Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Mr Bingley’s return had obviously made her sister very happy, but Elizabeth was certain that Mama’s joy was even greater. Mrs Bennet had been profuse in welcoming both gentlemen and had invited them for supper in the evening within ten minutes of their arrival. Unfortunately, her volubility increased in exact proportion to her excitement, leaving the other occupants of the room with no choice but to listen to her effusions.
Elizabeth was wanting to ask Mr Darcy how he had fared with his relatives. However, she only managed to exchange a polite greeting with him before her mother took over the conversation. She flushed with embarrassment at Mama’s raptures, especially because she was fully aware of Mr Darcy’s reaction to these antics.
She glanced at the man, expecting to see the familiar disdain on his face, but instead found him listening to her mother with a carefully blank expression. As the conversation flowed around them, Elizabeth found him observing the interaction between Jane and Mr Bingley with an enigmatic smile on his lips. Mr Bingley was his usual cheerful self. In between answering Mama”s many queries about his family, he was striving to have an intimate conversation with Jane. And, although her sister was trying her best to appear nonchalant, the flush on her cheeks and the almost feverish glow in her eyes gave away her happiness.
By the time Hill brought in tea and refreshments, Mr Darcy had managed to ask after Mr Bennet, only to be told that he was out visiting the tenants. When Mrs Bennet got busy preparing cups for everyone, a bored Lydia took advantage of the lull in the conversation to stir some excitement.
“Mama, you would never guess what Maria told me when I met her earlier today.” Although Mrs Bennet was more concerned with devising schemes to get Mr Bingley to offer for her Jane, she addressed her youngest daughter indulgently enough, “Then I suppose it would be better if you tell me, Lydia.”
“Oh, it is the most exciting thing, Mama! Mary King has inherited a fortune from an elderly relative who died in some foreign parts.”
“What a blessing for Mary King!” Mrs Bennet exclaimed, then shook her head sadly. “It is too bad that you girls are not fortunate to have even one wealthy relative who can conveniently die and leave their fortune to one or more of you.”
Elizabeth flushed uncomfortably when she noticed Mr Bingley’s mouth drop open in surprise as he stared at her mother wonderingly. Her gaze then swivelled to Mr Darcy when she heard a strangled cough emanate from him. She discovered him hurriedly putting down his cup and pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket that he pressed to his mouth. Sensing her gaze, he cast a glance at her. Although she could not see his lips, the sherry-coloured eyes laughed at her. As she stared into their warm depths, flickering with their customary gold specks, her discomfort slowly vanished, and she found herself smiling back at him. Only Mama could convey such a thought aloud, without even a hint of irony.
“How big is the fortune, do you know?” Mrs Bennet asked Lydia.
“No, Mama, but if you allow us, Kitty and I could visit the Kings, and I am sure we would find out soon enough.”
“You may go if you are so inclined,” Mrs Bennet retorted absentmindedly, and the youngest two Bennets left hurriedly after a quick curtsey to the gentlemen.
Having lost interest in dying relatives and their fortunes, Mrs Bennet once again began scheming about throwing Mr Bingley and Jane together. However, she did not need to tax her ingenuity much, as Darcy, wishing to have Elizabeth to himself for a bit, asked, “The weather appears exceptionally fine for a day in December. Would you ladies be interested in showing us the beauty of Oakham Mount?”
Although he had addressed Elizabeth, it was Mrs Bennet who replied. “What an excellent notion, Mr Darcy! Jane, Lizzy, go and get ready.”
Elizabeth turned to Mary, intending to invite her to join them, but Mrs Bennet preempted her yet again. “I need some assistance in the still room. Mary, dear, I am sure you would not mind helping your mother.”
“No, Mama,” Mary responded with a resigned sigh. She had already been meaning to excuse herself from the outing, as she had no desire to play gooseberry to her elder sisters and their beaus. Now, she could only hope that her mother would forget about the still room as quickly as she had thought about it.
