Darcy clapped him on the shoulder.“A wise plan, Fitz.”
By the time they stopped for refreshments, the stragglers had caught up to the rest of the group.Lady Clara still looked put out over Colonel Fitzwilliam’s defection and then Elizabeth’s seeming abandonment, but she seemed at least somewhat mollified by the attentions of Jonathon Covington, who was listening with rapt attention as she told him about the puppy she was training.
Elizabeth smiled and shook her head, glad Lady Clara was not too upset, and sought out her sister.Jane was smiling ethereally and all of Bingley’s teeth were visible.Elizabeth approached Jane and whispered in her ear.
“Is there something you wish to tell me, Sister?”
“Oh, Lizzy!Why cannot everyone be as happy?”
“Mr.Bingley has proposed?”
“Yes!And I have accepted.”
Elizabeth embraced her sister.“I am so very happy for you, Jane.Do you want to tell everyone else or wait until we return?”
“It may be too late for that,” she answered with a fond smile and a nod toward Bingley.
He was standing between Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam and they were alternately congratulating him and slapping his back.Soon, the entire party knew of the engagement and Jane received their warm wishes as only she could.
Darcy watched Elizabeth with a pleasant feeling of contentment.He knew it would not be long until they were receiving congratulations on their own engagement.They had suffered a setback or two, but they were headed in the right direction—finally, and he felt that the difficulties had bonded them further, if such a thing were possible.
Lady Clara had tried to stay near Colonel Fitzwilliam as they clustered under the trees, but watching him dance attention on Miss Covington turned out to be an undesirable pastime and she moved to sit alone, preferring her own company over the ebullient effusions for Miss Bennet and Mr.Bingley’s engagement.She was soon joined on her side of the tree by Jonathon Covington.He seemed determined to speak to her, and he appeared to be a kind and unassuming man.He was a friend of Colonel Fitzwilliam’s, and though she was smarting from having been thrown over by him only a half hour ago, she did trust his judgement.And she was not completely against receiving a little attention of her own.
Soon, they continued their walk through the gardens and Lady Clara walked on the arm of Mr.Covington, now in the position of listener as he told her about the estate he was bringing back to its former glory.He had inherited it from an uncle and it was small and in disrepair, but with patience and diligence, it could be a lovely home.She nodded and smiled and commented where necessary, asking the occasional question.It never occurred to her to wonder why he was speaking to her of such a topic, or why he was not paying attention to anyone else in the party.
She walked happily along, only occasionally glaring at Colonel Fitzwilliam and the back of Miss Covington’s bonnet.
Seeing everyone else was distracted and Georgiana was with Mrs.Annesley, Darcy felt no compunction in pulling Elizabeth slightly ahead of the party so they might converse privately.
“You arranged that rather conveniently, Mr.Darcy,” said Elizabeth.
“I do not know what you mean,” he replied.
“It has worked out rather well for your cousin.”
She glanced over her shoulder and smiled fondly at the group comprised of their friends and relations.The ladies were clustered around Jane, questioning and congratulating her, and Bingley was somehow in the middle of them all, smiling like a fool and looking more than a little dazed.Colonel Fitzwilliam was on the outskirts of the group, trying to pull Miss Covington from the crowd.
“What is Colonel Fitzwilliam up to?”asked Elizabeth as they pulled farther away from the group.
“What do you mean?”
“He is paying a great deal of attention to Miss Covington, and none whatsoever to Lady Clara.”
“Lady Clara?Why would he pay her special attention?”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes.“He needs a wife with a fortune, and she is in possession of one.They are both kind people and they are both connected to you.It is not an outlandish idea to think they would enjoy one another’s company and possibly come to an understanding.”
He looked at her incredulously.
“What?”
“You make it sound so simple.”
She shrugged.“Sometimes it is.”
His face expressed his doubt.“You would not behave so yourself.You know you would not.”
She shrugged again.“I am not Lady Clara.”
