Chapter 12
The carriage stopped in front of Netherfield, and Mr. Bingley hurried to meet his guests. As he handed Jane Bennet out, her blue, shining eyes bewitched him so that he completely forgot the other Miss Bennet inside.
It was very fortunate that Elizabeth greeted him aloud and drew his attention back to his duties. He ushered them both inside, delighted to see Jane’s continuous blushing and pleased to notice that only Lady Cassandra was in the drawing room to meet them. He knew her ladyship would support him in achieving his goal.
Elizabeth, however, could not hide her disappointment at not seeing Darcy; she had only parted from him an hour earlier, yet she missed him and longed to meet him again. As if guessing her thoughts, Lady Cassandra smiled at her as she welcomed them warmly.
“Darcy is still in his room preparing himself. He just returned from an early ride less than an hour ago. I believe he did not notice it was the time for your visit. Mr. and Mrs. Hurst are in their apartments, and Georgiana is resting, I believe.”
Elizabeth’s cheeks colored instantly at the thought of Mr. Darcy in his room preparing himself. She would have needed much more time to prepare herself, too. However, by the time she reached Longbourn, Jane was already dressed and ready to depart for Netherfield. Mrs. Bennet was at the edge of her patience – and of her nerves, too – because Elizabeth had been missing. The moment she saw her second daughter, she demanded that she get ready in only a matter of minutes as it was not to be borne to keep Lady Cassandra and Mr. Bingley waiting for them.
“Yes, I could really not understand why Darcy went to ride in such weather; the roads must be horrible after that rain,” said Mr. Bingley while he invited them to take their places.
Nervous but happy with the kind attention Mr. Bingley bestowed upon her and flattered by Lady Cassandra’s praises about her beauty, Jane intervened sweetly, willing to support the conversation.
“Oh, I can understand Mr. Darcy’s fondness for riding no matter the weather. Lizzy possesses the same love for walking outdoors – in fact, she had just returned from a walk shortly before we left Longbourn.”
Elizabeth’s mortification turned her face and neck crimson; Mr. Bingley and Jane were too engaged in staring at each other to notice anything at all. Lady Cassandra’s wondering glaze rested upon Elizabeth a moment, and she struggled unsuccessfully to hide the enormous smile which twisted her lips.
“Lady Cassandra, do you think Miss Darcy would agree to see me for a few minutes? If she is feeling well enough, I mean,” said Elizabeth when she regained some composure.
“Yes, I believe she would. In fact, I would suggest we go and ask her directly.”
Elizabeth would rather send a servant to announce their arrival first as it was unacceptable to simply barge in upon Miss Darcy. However, Lady Cassandra already rose from her seat and invited her to follow, so she had no time to protest.
“Miss Bennet, would you mind if Miss Elizabeth and I left you in the company of Mr. Bingley for a short while?”
“Oh no, your ladyship. I know my sister has long wanted to see Miss Darcy. I would not mind at all.” Jane’s cheeks colored at her obvious and very improper enthusiasm. To remain alone with Mr. Bingley with no chaperone was unthinkable, yet it appeared the only possible alternative for the moment. She blushed very becomingly and cast her eyes to the floor. Lady Cassandra smiled again.
“Thank you, Miss Bennet. You are very kind. Mr. Bingley, I trust you will take very good care of Miss Bennet while we are gone.”
“Indeed, your ladyship, with pleasure.” Bingley hurried to assure her, though nobody in the room really doubted that. Jane’s face seemed on fire.
*** “Miss Elizabeth, there is something we should talk about before visiting Georgiana,” said Lady Cassandra immediately after they exited the room.
“Of course, your ladyship; is anything the matter?”
“Well, not quite but…well, there is no other way to tell you but to be very direct. I hope you will not feel offended. Georgiana is very upset with you and claimed no desire to meet with you. In fact, she is also very upset with Darcy and me as well, but I imagine that is of not much comfort to you.”
She looked at Elizabeth for a sign of surprise, but none appeared.
“Lady Cassandra, thank you for telling me. Of course I am not offended; I only feel deeply sorry for Georgiana’s distress. If she does not want to see me, I shall respect her decision; however, I would still like to talk with her this one time; then I will not inopportune her further if that is her wish.”
“I am glad to hear this, Miss Elizabeth; you are being a very caring and devoted friend to Georgiana. But,” she continued with a quizzical, intense look, “are you not curious to know why Georgiana is upset with us all?”
Elizabeth glanced at her quickly then averted her eyes, searching for the proper answer which would help her conceal the truth without lying.
“Walking outdoors is not just healthy but also surprisingly helpful and enlightening sometimes,” continued Lady Cassandra, the mockery in her voice obvious.
Elizabeth startled and then met her eyes – there was no need to deny the evidence, surely not with Lady Cassandra. “Your ladyship is correct again,” she admitted with a tentative smile.
