Chapter Twenty-Two
I t was an eventful evening, Lizzy thought later on, although perhaps not so astonishing as the one they had experienced at Mrs. Lambeth's soiree. Elizabeth, having quite finished with Colonel Fitzwilliam, made her way across the ballroom with Jane, narrowly avoiding Mr. Darcy, who was hailed rather insistently by his cousin. Let them talk. She cared not if Colonel Fitzwilliam informed Mr. Darcy that she now knew for certain of his officious interference in Jane's life. All that mattered to Elizabeth in that moment was to have a better truth confirmed to her. She might guess and conjecture, but she infinitely preferred to know from her sister's own smiling lips that her happiness was to be made complete .
“Jane!” Lizzy stretched out her hands. “Do tell me, dearest, what did Papa say?”
Miss Bennet, never entirely at ease in a room full of people who stared, was unable to keep from smiling, but her joy was expressed in more reserved a manner than might have been expected .
“Papa has given his consent, Elizabeth — the first of the banns will be called before I return to Longbourn and Mr. Bingley says he is to open Netherfield again until…until our wedding.”
Elizabeth turned to the beaming young man beside Jane. “I am to call you brother then, Mr. Bingley? I do heartily congratulate you, for there is not a better woman in all the world. ”
Mr. Bingley bowed and made so bold as to shake Lizzy's hand. “I shall be very happy to call you sister, Miss Elizabeth, and I hope never to take for granted that Miss Bennet has accepted me. Might I be permitted a dance with you this evening?”
“Do you mean to say, sir, that you will not dance every dance with Jane?”
“Lizzy, you know he cannot. Do not tease Mr. Bingley.”
Elizabeth opened her eyes a little wider. “But if I am to be a proper sister to dear Mr. Bingley, I must tease, dearest. Very well, I will dance with you, Mr. Bingley — do take my card and take whichever you like, but you must keep the supper dance for Jane. Do I assume correctly that Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst have not been apprised of your engagement?”
“Not as yet, no, Miss Elizabeth — I suppose you know it all, that they have behaved very unkindly to me...to us. I have avoided them thus far — I own it readily — but you will not accuse me of cowardice, I hope. My motive was to discuss the best course of action with your sister.”
“I am silenced, Mr. Bingley — a better reason for avoidance you could not have supplied. I applaud your good judgement, for you know that Jane is not only beautiful but also as kind as she is wise.”
“Lizzy! Do not. I am not the paragon you would have Mr. Bingley believe me to be.”
Mr. Bingley, quite entranced by the modesty of his betrothed, took Jane's hand and kissed it. “It matters not if you fully possess all the virtues that Miss Elizabeth attests, for I count myself the most fortunate of men just the same.” He turned to Lizzy. “Your sister has already shown me her wisdom, by seeking my agreement never to play high at a card table again. It is a condition of her acceptance and one I welcome most gladly.”
“It is only that I cannot go through life worrying about you so, Mr. Bingley,” Jane said softly, “although I likely shall, regardless.” Jane blushed at the wideness of her sister's smile in watching this exchange. “It is not only Mr. Bingley who will no longer sit down to cards. I…you know my feelings about what transpired that night. I am not so infallible as you seem to think me and I risked a frightening amount. I dare not do so again.”
“You must do as you please. My purpose in our coming to town was not for riches nor for a husband — although I am quite delighted that you have gained both. I declare that I am in every way delighted with this outcome. All that I desire now is an argument with all those that would have separated you both and my heart will be as light as a feather.”
Mr. Bingley laughed. “Do you wish for the argument to take place here, Miss Elizabeth? I hope that you will not — Lady Matlock may be Darcy's favourite aunt but I doubt even he could intercede for me if I were the cause for disruption.”
“Mr. Darcy is one of those I should like to argue with, my almost brother.”
“Elizabeth,” said Jane with a little urgency, “what can you mean? I hope you will not attempt to stir up strife between old friends.”
“Forgive me — I spoke in anger. I have just heard it from Mr. Darcy's cousin.”
“His cousin!”