∞∞∞
Elizabeth glanced at Jane while donning her pelisse. Her sister stood smiling dreamily at her bonnet. Although Elizabeth was happy for Jane, she felt a twinge of unease at the unguarded manner in which her reticent sister was revealing her feelings.
I hope Mr Bingley makes up his mind quickly. I do not think Jane can handle too much dithering on his part.
“Jane, shall we go?”
Jane came out of her reverie with a start. “Yes, please,” she said as she hurriedly glanced at the mirror and tied her bonnet.
“Mr Bingley’s sisters did not accompany him this time.” Elizabeth said enquiringly as the sisters approached the parlour, where the gentlemen awaited them.
“Um... no. It appears Miss Bingley is happier being in London.”
“Of course she is...” Elizabeth muttered to herself.
“Mr Bingley decided to come back without them because he... likes it here, he says.” When Jane noticed the knowing glance Elizabeth cast at her, she hurriedly added, “He also said that he considers it more important to learn to manage his estate than gadding about town aimlessly.”
“How very industrious of him!” Elizabeth murmured as they reached the parlour door. However, before she could say anything more, the gentlemen joined them, and she dropped the matter. Jane’s disclosure relieved her worry somewhat; it appeared Mr Bingley did not have any intention of running back to London any time soon.
∞∞∞
Darcy waited for Bingley and Miss Bennet to outstrip them before glancing sideways at Elizabeth. “So, how have things been since I went to London? I hope the gossip has died down.”
“The previous gossip has indeed died down, but our friends have found other things to talk about. From the special licence that Mama cannot stop bragging about to the great pretenders we have both been, there are enough subjects for everyone to pick their favourite and carry on,” Elizabeth replied with a wry smile.
Darcy studied her intently for a moment, then smiled. “You seem to be holding your own against the onslaught. I think I will also be able to grin and bear it so long as they are no longer maligning us.”
“As to that, sir, your quick thinking and phenomenal theatrical skills have ensured that instead of being maligned, I am envied by one and all in Meryton.”
Darcy looked at her doubtfully, afraid that she was mocking him. But then he noticed the warm, teasing glint in her eyes, and he suddenly found himself short of breath and words.
After a few moments of silence, Elizabeth asked hesitantly. “How was your visit to London? Did you face much difficulty while apprising your family about our... betrothal?”
“On the whole, things went much better than expected. Ah... everyone was naturally surprised by the suddenness of our engagement, but with the exception of my uncle, who is slowly coming around, everyone else has wished us happiness.” He turned his head to smile at her.
“Georgie, especially, was overjoyed when I shared our news with her, and my aunt has pledged her support in dealing with the tabbies of the ton,” he added a little flippantly, but when he saw her troubled expression, he took hold of her hand in his and comfortingly rubbed his thumb over her palm.
Elizabeth glanced at their joined hands and suddenly discovered that some actions could be both calming and distracting at the same time.
She looked up at him when he spoke again. “I am sorry, Elizabeth, but the upper ten thousand of London society is a select club where entry is restricted, and birth and connections always take precedence over other considerations. Any newcomer who lacks the necessary credentials is regarded with suspicion. And although I would like to believe that on a personal level, I have weighed character and merit at par with advantages of birth, I am ashamed to admit that I have never truly bothered about the unfairness of it all.”
“I suppose I am old enough to have realised that life in general is not very fair,” Elizabeth replied ruefully, then added with a mischievous smile, “And while you, as a member of the ton, might consider it difficult to believe, I can assure you that there are some like my father and, dare I say, me, who would be far happier not being members of this select club and its trappings, even if given a choice.”
“Oh, I am not surprised at all, Elizabeth. If given a choice, I would rather be the simple farmer that I am and spend my time in the country at my beloved Pemberley. It is only because I have the responsibility to see that my sister is settled advantageously, and I do not want my children to face the consequences of my choices, that I continue to remain a member of the select club.”
