Chapter Fifteen #4
By the final course before dessert, Elizabeth could bear her sister’s wretchedness no longer. Mr. Julius Palmer’s sardonic quips no longer amused her; she was grateful for his chipper wit, but her heart was full of violence. She glared at the virago down the table, ready to strike.
“But what is this I hear about your plan to leave London so soon, Miss Bennet? In a mere fortnight, I am told. I cannot believe such a report, for why ever should a pretty girl of fortune and property wish to hide herself away in the country? You have been well-favored by good society, and cannot repay your fine friends by hastening away at the height of the season. You must stay until spring,” Mrs. Ferrars commanded.
“Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth, and indeed even Mrs. Gardiner are welcome to stay as long as they choose,” Mrs. Jennings agreed.
“With so many sisters, you will not be missed at Longbourn, my dear. I understand John’s impoverished half-sisters are residing there – I should think it far too crowded already, and you have every luxury here.
London is very fine in the spring, though you will want to be away by summer.
My daughter was married in springtime at St. George’s. ”
When Mrs. Ferrars finally paused long enough to take a sip of her wine, Elizabeth seized her chance.
Moved by malice and mercy alike, she smiled at Edward Ferrars and observed, “A springtime wedding – what a lovely notion. But you and Miss Steele have been engaged for so long that your plans must have grown very grand by now.”
The table fell silent for a moment, and then erupted; immediate mayhem prevailed.
Half the people at the table sprang to their feet as they began to quarrel amongst themselves, the meal entirely forgotten.
Elizabeth could only gape in dismay at what had, in the impulse of a moment, gone so terribly wrong.
Mrs. Ferrars demanded an explanation from her eldest son while Mrs. Jennings directed a deluge of questions at the three young ladies in her charge.
Miss Bingley actually appeared impressed by what Elizabeth had done, as if her own aspirations of wickedness had never aimed so high.
Miss Steele appealed to her new friend for support, earning Miss Bingley a lengthy set-down from Mrs. Ferrars that Elizabeth wished she might transcribe verbatim for her father’s edification when next she wrote.
Mr. Robert Ferrars thought it all a great joke and did not hesitate to ridicule his brother for betrothing himself to Miss Steele, who wept at Mrs. Ferrars’s castigation and finally swooned into Colonel Brandon.
Fanny Dashwood demanded that her husband do something, but he only gulped his wine and called for more.
Looking exceedingly put out, Mrs. Dashwood slapped Miss Steele across the face to rouse her; Colonel Brandon made a wary attempt at defending the girl, but Miss Steele began to screech at Elizabeth with red-faced rage.
“You have spoiled everything, you blusterous back-biter,” she shrieked, leaning across the table and pointing to Elizabeth.
“You have ruined me, you mulish, miserable bitch!”
A hush fell over the table at Miss Steele’s language.
Elizabeth’s face burned with mortification as two dozen people turned their anger, contempt, and unabashed curiosity from Miss Steele to herself.
Elizabeth squared her shoulders, refusing to be cowed at such a moment.
Her gaze drifted to Mr. Darcy for the first time since they had taken their places at opposite ends of the table, though she dreaded his censure.
There was only horror on his countenance, until he met her gaze.
He betrayed something tender and tortured in his piercing stare, and then he was on his feet, drawing all eyes to himself.
“Edward, you must resolve this – but it need not be done so publicly. Is there perhaps a parlor, Mrs. Jennings?”
But the good lady had already begun to scold Miss Steele for her infamous language, and Mrs. Ferrars raised her voice to protest that she had nothing further to say to her son or his trollop, and she would go nowhere but home, immediately.
Mr. Robert Ferrars hastened to attend her, unable to conceal his delight in his elder brother’s rapid fall from favor.
Edward Ferrars refused his mother’s command that he accompany her, and so Mrs. Dashwood began to demand that Miss Steele should be made to leave instead.
Elizabeth felt herself growing dizzy from all the noise around her.
Mr. Darcy had drawn the attention of the other guests away from Elizabeth, and she turned to Jane, who had reached across Mr. Willoughby to rest her hand on Elizabeth’s arm.
For a moment Elizabeth thought her sister was crying, but Jane was actually restraining laughter as Mr. Willoughby whispered something into her ear.