“Of course, he did not realise that the lady in question was my sister, but Mr. Darcy had told him the whole — that he deliberately sought to save Mr. Bingley from imprudence in marriage. But I do not mean to mar your happiness, either of you. I beg your pardon but it is only that it makes me feel so furious. I will avoid him for the evening, I promise you, and by the time our paths cross again, perhaps at your wedding, I will likely have ceased to hold any grudge.”
Mr. Bingley looked grave. “It was Darcy who doubted that such an angel as Jane held as deep affection for me as I did her. Any arguments as to prudence I dismissed quickly but it was that consideration which gave me pause.”
“It was untrue!” Elizabeth's objection was said quietly enough but the words were spoken with considerable heat .
“Lizzy, do not…not tonight.” Jane held up a placating hand.
“Yes, I know that now. Miss Bennet does not lie and has given me to understand that, astounding as it may be, the fervency of feeling that lies in my heart is…is also in hers. I am, I say again, the most fortunate man in all of England — I may almost say 'in the world.'”
“You will do wisely to avoid Mr. Darcy, Lizzy. He has danced with you already so it need not be a difficult task. For myself, I cannot blame him for being a good friend. Perhaps now that our circumstances are so different, Mr. Darcy will become accustomed to our union.” Jane's words were gentle. “It need not break a friendship that has been dear to both of them since their school days.”
Elizabeth nodded a little tersely, but, when Mr. Eckworth came forth to claim a dance with her, she managed for the most part to put Mr. Darcy from her mind. It was inevitable, she supposed, that one would occasionally catch his eye when being whirled about in a waltz — Mr. Darcy did stare so, an odious habit. Likely he found some imagined fault with Mr. Eckworth as a partner for her, the same as Mr. Sutton. She noted, rather belligerently, that Mr. Sutton was not present that evening. Doubtless Lady Matlock's nephew had whispered his prideful and disapproving words in her ear and the countess had leapt to oblige him by excluding anyone he did not care for. By this reckoning it was a wonder that she herself was there, she thought, a little bitterly .
It gave her pleasure to see her aunt and uncle dancing a sedate waltz together at the same time as she was on the floor. Lizzy smiled expressively at them, and seized a moment when they were nearby to jest, “This is very dashing of you, Uncle — you do us great credit. ”
Mr. Eckworth laughed along with her before he led her away. “Rumour has it, Miss Elizabeth, that your uncle is something of a nabob — these things get around in town, y'know. Heard it from Johnson who has a cousin with interests in banking.”
“Would my uncle not need to have been to India to be a nabob, Mr. Eckworth? I assure you the closest he has been is to some very fine India muslin that my sister and I insisted he admire. I shall not prevaricate, however; my uncle is an excellent man. A better uncle there could not be. That is the extent of my knowledge of him — he does not discuss his business with us ladies.”
Mr. Eckworth was properly abashed but evidently not entirely put off. “Oh yes, very correct — beg your pardon, Miss Elizabeth. It was only that Johnson was so set on what his cousin had mentioned that it caught my attention, but they live in Cheapside, do they not?”
“Yes,” she replied, seemingly glad of his interest. “It is a house that belonged to my great-grandfather Gardiner. We do so enjoy visiting it when we come to town.”
“Right, I see!” said Mr. Eckworth, with dawning comprehension. “That, of course, explains it — quite understand keeping a property one has had in the family for generations. My own uncle, y'know — he has a small house by the sea that is not much to look at but it belonged to his father first and so he will not sell it. Sentiment or not, he has an attachment to the place even if the plaguey gulls attack him when he sets foot outside his own front door. ”
Elizabeth wondered if her aunt and uncle would scold her. It was quite clear to her by the time their waltz finished that Mr. Eckworth would liberally fuel the rumour that Mr. Gardiner was a wildly successful businessman who preferred the simple life, living where his family had been for years. Obviously, Mr. Eckworth felt it to be an almost gentlemanly mindset on Mr. Gardiner's part. Gentlemen of the ton, Elizabeth decided, were preposterously easy to lead. It was fortunate that Mr. Bingley now had Jane to guide him.
