Bingley cogitated on Miss Bennet’s words for a while. When he had pushed the fog of his sadness to the side, he had to admit she had made much good sense. “I will do what I must so I am not overtaken by the despair I have felt at times since your sister’s passing.”
“Mr Bingley, never forget had she lived, Jane would have been your wife. Therefore, you will always be part of my family,” Elizabeth insisted.
“Thank you, Miss Elizabeth. Forgive me, I mean Miss Bennet. I still see her face whenever I use the appellation, or I hear someone else address you thusly,” Bingley owned. “She may not have been a perfect person, but she was perfect for me.” He stood, bowed towards Miss Bennet and made his way back into the main part of the drawing room with a look of determination on his countenance.
Seeing Miss Bennet and Bingley vacate the music room, Darcy nodded to Giana who was soon on her way to the instrument with her friends. He was well pleased Miss Bennet returned to his side. “I neither know, nor need to know what you said to Bingley, but he looks far more like himself afteryour conversation.”
“Without revealing the substance, I will tell you I imparted wisdom I gleaned from others, including advice you shared with me, with only a little of my own added for good measure,” Elizabeth reported.
“Whatever it was, you have my thanks,” Darcy said. “I am sure Mrs Hurst will second my saying so. I know it had pained her to see her normally cheerful brother looking so depressed.” Darcy looked out of the window. “The snowfall is much heavier now than when you and your family arrived. I have a feeling you may be at Pemberley more than one additional day.”
“I could think of far worse things,” Elizabeth replied without thinking. Her forwardness caused her to blush deeply.
Mary had watched her sister closely while she had her discussion with Mr Bingley. The previous night, Lizzy had revealed her intention to speak to him and about what. All she could do was hope it would have a positive effect on the man. Often when she spoke to Mr Darcy, she blushed brightly, something she had not done much in the past. No, Lizzy was anything but indifferent to their host.
Her preoccupation with what her older sister was doing had caused her to miss what Colonel Fitzwilliam had been saying to her. “Please pardon me, Colonel, I was wool-gathering. Would you mind repeating what you said?”
Fitzwilliam displayed an understanding grin. “I was asking if your preferred activities are the same now that you have been taught to ride? I am aware you love to play the pianoforte, and you are very well versed with the Bible, but are there more interests of which I am not aware?”
“I used to be enamoured of the writings of one Reverend Fordyce,” Mary saw the Colonel’s face fall a little before he schooled his features. “I did sayused tobe. I have since come to realise the last thing the good reverend knows about is whatis good or not good for ladies. These days my reading material has expanded greatly. Lizzy has been teaching me to play chess, do you play, Colonel?”
“While I am not as proficient as either Andrew or William…Darcy, I am able to hold my own,” the Colonel revealed.
“I know who William is. I have heard Giana refer to him by that name many times,” Mary stated. “I see a board set up in the corner,” Mary cocked her head towards where the board was on a small table between two armchairs. “Will you agree to me challenging you to a game?”
“Certainly. It would be my pleasure,” the Colonel declared. He led her across the room.
Once she recovered, Elizabeth could not but smile when she saw Mary sitting opposite Colonel Fitzwilliam with the chess board between them. It had not been many weeks since she had begun to teach Mary, who had been spurred to learn when Lydia had enthused about the lessons she was receiving from their father. As it seemed Lydia was, Mary was a natural at the game.
Darcy saw the direction of Miss Bennet’s gaze. “Does Miss Mary play?” he enquired.
“She recently expressed a desire to learn, so I began to teach her,” Elizabeth disclosed. “My father will be greatly surprised to discover she too can play. He used to think I was his only daughter with an aptitude for the game, but then Lydia expressed her desire to learn. Given the amount of time she has been learning, she is more advanced than I was at a similar amount of time studying the game.”
“You play as well? It should not surprise me that one of your intelligence is able,” Darcy averred .
“I thank you for the compliment, and yes, I play chess,” Elizabeth responded. “My father began to teach me when I was nine years of age. It took me four years before I began to winagainst him. Now he beats me only on occasion.”
He had thought he could not be more impressed by Miss Bennet, but he was. “Would you do me the honour of playing against me?” Darcy invited. “My uncle and yours seem to have completed their game.” Darcy inclined his head to where the two men had been playing while Lambert and his eldest cousin looked on.
“Certainly. I never refuse an opportunity to play chess,” Elizabeth accepted.
They replaced their uncles and set up the board again. Elizabeth was impressed by the set. The white pieces were made of crystal while the black pieces were made from marble.
Lord Matlock was about to return to his wife, when Gardiner placed a restraining hand on his arm. “Stay and watch, it will be entertaining.”
The earl was glad he had followed Gardiner’s advice. It took Miss Bennet less than twenty moves to checkmate William’s king. The men, except for the Colonel who was engrossed in his game, or more accurately his opponent, all watched with rapt attention, as did some of the ladies.
When the game was over, Darcy sat back and looked on in amazement. He had not been so soundly drubbed at the game since the early months of his learning to play.
“Lizzy, did you not warn Darcy how well you play?” Gardiner grinned.
“She did tell me she beats her father,” Darcy owned.
“Did she mention her father is the Thomas Bennet who still holds some records for chess at Cambridge?” Gardiner queried.
“Miss Bennet omitted that from the telling,” Darcy admitted. “However, rather than discourage me, that knowledge would have increased my desire to test my skills at the game against her.”
“And you would have not gone into the game assuming you would win,” Hilldale stated as he clapped his cousin on the back.
