Chapter 10 #4
“Not at all; in fact, I was rarely in London this year. I was quite surprised to discover that Miss Bennet, Miss Elizabeth, and Mr. Bennet were in Town during the last months, and I deeply regret that I was unaware of their visits. My friend Darcy just gave me the news a few days ago when we discussed my return to Hertfordshire.”
Elizabeth and Jane both paled, although for different reasons. Mr. Bingley’s confession was enough to put an end to one’s distress and to increase the other’s.
And to allow no doubt or speculation, he concluded:
“During Mr. Bennet and Miss Elizabeth’s stay, I was unfortunately in Oxfordshire, but with regard to Miss Bennet’s visit last winter, although I was at home, I was not informed until recently.”
“We are glad that you returned, sir; that is all that matters,” Jane finally spoke, blushing most becomingly and melting Bingley’s heart.
“I am very glad too…very glad indeed…oh, and Miss Elizabeth, I forgot to mention: Miss Darcy and Lady Hardwick spoke very highly of you. They might even stop and visit us on their way to Pemberley. I hope Darcy will comply with their wishes. I insisted that he do so.”
“Truly? I would like to see Miss Darcy and Lady Hardwick very much. I believe everything depends on Mr. Darcy’s will, as always,” Elizabeth attempted to joke.
“True ; Darcy likes to always have his way,” Bingley said, relaxed and pleased with the progress of his visit.
“Fortunately, he is so clever that he is rarely wrong, and so generous to admit it when he is. I hope he will come to visit; after all, he encouraged me to pursue my decision to return to Netherfield. I did not need his approval, but I was happy to have it nevertheless.”
“I look forward to seeing Mr. Darcy again; in truth, I have rarely met such a remarkable gentleman,” Mr. Bennet added.
Mrs. Bennet expressed her point of view decidedly. “But you must admit that his manners could benefit from a little softening, and his dancing habits at balls need much improvement.”
Her daughters blushed in embarrassment, Mr. Bennet rolled his eyes in exasperation, and Bingley laughed in approval.
The conversation soon became a friendly exchange, and Mr. Bingley became more animated with each glass of wine, so nobody noticed that Elizabeth was becoming more silent with every passing minute.
∞∞∞
Mr. Bingley’s return was the talk of Meryton, and Mrs. Philips declared people were wagering about the length of his stay in the neighbourhood. It was said he planned to shoot for no longer than three weeks, but then the arrival of the rest of the family would not have been justified.
Neither Caroline Bingley nor the Hursts were much seen in the area. They spent all their time at Netherfield, to such a degree that some wondered whether they were truly there.
Mr. Bingley visited Longbourn regularly —Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst only once, for half an hour. They also issued an invitation to the eldest Bennet sisters, and Elizabeth suspected they had done it at the special request of their brother.
It was not difficult to observe that their arrogance and disdain towards the Bennets had not diminished in the slightest. Fortunately, Jane had grown wise enough to recognise their true character. As the superior sisters barely interacted at all with the rest of the Bennets, no offense was taken.
More significant to Jane was that the sisters’ rudeness was greatly compensated for by the gentleman’s amiability. Mr. Bingley’s preference for Jane Bennet was soon a matter of universal knowledge, and although more restrained and elegantly concealed, the lady’s affection was no longer a mystery.
Therefore, at the beginning of September, Mr. Bingley invited Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth for a short walk in the Longbourn gardens.
Elizabeth found great interest in the study of some particular flowers, so her pace slowed considerably —to the satisfaction of Mrs. Bennet who was watching through the window.
A few minutes later, Jane and Mr. Bingley’s flushed and glowing faces left little doubt about the outcome of their private conversation, and Elizabeth could only embrace both of them and wish them all the happiness in the world.
That day, after a brief conversation with Mr. Bennet, Mr. Bingley finally became engaged to Miss Jane Bennet almost a year after his first arrival in Hertfordshire, a bit of news that travelled to Meryton with the speed of light.
Once again, the peace of the little town was stirred by an event that occurred in the Bennet family.
Mr. Bingley remained at Longbourn for dinner, and the excitement entertained them all until much later than usual. Elizabeth had to suffer another sleepless night, this time in listening to her sister’s effusions of joy.
“Dearest Lizzy, how can I bear so much happiness? This cannot be —I do not deserve it. Oh, Lizzy, can you imagine? Only a month ago we were so devastated for poor Lydia…and I was certain I should never see him again. And now I am so blessed, so fortunate. He has loved me all this time, Lizzy. I will be Mrs. Bingley before Christmas. Is this real? I am afraid I am dreaming and will wake up soon. Lizzy, is he not the most handsome man? And the kindest. And his smile is so lovely…”
Jane rambled until long after midnight, and Elizabeth watched her mostly silently, her heart filled with love and excitement for her sister’s well-deserved felicity.
She briefly thought that she had not heard her sister speak so much and so incoherently all together in her entire life, but then again, she had never seen Jane so happy before either.
When she finally lay in her bed, her senses remained alert. Sleep was kept away by the recollections of another marriage proposal —the one addressed to her that brought so much turmoil and pain. It still hurt after more than five months and probably would never cease its torment.