“I apologise, Bingley.” Darcy grimaced as he surveyed the table. “What were you saying?”
“Beg pardon, sirs,” Bingley’s butler Mr Nicholls interrupted them. “Sir, Mrs Bingley worries that you have forgotten the time.”
“Heavens, so I have! Gentlemen, I must concede the game. Mrs Bingley, Lizzy, and I are to visit Longbourn and welcome the Gardiners. They will have left London early this morning and should be arriving soon.”
“This is your wife’s aunt and uncle?” Richard asked.
“It is. They visit Longbourn each year for the festive season–and since there is more room at Longbourn with Jane and Lizzy living at Netherfield–this year they have planned a longerstay than usual. Mrs Bingley is excessively fond of their society. They are capital people. Darcy will tell you. He met them this summer, did you not Darcy?”
Darcy gave no reaction when Richard raised a brow at him. “The Gardiners were very fashionable, well-mannered people.”
“They are a great deal more agreeable than that, but you will meet them tonight when they dine here with the rest of the family and the Lucas household. Jane and Lizzy cannot wait that long to see them, unfortunately. We shall be back long before we must dress for dinner, Jane will want to be sure all is well in the kitchens. Colonel, you must liven Darcy up; perhaps take him for a ride, I have never seen him spend so much time indoors in decent weather as he has on this visit. I cannot account for it.”
Bingley left them and rather than bear any of his cousin’s prying and leading questions, Darcy followed closely behind him.
That evening, Georgiana was so excited to join the party downstairs that she and Mrs Annesley left their rooms without Darcy. She recalled that he had told her last year that Mrs Gardiner was from Lambton, and that she had known their mother. Georgiana understandably tended to pepper anyone who had known Lady Anne with questions. Darcy wished she were not so enthusiastic to befriend Miss Bennet and her family.
He cursed himself for his excitement at informing her of the upcoming visit in July. Georgiana had never seen him behave in such a way about a lady, and she had comprehended its meaning instantly. Sadly, she had not taken his subsequent hints that there was no future for her brother and Miss Bennet. Since she had never had an opportunity to spend time with young ladies like Mrs Bingley and Miss Bennet before, he could hardly begrudge her the opportunity to make friends, particularly since the youngest Bennet daughter was no longer out. That girl was allowed to attend certain events at Netherfield, for she was with her family, and she attended events at Longbourn, but there was little other opportunity for Miss Lydia to make a spectacle of herself, for which Darcy was grateful. Georgiana was to be allowed to attend eventsat Netherfield, Longbourn, and Lucas Lodge while she was here. It had been fixed between his sister and her two guardians before they arrived.
Miss Mary Bennet was already amongst them, for what reason he did not know, but it seemed that she had dressed at Netherfield. Perhaps it was because she had come to practise with Georgiana that afternoon. The young lady was wearing a gown in a silk that was far above her station, a surprisingly pretty dress in white, which suited her very well. Miss Mary was pink cheeked, and appeared faintly embarrassed, but Georgie looked well pleased with her new friend’s appearance, and with herself. Miss Jane seemed equally satisfied. Darcy noticed that Miss Mary was wearing a necklace and earrings that Georgiana had been supremely pleased to have purchased for herself in Ramsgate. They were not expensive pieces, but his sister had considered herself very grown up to have selected such an item and paid for it with her own pin money. She had since turned sixteen and been given a small quantity of their mother’s fine jewelry, so Darcy had seen her wearing the set of beads in question far less often lately.
It was clear to him that Georgiana had encouraged her new friend, who was tall and willowy in form like herself, to borrow a dress and some beads. It was the sort of sisterly behaviour that his younger sister had always wished for someone to enjoy with. Miss Mary was so transformed, he could hardly object. Mrs Bingley and Miss Bennet looked surprised, but similarly impressed.
There was a commotion in the hall, and the Lucases and Collinses arrived, followed by the Bennets and Gardiners. The Phillipses also joined their party. Introductions were made, Arundel and Miss Bingley behaved as if the smell of turned fish accompanied the newcomers as they always did, and Darcy endured ten minutes of grovelling and obsequious fawning from Mr Collins, whom he did his best to ignore. Darcy prayed he would have the fortitude to last the night. It had been a mistake to accept Bingley’s invitation for the festive season. He did not wish to lose his friendship, but such daily proximity to Elizabeth and her family was unendurable. He seriously considered confiding in Bingley at the end of this visit, and explaining that they must see one another at their club in the future.
He thanked the Lord that Mrs Bingley was an excellent hostess.Taught exceedingly well by her mother, Mrs Bingley’s dinner was so well timed that the company was scarcely in the drawing room for a quarter hour before Mr Nicholls announced the meal.
