Chapter 18
Soon after their excursion to the Tower at the start of November, Elizabeth went shopping with Rebecca and Marian; they stopped at a confectionary afterward.
She believed it would be an opportunity for her to explain what Mr Darcy had said about his cousin, but before she could, Rebecca spoke of the viscount.
“I wanted to thank you both for staying with me while Lord Bramwell…amuses himself or whatever he is doing,” Rebecca said.
“You do not like spending time with him?” Marian asked, sounding rather surprised. Elizabeth understood; at the Tower, it had not seemed that Rebecca minded speaking to him. Indeed, there were moments she had suspected Rebecca found his company rather agreeable.
“It appears to me that he is more at ease now,” Marian added.
“I have always found him to be interesting and diverting,” Elizabeth added. “You must have seen that of late.”
“I have,” Rebecca admitted. She bit her lower lip for a brief moment before continuing. “I cannot say I dislike him, and my father has assured me there is nothing dishonourable or objectionable about his behaviour.”
“Your parents would surely approve of the match,” Marian said in a practical tone.
“Whose would not? Even my father would be happy about it—for at least three minutes. Then he would return to being miserable and hating everyone and everything and cursing the connexion to Lord Romsley. Are you not disappointed that you have yet to meet him, Elizabeth?”
She laughed. “Terribly! But, Rebecca, I shall add an amendment to Marian’s statement. Your parents would approve of you marrying him should he propose. Am I correct that you have little confidence he will continue to view you as the lady he wishes to make his wife?”
Rebecca nodded. “I have always wanted to marry a gentleman I loved and I knew loved me. From a prudent view, I would be a fool to reject him if he does ask. But I must be sure. As for my father and mother, they would be happy. The Darcys and Fitzwilliams have been associated for years—even before Lady Anne married my uncle Darcy. My grandfather and Lord Bramwell’s were great friends all their lives, and their wives were as well.
I believe they were also cousins. To see the connexion renewed by our generation would be pleasing to them.
But he does not make it easy to take him seriously! ”
“Even after you dined at Lord and Lady Romsley’s?” Marian asked.
Rebecca shrugged. “They were very kind to me, and as I told you, the countess invited Mama and me to call on her. She was even kinder then! I must conclude that they do not object, even if I cannot compete with Lady Cassandra.”
Marian said, “Not in terms of fortune or birth, perhaps, but in every other way, I would say you are her superior—and she is a charming lady!”
“Do you like him?” Elizabeth asked gently. Rebecca blushed, and Elizabeth gave her hand a quick squeeze. “That tells me what I need to know. Trust yourself and your instincts about him. To help you do that, let me recount a conversation I had with Mr Darcy when we were at the Tower.”
Once she had finished, Rebecca said simply, “Oh,” while Marian said, “You can no longer doubt him. Who would know better than Mr Darcy that the viscount is sincere? And you know your cousin would not have made a point of reassuring Elizabeth if he doubted Lord Bramwell’s intentions even the slightest bit. ”
“I suppose,” Rebecca said. “I-I know you are correct, it is just so…overwhelming! I do like him, now that he has remembered how to speak properly in my presence. He is charming and so amusing, and—” The colour in her cheeks deepened.
“How can my life and prospects have changed so much in such a short period of time?”
“That is a very good question, and one to which I have no answer,” Marian said. “While you reflect on it, I would like to talk about Mr Darcy.” She turned to Elizabeth, “Specifically Mr Darcy and you.”
She startled and busied herself with her cake, using the excuse to keep her chin lowered, lest her expression give away how unsettled her feelings for the gentleman were.
“The two of you seem to be getting along very well,” Marian said. “I would even say that Mr Darcy seeks you out.”
Elizabeth attempted to make light of it.
“Do you mean the other day? I would say the rest of you abandoned us so that you would not have to hear our talk of history. And for my part, I wanted to ensure Rebecca and Lord Bramwell were able to speak uninterrupted. I knew your opinion of him would improve if only he were easier in your company and showed you what a delightful gentleman he can be.”
“Do you have any other excuses to give?” Marian asked, smiling teasingly.
