Chapter 42
Chapter Forty-Two
“Are you certain you wish to stay home, Lizzy? Nothing untoward occurred at Mrs. Turling’s ball.”
“True, but I have been neglecting my painting. I have some ideas and wish to get started on a new landscape.” She had finished a series of three London society paintings for Kitty and Lydia, and now she planned to paint a series of London parks for the Gardiner nursery.
Her St. James’s Park painting would feature the wooded area near the pond, complete with ducks.
For Hyde Park, she would include the Serpentine River but also horses and dogs, knowing her young cousins would like the animals.
She would also paint The Green Park’s fountain and some more ducks.
Or perhaps instead her third piece should be of Queen’s Garden.
She had not been there herself, though, so she would not yet decide.
“Lizzy? Are you listening?”
“Forgive me, Jane. I was thinking of my plans for the remainder of the day. What were you saying?”
Jane smiled indulgently.
“I hope you will show me these new paintings. Aunt said you allow nobody in your attic.”
“Oh, well…it has been my refuge. Of course you may see my paintings. I will bring some down later.”
Elizabeth had not yet moved her darker London paintings and debated covering them before inviting visitors. She feared Jane would not understand, but they likely would not concern her as much as they bothered Elizabeth, either.
“If you change your mind, I am departing at four to spend the afternoon with Caroline, and then we will dine with Mr. Bingley and the Hursts before we all go to the card party.”
“Thank you, Jane. Enjoy yourself. And you know Aunt and Uncle and I will all join you at the Hursts’ home tomorrow evening. Now, I am going to practice the pianoforte before my lesson with Bella, but I will help you dress if you alert me.”
As much as Elizabeth did not care for the opportunities card parties gave for whispers to reach her ears, she may have gone had she not known Mr. Darcy had other plans tonight.
He was spending the evening with his sister and their cousin at the colonel’s parents’ home.
Elizabeth knew he was concerned for his sister now that she was living away from him.
She hoped seeing her tonight among family would reassure him of her well-being.
She sat at the instrument and started with a familiar song she had not played in a while, and her thoughts returned to the evening before.
Her set with Mr. Darcy was the highlight of her night.
She had cherished the opportunity, knowing it may be her final dance with her friend.
Although she had noticed no more than Jane had, she was sure people would remember Papa Oliver soon enough and laugh about him again.
When they ate supper together after their set, Mr. Darcy had told her he would leave London the following week to visit his aunt in Kent.
He would be gone for ten days. She thought he looked almost as disappointed as she felt to lose his company for so long.
But surely, he was excited to spend time with the rest of his family.
Miss Darcy and the colonel were also going, and they had another cousin in Kent.
She knew she would miss him far more than he would even think of her.
Miss Bingley would not let her forget that. After supper, she had approached Elizabeth in good spirits. Elizabeth had asked her about her recent house party and her two suitors.
“Oh, we really should save the topic for when we have more time. I am about to dance again, or I could talk about them both for hours. But, Miss Eliza, I moved this way for another purpose.”
Elizabeth turned to face her fully.
“It is obvious you and Mr. Darcy have mended whatever broke in your friendship so long ago, but I caution you. I hope you remember he will never be more than your friend. You may not have heard, but my brother told me a year ago that Mr. Darcy is in love with someone else.”
Elizabeth smiled as best she could. “I had heard that, and I do remember. I thank you for your warning, although it is not necessary.”
“Well, that is a relief, I assure you. I know what it is to have hopes for the man, but once I knew his heart was taken, it was simple to choose another path. It is good to hear you have no illusions.”
Miss Bingley sounded almost genuine, so Elizabeth thanked her again for her concern before they both took to the dance floor.
Putting all thoughts of balls, men, friends, and cousins aside, Elizabeth began to play a new, more difficult piece she had recently discovered.
The dinner at the Hursts’ home the next day was familiar from so many years in the same company yet new because Jane and Mr. Bingley were finally engaged.
His sisters resentfully acknowledged that Jane would be their sister.