On her other side, Julius Palmer was not suppressing his own mirth, and he murmured his congratulations to Elizabeth on making the evening such a memorable one, but she paid him little heed, for Edward Ferrars stood and put his arm awkwardly around Miss Steele’s shoulders.
“I will not go back on my pledge, Mother.”
“Then you will have nothing from me, not a shilling,” Mrs. Ferrars cried. “You have disregarded my wishes for you and sunk yourself irrevocably! I hope she is worth it.”
Mr. Ferrars appeared to have his doubts, but he stood up straighter in the face of his mother’s admonishments.
Elizabeth was surprised, for he had told Jane in no uncertain terms that he had tired of the connection; she supposed he thought primarily of clinging to his own honor in the presence of so many guests.
Even Mrs. Jennings was astonished by his resolution. “But Mr. Ferrars, I had thought – when you visited at Christmas, I was sure Miss Dashwood was your object….”
This incited another outcry of objections from Mrs. Ferrars and Fanny Dashwood, and Lucy Steele began to disparage Elinor’s attachment to Edward in shamelessly vulgar language.
Elizabeth could not allow her cousin’s name to be disgraced, and she told the irate ladies, “Perhaps you ought to leave, and settle this dispute privately.”
“I will not be commanded by an impertinent country upstart,” Mrs. Ferrars harrumphed.
“I think it is you who should leave, after what you have done,” Miss Steele hissed.
Both women continued to rage at one another, and anybody else who would listen.
Mrs. Jennings crossed her arms and scolded Miss Steele, insisting that she would not turn the Bennet sisters out of her house.
“You have secured an invitation from me under false pretenses, Lucy! Indeed, you may not wish to reside in the same house as Jane and Lizzy, but perhaps it is best if you remove yourself, and the scandal you have brought here.”
“You will come with us,” Miss Bingley said. “We will go at once, and send for your things in the morning. Poor girl, you have been abominably mistreated, but I will show you generosity.”
After a little more rancor, more than half the guests made a hasty departure.
Aside from the ladies of the house, only Mr. Willoughby’s party and Mr. Darcy’s remained.
There was an eerie calmness after the storm Elizabeth had incited, and she waited in a state of high anxiety for someone to either reprimand her for what she had done, or return them all to better cheer.
Mrs. Jennings could not stay silent for long, and she began to laugh nervously as the plates were cleared away and dessert was served. “Well, I cannot recall when there was so much excitement in my dining room.”
“I must heartily apologize,” Elizabeth said to her hostess, her remorse so earnest that tears filled her eyes.
Mrs. Gardiner, who had looked quite cross with Elizabeth, now softened her expression. “Perhaps our friends at the far end of the table would like to move closer, and fill these empty seats? I have been looking forward to the pudding.”
“Quite right,” the viscount agreed. “Not all of your friends have abandoned you; I am sure we shall be a merrier party now that we are a more intimate one.”
The countess was the first to move, and she gave Elizabeth a pat on the shoulder as she took Miss Bingley’s empty chair. “That was better than an evening at the theatre!”
Elizabeth was wary of being so swiftly forgiven for causing such an ordeal. “I am sorry for inveigling you in such a drama,” she told Mrs. Jennings.
The kindly old lady laughed heartily. “A great many of you looked far from surprised at the shocking revelation; I daresay nearly everybody here was aware of the secret engagement already.”
“I was not – but I am relieved if I was mistaken in supposing Mr. Ferrars’ interest lay elsewhere,” the countess said. She looked around at the rest of their party, and began to laugh. “Am I the only one who did not know of it? What a fine joke!”
Georgiana looked guiltily at Sophie, who in turn looked to her mother. “I only heard of it an hour ago.”
There was a minute of silence, and then Mr. Willoughby threw back his head and laughed wildly. “I daresay the secret weighed on Mr. Ferrars; he looked nearly relieved to have out with it at last. Surely the great gorgon will not cut him off entirely.”
Mr. Darcy had moved into the seat occupied by Julius Palmer, at Elizabeth’s right-hand side. She turned to him, wishing she knew how to interpret his stony expression.
