“I shall answer them both,” agreed Darcy. “Bingley is here because my aunt incautiously swept into my study and spoke of Anne’s disappearance without ensuring I was alone. In this, she was fortunate it was Bingley, for I trust him implicitly.”
Miss Elizabeth appeared to find this amusing, for she covered her mouth with her hand. “Your aunt has never struck me as a cautious sort of woman.”
“No one could make such a claim with a serious face, Miss Elizabeth,” said Darcy. “As for the second, I did not speak to my friend about your sister.”
A solemn regard was Miss Elizabeth’s only response. Darcy might have thought anger would rule the day, but she appeared willing to allow him to explain himself. Darcy lost no time in doing so.
“When Bingley visited me a few days ago, he spoke of his plans to travel north for the summer. Though I had some notion of speaking of Miss Bennet, I did not think it was correct to disrupt his plans. Therefore, I instead suggested that he might wish to look in on Netherfield when he returned.”
Miss Elizabeth’s eyes widened. “Then you intended he return to my sister’s company.”
Uncomfortable though he was, Darcy hastened to explain himself. “I will own that my thoughts were not so well developed. Of course, I knew Bingley would come close to your sister again, but I think I only wished to put him in the positionof making his choice free of the influence of myself or his sisters.
“I also wish you to understand that I never spoke against your sister,” added Darcy quickly, wishing her to understand this point. “My concern was for her returning regard. I will not scruple to suggest that your sister is most difficult to understand, and I took that reticence as evidence it would be difficult to touch her heart. As I was wrong, I was eager to rectify that error.”
“Then how did he discover the truth?” asked Miss Elizabeth, apparently content to accept his explanation.
“Quite by chance,” said Darcy, relieved to have navigated past the torrents to calmer water. “As he was preparing to depart for the north, he overheard his sisters speaking. Their conversation was more than enough to arouse his suspicions.”
Darcy chuckled and fixed Miss Elizabeth with a grin. “What Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst did not know was that Hurst was aware of it all. He has a habit of sleeping on a sofa in the sitting-room at Bingley’s house that is not easily observed. He had heard them speaking frequently. When he made this known, the sisters had no choice but to acknowledge their actions, though I shall not sport with your intelligence and suggest Miss Bingley surrendered easily.”
The light of righteous indignation shone in Miss Elizabeth’s eyes. “I suppose the daughter of a gentleman was not enough for Miss Bingley’s dynastic ambitions.”
“Miss Bingley dreams of making a society marriage; I must assume you already know the target of her designs.”
Miss Elizabeth nodded but did not speak.
“As for her brother, she wishes the same. It might surprise you to hear it, but she believes her brother suited to marry the sister of the man she wishes to marry herself.”
“There you would be incorrect, Mr. Darcy,” said Miss Elizabeth. “If you recall, she spoke of your sister in such glowingterms while I stayed at Netherfield that it was not at all difficult to understand her interest. Thereafter, the letter she sent to Jane invoked your sister’s name in a manner even more blatant.”
The haze of anger settled over Darcy. “That was not well done. I can only assume she did so to extinguish every bit of your sister’s hope, for I never—and would never—give her any hope on such a subject. There was a time when I considered Bingley a potential match for my sister, for I can trust him with her tender heart. But she is yet sixteen and not ready for marriage, so any such consideration was in the future and dependent upon their mutual attraction.”
Miss Bennet responded with a slow nod, considering his assertion. “Yes, I suppose that makes sense, Mr. Darcy. I thank you for having clarified matters, for I was curious.”
“Of course, you were,” replied Darcy.
“I would also wish you to know,” said she, visibly straightening her shoulders, “that I read your letter and believed you, especially pertaining to your account of Mr. Wickham.”
“That much is apparent, given the events of the day,” replied Darcy with a smile.
“Perhaps it is. Yet I would still wish to apologize for that error in judgment. I should have been more cautious and slower to give credit to his words, especially on so short an acquaintance. It was clear I was wrong in that instance.”
“Since you have been so gracious as to forgive me,” replied Darcy with a wink, “I shall offer the same clemency.”
They laughed together, perhaps the first time they had ever been so carefree in each other’s company. It felt good, Darcy decided, for while he had never seen their interactions as contrary or arguments as she had supposed, they had also never trulyenjoyedeach other’s company either. Hope swelled in his breast, as for the first time since that awful day in Kent, he felt that it might all end well.
At that moment, two things happened at once, one of them fortunate, while the other most certainly was not. The first was the entrance of the housekeeper, announcing dinner, while the second was the braying voice of his aunt, taking advantage of the first.
“Darcy!” commanded she. “Come here and escort Anne to dinner.”
Exasperated though he was, Darcy knew it was best to oblige her lest she expose them all to ridicule. Fitzwilliam, however, had other ideas.
“Ishall escort Anne, Aunt, for I am already at hand. Come, let us go.”
Darcy caught his cousin’s look, the significance of which informed him that Lady Catherine had not been unaware of his position by Miss Elizabeth’s side. The sensible thing to do would be to excuse himself from Miss Elizabeth and go to his aunt, forming a family group as they entered the dining-room. Darcy, however, was feeling exasperated at Lady Catherine’s continued intransigence and insistence on being obeyed, and not at all inclined to allow sense. Thus, he turned to Miss Elizabeth and offered his arm.
“Shall we, Miss Elizabeth?”
