1. Longbourn—Monday, 4 December 1809 #2
Instead he hurried to say, “Perhaps not entirely unheard of, but certainly unusual. On the other hand,” he said, turning to give the lady another little bow, “unusual, in this case, is to Miss Bennet’s credit.
Horticulture of all kinds is valuable to everyone: those who are able to enjoy produce out of season, of course, but also the wider community and scientists, because each hothouse, greenhouse, and glasshouse, and even each conservatory, is like an experimental lab.
Sharing tips and techniques is how we spread knowledge hard won from nature. ”
“Oh, yes!” Miss Bennet said, and he inadvertently glanced away from his inspection of her strawberry pots.
More to the point, he accidentally caught the radiant smile she sent his way.
She continued, “I love what you said, how you phrased it, and I am entirely convinced that it is true. I am always happy to tell you of my successes and even my failures—because I learn from both, especially with your informative help—and even though my contributions are infinitesimal, everyone’s contributions, taken all together, increase our knowledge of biology and agriculture. ”
“Well said,” Darcy replied with another nod directed to her. He was grateful to be able to get even two words out of his mouth, because that smile…. Well, because that smile affected him.
As Darcy rode his black gelding to Netherfield Park, where he was staying with a friend, he considered his unprecedented response to Miss Bennet. “Miss Elizabeth,” she had corrected him as she introduced her older sister.
He had taken tea with the family, minus Mr Bennet, who had gone straight to his study and closed the door firmly.
Tea was a bit of a harrowing experience, because Mrs Bennet was—well, frankly, a flirt!
As a married woman speaking in front of her children, her exaggerated coquetry was, obviously, a jest—but not a pleasant sort, neither clever nor original, and certainly not humorous.
Her three eldest daughters looked to be thoroughly mortified, and they took turns attempting to rein her in, while the youngest two merely listened and giggled.
All the Bennet ladies were handsome, even the matriarch and the middle daughter, who dressed as if she was attempting to hide her looks.
But though he could see a pretty face no matter where he looked, none were as attractive as Miss Elizabeth.
The eldest, Miss Jane Bennet, was even more beautiful physically; however, she was not very attractive to Darcy because of her lack of confidence, her lack of conversation—other than softly voiced pleas for decorum—and even her lack of open expression.
She had a single serene smile no matter what anyone (most often, her mother) said.
In contrast, Miss Elizabeth was as handsome as her mother and sisters but was also confident, expressive, and well mannered.
A variety of smiles and an occasional charming grimace played over her face, and she related interesting information, told humorous anecdotes, smoothed over awkward moments with clever diversions, and sometimes teased.
It was a shock to Darcy’s physical self to be so attracted to any lady.
It had been years since he started attending balls and events of the so-called marriage mart.
He had been introduced to many beautiful ladies who had excellent connexions and substantial dowries, and yet he had never been even remotely interested in courting any of them.
He had assumed he was simply not ready to marry, at that point; when he was ready, he would simply choose one of the ladies he had already met, or a lady much like them…
. And he supposed that attraction to a beautiful lady in his bed would not be a problem.
But now he felt such an attraction, and yet surely this was not the sort of lady he should marry.
Ever since the beginning of his correspondence with E.
R. Bennet, he had known that the family was nowhere near the first circles, with no connexions of which to boast. From the looks of her home, he also supposed that Miss Elizabeth’s fortune was small or non-existent.
From the comportment of the mother, he assumed that Mrs Bennet’s family of origin was not landed gentry, which likely meant that many close relatives were in trade.
These things did not make any difference in a friendship between gentlemen—but they would make a huge difference in the selection of a wife. Would they not?
Upon his arrival at Netherfield, Darcy’s friend Charles Bingley was all enthusiasm.
“Welcome to Netherfield Park!” he cried out as Darcy dismounted.
Darcy’s coachman hurried to take his horse—Darcy’s carriage with his servants and luggage had gone ahead to Netherfield—and Darcy exchanged a few words with him as he turned over the reins.
Then he turned to Bingley with a smile and bow.
Bingley asked about the roads, the weather incurred during his travels, and whether he wished to start with tea, a bath, or a rest in his bedchamber.
“I just took tea with your neighbours, the Bennets,” Darcy explained. “I should like to just visit with you for a few minutes, and then rest before dinner.”
“Then that is what we shall do.”
After settling in a comfortable drawing room, Bingley said, “Mr Bennet came to welcome me to the neighbourhood earlier this week, and he did everything expected, everything polite; we spoke of the news from France and the weather. Another neighbour arrived—a Mr Goulding—and Mr Bennet made his farewells and left.”
“And did you form an opinion of Mr Bennet?” Darcy asked his friend.
“He seemed a little quieter than most, but not shy. Somehow, I got the impression of intelligence, humour, and—fundamentally—a complete lack of interest in visiting. At least visiting me!”
Darcy chuckled.
“You must know him far better,” Bingley said. “Is he as enthusiastic about horticulture as you?”
Darcy laughed again and caught Bingley’s surprised glance. He explained, “Even though the Bennets do have a glasshouse, and horticulture is carried on there, Mr Bennet himself has little interest in the project.”
“I thought he has been writing to you regularly, asking intelligent questions, making you quite intrigued about meeting such an original mind. Did I get that wrong?”
“It is the second daughter who has the interest, who does the work, and who wrote the letters. Naturally, I expect you not to spread the information about Miss Elizabeth’s letters, since some people might attempt to twist scientific exchanges into breaches of propriety.
Mr Bennet, Miss Elizabeth, and I will all be saying that her questions and my answers were exchanged through her father. ”
“A correspondence with a young lady for two years…and you going along with a white lie…. Honestly, both are very surprising!” Bingley grinned. “Is she pretty?”
Darcy narrowed his eyes and allowed a touch of hauteur to enter his expression. “I tell you that a clever young lady works hard in an area of interest to me, and you dare to ask, ‘Is she pretty?’—as if that is the only thing of importance in a lady.”
“I take it that she is not, then,” Bingley said. “Therefore, I relinquish all claims to her—”
“Even though I am the one who has known of her for two years, and you are yet to meet her….”
Bingley was continuing the joke: “…despite the fact that she lives so near to my home—”
“Your temporarily leased home,” Darcy interjected.
“…and you live so very far away.”
Darcy had decided that Miss Elizabeth was not suitable for him to marry, and therefore not someone he should consider calling on, let alone courting…
. However, he briefly panicked at the thought that Bingley might meet, court, and wed the enchanting woman.
Could he frequently meet with his friend if he felt such a strong attraction to his wife?
“At any rate, this is all nonsense,” Darcy said to his friend repressively.
This is, all of it, the greatest nonsense! he repeated silently—this time, to himself.