“Not at all.”
“Then yes, that would be lovely. Thank you.”
The colonel nodded and bade her good morning before turning the corner and disappearing.
The guests spent their late mornings and early afternoons in these planned pursuits.
Elizabeth, as always, enjoyed riding Neptune at breakneck speeds across Pemberley’s fields and along its paths. The weather was mild for summer, though the sky was more blue with sun than white with clouds. As they cooled down their mounts, Elizabeth chatted amicably with Mr. Bingley while Georgiana worked silently on her other side.
She found him to be overly agreeable but in a way that charmed more than grated. It seemed his eagerness to please came from true amiability and not a lack of conviction. In addition, he asked as many questions as he answered, seemingly as desirous of her information and opinions as he was to share his own. She did note that many of his queries were aimed at learning about another Bennet entirely, but she did not blame him. Though gentlemen being inclined towards her sister was more the rule than the exception, she thought it showed good taste.
“I thought I might go to the garden and see the progress of your sister’s work,” Bingley said as they entered Pemberley’s grand foyer. “Would you ladies like to join me?”
“Thank you, Mr. Bingley, I need to meet with Mrs. Reynolds about dinner; please excuse me. Shall we plan to take tea in the east parlour before you and Jane leave?”
“That would be lovely,” Elizabeth said.
Bingley nodded his agreement.
“Let us meet there around two, then, and in the meantime, I will ask Abigail to supervise the packing of your things and have them put on the carriage.”
As Georgiana left them, Elizabeth beamed with pride at her young friend. She had come so far since that first day when they met in the woods. Now she was confidently helping to run Pemberley and seeing to her guests like any great mistress.
“I would be happy to accompany you to the garden,” Elizabeth began to tell Mr. Bingley. Before she could finish her response, Mr. Darcy announced his presence.
“Hello, Bingley, Miss Elizabeth. How was your ride? Did you find Hades to be a sufficient mount?”
“He was better than that, as I am sure you are aware,” Bingley answered. “We were about to seek out Miss Bennet. Shall you join us?”
“I think I will take care of some correspondence while everyone is occupied, but please continue to make yourself at home. I will meet up with you later.”
Elizabeth felt fairly certain Darcy was avoiding her.
“Georgiana invited us all to take tea in the east parlour at two. She has gone to make the arrangements for dinner and to see to our departure,” Elizabeth told him. No matter his strange behaviour, she wanted to be sure he saw how well his sister was carrying out the role of mistress. Due only to her nearly exhaustive catalogue of his expressions could Elizabeth discern in the slight lift of his brow and loosening of his lips that he too was pleased.
“Shall you join us?”
“I will do my best to finish my business by then.” With a bow, he was gone again, but not before she caught a glimpse of something that looked very much like displeasure. Elizabeth took the arm Bingley offered, and they set out for the garden. Unfortunately, Jane was not there. They enquired with a maid and were told she had left an hour earlier. When Bingley assumed she had gone to her chambers, Elizabeth did not challenge his assumption. She had nearly forgotten about Jane’s request to the colonel, but she realised that at that moment Jane was likely enjoying a tour of Pemberley’s greenhouses.
In fact, Jane had already had her tour and was changing into her afternoon dress when Elizabeth knocked on her door.
“Georgiana was right. That shade looks well on you,” Elizabeth remarked.
Jane’s pale pink dress was a different style than her morning dress, but the colour was nearly the same.
“Thank you,” Jane said as she rebraided her hair with a matching pink ribbon. “They were both our aunt’s, and she insisted on having them done over for me to wear this summer.”
“I did not realise she had done that. How kind of her. But of course, you deserve every consideration.”
“Mother has always said pink makes my skin appear dull and so has not permitted me to wear it, but it is my favourite.” Jane swished the skirt of her dress back and forth.
“Well, you always look lovely, but pink suits you and Mother is quite wrong. It brings out some of your natural colour and sets off your eyes.”
“Really?” Jane asked.
Moving to the mirror, she began to examine herself. As Elizabeth watched, she fussed with her braid, retied the ribbon and pinched her cheeks.
Elizabeth, who had never known her sister to have any concern beyond pleasing their mother when it came to how she looked, was intrigued as to the cause of this new attentiveness, which she suspected. However, she feared enquiry would cause embarrassment as she was not convinced Jane even knew that she might be trying to impress or gain the notice of one gentleman in particular. And though there were three potential candidates for her sister’s interest, Elizabeth was fairly confident in her guess as to who her sister preferred presently.
