Chapter XII #3
Though he was worried about what might occur with Bingley, Bennet knew that Jane’s feelings were true.
Had he thought otherwise, it would have been easy to separate them, but Bennet would not take away his daughter’s happiness when she seemed to be on the edge of grasping it.
The business with Miss Bingley may be difficult for them to navigate, but he knew it was their right to attempt it.
As for Elizabeth, Bennet knew that his daughter, though still not of age, did not tolerate interference, even if it was well-intentioned.
Darcy, moreover, was not Bingley; he was not a man to tolerate another meddling in his life, and, even if Miss Bingley were to engineer something between them, Bennet judged his character and position in society were enough to allow him to ignore it and refuse to fall in with her schemes.
That stance might affect Bingley, but Bennet also knew his friend would understand.
No, the more pressing concern with Darcy was whether he was paying attention to Elizabeth for the right reasons and not because of infatuation.
Bennet was a firm believer that position in society mattered much less than temperament and compatibility, and he thought Darcy and Elizabeth were well-suited.
Yet, a man in Darcy’s position marrying a woman of Elizabeth’s was rife with the potential for regret later when he reflected on what he had given up to have her in his life.
There was less Bennet could do to prevent Darcy and Elizabeth than he could do to separate Bingley and Jane, so the only recourse was to hope for the best.
There was, perhaps, a source that could tell him more of Darcy’s behavior, an insight into whether Darcy would make a good husband for Bennet’s favorite daughter. The trick would be to bring the subject up with delicacy, as he did not think it prudent to speak openly to his companion.
“You know,” said Bennet, using a conversational tone, “I might never have expected Elizabeth’s opinion to alter with such alacrity.”
Hurst’s gaze found Bennet at once, though when he spoke, his tone was all sarcasm. “Do you suggest that her impression of Darcy was not so positive before?”
“I suggest nothing,” replied Bennet, falling back on humor. “All autumn, the words ‘proud’, ‘disagreeable’, ‘above his company’, and other like adjectives filled her conversation like accusations.”
“That is most amusing, Bennet,” chuckled Hurst. “Yet, this is not all.”
“I understand there was some mention of ‘not handsome enough to tempt him.’”
This time, Hurst did not bother to hide his sudden bark of laughter, which caught the attention of more than one member of the company. No one said anything, though Bennet detected more than one pair of eyes finding them, assessing, unless he misjudged them altogether.
“Yes, I remember hearing something about that. Caroline did not know the whole story, but she preened for days upon hearing that Darcy disparaged one of the local beauties. Miss Elizabeth told me of the matter soon after I came.”
“Lizzy’s transformation is no less surprising than Darcy’s,” observed Bennet. “Few men will pay any attention at all to a woman they consider ill-favored.”
“I doubt Darcy ever thought of her in that way,” replied Hurst. “In fact, I suspect he did not even consider her much. Bingley has a habit of trying to get Darcy to be more sociable, and Darcy has a habit of saying more than he should when frustrated.”
“Yes, I can see that,” mused Bennet. “I did not see them often in company, but even I notice how often he looked at her.”
Hurst nodded and turned back to his observation. “If the society ladies in London could see him now, the sight would displease them.”
At Bennet’s interested look, Hurst endeavored to explain. “Darcy is not nobility, but his family name is ancient, well respected, and the Darcys are connected to many wealthy and influential families. For most in society at a certain level—and even some above—it is an irresistible lure.”
Bennet considered this. “His mother was the daughter of an earl.”
“She was,” agreed Hurst. “From what I understand, his ancestry is littered with other noble brides. There are many who would accept an alliance with him in an instant if he saw fit to offer it.
“The strange part about Darcy is his disinterest in society women. Many have tried to attract his attention, but he holds himself aloof whenever he can.”
“I can see what you mean,” said Bennet. “Ladies in London must consider themselves superior—it will not make them happy if she succeeds where so many others have failed.”
“Exactly.”
It made Bennet feel better about the situation. If Darcy had shown no interest in a woman of society, Bennet could entrust his daughter’s future to him with reasonable confidence that he would feel no regret later.
As for Lizzy’s ability to move in Darcy’s level of society, Bennet had every confidence in her abilities and her resilience.
Any puffed-up dandy who thought he would get the better of her would find out how mistaken he was.
Bennet might regret the inability to witness it for himself, but he knew Elizabeth would relate the tale with great relish and would speak of it in such detail that Bennet would think he had been there.
Thus, he sat back and enjoyed the show. Unless he was mistaken, Elizabeth would lead Darcy on a merry chase. Given the man’s demeanor and sense of purpose, Bennet gave him even odds of prevailing.