Chapter 5
CHANCES FOR FELICITY
A little over a week later, Charlotte wandered into the parlor in search of her houseguest. A cheerful smile spread across her face when she espied her friend. “Here you are, my dearest Eliza!”
Elizabeth set her latest missive from her eldest sister aside and greeted her friend with equal affection. “Yes, I am the happy recipient of a letter from Jane.”
“What news from Longbourn?”
“Jane said Papa has yielded to Mama’s unrelenting requests and has given his permission for Lydia to travel to Brighton with Colonel Forster’s wife. She has already taken her leave.”
Charlotte took a seat next to her guest. “And what of Kitty? I always like to think of your two youngest sisters as nearly inseparable.”
Charlotte’s supposition was quite true. Although Lydia was the younger of the two, she wielded an inordinate amount of influence on Kitty.
Rarely could the former be seen or heard without the latter.
Where the two young ladies were concerned, Elizabeth could not help agreeing with her father that they were the silliest girls in all of England.
Lydia was by far the silliest and the wildest, for that matter.
“According to Jane, Kitty is best described as prostrate with grief that she is not allowed to join the Forsters. However, she was not so intimate with Mrs. Forster as Lydia, and, as a consequence, no invitation was extended to her.”
“I did not know that Lydia and Colonel Forster’s wife got along so well.”
Elizabeth nodded. “Indeed, it appears the two of them formed quite an attachment over the past few months since the Forsters’ wedding.
I am often given to think that young woman is as silly as my two youngest sisters.
I would be worried for Lydia’s safety were it not for the fact that she will be under the colonel’s protection. ”
“Indeed. Colonel Forster is an intelligent man. He will see that Lydia meets with no harm,” Charlotte said reassuringly.
“And let us not forget that she will be in Mr. Wickham’s company as well.”
“Oh, dear,” Charlotte said placing her hand on her chest.
“Whatever do you mean? Surely you have not allowed Lady Catherine’s misguided point of view or that of her nephew to poison you against Mr. Wickham’s character. You met him yourself and on numerous occasions. Has his behavior ever been anything other than beyond reproach?”
“I cannot personally attest to anything untoward on his part; however, there was the business of his sudden interest in Miss Mary King after she inherited her fortune. I recall receiving any number of letters from my mother on the subject. The matter of the young lady’s hasty removal from Hertfordshire continues to raise questions in people’s minds.
” Charlotte reached out her hand to her friend.
“I am sorry to say this, dear Eliza, knowing how much you have always liked the gentleman, but the mercenary nature of his actions in this regard combined with Lady Catherine’s admonishments as well as Mr. Darcy’s decided disdain are considerations that ought not to be ignored. ”
“Charlotte, you cannot be serious! No doubt, you merely intend to vex me when you know full well what I think of that woman’s opinion, but it will not work.
Since when are a young man’s hopes of furthering his chances for felicity by seeking an advantageous alliance to be likened to maliciousness?
Is this practice not precisely what is expected of members of the opposite sex?
” Elizabeth was too politic to point out that Charlotte had married for security, but, however unspoken, the implication was clear.
The older woman evidenced no offense. “What of Mr. Darcy’s objections? You have spent enough time in his company to discern that he is over a hundred times Wickham’s worth, and I am not speaking of the gentleman’s enormous wealth.”
“It is true that I have spent a fair amount of time in Mr. Darcy’s company.
However, I had the occasion of spending a great deal of time with Mr. Wickham as well.
If he was so untrustworthy as Mr. Darcy suggests, I am quite certain that such a flaw in his character would have revealed itself.
Instead, I only detected good in the gentleman, and I will not allow the opinions of others to persuade me against him.
He is the only person capable of doing that, and frankly I do not see how that would be possible. ”
As there was no sign of yielding on either of their parts, Charlotte and Elizabeth simply agreed to disagree, concurring that their mutual admiration need not be affected by matters that were beyond their control.
Having survived the inherent awkwardness of the former accepting an offer of marriage from the same man whose proposal to Elizabeth had barely grown cold, they were certain nothing would ever come between them again.
Darcy placed his hand on the small of her back.
Leaning closer than propriety allowed when he turned the pages, he whispered in her ear so she might feel the brush of his breath, warm against the nape of her neck as he spoke.
Such diversions pleased her well enough were he to judge by the rise and fall of her bosom.
Wanting more—some repetition of all the pleasures he bestowed upon her night after night in his dreams—the desire to lift her into his arms, sweep away all impediments to his purpose, and lower her atop the finely tuned instrument nearly undid him.
I must abstain from entertaining such thoughts, especially when I am standing this close to her, breathing in subtle hints of lavender from her hair, watching her fingers stroking the keys, and enjoying the barely perceptible twist of her lips.
She is a proper young lady who, notwithstanding her impertinence, knows nothing of the ways of the world.
The thought that he might be the one to teach her threatened to increase his discomfort, affording evidence of his burgeoning ardor.
