Chapter 3 #3
The earl took his niece by her shoulder. “My dearest Georgiana, nobody will force you to play, but I would be delighted to hear you. We are all family and friends here, after all, so you have nothing to fear. Unless you do not want to play for your old uncle…”
He was coercing her with his warm words. Elizabeth could easily see that and was about to intervene, ashamed that her attempt to avoid a tiresome request had put the girl in an unpleasant situation. But her brother was there in a moment, assisting his sister as she expected.
“I would love to hear you play if you wish to, my dear,” Darcy said gently. “And I would also love to listen to Miss Elizabeth play if she cares to indulge us.”
His tone of his voice was different, and if a few moments earlier Elizabeth would have refused him without hesitation, she now remained silent, staring at him.
She finally averted her eyes and looked at Miss Darcy. Their eyes met, and almost the same moment, they smiled at each other.
“Miss Darcy, it seems useless to try to change their minds. I would suggest finding a way to sing and play together, perhaps holding hands tightly for courage.” Elizabeth laughed.
Miss Darcy turned her wide eyes to Elizabeth and then to her brother and suddenly replied, “It might be a good idea to sing together, Miss Elizabeth; however, holding hands would make our playing at the pianoforte a bit more difficult.”
The others stared at her in disbelief at such a playful answer, and both burst out laughing. The earl kissed her hair and then politely kissed Elizabeth’s hand.
The colonel offered each of them an arm and took them to the pianoforte, but he soon returned to the settee as his help turning pages was not needed.
From the corner to which he retreated after speaking with his sister, Mr Darcy followed their performance. From time to time, Elizabeth could feel his eyes on them, and she acknowledged again his care and protection of Miss Darcy.
They played and sang together twice, and then each of them performed one song while the other turned the pages. More than half an hour later, with many thanks from their companions, they returned to the others. Darcy remained in the corner.
With a glass of brandy in his hand, the earl approached and took a seat near his nephew.
“Are you enjoying the evening so far, Nephew? I certainly hope so, and I hope you have some useful observations to share with me regarding the small assignment I gave you.”
Darcy gulped some brandy then cast a glance at the animated group.
“I would not have suspected you to trap me this way, Uncle. I have been completely honest with you, and you hold my honesty against me and force me into this awkward situation—”
“Of what situation are you speaking, Nephew?”
“Come, sir, let us play games no longer. It was not fair to throw me into an unexpected meeting with Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth without warning, nor was it fair for them. I feared Miss Bennet would faint when she saw us. She surely deserved no such treatment.”
“Again, of what treatment are you speaking? Are you suddenly preoccupied with Miss Bennet’s feelings? You thought little of them a month ago.”
“That statement is unfair, Uncle—”
“Is it? Come, Darcy, you know I value you as much as I care for you; however, you were in error in this case. Admit it! Have you seen Miss Bennet tonight? Does she not seem like a lady who suffers from love?”
“I was not in error. I see Miss Bennet is more shy than usual, but I also notice she is as polite and friendly as usual. Besides, all the other difficulties remain; you do not know Mrs Bennet and her younger daughter, and—”
“I do not know Mrs Bennet, but I do know your Aunt Catherine and Bingley’s sister; I am also aware of my own improper behaviour at times!
So spare me your understanding of other people’s manners.
As long as you have nothing against the lady’s character and Bingley is not displeased with her lack of dowry, this conversation is ridiculous. ”
“You would not be happy were your sons to marry someone so far beneath them, despite all your jokes and insinuations.”
“Perhaps not; but then again, Bingley is not the son of an earl. Let us be honest; if we are to speak of family situations, Miss Bennet is the daughter of a gentleman while Bingley’s fortune is from trade. She is superior to him, is she not?”
“If you put it that way—”
“I do put it that way! And even more, I would not disapprove of my sons marrying either of the Miss Bennets if they developed an attachment. They could surely do worse than Jane and Elizabeth Bennet.”
“Surely, you are joking,” Darcy interrupted him abruptly.
“Surely, I am being serious, unless you have some strong arguments against the idea. From what I have seen, you have quite a history with Miss Elizabeth. What on earth did you do to that girl that she dislikes you so intensely?”
“Excuse me?” Darcy asked so loudly that the others turned to them. “What do you mean she dislikes me intensely? From where did that idea spring?”
“Where? For heaven’s sake, Nephew, are you blind? First you insist Jane Bennet has no feelings for Bingley when anyone can see she still suffers for him, and now you misread Miss Elizabeth’s feelings for you that are equally strong but of a completely different kind.”
“You think Miss Elizabeth dislikes me? I have always believed we were on friendly terms. We always had lively conversations.”
The earl rolled his eyes and patted his shoulder, laughing.
“Darcy, may I inquire as to how many women you have known—really known—before now? Damn, you seem oblivious about whether a woman likes or dislikes anything. I hope you are not equally oblivious to other things a woman might like or dislike!”
Darcy choked and spilled wine on his coat then started to cough.
∞∞∞
Darcy’s face was still red from coughing, and he desperately tried not to draw the attention of the group. His uncle’s words whirled in his head, but he could not accept that the earl was correct with regard to either lady.
