Chapter 2 #4
Georgiana gasped softly, shocked by the impropriety of such a direct question, and Mr Darcy’s brow furrowed deeply in obvious disapproval of this incivility.
Curiously, however, Elizabeth did not feel at all offended.
Suddenly, daringly and well humoured, she returned her ladyship’s confident smile.
“Nothing gave me cause for concern, Lady Cassandra—quite the contrary. Your ladyship looked stunningly beautiful; I simply stopped to admire you. I apologise if I caused you any discomfort.”
Her unexpectedly honest answer and her eyes sparkling with amusement clearly disconcerted Lady Cassandra, and her ladyship’s expression, as well as her smile, changed and warmed in an instant. “Thank you, Miss Bennet,” was her only reply.
“Now, it is your ladyship’s turn to answer my question,” said the colonel. “I hope you will keep your promise.”
“I always keep my promises, Colonel! As for my answer—come now, it is very simple, and I feel really ashamed for not guessing from the beginning. Just look at Miss Bennet!”
Elizabeth’s cheeks started burning in embarrassment again as she felt six pairs of eyes fixed on her, filled with curiosity.
Lady Cassandra continued, pleased with the interest she aroused in her audience.
“As I am sure you are already aware, Colonel, Miss Bennet has a very specific and rare quality; she has an unpretentious elegance, a natural beauty and an intelligence that is apparent in the expression of her eyes. So being beautiful, unpretentious and intelligent—it was obvious she could not be one of the young heiresses from Town!”
None of them succeeded in holding their choking gasps and chuckles, drawing the attention of everyone in their vicinity.
Darcy attempted to shake his head in censure, but the mirth he felt was clear.
The corners of his mouth tightened noticeably and a smile formed upon his lips.
“Lady Cassandra, though I tend to agree with your characterisation of Miss Bennet, I would suggest you postpone the rest of your reasoning until we are in a more private situation.”
Elizabeth was too mortified to share everyone’s amusement; to be complimented in such a way by Lady Cassandra and then hear Mr Darcy loudly declaring his agreement with that flattering characterisation seemed impossible to believe and highly embarrassing.
The performance began, and Elizabeth cupped her face with her palm in an attempt to cool the heat of her cheeks.
What an evening!
∞∞∞
The next—and final—intermission passed with considerably less excitement than did the previous two. The members of the party by now were reasonably well acquainted, and a convivial conversation developed among them.
For Elizabeth, however, the situation grew more difficult to bear as her heart became heavier with each passing moment—not because she did not enjoy being with the Darcys and their companions but because she enjoyed them more than she ever thought possible.
Mr Darcy continued to be attentive to her, and Miss Darcy was nothing but warm and friendly.
As for Lady Cassandra—Elizabeth could not assess with certainty the lady’s opinion of her, nor did she have reason to complain.
The lady was gracious to the Gardiners and seemed to have an amazing influence over Mr and Miss Darcy as well as the colonel.
She was the one who seemed to charm the people around her.
While observing her in silent contemplation, Elizabeth noticed Lady Cassandra was not as young as she had initially presumed; her age was likely only a year or two younger than was Mr Darcy’s.
She addressed both siblings in the same manner as the colonel: as someone from within the family.
It was true Mr Darcy was constantly using the polite “Lady Cassandra” when addressing her; however, their exchanges proved clearly that they were closely acquainted with each other.
Absorbed in her thoughts, Elizabeth interjected little into the conversation. She welcomed the beginning of the last act of the play, and while pretending she was fully concentrating on the performance on stage, she heartily wished the eventful evening would finally end.
∞∞∞
They remained among the last to leave as their conversations continued almost a quarter of an hour past the end of the performance. The farewells took place in the front of the theatre while waiting for their carriages, and Mr Darcy brought up another topic just before they were to depart.
“Mrs Gardiner, Mr Gardiner, I was wondering…Have you—or Miss Bennet—any fixed engagements for tomorrow?”
“I will be out for business, Mr Darcy, but as far as I know, my wife and niece will be at home.”
“My sister and I were considering calling on you tomorrow afternoon if that is convenient.” His eyes were fixed on Elizabeth as though awaiting some response from her, but the acceptance came from Mrs Gardiner, who expressed her delight in having them as guests the following day.
As if awakened from a deep sleep, Elizabeth gathered herself and remembered the basic rules of polite behaviour. “It would be a pleasure to see you again tomorrow, Miss Darcy, Mr Darcy. I look forward to it.”
As the carriage departed, Elizabeth blamed her lack of courage for not looking at Lady Cassandra during the last exchange. She now dreaded knowing how much the lady approved or disapproved of the impending visit.
Supper at Gracechurch Street was an animated affair that evening. Mr and Mrs Gardiner seemed to have interest in nothing more than sharing impressions about the unexpected party that they had the good fortune to join.
The colonel’s manners were much appreciated, and Miss Darcy was declared a beautiful and graceful young lady.
As for her brother, he was deemed “perfectly well-behaved, polite, and unassuming,” by Mr Gardiner.
Privately, he wondered about Elizabeth’s previous and decidedly unfavourable opinion of him.
