“Their father should also take a hand,” said Darcy. “Those girls are pretty enough to be a target for any man, and lively enough that they will not know the danger until it is too late.”
“With that, I do not disagree,” said Hurst. “I think you will find that Mr. Bennet will not be so complacent as he used to be. The business with Wickham has awakened him to potential dangers—the prospect of marriage for his eldest daughters will make reforming them imperative.”
“They cannot be seen in society as they are,” said Bingley, “that much is certain.”
“Perhaps I should introduce them to my aunt,” mused Darcy.
“From what I have heard of Lady Catherine de Bourgh,” replied Hurst, laughter in his tone, “such an introduction would not be pleasant on either side.”
Darcy shuddered. “No, an introduction to Lady Catherine would not be at all wise, and for more reasons than the girls’ less-than-proper behavior. My other aunt, Lady Susan Fitzwilliam, is much more temperate and will not abide poor behavior, which must be why she and Lady Catherine do not get on at all.”
Both his companions chortled at this. They did not know the half of it; no one unacquainted with Lady Catherine could have anything more than an imprecise notion of the reality of the woman.
“I shall leave that to you, Darcy,” said Bingley. “Perhaps if Mr. Bennet does not act, a little subtle prompting about therealities of his daughters’ behavior and your interest in Miss Elizabeth will provoke him.”
“I would advise against it,” replied Hurst. “Rarely have I met such an observant man. Bennet would understand any such attempt at once—hemightview it with amusement, but it may also offend him.”
“The best option may be to take the girls into our homes once we marry,” said Darcy, nodding to Bingley. “Once the girls understand the benefits of learning proper behavior, I cannot imagine they will resist.”
“I would agree with you if one of those girls were not Lydia Bennet,” said Hurst. “That girl is as determined a flirt as I have ever seen.”
Bingley inserted himself into the conversation again. “For now, we’re putting the cart before the horse. When the time comes, we may discuss it then.”
They all agreed and dropped the subject.
Chapter IX
It was difficult to experience a major shift in opinion, especially when that change was forced upon one most unwillingly. For Elizabeth Bennet, the change had come upon her like mist rolling in from the ocean, silent and insistent, unexpected in the most basic sense.
The beginning had been Mr. Wickham’s shocking behavior at Lucas Lodge, the disgusting things he said to her, shattering every observation she had ever made about him. Mr. Darcy’s arrival the previous day had torn down the last shreds of credibility Mr. Wickham might still claim, revealing the true man behind the mask he had shown to everyone in Meryton.
Then there was Mr. Darcy himself. Though Elizabeth had been sitting near him and had expected him to speak to her in keeping with his usual conduct, it was to her aunt and uncle that he had directed his comments. That Mrs. Gardiner had prompted their conversation by speaking first mattered little in Elizabeth’s opinion—the gentleman was reticent before anything else, and no one could expect him to speak with those he scarcely knew on a whim.
That he was known to Aunt Gardiner, even to the small degree allowed by their mutual interactions in Lambton, was another shock to Elizabeth’s sensibilities. The image she had built in her mind of Mr. Darcy—with Mr. Wickham’s interference, Elizabeth recalled—was not that of a boy who would associate with the children of townsfolk. Yet Aunt Gardiner had held him in fond memory, as she explained after Mr. Darcy’s departure the previous day.
“He always had excellent manners as a child,” said she, when Elizabeth had asked her about it. “Even then, he was reticent, but he was not displeasing.”
“Yet you have no memory of Mr. Wickham.”
Mrs. Gardiner grew pensive. “Thinking on it, I seem to recall shadows of a boy who was often with him, but no, I recall little. From Mr. Darcy’s explanation, Mr. Wickham’s character did not become pronounced until after he left for Eton, and by that time I left Lambton.”
There was little more Aunt Gardiner could tell her that Elizabeth could not observe for herself. His character as a child suggested the man he would become; Elizabeth’s strongest asset in discovering the real man was her own observation, even if it had failed her. Elizabeth did not concern herself much with that, for Mr. Darcyhadnot shown himself to advantage when he had stayed in Meryton before. Now that he was here again, she decided the only thing to do was to push her previous observations to the side and start fresh. Why it was so important to her, she did not know, but the desire to learn who he was did not depart from her, regardless.
To her benefit, the gentlemen visited from Netherfield the following day, allowing Elizabeth to begin her study at once. Their appearance was unsurprising, given Mr. Bingley’s renewed ardor for Jane. Then again, Elizabeth supposed it was not renewed, merely embers fed with enough branches to roar to life again. The gentlemen entered to the family’s welcome, and events proceeded about as Elizabeth might have expected.
“Mrs. Bennet,” said Mr. Bingley in greeting, addressing the mistress as was proper. “I hope you will forgive us for visiting again; we are alone at Netherfield, and unable to accept visitors at present.”
“Oh, it is no trouble, Mr. Bingley,” said Mrs. Bennet. “Do you expect your excellent sisters to join you soon?”
Mr. Bingley’s jaw tightened, but he mastered himself with a smile that appeared forced. “No, Mrs. Bennet, I do not expectmy sisters to join us. Louisa and Caroline are enjoying London at present and have no desire to be in Hertfordshire.”
“Then you are welcome to visit at any time convenient, sir. And since you are to be alone, perhaps you will consent to join us at Longbourn for our New Year’s Eve celebration.”
“It will please us to accept,” said Mr. Bingley. “If I might, Darcy’s sister is to join us at Netherfield. Would it be an imposition to beg the invitation be extended to include her?”
Though Mrs. Bennet’s eyes flicked to the gentleman, it was not in her nature to refuse, no matter how little she liked him. “Not at all, Mr. Bingley. Miss Darcy is welcome to join you.”
The pleasantries continued for several more moments, and then Mr. Bingley took himself to Jane’s side and began to speak to her, while Mr. Hurst sat by Mr. Bennet. It was odd for her father to remain for a morning visit any longer than civility demanded, but on that morning, he appeared fixed in the sitting-room, his eyes surveying them all, but more particularly focused on Jane and Mr. Bingley. As for Mr. Darcy, the gentleman approached and sat next to Elizabeth with little hesitation, though he did not speak at once. Elizabeth snuck glances at him when she thought he was not watching, but for a time, she despaired of his saying anything to her.
