Chapter 5 #3
The earl did not speak much, but he paid attention to the others.
He appeared lost in his own thoughts, but his brief contributions were polite.
Elizabeth glanced at him whenever he was not observing her.
He still did not appear comfortable, nor master of himself.
He closed his eyes several times, as though the glare from the candles was bothering him.
He also rubbed his temples, obviously troubled by a headache.
His fingers were trembling more and more, and he moved his hands into his lap.
From time to time, a male servant—probably his valet—leant towards him and asked something, but most of the time, the earl shook his head.
After dinner was over, there was no separation between the ladies and gentlemen. Lord Alveston’s chair was moved near the sofa.
To Elizabeth’s astonishment, Lady Kendal herself brought her a cup of tea and whispered, “Thank you!”
“Thank me? I feared your ladyship would be upset by my outburst. I wish to apologise for my unforgivable rudeness. I hope Lord Alveston does not feel worse because of me.”
Lady Kendal touched her arm. “My dear… Thank you!”
Then she returned to the other guests, sitting on the sofa next to her grandson.
“Miss Bennet, Mrs Bingley, would you be so kind as to play for us?” Lady Kendal enquired.
“Oh, forgive me but I rarely play,” Jane excused herself, and all eyes turned to Elizabeth. She hesitated for a moment.
“If you wish. But I must warn you that I play very little and very ill.”
“That is not quite true,” Bingley immediately contradicted her. “She plays very well. I can testify to that.”
“My dear brother, you put me in a very delicate position. Lord Alveston will have another reason to criticise me and to make more unfavourable comparisons between me and other young ladies from town who are more beautiful and more talented,” Elizabeth declared teasingly, throwing the earl a meaningful look.
He appeared surprised but laughed. “You are very hard on me, Miss Bennet. I did take your rebuke to heart, and I have already tried to improve my manners. Do I not deserve some recognition for that?”
“No, she is not. Too hard, I mean,” Bingley interjected again, his tongue loosened by another glass of brandy. “She is only being her usual self.”
This time, Elizabeth and the earl both laughed wholeheartedly.
“Well, that is a relief as I always complain about being treated differently,” Lord Alveston concluded.
“Then you must be pleased. According to my brother, I am mean and disrespectful to everyone,” she said, stepping towards the pianoforte.
It was placed in the corner of the dining room, and Elizabeth easily understood the reason. Since Lord Alveston could not walk without help, and it was challenging to be moved from one chamber to another, his grandmother arranged everything to his convenience.
“Oh, I did not say you were mean or disrespectful,” Bingley said, looking at Jane in panic, much to the others’ amusement.
It was obvious he had been enjoying the brandy rather too much.
“But you are very intelligent and always win arguments. Or at least most of the time. More often than anyone else of my acquaintance. Perhaps on a par with Darcy.”
Elizabeth was arranging her music sheets, looking for something to play.
She startled, feeling her cheeks burning as disturbing memories invaded her.
She remembered the evening when she had performed on the pianoforte at Rosings and the sharp conversation she had had with Darcy.
At that time, she had been sure that his primary purpose was to make her feel uncomfortable.
“Darcy?” Lady Kendal asked. “Lord Matlock’s nephew? I knew his late parents. Are you acquainted with him?”
“Yes, I am proud to say he is my closest friend, although I have not seen him much lately.”
“I do not know much about young Darcy, but his mother was one of London’s beauties and his father was a very handsome man. And an excellent landlord,” Lady Kendal said.
“And Darcy is the same. An excellent landlord. And very intelligent—he actually knows everything about anything,” Bingley said enthusiastically.
“I am sure that is not quite so,” Lord Alveston said. “But your loyalty to your friend is praiseworthy.”
“I tell you, I cannot remember any circumstance when I asked him something and he did not have the answer,” Bingley insisted.
“Mr Darcy is a remarkable gentleman. He has been a good friend to Mr Bingley,” Jane said, supporting her husband.
