Courtship and Confusion

by Laura Maybrick

  Turning into a particularly sheltered lane meandering through the woods and down towards a small stream crossed by an ancient stone bridge, Elizabeth Bennet walked on. It was one of her favourite spots around here far away from the house and seemingly forgotten by time. How old the structure was, she could not possibly say, but that this old crossing had seen many centuries pass, Elisabeth was almost certain of.

  As she rounded yet another corner, she almost collided with someone and with some surprise she realised that it was non other than Mr Darcy likewise out for a walk.

  “Miss Bennet!” he cried out in surprise, having obviously been in deep thought himself.

  “Well, good morning, Mr Darcy. How are you this morning?”

  “Very well, thank you. And you?”

  “Quite well myself.”

  “No more tiredness?” he smiled, making her blush.

  When smiling like this, he appeared almost approachable, likeable even. Not to speak of extremely handsome. What a shame that he was otherwise such an unpleasant man, full of himself and fastidious.

  “No more tiredness, I thank you.”

  “All the better. You did look rather pale last night, but nonetheless, you played beautifully.”

  Did he just pay her a compliment? Apparently miracles could happen once in a while.

  “Not as beautifully as I would have liked, I admit, your aunt has a point when she insisted that I needed more practice. I indeed do.”

  “While one does need a good deal of practice, if one plays without passion, no matter how accomplished you are, a piece will never sound as lovely as when it is played by a person who appreciates music for its own sake, even if the performance is not perfect,” he gallantly replied, startling her once again.

  “I take that as high praise from you, Mr Darcy,” Elizabeth eventually laughed it off. “You, whose sister, by all accounts, possesses both accomplishment and a passion for music, must be used to extraordinary performances indeed.”

  “I am. And yet, it gave me great pleasure listening to you. Do you sing as well? I heard your sister sing, but never you.”

  “And for good reason. Yes, I do sing, but not in society if it can be avoided.”

  “Then I am curious to listen to you on an occasion when it cannot be.”

  “Be careful what you wish for, Mr Darcy, for your wish might come true in the end!”

  His laughter at her arch reply was even more surprising. It was warm, unrestrained and honest. Not one of those affected laughs one encountered so often in society and that stemmed more from an obliging politeness than from real amusement.

  “Well then, I will continue wishing for just that,” he in the end remarked with some dryness his grey eyes still dancing with cheer.

  It was odd that she had never realised how long his lashes were and how soulful his eyes. But looking at him now, he seemed to be almost a different man from the one she had first encountered at the ball in Meryton.

  A moment later he was serious again as he asked: “But please Miss Bennet, answer me sincerely, are you quite well?”

  “I assure you, I am. I was... - merely thinking about something, that is all.”

  “I hope nothing serious...”

  Well, perhaps it was time to find out a few things.

  “If you must know, I was thinking about my sister Jane, who is currently staying in London with our aunt and uncle. You might remember, the ones, who live in Gracechurch Street. As I understood, you have been in London yourself ever since you left Hertfordshire. Perhaps you have met her there?”

  Ah, just as she had thought, he looked taken aback, his eyes avoiding hers where moments before they had glanced at her so openly.

  “I... - I admit I have. A few days before I left for Kent I passed her by in the street with, whom I assume to be your aunt. They did not see me, though. Is... - is your sister well?”

  “As well as she can be, considering the circumstances. You must admit that she has been misused badly by your friend and his sisters, who made her believe she was their friend,” Elizabeth countered with more bitterness than she had been aware she felt.

  “Played? By Bingley? Surely not!”

  “Then how do you explain his behaviour towards her?”

  “Pray excuse me, but are you certain we are speaking of the same man? As far as I am aware it was not Bingley who misused your sister but rather the other way around.”

  All Elisabeth's anger could be contained no longer at hearing this man's unjust accusations towards Jane. It was not to be borne!

  “Excuse me! How dare you? Your friend made her believe he cared for her when the very next moment he turned his head and walked away as if she had never meant anything to him and with that breaking the heart of one of the dearest women one could ever find. Have you any idea of the pain he has caused my sister in doing so?”

  His face was a mask of shock and anger, though the latter slowly faded as realisation seemed to hit him.

  “She loved him?” Darcy eventually stammered, looking thoroughly taken aback, crestfallen almost.

  “Of course she did! And Miss Bingley's obvious dismissal when Jane called on her was yet another thing that caused her anguish. And now you blame her for having led on your friend? No, Sir, she did not.”

