March Madness Mash-ups – Tilney Joins the Men

This is my third March Madness chapter in a story where Darcy meets and commiserates with other Austen men. In Chapter 1, he enters an inn hoping for some solitude as he is reeling from Elizabeth’s rejection, but he is joined by Captain Wentworth when there is no where else for him to sit. The two discover they have a lot in common and begin to share the loss of their one true love. In Chapter 2, they are joined by Edward Ferrars, who joins in the commiserating. If you have not read the previous chapters or need a refresher (as they were posted the past 2 years in March!), here are the links: Chapter One  and Chapter Two

I have included the ending of the previous chapter where another gentleman joins the three men.

From Chapter 2

As the men stared down into their drinks, content to be lost in their thoughts, another young man appeared.

“Forgive me, but is this chair taken?”

The men looked up and shook their heads in unison.

Darcy was rather surprised when the young man sat down, instead of moving the chair to another table, which is what he thought he was going to do.

The young man took a sip from the goblet of wine he had carried over, nodding in thanks.

Darcy eyed him warily, for the smile on his face certainly indicated the young man was in a much better frame of mind than himself or the other two men.

The young man looked up and noticed the three men gazing at him.

“Pardon my manners,” he said. “My name is Henry Tilney, and I am delighted to announce that I am recently engaged.”

Chapter 3

The three gentlemen introduced themselves as Tilney took another sip and sat down. Darcy felt that the scowls upon Wentworth’s and Ferrars’ faces were also reflected upon his own. Their glowering countenances were understandably attributed to the man’s joyous announcement, as well as his cheerful disposition. None of the men appeared to be in a mood to celebrate with him.

Wentworth, however, offered him cheerful congratulations, followed by Ferrars, albeit reluctantly but politely. Darcy knew congratulations were in order, but he much preferred the company at present of men who were in the same situation as he. The tugging of all his years of training in proper behaviour finally conquered his reluctance, and he offered his congratulations, as well.

Tilney thanked the men.

“What is she like?” Wentworth asked.

Tilney let out a long sigh. “She is the sweetest and most genuine young lady I have ever met.” He let out a chuckle and shook his head. “There are many layers to Miss Catherine Morland that I am eager to discover.” He chuckled softly. “One of them being her most vivid imagination, which while charming in its innocence, led to some rather awkward situations.”

The men waited for him to continue, seemingly content to let the elated man speak.

“She had read many gothic novels, and when she visited our home, Northanger Abbey, she began to suspect there were many secrets around every corner and in every dark stairwell or antique set of drawers that she was determined – yet positively fearful – to discover.”

“Truly?” Darcy asked. “Was there any basis behind her suspicions?”

Tilney shook his head. “I think she wanted there to be secrets more than she believed there to be any.”

“What did you think of this?” Wentworth asked.

“For a man intended for the clergy, I was somewhat concerned that she was so captivated by her fancies, but all she truly wished for was to have an adventure. We can now laugh at all she did.”

“You are to be a clergyman?” Ferrars asked. “As am I!”

“A noble profession,” Wentworth said. “My brother is a clergyman. Tell us more about her – Miss Morland.”

“She is so innocent and vulnerable; when I first met her she had almost been taken in by a scoundrel of a young man.” He looked down into his drink and then back up. “We met in Bath, and she had never before been away from her home, which is located in a small village.” He began to tap his fingers on the table. “I hate to think of what might have happened if I had not been there to steer her away from Mr. Thorpe.”

Darcy instantly thought of his sister, who had been so young and vulnerable when she had been misled into thinking she was in love with Wickham and he was in love with her. His thoughts quickly turned to Elizabeth, who although wise and intelligent, had also been deceived by the man. “It was good you were there to separate her from this man,” he said softly with a shudder. Will Wickham ever cease to torment me as he does?

Darcy felt a sharp pain within as he wondered whether Elizabeth had ever read the letter he had presented to her. In it, he had revealed to her the truth of Wickham’s character, all the lies he told, the deception he had displayed, and the irreversible damage he had almost done. Does she still look with sympathy upon the man? He let out a low moan.

“Miss Morland sounds delightful,” Ferrars said. “Unfortunately, you are seated with three gentleman who have not had the success in love and marriage in which you find yourself.”

“How so?” Tilney asked.

The men briefly told him their stories.

Tilney’s expression unexpectedly changed as he listened to the men. A frown slowly appeared, and his eyebrows lowered. “In truth, gentlemen, my situation at present is not to be so highly coveted, for I am in as much a quandary as each of you are in.”

“How is that?” Ferrars asked, looking stunned.

“While she has accepted me, and I am eternally grateful for that, I am still waiting for my father’s approval. As yet, he has refused to give it.”

Wentworth slowly shook his head. “Does he not think she is suitable?”

“Not at all. He does not think her family’s fortune is worthy of ours.” The young man looked down and stared into his drink.

