Chapter 3 #3
Her aunt and uncle showed the guests out.
Before they reached their carriage, Mr Darcy bowed to the ladies with perfect politeness, his eyes never leaving Elizabeth’s, and then joined his sister in the carriage.
Miss Darcy waved her delicate hand at Elizabeth as the horses moved off, and she responded with a wave of her own—but her gesture was meant for both Miss Darcy and her brother.
∞∞∞
Elizabeth spent the rest of the time before dinner in her room, lost in contemplation of everything that had occurred.
The nature of Lady Cassandra’s connections to the Darcys was clearer, yet this did not put her mind completely at ease.
At first, when remembering Miss Darcy’s words, she impetuously assumed that Lady Cassandra had returned to ensure she became Georgiana’s true sister.
This seemed to be the most logical conclusion, moreover, as the attachment between the Darcy siblings and the Lady was obvious and openly declared.
With their considerable fortunes and their situations in life, theirs would have been one of the most advantageous matches of the year.
Although her mind searched for the logic, her intuition—nay, her heart—knew this could not be the case.
No matter how she had tried to convince herself that Mr Darcy’s attentions meant nothing but politeness, after this last call, she was forced to reconsider her judgment.
He was polite, to be sure; he was also kind, friendly and considerate.
Everything she had reproached him about that day in Kent was no longer visible in his manner.
However, there was something more. His eyes, his small gestures, and his smiles were more eloquent than any words he might have uttered.
Nevertheless, could she really trust her intuition in reading his eyes and his smiles?
She had grossly misjudged him before when she was certain he had looked at her only to find fault and wrongly assumed the slight smiles meant nothing but disdain.
How could she be certain she was correct now?
How could she allow herself to be deceived by vain hopes?
Hopes? Hopes of what? Surely, I cannot expect him to renew his addresses, can I? Oh, but do I wish he would?
Then Lady Cassandra appeared in her thoughts again.
Yes, she would have certainly been the perfect match for Mr Darcy.
However, her closeness to him seemed…different than Elizabeth would have expected.
She could not say in what way it was different; she just felt it was.
On the other hand, her ladyship’s attitude toward her was not in the slightest bit offensive, not even when she appeared in the box upon Mr Darcy’s arm; quite the contrary—she had declared Elizabeth to be beautiful and smart.
That could mean either that Lady Cassandra was not affected by Mr Darcy’s attentions toward Elizabeth or that Lady Cassandra was so certain of Mr Darcy’s affection and devotion that nothing could shake her faith in their relationship.
Closing her eyes, Elizabeth leaned on the bedpost as her head spun and her temples ached with sharp pain.
When she managed to calm herself a little, the recollection of everything that transpired between them in the last few days offered her a measure of relief.
Since meeting in the park, Mr Darcy surely did not behave in her eyes as a man attached—or who was soon to be attached—to another woman.
It was clear in the way he talked to her in his home, the way he touched her fingers when he handed her into the carriage, the way he looked at her, his attentions toward her relatives, and the invitation to Pemberley.
Her presence could not be easy and pleasing for him unless he —
Unless he is still fond of me.
The mere thought made her shiver, and she wrapped her arms around herself. More than an hour passed wherein she questioned her own feelings and wondered whether she would really wish for him ever to renew his proposals—presuming, of course, that it were possible.
The next morning another surprise interrupted Elizabeth’s newfound tranquillity. Mrs Gardiner received a note from Lady Cassandra with the most astonishing content. Her ladyship personally invited the Gardiners along with their niece to a private ball she was hosting in a week’s time.
A heated and prolonged debate followed the receipt of the invitation, Mrs Gardiner and Elizabeth both wondering about the lady’s reason for wishing to introduce them—new acquaintances for her—into the intimate circle of her friends at such a private event.
In such refined company, their modest presence would surely look strange.
However, the tone of the note that accompanied the formal invitation was warm, even friendly, in Mrs Gardiner’s estimation.
