Page 9 of To Win Her Affections

“How so?” asked Elizabeth, feigning incomprehension.

Mrs. Gardiner regarded her for several moments before catching her hand and leading her to the sofa. “Mr. Darcy’s behavior. A man does not bring his beloved sister to meet a lady of his acquaintance the very hour she arrives at his home without a particular motive in mind. Do you care to elaborate?”

Elizabeth found it prudent to avoid mentioning her meeting with Mr. Darcy in the street less than an hour after leaving Pemberley. “At present, there is nothing to report, Aunt.”

“Do you wish to hear my interpretation?”

Elizabeth laughed and pressed her aunt’s hands. “I rather think that I can guess your interpretation without hearing it.”

“I dare say you can, Lizzy. What I find most curious is this apparent alteration in Mr. Darcy. Did you not say that he was proud and disagreeable?”

Not wishing to speak out of turn, Elizabeth considered her words with care. “When he first came to Hertfordshire, his behavior gave me every reason to think him exactly as I described.”

“Then he has altered since then?”

“He has,” said Elizabeth. “After Kent, I understood him a little better, though he was still a puzzle. I have never seen him as open as he was today.”

Mrs. Gardiner nodded. “To what do you attribute this alteration?”

“Perhaps that he is in a location where he feels comfortable,” said Elizabeth. “Mr. Bingley once said that Mr. Darcy is more agreeable in a place in which he feels at ease.”

“Then there is nothing between you to report?” asked she.

“No, Aunt, there is not.”

Though she considered this for a moment and Elizabeth thought she would press the subject, Mrs. Gardiner relented. “For my part, I think Mr. Darcy an excellent man. He is dignified, to be certain, but he has a certain charm that is not displeasing. Of greater importance, I suspect he has some interest in you, Lizzy. I shall not tell you how to act, but if I can give you advice, it would be not to judge the man before you entirely by the man you knew in Hertfordshire.”

“Yes, I cannot but suppose you are correct,” replied Elizabeth.

Mrs. Gardiner made no further attempt to prolong the subject, and Elizabeth was grateful for her forbearance. As it was, she had much on which to think.

Chapter III

Perhaps it should have been no surprise that Miss Bingley lay in wait for them when they returned to Pemberley. In Darcy’s defense, he had spent the return journey considering Miss Elizabeth, her kindness to his sister, and her changed manner toward him. It would have changed nothing had he attempted to determine how to deal with Miss Bingley in advance, but he might at least have been better prepared for the annoyance.

“Mr. Darcy,” said Miss Bingley the moment they stepped through the door. “What a surprise this is, sir. I should not have expected you to absent yourselves from the house moments after our arrival.”

Jolted from his thoughts of Miss Bennet, Darcy was not pleased with her. He had expected her to rest in her room and remain unaware of his absence, but it seemed that was too much to ask. Her behavior was further evidence of her growing desperation—no doubt she had wished to claim his company for the balance of the afternoon.

“We were only gone a short time,” said Darcy, trying to hide all trace of his annoyance. “I might have thought you would remain in your rooms to rest.”

“I should have thought it good manners for a guest to pay her respects to her host rather than remain secluded in her rooms,” replied Miss Bingley, a slight edge in her voice. Then she regarded him with suspicion. “Will you not share the reason for your visit to Lambton?”

“It was nothing more than a visit to an acquaintance,” replied Darcy, not ready to announce Miss Bennet’s presence in the neighborhood.

Miss Bingley appeared suspicious, but the woman appeared to possess some measure of discretion—pressing them for details was not proper, even for a guest in the house. That did not prevent her from making subtle comments designed to learn all she could. Darcy remained impervious to all her attempts, and Georgiana did not speak at all. That evening as they were waiting for the call to dinner, Miss Bingley made a reference to Darcy’s absence.

“You went to Lambton after we arrived here?” asked Bingley.

Miss Bingley’s comment on the subject was deliberately offhand, and Darcy saw at once that he should have expected it. What she hoped to accomplish was not apparent, but from the way she watched him, she seemed to expect him to reveal something she wished to learn.

“Georgiana and I both went,” said Darcy, not concerning himself with her machinations. “We visited a friend there.”

“I hope they were well,” said Bingley, not thinking anything was out of the ordinary.

“Perfectly well, I thank you,” replied Darcy.

Miss Bingley appeared disappointed, but the exchange provoked Darcy to consider the situation. Miss Bennet and her family would visit Pemberley the following day, making Miss Bingley’s knowledge of her presence in Derbyshire unavoidable. Though Darcy was uncertain what he had meant by denying Miss Bingley the knowledge of her presence, he knew he needed to consider how best to reveal the truth.