Chapter 1 #3
With increasing surprise did Elizabeth witness Mr Darcy’s face lighten by a smile more bright than she had ever seen; Miss Darcy could not refrain from asking hastily, “Oh, Mrs Gardiner…did you really meet my mother?”
“Yes, I did, Miss Darcy. My father had a shop in Lambton, and my mother—who had been a governess before marrying—used to teach the children in Lambton School. Lady Anne was the most fervent supporter and generous patroness of the school; there was nothing needed for the children that she did not provide. She also purchased quite often from my father’s shop, so I had many opportunities to meet her. ”
Miss Darcy abruptly left her brother’s side and moved closer to Mrs Gardiner, listening with such rapt attention to every word that she barely breathed.
This change of positions put Elizabeth near Darcy, and as she was listening attentively to her aunt’s words, her heart skipped a beat when her hand brushed against his as they walked.
She shivered at their brief touch, barely able to follow what Mrs Gardiner continued to relate.
“She was very kind, was she not?” asked Georgiana..
“Indeed she was,” agreed Mrs Gardiner. “And very beautiful, too. I must say, Miss Darcy, you bear a striking resemblance to her.”
“Do I?” Her eyes opened widely in disbelief.
“Yes, most certainly. If I had not the pleasure of being introduced to you and had only seen you from afar, I could still tell with certainty that you were related to her.”
“Thank you, Mrs Gardiner, but I know I am not at all as beautiful as she was—not hardly so.” The emotion seemed to leave Miss Darcy with little strength, and her last words were mere whispers.
“I must disagree with you in this respect. I am only speaking the truth.”
“I…I am very happy that I met you, Mrs Gardiner,” was her only reply.
Miss Darcy resumed her place on her brother’s arm, and this time she seemed to need his support.
Elizabeth’s heart melted as she saw the girl fighting back tears.
She dared to lift her eyes to Darcy, only to see the emotions changing his own countenance.
She wanted to say something, but she dared not, nor could she find the proper words; even more, the siblings’ closeness and shared comfort proved to Elizabeth that they needed no stranger to help them with their grief.
“Well, Mrs Gardiner,” spoke the colonel, in an unsuccessful attempt to hide his own emotion, “this meeting has proved to be a wonderful source of surprise for us. It was fortunate that Darcy noticed Miss Bennet as we were about to leave the park. If not for his attention, I would not have recognised her, and we would have missed the pleasure of this delightful meeting.”
“Thank you, sir,” replied Mrs Gardiner. “The feeling is mutual, I assure you. We are very happy to have met you.”
This new revelation that Mr Darcy was the one who saw her and acknowledged her presence to the others threw Elizabeth into a new torment.
He could have left the park and avoided her; instead, he made the decision to approach her on his own and then introduced her to his sister.
What might be the significance of all this?
She felt before she noticed his stare upon her but did not dare to meet his eyes at that moment.
She vaguely heard her aunt, together with the colonel and Georgiana, talking about Lambton and Derbyshire.
From time to time, his deep voice intervened to add a few words, and the sound startled her each time.
Be it from the pleasure of talking about his home or her aunt’s easy and pleasant manners, never had Elizabeth seen Mr Darcy so open in talking about a subject, and never had his voice sounded so gentle.
Nothing in his attitude indicated any sort of disdain for his new acquaintance—one of those whose situation in life he considered so decidedly below his own.
Elizabeth was the only one to remain quiet and disconcerted; her emotions still overwhelmed her.
Her eyes were drawn continuously toward Mr Darcy, and she had to fight the impulse to stare at him.
Several times his quick glances met her eyes and locked with them momentarily, colouring her cheeks crimson.
Each time their eyes met, he smiled at her—a small, hidden smile—but it was a smile he extended to her nevertheless.
After almost half an hour, they finally reached the exit of the park, and the separation of the parties became inevitable. Elizabeth knew she would likely never see him again, and to her utter shock, she discovered she was already feeling the loss of his company.
She dared lift her eyes only to meet his dark ones staring intensely at her; this time, although cold shivers travelled wildly through her, she did not avert her gaze until hearing the colonel’s voice taking his leave of them.
“Miss Bennet, Mrs Gardiner, it was a pleasure to meet with you today.” I hope you have your carriage close by; it is very hot—quite unpleasant I might say. If not, I would be glad to accompany you with my carriage.”