It read, “It will be only a private ball with no more than 40 guests, and a few of them are close friends of mine and old acquaintances of yours.” It was a clear indication that the Darcys and the colonel would be present, too.
Laughing, Mr Gardiner remembered Lady Cassandra’s remark about the “young heiresses of the ton.” Ultimately, a note of acceptance and gratitude was sent back to Lady Cassandra.
Half an hour later, Mrs Gardiner—together with her niece—toured all the shops she knew in search of the perfect gowns for them to wear to this special event.
∞∞∞
“Charles! Charles!! Charles!!!” The excited voice of his sister grew more strident, and he perceived it as sharply as a knife slicing into his head.
Charles Bingley was not feeling well at all.
In fact, he had not felt himself since the previous November when he left Netherfield Hall.
He had spent the entire Season in town, and his sisters had dragged him to every event to which they could secure an invitation, but nothing managed to draw his attention; nothing could distract him from the remembrance of Jane Bennet.
He spent nights and days thinking of her, and though his suffering diminished not a whit, he came to the conclusion that she had every reason not to return his affection.
After all, she was the most wonderful woman he had ever known, and he, Charles Bingley, was only a man like so many bachelors of his age.
Truly, he had nothing to recommend him except his five thousand a year, and even in this regard, there were others in far better circumstances and more worthy of the affections of the angelic Miss Bennet.
He had resigned himself to the loss of her and pledged to continue loving her forever even if he did one day become the husband of another.
Never did he believe he would be able to find her equal.
Suddenly, there was silence again, and he hoped his sister had ceased searching for him. However, when the door to his study opened abruptly, causing him nearly to topple off his chair, he realised his wishes for peace were in vain.
“Charles, look what I just received!” cried Caroline as Bingley struggled to resume his place in the chair.
“Caroline, for heaven’s sake! What happened? It looks like nothing more than an ordinary letter to me—
“No, Charles, this is not a mere letter! It is a letter from my friend Annabella, who has informed me that Mr Darcy has been spotted about Town in the company of Lady Cassandra, who has just returned after being abroad. And now Lady Cassandra is hosting a private ball, and we are not invited! Who is Lady Cassandra, and what, pray, is she doing with Mr Darcy?”
To Bingley, Caroline’s pique sounded like bells clashing inharmoniously. Desiring nothing so much as to be rid of her, he rose and walked to the door.
“Caroline, I cannot follow you and have no desire to try. I will only tell you this: I do not know who Lady Cassandra is. I have never met her and only heard the Darcys speak of her a few times.”
“You heard them speak of her? And why did you not inform me? We should have returned sooner. I think we should return to Town in a couple of days to prepare for our departure to Pemberley.”
Before exiting, Charles looked at his sister as though she spoke a foreign language.
He shook his head in misapprehension. “Caroline, as I said, you have lost me.
Why should I have told you about Lady Cassandra?
And why should we return so soon? You may do as you please, but I surely do not intend to chase Darcy and this lady about London.
Be pleased that Darcy invited us to Pemberley at all, or we would have remained in Town for the summer after you insisted that I give up Netherfield.
As for Lady Cassandra, I failed to mention that she will be at Pemberley as well, so let us hope we will have the opportunity of seeing much of her there. “
“You failed to mention? Hope? I do not hope for that at all, Charles. The only hope I entertain is to see dear Georgiana and of course Mr Darcy! As for this lady—Charles! Charles! Where are you going?”
Charles Bingley was already outside, asking for his horse to be saddled. He wanted desperately to be alone with his thoughts once more.
∞∞∞
Three days after the Darcys’ visit, Elizabeth and her aunt received an invitation to tea from Miss Darcy for that afternoon or, if they were already engaged, any other day they might find convenient.
Mrs Gardiner had a few fixed engagements.
Moreover, as Mr Gardiner’s business had finally been concluded, they were busy making plans for their tour a few days after the ball.
However, she advised her niece to accept the invitation for herself if she wished, so a couple of hours later, Mrs Gardiner escorted her niece to the Darcys’ townhouse before continuing on her way.