“I am always correct, you should remember that,” answered Lady Cassandra, good humouredly. “Very well, Miss Elizabeth, I shall not insist on further details…for the moment. Here is Georgiana’s room; I will leave you to talk privately.”
“Thank you, your ladyship.” Before Lady Cassandra turned to leave, Elizabeth touched her arm gently. Lady Cassandra, surprised, stopped and waited.
“Lady Cassandra, I thank you for everything you have done for me and my family.”
“Oh, stop this nonsense, Miss Bennet. There is nothing for which you need thank me.”
“Yes, there is; we both know that. You have always been so kind to my aunt and uncle and my entire family. How can I express my gratitude for your incomparable generosity in visiting my aunt during the dreadful time of my sister’s elopement? You knew a scandal could have also affected your reputation; yet, despite that and your repulsion against Mr. Wickham, you continued to call on my aunt. As for myself, I…”
“Miss Elizabeth, this is not a discussion to have in the hallway; perhaps we should continue it in my room if you would not mind?”
Elizabeth agreed silently. As soon as they entered, Lady Cassandra continued decidedly. “Miss Bennet, this will be the last time for us to have this kind of conversation, so I will tell you as clearly as I can that there is indeed nothing to thank me for.”
She paused a moment, looking straight at Elizabeth. “I do like you, Miss Bennet. I liked you the first moment I saw you on the stairs at the theater without even knowing who you were.”
“I will admit I am a little surprised to hear that; at the beginning of our acquaintance, I was not at all certain that your ladyship harbored any kind feeling toward me.” A moment later, Elizabeth regretted her rather rushed interference.
But Lady Cassandra laughed. “It is such a refreshing relief to see you are not in the slightest intimidated by my forward manners, Miss Bennet. Yes, you are correct; my behavior toward you was not as proper or as kind as it should have been when I discovered your identity. I confess that when Darcy told me of your previous dealings, I had been equally intrigued and angry with you for your unfair treatment against him. The daughter of a country gentleman with four more sisters and little dowry who could refuse a man like Darcy – it was not something to be seen often. And a woman who could misjudge Darcy so utterly and completely was nothing but a mere simpleton to me. So you can imagine how I felt when we were introduced to each other.”
“Yes, I can imagine – and I can remember, too, that your ladyship did not struggle much to conceal her opinions.”
Despite their rather rushed and sharp words, the tone of the conversation remained light, and their intense, inquiring glances fixed upon the other were more friendly than not. Though she truly felt grateful to her ladyship and came to treasure and value Lady Cassandra’s character and generosity, the remembrance of those days from the beginning of their acquaintance still troubled Elizabeth – and her replies betrayed that. Yet, to her astonishment, Lady Cassandra seemed quite pleased with their conversation.
“No, I did not hide my feelings at all – quite the contrary; you are perfectly right, Miss Bennet. But in that we are alike, are we not? Neither of us made any effort to conceal our opinion nor to soften the manner of addressing it.”
“No, perhaps we did not,” answered Elizabeth, slightly blushing. She did not desire to enter into such a confrontation, but somehow she felt it was the proper moment to settle things. “I, too expressed my opinion with a rude openness in one occasion; and, unfortunately, I soon discovered how wrong I was.”
“I see – so what you truly mean is that I was rude and wrong in what I said, as well.” Her eyebrow rose inquiringly at Elizabeth, demanding an answer, but her countenance showed nothing but amusement and good humor.
“I spoke of myself,” replied Elizabeth, trying to hide a smile.
“And well you should, because I was not wrong in the slightest, Miss Bennet! As I told you previously, I am almost never wrong. That evening at the theater, it was not difficult for me to notice your opinion of Darcy had changed – in fact, it was quite obvious in your expressions, gestures, and glances. I have also come to understand that you were jealous of me that night. Am I wrong?”
The abruptness of the unacceptably rude question startled Elizabeth, and her first impulse was to answer accordingly; no one had the right to address her in such a manner. Yet, a moment later she abandoned that thought – indeed perhaps it was time for them to have an ultimate, clear understanding.
“No, your ladyship is not wrong. You are correct in your understanding.”
“Thank you for your honest reply, Miss Bennet; I will end my speech very shortly. My last doubts vanished the day I found you and Georgiana playing at the pianoforte during your second meeting. I watched your face while you were talking to her. Miss Bennet, I saw only genuine kindness and honest friendship. Many times in the past, I have seen other women insinuating themselves on Darcy and using Georgiana’s acquaintance to do so. You looked nothing of that kind.”
“I thank you, but I cannot see how it is possible for anyone not to enjoy Georgiana’s company; she has the sweetest disposition, and her friendship was invaluable to me from the first moments of our acquaintance. However,” Elizabeth continued, with a careful, searching glance toward Lady Cassandra, “that very day when we left in your carriage, I was under the impression that you rather disapproved or my newly-formed friendship with Georgiana.”
“I see – so you are still bothered by our conversation in the carriage that day.”
