Lady Catherine is not coming? How disappointing.She was almost irritated at Mrs Collins for having so much success in making her husband reasonable. That being said, Jane was happy that the man spoke more of his admiration for his wife than that for his patroness. She breathed a sigh of relief that she need feel no guilt on the matter of Charlotte Collins. As Mr Collins turned to his other dinner partner, his father-in-law, Jane looked over the rest of the table with interest.
Miss Mary was seated between Miss Darcy and Mr Rupert Hurst, was conversing animatedly with the gentleman about the needs of hisparish. Jane smiled. She had told Mary the man would remember himself. Mr Crawford was seated between Mrs Bennet and Kitty. Mrs Bennet was lauding the virtues and beauty of her fourth daughter at length, to her daughter’s horror and Mr Crawford’s boredom.
It was obvious that the man would rather have been seated next to Elizabeth. Jane wondered if the young man actually wished to take her young heroine from her hero, or if he were merely tweaking Darcy’s nose. One could hardly help the suspicion, considering that the young man had declared himself heartbroken within seconds of learning she was betrothed. Which was before the two had even enjoyed a conversation.
Some men only want what belongs to another,Jane recalled her own brother Charles telling her once.Good luck turning Elizabeth–or any lady–from Darcy.
Lydia was sulking between Mr Bennet and Mrs Annesley.An odd placement for the space at the master’s left hand, but rather clever of Mrs Bennet to use the placement of another girl’s companion to keep her own daughter in line.She was not placing the other woman in charge of her daughter for the night, exactly. But by seating Lydia the way she had, she gave the girl no one to speak to, other than her own father, and a person who would only converse with her about the most appropriate topics. Lydia was being a tad rude, speaking around Mrs Annesley, asking Miss Darcy pointed, and rather resentful questions about her education, accomplishments, and wardrobe. Lydia seemed to resent Miss Darcy for her privilege and endless talents, but yet could not resist her interest. Miss Darcy was patient and unfailingly polite and proper, driving Lydia nearly mad with her perfection.I wonder where that will lead.
Miss Crawford was between Colonel Fitzwilliam, whom Mrs Bennet had given up on as completely romantically disinterested in her daughters, and Mrs Hurst, to whom Miss Crawford spoke about shopping in town and fashion. She gave most of her attention to the colonel, flirting as outrageously with him as she did Mr Rupert Hurst. Jane looked to Mr Hurst, wondering if he would notice the artful defection of the woman who had demanded his attention quite shamelessly since she arrived among them, but he looked entirely absorbed by his conversation with Miss Mary.
“I believe you have kept her far too long, Jane.” Mrs Bennet’s voice carried from the far end of the table. “You have assumed that this woman is quality just because of the clothes she wore when you found her, but she could have been wearing a borrowed gown then just as easily as she is now. Or worse, a stolen gown.”
Jane could not hear Mrs Bingley’s hushed response from that end of the table. But she saw Mr Darcy, seated at Mrs Bennet’s right, bend towards his hostess, and begin whispering intently to her. Mrs Bennet’s brow furrowed, and she looked down the table at Jane frequently as she listened to her future son-in-law. Her brow then rose high, and she regarded Mr Darcy with astonishment. Jane wondered what he was telling his bride’s mother, but whatever it was, Elizabeth appeared relieved that her mother had quieted.
The other guests, Mr and Mr Gardiner, the Phillipses, the Gouldings, the Longs, and the Lucases were dispersed amongst the others, and Jane hoped to speak more with the Gardiners when they returned to the drawing room. Jane gave her attention to the next course until Mr Collins turned to her and asked, “So, Miss Jane, do you read sermons?”
Chapter Fourteen
When the gentlemenjoined them in the drawing room after the separation of the sexes, Miss Crawford was holding the two younger Bennet sisters and Miss Lucas spellbound as she described in detail her last visit to her dressmaker. The moment the gentlemen joined them, Miss Crawford abandoned her young audience mid-sentence and made her way quickly to Mr Rupert Hurst.
