“Jealous?” Mary asked. “Of what?”
“She is jealous that you outrank her,” Aunt Madeleine explained. “Miss Bingley considers herself superior to you because she has a fortune and has gone to the best finishing school money can buy. However, none of that changes the fact that you are gentlewomen and she is not. She is the daughter of a tradesman, a fact she cannot change despite all her pretensions.”
Aunt Madeleine continued. “Now, here is something else to consider, since she holds you girls in no esteem whatsoever, it would naturally follow that she is completely against her brother’s admiration of Jane and would actively fight against it. She probably has hopes that he will make a match with a younglady of some standing in society, and Jane would be a threat to accomplishing that.”
“You are correct, Aunt. I heard her say as much,” Elizabeth said, glancing at Jane.
Aunt Madeleine nodded. “By now, you girls may have figured out a third reason. Miss Bingley sees Elizabeth as a threat to her own ambitions. Make no mistake, she has set her sights on being the next mistress of Pemberley. Miss Bingley’s eyes were on you and Mr. Darcy a great deal last night, Elizabeth. When you were dancing the first set, I chanced to overhear Miss Bingley speaking to her sister. She was livid that Mr. Darcy was dancing the first set with you. Miss Bingley has clearly set her cap at him, and she does not like his obvious preference for you one bit.”
“Goodness!” Jane remarked, looking both alarmed and offended.
“Indeed!” Mary added.
“Now you can see why she directs so much hostility towards you girls. But enough of Miss Bingley," Aunt Madeleine said. "Elizabeth, would you still like to have a tray, or do you feel like coming down for dinner?”
Elizabeth smiled. “I think I shall come down for dinner.”
“Then I shall send the maid in to help you dress.”
Just as her aunt was about to stand, Elizabeth stopped her by grabbing her hand. “Aunt Madeleine?”
“Yes, dear?”
“Thank you.”
Aunt Madeleine smiled and squeezed her hand. “You are very welcome, Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth sat in the drawing room awaiting Mr. Darcy’s arrival. Soon after waking this morning, she began to thinkthat she would rather not know the truth about his feelings and intentions. Elizabeth treasured his companionship and his friendship so much that she did not believe she could part with it, part with him. She wished she had not allowed herself to be hurt so that whatever this was between them, it could continue on in the same way. More than friends, but not quite a couple. It would be better than being forced to part ways with him completely. However, it was not in her nature to hide from the truth. Fortunately, reason began to reassert itself. She could not realistically exist in such an emotional limbo as that. She knew Mr. Darcy would not allow her to in any case. It would only serve to delay the inevitable. By nine o’clock, she had made peace with all of it. By ten o’clock, she was ready to face him and whatever was to come.
Fletcher entered the room. “Mr. Darcy to see you, Miss Elizabeth.”
She stood as Mr. Darcy entered. Fletcher left the room, leaving the door slightly ajar. Her aunt had assured her that no one, not even the servants, would come near the drawing room unless she rang for them. Aunt Madeleine knew this was an important conversation, and she wanted Elizabeth to feel completely free to express herself to Mr. Darcy without the fear or embarrassment of being overheard.
He walked towards her and bowed. She curtsied and greeted him. When Elizabeth invited him to sit, he sat on the couch with her.
“Would you like some tea?” she asked.
“Ah, no, thank you.”
Elizabeth nodded.
“Miss Elizabeth, I thank you for granting me an audience with you. Would you agree that there are some possible misunderstandings between us?”
“Yes, I would.”
Mr. Darcy nodded. “My goal is to have it all settled to your satisfaction. You and I have some experience in settling matters between us, do we not?”
Elizabeth smiled, knowing he referred to the day they chanced to meet on her walk. It was the day they cleared the air between them.
“Yes, we do.”
He gave her a crooked smile, then paused a moment before saying, “I never told you, but I purposely sought you out that day.”
Elizabeth looked at him in surprise. “You did?”
He nodded. “I did. You see, when we called at Longbourn that day before, it became clear to me that you did not like me at all. A fact which disturbed me so greatly that I could not sleep that night.”
“Truly?”
