“Do I?”
“You know you do. And let us not be shy about it, you have good reason. Your husband is an uncommonly handsome man.”
Elizabeth wondered whether her aunt knew she was blushing and if that was why she changed the subject.
“Tell me, is Jane as contented with Mr Bingley?”
The question caught Elizabeth by surprise. She pulled a pillow from behind her and hugged it to her chest. “Truly, I could not tellyou. She was not happy with mewhen I saw her last. How happy she is with her husband was not something she wished to discuss.”
Mrs Gardiner came to join her, perching on the edge of the bed. “Why was she unhappy with you?”
“She was upset that I neglected her at Lady Ashby’s ball.”
“I do not take your meaning. In what way did youneglecther?”
“She felt I cared only for my own reception and paid no heed to how she was treated—which, by her account, was with a marked want of respect.”
“What on earth did she expect? Fanfares? She is not of the same sphere.”
Elizabeth shrugged. “Neither am I.”
“But you are now, Lizzy. If Jane imagined she would be received with the same deference as Mrs Darcy of Pemberley, she was dreaming. She ought to be careful. She will make people think she is jealous.”
“Darcy said something very similar. I do not wish to believe it of her though.”
“Neither do I, but we are none of us without fault.”
“True, but why should Jane be jealous? She is five times as pretty as I and ten times as good.”
Mrs Gardiner leant back against the bedpost, rearranging her skirts around her. “Mayhap therein lies the rub. How often have you lauded Jane’s goodness? How often does your mother boast of her beauty?”
“Often, I suppose. Why?”
“I can conceive that being constantly told she is superior to all her sisters and friends might have instilled in her a propensity to resent anything—or anyone—who makes her feelinferior.” There was a pause. “I suspect, presently, that anyone is you.”
“Yes, I gathered you were heading in that direction,” Elizabeth replied miserably. “But Jane hasnevercoveted greater consequence. I cannot comprehend why she should suddenly be envious of my having a superior situation.”
“Perhaps not of your better situation,per se, but that your situation means you are better admired.”
“Hardly!” Elizabeth exclaimed, with a bitter bark of laughter. “Half of society despises me, and the rest is completely indifferent to me!”
Mrs Gardiner raised an eyebrow. “Truly? Because Jane’sgrievances, as you have related them, rather suggest it was she to whom society was indifferent andyouwhom they admired.”
Elizabeth shook her head, wondering vaguely when it had begun to ache. “Jane may have been less admired than she felt shedeserved, but I assure you she was under no illusion that I fared any better. Indeed, she went to great lengths to ensure I understoodjusthow ill my new family thought of me.” She picked unhappily at the pillow’s trim. “They will never like me, apparently, if I do not learn to respect them properly.”
When she received no answer, she looked up and was taken aback to discover Mrs Gardiner’s lips pressed together into a tight line and her countenance stained an angry red.
“What is it?”
“I am loath to say too much more, for I would not stir ill-feeling between the pair of you, but I regret it sounds very much as though Jane has maligned your success merely to lessen her own disillusionment.”
Elizabeth recoiled. That Jane should feel some jealousy for their altered situations was, perhaps, only natural. That she shouldblameher for it, consciously set out to punish her for it, was inexpressibly painful. “Think you that was her design?”
“I sincerely hope it was not her design, but it may well have been unconsciously done.”
Elizabeth felt quite nauseous with dismay, yet a friendship such as hers and Jane’s was too important to be forsaken over such a nasty little thing as jealousy, and she was nothing if not obstinate. “Then I shall just have to convince her she has nothingof which to be jealous, shall I not?”
Her aunt smiled warmly. “And I have every faith you will put it all to rights, Lizzy, but you look tired. Let us speak no more of it this evening.” After a fond goodnight, she left to find her own apartments.
