Page 29 of To Win Her Affections

Though Mr. Darcy considered refusing to answer, Elizabeth noted his glance at her. She shrugged her indifference, a slight gesture to avoid detection from Miss Bingley. Seeing she had no objection, Mr. Darcy turned back to Miss Bingley.

“In the spring, I visited my aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, in Kent. As Mr. Collins is the parson of nearby Hunsford, I was in company with him several times during my stay.”

Miss Bingley regarded him as if uncertain. “Mr. Collins is your aunt’s parson.”

“Yes, he is.” Mr. Darcy paused, his gaze finding Elizabeth, though moving away a moment later. “That is also where I encountered Miss Elizabeth, who was staying with the Collinses at the same time.”

This time, Miss Bingley’s gasp was audible. “Miss Eliza was in Kent while you were visiting your aunt?”

“I was,” said Elizabeth. “My friend, Charlotte Collins, offered the invitation at Christmas.”

Elizabeth was certain Miss Bingley wished to suggest that she had gone to Kent to put herself in Mr. Darcy’s company, but even she seemed to sense there was no evidence for that. Instead, she decided on a different avenue of attack.

“If your friend invited you at Christmas, she must have accepted Mr. Collins soon after the ball. That is singular.”

As she had no intention of debating the speed of Charlotte’s engagement, Elizabeth deflected the comment. “Charlotte is happy in her new situation—that is the important point, is it not?”

“It is, indeed,” said Mr. Bingley, his gaze at his sister a quelling gesture.

Miss Bingley did not appreciate it, but she subsided, turning back to her sister and speaking in low tones. Mr. Bingley, it appeared, had no patience for further deviation from the subject he wished to discuss. This time, however, he was more straightforward than he had been before.

“Tell me, Miss Elizabeth, how is your elder sister?”

“Jane is well, Mr. Bingley,” said Elizabeth.

She pondered the point for several moments, wondering what she should say. At the moment, she could not be certain whether Mr. Bingley knew anything about Jane’s sojourn in London during the winter months. Though it would not give her a moment’s concern if Miss Bingley reaped the whirlwind for keeping it from Mr. Bingley, she did not think it was right to introduce such discord into the company.

“In truth,” said she instead, “Jane has been a little out of spirits these past months, though her health is excellent.”

Mr. Bingley blanched. “Out of spirits?” echoed he.

Elizabeth looked at him with sympathy, noting he was not quite understanding the reference.

“Oh, it is nothing serious, Mr. Bingley,” said Elizabeth, offering a sly look. “I suspect she is simply missing excellent friends. Should those friends return, Jane’s spirits would recover.”

A moment later, a beaming smile replaced Mr. Bingley’s confusion as the import of her comment became clear. Behind them, there was a strangled gasp from Miss Bingley, but neither paid any attention to her.

“That is understandable, Miss Elizabeth,” said the gentleman. “To own the truth, I have experienced similar feelings these past months. Come now, you must tell me more of your family, for I have a great desire to learn all.”

For the remainder of the time, they sat together, speaking of the news of Hertfordshire, and Elizabeth felt quite wrung out trying to recall enough to satisfy him. When the call to dinner came, Elizabeth was pleased to relinquish his company, for the moment the housekeeper entered, Mr. Darcy moved as if he had been waiting for the signal.

“Mrs. Gardiner,” said he, offering his arm to Elizabeth’s aunt. Then when she accepted, he approached Elizabeth. “Come, Miss Bennet. As there is one more lady than man, it is my duty to escort two to dinner.”

Elizabeth rose and smiled at the gentleman, while her aunt laughed under her breath. “Oh, I am certain it is a duty, Mr. Darcy,” said she sotto voce.

At the same moment, Mr. Gardiner rose and offered his arm to Georgiana, who accepted with girlish enthusiasm, but Mr. Bingley bowed and turned to his sister.

“Come, Caroline, I shall escort you to the dining-room.”

“And that is my cue to escort you, my dear,” said Mr. Hurst to his wife.

The dull man appeared almost amused, watching the follies of those around him with something approaching paternal indulgence. Miss Bingley accepted her brother’s arm with ill-concealed resentment, and they all made their way into the hall. Though she could not look behind her, a low murmur of conversation suggested that Mr. Bingley was instructing his sister on proper behavior. Miss Bingley would not like it, but Elizabeth was of the firm conviction that there was no one else in the room who needed more instruction than she.

IT WAS FORTUNATE IN Darcy’s opinion that his friend had stepped forward to control his sister, as Darcy had been on the edge of taking a hand himself. Miss Bingley’s behavior had been insolent, snide, haughty, and disdainful, and Darcy was not about to suffer such treatment toward guests in his house.

When they entered the dining-room, Darcy sat Mrs. Gardiner on his right and Miss Elizabeth on his left, noting that Bingley had put himself between his sister and Miss Elizabeth. The benefits of this arrangement were obvious—Miss Bingley would need to speak across her brother if she wished to insult Miss Elizabeth, and Georgiana on her other side was engaged in conversation with Mr. Gardiner, leaving Miss Bingley with no one with whom to converse other than her brother. She appeared to feel her isolation keenly, directing several reproachful looks at Darcy, and even more at her brother.

“Tell me, Mr. Darcy,” said Miss Elizabeth in a low voice, “are dinners at your estate always this interesting?”