Once at the table, he thanked the Lord again that his hosts and their guests all considered one another very good company, and kept the conversation very lively on their own. Darcy sat between Georgiana and Mrs Collins, and was grateful he had to add little to the conversations around him, for Georgiana was speaking animatedly with Miss Kitty and Miss Lucas, and Mrs Collins was excessively diverted to be back amongst her family and friends. Even Miss Bingley, Arundel, and the Hursts kept themselves happily amused amongst each other instead of spewing bile and inanities all evening.
At an eventual lull in the conversation, Miss Jane suddenly spoke up and addressed Mrs Gardiner. It almost seemed that she lookedhimdirectly in the eye when she said, “Mrs Gardiner, I hear you are from Derbyshire, like some of our other dinner companions. I believe Lizzy told me just the other day that you were sadly called away before your last visit was meant to be ended last summer. Something about a terrible fire?”
Darcy’s head snapped up and he looked at Elizabeth intently as Mrs Gardiner replied, “Indeed, Miss Jane, I hail from Lambton; not five miles from Mr and Miss Darcy’s home. Our visit therewascut short by a tragic fire at one of my husband’s warehouses. Two of our best employees, our manager, Mr Gordon and a clerk, Mr Tapp, who were with us for many years, were both killed. We could do nothing but go to their families with all haste. But my husband has promised me another journey north next year. I do hope that I will have the opportunity to make amends to Mr and Miss Darcy for having to postpone their invitation. I think we will invite my niece Miss Mary next time.”
Georgiana waited patiently for Mary to thank her aunt and uncle for thinking of her before replying, “I did wonder what happened to prevent you, your note was so vague. I do hope that you will write and inform us when you are traveling to Lambton, we would be happy to extend the invitation again.”
“Georgiana, perhaps you should discuss it with your brother beforeyou extend invitations to Pemberley. Your discernment is not formed yet; you need guidance,” Miss Bingley suggested snidely.
“Miss Darcyis the mistress of Pemberley until I marry, and as such, she extends the invitations according to her discretion, and exposure to society,” Darcy snapped without thinking, though he could not regret it. Miss Bingley must learn to stop being so forward and patronising with Georgiana. Now that she had given up on being the mistress of Pemberley herself, Miss Bingley must learn that she relied on his sister’s goodwill if she wished to be invited there again, and stop being so condescending.
“Wasthe note vague? I signed it, but I fear I did not look it over properly. Lizzy, that is unlike you. I suppose you were distracted as well,” Mrs Gardiner tutted. “Miss Darcy, I apologise for your confusion. It was a very difficult day.”
“But it wasnotvague; I was very explicit that there had been a fire, a fatal one in London, and we must rush back to town.” Elizabeth looked positively baffled.
“I did not see it myself, I only know what my brother said.” Georgiana looked mystified.
Darcy could not stop staring at Elizabeth. He knew it had been her penmanship. He had seen it enough times at Rosings when his aunt had instructed her to keep score playing cards, and then had made Darcy check her math as if the lady were entirely uneducated. That was why the note was upstairs in his travelling writing desk. He had seen instantly that Elizabeth had penned the note and her aunt had signed it, not a very surprising occurrence. All of this time he had felt very stupid for keeping it, but it was the only token of her that he had, even if the message was that Miss Bennet was too eager not to miss a day of their journey, and that her relations could hardly deprive her of the anticipated tour of Matlock.
He heard nothing for the rest of the evening. He had no idea how the conversation was resolved, nor any other topic that was discussed. He could not even recall if he ate another bite. He could only stare at Elizabeth, for once he had finally allowed himself tolookat her properly, he instantly comprehended how miserable she was. She noticed hispreoccupation, and it obviously made her more uncomfortable, but he could not stop staring at her.
Why would Elizabeth and her aunt say what they did about the note? Elizabeth Bennet might not be in love with him, but she was not a liar, nor did he take her aunt and uncle for liars. They were clearly quite bewildered by Georgiana’s claim. The only obvious answer was that they were all liars; the whole lot of them. But a strange feeling told him that something was profoundly wrong. Perhaps Elizabeth was correct; they needed to have a conversation to put this matter between them to rest. Whether they spoke rationally, or hurled accusations, or denounced each other forever, it did not matter. It must be done, so there could be peace between them, and he could somehow resign himself to living without her.
Chapter Nine
DARCY
When the ladiesleft the men, Bingley came directly over to Darcy and said, “We must talk, Darcy, immediately.”
“It must wait, Bingley.” Darcy stood.
