at paying only enough attention so that he could answer a question if asked. He never engaged, as that only served to prolong the pain. Putting her hand on her brother’s arm, she said, “What is the matter, Will? You look so tired.”
“I am tired. The journey from Kent took longer than usual because of the rain, but as I wrote in my letters, Aunt Catherine and Anne are well and send their love, as does Richard.”
“Are you sure there is nothing wrong? You look sad.”
“Georgiana, I need a good night’s sleep, and then all will be well.”
“But all is not well. I can see it in your eyes. You have had a sadness about you ever since Wickham…”
“You are mistaken,” he said, interrupting her, “and we shall not speak of him or anything to do with that
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