Yes, Miss Bennet seemed out of spirits, but on the other hand, he had never seen her especially lively, even when Bingley was present. A simple indisposition did not prove he was in error.
Memories of his conversation with Elizabeth during dinner flooded back to him.
Moment by moment, word by word, he managed to recollect the precise instant Elizabeth’s demeanour changed and she seemed disinclined to speak to him again.
It occurred when he informed her that Bingley had no intention of returning to Netherfield.
He sat alone, the glass of brandy in his hand, staring at Elizabeth as she talked and laughed with the colonel, Selina, and his own sister.
He looked at Georgiana, in a joyful mood after she played with Elizabeth, and then he looked at Miss Bennet, who smiled politely, although her eyes betrayed a distracted lack of interest in the conversation.
He had been honest in his beliefs when he decided that Miss Bennet did not share Bingley’s feelings; he could not have been so partial and unfair in his judgment!
Or could he? No, that was not the proper question.
Was it his right or his duty as a friend to judge Bingley’s feelings for a young lady or that lady’s feelings for him? That was the question he must answer.
And the earl said he would be pleased for his sons to marry either lady. Was he serious? Surely, that would never happen. But what if it did?
What of Elizabeth’s feelings towards him? He had been certain that she had an inclination towards him. He had even been careful not to encourage this tendency as he could not possibly consider binding himself to her.
And now the earl declared that she deeply disliked him and suggested he would agree for his son to court her.
That could not be! Robert, as a second son, could not afford to marry a woman with no dowry; besides, Elizabeth could not possibly form a positive opinion of the colonel in so short a time!
Or could she? After all, she apparently liked Wickham from their first acquaintance.
Why could she not like Robert, who was an honourable gentleman with a happy demeanour and the son of an earl?
∞∞∞
Elizabeth continued to talk to the colonel, but from time to time, her eyes returned to Mr Darcy.
He remained in the corner, and she began to feel uncomfortable whenever she felt his stare.
What was he thinking? And why did he keep looking at her in such a way?
Something obviously upset him, and she did not much care what it was except that his behaviour made her uneasy.
She went to pour herself another cup of tea, and she noticed the earl close to her. They smiled at one another, and he thanked her once again for her lovely performance.
“I hope you are having a pleasant evening, Miss Elizabeth.”
“Indeed we are, your lordship. We are truly grateful for your invitation. This party was a pleasant diversion for my aunt and my sister…and for me, of course.”
“I hope we shall meet again soon. I hope you have not been disappointed with my sons.”
“Not at all, sir. I enjoy their company, and I especially appreciate a gentleman who secures a dance for a ball a week early.” She smiled, and the earl laughed.
“Well, a man never should be timid about securing a beautiful lady’s company and a place on her dance card.”
She looked at the earl with surprise and curiosity, not daring to inquire further.
“Are you unwell, Miss Elizabeth? Did I say something wrong?”
“No, no. It is just that…a friend of mine told me the same thing some time ago, just before the ball at Netherfield. He asked me for a dance a week before the ball.”
“Truly? That is quite unusual. I used to tell my boys that when they were younger, but I doubt my words of wisdom are as well known among strangers. “
Elizabeth forced a smile. “Well, they might be, after all. Or perhaps he heard you speak of it. Mr Wickham told me he grew up at Mr Darcy’s estate and—”
“Wickham? George Wickham, you mean? Do you know him?”
“Yes indeed. We met in Hertfordshire. He was in the militia and—” She looked at the earl carefully, trying to guess his opinion of that gentleman. With no little surprise, she felt the earl move her a few steps away as he spoke in a quiet voice.
“If he asked you to secure him a dance, I imagine you were on friendly terms.”
“Yes we were; in truth, I can say we were very good friends.”
“I am glad to hear that. I hope he is doing well, but let us speak about this on another occasion. That little rascal George Wickham is a favourite of mine, but these boys seem not to like him much, so we had better not mention his name here for the moment.”
She wondered whether she should take him seriously, but a moment later when the colonel approached them and the earl suddenly changed the subject, she had her answer.
The rest of the evening passed in pleasant conversation on a variety of subjects. The only one who remained silently apart was Mr Darcy, who seemed determined to watch from afar.
It was quite late when the guests finally took their leave.
The earl offered his arm to Mrs Gardiner, and the colonel was ready to do the same for Elizabeth. It was an unexpected surprise, then, that Mr Darcy stepped away from his sister and invited Elizabeth out, leaving the colonel to care for Miss Darcy.
Careful not to slip on the frozen path, Elizabeth held his arm tightly, her eyes lowered, reflecting that it was the first time—except for the requirement of dancing—that he had offered her his arm since they met.
“Miss Elizabeth, I am pleased I had the chance to see all of you tonight—such a pleasant surprise! And I am certain Bingley will be equally pleased when I tell him of this dinner party. I should meet with him in a few days.”
He released her hand, helped her enter the carriage, then bowed to them—and smiled.
Uncertain whether she had heard him correctly or rightly understood his words, Elizabeth had no time to return his farewell before the horses began to move.
It was snowing again.