There was no reason to belabor the point. “Very well. You are correct that Wickham’s removal is for the best, so I shall not inquire into the matter further.”
“Excuse me, Mr. Darcy,” said the lady, “but am I to understand that my sister was not only suspicious, but that there is something to those concerns?”
This was dangerous territory, for Mrs. Hurst, though her recent behavior astonished him, had ever been her sister’s firmest supporter. She must have seen his hesitation, as she smiled and laid a hand on his arm.
“Do not suppose that I support my sister in this, Mr. Darcy. I have long known that you have no interest in her—if you recall, we discussed it after you joined us.”
Darcy fixed her with a quizzical look. “I have no memory of you contradicting your sister or even directing the conversation away.”
“That is because my sister does not take contradiction well at all, Mr. Darcy,” replied Mrs. Hurst. “Though I have learned something of what our avoidance has cost, in November I still preferred to allow my sister to have her way to keep the peace.”
Sighing, Darcy nodded. “Please know that I have made no decision yet, but I have long known that Miss Elizabeth is a rare woman. There is some hesitancy on her part.”
“Thatis not unknown to me,” replied Mrs. Hurst, a sense of mischievous amusement hovering over her.
“It is an irony to be certain,” said Darcy. “I have no interest in your sister or in the legions of debutantes in London, but they would accept me without a second thought. My interest in Miss Elizabeth is far more substantial, but I have the distinct sense that she would not accept me unless I provoke her good opinion.”
“Then you have learned something, Mr. Darcy,” replied she, appearing delighted. “The esteem of a good woman is worth the effort of obtaining it, is it not?”
“Yes, I cannot but suppose you are correct.”
Darcy excused himself to return to his room, his mind whirling with possibilities. Though he still suspected Mrs. Hurst of more than she confessed, he knew she was correct. She may have set him on Wickham with her oblique concerns about his behavior toward Miss Elizabeth, but Wickham himself had sealed his fate. That Wickham deserved what he had received was an incontrovertible fact.
In the end, it did not signify. However, Darcy made a note to himself to remain vigilant where Mrs. Hurst was concerned. The woman was far more devious than he had ever suspected. At least she would not support her sister when Miss Bingley discovered their location and returned to Netherfield Park.
“Brother,” said Georgiana as he stepped into the music room, finding her playing the pianoforte. “I am curious about the subject you wished to discuss with Mrs. Hurst.”
Pleased, Darcy approached his sister and kissed her cheek. Georgiana had grown bolder these past days, the boisterous nature of the Bennet sisters leading her to greater confidence. Though Darcy still did not approve of Miss Kitty and Miss Lydia, he could do nothing other than acknowledge their friendship had been beneficial for his sister.
“Just a matter of mutual interest,” replied Darcy.
Georgiana was not convinced, but she did not make an issue of it. “Thank you for introducing me to such interesting ladies. Elizabeth is wonderful, and I enjoy Kitty and Lydia’s company very well.”
“Yes, I supposed you would,” replied Darcy. “Are they not too unruly for your taste?”
“Not at all,” replied Georgiana. “They both can be more sedate when the occasion demands. It is only that they are usually caught up in some intrigue or another, or they are pining after the officers.”
“Do you wish to move among them?” jested Darcy.
“Not at all,” assured Georgiana. “Of the officers’ company, a little goes a long way.”
“I am pleased to hear it, Georgiana.”
Darcy sat on a nearby sofa and listened to his sister begin to play. They spent an agreeable time together until the dinner hour.
Chapter IX
Assemblies are among the primary amusements for the gentry in small town societies. While morning visits, dinner parties, garden parties, and other such attractions were a common part of any local society, there was something about assemblies that fired the imagination. While the gentlemen anticipated them with eagerness for the chance to admire the young ladies in attendance, it was those young ladies who were always the most enthusiastic.
“Oh, that is excellent,” exclaimed Lydia the day they received word of an assembly only a few days hence. “Why, we have not had an assembly since October.”
“I have longed for a dance,” sighed Kitty, her attempt at excitement not the equal of Lydia’s—the younger sister was naturally dramatic, having inherited it from her mother.
“And this time, all the officers will be present!” exclaimed Lydia.
Kitty giggled her delight, no doubt imagining an evening swept up by the hordes of handsome, adventurous men who would attend. Elizabeth thought it was all a little much. The officers were, in her opinion, a decent enough lot—especially now that the odious Mr. Wickham was no longer among their number—but there was nothing special about them. Elizabeth noticed something her sisters did not; Georgiana listened to all this with interest, though she displayed a hint of melancholy.
“That is most amusing,” said Mr. Darcy in a low tone designed for only Elizabeth to hear. “Tell me, Miss Elizabeth, do you look on the opportunity to dance with red coated men with as much enthusiasm as your youngest sisters?”
