Mr. Hurst mumbled, “I wish Caroline would vanish,” but neither sister heard him. Caroline was too incensed to answer, and she turned her face to look out the window, an angry frown upon her features.
The theatre was alive with ladies in silks and feathers, gentlemen in their evening coats, and the murmur of hundreds of voices filling the air. Mr. Bingley’s box was well situated, and he soon had Jane seated beside him. He scarcely took his eyes from her and was careful to explain the scenes when she asked what was happening. The couple were easy in each other’s company. Elizabeth, seated behind with Georgiana, observed the lovers with satisfaction.
Caroline, however, could hardly contain her vexation with her brother’s fawning behavior and Mr. Darcy’s evident fascination with Elizabeth. Every whispered word between her brother and Jane sealed her fate. She would, in the end, be connected to trade through this country upstart. Caroline leaned toward Mrs. Hurst and muttered, “Look at our fool of a brother. He is bewitched.”
Mr. Hurst drawled dryly, “My dear Caroline, if I were in Bingley’s shoes, I should be quite undone by those blue eyes and that figure. What man in his right mind could resist such charms?” Both sisters frowned darkly at him, but he only chuckled unabashedly. Caroline became more restless than before and, in turn, snapped her fan, adjusted her gloves, and cast frequent glances at Darcy, only to find him entirely transfixed by the other Bennet sister.
His gaze was fixed not upon herself, but upon Elizabeth. When the country nobody leaned forward to whisper some remark to Georgiana, the girl laughed softly, and the sight was almostmore than Caroline could endure, for the woman had won the approbation of the brother.
When the performance ended, the Bingley party stood and began to exit their boxes to their waiting carriages. The night air was brisk, and the street was crowded with carriages and people pouring out of the theatre.
Sir Lawrence Pembroke spied Elizabeth in the throng and pressed forward, fighting the crush lest he lose sight of her. When he reached her side, he bowed deeply and took her hand in his.
“Miss Elizabeth! I am happy to see that you are in London, and that I have been fortunate enough to discover you.” He inclined his head politely to the rest of the party. “Good evening. So happy to encounter friends in this crush.”
His greeting was general, and then he turned quickly back to Elizabeth, watching her with evident admiration. “Tell me, Miss Elizabeth, how long do you remain in town? If you would allow me, might I have the honor of calling upon you?”
Elizabeth, surprised by his pointed and eager attentions, replied with composure. “Yes, Sir Lawrence. I am staying with my aunt and uncle at 23 Gracechurch Street. I have no fixed engagements, if it would please you to call upon me tomorrow.”
He bowed again, satisfied with her answer and with the smile of invitation he perceived in her eyes. Mr. Darcy, however, was not pleased and frowned down at Pembroke with visible displeasure before offering Elizabeth his arm.
“Miss Elizabeth,” he said curtly, “we must be going, or your uncle will begin to worry.” Without waiting for further parley, he took her elbow and guided her toward the carriage.
Bingley, meanwhile, lingered behind with Jane. He would not let her go until he had secured her promise of another meeting. “Miss Bennet, I hope you and Miss Elizabeth will allow me to call tomorrow. I will not be able to sleep without your invitation to do so.”
Jane, her eyes lowered but her smile full of happiness, replied, “We shall be very glad to see you again tomorrow, sir.”
Caroline Bingley watched the exchange between Darcy and Elizabeth and could not remove the frown from her face, nor the purse of her lips, which revealed clearly enough to anyone who cared to see what she thought of it all. Never in all the seven years of her acquaintance with Darcy had he once displayed such possessiveness toward her, nor anything approaching it. The sight of his hand upon Elizabeth’s arm stung bitterly.
Leaning toward her sister, she whispered, “Do you see how he guards her, Louisa? As though she were already his! In all these years, he has never so much as raised a brow in jealousy for me.”
Mrs. Hurst gave a noncommittal hum, too practiced in her sister’s complaints to engage them deeply.
Mr. Hurst, however, muttered under his breath, “No man in his right mind would feel possessive of that harridan.”
Louisa shot him a quelling look, but the corners of his mouth twitched as though he had amused himself exceedingly. Caroline, fortunately, had not caught his remark, else the scene would have ended in a very public quarrel upon the steps of the theatre.
And as Mr. Bingley’s second carriage conveyed them back toward Gracechurch Street, Elizabeth, observing the glow uponher sister’s countenance, thought with quiet triumph,Yes, Mr. Bingley is still Jane’s.
Chapter 20: Gracechurch Street
Mr. Bingley presented himself at Gracechurch Street at eleven o’clock the next morning. Jane had awoken, surprised that she had slept at all, so buoyant were her spirits after the marked attentions she had received from Mr. Bingley the day before. Elizabeth also found herself glancing toward the window almost as often as her sister, for Sir Lawrence had declared his intention of waiting upon her. She had been certain Mr. Darcy’s poor appraisal of her family had turned the gentleman against her, but apparently she had been mistaken.
When Bingley was finally announced, Elizabeth was surprised to see that Mr. Darcy was also present with the Bingleys and the Hursts. Bingley’s countenance was one of happiness, and the flush on Jane’s cheek made her feelings towards him apparent, had the smile on her face not already proclaimed the news.
Mrs. Gardiner received the three gentlemen kindly. “Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Hurst, you do us great honor. Please be seated. I will ring for tea.”
“Madam, the honor is mine,” Bingley replied warmly, bowing low. “It has been far too long since I enjoyed being in the company of your nieces. I cannot think how I endured these last weeks without it.” His eyes strayed to Jane.
Elizabeth, observing him with quiet satisfaction, could not resist teasing. “If what you say is true, sir, you must do all you can to repair so long an absence. My sister has been longing for company that only a man like you could offer. I assure you, London has not agreed with her spirits.”
“Indeed?” Bingley turned at once to Jane. “Miss Bennet, I hope you have not been unwell?”
Jane raised her eyes. “Not unwell, sir, only a little heartsick. London is very different from Hertfordshire.”
“Then I must endeavor to bring Hertfordshire to you,” Bingley declared eagerly. “Tell me, what may I do? Would you like to go for drives in the park or visit the galleries? Or shall we contrive little country walks, as we used to at Netherfield?”
Elizabeth caught her uncle’s amused glance, for Mr. Gardiner seemed as entertained as she was by Bingley’s unstudied devotion.
