Elizabeth stumbled to a halt there, wondering what on earth had made her defend a man she heartily disliked.
And why did she feel so certain that her defence of him was nothing less than the truth?
Chapter 5
Though Darcy could not look forward to so difficult a conversation with any relish, he knew that to delay speaking to Bingley would be an act of cowardice. He had therefore sent his friend a note shortly after visiting Gracechurch Street and, Bingley always being very fond of society, had arranged to meet for lunch at his club not many days afterward.
Bingley was punctual for their meeting. The clock was striking the hour as he entered the club and greeted Darcy with a broad smile.
“Darcy, old fellow! An excellent idea of yours, meeting for lunch. I have a great deal to tell you.”
“And I, you,” Darcy replied, wishing it were not quite so true. He turned to Mr Harrows, who had signed members and their guests in for many a long year. “I should like a private dining room, please, Mr Harrows.”
“Certainly, Mr Darcy,” Mr Harrows said with a small bow. Bingley looked at him curiously, but did not speak until the servant who had shown them to their private room had closed the door behind him.
“A private room, Darcy? Have you anything particular to say to me, then? For all that I have to tell might easily have been said in the public dining room.”
“I do have something to tell you,” Darcy admitted. “Indeed, I might better say that I have something to confess.”
“You of all people, and to me?” Bingley said with a laugh. He stopped suddenly, looking alarmed. “You are quite serious, are you not?”
“I am,” Darcy said with a small sigh. “I suspect it relates to what you wished to tell me. You wished to speak of meeting Miss Bennet at the assembly the other evening, did you not?”
“You always know what I am thinking, Darcy. I do not know how you do it,” Bingley remarked. “Yes, that was exactly it. I was never so surprised in all my life, nor so glad! I thought I liked Miss Bennet upon meeting her in Hertfordshire in the autumn, but it was not until seeing her again that I realised how much I had missed her since I came away. How lovely she is, and how elegant! I wish I had never gone away from Netherfield — or I would, if I had not met her here.”
“I see,” Darcy said.
“It is strange, though,” Bingley went on. “Do you not think it odd that she did not write to Caroline and tell her of her visit? It is that I wished to ask you about particularly. She seemed so pleased to see me last night, and yet perhaps I am only seeing what I wish to see. If she truly liked me, why did she conceal that she had come to Town?”
Darcy bowed his head a moment, knowing that the moment of his confession had come. Even had he not given hisword to the Bennet sisters, Bingley truly could not be allowed to continue in such painful confusion.
“We come now to the reason I asked for a private room,” Darcy said at last. “I have acted wrongly and presumptuously, and while I intended it for the best, I fear I have done you a great injury instead.”
Bingley did not reply, but only looked at him incredulously.
“Miss Bennetdidwrite to Miss Bingley and inform her of her visit to London,” Darcy admitted. “I knew of it, and kept the information from you deliberately. I am very sorry, Bingley. It was as arrogant as it was foolish for me to believe that I had the right to make such a decision for you.”
“You — you intentionally concealed this from me?” Bingley sputtered. “And Caroline, too?”
“I can speak only for my own part in this,” Darcy told him, “but for that, I am very sorry.”
Bingley looked at him with a frown, but to Darcy’s deep relief, he thought it the anger of an insult uncovered rather than a deep, friendship-ending breach. “I have always had the deepest respect for your judgement and your advice, Darcy, but that does not mean that you may direct my life for me.”
“No, certainly not,” Darcy agreed. “And if you had a great deal less respect for my judgment after this, I could not gainsay you. I only hope that you will forgive me — someday, if not today.”
At that, Bingley chuckled a little. “No, Darcy, I shall forgive you today. At least as long as you are truly sorry, and undertake not to do such a thing again.”
“I never will,” Darcy said. “Not only for the sake of this promise, but because I have learnt I was wrong in the first place.”
“Very well, then,” Bingley said. “Ah, I shall be glad not to have to be angry with you, for I am too happy to be angry, and I want too much to tell a friend about how happy I am. Certainly I cannot tell Caroline. How wonderful it was to see Miss Bennet again! She was as lovely as ever, though I thought she looked perhaps a little pale. But now that I know she did not wish to avoid me, I begin to wonder if perhaps she might feel some part of what I do.”
“Then you shall be very glad to hear the other part of what I have to relate,” Darcy told him. “Shortly after the assembly, I went to call on the Bennets. We spoke of you, and Miss Bennet hinted to me that she does admire you. I shall tell you frankly, Bingley, that her manner raised her in my estimation. She was perfectly correct, perfectly discrete, and yet left me in no doubt of what she wished to convey. I am convinced she cares deeply for you.”
“Oh, Darcy!” Bingley exclaimed. “You will have to tell me every word, every gesture. How wonderful! And to think that she could be so subtle, too, to impress even you, whom so few people can impress. Caroline would have me believe that a woman cannot be both sweet and clever, but I believe dear Miss Bennet will prove her wrong. What a lady!”
As Darcy listened to his friend’s effusions, a smile crossed his face, only a little rueful. How very wrong he had been to believe Bingley did not care about Jane Bennet beyond a passing fancy, and how arrogant to think he ought to do anything about it! He could now only be glad that all his plans had failed.
At last, Bingley’s exclamation of astonishment and delight came to an end. He looked then at Darcy with dawning curiosity. “I say, Darcy. I did not realise before, but it is strange indeed for you of all people to call on the Bennet sisters. What on earth brought you there?”