“Excuses? I might as soon ask you about Colonel Fitzwilliam,” Elizabeth retorted.
Evidently taken aback, Marian said, “The colonel? I admit it is engaging to have someone new to speak to, but you cannot possibly imagine there is more to our passing time together than that. Circumstances have thrown us together, and we might just end up being friends.”
“And I might say the same regarding Mr Darcy,” Elizabeth insisted, hoping to change the subject before she began to blush wildly.
It would lead to more questions about the gentleman that she could not answer, chiefly what her sentiments were.
The thought of giving her heart to him was frightening, and she well understood Rebecca’s hesitation regarding the viscount.
But in her case, there is no need for it.
My situation with Mr Darcy is…more complicated.
Looking between her friends, she said, “My cake is delicious. Is yours?”
Rebecca laughed. “Yes, please, let us stop speaking of gentlemen. I would rather discuss how we shall amuse ourselves this month, including what we all intend to wear to Lady Todd’s ball on the twenty-sixth.”
Darcy decided they should visit the British Museum.
After going to the Tower, he knew how much Elizabeth would relish it, thus he was determined to take her once he discovered she had never been.
While Lord Halsley could have obtained tickets easily enough under the admission system that had existed until the previous year, she would have been too young the last time she was in town with Mrs Ryde.
“You ought to arrange for our next outing to be the British Museum,” he told Bramwell soon after their previous excursion when they were sitting at their club together. “I am surprised you have not proposed it already.”
Bramwell held a cup of coffee inches from his chin and looked at him for a long moment. “Do you know, I think it was spoken of, but while the weather remained fair enough to be out of doors, I suppose I thought we should take advantage of it.”
“But it is November now, and growing colder,” Darcy interjected. The truth was, he might be a touch anxious to determine when he would next see Elizabeth, and more to the point, when they would have the opportunity to speak together as much as they had at the Tower.
After finishing his coffee, Bramwell said, “Thank you for the reminder or suggestion or whatever you want to call it. I believe your cousin would like it, which is a mark in favour of the scheme. And Miss Bennet certainly would. I am glad she is here! I liked her when we met in Dublin, and I like her even more now. What a wonderful thing that she and Rebecca are such good friends. You will not mind me using such informality when we are alone. I admit, I have been too distracted to take advantage of Miss Bennet’s company as I would prefer, but I am sure she understands my attention must be on securing the lady who owns my heart.
I know we shall have ample opportunities to converse and become even better friends in the future. Shall we not?”
Bramwell regarded him, his expression mischievous, hinting that he might be aware that Darcy’s interest in Elizabeth went beyond that of acquaintances.
He chose to overlook it. While he was not opposed to speaking to his cousin about his confused sentiments—and they had discussed the matter of marriage and their families’ expectations in the past—he was not prepared to admit aloud that he was developing a serious tendre for her; in short, he was falling in love with Elizabeth Bennet.
Possibly he had already done so, but his stubbornness in clinging to what his parents had taught him kept him from seeing how he might marry a lady so different from what he had always imagined.
Yet, I can no longer envision sharing my life with any other lady.
Darcy would be forever grateful that Rebecca and Elizabeth were such good friends, just as Bramwell was.
The coincidence that brought her into his circle was wonderful.
It is almost as though it is a sign that she is meant for me, he thought, acknowledging that it was egotistical.
Elizabeth’s presence was good, not only for him, but also for others, and he believed she was glad about it too.
Something had changed between them at the Tower, and he had the sense that she no longer disliked him.
When they had met at the Wares’ ball, she had been hesitant, her manner cool towards him, but lately, they chatted more easily and she often gifted him smiles.
That, in turn, made it more difficult to deny his feelings.
At the museum, he would have another opportunity to deepen their friendship.
“Speaking of Miss Bennet,” Bramwell said, pulling Darcy from his reflections, “today reminds me of being in Dublin. Do you recall how rainy it was when we first arrived?” He laughed.
“Coffee cannot compare to the porters we drank, although I am very glad for it. But I believe you preferred it when we went to the library to escape the weather and the house we were in.”