“Thank you, Colonel Fitzwilliam, our carriage is waiting.”
“I hope we did not delay you too much, Mrs Gardiner.” Elizabeth turned to Mr Darcy. Could she really detect a sort of regret in his voice?
“No indeed, Mr Darcy. We were in no hurry at all. Mr Gardiner will return home later this afternoon.”
“Then…if I may…” Miss Darcy stopped for a moment, looking at Mrs Gardiner, then at her brother, and finally at Elizabeth.
“Mrs Gardiner, I was wondering…our home is nearby in Grosvenor Square. If you are not in a great hurry, would you like to join me for tea? I mean…if you have no other engagements. I would dearly like to resume our earlier conversation.”
She blushed as if suddenly realizing the impetuosity of her invitation.
Her eyes turned to her brother as though she were asking for his late agreement.
Mrs Gardiner, surprised and honoured by the invitation, did not formulate an immediate answer, as she was concerned that the master of the house might not be in complete agreement with his sister.
She delayed her answer, trying to ascertain her niece’s opinion, but Elizabeth’s cheeks had lost their colour, and she had lowered her eyes.
“Miss Darcy, I thank you for your kind invitation, but we do not want to intrude on such short notice.”
“Oh, no. It is no intrusion at all—quite the contrary. Your company would be a delightful addition.”
Mr Darcy stepped in. “Mrs Gardiner, Miss Bennet, please forgive my sister’s insistence.
I dare say she surprised me as well; it is not her habit to bestow such impromptu invitations, I assure you.
” Darcy’s voice was lightly polite, but the subtle censure of his sister did not go unnoticed by anyone, making Georgiana blush even more.
Yet he continued, leaving no room for misunderstanding regarding his opinion.
“Indeed it would be a pleasure to have your company longer, but we understand if you have other appointments or, perhaps, feel too tired for a visit.”
Elizabeth felt Darcy’s gaze and dared to lift her eyes to his.
She could easily understand his intervention mostly had been meant to ease her discomfort.
While assuring her of his approval of his sister’s invitation, he also offered her the opportunity politely to refuse.
What his true wish was she could not tell.
She was brought out of her preoccupation by Georgiana’s shy voice.
“Miss Bennet, Mrs Gardiner, please forgive me. I now realise I have been improper in my insistence.” Her face displayed a deep distress that Elizabeth could not ignore or neglect.
“Miss Darcy, there is no need to apologise. As my aunt said, we are honoured by your invitation. We hesitated only because we were afraid to intrude on your or Mr Darcy’s schedule. As for us, I believe we have no fixed engagement, have we Aunt?”
“No, indeed.”
“Very well, then; it is settled,” Mr Darcy hurried to conclude. “We shall tell your coachman to follow us; he will be taken care of by my servants. Please allow me to show you to my house.”
He walked ahead of the group, arm-in-arm with his sister, while the colonel again offered his arms to the other two ladies.
From time to time, both Mr and Miss Darcy turned their heads as to be certain the rest of the party were following them.
Elizabeth could not hide her smile at this somewhat eager gesture, though many questions were still spinning in her head.
A few hours earlier, she was certain she would never meet Mr Darcy again and was quite content as she imagined he would not harbour kind feelings toward her should they meet.
She had treated this man abominably in her refusal and misjudged him so grossly that she knew she deserved no kindness from him; yet, his opinion seemed different.
She did not even notice when they stopped in front of an impressive building, and Darcy showed them in.
“Miss Bennet, Mrs Gardiner, welcome to our home.”
Georgiana entered first, followed by the other two ladies and the gentlemen.
Then, just inside the grand hall, as the colonel accompanied Miss Darcy and Mrs Gardiner, Elizabeth suddenly froze and was unable to go any further.
She had no right to be there. She could feel it with every fibre of her body. “You are the last man…”
What am I doing in his house? She felt as though she would not be able to gather her courage to enter.
Was it too late to retract her acceptance?
Perhaps there was still time to feign tiredness and leave before exposing herself to even more censure.
How could she accept his hospitality after everything she had said to him?
By this time, Georgiana and her aunt had entered the salon, and she could hear their voices together with that of the colonel. She startled when she felt Darcy’s presence near her. “Miss Bennet, are you unwell?”
“No sir, I am quite well.”