The waiting had almost ended, for the Bennets were due to arrive within a few moments. Unable to support the prospect of appearing the lovesick fool—not even Bingley was so eager as Darcy was himself—he had restrained himself from rising and pacing the room. It seemed his endeavors had been an absolute failure.
“I find it rather instructional,” said Fitzwilliam, throwing an insouciant grin at his young cousin. “Darcy has always been so unflappable, that I have always thought him beyond such nervous displays. It appears he is flappable after all.”
Bingley snorted at Fitzwilliam’s sally, accompanied by a chorus of similar laughter, mixed with a huff or two. “I am enjoying it immensely. For all the times Darcy counseled me to hold my feelings in check, I do not think I was ever so nervous as he.”
“You have fallen into love that many times, have you?” askedFitzwilliam lazily.
“Not at all,” replied Bingley, unconcerned. “What I felt before was a pale imitation of my regard for Miss Bennet. I am fortunate I never settled for any other woman, for I would not have known the bliss I shall experience when I finally take Miss Bennet for my wife.”
“You shall be brothers!” cried Georgiana, clapping her hands with glee.
No one missed the pained expression on Miss Bingley’s face, for they all knew she had wished Bingley to be a brother to Darcy, with herself the means of accomplishing it. Darcy did not allow his gaze to rest on her for long, but when he considered her, he could see how her protests had become weaker with time. Miss Bingley was not precisely resigned to her situation, but his reproofs, though they had taken time to affect her, seemed to have done what he intended.
“That is agreeable to me,” said Bingley.
“It will give you an additional measure of respectability,” said Lady Catherine. “I hope you understand what an honor it is to be connected to the Darcy and Fitzwilliam families.”
“Without a doubt, your ladyship,” replied Bingley, his ebullience unaffected by Lady Catherine’s arrogance. “I shall strive to uphold the family’s honor—of that you may be certain. In saying this, I need not make a similar promise for my future wife, for she is incapable of offending.”
As she often did when Bingley spoke of Miss Bennet, Lady Catherine nodded and allowed the subject to rest. There was, Darcy supposed, nothing about Miss Bennet to criticize. She was so angelic that she would no doubt provoke approval simply because it was impossible foranyoneto dislike her.
Mercifully, the Bennet family arrived a moment later, escorted into the room by Bingley’s housekeeper. While they exchanged greetings, Darcy had eyes for only one of those newlyarrived, and he could not keep himself from drinking in her presence, like a man dying from thirst, happening on a tall glass of cool water.
“Miss Elizabeth,” said Darcy, having the presence of mind to approach rather than staring stupidly at her, making himself appear deficient. “How happy I am to see you tonight, for you are a vision.”
For a woman of such prepossession, Miss Elizabeth delighted him by blushing deeply at his compliment. “I am happy to see you, Mr. Darcy.”
Sensing no deception or exaggeration in her response, Darcy exulted, and guided her to a nearby pair of chairs, intent upon keeping her company for himself the entire night. As impossible as that might have sounded, it lasted less time than Darcy had hoped or expected. For while Miss Elizabeth was happy to see him by her admission, there was some measure of hesitancy in her manner, such as he had not seen from her in some time. It was as if she were worried, though Darcy could not imagine why.
On the heels of this realization, Darcy noted that Mrs. Bennet was watching him closely. Knowing this woman’s character as he did and understanding the reason for her fears, he still could not imagine why she was so focused on him. It appeared Mrs. Bennet saw this, for she addressed him soon thereafter.
“Mr. Darcy, it occurs to me that we know nothing of you other than that you hale from Derbyshire. Can you tell us something about your home?”
As openings went, it was a rather clumsy attempt to learn more of him and his situation in life. Darcy had thought the previous year’s gossip more thorough than this, but it appeared they had left much from the telling. Curious, Darcy glanced at Miss Elizabeth, noting her pink cheeks and lips set in a thin line. At once, he realized she had expected her mother to speak and had dreaded it, which suggested there was something more thanthe typical avarice Darcy usually encountered in ladies wishing to know more of his situation. This prompted him to answer kindly, rather than his custom, which was to dismiss such questions out of hand.
“Ah yes,” said he, ignoring the severe look his aunt directed at Mrs. Bennet, or the utter disdain adorning Miss Bingley’s face. “I suppose I have spoken little of it since I came to Meryton. But I am not unwilling.”
Darcy enjoyed the shock Miss Elizabeth displayed, though he also noted Mr. Bennet watching them, eagerness mixed with glee. Mrs. Bennet’s expression was almost demanding. Before Darcy could speak, however, another interjected his opinion.
“You know not what you ask, Mrs. Bennet,” said Fitzwilliam, “for Darcy can speak of his estate for hours if you give him any encouragement.”
“Of course, he can,” said Georgiana. “Pemberley is everything lovely.”
“It is,” agreed Darcy. “The estate has been in my family for many generations, Mrs. Bennet. We are quite proud of it, there is no finer place.”
“I understand how one’s home appeals, Mr. Darcy,” said Mrs. Bennet, avoiding any more overt comment. “We are fond of Longbourn, though it must be nothing to your home.”
“Longbourn is a handsome estate, Mrs. Bennet. Yet to me, Pemberley is different. It is a large house, and the grounds are extensive, but to Georgiana and me, it is a beloved home.”
“Where in Derbyshire is it located?”
“A little east of the peaks, perhaps two or three hours north of Derby. Pemberley is situated in a long valley, which must account for the excellent quality of the soil there.”
“What are your crops?” asked Mr. Bennet with some interest.
For a time, they spoke of different crops and rotations, the herds of sheep or cattle that diversified their estates’ enterprise.Darcy spoke of a small mine on the northern edge of his lands and something of the beauties one could see there, giving Mrs. Bennet all the information she craved. While Mrs. Bennet was excitable, Darcy realized at once that she was a good sort of woman, a woman he hoped would one day be his mother-in-law. Thus, he had no compunction at all about offering as much information as she wished to hear.
“All this talk of Derbyshire has reminded me,” said Mrs. Bennet when they had spoken on the subject for some time. “My sister—my brother’s wife—lived in Derbyshire for some years when she was a girl.”
