Chapter 1 #2
“Yes, several times. I believe he truly enjoyed his time in Hertfordshire after we returned. Much more than last year. I think he became more accustomed to the neighbourhood. And yes, he told me he looked forward to dining at Longbourn again soon.”
Elizabeth put her fork down, countless thoughts spinning in her head.
When could he possibly have said that? And praising her mother’s food?
It was delicious, that was true, but not a subject to be raised by Mr Darcy.
And when did he plan to dine at Longbourn again?
She tried to find the right words to ask a few questions, but Mrs Bennet spoke first.
“Well, that is a surprise…Mr Darcy…who would have thought? It is no wonder though. He is known as a man of the world with excellent taste. I am sure he has eaten all kinds of food in his life. He must keep a French cook. His comments are to be valued since he has surely dined at St. James’s several times too.
I always supervise dinner preparations carefully.
And Mr Darcy is very handsome too. Please let him know we look forward to having him as a guest at Longbourn soon.
And ask him what food is his favourite. I already know yours, so I can ask my cook to prepare both. ”
“I shall convey your invitation to him, and I thank you for it, madam. If we are hosting the ball, I shall have to write quite a few letters. I wonder whether Jane could help me. I am known for having an untidy handwriting. Darcy always teases me about it.”
“I shall be happy to help you, Charles,” Jane offered shyly.
“Excellent…I am truly grateful…and so relieved that everything was arranged so quickly! I hope the Netherfield ballroom is large enough to accommodate all the guests. Was it too crowded last year?”
“No, not at all,” Elizabeth hurried to reassure him; then she felt her cheeks burning.
The previous ball at Netherfield had found her hating Mr Darcy and wishing for Mr Wickham’s presence.
She remembered being so angry when the latter did not appear and the former invited her to dance.
Back then, she considered that particular half hour the most unpleasant time she ever spent at a ball—despite Mr Darcy’s excellent dancing skills.
She spoke to him and attempted to offend him throughout the dance.
She believed him a cruel man without honour who denied his childhood friend his rightful legacy.
How could she have been such a fool? Why did she never question Wickham’s words?
How could she trust him so implicitly? Had she been so vain, so conceited that a compliment and partiality from Mr Wickham—compared with Mr Darcy’s earlier rejection and offensive remark—made her blind to everything else and completely obscured her judgment?
“Will Mr Darcy attend the ball?” Elizabeth heard herself asking before she realised it.
“I am not sure. I have not yet replied to his letter, but I shall inquire about his plans. In fact, I shall demand that he come since it was his idea. However, he might refuse since I know he has some business in Town and rather loathes balls anyway. But he will certainly come for the wedding. He promised me as much.”
“Mr Darcy seems a busy man,” said Mr Bennet.
“He is, sir. He takes excellent care of his estate and also provides guidance for his aunt’s properties. And I know his uncle Lord Matlock seeks his advice occasionally. I witnessed such conversations several times.”
“Mr Darcy’s uncle is a peer?” Mrs Bennet asked in disbelief.
“Yes, ma’am. His grandfather on his mother’s side was an earl, and so is his uncle now.”
“Dear Lord—that is quite astonishing. And he praised my dinner! Wait until I tell Mrs Phillips. She and Lady Lucas disliked Mr Darcy, but I always said he is tall and handsome. And he dances quite elegantly—that is, when he does. He did not favour Lizzy at first, which is not surprising since Lizzy has neither Jane’s beauty nor Lydia’s liveliness, but in the end, he changed his mind and danced with her last year. I remember how astonished we all were!”
“Mama, let us not speak of the past.” Elizabeth attempted to end the awkward conversation. “I believe both Mr Darcy and I have improved in manners since last year.”
“Your manners have always been flawless, Miss Elizabeth,” Bingley offered generously.
“As for Darcy, he is not as bad as he appears on first impression. He just has a tendency to settle things to his liking, but that is only because he wishes the best for his friends and family. And he is uncomfortable in large gatherings. He might be tired of all the attention he has received since he was a young boy. But I tell you: there is no better or more trustworthy friend and no more generous gentleman. Anybody who knows him well will testify to his character.”
