A Wife for Mr. Darcy

long. But from what I overheard, I would imagine that she is very pleasant company.”
    “She is more than pleasant. She is kind, and my girls adore her. And if you have any worries as to where she will be sleeping while at Netherfield, Antonia will be with the girls in a room on the second floor, while I will lay my head on a pillow in a room on the first floor. No romantic interludes are planned.”
    “I didn’t think there would be. You are always at your best when you are with your children.”
    “Thank you for that and for your kind words about Antonia. She always puts a smile on my face. How can you not love someone who says zis, zat, and zee other zing? It is adorable. And speaking of adorable, if I may judge from the smile on Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s face, you have some good news to share.”
    “I do. We are unofficially engaged, but…” and Darcy stood up and started to pace. “Antony, this is a whole new experience for me. The only women with whom I may claim a relationship were both widows and five years older than I was. I met Christina Caxton in France when I was twenty years old, and I was the one who knew nothing. But that is not the case with Elizabeth. I think I may have frightened her by my advances. It is not that I mean to overpower her, but it is bloody difficult to go backward. I am a man of the world, and I cannot pretend to not want things that I do want. I have to tell you that I am on the point of exploding, and holding her hand while dancing does not satisfy.”
    “Move up the wedding date,” Antony said, stating the obvious. “You have the wherewithal and connections to buy a special license, so you may marry her the same day Bingley marries Miss Bennet.”
    “Elizabeth wants a courtship.”
    “Oh, that is too bad. Because if your courtship of Miss Montford is any indicator of your talent in that area, Elizabeth will be disappointed.”
    Darcy rolled his eyes, but then he had to laugh. Had there ever been a worse suitor than he had been with Letitia Montford?
    “But it was so different with Letitia. In all the time I was calling on her, I never once pictured myself actually kissing her.”
    “I had the same thing with Eleanor, except we were married.”
    “So what do you suggest I do to satisfy Elizabeth’s need for a courtship?”
    “Flowers always work. Jewelry is nice, but in Miss Elizabeth’s case, simple is better, and you must resign yourself to authoring love letters. It is the most personal thing you can do for a lady before you are married, and although you may write about how much you desire her, in most cases, less is more. You do not want to frighten her. It is a bad start to a marriage when you have to pry your spouse’s fingers, one at a time, from the bedpost on your wedding night. Ask Eleanor. Although I very nearly succeeded in holding her off.”
    “I still intend to go to London,” Darcy said, shaking his head in amusement at Antony’s comment. “I need to find out if it is known that I am no longer courting Miss Montford. That may determine the length of the engagement.”
    “Not necessary. I think it was the day after you left London that Sir John was making the rounds in the dining room at White’s telling everyone that he had practically pushed you out the door because of your ideas regarding the mingling of the classes.”
    “Montford is a typical bully,” an annoyed Darcy said. “He was lecturing me on my willingness to befriend people such as Bingley, but as soon as I responded, he backed down. Once he is given his barony, he will be even more obnoxious than he is now. But while Sir John was busy belittling me, was anyone paying attention to what he was saying?”
    “One person in particular showed quite a bit of interest. Mr. Jasper Wiggins nearly spit out his steak when he heard Miss Montford was available.”
    Darcy broke out into a broad smile. “God bless Jasper Wiggins,” he uttered under his breath. “Antony, how does one go about getting a special license?”

    When Darcy returned to the drawing room, he immediately asked Lizzy to dance. He decided that if people had seen them together, it would be less of a surprise to her Meryton neighbors when they became betrothed. As the music began playing, Darcy stated that he would very much like to send her a few gifts as tokens of his affection. Antony was correct as to her preferences: flowers, jewelry, but in moderation as to their size, and love letters.
    “I shall write from