Chapter 12
Darcy thought of nothingall night but the possibility of Collins offering for Elizabeth again. Although she had assured him she would not accept the clergyman, Darcy could not be easy until he knew Collins was no longer a candidate. Darcy was certain the Bennet household awoke early, and if there was any chance that Collins was going to renew his offer, Darcy was not about to risk it.
There was only one way to make sure that Collins failed in his objective, and that was for Darcy to propose to Elizabeth himself.
Fortunately, Darcy had a perfect excuse to call on the Bennets early the next morning. He was sending his carriage to pick up Mr. Bennet and take him back to Gloucestershire for the funeral. It was perfectly natural for Darcy to use the carriage to transport him and Bingley to Longbourn.
Wild horses would not keep Darcy away from Longbourn in any case.
Bingley was more than eager to join him. They arrived as the family was sitting at breakfast. In any other situation, their arrival at this time would be an unforgivable lapse of decorum, but Bingley would always be welcome.
“I beg your pardon for intruding,” said Darcy, bowing formally, “but since Mr. Bingley is now part of the family, I hope you do not mind that I joined him.”
His gaze sought Elizabeth. She looked endearingly flustered at his sudden arrival, and his heart gave a little leap as he dared to hope.
“Mr. Bingley is always welcome, of course,” said Mrs. Bennet, cutting Darcy out completely, and smiling at her future son. Bingley could do no wrong, especially now that he had declared himself.
There would have been a time when Darcy might have been affronted at being snubbed by Mrs. Bennet. Now that he knew the reason, he found it diverting that Mrs. Bennet did not make the slightest attempt to ingratiate herself to him. It confirmed what Elizabeth had said. Mrs. Bennet was not simply a grasping fortune hunter. She had made up her mind that she did not like Darcy, and that was enough reason for her to overlook his fortune completely.
Darcy exchanged glances with Elizabeth, and the merriment in her dark eyes found an echo inside him. He smiled at her – a wide open smile, and when she returned it, the very core of his being melted. He was lost forever in that smile.
He had tumbled headlong. He should be terrified, but it filled him with exhilaration.
What would it be like to encounter such a smile every morning for the rest of his life over breakfast? He would be blissfully happy.
The way her gaze settled on him suggested she might be prepared to accept the possibility.
“Would you like to sit down, Mr. Darcy?” said Mr. Bennet, jovially. “You may squeeze yourself in wherever you choose.”
But it was Mrs. Bennet who took charge, pointing everyone to their seats. The arrangement was completely informal, dependent on Mrs. Bennet’s whim. In another snub, no concession was made to Darcy’s rank. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet were at the head of the table, Mr. Bingley was next to Mrs. Bennet, with Miss Bennet opposite him, and Elizabeth next to her father. Darcy, meanwhile, was positioned at the bottom of the table, further even than Collins, who was clearly regarded as more desirable than him. He found himself next to Mary, who was relegated to the end.
He should be glad, he supposed, that there was one person at the table who was considered by Mrs. Bennet to be lower than him.
There was a great deal of shuffling as chairs and plates were moved to accommodate the newcomers, accompanied by laughter as cups and silverware were left behind and had to be passed down. Collins managed to slosh some of his coffee onto the tablecloth, and Lydia took the opportunity to dab at his cravat with her napkin, leaning close to him in a manner calculated to entice him.
Darcy would not have minded where he was sitting, but the arrangement did not suit him at all, since he was too far from Elizabeth to have any opportunity to speak to her.
“Mr. Darcy, I wonder if I might exchange seats with you,” said Mary.