  Darcy's mien had turned thoughtful and it was a couple of minutes until he spoke: “If that is the case, then I dare say some things need sorting out. I did not know your sister was in town until I saw her about three weeks ago and I had no idea that Miss Bennet had called in Grosvenor Street, though some of Miss Bingley's remarks suddenly make sense. She did mention that some former friends appear to be unable to accept that an acquaintance is no longer desirable... - I am truly sorry, Miss Bennet, but if what you say is true, than I have made a great error of judgement and I apologise and as it is, if perhaps, we could work together to make two people very happy who at the moment are clearly not, then I would be forever grateful. In separating my friend from your sister I never meant to cause her any pain, but rather prevent my friend from having his heart broken. In all this, Bingley is completely innocent, I assure you. He is as good a man as he appears to be.”

  To this, Elizabeth did not know how to reply. Not at first. While her initial problem had all but been pushed to the side, there now was something even more confusing to ponder on.

  “But please, Miss Bennet, tell me, does your sister truly love my friend? I for my part could never see anything but mild regard for him whenever she was in his company.”

  Taking a deep breath to not flare up again, Elizabeth managed to answer calmly: “Yes, she does. Jane never shows much of her feelings, even to those closest to her, but that does not mean she does not feel deeply and honestly. If anything it is quite the contrary.”

  “Seeing that you know your sister so much better than I do, I believe you. And are you certain she still loves him?”

  “Yes. Every line of her last letter indicated as much. She is not well and yet, I dare say that by looking at her, one would never know.”

  “Indeed not. Except for being paler than I remembered her, there was nothing that gave away that she was unwell. Again, I can only assure you how sorry I am for having persuaded Bingley to stay in London when he was intent on returning to Hertfordshire. For Miss Bingley, I cannot make apologies, and for Bingley I do not need to make any, but as to myself, I pray that you may forgive my interference.”

  Was this really the proud Mr Darcy she had come to know? Elizabeth was almost tempted to pinch herself in case she was still asleep and dreaming, but stumbling over a small stone, that was made unnecessary. She was definitely awake and Mr Darcy, who had gotten hold of her arm was just as real as the many trees around them. And anyway, as much as she would have liked to carry on with this conversation, it was time to return back to the parsonage before her friends would get worried. Besides, a little breakfast would do her good and a cup of tea never went amiss. At any rate, her own meagre problems had faded into a distant me
mory, what mattered was to see Jane happy and nothing else and if she had to work with Mr Darcy to do so, then be it. Perhaps, after all, he was not so bad a man as she had initially thought. Though how Wickham's take fit in with everything she could not make out at all. Something seemed off all of a sudden, and while presently it mattered little, she would try and find out what it was.

  Chapter 6

  'Well,' Darcy thought to himself while staring at his image in the mirror of his dressing room, 'whatever chance I might have had in winning Miss Elizabeth, that is now gone. But if it will make her happy, to see her sister happy again, I presume it is but a small sacrifice.'

  He once again had changed into his riding clothes and under the pretence of seeing to some work that was presently been done on the other side of his aunt's estate, he left the house to once again meet with Miss Bennet and try and think of a way to inconspicuously bring both her sister and his friend back together. Everything else was up to them. There was no point of forcing anything. Least of all in matters of the heart. It was lucky that this time around it was Colonel Fitzwilliam who was unable to escape their aunt, while Anne as well had managed to sneak out and was now wandering around the shrubbery all by herself, a book in her hands. Darcy had actually lost count just how many times his quiet little cousin had managed to escape her companion Mrs Jenkinson under the pretence of wanting to lie down, before sneaking out of the house via one of the back doors to read a book that her mother would certainly have a fit over. Anne's love for Gothic novels was certainly a passion best kept hidden. Yet, it always made him smile and he took some devilish delight in providing her with said volumes which in turn and quite ingeniously she kept in plain sight and with that well hidden in the library of Rosings Park, a room her Ladyship hardly ever set foot in and when she did only ever to check whether the maid had done her job properly.

  Darcy mounted his horse and took off in the direction of the work site and only when he was out of sight of the house, turned towards the old bridge on the other end of the park. Elizabeth Bennet was already waiting for him, though by the looks of it, she, too, had only just arrived, her face still bright from the exercise.

  “Good afternoon, Miss Bennet,” Darcy greeted her, even before he got off his horse, inquiring nonetheless: “I hope you have not been waiting long?”

  “Good afternoon. No, not at all.”

  “All the better. - I have been thinking...” he trailed off, offering her his arm while with his other hand he led his mount.

  “Have you indeed?” she replied cheekily.

  “Yes, believe it or not.”

  “And what have you been thinking about?”

  “Oh, this and that but mainly how to resolve the issue about your sister and Bingley.”

  “Then we have been thinking about the same things. Did you come to any conclusion?”

