Chapter 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.
Indeed, he considered himself a fortunate man, but he knew his greatest fortune had been in his choice of wife.
He believed that a man never had been more blessed than he had in his family: his astonishing wife and their wonderful children.
From the first blush of married life ten years earlier, Edward Gardiner’s love, respect and admiration for Marianne Gardiner only grew stronger and deeper with each passing year.
He knew he had every reason to be proud of his wife—and so he was.
Enjoying a glass of port, he was anticipating her descending the staircase — together with Elizabeth—to attend the theatre.
Truth be told, he was tired and would have preferred to stay home and enjoy the benefit of a quiet evening.
However, complying with one of his wife’s wishes was more important to him than his own comfort, and considering that his favourite niece was equally fond of the theatre left him little choice.
So there he was, ready to accompany them.
When their carriage reached its destination, Elizabeth noticed, as did her aunt, that they had been wrong in assuming not many people would attend the Little Theatre that evening.
The season was ending, and many of the fashionable families were leaving town for the comfort and gentle air of their country estates.
However, to their utter surprise, a crowd was gathered in front of the theatre.
It was still early, and many people seemed inclined to linger outside the entrance.
Animated conversations were carried on in low voices as propriety demanded.
A parade of the latest fashions and jewels—worn with grace by young ladies attempting to draw the attention of eligible gentlemen—made Elizabeth’s lips twist in a hidden smile.
Her mother was not so different after all from the ladies of the ton—at least in this regard.
Mr and Mrs Gardiner exchanged greetings with acquaintances on their way inside the theatre while Elizabeth could feel a few gentlemen’s eyes scrutinizing her with what her mother would call admiration; yet, she knew it was mere curiosity at an unknown face, and she smiled again.
Their party had almost reached the entrance when Elizabeth’s attention was drawn by a lady’s laughter—open, full of joy, and unrestricted.
She could not help turning her head, and her eyes fell upon a young lady whose stunning beauty made Elizabeth stop for a moment to admire her.
She was taller than the other ladies, and her hair—light brown—was masterfully arranged.
Equally impressive was the evident costliness of her elegant gown; she also wore a necklace and earrings set with diamonds and emeralds, which increased the brightness of her green eyes.
She looked around and then down the street, clearly waiting for someone and being inattentive to her companions.
Her entire demeanour demonstrated self-confidence, and the condescension with which the others were treating her indicated to Elizabeth her noble breeding.
Her companions called her “Lady Cassandra.”
For a moment, the lady caught Elizabeth’s eyes, and her inquiring look was not friendly.
She did not seem pleased to find Elizabeth staring at her nor did she find it necessary to hide her displeasure.
Yet, instead of being offended by that look, Elizabeth smiled at her with unconcealed admiration; in the next moment, the lady’s eyes widened in surprise, and then she returned the smile as Elizabeth passed by her and entered the theatre.
Elizabeth and the Gardiners took their places in a small box on the second level, some distance from the stage.
In a short time, the arena grew crowded.
Elizabeth noticed the lady from the entrance hall alone in a large box—the third from the stage—and it was obvious that her presence drew numerous eyes and prompted various comments.
Elizabeth heard people nearby talking loudly enough about “Lady Cassandra” to be a subject of great interest; she could easily understand the lady’s cold and annoyed gaze earlier.
No doubt, she had been the subject of whispers and stares from the moment she arrived.
Elizabeth felt suddenly inclined to sympathise with Lady Cassandra without even knowing her.
The bells rang for the last time; the play was ready to start, and the theatre patrons were taking their seats.
The theatre seemed filled to capacity. While Mrs Gardiner was relating to her what she knew of the actors, Elizabeth, with a smile, cast her eyes around the beautiful theatre once more and abruptly caught her breath in a quiet gasp.
On Lady Cassandra’s left, closely engaged in a private conversation with her and oblivious to everything around him, sat Mr Darcy.
A disquieting chill travelled along her spine and down her arms to her fingers, which became as cold as ice.
She struggled to turn her eyes away, but, mesmerised, they remained fixed on the couple until the performance began.
Startled by music from the orchestra pit, her head turned abruptly, and her absent gaze followed the action on stage as she was engulfed by new and disconcerting emotions she could not understand.
Elizabeth struggled not to return her attention to that box, so she failed to notice the gentleman’s surprised eyes staring back at her or the expression on his face the moment he recognised her.