“Not truly bothered, Lady Cassandra – rather, intrigued. I was not accustomed to being addressed so…directly, and I did not expect your ladyship to do it, that is all.”
“Yet, you did not object too much; in fact, if I remember correctly, you were kind enough to answer most of my questions.”
“Yes, I did, but only because I felt your ladyship was mainly considering Georgiana’s well-being, so I decided that was more important than my hurt feelings. Especially as I felt…guilty and responsible for the pain and suffering I had caused Georgiana.” The last words were spoken in a low, slightly trembling voice.
“You are a remarkable young lady, Miss Bennet; I have known that for quite some time. And you continue to prove me right. My good opinion about you, begun in London, was further improved at Pemberley, and it was not long before I wished for an understanding between you and Darcy. I am certain your presence would be good for them both, as well as for Pemberley and the others who are in Darcy’s care.”
Elizabeth’s emotions left her little to say, so she silently waited for Lady Cassandra to continue.
“And then, during those moments which followed the revelation of your sister’s elopement, I will not conceal that I was profoundly impressed with your character, Miss Bennet – and I am very rarely impressed. I know you had refused Darcy once last spring, despite his situation in life, because his manners had been disastrous and your feelings for him were not at all of a tender kind. But to leave, to run from him after you had actually seen Pemberley and all his properties, after you were certain of the nature of his feelings and yours, to throw away your greatest chance of happiness, the chance of making a love match with such a wealthy man – it was astonishing. And to know you had done so to protect Darcy and Georgiana without considering your own well-being and interest was unimaginable and unbelievable. You have gained my deepest respect, Miss Bennet.”
“Your ladyship is too kind; I do not deserve such praise.”
“Of course you do, but let us not argue about who will praise who and which praises are more deserved, shall we?”
Elizabeth laughed – more from uneasiness than amusement, struggling to regain her spirit while she answered teasingly, “You are correct again, your ladyship – there is no reason for us to argue at all. Let us just affirm that we are both worthy of praise, shall we?”
Lady Cassandra burst out in peals of laughter and nodded, obviously delighted with the turn of the conversation. “As for the Gardiners, I have never been kind to them, Miss Bennet, quite the contrary; I sought out their company for selfish reasons. I am simply delighted to be around them, as I truly like them and have come to appreciate them more with every new encounter. There are very few people whom I like as much as I do your uncle and aunt...”
“I thank you on their behalf, Lady Cassandra. I…I do not know what else to say…”
“Well, there is nothing more to say; better go and talk to Georgiana so you will be able to join us all downstairs.”
“Thank you. I shall do so at once. Would you be so kind as to inform my sister I shall return soon?”
“Of course I shall…when I return to the drawing room. However, it might take me quite awhile as Netherfield is still new to me, and I could get lost for some time. But I am sure Mr. Bingley will act as the most perfect host in the interim,” she said, a mischievous smile overspreading her lips.
Elizabeth looked at her, incredulous that her ladyship was devising a scheme worthy of Mrs. Bennet. Then she laughed. “A little delay could do no harm, Lady Cassandra. I shall see you later then.”
“Oh, Miss Bennet… Should I say something to Darcy in case I see him? Or would you rather tell him personally?”
Elizabeth struggled furiously as her face colored anew. But she turned her head impetuously and daringly answered, looking straight at her companion, “There is no need to say anything to Mr. Darcy; I have already told him everything I wanted to. As for the rest, it can wait until we meet.” She mirrored her ladyship’s smile, and then exited in haste.
Lady Cassandra remained motionless in the middle of the room, staring at the closed door.
~/~/~/~ Elizabeth knocked tentatively at the door, but no answer came; she entered, stopped again in front of the bedchamber’s door, and knocked again. Only then did Georgiana’s soft voice invite her in. When she did so, the younger girl’s surprise could not be misinterpreted. Nothing of her previously warm friendship appeared in Miss Darcy’s expression.
Elizabeth advanced a step further, summoning a smile to dissipate the obvious tension in the room.
“Georgiana, welcome to Hertfordshire! I am so happy to see you again. I have truly missed you,” she said warmly.
“Miss Bennet…I am pleased to see you, too…” Her voice showed anything but genuine pleasure.
“I hope you are well. Mr. Darcy and Lady Cassandra told me of your fatigue from the journey.”
“No indeed, I am quite well; thank you for your concern. You are well, too, I hope? You look very well, indeed.”
Elizabeth remained equally disconcerted and saddened by her cold attitude. Earlier in the grove, Mr. Darcy had informed her briefly of Georgiana’s distress with Elizabeth and her wish not to renew their friendship. When she had heard it, Elizabeth’s own distress and grief had not been easy to conceal; she felt truly pained by this unexpected rejection, especially as they were soon to be sisters.
