Chapter Eleven
The next day, Elizabeth and Jane slept in, then enjoyed a late and lazy repast on their shared balcony instead of joining the rest of the party for breakfast downstairs.
They compared their impressions of the previous evening’s festivities, and rejoiced that another day of rain would keep their aunt and uncle at Richmond Cove a little longer.
When they joined the other guests downstairs, they were all given leave to occupy themselves however they pleased, for the day’s planned entertainment would begin after dinner.
Until then, everybody was quite at their leisure.
Those who wished to display their accomplishments played music or sketched, some read together or played cards, and others ambled through the enfilade parlors, since walking outdoors was not possible.
Anne proved as good as her word, and set about teaching Elizabeth a greater mastery of chess than her own father had even been able to instill in his impatient daughter.
Colonel Brandon sat with them, often observing Anne’s quiet cunning with a wry smile, and when asked, interjecting his own advice.
Mr. Darcy lingered near them for a while, brooding out of the window with as much intensity as he had ever done, and naturally Elizabeth could not resist remarking upon his habit. “Was my gambit with the knight not a mark of some progress, Mr. Darcy?”
He gave the slightest flinch at her address, and turned to speak with all his sober dignity. “It was an improvement on your first game, to be sure; I am all in favor of second attempts – learning from one’s mistakes.”
Elizabeth flushed pink, feeling certain he must mean something else. He took a step closer, examined the chess board, and then moved near enough to lay a finger atop one of her rooks. “The game could be yours in just a few moves; I have every confidence that you are clever enough to see it.”
There was something saucy in his tone that made Elizabeth feel terribly warm and fidgety, but she found herself smiling at him.
Anne finally cleared her throat to recall Elizabeth’s attention to the game.
She had made a cunning move herself, but Elizabeth studied the board, and finally determined the move Mr. Darcy meant to suggest. She captured a pawn and put her opponent in check; Anne moved her king behind her queen, her eyes sparkling at Elizabeth’s challenge, and then Mr. Darcy made a gesture of prayer, drawing Elizabeth’s attention to her only remaining bishop.
She considered her options, and finally managed the right move.
“Checkmate!”
“Brava, Lizzy! You are making such progress that soon you will be able to win without interference!” Anne winked at her, and Elizabeth grinned before turning a bashful eye on her faithful assistant.
Mr. Darcy smiled warmly at her. He had only done so once before, the night she had teased him at Rosings about his behavior in Hertfordshire – and it occurred to her that perhaps he had enjoyed her raillery. “It was a tolerable effort, was it not, sir?”
His eyebrow twitched. “I might call it such, at first glance, but I would do better to observe that it was very handsomely done, indeed.”
“Far be it for me to accuse anybody of hasty judgement,” she quipped with a laugh.
Elizabeth was all too aware of the knowing look Anne and the colonel shared, and even Lady Blanche watching them closely from across the room.
She could not help enjoying her banter with Mr. Darcy, though she did not wish to give him any encouragement.
Fortunately, Miss Bingley could not abide the gentleman paying Elizabeth attention for so long; she swiftly swept in to carry him off.
Elizabeth played another game with Anne, making a valiant effort not to look in Mr. Darcy’s direction.
After barely scraping out a victory, Elizabeth was deprived of her opponent, who was wanted by her sister.
Miss Elliot demanded Anne play some accompaniment on the pianoforte that would allow her to demonstrate her own pretentious vocal stylings.
Elizabeth looked for Jane, who was with her usual set, Harriet and the two captains. She moved to join them, but Lady Rebecca broke away from her brother to intercept Elizabeth.
“You look very well today, Miss Elizabeth. Has my cousin been admiring you sufficiently?”
“He – oh – what?” Elizabeth winced, unprepared for the lady’s inquisition. “Surely you are in very fine looks yourself.”
“Well, yes.” Lady Rebecca furrowed her brows for a moment, and then burst out laughing. “Oh, no! Surely you cannot think – good Lord! My dear friend – for friends I am determined we shall be – I would not have you think anything like that.”
She linked her arm through Elizabeth’s and led them into the next room, which was occupied only by the slumbering Admiral Croft and his wife, who was gossiping with the Gardiners.
“Miss Elizabeth, if you have any notion of me and Darcy, you must allow me to dash it entirely. I would not have you think me envious of his attentions to you. Rather, I am fascinated by them.”
