Chapter Sixty-Seven
M iss Landon came the very next day, and Darcy House was soon filled with the most delightful music from their combined twenty fingers. Even the servants were smiling as they went about their chores, and Mary looked very pleased when the afternoon ended.
***
And the very next day, Colonel Fitzwilliam came to call. Mary was visibly nervous, so Elizabeth took the lead in the conversation, offering comments on the weather, their social obligations, and so on. Finally, the Colonel addressed Mary directly. “And are you enjoying any of this, Miss Bennet?”
“This?” Mary enquired. “Please be more specific, Colonel.”
“Society. Town. Parties. Dances.” The Colonel waved his hand about, encompassing all of London.
“I did not at first, no; but I am coming to like it more and more.”
“It can certainly be overwhelming,” the Colonel agreed. “But there is a good deal to enjoy and even more opportunities to learn.”
“Oh, yes!” Mary leaned forward, now engaged in the conversation. “The bookstores, the music stores! The lectures! The museums!”
The Colonel smiled. “You are one of a kind, Miss Bennet; most young ladies would far rather talk about the latest supper party they attended.”
“My sister is of a rather more serious turn of mind,” Elizabeth said, seeing that Mary would not respond. “She has always been so, and it is one of the things I most admire about her.”
“As do I,” was the Colonel’s unexpected response.
“You surprise me, Colonel,” Mary managed. “I think most gentlemen prefer ladies to be of a more frivolous mindset.”
The Colonel shook his head. “Some men do, undoubtedly, particularly if they themselves are of, if I may use your term, a frivolous mindset. But life is a serious matter, and deserves serious attention. Oh, it is fine to enjoy a dinner party, do not mistake me; but the ability to consider profound subjects is more desirable.”
Mary raised her eyes to his. “Very well, Colonel; what think you of the plight of women in England? Are we the witless creatures men believe us to be?”
The Colonel replied promptly. “My mother is one of the most intelligent persons I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, and I would far rather march under her orders than those of the generals I have served under these past years. Most men equate physical weakness with intellectual limitations, and the fact is that the two are not related.”
Mary nodded, clearly pleased.
The Colonel continued. “One thing to remember, though, Miss Bennet, if you will permit me to instruct you in this one instance, is that a man who loves a woman relishes the opportunity to protect her. This does not mean that he thinks her inferior to him; no, it is a way in which he may show his love for her.”
As the conversation continued, Elizabeth was glad that the Colonel was looking at Mary, not her; she was well aware that her face was now reflecting her own inner anguish. William claimed that he loved her, but he had not protected her! How fickle men were! How inconsiderate! She wished, at that moment, that she could snatch Mary up and keep her safe from men.