On learning further details, she managed to calm a little; clearly, Georgiana had been affected by the news of Lydia’s elopement. Beyond that, Mr. Darcy was not certain of anything. Lady Cassandra had talked to her, and it appeared her anger stemmed from not being informed. Georgiana discovered the truth unexpectedly on seeing the announcements in the paper. However, Mr. Darcy was concerned that she continued to harbor tender feelings for the scoundrel, Wickham, which might be affecting her. Both Mr. Darcy and Lady Cassandra had become deeply worried when Georgiana agreed to join them in Hertfordshire but absolutely refused to meet Elizabeth again.
And now, in front of the girl, Elizabeth could see how serious Georgiana’s rejection was.
“Georgiana, I have missed you so,” Elizabeth repeated, her voice even more soft.
“Miss Bennet, may I offer you some sweets or some tea? Or have they already been offered? Have you been at Netherfield long?” Indifferently, she went to ring the bell for the servant. Her tone was proud and distant as Elizabeth had never seen her before.
“We have just arrived a few minutes ago, and I have come to see you directly. I truly missed talking to you. But no, I do not need sweets or tea; I would like my friend, Georgiana, back if possible.”
The girl turned instantly, and their eyes met and remained locked for several moments: dark eyes moist with warmth and hope; blue eyes casting sharp, frozen arrows and displaying a profound sorrow.
“I am quite at a loss to understand your meaning, Miss Bennet; to which friend do you refer? The one who trusted you implicitly and confessed to you her darkest fears, opening her heart to you though she had barely known you a month? Or the one you purposely deceived when you left Pemberley, despite the fact she had begged you to tell her the truth?”
The harshness of the girl’s words and her bitter tone turned Elizabeth pale; she stared at her young friend, disconcerted and unable to formulate a reply, their eyes locking again in a painful, silent confrontation for several long, unbearable moments until Georgiana suddenly averted her eyes and moved toward the window.
“You had better leave now, Miss Bennet; I am feeling unwell. Thank you for visiting me,” the girl said, struggling to defeat the tears which invaded her eyes and made her voice tremble.
Not for a single moment did Elizabeth hesitate before she slowly moved toward her; she stopped a scant two steps away while Georgiana tried to hide her face.
“I have never deceived you, Georgiana. If I caused you pain when I left so unexpectedly, I beg your forgiveness. But you must believe that everything I did was to protect you.” Her voice was overwhelmed by emotion and Elizabeth did not attempt to conceal it.
“To protect me? How did you imagine you were protecting me, Elizabeth? Keeping me ignorant and hoping I would never discover the truth? You knew how painful that subject was for me. Can you imagine my shock when I accidentally found out about your sister’s wedding in my uncle’s dining room? Where apparently everybody else was aware of it? The announcement had already appeared in the papers, yet I still knew nothing. Can you imagine how I felt when I understood that this was the reason for your sudden departure and that you deceived me?”
As her tone grew angrier and her face lost all its color, tears rolled down her cheeks. Elizabeth’s heart ached for the girl’s distress and she could not resist moving closer and taking her hand. Georgiana withdrew it furiously.
“Georgiana, I cannot tell you how sorry I am. I never imagined you would discover the truth in such a manner. That day at Pemberley...I only thought of how to better save you from pain and keep you apart from the scandal. Please believe me – I did everything I believed was best for your well-being. I did not say anything precisely because I knew how unsupportable the subject of that man was for you. Pray tell, how could I? I was ashamed and distressed and deeply worried for my family and for you, as well. I was certain that leaving Pemberley as soon as possible was the best thing for me to do in order that you not be exposed to the situation. I would have done the same for my sister, I can tell you that... I care deeply for you, Georgiana.”
The girl’s lower lip trembled as she looked at her tearfully.
“I know you care for me, Elizabeth; I never doubted that. But you never trusted me enough to tell me the truth and allow me to decide what was best for me to do. You treated me with condescension and patronizing care as if I were still a little child. You said we were friends, but you did not consider me so. I know I am younger then you, but I had hoped you would not hold it against me. I thought we could trust each other.”
“My dear Georgiana, please do not say that. Your age has nothing to do with this situation – I would have done the same if you were ten years older than me. And I do trust you and cherish our friendship. How can I convince you?”
“You did tell Cassandra, though I believed you two were not on such friendly terms as we were. And she told William, but she kept me in the dark and concealed the truth from me even when we went to London. Did you ask Cassandra and my brother to keep the secret from me? Or did they simply treat me like a child, too, as always?” She started sobbing even harder and she turned her back to Elizabeth again.
Elizabeth, however, moved closer so she was able to face her; once more she took the girl’s hand. “I did ask – demanded from Lady Cassandra – that she keep the secret from you and from W... from Mr. Darcy, too. I would not have said a word to Lady Cassandra if she had not happened upon me when I read the letters which revealed the dreadful event.”
“But my brother knew. I am sure of it!” she replied, looking doubtfully at Elizabeth. “He went to London the very next day, and I was certain you had eventually asked for his assistance. I am certain he went in search of your sister and…Mr. Wickham. He even attended their wedding, as I discovered later.”
