Chapter 2 #2
Immediately behind her were two young gentlemen, one of them maintaining a serious—even stern—countenance, the other smiling openly as his eyes instantly met those of Elizabeth.
She smiled back at him. Lady Selina performed the introductions to her husband and brothers, the viscount Lord Fitzwilliam and Colonel Fitzwilliam, and for the first time in his life, the colonel was speechless.
He vividly remembered his father’s mischievous smile from the previous day and felt deeply sorry for his cousin.
Indeed, there would be little peace for him that evening.
The gentlemen’s dispositions allowed the Bennet sisters to recognise which son was which.
However, with no little surprise, Elizabeth saw the colonel’s smile vanish from his face when the introductions were made.
She had no time to wonder about it as a moment later both gentlemen greeted them in a friendly manner.
“My Lord, Colonel Fitzwilliam, I am so delighted to see you again,” said Mrs Gardiner.
“The pleasure is all ours, I assure you,” shouted the earl from the doorway.
He offered his arm to Mrs Gardiner while the colonel accompanied the younger ladies, already bewitched by both of them. The expected shock and distress his cousin would likely suffer in a short time suddenly became of very little importance to the colonel.
∞∞∞
Elizabeth was pleased with the visit so far.
The colonel was delightful company, his easy manners and conversational skills putting even Jane at ease.
From the first moment, he declared both the Miss Bennets were more beautiful than his father reported.
Since he could not choose between them, he decided to court both, at least for the time being.
Elizabeth laughed; Jane smiled and blushed.
Half an hour passed in pleasant conversation.
Then the opening of a door and the sound of a well-known voice startled Elizabeth.
She turned to her sister and saw her face pale; she feared Jane might faint.
The earl left their little group to greet the newly arrived guests, and a moment later from the doorway, he declared with unconcealed amusement:
“Dear ladies, please allow me to introduce to you my favourite nephew and niece.”
Elizabeth silently considered that, if Jane should faint, at least she would not faint alone; the gentleman whom the earl introduced was considerably paler.
He remained motionless in the doorway, staring at their party, and his gaze turned to Elizabeth.
She breathed deeply, instantly recognising the disapproving glare that always made her uncomfortable, and allowed a satisfied smile to twist her lips.
Holding his gaze, she stepped forward until she was close enough to see his eyes, even darker than usual. Only then did she greet him with perfect politeness.
“Mr Darcy, such a wonderful surprise to meet again. I never would have imagined how small London is, after all.”
∞∞∞
Lady Selina embraced her cousins with great affection. Both Mr and Miss Darcy expressed their pleasure in meeting Mrs Gardiner, and the lady replied with genuine warmth.
With the Miss Bennets, however, the Darcy siblings showed considerably more restraint, which credited the memories Elizabeth had of Mr Darcy’s behaviour. Surely, his sister was no different!
Jane appeared unable to look at either of the Darcys, and Elizabeth sensed her distress. How horrible for Jane to be introduced to the girl who was her rival for Mr Bingley’s affections!
With a small voice and a furtive glance, Miss Darcy finally managed to express her delight in making their acquaintance.
“Miss Bennet…Miss Elizabeth?”
Both ladies turned to face Mr Darcy; startled by his voice. Jane’s eyes lowered while Elizabeth’s eyebrow arched in expectation.
Darcy stared at them in complete silence for a moment. Lady Selina laughed, but he eventually found his voice. “I wanted to ask whether you have been in London long. It is a lovely surprise to meet you both again.”
“We just arrived three days ago, sir,” whispered Jane.
“I see… Well, this is indeed a lovely surprise,” he repeated, but neither his voice nor his countenance showed any pleasure.
“My sister Jane sent a letter to Miss Bingley, informing her of our arrival. And the day before yesterday, Jane called on Miss Bingley with my aunt. Did they not mention it to you?”
“No… No… In fact, I have rarely seen Miss Bingley or Mrs Hurst. I visited my estate after we returned from Hertfordshire; I had some urgent business…”
“Oh, I see. It is fortunate you left Hertfordshire in time to attend to your urgent business,” Elizabeth concluded with a smile while Darcy remained silent, his eyes searching the fire with great interest.
Once they entered the drawing room, most separated into two groups: the silent and the talkative. Jane remained a little apart on a settee, her eyes travelling shyly from Mr Darcy to his sister and then to Elizabeth.