Elizabeth still could not understand how Miss Bingley could claim to like Jane such a great deal as a friend yet not wish her for a sister.
Mrs. Hurst spoke more of the future with excitement, making plans for the married couples.
Perhaps Miss Bingley was jealous to be excluded?
Mr. Hillyerd was in attendance this evening, though, and he was quite attentive indeed. He seemed besotted with her; she appeared to like him, as well.
Elizabeth sat between Mr. Hillyerd and her uncle, so she spoke with him enough to learn he had recently inherited his father’s carriage business. Mr. Hillyerd had grown up helping as his father’s clerk.
Mr. Darcy was too far from Elizabeth for conversation, but they exchanged glances throughout the meal. When a footman had been near placing sliced venison on her plate, she happened to catch Mr. Darcy’s eye, and he shook his head, so she declined the dish.
In the drawing room, once the gentlemen had joined the ladies, he slowly made his way to her side while Miss Bingley played the pianoforte with Mr. Hillyerd in rapt attention.
“Was the venison off tonight?
“It was quite delicious, actually.”
She looked at him in mild affront.
“You would not have thought so, however, as it was cooked in a ginger sauce.”
She wrinkled her nose in disgust, and he chuckled.
“Thank you, Mr. Darcy. You have done me a great service.”
“Perhaps you will do me one?” They had already been speaking privately while their friends and her relations carried on their own conversations beside them, but now he spoke even more faintly, bending near her ear. She shivered at his closeness and at the feel of his warm breath on her face.
“As I told you last night, I leave London on Wednesday morning. Would you be able to meet me at Dutton’s on Tuesday afternoon? Perhaps three o’clock?” He backed up to watch her face for her reply.
She was stunned. They had walked to the circulating library on Gracechurch Street before, but he had called for her, and they had walked together. What was he suggesting?
“With Matthew, of course!”
She hoped Mr. Darcy had amended his invitation because he had seen confusion and not a tremor of excitement. It would be mortifying for him to think she cared for him as more than a friend—or that she would agree to a secret assignation. She was ashamed to have thought of it.
“Oh, yes. Certainly. Tuesday at three. Yes, we will be there.”
“Excellent.” Mr. Darcy smiled and moved to join her uncle’s conversation with Mr. Bingley, and she turned back to her aunt.
Darcy sat in a plush chair with a good view of the entrance to the circulating library.
He perused a newspaper while keeping an eye on the patrons entering.
He felt the corners of his lips lift as she walked in, Matthew a step behind her.
Elizabeth had not seen him yet, so he stood, but the proprietor of the library claimed her attention before he could.
“Miss Bennet, I am delighted you have come today.”
Darcy’s hackles rose. The man behind the counter was perhaps two- or three-and-twenty and clearly too interested in Elizabeth. He had not been here the first time Darcy had come to Dutton’s with Elizabeth, but he knew she came often for reading materials.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Shaw. How is your father today?”
“Very well, Miss Bennet. He was in this morning. Um.” The young Mr. Shaw cleared his throat. “I found a book I think you will want to read.”
“Oh? What is it?”
Darcy moved to stand beside Elizabeth, having had enough of this Mr. Shaw’s foolish grin.
His heart skipped when Elizabeth looked up to his eyes and smiled.
She placed her hand on his forearm briefly as she greeted him.
Was she also sending Mr. Shaw a message that she was uninterested in his attentions?
This close to her, he breathed in her familiar lavender scent.
“Mr. Darcy, I did not see you. Have you been waiting long?”
“I would have waited all afternoon for you,” he teased, playing along, “but no, I have been here less than a quarter of an hour, and you are right on time.”
She smirked at him, understanding his playfulness. How he wished she would take him for his word. No, not yet. He would reveal his feelings soon enough.
“Forgive me, Mr. Shaw. You found a book for me?”
“Um.” The man cleared his throat again, and the downcast look on his face as he glanced between her and Darcy almost made him feel sorry for the man.
In reality, he was likely an excellent match for a woman of Elizabeth’s station.
It was unfortunate for him, then, that Darcy planned to marry her.