Elizabeth cleared her throat and thereby interrupted Mr. Darcy’s musings.
Slightly uncomfortable with the thoughts he had just entertained, he sought to cover up his disturbance. “Did you write to your father as my aunt advised?”
Having surmised that Mr. Darcy was exceedingly quiet that morning and feeling a bit flustered under the weight of his gaze, Elizabeth was relieved to have diverted him from whatever thoughts he was thinking by clearing her throat.
Even talk of his aunt was a welcome reprieve from his silence.
“Indeed, I have written to my father any number of times. However, I most certainly did not do so to satisfy your aunt’s demands, nor did I convey her directives. ”
“Are you always so stubborn?”
“Are you always so impertinent?”
“I am afraid what you look upon as impertinence is merely my way of expressing genuine concern for the welfare of you and your family.”
“Have I asked for such consideration on your part?” Elizabeth inquired, her voice raised.
“Pray, Miss Bennet, do anything but allow your high regard for your own opinion to blind you towards my honest intentions.”
“Mr. Darcy, if you and I are to have any chance at all of mutual civility then I must insist you and I agree to disagree on all matters concerning Mr. Wickham. I know not the particulars of your grievance with the gentleman. As there are, after all, two sides to every story, I suspect Mr. Wickham has a different story to tell.”
So heavily engaged in their debate were they that neither of them noticed that Lady Catherine had strolled into the room. She moved quickly to the pianoforte.
Elizabeth rose and curtsied. “Lady Catherine.”
“Carry on as you were, young woman.” She peered at her nephew pointedly. “Darcy, I did not expect to find you here.” Glancing back at Elizabeth, she said, “Pray my nephew is not keeping you from practicing, Miss Bennet.”
“Not at all, Lady Catherine.”
“Capital. No manner of competence is possible without constant practicing. You will never truly excel in this regard as I am sure I would have. And so would my Anne if her health allowed, but I wager you shall be quite the proficient by the time you return to your father’s home.”
Speaking once more to her nephew, she inquired, “How does Georgiana get along? I trust she does not waver in that regard.”
Darcy nodded. “Georgiana practices faithfully every day.”
“That is excellent,” her ladyship cried. “It has been far too long since I bore witness to my niece’s exhibition prowess. You must tell her that I expect a lengthy recital when next we meet.”
Darcy’s eyes fell once again on Elizabeth. He wanted nothing more than time alone with her—if only his aunt would take her leave.
“Darcy, I wish to speak with you,” his noble aunt decreed.
“What is it, Lady Catherine?”
“Not here!” her ladyship exclaimed. “I would have a word with you in privacy.”
Darcy threw Elizabeth an apologetic glance; an entirely unnecessary gesture as far as Elizabeth was concerned for she was just as eager to see the nephew leave as she was the aunt.
She supposed she ought to thank Lady Catherine for sparing her the burden of being in the company of the officious Mr. Darcy.
How dare he venture to tell me how to act?
Does he even realize how much he and his aunt are alike?
Self-important, arrogant, and all knowing.
Elizabeth commenced wondering about the gentleman’s sister, Miss Georgiana Darcy.
This was not the first time her ladyship had boasted of her niece’s accomplishments.
No doubt, she remains under her brother’s protection. He must enjoy having someone he can rightfully instruct in how to think and how to feel. Elizabeth was in no need of such guidance. Even her own father did not tell her what she could and could not do.
I have my own opinion on how I ought to comport myself, of whom I should be wary and whom I should trust. My judgment has not failed me yet.
When Darcy and his aunt were alone in the foyer, Lady Catherine said, “If it were not for the fact that Miss Bennet is so far beneath you in consequence as to be laughable, I might take umbrage at your being here. However, I would ask that you do not interrupt the young woman. Her time is much better employed practicing, and yours is much better employed attending my daughter, Anne.”
Deciding it would be pointless to argue with his aunt on this point, Darcy held his tongue.
Indeed, that was a battle that he had successfully dodged countless times in the past and he could wait a while longer until the moment was right.
For the time being, he could hardly wait to escape his aunt.
Besides, the last thing he needed was to be reminded of his obligation to his so-called intended.
If his time alone with Elizabeth had taught him anything, it was that he would not let family demands dictate his decisions for his own future.
Marrying his cousin Anne had never been an option.
Still, his struggle over his feelings for Elizabeth was far from over.
A man of his station could not reasonably entertain ideas of marriage without some attention to his bride’s standing in society—especially a gentleman of his consequence.
For so long as he could recall, he had been a target of eager matchmaking mamas and young ladies from the best families in the ton.
He knew nothing about Miss Bennet’s family, aside from the fact that her father was a country gentleman whose estate was entailed away from the female line to that ridiculous Mr. Collins.
If that is the worst of it, her circumstances are hardly untenable. Derbyshire is a long way from Kent—even from Hertfordshire for that matter.