Though heavyhearted from Jane’s distress, Elizabeth remained equally intrigued and amused by the situation, wondering about the strange coincidence and Mrs Gardiner’s duplicity.
Surely, her aunt was aware that Lord Matlock was a close relative of the Darcys.
How could she not say a word, even when Elizabeth complained about Mr Darcy’s character and faults?
Such a mischievous scheme was unlike Mrs Gardiner.
And certainly, Lady Selina was not oblivious to the situation.
What was the purpose of those arrangements?
Was it only a plan to allow Jane to meet Mr Bingley again as Mrs Gardiner suggested the day before?
And why would the daughter of an earl agree to engage in such matchmaking?
“So, Miss Elizabeth, what is your opinion of my sons? Which of them is more to your liking?” the earl loudly whispered to be heard by the entire room.
“Papa!” cried Lady Selina.
Elizabeth blushed as she tried to answer discretely. “Surely, your lordship cannot expect me to answer such a question. Besides, even if I were tempted to answer—which I am not—I would not dare express an opinion about someone I have barely met.”
“Fair enough” The earl laughed. “We shall postpone this conversation until after dinner.”
Elizabeth easily noticed that neither Mr Darcy nor the viscount appreciated the unseemly exchange.
Once again, she felt Mr Darcy’s disapproving stare.
He might be upset by the situation, but she cared little for his opinion.
She daringly smiled at him and then turned towards her other companions, ignoring the gentleman’s insistent gaze.
Miss Darcy spoke not a single word once she took the seat near her brother, but she watched Elizabeth and Jane with obvious curiosity.
This was proof to Elizabeth that her suspicions were correct: Miss Darcy was as proud and disagreeable as her brother—just as Mr Wickham declared her to be—and she clearly had an interest in Mr Bingley.
Otherwise, why look at Jane with such interest?
Deciding the Darcy siblings would not ruin her disposition, Elizabeth entered into a pleasant conversation with Colonel Fitzwilliam, whose company she enjoyed exceedingly.
The colonel, attentive and polite, insisted that Jane move closer to them and take a seat near her sister.
Blushing, Miss Bennet joined the animated group, and it was not long before a smile finally came to Jane’s face, and her loveliness overcame her distress.
Elizabeth could not be more grateful to the colonel.
Shortly thereafter, Lord Matlock invited the gentlemen to accompany him to the library before dinner.
Lady Selina approached her cousin and whispered something to her. Miss Darcy seemed to hesitate a few moments, looked with alarm at her brother, and then finally joined her cousin near the settee where the other ladies were sitting. A tentative conversation thus began.
“Miss Elizabeth, I am pleased finally to make your acquaintance.” Elizabeth heard Miss Darcy’s low voice.
“Finally, Miss Darcy?” She smiled and tried not to sound impertinent. “Have you heard of me before this evening? How is that possible?”
The girl sketched a tentative smile. “Yes, my brother used to write me from Hertfordshire quite often—”
“Mr Darcy mentioned me in his letters to you? Oh dear, I dare not imagine the terrible things he must have said.” She laughed, looked at her aunt meaningfully, and then turned back to Miss Darcy. The girl was pale.
“Miss Elizabeth, have I offended you in some way? I am so sorry… I do not… I mean… Why do you presume that my brother—”
Miss Darcy’s shy, trembling voice and wide, blue eyes left Elizabeth with no words. Hesitantly, Elizabeth touched the girl’s hand and forced a smile.
Lady Selina spoke gently. “Georgiana dearest, do not distress yourself. I am sure Miss Elizabeth is speaking in jest. If Darcy mentioned Miss Elizabeth in his letters to you, I am sure he spoke well of her.”
Elizabeth barely repressed a laugh. “Indeed there is no need for distress, Miss Darcy. You did not offend me at all. I am only surprised that Mr Darcy took the time to write about me, considering he and I are not friends. He has always been my severest critic, and I can safely declare that his opinion of me cannot be high, so you must understand my concern about what he might have told you.”
She continued laughing, hoping they would join in her amusement. However, Miss Darcy interrupted her again, quite determined.
“That cannot be true… My brother mentioned to me that he missed my playing the piano but was fortunate to enjoy your performance a few times…and he expressed his approval of your interest in books. I fear I do not read as much as I should, and he…”