“Well, If he possesses only half the traits you mentioned, he has every reason to be proud,” Mr Bennet replied in jest. “My brother Gardiner also speaks very highly of Mr Darcy. He was quite impressed after his visit to Derbyshire. I understand Mr Darcy owns a large estate and an impressive library.”
“It was a lovely surprise to meet Mr and Mrs Gardiner and Miss Elizabeth at Pemberley. Their presence was a delight. Darcy also enjoyed it exceedingly; he told me as much. I was happy to see him and Miss Elizabeth on friendlier terms than when we were in Hertfordshire.”
“My brother Gardiner said, in his experience, that Mr Darcy’s estate is among the most impressive—outside and in,” Mr Bennet said. “I doubt I shall ever have the chance to see it for myself, so I am giving him full credit.”
“Pemberley is wonderful indeed,” Elizabeth added, suddenly flustered.
“I saw many lovely estates during our trip to the north, but none as enchanting as Pemberley. It is perfectly situated with woods and hills around it and a clear lake on one side. Everything is neat and clean but also warm and inviting. It is a perfect balance of natural splendour and human touch. You would like it very much, Papa,” she concluded without noting that her change of tone drew her father’s attention.
“Well, as I said, I doubt I shall see it with my own eyes, so I thank you for your vivid description, my dear. I am surprised that you seem to have such pleasant memories of a place owned by none other than Mr Darcy.”
Elizabeth swallowed some water and carefully answered.
“Papa, for my past misunderstandings with Mr Darcy, I have my share of the blame. Fortunately, I believe we have both gained in wisdom since we first met. Mr Darcy was very kind and generous with us when we visited his home. I confess I did not expect to have such a pleasant time at Pemberley, but it was a trip I shall never forget. I have my uncle and aunt to thank for that. My only regret is that it ended much too soon.”
As soon as she finished, Elizabeth regretted mentioning the hasty end of their journey. Jane had informed Mr Bingley of all the details of Lydia’s elopement as soon as they became engaged, but it was still a painful subject and better left behind.
“We were also saddened by your unexpected departure,” Mr Bingley intervened. “I was disappointed that I did not have a chance to take my farewell of any of you. I am glad it was not long before I met you again, Miss Elizabeth. And I look forward to seeing Mr and Mrs Gardiner soon.”
“My uncle and aunt will visit us next week. They look forward to seeing you again too,” Jane replied gently.
“Excellent! I know Darcy encountered them in London recently, even had dinner with them several times, but I have not had the pleasure since August.”
“Truly? My brother Gardiner has written to me quite often in the last months but never mentioned having dinner with Mr Darcy,” Mr Bennet responded with obvious puzzlement. “I wonder what could possibly take Mr Darcy to Gracechurch Street.”
“It seems he had some business with Mr Gardiner. I would have joined him, but it seemed a private matter, and I did not want to intrude,” Mr Bingley explained.
“That is rather strange,” Mr Bennet concluded, glancing at his second daughter, who still avoided his eyes.
“But, Papa, Lydia also saw Mr Darcy a few times in London. And he was at her wedding; she told us that!” Kitty intervened.
“Of course, Lydia told us, but you pay attention to nothing but your books, my dear Mr Bennet,” said his wife.
“I might have my lack of attention to blame, indeed. But still, Mr Darcy is surely a man of surprises. I have long wondered how the two of you became friends, Mr Bingley. That is—if my question is not inappropriate.”
“Not at all,” Bingley replied readily. “My mother’s family is connected with some members of the ton.
My father had some business with Lord Matlock and with the late Mr Darcy many years ago.
When our parents passed away, Darcy took the responsibility of watching over me.
I was fortunate to be granted his friendship and care, and I am not sure I deserve it.
I have wondered many times why Darcy would spend so much time in my company when he could employ his time much better. ”
“I am sure Mr Darcy benefits from your friendship too,” Jane intervened.
“You are too kind, my dear Jane. I have few other merits except that I gained your affection. And this I am not sure I deserve either.”
