Brandon gave a short nod. “I shall see to it, sir.”
Darcy closed the study door behind him. He walked to the couch and sat down. Gazing into the fire, he estimated the amount of time it would take before he could reasonably expect a response from Mr. Gardiner. His cousin handed him a glass of brandy, then sat down as well.
Fitz raised his own glass to his lips for a sip, then said, “And now, we wait.”
Chapter 23
Elizabeth lay across the bed in her dressing gown. After finishing her bath, she instructed the maid to inform her aunt that she was unwell and would not be coming down for dinner. The bath had restored her somewhat, but silent tears continued to fall. She had allowed herself to believe Mr. Darcy cared for her, that he wished to pursue her. Her sisters had believed it so. Her aunt had even believed it. How could they all have been so mistaken?
Elizabeth could not reconcile this Mr. Darcy with the man she thought she was coming to know. The man she knew would not lead a woman to think he was interested in her when he was not. Maybe the man she knew was only a figment of her imagination. No, she must not be so harsh in her thoughts of him. Before she had ever entertained any hopes towards him, he was her friend. Mr. Darcy was a good man. Perhaps he had just been too unguarded in his attentions to her, and things became misconstrued from there. She had not taken care as she should have. Did she not tell herself that she would assume nothingbefore he addressed her explicitly? Clearly, her heart had not been listening.
Elizabeth heard a knock at the door. She sat up quickly and wiped her eyes.
“Come in.”
The door opened. Her aunt and sisters entered the room, closing the door behind them. Her aunt took one look at her, then went to Elizabeth with a worried expression.
“Elizabeth!” Aunt Madeleine said, sitting down next to her on the bed. “What is the matter?”
“Are you ill, Lizzy?” Jane asked. She and Mary stood on the other side of the bed, looking at Elizabeth with concern.
“No, I am well,” Elizabeth replied.
“You have been crying,” Aunt Madeleine said. “I knew something was bothering you. I also noticed there was something off about the way you parted with the Darcys this afternoon. What happened?”
Elizabeth sighed and looked down at her fingers as they stroked the smooth fabric of her dressing gown.
“It may help to talk about it,” Aunt Madeleine said gently.
“Would you prefer Mary and I leave?” Jane asked.
“No, that is not necessary. You may as well know now, and this way I will not have to repeat it.” Elizabeth took a deep breath. “We were all mistaken. Mr. Darcy is not interested in me romantically.”
“He said this to you?” Aunt Madeleine asked, a slight frown on her face.
“No, I overheard . . . a conversation . . .”
“A conversation? Who was Mr. Darcy speaking with?”
“On our way to the bookshop, we met Mr. and Miss Bingley. Miss Bingley fawned all over the Darcys and pretended I was not there. I did not care to remain in her presence for one moment longer, so I asked Georgiana if she wanted to go in. Georgianaconfirmed she did and gave Miss Bingley the cut direct for her treatment of me.”
“Good for Miss Darcy!” Aunt Madeleine said.
Elizabeth gave a small smile, then continued. “Once we stepped inside the shop, we could still hear them speaking through an open window. Mr. Darcy greeted his friend in return, but he did not greet Miss Bingley. This did not, however, keep her from speaking to him. Miss Bingley told Mr. Darcy that I was not suitable to keep company with his sister. She insisted that Jane and I were trying to ensnare him and Mr. Bingley. She also spoke to her brother as if he were a child, telling him she could see his interest in Jane and did not approve. At that point, Mr. Bingley said, ‘Enough, Caroline! Neither Darcy nor I are pursuing the Bennet ladies. You are making an issue of nothing!’”
“And what did Mr. Darcy say?” her aunt asked.
Elizabeth looked at her. “He said nothing.”
Aunt Madeleine sighed and looked at her for a moment. “Was that the end of it?”
“No, Miss Bingley spewed more nonsense about Jane and me. She would not stop, and Mr. Bingley could not rein her in, so Mr. Darcy brought an end to it by telling Mr. Bingley they would just speak later. The Bingleys went away directly, then Georgiana and I walked out of the bookshop. Mr. Darcy apologized for Miss Bingley’s behavior and passed along Mr. Bingley’s apologies as well. Immediately after that, Mary came over and informed me that you all were ready to depart.”
Aunt Madeleine sighed again and shook her head. “I am so very sorry you were subjected to such vile behavior. Miss Bingley is a hateful young woman.”
“Mr. Bingley is an amiable gentleman, but I must say his words about he and Mr. Darcy not pursuing either of us werenot a very gentlemanly thing to say when he knew Lizzy was just inside the bookshop,” Jane said.
“I agree,” Mary said, with pinched brows.
