"Why does he want to marry me?" Elizabeth had asked her uncle on the fateful day when Darcy came calling, while she and Mr. Gardiner were alone in the study at Longbourn. The shelves of books had already been removed in preparation for packing and the desk was mostly bare; the room had a general feeling of upheaval.

"He wants an heir," her uncle answered. "He needs one, in fact, as all great men do."

Elizabeth nearly snorted in disbelief. "Of course he does, but it does not follow that I am the only one who can provide him with one."

"Perhaps he finds you attractive."

Now Elizabeth really did snort. "No. On that point, he made his opinion quite clear last autumn. He finds me tolerable, nothing more."

"Does it really matter why he picked you, Lizzy?" her uncle asked. "This offer he makes will save your family, and add to their security in no small measure. What more really matters? Accept his proposal; it is a godsend."

"Not until I understand more of what he wants, and why." Elizabeth looked at her uncle defiantly.

Mr. Gardiner rose and walked across the room to the window, already denuded of its curtains, which overlooked the lawn. "My dear, there are certain things that do not need to be spelled out between gentlemen who understand one another."

"I wish you would not be so obscure, uncle."

"I may offend your feminine sensibilities by speaking plainly."

"You will offend me more by not so speaking. Please say what you are thinking."

"Very well. I will be explicit." Her uncle turned to face her. "Darcy thinks that he can get what he wants from you, and that you will make no further demands on him."

Elizabeth was truly puzzled. "I cannot imagine what you mean."

"How many carriages do you suppose a man like Darcy to own? How many servants are under his command? What family jewels are his?"

"I have no idea."

"Of course not, because you are not of his sphere. His manner of living is so high above yours that you can scarcely imagine it. Therefore, you will not ask him for the luxuries that a woman from a higher social standing might expect."

Elizabeth let one corner of her mouth tip up. "Then he does not know my mother. There is no end to her imagination."

"Nonsense. Even your mother has only a vague idea of the resources that will be at your disposal as Mrs. Darcy." He paused. "Darcy also thinks that you will be biddable, that you will make no complaint when he takes his mistress to his bed instead of you."

Now Elizabeth was truly shocked, not by her uncle's words but by the fact that he was speaking of such things to her. "Does he have a mistress?"

Mr. Gardiner shook his head. "Again, there are certain things understood between gentlemen. One does not ask another about his paramours, but a man of Darcy's standing has probably had at least one, perhaps several."

"I had not considered such a thing," Elizabeth answered, beginning to have an idea of just how different her world was from Darcy's.

"The marriage contract says that you will provide Darcy with an heir. It does not say what will happen to your relationship after that happens. The common understanding among men of his standing is that after you have given him a male heir, your life will be your own to live, with an appropriate level of discretion."

Elizabeth was speechless for a moment. "I would never agree to such an arrangement."

"Elizabeth, he will not be faithful to you. You must not expect it, or you will be crushed. And it is very likely that, after you have performed your duty, he will allow you the same freedom. It is the way of the world, and especially the way of the society in which he moves."

Elizabeth sat silent, struggling to comprehend such a different mindset.

"Of course, if you choose not to complicate your life with your own love affairs, he will not be concerned. Regardless, you will still act as hostess at all social functions which he chooses to hold, and it is expected that you will act in your children's best interests by furthering the interests of the Darcy family. You are intelligent and well-spoken. It could be that he sees you as a potential asset to the family in this way."

Elizabeth shook her head emphatically no. "I wish to marry for love, uncle."

"You are not alone in this. You wish for love, Jane wishes for love, your sisters wish for love. Is there a person on earth who does not? Probably even Darcy himself would choose to marry for love if he could. But he has picked you to marry, knowing that the difference in your stations means you will be grateful to receive anything at all from him. You will be utterly without resources, save what he can give to you. He can have his children with you, and have you serve as a suitable hostess at social functions besides, while his own life carries on much as it has until now, with no further demands or expectations of him."

"But why wouldn't he pick a bride who brings him a dowry? He could have anyone he wants."

"I think he prefers that you come to him penniless, as you are. A woman of wealth or standing might feel capable of standing up to him, and perhaps work against his interests in favor of her own family. With you, he knows what he is getting. Elizabeth, why are you laughing?"

"I was just thinking of poor Caroline Bingley, who has been trying to attract his attentions for as long as I have known her. Perhaps I should tell her to have her brother cast her out on the streets, and see if Mr. Darcy will notice her then."

Mr. Gardiner pursed his lips. "Are you ready to accept him? If so, then I will bring him in."

Elizabeth hesitated only briefly. "Yes. Please tell Mr. Darcy that I will be pleased to receive him."

The remainder of this story has now been removed in order to be published on Amazon. A million thanks to everyone who already read and commented on the story in its entirety! I am delighted that I was able to share this story with you first for free here on Fanfic.

My next story will be An Unexpected Turn of Events wh ich is the sequel to Mr. Darcy's Persistent Pursuit and Love's Fool: The Taming of Lydia Bennet. It explores the life of Mr. Bennet as he unexpectedly becomes a widower. It also explores some very unexpected things in the life of Darcy & Elizabeth as they continue their journey into married life and deal with Elizabeth's father. I expect to begin posting it here sometime in January.