“A moment, Miss Bennet. I will retrieve the volume.”
He turned to the shelves behind him, and Darcy looked down at Elizabeth again.
He wished she would place her small hand on his arm again.
He was about to step closer to her—only for Mr. Shaw’s sake, of course—when he saw Matthew staring intently at him from a few feet to Elizabeth’s other side.
Darcy told himself he was grateful for the protective presence the footman gave.
He had certainly been a timely reminder to maintain his control.
Darcy nodded and retreated half a step instead.
Mr. Shaw turned back and placed a slim yellow book on the counter. Elizabeth opened it and smiled up at the proprietor.
“An Egyptology book! Thank you, Mr. Shaw.”
Darcy barely had time to note the man’s face and ears turning red before she turned to him.
“Look, Mr. Darcy. Do you see these markings?”
He smiled at her excitement and nodded to Mr. Shaw before gently pressing her lower back to guide her to a settee out of Mr. Shaw’s view. They sat, and she exclaimed over the hieroglyphs and map on the frontispiece.
“Have you heard of the new exhibit at the British Museum? Uncle Gardiner applied for tickets, but of course he was denied. We heard they have a stone with real hieroglyphs on it!”
Darcy’s smile grew.
“Forgive me. You must think me a bluestocking.”
“And why should you care if I did? You have always had a charming curiosity for learning, and I see nothing objectionable in your interest. Never let others tell you what to care about or which knowledge is worth your efforts to attain.”
She smiled at him and then returned to leafing through the book on her lap. After a few more minutes she closed the book and looked at him.
“I apologize. I will take this book out and read it later. You asked me to come today. Did you need to speak about something?”
As he looked into her earnest eyes he struggled to remember why he had not yet made her his wife.
He was sure he had a reason, so he broke from her gaze and perused the magazines on a nearby table, though he did not really see them.
In truth, he had asked her here today for no other reason than to be with her one more time before leaving the city.
“No, no. I only wished to be sure you will be well with Miss Bennet and Miss Bingley while I am away. Do they treat you better now than they did in times past?”
“Oh! Jane and I are good friends. I suppose you have not seen us together many times since we reconciled, but we are friends again.”
“And Miss Bingley? I do not think she has always been kind to you.”
Elizabeth’s smile faltered, and he inwardly kicked himself for choosing this topic in their last moments together for nearly two weeks.
“Miss Bingley and I have not spoken much for a long time, but Jane tells me she wishes to be friends again. Our time together at Christmas was strained but better than it had been in London. We are attempting to get along, I believe.”
“Perhaps her two suitors will improve her mood.”
Elizabeth grinned. “Perhaps they will. She was cordial enough at the dinner Saturday evening. Perhaps she simply needed someone to dote on her as Mr. Hillyerd does.”
Darcy had not noticed Miss Bingley’s attitude or her suitor’s, but he prayed Elizabeth was correct and the woman would be kind to her.
“Is Miss Darcy resigned to your journey tomorrow?”
Darcy grimaced. “She is still upset to be required to go, but she has not argued against it anymore. I have assured her I will go riding with her every day, which is far more refreshing in the countryside than on London’s busy streets.”
“I would be willing to put up with a great deal for the privilege of daily rides through the countryside. I am sure your sister will be more relaxed once she breathes the fresh air and feels the warm breeze on her skin.”
Elizabeth had closed her eyes and must be imagining her own country escape.
“That is how you felt in Hertfordshire.”
She chuckled and opened her eyes. “I think so. It has been so long that it is difficult to remember. In more than four years, I have not been out of London except in the dead of winter, so I recall icy breezes and a frozen nose when I ride. My uncle sold the horse Jane and I rode, in any case, so I only walk there now. I do long to see flowers in bloom outside of a window box or city park.” She sighed and then smiled.
“No matter. If Mary and Jane marry before the weather turns cold, I will perhaps experience warmer country weather this year.”
Darcy wondered whether he could arrange anything. Once they wed, he could contrive everything for her happiness. Soon, Elizabeth. Soon.