In answer to her unspoken query, he gave her a sullen smile and spoke softly. “I have told you already, Miss Elizabeth, that I am on your side – if only you will permit me to be.”
“I have never been in greater need of such an imposing ally,” she whispered back to him. “But I am amazed that you are not appalled by my wickedness.”
“I should never praise such behavior, but I will own that your actions were justified, for you meant only to spare your sister the discomfort that was obviously caused by Mrs. Ferrars’s avarice.
If Edward had heeded my advice when first he confided his situation to me, this could not have happened. ”
“So you did advise him?”
“I told him that he ought to be honest with his mother, if he wished to marry Miss Steele, or dissolve their engagement if his sentiments had altered. I said nothing to influence his interest in your sister, and in that failing perhaps I am just as culpable as you are.”
Elizabeth felt her tense posture relax, though she marveled at Mr. Darcy’s willingness to exclude her behavior. “You told me once that your good opinion, once lost, is lost forever; I am glad I have not sunk myself in your esteem, sir. Shall we continue as friends?”
“Be in no doubt of my regard for you, Miss Elizabeth. Now that I have seen the lengths you will go to when sufficiently vexed, I must endeavor to remain in your good graces. I hope we shall ever be the very best of friends.”
Mr. Darcy’s face colored as he spoke, and he turned away to address his sister, who was whispering gleefully with Sophie and Mrs. Hatchard.
Meanwhile, Mr. Willoughby remained determined to salvage what remained of the party. By the time the remaining guests took their leave, the ladies of the house had all recovered from the excitement of the great row.
Indeed, Mrs. Jennings’s spirits were as cheerful as Elizabeth had ever seen them, when the four ladies were left to their own devices in the parlor.
They had all consumed a great deal of wine after their party was halved, and their hostess wasted no time in making free with her congratulations, declaring Jane and Elizabeth to be spoiled for choice with suitors.
“Your mother shall be making me a monument, I am sure, when she hears of all your conquests! But of course you should be so sought after, for you are the dearest girls in the world – and Lucy would have me turn you out! Well, I was utterly deceived in her character – she might have confided in me, you know, and I would have been happy to help her! But I cannot like the sneaking and secrecy, the intrigue has made quite a scandal!”
“Even so, I hope you shall not be tempted to such wickedness again, Lizzy,” Mrs. Gardiner admonished.
Elizabeth readily agreed, and Jane hastily insisted that she would give her sister no cause to take such drastic measures to defend her. “I have indulged in a bit of your impudence, just as you advised me, Lizzy, and I am quite capable of standing up for myself.”
But Mrs. Jennings was not finished celebrating their success in charming so many of the gentlemen.
“I begin to think you must stay longer than a mere fortnight more, even if you have already made your choice from among so many eligible gentlemen. Edward Ferrars was never the best choice for you, dear Jane, when the viscount is so utterly besotted with you! And you, Miss Lizzy! Shall it be Mr. Darcy or Colonel Brandon? Or perhaps Mr. Julius Palmer has caught your fancy – I saw how he kissed your hand when taking his leave!”
“I should indeed require longer than a fortnight to think of any of our new acquaintance as more than fine friends,” Elizabeth demurred. “Is that not right, Jane?”
Her sister fidgeted uncomfortably, “I like the viscount; he is perfectly amiable, and he has made his intentions clear, but….”
“Oh, do not tell me you have been won over by one of your cousin’s cast-off beaux!” Mrs. Jennings wailed, giving a merry hoot of laughter.
Jane looked stricken. “I fear my heart has not yet been touched by the viscount. Perhaps in time….”
“Of course,” Mrs. Gardiner said with a reassuring smile. “Such decisions ought not be made in haste. Take all the time you need, dearest. And you, Lizzy….”
Elizabeth held up her hands and shook her head. “I have no designs upon anybody. I am only glad to have found so many charming friends in town, but I am content to enjoy them for as long as we are welcome here, Mrs. Jennings.”
Elizabeth felt the falsehood in the pit of her stomach. She dared not aspire to more than friendship with Mr. Darcy, but she feared no other gentleman could ever win her heart, so long as she enjoyed the friendship of such a man as Mr. Darcy. At least they had made amends; that must be enough.