Elizabeth offered Emily her hand. “Miss Darcy, I am delighted to see you once more.”
That seemed to satisfy the girl, who seriously shook Elizabeth’s hand, and then repeated several times more, “Be-ne.”
“She has changed so much,” Elizabeth said.
“‘Tis what they do.”
Elizabeth walked with them for half an hour, and asked about how Emily had done, if there had been any illnesses, and Elizabeth heard the tale of how a week previous Emily woke crying constantly at night, because the poor dear was teething — but that Mr. Darcy absolutely refused the suggestion to call the doctor to lance her gums.
After Emily’s morning walk ended, and she returned to the estate for her nap, Elizabeth continued her own walk. She was more and more confident that his gaze on her the previous day had indicated admiration, attraction.
That proud, difficult, odious, handsome man!
It was easy enough to understand him, and to understand all that would follow from his character. He would show himself attracted to her once more, talk to her seriously, enjoy the conversation, and indulge himself, confident in the knowledge that he’d made it clear to her that she could have no expectations, and then eventually he would deny himself, because he liked to punish himself for his perceived crimes.
If only he had been driven chiefly by the dislikeable notions that he had once mentioned, a distaste for her connections, low position, and lack of fortune! She could then rail against him, detest him, and put the whole matter out of mind. In that case nothing could be helped.
But this whole mattercouldhave been helped. If only Mr. Darcy was not such a fool.
That evening Elizabeth dressed for dinner with far more care than she ever had when it had been merelyLady Catherinewhose gaze she was concerned about.
That she could not stop herself from scheming over her clothes for the best part of an hour enraged her. That odious, frustrating, difficult man!
She should think nothing of him.
But could she do more to make him unhappy in his resolution not to marry her if she wore the silver chain or the ruby cross? The sprigged muslin or the blue wool?
Of course it would all be the same. Mr. Darcy might be a keen enough observer of the female form tonoticesuch matters, but they would not affect his fundamental judgement in the slightest.
Elizabeth prodigally scattered twice the sum of time in the arrangement of her hair as she ever had since coming to Jane’s house. Her sister observed her with some worry. At least Jane did not pester her further with her anxieties, thus requiring Elizabeth to once again make clear that she had no expectations.
She certainly did not.
By the time they’d begun their walk across the park, she was quite prepared to scream at Mr. Darcy, if he gave her half an excuse.
When they presented themselves at the drawing room, everyone made the proper bows and greetings. Darcy’s eyes immediately looked towards her, and they seemed to stop and widen. She smirked at him, as though to say, look as much as you wish, you’ll never do more than that.
His colour rose; his eyes remained wide.
That made her heart lighter and her mood angrier.
Emily was in the drawing room violently pushing herself back and forth on a solidly made rocking horse, watched by Nell, who occasionally darted nervous glances towards Lady Catherine.
Upon seeing them all, Emily ran over to Elizabeth — the shyness not having returned in the four hours since they wandered about in the grove this morning — and exclaimed, “Be-ne! Be-ne!”
Grinning, Elizabeth picked up the girl, “Hello, Miss Emily, and how do you do this evening?”
She pointed at her rocking horse and said, “Neigh! Neigh!”
Now that the greetings were done, while Elizabeth was occupied with Emily, Lady Catherine began speaking once more, clearly continuing the conversation that had occupied her before the entered the room. “Dismiss her to her previous role,” Lady Catherine said, pointing at Nell. “The child is weaned.”
“I will not,” Darcy replied through tight lips. “And I beg you not to discuss the matter in front of Emily and the person in question.”
“Oh nonsense, she is just a servant—”
“Thatdoes not affect the matter.”
“I am determined to have this discussion with you. We will not delay. Nurse, go and take the child away. Now, do it.”