Jane watched him, tearful and silent, while Elizabeth smiled with affection at the couple and responded, “You are too modest, Mr Bingley. Your traits are well known and admired by all your acquaintance. We are grateful that you will be part of our family, just as I am sure Mr Darcy is grateful for having such a loyal friend. You must know as well as I do that Mr Darcy is not the kind of man to keep a friendship he does not truly value.”
“I hope you are right, Miss Elizabeth. I shall do everything in my power to prove worthy of my wonderful wife and also my friends.”
Mrs Bennet returned the conversation to the point of her interest. “My dear Mr Bingley, you said your mother’s family is connected with members of the ton? I was not aware of that! You never said a word! This is quite extraordinary.”
“Yes. Forgive me for not mentioning it before; I did not consider it important. They are distant relatives, and I rarely see them. Mostly during the Season…”
“Not important? How can you say that? Are you usually in Town for the Season? How fortunate this will be for my Jane! I knew she could not be so beautiful for nothing…”
“Mama, please! This conversation might become uncomfortable for Charles. Let us discuss the upcoming ball,” Jane shyly interrupted.
“Yes, yes, you are right, my dear,” Mrs Bennet continued. “Mr Bingley, will you invite some members of the ton to the ball? Do you think they will come? Dear Lord, this has never happened in Meryton before! Sir William’s stories about St. James’s are nothing to this.”
“I am not certain. As I said, I shall invite several friends and relatives…” Mr Bingley answered reluctantly. “My only purpose is to see Jane pleased, so I shall invite whomever she wishes as long as there are not too many people for the Netherfield ballroom.”
“My dear Mr Bingley, the ballroom is just as handsome as you are,” Mrs Bennet declared, much to Jane’s embarrassment. “And it will be even more so when it is properly decorated for the ball. So you should not hesitate to invite all your relatives and friends.”
Mr Bingley glanced at his intended to see whether she agreed with that statement about his handsome countenance. She appeared to do so; therefore, he continued with confidence. “I want nothing but to know Jane is happy.”
“I should be perfectly happy even without a ball,” the future Mrs Bingley whispered to her husband-to-be.
“But you deserve a perfect ball to celebrate our engagement,” the gentleman insisted, and Jane lowered her eyes, blushing most becomingly.
Elizabeth smiled, but Mr Bennet rolled his eyes and shook his head. “This does not bode well. There will be a maddening din. Perhaps, Mr Darcy’s advice was not as excellent as we believed. He might not be as wise as we thought.”
Mr Bingley appeared disconcerted and uncertain how to reply, but his host rose from the table and saved him with an invitation.
“Since we have finished dinner, would you care to join me in the library for a peaceful, quiet drink? The room is not as large and handsome as the one you have at Netherfield and certainly not like the one at Pemberley, but it is comfortable enough. And silent.”
“I should like that very much, Mr Bennet,” Bingley responded, glancing at Jane with regret.
“Have no fear; Jane is not going anywhere. You have already secured her hand, so she has to wait for you. We shall return soon.”
Mr Bingley was at a loss for words again, and he followed his future father obediently, wondering whether he would ever learn to distinguish between Mr Bennet’s serious remarks and his jests.
∞∞∞
It was close to midnight when silence fell over Longbourn. Sleep hastily overcame Jane but did not touch Elizabeth. She paced the room, stopping by the window and staring outside from time to time.
The dinner conversation, which was mostly around Mr Darcy, was one more reason for Elizabeth’s distress.
Even more, Mr Bingley’s surprising revelation about Mr Darcy’s interactions with the Gardiners had aroused her father’s curiosity, and Elizabeth knew she would hear more about it—just as she knew that, no matter how strongly her father might insist, she would not share the secret she had learnt from Mrs Gardiner.
She could not tell anybody about his involvement in Wickham’s situation, nor could she betray her hopes to anyone. And all were about Mr Darcy. His absence stirred as much interest as his presence, and she felt troubled whether he was near or far away
As she finally climbed into bed and pulled the covers around her, Elizabeth recollected that a little over a year had passed since Mr Darcy called her only “tolerable” and “not handsome enough” to tempt him.
And it had only been six months since he confessed that he ardently admired and loved her.