The grin that spread over his handsome face suited him well. “Then, if you will excuse me.”
Mr. Darcy stepped away and approached Mrs. Hill, who had entered the room with a tray of cakes from Longbourn’s kitchens. When the gentleman spoke in a low tone, she listened, then a smile spread over her face, her eyes flicking to Elizabeth. Mrs. Hillhadalways considered the Bennet sisters akin to her own daughters, of whom there were three. Assenting, she led him from the room.
The moment he was gone, Miss Bingley turned her displeasure on Elizabeth. “You have a singular talent for discouraging men of consequence, Miss Eliza. Perhaps you should have married Mr. Collins—since you have declined, I cannot imagine any other fate but that of an old maid awaits you.”
Though laughter hovered on the tip of Elizabeth’s tongue, she refrained from releasing it. Miss Bingley already suspected what had taken Mr. Darcy from the room, but her pride and conceit had led her to a mean-spirited attack instead of retreat. As Elizabeth cared nothing for her opinion, there was no reason to belabor this conversation.
“It may be as you say, Miss Bingley. Then again, perhaps you do not know all you believe.”
With that, Elizabeth withdrew to sit near Georgiana and Mary, who were engaged in a discussion of music. For several moments, Elizabeth sat nearby, venturing a comment when necessary, watching Miss Bingley for signs of misbehavior. The moment Elizabeth left her, she had taken herself to her sister’s side, where they sat engaged in a quiet but heated discussion. Then Mr. Darcy returned, following Mr. Bennet.
“Lizzy, come here,” said her father, extending his hand.
Elizabeth rose and approached, taking her father’s hand and allowing him to kiss her cheek in a rare show of affection. Then he looked into her eyes and addressed her in a low voice.
“Are you certain you want this, my dear?”
“It is a mere courtship, Papa. Mr. Darcy gave me good reasons. I do not love him yet, but he is growing in my esteem.”
Mr. Bennet nodded, then turned to address the room. “Mrs. Bennet, there appears to be romance in the air. Not only is your eldest daughter now engaged, but Darcy here accosted me in my study not five minutes ago and requested my permission for a courtship with your second daughter.”
“A courtship?” Mrs. Bennet and Miss Bingley said together; from the former it was a demand, while from the latter it was nothing less than a gasp.
“Yes, a courtship,” replied Mr. Bennet, enjoying himself. “This will allow them greater leniency and the ability to learn more about each other as you well know. If Darcy had asked for an engagement at this time, I would not have agreed, and Elizabeth would have rejected it. So, a courtship is a reasonable compromise.”
“Oh, Elizabeth!” exclaimed Georgiana, rising to her feet and throwing herself in Elizabeth’s arms. “I am so happy! I shall have a sister!”
“We are not engaged yet, dearest,” said Mr. Darcy to his exuberant sister.
No one missed the significance of the word “yet.”
Mrs. Bennet appeared to believe this was a step in the right direction; she rose and exclaimed her approbation, embracing Elizabeth while her sisters congregated around her. Mr. Bingley voiced his enthusiastic approval, and even Mr. Hurst offered his gruff felicitations, though Elizabeth noted the sly expression he directed at his sister-in-law.
Miss Bingley appeared frozen in place, her dumbfounded expression turning to fury, while Mrs. Hurst watched her with apprehension. Elizabeth, however, did not care for Miss Bingley’s opinion. Her happiness and that of her family were what mattered.
And Mr. Darcy’s happiness of course. The gentleman took the congratulations in stride, staying close to Elizabeth. The rest all fell away. Elizabeth did not know how it would all end, but she was beginning to think that he might succeed.
NO ONE AT ALL ACQUAINTEDwith Miss Bingley could suppose she would confess defeat so easily. The woman remained at Netherfield, determined to make her case and to display to Mr. Darcy her superiority over Miss Elizabeth Bennet. How long she might have persisted was unknown to all but her, for even after Mr. Darcy proposed and Elizabeth accepted, she did not cease her campaign; if anything, she intensified her efforts. That was when Mr. Bingley stepped in.
“Caroline, that is quite enough,” said he one morning a few days after the engagement became official. “You have made your appeal, and Darcy has remained unmoved. It is time to allow this doomed pursuit to rest.”
“This is allyourfault,” spat she. “If you hadn’t returned to this speck of a town, none of this would have happened.”
“To my detriment.” Bingley glared at his sister. “Do not suppose that I have forgottenyouractions, Caroline. What you overlook in your ambition to climb society’s ladder is that we must all choose our course. Darcy possesses this right as much as I do, regardless of your wishes.”
“You have ruined our family in society,” accused Caroline. “We shall never be what we could have been had you only chosen properly.”
Bingley shook his head. “Your opinion matters little. Now, Caroline, you will cease this objectionable behavior toward Darcy—I shall not tolerate it any longer.”
When she fixed him with a mulish glare, Bingley returned it with interest. “Remember, Sister dearest, that I control your dowry and you live in my house at my sufferance. At any time of my choosing, I can set up an establishment for you, funded with your money. Furthermore, remember that Darcy can cut all acquaintance with you whenever he wishes.”
“Is that a threat?”
“It is a reminder of the realities of your situation. If you persist in this futile attempt to draw Darcy away from Miss Elizabeth, you will discover the consequences in a manner you will not like. Choose wisely and do it soon, for I am losing patience with you.”
Perhaps it was a surprise when Miss Bingley opted to desist, though she did it without displaying any of the grace she pretended to possess. It was not long after the confrontation with her brother that Miss Bingley declared her unwillingness to stay at Netherfield any longer and returned to town with the Hursts. No one in Hertfordshire was sad to see her go, for she had become surly, snapping at perceived slights and treating all with disdain.
“She is determined to make a match in London even higher than what I could have given her,” said Mr. Darcy when they discussed it.