“And one of his greatest merits is that he owns one of the most beautiful estates I have ever seen. Pemberley, in Derbyshire,” Mrs Gardiner interjected.
“Elizabeth and Darcy have never been good friends. Their acquaintance started rather poorly and never improved,” Bingley explained. “Darcy is someone who has been scolded harshly by Elizabeth, due to his haughty manners,” he told Lord Alveston, as though confessing a secret.
“That is not quite true,” Elizabeth heard herself speak. “Mr Darcy and I did not make the best first impression on each other. I would rather say we misjudged each other, but we both corrected that in time. Mr Darcy is certainly a man who improves on better acquaintance.”
“Are you acquainted with his betrothed too?” Lord Alveston asked.
“Yes,” Elizabeth replied, hoping the others would not notice her blush. “We had the pleasure of staying at Pemberley for a fortnight last summer. Mr Darcy was not there, but we had a lovely time with his sister, his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam, and Miss de Bourgh.”
“How lovely,” Lady Kendal said politely.
“Shall I begin?” The conversation was making Elizabeth more distressed by the minute.
“Yes, please!” Lady Kendal invited her.
“Now, do you have any preference as to what I should play?” After another brief debate, Mr Banfield’s eldest son sat by her side, helping her to turn the pages.
And she began to play—one song, then another.
She allowed her fingers to move across the keys while her thoughts flew to Mr Darcy.
Yes, he did improve on better acquaintance.
But no, she would not have the time or the chance to correct her misjudgment.
When Elizabeth eventually completed her performance and received genuine praise, Lord Alveston apologised and asked to retire. All the blood seemed to have drained from his face. His lips were white and his eyes narrow, as if trying to shield themselves from the light.
“I hope we shall meet again soon,” Lord Alveston addressed everyone. His voice was low and weak, but the warmth was impossible to miss.
“Miss Bennet, I hear you play chess very well. Perhaps I could challenge you sometime.”
“I would like that very much, my lord. I only hope you do not mind if I defeat you.”
“I cannot make any promises regarding my behaviour, since I do not recollect being defeated in the last few years,” he said with mock gravity.
“There is a first time for everything,” Elizabeth teased him, and Lord Alveston nodded in approval. He wore a little grin, but even that seemed too heavy for his lips to carry.
The servants took his chair and carried it out, while Lady Kendal moved to the window, taking her cup of tea with her.
“The storm is still very strong,” she whispered. “Would you like to remain here overnight? It might be dangerous to leave in such weather.”
“Your ladyship is very considerate, but we cannot possibly accept. Our children are with their governess, and we must be there in the morning,” Mrs Gardiner replied.
“I am afraid we should leave now. It might take a turn for the worse if we linger,” Mr Banfield said.
Everyone rose and Lady Kendal did not attempt to stop them.
“We are very grateful for the invitation,” Mrs Gardiner said.
“I hope the evening was not entirely unpleasant,” Lady Kendal replied.
“Not at all,” Mrs Gardiner assured her with honesty.
“Then perhaps we shall meet again,” her ladyship suggested tentatively. “Miss Bennet, my grandson will hold you to your word on that chess game.”
“I am always keen for a challenge, your ladyship,” Elizabeth tried to joke, to lighten the tension in the room.
“Then perhaps we could have tea in the next few days? And schedule that game at the same time? Your sister and your aunt may join you too. I would be delighted to have you all.”
“I could come with them, too,” Bingley offered. “Our home is close enough—on Grosvenor Street.”
“That would be lovely. Then it is settled. Please let me know when is convenient for you. We have no fixed engagements, and we rarely leave the house any more.”
More politeness and farewells were exchanged, then the guests exited into the storm, assaulted by the wind and the snow on their faces.
While the others complained about the weather as they hurried towards their carriages, Elizabeth remained still in front of the house, fighting with the blizzard that threatened to push her down, feeling blessed for only the joy of being able to walk freely.