“Foryoursake, to demonstrate to everyone that she is respectable and that your family approves.”
“I know that,” Fitzwilliam said quickly. “But Miss Elizabeth would not.”
Darcy hid his smile as he buttoned his coat. He allowed himself a moment to indulge in the prospect that Elizabeth liked him so much she would be jealous of him dancing with another woman. It was a lovely thought that he would be a complete fool to humour. And only one sunk in selfish pride would consider it, and he was determined not to be such a man.
“No,” he said, turning around and readying to leave. “Please do not say such things.”
“Why? You said Miss Elizabeth does not like you, but?—”
“She has reason not to. I separated her sister and my friend, and I was selfish and proud.”
“That is the past, and I still say she was impatient to talk with you last night. It could have saddened her that you danced the supper set with Clara because she wanted to spend that time with you.”
“Fitzwilliam, do not raise my hopes,” Darcy said, cringing a little at his own pleading tone. “I am already disappointed enough that writing to L came to nothing. I cannot tolerate more disappointed hopes about a woman I actually met and loved.”
His cousin lowered his head and nodded, muttering a promise to say nothing more. To change the subject, he asked, “Are you going to the theatre tomorrow?”
Darcy shook his head, eager to talk of anything else. “I am going to the Surrey Institution lecture.”
“Do you want company?” Fitzwilliam asked as they went down the stairs. “I am a subscriber because you made me, although I never go. Clara can be my guest.”
“I am perfectly capable of attending an evening on my own. Besides, there will be plenty of people I know in attendance, regardless of the lecture topic.”
“Of course youcango anywhere alone,” Fitzwilliam said with an exaggerated lift of his eyes. “When have you not gone somewhere because you did not have a companion? Your favourite cousin is offering to go to your dull lecture on chemistry or philosophy or literature or whatever to sit in a room next to Clara—and to keep you company so you do not look as though you have no friends.”
Darcy laughed and agreed, and parted ways as his cousin went to call on his future bride and Darcy mounted his horse. As he rode toward Hyde Park, he was torn between wanting to hope there was a kernel of truth in Elizabeth having some interest in him, and knowing rationally that she had no attachment to him whatsoever.
“Doyou suppose we have given them enough time to themselves?” Mrs Gardiner asked Elizabeth as they stood on the landing outside the drawing room.
“You were generous enough to leave them alone in the first half an hour Bingley was here,” Elizabeth said. “He alreadyproposed to her, and we have all congratulated and hugged and shaken hands, yet he remains with us all these hours later.”
Mrs Gardiner gave a knowing smile. “Well, I thought they might like a quarter of an hour to themselves now that everything is settled.”
Bingley had proposed to Jane this morning by handing her a valentine and, although she could not read his writing in its entirety, the pertinent question was legible enough, and they settled all between them before Elizabeth and Mrs Gardiner had returned. Elizabeth suspected that kissing and cuddling on the sofa would be how they spent this brief interlude alone.
“Do you think once he has had a few kisses, Bingley will return home?” Elizabeth asked. Bingley was an amiable man, but he had been with them since eleven this morning.
Her aunt shook her head. “At this late hour, I will have to invite him to dinner.”
Mrs Gardiner was about to enter the drawing room when there was a knock at the front door and Mrs Sullivan was shown in. Elizabeth felt startled to see her and was grateful that she was on a floor above her and had a moment to compose her features before Mrs Sullivan looked up.
She truly liked Mrs Sullivan, but after watching her dance and talk with Darcy, it would be difficult to speak as amiably as she had spoken with her at the ball. Darcy had seemed interested in everything Mrs Sullivan had to say, and her disappointment still felt raw.
“I hope you will forgive me for being abominably rude and calling so late in the afternoon,” she called up the stairs without waiting for the footman to even close the door behind her. Mrs Sullivan gave her a smile that reached her eyes. “I can leave my card and pretend I do not see you if it is not a convenient time, Miss Bennet.”
Elizabeth saw Mrs Sullivan’s smiling expression and remembered her eagerness to make friends in this new stage of her life. She could not allow jealousy to prevent her from befriending a respectable woman, especially one who was eager to know her.
Sending her away would transgress the duty of woman to woman. Did not the sisterhood of women come before any affectionate feelings for a man? Female friendships must always come first and be valued above a man, even a man who might be as perfect for her as Darcy.
But that did not make it easier.
Elizabeth put on a bright smile and told her it was no trouble. She gestured for her to come up the stairs and introduced her to her aunt. “We are about to interrupt my sister, who is recently engaged, so I think it best if you follow behind us,” she added with a wink.
“How lovely! I do not know Mr Bingley well, but he is acquainted with people I know intimately.”
Elizabeth turned to hide a sigh as everyone was greeted and Mrs Sullivan offered her congratulations to the couple.
“I am very happy for you both,” she added before sitting by Elizabeth. “I will stay just a quarter of an hour; you must not think I am about to trouble your aunt for an invitation to dinner. It is only that I was occupied all morning and did not want to put off a call for another day.”
