“Maggie, pray tell Mrs Randall I shall be with her momentarily.”
The visit, it seemed, was over. Mrs Bennet did not return to her seat but gestured impatiently for Elizabeth to join her on the landing, and from there, down the stairs to the front door.
“Will you dine with us soon, Mama?” Elizabeth asked as she donned her coat. “Aunt and Uncle missed you at Christmas, and Jane would take comfort in seeing you.”
Mrs Bennet looked unaccountably ill at ease. “I could not possibly leave Mrs Randall.”
“If she were to be having one of her good days, I daresay you could. The maid can see to her needs for one night—or one of her many other friends can. Please, come to dinner.”
Her mother agreed with a tight smile and a reluctant nod. Elizabeth had time only to confirm that Mrs Gardiner would send an invitation before she was unceremoniously shown onto the street, where Hannah was already waiting.
Her aunt and sister were already returned when she arrived back at Gracechurch Street. She joined them in the parlour, sitting down heavily and reclining against the arm of the sofa, fatigued from her walk. “How did it go, Jane?”
She sat up straight again when Mrs Gardiner caught her eye and shook her head, indicating that the visit had not gone well. “What happened?”
Jane glanced at her but briefly and gave only a slight shrug before returning her attention to her embroidery. “Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst were on their way out when I arrived. We did not have much time to talk.”
Elizabeth privately cursed the two women for such a transparent snub. “Did you see Mr Bingley?”
“No, he was not there—but I told you, Lizzy, that was not the purpose of my call.”
“I know, I only thought…never mind.”
“It seems you were right about one thing, though,” Jane added. “Neither has he been with Miss Darcy, as Miss Bingley said he would be. Mr Darcy said that neither he nor his sister have seen Mr Bingley all winter.”
“Was Mr Darcy there?” When her sister confirmed it, Elizabeth exclaimed at the strangeness of him having been present when his friend was not. “Unless Miss Bingley has finally got her way!” She laughed, for she did not think such a pairing was likely. “But Jane, this is good news. Of course Mr Bingley has not been chasing after Miss Darcy. And now you have visited, his sisters will have no choice but to tell him you are in town, and then he will call on you.”
“Perhaps, though I shall not depend on it. Miss Bingley made a point of telling me that they scarcely ever see him because he is so occupied at his club, and I do not think they will be in a rush to tell him I am here when they do see him.”
“Then perhaps someone else will have to let him know.”
Jane put her sewing aside and pushed herself to her feet. “I beg your leave to discuss this another time. It was a trying afternoon and my head is aching.” Assuring Elizabeth and Mrs Gardiner that she was only tired, Jane left to recuperate in her room.
“That vicious Caroline Bingley!” Elizabeth said as soon as she was alone with her aunt. “She has said something unpleasant, I am sure of it. Jane would not be this subdued for the sake of a curtailed morning call.”
“It may simply be that your sister has begun to lose hope, and it might be wisest to let her. But we have talked that situation to death, and nothing has changed. I suspect your news is more noteworthy. How was your mother?”
“In fine health. She and Mrs Randall had enough visitors over Christmas to save them from ennui. Mrs Randall herself appears to have been out of bed as much as she has been in it. I do not think she is seriously ill. In fact, I wonder at Mama still thinking she needs to be there.”
Mrs Gardiner regarded her knowingly. “Your mother will no doubt go home when she is ready.”
It seemed Elizabeth was not alone in thinking all was not well between her parents, and she sent a silent apology to her father for having failed to keep that much from her aunt’s notice. Resolved to say nothing more of her concerns, she added in a brighter voice, “She agreed to come to dinner, if you would be good enough to send an invitation.”
Mrs Gardiner reached to place her hand over Elizabeth’s. “I shall send a note this afternoon.”
Elizabeth smiled in thanks but inwardly flinched at the reminder of the letter she had yet to send to her father. With nothing of any great comfort to report after her first visit to Henrietta Street, she had put off writing to him. Now, rather than the hoped-for news that Mrs Bennet would soon be returning to her family, she was faced with the unhappy task of reporting that her mother had no good reason for remaining away from Longbourn or for neglecting her correspondence. That she was, in fact, having a grand old time in London and showed no interest whatsoever in going home.
She decided that she would do better to send no such report. Her mother had promised to write and would surely be able to explain her reasons far better than anyone else. Whatever her father’s concerns, they would soon be allayed, and perhaps then she might be able to return home herself.
5
AN UNEXPECTED PLEASURE
It was two days before guilt finally induced Darcy to look for Bingley. He had left Grosvenor Street even angrier with him than before—and even less desirous of speaking to him. Yet, whilst he disliked Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst’s insinuations about his power over their brother, Bingley really needed to be told at least whatnotto do—which in this case was to involve himself in any way with Elizabeth’s sister.
Thus, resolved to speak to him, Darcy decided to visit Boodle’s. He himself was a member both there and at White’s but preferred the latter, whilst Bingley had membership only at the former. That had made it easy to avoid him and would, he hoped, make it a similarly simple matter to find him.
Reluctance slowed his stride as he sauntered down St James’s Street. He passed White’s bow window, touching his hat in greeting at two acquaintances, Kilmarnock and Reeves, seated therein. They signalled to him to join them, and he was attempting to communicate with gestures that he was expected elsewhere, when a familiar voice stole his attention.