“There is something a little stately in Mr Darcy, to be sure,” replied her aunt, “but it is confined to his air, and is not unbecoming. He is not as voluble as the colonel, but he is very pleasant nevertheless.”
Mr Gardiner nodded. “I could not have been more surprised by his behaviour to us. It was more than civil; he was very attentive. To invite us into his box and be so amiable on such a trifling acquaintance was amazing and very gracious. There was no necessity for such attention, to be sure; in fact, I would fully comprehend if he did not seek our company at all the entire evening. We are not closely acquainted with him or his social circle, and neither is Elizabeth.”
“But my dear—what do you think of Lady Cassandra?” asked Mrs Gardiner; and for the rest of the evening, she was the main subject of conversation between her uncle and aunt. It was also a major interest for Elizabeth, but she preferred to analyze it in the seclusion of her bedchamber.
Alone, Elizabeth spent the next hours listening to the sounds of a warm summer night through her open window. Her thoughts were divided between the day that had just passed and the one that was about to start.
It was almost dawn when Elizabeth finally fell asleep. Countless recollections of the evening were still spinning in her head. Meanwhile, the icy hole in the pit of her stomach grew deeper; its coldness had her shivering.
Before sleep finally took her, Elizabeth became certain of two things: first, she liked Lady Cassandra very much, and second, the lady was a perfect match for Mr Darcy.
∞∞∞
“Darcy, I have to say that Miss Bennet was not exactly what I expected,” said Lady Cassandra as soon as their carriage began to move.
“Oh, I think Miss Bennet looked lovely tonight.” Miss Darcy avidly entered into the conversation. “I truly like her.”
Darcy chose to remain silent for the moment, only staring inquiringly at Lady Cassandra who was sitting opposite.
“I do not disagree, my dear Georgie. In fact, I found her quite beautiful, though perhaps not a classic beauty. I noticed something very open and natural in her appearance that I truly liked. Even the first time I noticed her in the hall before knowing she was your Miss Bennet” —she nodded toward Darcy—“I was quite impressed by the lively expression in her eyes. And yes, you were right in that respect—beautiful eyes, I will grant her that.”
“Cassandra, Miss Bennet is not our or anybody’s property, so please refrain from speaking in jest about her. And secondly, I am only curious…if you so approve of her, why did you say she was not what you expected?”
“Oh, come now, Darcy. You are so sensitive! I meant no offense. As for what I did not like…well…I barely saw anything of the wit and cleverness of which you spoke so highly. I can hardly believe she was the one expressing such decided opinions in front of Lady Catherine. I would rather believe she needed protection, or your frightening aunt would have devoured her completely!”
“Cassandra!” Darcy’s tone expressed the deepest disapproval, while Georgiana laughed openly. “Could you humour me just once by speaking without offending anybody?”
“I shall try—but only to humour you, especially when the subject is Lady Catherine. Now, to resume: Miss Bennet’s behaviour was everything proper, but in truth, I barely heard her speak at all.
She seemed a little more animated only when she talked to Georgiana and the colonel.
And I have to say, Georgie, that both you and your cousin seem quite taken with her. ”
“I confess I do like Miss Bennet very much, Cassandra. And I am sorry you did not completely approve of her.”
“Oh, but I do, dearest, believe me, and I am certain that my opinion of her will improve upon closer acquaintance. It is just that— She paused and stared intensely at Darcy, holding his gaze. “I never would have guessed that she was the lady you told me about, Darcy—that is all.”
He sustained her stare a bit longer. “Miss Bennet always got along quite well with my cousin’s easy manner from the first moment they met, but that is hardly surprising. David excels at everything I lack to be at ease in pleasant company. As for Georgiana…”
He stretched to catch his sister’s gloved hand gently.
“My dear, I have to say I am quite pleased to see how friendly you have become in such a short time with both Mrs Gardiner and Miss Bennet. As for your comment”—he turned to Cassandra— “I have to admit that you are right. Miss Bennet’s manners were more restrained than usual, and considering that she seemed comfortable with Georgiana and the colonel and even with you, I have to draw the conclusion that it was my presence that made her uneasy.
It seems I have a habit of making people around me uncomfortable. ”
“Oh, that is not true, Brother.” Miss Darcy seemed appalled that he would say such a thing about himself. “I saw nothing strange in Miss Bennet’s behaviour toward you. She seemed to enjoy your company as much as did Mr and Mrs Gardiner.”
“I truly enjoyed the Gardiners’ company,” admitted Lady Cassandra.
However, Mr Darcy seemed to lose interest in any subject and preferred to admire the view through the carriage window until the they reached Lady Cassandra’s house. Only then, did he move to help her exit the carriage and then accompany her to the front door.
They made their goodbyes, and as he hurried to return to the carriage where his sister was waiting, Lady Cassandra’s voice delayed him and made him return.
“Darcy…about Miss Bennet’s being uncomfortable in your company—
“Yes?”
“You might be right about her reasons, but then again—you might be completely wrong once more.”
Before he had time to comprehend her words, she smiled mischievously and entered the house, leaving him to stare at the closed door.