Elizabeth’s cheeks colored highly from mortification; it was her turn to think that apparently everybody was aware of Mr. Darcy’s involvement in the affair – except her. She smiled bitterly to herself while she warmly squeezed Georgiana’s hand.
“Let us move to the sofa, and I will tell you everything – shall we?” The girl nodded silently.
“Georgiana, Mr. Darcy had not been informed by my wish. In fact, I had tried diligently to keep this matter away from him as well as from you. I had hoped to keep you both unaware of the scandal and disgrace in which my family was involved. But Mr. Darcy somehow figured everything out for himself…and perhaps he had also spoken to Lady Cassandra. I do not know all the facts myself! I did not know he was involved in the search for my sister, and the notion that he attended their wedding was astonishing to me. Almost as astonishing as it was to see Mr. Darcy returning to Hertfordshire!” she concluded with not much composure.
“I do not understand! I thought you were the one who informed him! How could you have been astonished to see my brother again? I was certain you had an understanding.”
Elizabeth turned pale then crimson in the next instant. She looked at her companion for a moment then averted her eyes. “We had no understanding at the time…that was one of the reasons I left in such a hurry…” She paused, unpleasant memories invading her mind.
“I am sorry Elizabeth; I should not have said that. It was highly improper of me. It is not my place to inquire about these private matters…” Her tone softened and she looked at Elizabeth with equal worry and embarrassment.
“Oh, no need for apologies… I do want to tell you everything as I promised, but the remembrances of that day are still exceedingly fresh and painful. And, although you might become angry with me, I have to say it is truly hard to talk about those things with a much younger friend.” Georgiana did not become upset again; she only smiled tentatively.
“That I can understand, Elizabeth. Then let us not speak about such things. Let us make a truce for the moment,” Georgiana said.
“No, my dear friend, I do not want a truce, I want a long lasting peace. And I do trust you well enough to share the truth with you.” Georgiana’s face lightened while tears dried in her eyes.
“You were right; Mr. Darcy and I were very close to an understanding that day. In fact, when he left that morning, he gave me reasons to believe that at his return… Anyway,” she said, blushing again, “when I read Jane’s letters I knew such an understanding could no longer be possible. With a very heavy heart, I chose to leave immediately!”
“But Elizabeth, you said William gave you reason to believe he intended to… I do not understand you! Why ever would you run away? Did you not want him to… Did you not want to enter into an understanding with him?”
“Oh yes, I very much did! In fact,” Elizabeth said with no little embarrassment, “I had wished and hoped for it! I have long considered Mr. Darcy the best man I have ever known, and the prospect of having you as a sister was making the situation even more desirable to me.”
“Then – I truly do not understand you!” the girl said, blushing at Elizabeth’s praises.
“Oh, but for me, it is so easy to understand: my sister’s elopement with Mr. Wickham made all my hopes vanish. I believed that no understanding could ever be possible after such a dreadful scandal.”
“Elizabeth, you must have known my brother would never take his word back…and I never would have allowed that situation to affect our friendship.”
“I knew this to be so, dearest, which is why I also knew I had to get away! At the time, in my mind the disgrace was enormous and I was certain it would affect our entire family. I could not allow it to also affect Mr. Darcy and especially you; a connection between our families seemed impossible. I truly believed it could never be…”
“Oh, Elizabeth,” the girl cried, all the blood drained from her face. “Now I understand… Oh, I am such a simpleton! How much you must have suffered! And I was so upset, so angry with you! I thought only of myself with no consideration for your own distress and feelings.”
“Georgiana, please calm yourself, all is well now…”
“I have acted so abominably, so selfishly…and I told my brother so many times I did not want to see you again… I acted so badly with him, too… ’Tis true that I do not deserve your friendship.” She rose from the sofa and departed a few steps. Elizabeth followed her, uncertain if she should laugh or cry.
“My dear, let us not start an argument again, I beg you. You had every right to be angry and upset with me.”
“You are too generous, I do not deserve your friendship,” Georgiana repeated, while she started sobbing again. Elizabeth embraced her and pulled her head to her shoulder, caressing her hair. The girl cried in her arms a long while before she finally managed to calm herself enough to look at Elizabeth.
“Will you ever forgive me for what I said to you, Elizabeth? I missed you so much! I said to myself and to everyone that I was upset with you, but I could not wait to see you again… Oh, I am such a child after all, so I deserve to be treated like one!” she admitted, mixing tears with peals of laughter.
“Dearest Georgiana,” Elizabeth replied, laughing along with her, “I have nothing to forgive.”
A knock on the door startled them and they broke away from their embrace. At Georgiana’s invitation, Mr. Darcy entered and his gaze instantly enveloped both ladies as he searched their expressions with alarm. The warm smile on Elizabeth’s face melted his heart and put aside any concern about a possible argument between them.