When she looked across the ballroom to see Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst in conference with their brother, evidently much displeased, Elizabeth reflected that it would do Miss Bingley a little good to hear rumours of the success of dearest Jane's most embarrassing relations. At any rate, it could do no harm to Mr. Gardiner's plans for the expansion of his business — surely even Jane would not object to their uncle's good reputation being put about a little .
The next dance, Elizabeth was partnered by the rather shy Horace Bethwick, who stuttered his way through their conversation but danced well. She happened to look up as they reached the end of their set and saw Mr. Darcy's eyes on her again, and he shifted in his stance as though intent on approaching her .
It made Elizabeth turn a smile on Mr. Bethwick that put so much panic into the young man's heart that his stammer became more pronounced. He shyly invited Miss Elizabeth to have some conversation with his own mama. A glance confirmed that Mr. Darcy was coming nearer. Lizzy took the proffered hand and was escorted to the side of the room where Mrs. Bethwick sat, her eyes watchful. The lady did not enjoy great health, a subject which interested her so much that she had no hesitation in engaging Miss Elizabeth, whose sister had a fortune and whose uncle looked to be one of the richest men in London, in a prolonged discussion of her various aches and symptoms. The doctors, of course, could do nothing for her — no medicine had yet been designed that eased her great maladies. It was as much as she could do each morning to descend the stairs and see to the order of her household. Ordinarily she would not attend such an event as this but the Matlocks of Derbyshire were not to be snubbed. It would be no good thing if that acquaintance was dropped.
It was a pity, Elizabeth thought, that Mr. Darcy of Derbyshire would not drop her acquaintance — several times during her long conversation with Mrs. Bethwick she felt his eyes on her, and eventually he neared the group .
“I very much enjoyed our dance, Mr. Bethwick — you are prodigiously light on your feet, sir. I daresay you have been told this by many young ladies but I imagine you would do great justice to a cotillion.”
His mama, looking pleased, remarked that the cotillion was to be danced next and, thus prompted, Mr. Bethwick begged Miss Elizabeth for the honour of another .
It was a risk, and it would set tongues wagging, of course, but Mr. Darcy looked to be on the cusp of interrupting them and claiming her attention once more. She could not say what he wanted; perhaps he wished to defend himself, but Jane's advice was sound — Mr. Darcy was to be most assiduously avoided. He looked so piqued that she did not seek him out, which naturally added to the brilliance of the plan.
When Mr. Bethwick led her to the floor for the second time in a row, Lizzy fancied that she heard an increase to the general murmurings of the room. It was perfectly acceptable, she reasoned, for a young lady to dance twice with a gentleman without their names being necessarily coupled together. A glance to Jane showed her sister with a serene countenance, but watchful. Mr. Bingley remained by her side of course, a fact which pleased Elizabeth immensely. Whatever had been said between him and his sisters had not dented his enthusiasm for his betrothed's company .
“M-Mama s-said that M-Miss B-Bennet is t-to be m-married t-to M-Mr. B-Bingley.”
“Did she?” smiled Elizabeth. “I remain quite impressed by how swiftly happy news spreads in society.”
“It is t-true then?” Mr. Bethwick was an earnest young man, evidently eager to please his mama by returning with confirmation of gossip as soon as their dance ended .
“I was quite right, sir — you do dance a cotillion well. I do hope you did not feel obliged to ask me to partner with you but I own I am not sorry for the result of it.” She laughed at his flummoxed expression and took pity on him — he might be a few years older than her but he seemed to be very much a boy. “Indeed, Mrs. Bethwick is quite right, which I am sure is not unusual. ”
Lizzy did not hear Mr. Bethwick's reply, for once again, for what seemed the tenth time that evening, she looked up and caught Mr. Darcy's eye. The cold fury in his expression at first amazed her and then served to ignite her own anger at him. When he took her hand from Mr. Bethwick's at the close of the dance, she was ready with an answer to his request to dance .
