Chapter 1.1 #5
Later that evening when Mr Gardiner retired to his library, Mrs Gardiner finally approached her niece with great gentleness and equal determination.
“My dear, you have been very quiet this evening.”
“Have I? I am sorry, Aunt; I am not quite myself these days. I think I should go and rest. I am sure tomorrow I will feel much better.”
“I think you should tell me what is bothering you so, for I am now preoccupied with both you and Jane.”
“There is nothing, Aunt, believe me. Or actually, there is nothing that can be solved for now.”
“As you wish; I will not force your confidence—for the moment.”
She watched Elizabeth’s sigh of relief carefully and smiled. Not too hasty, my dear; we are not done yet.
“We have had an eventful day, would you not agree? As the colonel said, it was very fortunate that Mr Darcy noticed your presence.”
“Yes, indeed, Aunt.” Elizabeth forced a smile, but she was clearly flustered as she played with her cup of tea.
“And I have to say I very much liked Miss Darcy and the colonel—and Mr Darcy even more. He was nothing but polite and amiable. Which makes me wonder at how you ever came to tell us he was so disagreeable. I should have known that the son of Lady Anne could not have been as bad as you proclaimed.”
“I admit I was wrong in my estimation of Mr Darcy’s character.
On the other hand, Aunt, his manners at the beginning of our acquaintance were utterly different.
I never saw him as amiable and polite as today; he truly astonished me.
I do not know how to explain it, but perhaps it was due to his sister’s presence; he is obviously very fond of her. ”
“Yes—that must be the explanation—his sister’s presence, indeed.”
Elizabeth could not be certain, but she thought she detected a trace of mockery in her aunt’s voice; however, she had no time to dwell on the subject overmuch as her aunt continued.
“What do you think? Will they call on us as they promised? I would not be surprised if they changed their minds about coming tomorrow. Such important people as Mr Darcy may be a little whimsical in their civilities.”
“Do you think so, Aunt? I…I would say that Mr Darcy will not break his word. I mean, he would not promise so earnestly if he did not intend to do so. He is a man of his word.”
“Yes, so he seems. Well, you must be correct; it appears you are better acquainted with Mr Darcy than I am. We shall see.”
“Aunt, I have to tell you I am so looking forward to tomorrow evening. My uncle was so good to procure tickets for my favourite play.”
Mrs Gardiner chose to indulge her niece’s desire of changing the topic—at least for the moment—and for another half an hour they talked of the coming evening at the theatre. They retired rather early though neither of them fell asleep for several hours.
In the privacy of their rooms, Mrs Gardiner shared her impressions with her husband.
Surprised and intrigued by his wife’s suspicions of a possible relationship between his niece and Mr Darcy, Mr Gardiner insisted he be informed whenever any of the gentlemen happened to call, as he wanted to meet them personally and form his own judgment.
Sleep eluded Elizabeth for a time as her mind was not ready to rest. She recollected and twisted in her head every moment of their meeting—every word, every gesture—continually wondering about the reasons for the alteration of his manners.
She did not dare to admit to herself that it was for her—that her reproofs at Hunsford could have worked such a change in his character.
Moreover, she dare not ask herself whether the meaning of his attentions might be that he still loved her.
Miss Darcy’s friendly behaviour also must be a result of his kind words about her; she said as much.
Of course, Miss Darcy clearly had been taken by Mrs Gardiner’s pleasant manners and by her connection with the late Lady Anne as well.
Still, from the first moment they met, it was obvious that Georgiana already knew about Elizabeth and showed an inclination to make a friendly acquaintance; no doubt, her brother had said much in her favour.
The way he spoke to her when she entered the house—his concern for her well-being and the gentleness in his voice—were recollections that increased Elizabeth’s distress.
What could be the meaning of it? Why was he disposed to encourage an increasing closeness in their relationship?
Was it possible he did so only to indulge his sister’s wishes?
Undoubtedly, a future friendship between her and Miss Darcy might generate a difficult situation for the two of them after their tumultuous history; he must be aware of that.
Finally, she decided there was no point in increasing her torment by speculating so after only one meeting with the man. It was likely they would be in each other’s company again, so she would have time to discern his true motivation.
Suddenly, the idea of being in his company again consumed her mind, and for a few moments, she thought only of that.
She could not deny that a friendly, polite Mr Darcy was rather pleasant company even if he spoke little.
After this first meeting, being in his company again would be neither as awkward nor as difficult, so she had reason to await the Darcys’ visit eagerly.
Finally, she indulged the sleep that threatened to overwhelm her, and full of restless dreams, she greeted the dawn unsettled and still tired.
Neither the Darcys nor the colonel indicated their intention of returning the call the next day.
In fact, Mr Darcy had said he had previous engagements.
Thus, her good sense told her it was unlikely they would visit her so soon, but she found herself still waiting and looking anxiously out the window at every passing carriage.
She was quite amazed at her own discomposure and eagerness, yet she did not feel courageous enough to question the undoubted reason behind those feelings.
As time passed, she finally ceased her waiting: firstly, because it was not a proper hour for a call without notification and, secondly, because she needed to prepare for the theatre and found herself grateful for something to distract her from disappointment.
∞∞∞
Mr Gardiner’s business, though tiresome, demanding, and often interfering in his vacation plans, truly gave him little reason to complain—quite the contrary.
It helped him make a more than comfortable living for his wife and their four children, comfortable enough to secure their future and sustain their hope of eventually purchasing a small estate.