“Miss Bennet, how wonderful to see you again! Please forgive me for not being able to receive you properly when you arrived. I hope I did not interrupt your conversation…”
“No interruption at all, brother.”
“No, not at all,” Elizabeth answered, trying to remain calm while greeting him, not an easy task considering she could think of nothing except their earlier meeting in the grove. “I am pleased to see you, too, sir.”
“Are you well, I hope? And your family?”
“Yes, I am very well, thank you...”
“I am glad to hear that…”
Their neutral dialog would have been easily considered just a proper and polite greeting if not for their intense glances to each other and Elizabeth’s constant blushing.
Georgiana was slightly embarrassed as she felt like an intruder in their intimacy, uncomfortable and ignored; then she smiled, finally lighthearted for the first time in a long while.
“Would you please excuse me for a moment? I would like to prepare myself and then will join you downstairs… I would like to meet Miss Bennet.”
“Yes, by all means,” answered Darcy, not knowing precisely what the girl said. She seemed very well and reconciled with Elizabeth – and that was all that mattered to him.
The moment Georgiana exited the door toward her dressing room, Darcy stepped closer to Elizabeth, his eyes never leaving hers. He did not touch her, nor attempt to take her hand; only his eyes captured hers. He spoke to her wordlessly but so eloquently that her heart raced wildly. Her lips became drier as her hands ached from the longing of being held. Slowly, his gaze left hers and traveled along her face, toward her half open mouth then back to her cheeks and returned to meet her eyes again, so tenderly that she felt as if his intense stare was touching, caressing her.
“I presume you and Georgiana solved all the differences between you,” he said with a low, whispered voice.
She swallowed deeply and licked her lips so she could speak. “Yes, we did…”
“I am happy to hear it… And I am happy to see you again, Elizabeth.”
She had no time to answer how happy she herself was, as Miss Darcy returned to the room and froze in the door frame. She apologized and attempted to exit again as it was obvious she was disturbing them, but Elizabeth regained her composure immediately; and, though her cheeks were burning with embarrassment, she forced herself to speak in a light tone.
“Georgiana, do not leave please! This is your room, my dear, is it not?”
“Yes it is, but…I thought you were talking and I did not want to interrupt you…”
“You were not interrupting us, my dear. In fact, there is something I wanted to share with you…something that nobody else knows at this moment. I wanted you to be the first to hear it.”
Not only Georgiana but also Darcy looked at her in surprise. The girl could not hide her eagerness but she dared say nothing. Elizabeth looked at Darcy and smiled at him – a smile which left little doubt for Georgiana.
“Sir, I think that, before going further with this, before even speaking to my father, we should ask for Georgiana’s opinion on the matter.”
“Oh, Elizabeth, you are engaged,” cried the girl the next instant and, in a gesture which shocked her brother, she threw herself at Elizabeth, embracing her so powerfully that they almost toppled over together. Darcy hurried to support them.
“Well, I dare say her opinion is not completely unfavorable,” he said, barely checking his laughter while his heart danced with joy at his sister’s hearty approval.
“No, not completely unfavorable,” Elizabeth admitted while holding the girl tightly.
“I am so happy, brother.” Georgiana hurried to embrace him, too.
“I am very happy, too, dearest,” he answered, his own emotions obvious.
“When did you propose? May I ask that? Is it true that nobody else knows yet? Not even Miss Bennet? And you did not speak to Mr. Bennet yet?”
“Dearest, let us all sit a moment and talk calmly,” he suggested, and the ladies followed him to the sofa. Elizabeth seated herself between the siblings, one of her hands held by Georgiana. Darcy took the other. She blushed with more pleasure than embarrassment.
“I proposed to Miss Elizabeth earlier today. And it is true; no one else has been informed yet. I plan to speak to Mr. Bennet later today.”
“Oh, Elizabeth, thank you for telling me first!”
“Georgiana, my dear, I am so happy to see your enthusiastic approval. But you must take into consideration a very painful fact: Mr. Wickham will now be a part of your family. It is possible that his name will be mentioned often by my mother and sisters, and it is possible you will even meet him again some day. Will you be able to endure that?”
The girl averted her eyes and her expression changed. “I hope that day will not be too soon. I have no desire to see him or hear of him again. But that will not change how happy I am to have you as my sister,” she replied.
“Georgiana…” Darcy attempted to intervene but she stopped him.
“Oh, let us not be talking about such unpleasant subjects now. I could not care less about George Wickham. Instead you had better tell me – have you fixed the wedding day? And did you inform Cassandra? She will be very angry if you keep her ignorant. Where will you marry?”
Her exuberance, though a little forced, left little choice for Darcy and Elizabeth; and, after a short glance, they decided to indulge her.
“No, my dear, we have not decided anything yet! And I beg you, speak a little lower or else everybody will find out long before I am able to talk to Mr. Bennet.”
“Forgive me,” she whispered, covering her mouth with her palm, and then she continued. “But you will marry soon, I hope?”
