All right, so…
There might have been more to the idea of proposing the Miss Bennet than it just being a lark.
I could not, of course,reallymarry her. Of course.
And as I said, there was little to recommend her, truly.
But she was rather sharp-tongued, and when I say “sharp” I mean that she was intelligent and quick witted and that she tended to wield her words like weapons from time to time.
“Oh, yes, I do remember that conversation,” she said. “It was another conversation in which I brought up Mr. Wickham, and you got very red in the face and sputtered a lot.”
Anotherconversation?
She and I had only ever discussed Mr. Wickham the one time unless you counted two Thursdays ago when I proposed to her. I tilted my head to the other side, eyes widening in interest.
“Mr. Wickham,” spoke up Colonel Fitzwilliam. “That man is a villain. I don’t know why he’s still alive. If it were up to me, I’d have strung him up.”
Miss Bennet turned to the colonel in confusion. “What?”
“Forgive me,” said the colonel. “That wasn’t an appropriate thing to say at tea. I repent of it. Let us speak of something else.Perhaps the sweet cakes here? I quite like the almond ones. Are they a different recipe than usual? Can someone find out from the cook?”
I got up from my seat. “Miss Bennet? You haven’t been repeating Thursdays, have you?”
She got up as well. “Oh, Lord in heaven, you too?”
“What are you doing?” said Lady Catherine. “Both of you, sit down this instant.”
“No,” I said. “Miss Bennet and I are going to go for a walk together, just the two of us—”
“That would be the height of impropriety,” said Lady Catherine in disgust. “What has gotten into you, Fitzwilliam? Sit down this instant. You too, Miss Bennet.”
Miss Bennet sat back down.
“Oh, come now,” I said to her. “We really don’t have to listen to them. Nothing matters, you see?”
“Sit down,” said my aunt. “Of course you have to listen to me. I am your aunt. I am your elder. This is my household and you are my guest. You will show me respect.” She was getting rather agitated.
Miss Bennet ducked her head down.
“Miss Bennet, let’s go,” I said.
Miss Bennet eyed the colonel. “I should like to try the almond sweet cake, I think.”
“Sitdown, Fitzwilliam Darcy,” thundered my aunt.
My shoulders sagged. I sat down.
elizabeth
I knew that the tea was going to turn into dinner, because it always did, but this time, I was actually there.
It was Thursday, again, and I had spent the day in a bit of a tizzy. Colonel Fitzwilliam had met me for a walk, again, and he told me that Mr. Darcy had separated my sister Jane from the man she had rather fallen for, Mr. Bingley. I had allowed this conversation to unfold today, even though it had already happened.
I was out of sorts.
Anyway, now, after the tea, there was a discussion about how none of us were dressed for dinner, and Lady Catherine was saying that this was not important and going on and on.
Mr. Darcy seized me by the arm and yanked me away from everyone else.