“And not only that, when my father discovered she had not the fortune he initially believed her to have, he treated her in a most wretched, inexcusable manner.”

“What did he do?” Darcy asked, hoping it would not be something at all similar to the wretched manner in which he had treated Elizabeth, both in things he said and did.

Shaking his head, Tilney said, “I shudder to even think of it! I truly wondered whether she would want to have anything more to do with me after what he did.”

“Tell us,” Wentworth said.

Tilney took a long gulp of his drink. “When she first arrived as a guest in our home, Northanger Abbey, my father treated her quite well, believing she was a lady of considerable fortune. But when he was away in London, he found out to the contrary. When he returned, he immediately sent her back to her home early one morning with no warning, no explanation, and no one to accompany her!”

Darcy flinched. “That is reprehensible!”

“Shocking!” added Ferrars.

“Inexcusable!” said Wentworth.

“You can imagine how I felt,” Tilney said. “I was from home at the time, and when I heard, I departed almost immediately for Fullerton to ensure her safety and apologize for my father’s actions.” He leaned his head back and briefly closed his eyes. “I greatly feared that she would blame me for his unforgiveable actions. I was quite relieved when she did accept me in spite of how she had been treated by my father.”

Darcy thought of Elizabeth’s family and their objectionable behaviour. He tried to recollect what he had written about them in his letter, but try as he might, he could not. Did he blame her for their actions? Did he wish to make her feel shame and remorse by merely having them as a relation? His frame of mind had been so shaken, he could not account for anything he had written in the early hours of that morning.

Darcy narrowed his eyes as he considered how mean-spirited his own family members could be in their behaviour towards others. He shuddered at the thought of what his aunt was capable of doing if displeased with someone. He widened his eyes as he considered that perhaps Elizabeth had escaped the wrath of his aunt by turning him down! He could only imagine what his aunt would have done if he had returned from the parsonage engaged to her.

Ferrars looked at Tilney curiously. “Do you need to have your father’s permission to marry this young lady?”

“She has readily accepted me, and her parents were eager to give their approval, but…” Tilney paused and straightened his shoulders. “I felt I ought to be forthright with them. I did, after all, have to apologize to them for my father’s actions regarding their daughter, and in explaining why, I had to admit to his anger and his disapproval over my intentions towards her.” He hung his head low. “Since he declared he would not agree to me marrying her, they unfortunately could not sanction it.” He pounded the table with his fist. “I cannot believe how he has acted!”

“You said he had been led to believe her family had a decent fortune?”

He nodded. “Yes. She had not intentionally deceived my family. She would never have done something like that, but my father had been told by someone that the Morlands had a considerable fortune. At length, he came to hear they were destitute, which is not even the case! They do not have the wealth he initially believed them to have, but they are certainly not lacking. He now believes them to be considerably beneath our notice.”

“Do you think you can talk to him about it?”

“I have tried, but in vain. I was not able to talk any sense to him in his livid state. I have never seen him so angry, and he forbade me to see her again.” He gave a short shrug. “So while I have my true love’s heart, I must wait for my father to change his mind.”

The three men gave him conciliatory smiles.

“Certainly, in time he will come to see she is suitable for you,” Wentworth said. “While there is every possibility that I will see the woman I have loved for eight years again shortly, I have to admit that something deep inside hopes she – and her family – realize that I could have provided her with all the love she could have wished for, and enough fortune to provide for her.” His voice lowered. “Even if she no longer loves me – or is already married.”

Tilney looked up, a glimmer of expectation shining in his eyes. “I am not completely without hope; there is a good possibility that an upcoming event might put him in much improved spirits. My sister is to be married to a young man who recently attained title and fortune. I should imagine that would greatly improve my father’s disposition.” His shoulders rose as he took in a breath, “I can hope, can I not? I hope this will serve to improve his outlook.”

The three men gave their hearty encouragement that it certainly should.

“My sister, at least, believes it will. She is at this moment seeking to convince my father to forgive me.”

Darcy leaned back in his chair. He looked at the three men at the table, pondering how Tilney seemed to be the only one here who had any hope in securing the woman of his dreams. Wentworth could conceivably see Miss Elliot if she were still home and unmarried. He would try to be happy for both of them and hope for the best.

At that moment, Tilney looked across the room. He squinted his eyes and then shot upright out of this chair. “Bertram! Bertram! Over here!”

Darcy, along with the others at the table, looked over at the man who was now walking in their direction.

One of the men extended his hand to Tilney as he came up to him. “Tilney, it is good to see you! How long has it been?”

“Two years, at least!” He looked at the men at the table. “This is my good friend, Edmund Bertram. We met at school. Do you mind if he joins us?”

The other men welcomed him and scooted their chairs around to make room for one more. Darcy could not help shaking his head as he pondered how differently this evening had turned out compared to what he had wished for – or even thought he wanted.