Darcy laughed and squeezed Elizabeth’s hand, unable to tell his young sister how eager he was for a very quick wedding; they chatted a few more minutes until finally they all decided it was time to join the others downstairs.
*** At first they stopped at the door in wonder and surprise, hearing the bustle inside the drawing room. It was not difficult to distinguish Bingley’s joyful voice accompanied by Lady Cassandra’s.
They entered, and it took Bingley less then a moment before he ran to Elizabeth then to Georgiana and Darcy, demanding their congratulations. On the sofa, a blushing and highly embarrassed – but deeply happy – Jane Bennet hardly dared to look at them. A few paces further on a settee, Mrs. Hurst’s countenance was dark and bitter; Mr. Hurst was enjoying a glass of wine. Lady Cassandra was standing in the middle of the room, clearly enjoying herself.
In that din, it was a real success for Darcy to be able to calm Bingley and properly introduce his sister to Miss Jane Bennet. He smiled, seeing them both shy; silently, looking tentatively at each other, they were clearly embarrassed to become acquainted in such an agitated moment.
Georgiana offered her congratulations and Jane graciously accepted them. Both of them looked at the same time to Elizabeth, asking her help. She joined them, sharing her sister’s happiness and rejoicing in her own. She cast a quick glance toward Darcy who was making an effort to follow Bingley’s speech, and she almost burst out laughing at the expression of exasperation written on his face. He met her eyes, and his face lit instantly. Her heart pounded with love for him.
The servants entered, carrying trays with drinks and cold food; they all sat – Bingley quickly securing a place near Jane – and a calmer and more intelligible conversation commenced.
“As soon as Mr. Bennet gives us his blessing, I think we should plan an engagement ball,” said Mr. Bingley enthusiastically. “Of course, if you will agree to it, Miss Bennet,” he added, looking at Jane.
“A very good idea, sir,” approved Lady Cassandra.
“That would be lovely, sir,” replied Jane Bennet, still incredulous of everything that had happened in such a short time.
The conversation continued with everybody’s involvement, and even Mrs. Hurst was forced to show an interest in her brother’s engagement and future plans.
Darcy was the most silent one; he did little but keep his eyes upon Elizabeth and more than once the intensity of his glance made her turn toward him. From time to time Elizabeth noticed Lady Cassandra’s inquiring looks upon her, but she asked nothing. And in truth, it would have been difficult to speak at all, as Mr. Bingley seemed to monopolize the entire room.
The visitors finally prepared to leave and naturally Mr. Bingley accompanied them, as did Darcy – much to Elizabeth’s delight.
The Bennet sisters received a warm farewell from Lady Cassandra and Miss Darcy – who embraced Elizabeth and expressed her eagerness of meeting again the next day. Mrs. Hurst was all politeness, expressing her pleasure with the happy news. However, as soon as the guests left the house, she excused herself as she was not feeling well, and retired to her room. In a great hurry she wrote a long and very furious letter to her insensible sister in London, insisting – demanding – on her to return at Netherfield immediately.
~/~/~/~ “Elizabeth, when shall we share our news with your family?” Darcy asked while he helped her descend from the carriage. They both walked toward Longbourn’s main door. Bingley and Jane had almost reached the house.
“Oh, let my sister and Mr. Bingley have the joy of this evening, please! Let this be their day; they have waited so long and my sister is so happy that I cannot do anything to disturb her state of bliss.”
“I have waited for this day, too, Elizabeth. I am not a patient man, you know. I have no desire of waiting any longer; I want to have the right to court you, to enjoy your company, to be certain I have your father’s blessing. I still cannot believe you have accepted me,” he replied passionately, while forcing himself to appear calm.
Elizabeth moved a little closer so their arms brushed against each other as they walked.
“I am not asking you to wait very long…only a little more…because you see,” she blushed slightly in mortification as she admitted, “when my mother hears that I am engaged to you, she will give little attention to Mr. Bingley and will direct all her interest only to you, I am certain of it. So perhaps I am a very selfish being, and I am not asking to keep our engagement secret for a little longer only for my sister’s tranquility but for my own, too.”
“You are a very wise lady, Elizabeth. A very wise lady indeed,” he replied after a few moments of meditation. By that time they had already reached the entrance.
“I am considering asking for a private meeting with Mr. Bennet as soon as possible – perhaps tomorrow morning, as I do not want to distress him too much for one evening – and after that I will allow you the complete liberty to decide when you want to publicly announce our engagement. Would that be acceptable to you, Elizabeth?”
“You are also a very wise man, sir,” she responded, teasing him tenderly while they both entered the house.
The evening passed in much agitation and considerable torment for Mrs. Bennet and for everyone else in the house. Mr. Bingley’s interview with Mr. Bennet was very short and completely satisfactory for both gentlemen. Immediately after, the wonderful news was announced to Mrs. Bennet; and, for a moment, she seemed to faint in happy distress. Fortunately, she recovered soon enough and her loudly expressed satisfaction overwhelmed Mr. Bingley who was warmly and maternally embraced many times in a very short while.