“I am sorry to disoblige you, Mr. Darcy," lied she, "but I cannot — I have promised the next to Mr. Bingley. Perhaps another evening.” She did not wait for his reply but slipped her hand free and went to find Mr. Bingley. There was a little time to assure both the Gardiners and her sister that she had no designs on poor Mr. Bethwick before the violinists struck up for the very same dance she had danced with his friend at Netherfield. She refused, this time, to look anywhere but at her partner. Elizabeth would not wonder if Mr. Darcy was already partnering another young lady further up the set, and she would not search the edges of the room to see if he was staring at her, as he so often did. She kept up a lively conversation with her future brother-in-law, and it was obvious that they were well pleased with one another. She hoped that Jane's detractors might see how in charity she was with Mr. Bingley. It would rightly serve them to have a glimpse of the future family harmony that they would surely enjoy .
“I suppose, Mr. Bingley, that you will not object to a muddy sister walking over to Netherfield often? I shall miss Jane dearly, sir, and the best way to please us both is to let us see each other several times a week.”
He laughed. “I could not object in the least, I remember well your devotion to her last year. Jane says, Miss Elizabeth, that you have been no less devoted to her wellbeing this winter. I thank you for it.”
“You must not thank me. I could do no less — I am only relieved that all is resolved. If you will engage to make her perfectly happy, Mr. Bingley, I will be content. You need not fear that we shall all plague you at Netherfield — the younger girls are to go to school and I…well, I do not know. My aunt and uncle have made a tentative suggestion that I might travel with them as far as the Lakes this year so perchance I will not trail mud through your vestibule so very often.”
The figure of the dance then altered, and Elizabeth was obliged to smile at the next gentleman who held her hand as they promenaded until he returned her to Mr. Bingley .
“It will be a pity not to see your footprints leading up to the front door, I am sure,” Bingley continued their conversation. “I wonder if you might call me Charles, Miss Lizzy — I find that your sister says it charmingly and without the degree of exasperation or disapproval with which I am used to hearing it.”
“I cannot promise to emulate my sister's adoring tone, Charles,” returned Elizabeth, “but I will surely avoid exasperation. Come, we shall please Jane enormously by dropping any formal address and speaking to one another as the brother and sister we will surely become.”
“It is just what I wish for, Lizzy. ”
Elizabeth knew, when her hand was taken for the next figure, who had taken it. Her brows rose and she would not look directly at him. Mr. Darcy would promenade her down the set and then within two minutes she would once again circle her future brother-in-law. It was only a brief time — in those fleeting moments she could not possibly argue with the man firmly holding her hand .
“Will you dance the next with me, Miss Elizabeth?” Mr. Darcy enquired abruptly. “I should like to speak to you.”
“I am afraid I will not, Mr. Darcy. There can be nothing we have to say to one another. We had much better avoid one another, I think. The disgust you feel for my family will surely assist you in finding another partner, sir.”
“You refuse to dance with me?” There was something pleasing in his surprise, Lizzy found, but her anger remained undimmed.
“Certainly I refuse.”
“You have danced twice with young Bethwick, so it cannot be that you object to a second dance with the same partner. Do you mean then to cease dancing this evening?” He paused, then said more gently, “Perhaps you are tired. I am quite willing to fetch you wine and talk to you instead.”
“I mean, Mr. Darcy, that I will not dance with you.”
Stiffly, he said, “My cousin indicated that he had made a blunder…”
It was a frustration for Mr. Darcy and a relief for Elizabeth that her hand must be then put into Mr. Bingley's and that Mr. Darcy must then return to the simpering, witless chit with whom he had begun the dance.
Her ire burned against Mr. Darcy for the remainder of the dance. As soon as she could, a headache beginning to make itself known to her, Elizabeth excused herself from the ballroom and stepped out onto a deserted balcony. After the heat of the ball, Elizabeth at first found the icy coolness of the winter night a welcome relief. She attempted to compose herself by pacing up and down, careful not to soil her gloves by touching the stone balustrade. A frost was beginning to form there and it was not long before she felt the chill seeping in .
She had just begun to consider herself in command of her temper when the entrance to the balcony opened and out stepped the one man she most wished to avoid.