“Are you well, Lizzy?” Jane asked, keeping her voice low. Mary and Miss Darcy were playing one of the pieces Mary had brought on the beautiful pianoforte.
Elizabeth shook her head, trying to slough off her unease with the whole situation. “Yes, perfectly well,” she said soothingly. “I am only grateful for this time we get to spend with Miss Darcy. She is a delightful girl.” In truth, Georgiana was rapidly becoming one of her closest friends. Hopefully, she could prevail upon Mr Darcy to fix whatever rift had come between them. It would not do to let some foolish enmity with her brother ruin a beautiful friendship with Georgiana.
Chapter 11
Elizabeth strode arm in arm with Jane, enjoying the late autumn sunshine as they walked to the village. “How could anyone be sad or ill at ease when enjoying such views, I ask you?” she said aloud. Her younger sisters and mother walked ahead of her and Jane, chattering excitedly about this and that. The militia had finally arrived in force. As expected, the whole of Meryton was abuzz with the news. This very afternoon, there was to be a parade through the town, and everyone was turning out to greet their brave soldiers.
Their mother looked back at them and gave Elizabeth a confounded look. “What should anyone have to be upset about, Lizzy? I believe our supper with the Darcys went well last night. And with the militia arriving in town, I will bet my life on the notion that all five of you will be settled with respectable husbands soon.”
“Is that all you care about, Mama?” Elizabeth asked.
Her mother stopped, wagging a finger at her. “When you are married with five daughters of your own, you will understand, Lizzy. I will not have my daughters starve in the hedgerows when your father is gone.”
Her mother marched off, followed by Lydia and Kitty, who giggled at the prospect of finding a handsome soldier to ask for their hands in marriage. Her sisters had said more than once over the past days that even a corporal would do. Whoever the lucky soldier might be, he would surely rise through the ranks quickly when inspired by the love of his new wife.
Elizabeth shook her head as the girls and their mother hurried on, leaving her and Jane to follow several paces behind. Mary was also left behind. Luckily, as Mary was lost in her own world, as was so often her way, she seemed not to mind.
“Mother acts as though we ought to concern ourself with nothing more than finding a husband, regardless of his character or anything more than his purse,” Elizabeth said impatiently. “Is not a young woman more than just a pretty face and a set of impressive accomplishments meant to attract a man?”
“You cannot blame her for wanting to see us all settled and taken care of, can you?” Jane asked gently. “She may come on a little too strongly, but it is out of love that she works so tirelessly to see we will be provided for.”
Elizabeth let go of Jane’s arm, stopping on the dirt lane. “I am more than just a bargaining chip, Jane. By the way she went on last night after coming home from the Darcys’ lodgings, you would think there was a proposal coming any day now.” In truth, Elizabeth flushed every time she thought of Mr Darcy. But it was obvious that he had no interest in her. On the contrary, Mr Darcy appeared to despise her. It was a shame that it was so, for everything Georgiana had said about her brother had led Elizabeth to believe she might find a friend in him, and perhaps even more. However, what must be, must be. For whatever reason of his own, Mr Darcy had evinced the strongest dislikeof her. She had played over every encounter they had had since meeting and could not figure out for the life of her why she irritated the man so. At last, Elizabeth could come to no better conclusion than that he was a proud sort of fellow, and did not choose to be on good terms with anyone who could not add to his own consequence.
“Mama is how she is. There is no use wishing she were any different, because we cannot change her no matter how hard we might try,” Jane went on. “As for there being a potential alliance with Mr Darcy, how would you feel about such a thing? I noticed how much you lit up when he was in the room. And he did not fail to notice your wit, or your beauty.”
Elizabeth took her sister’s arm again and began walking toward town with all haste. “You are mistaken, Jane, surely. I do not think there shall ever be any hope of such a thing. He does not like me.”
Jane’s beautiful mouth formed a little frown of dismay, and she hurried to reassure her sister. “That is not true. I think he is merely shy, like Miss Darcy. It seems to be a family trait.”
“No, this was more than shyness, Jane. I do not know what I have done to him, but I can see it plainly on his face whenever we are in the same room. He does not like me, and that is that. I only wish there was a way to continue our acquaintance with Miss Darcy without having to suffer his presence.”
“That will not be likely until Mr Darcy departs for London,” Mary said, chiming into their conversation. “I like Mr Darcy. He is very serious and level-headed.”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes in Jane’s direction but said nothing else about the man. It would not do to argue, since neither of her sisters saw the side of him she had.
When they arrived in town, the streets were already crowded with the many people who had come in expectation of the parade. To Elizabeth’s embarrassment, as they came upon their mother, Lydia, and Kitty, they saw they had run into the very people they had been discussing on their way into town.
“Here are my other daughters. You see, girls, we had just been talking of the charming supper Miss Darcy hosted last night, and here you are to give her your thanks as well!” Mrs Bennet gushed.
Jane, Elizabeth, and Mary curtsied, and when Elizabeth raised her eyes, she saw that Mr Darcy had his gaze pinned on hers. She started in surprise. What could he possibly mean by it? Surely whatever mysterious offense she had committed could not be as bad as all this.
“It is lucky we ran into this afternoon. Will you walk with us for a time?” Miss Darcy asked.
That, at least, Elizabeth could agree to whole-heartedly. “I should be delighted,” she declared. Though looking rather less pleased, Mr Darcy and Mrs Younge did not attempt to dissuade their charge from the idea. Elizabeth fell into step with Miss Darcy, and they spoke of how pleasant it had been to spend an evening together and how delightful the unseasonable sunshine was. Enquiring into Miss Darcy’s plans for the day, Elizabeth was surprised to find that Mrs Younge had strongly encouraged the visit into town as being a valuable chance to see the militiamen. Elizabeth would not have expected it of Mrs Younge. Though her own mother was prodigiously fond of such stratagems, she would not have thought Mr Darcy wouldwish his sister to do any such thing. But perhaps she had misunderstood. It might have been only that Mrs Younge wished to pay her respects to the militia, or that Georgiana wished for the fresh air and excitement of a walk into town.
After a time, Mary joined them, and there came a little turn in the conversation. Mary asked Miss Darcy a question about Bach’s fugues, and the resulting discussion soon became so technical that Elizabeth did not attempt to follow it. Not wishing to interrupt their pleasure in the topic, she quietly fell back. Mrs Bennet soon went off ahead with the younger girls, to act as chaperone and no doubt to see all the excitement of the militia men parading through the town on their way to set up their new barracks.
Elizabeth, Jane, Mr Darcy, and Mrs Younge were left in their own group, as they were not in the least tempted by the parade. Jane fell into conversation with Mrs Younge. Half annoyed and half interested in the chance, Elizabeth realised she must speak with Mr Darcy, or doubtless be left in an awkward silence.
Elizabeth steeled herself, willing to try once more to win over the obdurate Mr Darcy. “Miss Darcy put on a wonderful supper party last night. You must be very proud of her.”
Mr Darcy seemed surprised by her comment, though not displeased. “Yes, I am. She worked very hard to please all of you. I am glad to hear she was successful.”
“It takes very little to impress us. We are easy-going folk. I believe more stock should be placed on good friendships and easy conversation rather than an elaborate display. What do you think, Mr Darcy?”
“I agree,” he replied, and fell silent.
∞∞∞