Mr. Darcy seemed truly worried and somewhat appalled by such openly displayed enthusiasm, wondering if his future mother-in-law would be equally affectionate with him when the time came. He cast a quick glance toward Elizabeth and saw her eyes narrowed in laughter as she was likely thinking the same thing.
Miss Jane Bennet was glowing in complete happiness; every time she passed near Elizabeth, she whispered how fortunate she felt and wondered how she would ever be able to bear so much felicity. Elizabeth smiled at her in loving understanding. Her own felicity was difficult to bear.
The ladies retired to prepare for dinner; and, of course, the gentlemen were asked to join the family – an invitation they accepted gladly.
The guests were seated at the table on each side of Mr. Bennet and – to Darcy’s delight – Elizabeth took the place next to him. The evening passed unmarked by anything extraordinary except Mrs. Bennet’s exuberance which grew even greater when Mr. Bingley announced plans for a ball within two weeks time. From that moment, she spoke of little else except how beautiful a bride Jane would be and how perfect a wife she would make. While the future bride’s face was burning in mortification, Mr. Bingley heartily and completely agreed with everything Mrs. Bennet said. Miss Jane was the most beautiful angel and he was the most fortunate man.
“Not nearly as fortunate as I am,” thought Darcy and at that very moment he turned to look at Elizabeth. Their eyes met for a moment but then a question from Mr. Bennet demanded Darcy’s attention. He turned to the gentleman with no little regret, suddenly envious of his friend for being allowed to enjoy his betrothed’s charms as much as he wanted.
To his utter shock and complete delight, while he was speaking to Mr. Bennet, Darcy felt Elizabeth moving slightly closer to him. Without thinking, he stretched his leg to the right and touched hers. He felt her tense for a moment, but then she relaxed and even joined the gentlemen’s conversation. She never withdrew her leg from his during the entire dinner.
Furthermore, as nobody seemed to pay much attention to them, their fingers brushed against each other more then once while they ate – as if by mistake – and Darcy’s eyes were captured by Elizabeth’s lips, wet from the sweet, red wine. “Not by far as sweet and as red as her mouth,” he said to himself, and the desire of actually tasting her lips again become painfully strong.
“Do you know at what time you will call tomorrow, sir?” whispered Elizabeth when her father was conversing with Mr. Bingley.
“As soon as it is proper for a call,” he answered with the same low voice. “But perhaps we should talk more about that tomorrow morning,” he added, and she looked at him inquiringly. Then she blushed as she understood his meaning.
“Very well, sir.”
She could not say much as she was afraid she would betray her emotions. In a deep part of her heart there was still a shadow of fear, of doubt that her felicity would last. She was still incredulous that everything which occurred that day truly happened: that he finally proposed and she accepted, that Georgiana shared their happiness, that Jane and Bingley were engaged… Could such perfect bliss be real and everlasting?
Yet, it must be true, if for nothing else than the proof of his strong leg pressing intimately against hers; and she shamelessly and wantonly enjoyed the novelty of sensation that rose inside her from the feel of his body. His leg felt so strong – as strong and as warm as his arms which crushed her against his chest earlier that day. And his lips – which now took small sips of wine from his glass – his lips so demanding yet so tender, capturing her mouth and exploring it…
She became dizzy; countless chills made her shiver as she burned inside. She rushed to take her glass and almost dropped it; his hand reached to catch the goblet, covering her hand upon it with his own.
“Miss Bennet, is everything well?” “Yes…yes Mr. Darcy, everything is well, thank you.” She felt his stare fixing her profile, but he said nothing more, for which she was grateful. She drank a little wine then asked for cold water and swallowed it quickly. When she dared to look at him from the corner of her eyes, she saw a hidden smile twisting his lips.
“Is there any reason for your amusement, sir?” she inquired, trying to sound light and teasing.
“Oh, of course there is, Lizzy,” Mrs. Bennet intervened from the other side of the table. “You are so distracted this evening that you almost dropped the glass. It would be very nice indeed to spread the wine over Mr. Darcy, now that he finally seems to be more friendly.”
Elizabeth found nothing to say at such a statement and returned her attention to her plate. If her mother only knew how friendly Mr. Darcy truly was!
By the end of the evening, despite some other embarrassing moments, Darcy and Elizabeth had become masterfully skilled at fully enjoying each other’s closeness and stealing moments of sweet privacy in a room full of people.
The acknowledged lovers talked and laughed; the unacknowledged were silent – but they needed no words to express their felicity. They knew as much as they felt how happy they were. And everything that was left unsaid between them would be most eloquently expressed the very next morning when they would again meet in the grove. For as much as Darcy was eager to speak to Mr. Bennet and ask for his consent, he was even more eager to hear and feel the daughter’s consent again. Many times again.