Chapter 2 #2
When he opined that Rasselas had spent far too much time searching for happiness rather than learning to be content with what he had, Miss Bennet narrowed her eyes at him. “Mr Darcy, I believe you have just argued precisely the opposite of what you said not a quarter of an hour ago.”
He had. Earlier, he had argued that the prince had been right to examine every possible course before coming to a decision, but Darcy had wanted to test her.
“Have I?” he asked innocently.
To his amusement, although he did his best to hide it, Miss Bennet glared at him. “You know very well that you have,” she accused, though there was no heat in her tone, only a hint of annoyance.
“Perhaps I have reconsidered the matter,” he said with what he hoped was nonchalance.
“In fifteen minutes?” She was arching her brow at him now and clearly disbelieved him.
“I am capable of changing my mind, Miss Bennet,” he said with perfect seriousness, though he felt anything but. He was delighted to have met a lady who would question him rather than simply agree with whatever he said.
“How fortunate,” Miss Bennet replied, leaning back in her chair as though she was now in on the joke. “I had begun to suspect you merely wished to discover whether I was listening.”
This last was said in such an impertinent manner that Darcy could no longer hide his amusement. He let out a loud laugh.
“Forgive me, Miss Bennet,” Darcy said when he had stopped laughing and saw the annoyed look on her face, “but I confess that, while I found our conversation engaging, I have become entirely too accustomed to ladies who would agree with me regardless of what I said. We seemed to share many opinions, but I… I suppose I wished to see whether you would notice when I contradicted myself.”
“So I passed this little test that you contrived for me?” she asked, once again raising her expressive brow.
He had only met her that afternoon, but already he was beginning to recognise that particular expression—and to suspect that it usually meant trouble for its target.
Still, he found it impossible to maintain his solemnity. “Indeed you did,” he replied. “Forgive me if I offended you in doing so, but believe me when I say that I have met entirely too many ladies who would not have dared to challenge me as you did.”
For a moment, Miss Bennet did not speak, but only continued to glare at him. Darcy expected Miss Bennet to answer, but Mrs Gardiner spoke instead, directing her comment to her niece.
“Lizzy, you cannot be angry at the gentleman for doing what you have done on many occasions yourself. I have heard you engage with other gentlemen, young and old, only to tangle them up in their own contradictions—or, as you have phrased it, their idiocy—when they pretend to know what they do not.”
“Yes, Aunt, but that is usually men who believe they are more intelligent than I simply because they are men,” Miss Bennet huffed, clearly not ready to be done with the matter.
“I have met many such gentlemen,” Darcy interjected, hoping to soothe her.
“But I would never assume a man more intelligent merely because he is a man. And I can say with some certainty that I have rarely found a lady as well read as you, and more than a few gentlemen who could not have argued their point nearly so well.”
Miss Bennet was still not smiling as she had done earlier, but at least she looked less put out.
“Now, come, Miss Bennet, and tell me what you think of Wordsworth and Cowper. We have not canvassed either yet, and they are favourites of mine.”
To his relief, Miss Bennet allowed the other matter to drop and began to speak of Lyrical Ballads, which she had read earlier that year. Once again, they shared similar interpretations of several matters, and when they disagreed, it was usually minor.
From there, the conversation ranged easily from poetry to other books they had enjoyed, and Darcy was almost startled by the knock that announced the arrival of their meal.
The meal passed agreeably. Mrs Gardiner had set her sewing aside and began to participate more actively in the conversation.
She asked about Netherfield and how long Darcy intended to remain there, recalled a few common acquaintances in Lambton, and enquired what he planned to do in London before returning to Netherfield.
Overall, it was one of the more enjoyable meals he had shared in some time, and he found himself wishing his sister were there to make the company complete.
For a brief moment, he imagined what it would be like for Miss Bennet to meet Georgiana.
His sister had not yet fully recovered from the disappointment of the summer, and Darcy still did not know how best to help her.
He could happily have consigned George Wickham to hell for causing her such pain, but anger did little to restore Georgiana’s spirits.
However, he could not imagine any circumstance in which Georgiana was likely to find herself in Miss Bennet’s company.
He did not care to subject his sister to Miss Bingley’s company for any great length of time, and two months at Netherfield would be entirely too much for Georgiana in her present state.
Still, Darcy would return to Netherfield before Michaelmas, and the knowledge that Miss Bennet lived so near the estate made the prospect considerably more appealing than it had been that morning.
Perhaps Georgiana could accompany him for a few days at the beginning of his visit, and if it proved too much for her, she and her companion could return to London, or even continue on to Pemberley, as she had been asking to do.
Yes, that worked even better, for Georgiana could present the visit as only a brief stop before continuing her journey to Pemberley.
If she liked Miss Bennet and the two got along well, she could extend her stay.
Mrs Annesley, Georgiana’s new companion, could contrive reasons for Georgiana not to spend too much time in Miss Bingley’s company, and perhaps Georgiana could form a friendship with Miss Bennet, who was considerably nearer to her age.
Darcy could not completely explain to himself why he was so certain that Miss Bennet ought to be in Georgiana’s life, but the prospect delighted him.
The thought that he might never see her again after this initial meeting was distinctly unpleasant, though neither did he think of her as a potential wife.
No, he had never heard of her father’s estate, and he could tell from her gown that, while fine, it was not of the same quality as those worn by his sister or the other ladies of his acquaintance.
Her family was certainly not poor, but neither were they of his level, and he had already learnt that Mrs Gardiner was married to a man in trade.
He had heard the Gardiner name before—apparently the man was an investor of some consequence—but that did not mean that Miss Bennet moved in his own sphere.
But she was a gentleman’s daughter, and she would be an entirely appropriate friend for his sister.
A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts, and the proprietor entered to inform them that the rain had washed across the road in several places and that no carriage would be leaving the inn that evening.
“Then it appears we are truly stranded here tonight,” Miss Bennet said. “Uncle will worry, as will my family when we do not arrive as expected.”
While there was a hint of concern in her voice, she seemed resigned to the situation rather than upset by it.
Unlike others he knew, she was not angry with the innkeeper for something entirely beyond his control, nor did she fall into hysterics at the thought.
Darcy found himself pleased by this realisation, and it only further confirmed his good opinion of her.
Mrs Gardiner announced that she and her niece ought to retire before too much longer, and Darcy rose with them.
“I have enjoyed our conversation, Mr Darcy,” Miss Bennet said.
“As have I.”
The words seemed woefully inadequate for several of the most enjoyable hours he could remember spending in the company of a new acquaintance.
“Then perhaps being stranded was not entirely disagreeable,” she said, smiling at him in that way he had already memorised and would very much enjoy seeing again.
He answered her look in kind. “I believe I formed that opinion some hours ago, Miss Bennet.” Turning to her aunt, he added, “I was very pleased to renew our acquaintance, Mrs Gardiner, and I hope so many years will not pass before we meet again.”
Darcy watched the door close behind the ladies before returning to his chair. By morning, they would travel north to Hertfordshire, while he continued south towards London. Ordinarily, he would have thought nothing of parting from a woman he had known for only a few hours.
Tonight, however, he found himself exceedingly glad that he would be returning to Netherfield in just over a se’nnight, right before Michaelmas.