“Mary, take our friend Miss Jane out to the balcony with you, and tell your elder sisters and their men to come inside, the tea is getting cold.” Mrs Bennet nodded to her third daughter.
Our friend Miss Jane? What did Mr Darcy say to Mrs Bennet?
Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy could not be parted from their ladies for long, and when Elizabeth and Mrs Bingley had announced a desire for fresh air as they left the table, the two gentlemen had been all too willing to abandon the other men to join them on the balcony.
Jane followed Mary out of the French doors. Her head was beginning to ache just a bit, and she was hoping some fresh air might help. As they exited the drawing room, Colonel Fitzwilliam joined them. The two couples were discussing their plans for the Bingleys to visit Pemberley.
“We shall decide what is to be done if you have not been claimedbefore we go, Miss Jane, but I prefer to believe that your family will arrive long before we depart for the north late in the spring,” said Bingley kindly. “But if not, of course you may join us.”
“I wish for you to visit us in Derbyshire before too long has passed, even if youhavereturned to your home,” Elizabeth insisted. “We shall fight over you if we must.”
“I am sure that will not be necessary,” Jane laughed.
“I do not know, Miss Jane, I believe that you are popular enough for us gentlemen to have to conduct duels between the ladies, to determine with whom you will spend your time.” Colonel Fitzwilliam teased. “My young cousin, for example, is overjoyed by the prospect of a visit from you.”
“Like Mr Bingley, I do hope that my memories will return, and that I will be reunited with my family before long.” Jane smiled at him. “But I agree with Lizzy, a visit to Pemberley sounds very agreeable.”
Suddenly, they heard voices from the other side of the French doors, which were covered by draperies to allow air into the room with the doors open, but also to prevent it from getting too cold in the drawing room.
“So what did you discuss at dinner with your curate?” Miss Crawford asked someone in a teasing manner.
“Sermons and work, what else?” they heard Mr Rupert Hurst reply.
“Why on earth would she think you would want to discuss such matters with a woman?” Miss Crawford giggled.
“I do not know, but I am grateful that little Darcy chit convinced her to change her mode of dress,” Hurst replied drily.
Jane observed poor Miss Mary turn white as the beastly man continued. “You should have seen her before you arrived. Quite terrifying. Looked like a ghoul, forever trapped in mourning. Obviously, she changed her appearance to impress me, and I will not lie, she did, a bit. But I have no plans to throw myself away on so little. None of these Meryton girls have a portion worth considering, and only the Bennet girls have faces worth looking at. I felt obliged to speak to her. Everywhere a parson goes, everyone throws their most pious spinster at him, but I had to promise my sister-in-law that I would not consider a Bennetsister, nor any Meryton girl, before she would consent for my brother to solicit an invitation for me.”
“Spinster?”Jane nearly screeched. Suddenly there was a hush on the other side of the French doors, then a rustle of skirts as the two offending speakers fled.
“Howdarehe?” Jane snatched the curtain open to see the pair making haste to join Mr Crawford, Miss Lucas, and Miss Lydia. She scowled as Miss Crawford and her brother gave the youngest Bennet a great deal of attention, and Mr Rupert Hurst behaved as if nothing at all had just happened. She closed them again and whirled upon Miss Mary.
“The beast! Mary Bennet, you listen to me!” Jane demanded.“Iam a spinster! I am seven-and-thirty, and still unwed, by choice, for Icouldhave married, if I wished, I am certain of that.Youare only twenty years old! It is far too early to call you a spinster, and even if it comes to pass, there is no shame in it. You have a large and affectionate family. You will be very well no matter what happens. Do not eventhinkon what that terrible man said. This ismyfault. I pushed you at him, and I pushed him at you. I had no right to suppose a preference where only false civility existed. I beg your pardon most sincerely, Miss Mary. I ought never to have meddled.”
“Miss Jane is right, Mary.” Mrs Bingley hurried to her sister and hugged her. “I do not think being rightfully called a spinster is in your future, but even if it is, you will still have family who loves you dearly. You will never be alone.”