It registered at the back of Elizabeth’s mind that Papa had indeed been correct—Mr Darcy took his responsibilities very seriously, even if it meant sacrificing his own desires. However, right at this moment, she could only stare at the ‘simple farmer’, looking every inch the epitome of wealth and elegance that he was, and chuckle.
“Why are you laughing, Elizabeth? Do you not believe me?”
“Oh, from what I have seen of you, sir, I have no trouble believing that you would rather be in Pemberley hobnobbing with your steward than in London ballrooms dancing the night away.” Elizabeth raised a teasing eyebrow at him and added, “It is your identification as a simple farmer that I find a little... um... troubling. If you would just take a detour with me from the next lane, I will take you to meet some simple farmers.”
Darcy grinned at her droll look. “It is what is in the heart that matters, dear Elizabeth. I am disappointed that a discerning young woman like you is being misled by outward trappings,” he said, shaking his head at her dolefully.
Elizabeth gazed into his laughing eyes, and her heart skipped a beat. At this moment, he appeared so approachable, likeable, and... beautiful.
And as she stood looking at him, an odd notion occurred to her. If he had been this open and friendly with everyone since his arrival in Meryton, he would surely have left quite a few broken-hearted young women when he left the neighbourhood! Perhaps it was for the best that he was usually so disagreeable. Her lips quirked at the thought, and she glanced away from him. Does he act like this on purpose? The thought came to her mind unbidden.
Darcy saw her flushed face and quizzical expression and almost asked her what it was that made her blush. But he restrained himself; it was only the beginning of their courtship, and the day she would start sharing her innermost thoughts with him was a long way off. He sighed and told her about Aunt Susan’s suggestion instead.
“There might be quite a few... ah... Mrs Goulding-like characters in the ton... keen on gossiping and making trouble. To thwart such folks, it is critical to let them and everyone else know that our marriage has the blessings of my family. To that end, my aunt would like to introduce you to the ton under her aegis, and she thinks that the sooner we do it, the better it would be.”
The idea seemed sensible to Elizabeth, even as she felt a twinge of unease. Based on Mr Collins’ anecdotes, Lady Catherine appeared to be an interfering busybody. Was Lady Matlock like her sister, or was she simply a loving aunt eager to assist her nephew? She would not know until she met the lady, and any speculation on the matter at this time was futile.
“What do you think we should do?” she asked Darcy.
“I believe her suggestion has merit. We should spend a month or so in London after our wedding to give Aunt Susan time to weave her magic. However, we would only do so if you are comfortable with the idea. If you find that you do not want to confront the tabbies and harpies just yet, we could spend the first few months at Pemb....”
“No!” Elizabeth interrupted him sharply, annoyed by the suggestion that she was a weakling who needed to be cossetted. “I agree with Lady Matlock that we should begin our married life from London. As far as the busybodies of the ton are concerned, my courage rises at every attempt to intimidate me,” she said, her chin raised in challenge.
Darcy’s eyes widened in surprise at Elizabeth’s heated response to a fairly benign query. Then, as he observed her flashing eyes and the angry colour on her cheeks, he gained an unexpected insight into his betrothed that made him quickly suppress a smile. It would appear that one had only to suggest that she could be afraid of something for his prickly Elizabeth to rise to the challenge to prove them wrong.
He glanced away to clear his face of any trace of amusement, and in the process, he noticed that Bingley and Miss Bennet were now quite far away from them.
“Well, that is settled then. I shall write to Aunt Susan to inform her of our plans.”
Elizabeth nodded and quickened her pace when she also realised that the other couple had outstripped them by a long distance.
“Now that we have decided to stay in London post-wedding, I will have to visit Pemberley for a few days to attend to an important matter my steward has recently brought to my attention. I will be leaving the day after tomorrow and will return in around ten days.”
“Oh.” Elizabeth was disconcerted by the immediate stab of disappointment she felt upon hearing the news.
Darcy observed the anxiety that flitted across her face and mistakenly assumed that she was perturbed by his journey so close to the day of their wedding. “I would not have gone if the matter had not required my personal attention,” he said by way of explanation.