Elizabeth wished to sink beneath the floorboards as she realized that Colonel Fitzwilliam must have told his sister what transpired in Kent; perhaps Mr. Darcy had even confided in her.
And she seemed to think there was still some sort of courtship to be expected – after Elizabeth had willfully misunderstood Mr. Darcy, and abused him so cruelly.
“I… I hardly know what to say to such insinuations from a stranger. I think the atmosphere of this house party must be leading you to draw certain conclusion, which I….”
“Intend to prevaricate upon?” Lady Rebecca gave a brusque, satirical laugh. “I assure you, Miss Elizabeth, I comprehend this event perfectly, and my cousin, and the old Goulding girls – I know what they are about. And I am not a stranger – as I said, we are to be friends – you must accept it.”
Elizabeth smiled in spite of herself. Lady Rebecca possessed all of Lady Catherine’s forthright self-assurance, but with irresistible charm that Elizabeth feared would soon have her letting down her guard. “Is that so?”
“Certainly it is. I looked for you at breakfast, hoping we might begin directly in becoming the dearest of friends and confidantes, but you did not deign to join us – I am sure I was not the only one left forlorn.”
“My sister and I have a shared parlor in our suite, and we broke our shared fast together on the balcony. We have enjoyed our quiet moments there in the morning, and before dressing for dinner.”
Something almost wicked flashed on Lady Rebecca’s eyes. “Is that so? You must be on the first floor. I share just such apartments on the second floor, just above you – with Miss Bingley. I am rather less inclined to take advantage of the shared area.” She screwed up her face with distaste.
“Miss Bingley intimated to my sister that your family and hers have grown quite close in London.”
Lady Rebecca laughed indecorously. “She is quite determined that it should be so; it is a pity the brother is so agreeable, obliging us to tolerate the sister. They were in Hertfordshire last autumn, were they not? You must know what I mean.”
Nothing could make Elizabeth quite so merry as a shared dislike, and she found herself succumbing to Lady Rebecca’s impish charm. “I begin to rejoice that she is here; she certainly made Meryton interesting, for I am fond of the ridiculous.”
“A student of the human condition? Excellent! I knew you should prove a treasure! I do wish to know you better, though I suppose I must refrain from any hints about my cousin? You have made your sentiments known, I gather.”
Elizabeth pursed her lips, considering how best to convince the lady she did indeed wish to befriend that Mr. Darcy was not a topic she was inclined to dwell upon. “I suppose two clever women might best acquaint themselves without involving a man, do you not agree?”
Lady Rebecca gave her a wolfish grin. “My dear Miss Elizabeth, I adore you already.”
The two women spent above an hour speaking with ease and candor, and by the end of their conversation, Elizabeth was chagrined that she had ever felt intimidated by the bright and irreverent young woman.
They had a great deal to say to each other, ceasing only when Lady Blanche beckoned them to rejoin the larger group.
“I knew the pair of you should be fast friends, but you are too delightful to deprive the gentlemen of your company any longer,” Lady Blanche teased them.
Lady Rebecca did not yet release Elizabeth’s arm.
“I should be happy to oblige you, Lady Blanche, but I have a small favor to beg of the both of you. Lizzy, would it be terribly inconvenient if I asked that you and your sister exchange suites with Miss Bingley and I? Miss Bingley invited herself, after all, and can have no right to protest. You see, the door that connects my room to the shared parlor has a broken lock, which rather deprived me of any privacy last evening. Miss Elizabeth has spoken so fondly of her sister that they could hardly have any need of a functioning lock in their suite, as I have.”
Elizabeth agreed, assured that she and Jane would have an even better view from their balcony on the next floor up, and Lady Blanche assured them that it could all be managed before they went up to dress for dinner.
“Excellent! I shall send up some fine wine to your new balcony with my compliments, as you and your sister prepare for the evening.” Lady Rebecca gave a cheerful smile, then leaned in and whispered, “I suppose now I must go pacify my companions – a certain lady has inflicted herself on poor Darcy for far too long. Even you must wish me to grant him a measure of mercy.”
Elizabeth’s gaze drifted to Mr. Darcy, who looked cold and severe as Miss Bingley prattled away at him.
This was his true appearance of displeasure, something far more grim than any look he had ever given her.
Elizabeth nodded and let out a broken breath, bewildered by how thoroughly she had misunderstood the gentleman.
***