Chapter 23 #2
At the end, they took their farewells in the lobby, and again, Darcy noticed Elizabeth looking about. He did the same but saw neither of the faces that preoccupied him.
“It was a good performance, would you not say so?” Bingley asked in the carriage on the way home.
“Wonderful,” Miss Bennet answered. “And watching it from the box added to my enjoyment. I am so grateful to Lady Matlock for inviting us.”
“I hope you will stay in London long enough to enjoy more such evenings,” Bingley said, and Miss Bennet blushed.
“Papa will return home the day after tomorrow, but Lizzy has invited me to stay for another month,” Miss Bennet declared, and her cheeks coloured again.
“Happy news indeed!” Bingley said enthusiastically. “Darcy, would you mind if I call tomorrow?”
“No, I would not mind, but I have a business appointment and shall be out until possibly late in the afternoon. Of course, the rest of the family will be there, and I am sure they will be happy to receive you.”
“It will be a very busy day tomorrow, with so many calls,” Elizabeth reflected, staring out of the window. If there had been any doubt left in his mind about her poor disposition, it vanished at this undeservedly rude statement, which immediately affected Bingley.
“Oh, I am sorry, Mrs Darcy. If you are busy, I do not want to intrude… I did not think…” he mumbled, distracted.
“Do not distress yourself, Mr Bingley. If my daughter is busy, Jane and I shall be happy to receive you. Please do not hesitate to come,” Mr Bennet declared, patting his eldest daughter’s hand, and the lady nodded, clearly alarmed.
The carriage soon stopped in front of Bingley’s house, and he did not linger, saying his goodbyes rather quickly and repeating his intention to call on the morrow, then the Darcy party continued to their own home.
They entered, Elizabeth leading the way; uncharacteristically, she barely acknowledged their butler and the footman who helped them with their coats and hats and turned to the others following her.
“I shall retire. I find I am tired, and I have a headache. Good night.”
“I shall go to bed too. Thank you for a pleasant evening. Good night, Papa, Mr Darcy,” her sister repeated in a low voice.
“Well, it has been an interesting evening,” Mr Bennet commented to Darcy when they were alone. “Thank you for being so patient and considerate, sir.”
“It was my pleasure, Mr Bennet. Would you like a drink before bed?”
“I think not. I believe we are all tired and need rest. Good night.”
Darcy found himself alone in the middle of the hall, unsure what to do.
Despite his promise to Elizabeth that he would do all in his power for her enjoyment at the theatre, he had failed, and the evening had proved to be more distressing than pleasant; and, unfortunately, the following day would be even worse.
He climbed the stairs to his chamber at a slow pace and entered his room still pensive.
His arm had begun to bother him again, but he disregarded it.
He poured himself a drink, paced the floor, then finally knocked at the adjoining door.
Moments passed before he eventually heard Elizabeth’s voice, inviting him in. She was already changed into her nightgown and robe, sitting on a chair at the mirror, her hair tied with a ribbon and falling down her back.
“Forgive me, I shall not bother you for long. Since tomorrow we might not see each other until late in the day, I wish to ask you why you are so upset. I do not know myself guilty of anything, but I sense you are again angry with me.”
“I appreciate that at least you care enough to trouble yourself with asking,” she said sternly, looking at him in the mirror, keeping her back to him.
“Would you favour me with an answer? I cannot feign complete ignorance about the reason for your displeasure. It began with the introduction of Thomas Crawford, of whom you approved utterly and completely, while the rest of us showed some prudence and reserve.”
“I cannot fault your frankness. Yes, I was displeased with your cold reception and rebuke of him. I have longed to find more relatives from my mother’s side all my life, and when he came to greet me, you told him that he should introduce himself in private.
How strange, considering that in that whole theatre little else happened but introductions, greetings, and gossip! ”
Anger rose in her voice, her eyes flamed, and her cheeks flushed with barely restrained ire as she stood to confront him.
“I was surprised by his appearance, I admit that,” Darcy said. “You were already under the scrutiny of so many eyes, and the boxes are so close as to allow for no private conversation, so I feared you might have been affected—”
“You should not be so concerned about me, sir. I am not a child, and I do not appreciate that you should ask your cousin and your friend to pretend to call by chance at the very time I expect my cousin’s visit! I am perfectly capable of entertaining any guest!”
“I shall always accept blame if it is justified, but this accusation certainly is not! I did not even mention the call to my cousin. In fact, I did not even mention Thomas Crawford to any of them. They had not heard of him until he appeared in the box. As for Bingley, you cannot be blind to the real reason for his eagerness to call! His main interest — as imprudent as it might be — lies in your sister, not in your cousin. You offended him for no reason.”
She looked at him, pensive, doubtful, a furrow between her eyebrows.
“I might have been too hasty in judging the situation,” she admitted. “But both gentlemen’s declarations of their intention to call were very sudden and their timing suspicious.”
“As was the appearance of Thomas Crawford in our box, taking all of us — especially my relatives — completely by surprise.”
“How considerate of you to fret over your relatives,” she said bitterly.
“I hope I showed no less consideration to your relatives, madam. At least to those known relatives whose identity is not in question.” His voice had become louder and colder.
“Why are you so ready to think the worst of people? Particularly of my cousin?”
“Because I have learnt the hard way that people might be deceptive and perfidious, even when you have known them for many years. Allow me to show prudence towards a complete stranger, about whom we know nothing except what he revealed in a brief letter!”
He paused a moment, then added, “I assume you expected me to invite him to join us in the box, but he was with friends in any case and would have probably refused. If I were at fault, I would take the blame. However, from what I noticed, your father shared my cautiousness. If two people who care deeply for you and who wish to protect you think alike, should you not give them at least a little credit? What if they are correct?”
“Protect me from what? Why would that man try to deceive me, presenting himself under a false identity? What could he possibly gain?”
“He would have much to gain by winning your favour and your affection and insinuating himself into our family! We are an old family, with a good situation in life, with many connections and a solid, honourable name. And you have a generous fortune, which might become a target for depraved people!”
“Well, we have no reason to concern ourselves about my fortune, have we? Since I have given you most of it. There is not much left to raise someone else’s interest,” she sardonically concluded.
He stared at her, incredulous and pained by her attack.
“You have said quite enough. Since you seem determined to scoff at my concern and to dismiss derisively my genuine attempt to protect you, there is no point in continuing this conversation. You are allowed to do as you please and to direct your confidence and your mistrust wherever you wish. Good night, madam.”
He stepped out and closed the adjoining door, then hurried to gulp the rest of his drink and filled the glass again.
What could he expect from a woman who had been his wife for a while now yet still treated him with such a lack of consideration and affection?
Affection? From a woman for whom a stranger was more important than her husband!
A husband by contract but a husband nevertheless.
His arm throbbed, and a headache was building too. He finished the second glass, then filled another one but almost dropped it when there was a knock on the door, then his wife’s voice pleading, “Fitzwilliam? May I enter just for a moment, please?”