“Of course, Mr Darcy, I understand. We also are going to London in three days to get some gowns and dresses for me.”
“Oh, how I wish I could have accompanied you to London and introduced you to Georgie. She was extremely disappointed when I told her she could only meet you at the time of the wedding.”
Elizabeth gave him a sidelong glance before suggesting tentatively, “I... if you and she would not find it amiss, I could arrange to meet her when we are in London.”
Darcy glanced at her in surprise. “Do you really mean that, Elizabeth?”
“Of course. I am aware of how close you two are. She would certainly be anxious about the woman who is going to marry her dear brother, especially since the wedding is taking place so suddenly.”
So, I was correct! Elizabeth will be a considerate and loving sister to Georgie. Darcy was pleased with her response. “I will write to her that you will be calling on her,” he agreed immediately.
“I think we should leave the decision to her, Mr Darcy. She might prefer to meet me for the first time in your presence. I will inform her on my arrival in London, and if she is desirous of a meeting, I will visit her.”
“Have it your way, but I am sure that she will come rushing to meet you as soon as you inform her of your arrival.”
“I am equally eager to meet her.”
Darcy saw the soft smile on her face and felt a sudden rush of happiness. “Thank you, Elizabeth,” he murmured, raising her hands to his lips. It disconcerted her to realise that they had been holding hands ever since he had caught hers earlier to comfort her! The sense of loss she felt when he released her gloved hand after bestowing a kiss on it shook her further.
“Mr Darcy?”
“Yes?”
“Does Miss Darcy know the reason you had to offer for me so suddenly?” Elizabeth could not believe that Georgiana would be so eager to meet a woman who had compromised her brother, even if inadvertently.
For a brief moment, Darcy toyed with the idea of telling her that yes, Georgiana knew the real reason he had offered for her—because he loved her. Then, with a rueful shake of his head, he replied, “No, Elizabeth. Only my aunt knows about the gossip that necessitated my offer, and only because she already had her suspicions. Aunt Susan has been like a mother to me and Georgie since our mother passed away, and unfortunately, she knows me all too well.”
“And still she agreed to introduce me to the ton?”
“Of course. She knows that none of this was your fault.”
“Hmm. That is very kind of her.” Elizabeth could only hope it was true. The affection Mr Darcy had for his aunt was palpable in his voice, and she did not want to be the cause of a rift between him and his Matlock relatives.
By this time, they were nearly at the summit of Oakham Mount, and they could see that Mr Bingley and Jane had already reached their destination.
∞∞∞
Elizabeth observed how engrossed Mr Bingley and Jane were in each other and turned to address Mr Darcy. “I need to thank you for encouraging Mr Bingley to return to Netherfield,” she said softly.
Darcy flushed uncomfortably at the evident admiration in her eyes and demurred hastily. “I did not do anything. I merely went to him to request that he ensure that Miss Bingley does not bandy around Georgie’s name like she earlier did. Needless to say, he was shocked when he learned the content of the letter Miss Bingley wrote to Miss Bennet.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, and when I told him about our betrothal and requested use of Netherfield for the duration of my stay, he decided to return to Meryton, as he had originally planned when he left after the ball.”
“And Miss Bingley did not object to this plan?” Elizabeth asked curiously.
“It was not for Miss Bingley to object...” Darcy began haughtily, then grinned when he noticed the disbelieving expression on her face. “You know Miss Bingley all too well, Elizabeth. Of course, she objected, as she usually does. Fortunately, Bingley stood resolute against her machinations.”
He chuckled suddenly as he remembered the conversation he and Bingley had with his sisters, following his own with Bingley.
Elizabeth looked at his smiling face and asked, “Would you care to share the joke, Mr Darcy?”
Darcy opened his mouth to relate the amusing conversation to Elizabeth when his expression underwent a sudden change.
“What is it, Mr Darcy?” Elizabeth asked in surprise as she saw anxiety flit across his face. She was further taken aback to see him staring at her mutely with a very unhappy expression.