  “In a sense yes. While I have no issues with Bingley finding out about my own involvement, but for the sake of his sister, or even sisters, seeing that Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst are in the habit of sharing everything that is not of any material value, I would prefer to have them meet 'accidentally', if you get my meaning.”

  “I do. And I have to admit that I have not thought quite as far. As far as I was concerned I would have thought that a simple letter from you telling your friend everything should have sufficed. But you do have a point. While I am not particularly partial to either sister, there indeed is no reason to mention their involvement in keeping them apart. Not without hurting Jane even more by finding that those whom she had considered to be her friends had gone behind her back.”

  “Indeed not, it would not be very gentlemanly to do so. And anyway, it is on them to see their fault in this and make amends out of their own accord.”

  “Do you think that will ever happen?”

  “No,” Darcy replied wryly making her laugh.

  What a lovely sound! So full of warmth and real merriment. Nothing in comparison to the false chuckles he was so used to hear from the ladies in society.

  If only there was a chance left for him to win her heart now. If only he could make her laugh more often...

  But he had done so now and this would have to suffice. He would carry this sound in his heart up until the day he died. Yes, he was a sentimental fool, but what did it matter? He now knew that he had never been in love before and now that he was, he found that the only thing that truly mattered was to make the other happy even if it meant sacrificing one's own happiness. It was a bittersweet realisation.

  “Well then, what are we to do?” Elizabeth interrupted his musings.

  “We must make them meet by coincidence.”

  “Now that is a contradiction in itself if ever I heard one!”

  “Yes, it is. Does your sister like going to the theatre?”

  “Once in a while. She does like to go to the tea rooms with our aunt, though.”

  “And do you happen to know which ones the attend? And when?”

  “The only place she has mentioned in her letters is Bertram's on Oxford Road, but whether they are there very often, I cannot say. I would assume that going there is more the exception seeing that it is some way from Gracechurch Street and that there are certainly other tea rooms closer to there,” she replied after a short while, the wrinkles on her forehead clearly showing that she tried to recall every single place her sister had ever written to her about.

  “There indeed are. Harrison's comes to mind. It is just around from Saint Paul's.”

  “Yes, but is it not a place where only men attend? I think I remember my uncle say as much.”

  “Yes, it is...” Darcy replied with a sigh.

  He had completely forgotten about that fact. Yet thinking about it, he indeed had never seen a lady inside of Harrison's. This matchmaking was far from simple it would appear. It was no easy feat to get two people to meet over some distance, especially not when they moved in such different circles.

  For a while they wandered on in silence. A comfortable one, though. After a more than ten minutes had passed Elisabeth picked up the subject at hand again.

  “I dare say neither Mr Bingley nor Jane are much interested in going to a museum, if I am any judge of it on behalf on your friend.”

  “You are quite right. Whenever we get invited to see an exhibition it is only after some persuasion that Bingley agrees to join me, while he has got the same difficulty when it comes to balls.”

  “Who would have thought?” she remarked archly.

  “Yes, who would have thought... - I assume that Almack's is no option either?”

  “No. And neither are any private assemblies.”

  “But other public ones, of course!” Darcy cried out feeling slightly stupid for not having thought of that any sooner. “Would it be possible for your uncle to procure an invitation to one of the balls held at the Guild Hall?”

  “Yes, I should think it possible. But would that not be beneath your friend?”

  “Not Bingley! His sisters are another matter, of course, but no, not Bingley. He is perfectly happy to dance at any place and be it a barn in the middle of a field.”

  “Well then the Guild Hall it is. Now the only problem that remains is, how to get them there. - But as it is, looking at the sky, it is getting late...”

  He had not even noticed, but she was correct. While it was still light, the first hints of the sun soon setting were hard to ignore if one bothered to look for them and as yet, he had not.

  “It indeed is. When would it be convenient for you to resume this conversation, Miss Bennet?”

  “Seeing that I have promised Mrs Collins to join her on her round around the village tomorrow morning, tomorrow afternoon?”

  “Very well. Then that is settled. Let me bring you home.”

  “Perhaps it is better if we part here, Mr Darcy, before people get the wrong idea. And besides, there is a path I can take that will bring me straight to the lane surrounding the park. I will be home within a quarter of an hour.”
/>
  “If you insist. You appear to know your way around quite well already.”

  “I do. I am always eager to explore my surroundings, as you might have noticed.”

  “I confess, I did. - Until tomorrow then, Miss Bennet.”

  He had hardly spoken his last words and she had barely replied, when with a slight curtsy she all but disappeared said narrow path, that would hardly have been suitable to lead his horse along. And while before Darcy had felt perfectly content, with her now gone, he suddenly felt quite lonely. No, there was nothing to it, he had to try and win her regardless. If he did not at least try, he would forever live to regret it.