After a long moment of awkward silence, Darcy straightened his shoulders resolutely and confessed, “Before I tell you how bravely Bingley warded off Miss Bingley, I have to admit that prior to my conversation with you on the subject, I believed your sister to be indifferent to Bingley. After he left for London, Miss Bingley requested that I share my thoughts with him. I readily agreed to do so once we reached London,” he said baldly.
Darcy waited for her to burst out in anger while Elizabeth digested this information. When the silence stretched, his anxiety compelled him to break it. “Although I am not sure how I could have been so wrong about Miss Bennet. Anyone who saw her today could not fail to notice her joy at Bingley’s return,” he revealed his puzzlement.
Elizabeth observed the genuine confusion on his face and smiled suddenly. “You were not mistaken, sir; Jane is usually very guarded with her emotions. Even I was surprised by the uncharacteristic way she revealed her feelings today upon Mr Bingley’s arrival.”
“Hmm.”
“You were going to tell me about Mr Bingley’s heroics?” Elizabeth asked when Mr Darcy seemed to be in some deep thoughts.
“Oh, yes.” Darcy’s lips quirked as he related the brief conversation for Elizabeth’s benefit.
Miss Bingley had been delighted to see him when he followed Bingley into the drawing room of their town house that day.
“Mr Darcy! Thank God you have come. Please make Charles see some sense. He keeps talking about returning to Netherfield. I do not know how many times I have told him that Jane Bennet does not care for him and that he can do much better than attaching himself to that family, but he does not seem to care. Now my only hope is that he will listen to you as he always does.”
“I am really sorry, Miss Bingley, but in all fairness, I cannot prevent Bingley from doing what I have done myself.”
“I do not have the pleasure of understanding you, Mr Darcy.” Miss Bingley’s bewilderment was visible in her face.
“Well, how can I ask Bingley to stay away from the Bennets when I am myself betrothed to Elizabeth Bennet?”
Miss Bingley had paled at his words. “You are obviously jesting!” she exclaimed.
“No, he is not, Caroline. He and Miss Elizabeth are to marry very soon. And as for Miss Bennet, I do not believe that she is indifferent to me. However, I would very much like to confirm her feelings myself, so I am accompanying Darcy to Netherfield tomorrow.”
“But....” The shock seemed to have rendered Miss Bingley somewhat inarticulate.
“And I believe you would be pleased if I were proven correct. It has come to my attention that you wish to see me and Darcy as brothers. Now I have always thought of Miss Darcy like my own sister, but if I can persuade Miss Bennet to accept me, I will be more than happy to fulfil your wish in this manner.”
Elizabeth tried valiantly, but she could not prevent a giggle from escaping her at the wicked manner in which Mr Bingley seemed to have routed his sister.
“W-what did Miss Bingley say to that?” Elizabeth asked, almost feeling sorry for the woman, but not quite.
“I am sorry, Elizabeth, but I cannot help you there. Miss Bingley was still doing her imitation of a landed fish when I left their home soon after,” Darcy replied dryly as he and Elizabeth crested Oakham Mount.
Mr Bingley and Jane watched in surprise as a giggling Elizabeth and a smiling Darcy walked towards them. Jane let go of the last of her doubts and guilt as she observed her laughing sister hang intimately on to her betrothed’s arm. Now I am sure that all will be well. Lizzy will not allow herself to be miserable, she decided happily, then as she saw the manner in which Mr Darcy was gazing at Lizzy, she corrected herself with a sly smile. Or perhaps Mr Darcy would not allow that!
Mr Bingley had not asked his friend the reason behind his sudden engagement. He had been content with what his friend had chosen to share with him, although he suspected that there was more to it than Darcy’s sudden realisation of his love for Miss Elizabeth when he was leaving Netherfield. However, now that he saw the adoring look on the face of his habitually taciturn friend, he knew that, as was his wont, Darcy had been honest in as much as he had shared.