by Zoë Burton
The very next day found Darcy and his sister knocking on the door of Arthur Place. They were immediately granted entrance, Clarke taking their hats and gloves and handing them off to a maid before escorting the Darcys to the drawing room. Georgiana and Mary, after observing the niceties and greeting everyone, sped off to the pianoforte to practice and observe. Lady Watts rang for tea, and she, her niece, and Darcy arranged themselves on the sofas, with Darcy claiming the seat next to Elizabeth, Lady Watts sitting across from them.
“My husband sends his apologies, Mr. Darcy. He wanted to be here to visit with you, but was called away on an unexpected matter of business.”
“Please relay to him my understanding. At times, I, too, have been summoned unexpectedly and forced to miss visitors I greatly desired to see.”
The tea arrived just then, and Lady Watts set about pouring out for everyone. The younger girls, called away from the instrument to partake, accepted their cups but hurried back to their previous location, so as not to miss a moment of whispered conversation and giggles.
The group on the sofas spent the next hour, far beyond what was the usually acceptable time, chatting. They discussed books this day, Darcy and Elizabeth discovering that they had similar but not identical tastes. Lady Watts took part in the conversation when called upon, but for the most part, she simply sat back and let the young people talk.
While Darcy and the older ladies were thus engaged, Georgiana and Mary were practicing on the room’s pianoforte and conducting their own discussion. They whispered to each other observations on how well Darcy and Elizabeth looked together, how they got on so well, and much giggling about their lack of attention to anyone and anything else but each other. The girls were greatly encouraged that the match would be made, and with little effort on their parts.
Before taking his leave, Darcy invited Miss Bennet to visit Kensington Gardens with him on the morrow.
“Have you ever visited Kensington Gardens, Miss Bennet?”
“I have not, though I have always wished to. My Uncle Gardiner has never had the time to spare when I have visited, and as I have already shared with you, my father does not much like to visit town, so he has not brought us either.”
“If it would please you, I should like to invite you and your sister along with Georgiana and me tomorrow. Of course, Lord and Lady Watts are included in the invitation, should they wish to come.”
“Oh, I should greatly enjoy it!” Turning to her aunt, Elizabeth added, “I must defer to Lady Watts, of course.”
“Of course we will go! Well, I shall, at any rate. Lord Watts will if he is able. My husband and I greatly enjoy the gardens and had hoped to visit while Elizabeth was here. Thank you, Mr. Darcy, for your kind invitation.”
Darcy bowed. “It is nothing, I assure you. Shall we all ride in my carriage? Georgiana and I can be here at, say, noon, to pick up your party?”
“Excellent! We shall be ready and waiting!”
Elizabeth’s aunt gave her a nudge, causing her to realize she had been staring at Darcy. “I look forward to it, Mr. Darcy.” She gave him her hand and watched as he bent over it, wishing as he did that he would kiss the fingers so she could discover the softness of his lips.
Little did she know that Darcy wished for the same thing and that it was only with the greatest of effort that he was able to control his impulses and behave in a gentlemanlike manner. He tore himself away with his heart pounding, bowing again and wishing the ladies a good afternoon, before shepherding his sister out the door.
When their guests were gone and they had resumed their seats, Lady Watts and Mary turned to Elizabeth with matching smiles.
“So, Lizzy…what do you think of my friend’s brother? He is very handsome, would you not agree?”
Elizabeth blushed to the roots of her hair. She cleared her throat. “Indeed, he is. He is a very nice gentleman, and I am glad to have the opportunity to get to know him.”
“He would be a very good match for you, you know,” her aunt pointed out. “Mr. Darcy is well respected and has a handsome fortune. I doubt you could do better were you to set your cap at a peer.”
“As you know, I am largely indifferent to fortune. I wish to marry someone I respect and esteem. I do not need a great deal of money; I have not grown up with great riches. And, while I would rather not go lower and do without the servants and things I am accustomed to, I do not require more.” She paused, not wanting to give away too much because she was not certain of her feelings. “I like him very much. I am eager to learn more of him, and...well...I should just like to know him better. That is all I will say at present.”
Lady Watts nodded. “Very well, we shall not tease you further. I encourage you, though, to take this time to judge his behavior, and his pursuits and passions, and see if they match your desires. It truly is an eligible match for you, and I would hate to see you pass it up.” She stood, and the girls rose with her. “I believe I shall rest in my rooms for a while. I give you both leave to pursue whatever activities you would like, though I do ask that, if you leave the house, you take a footman along with you for protection. One cannot be too careful here in town, even in a neighborhood like Mayfair.”
“Yes, Aunt.”
“We shall.”
They curtsied and watched their aunt retreat from the room. By mutual agreement, they spent the remaining hours of the afternoon in the library, alternately reading and chatting about all the things they would like to do while staying in the house of Mary’s godmother.
The following day’s visit to Kensington Gardens was delightful for the entire party. Lord Watts was able to join them, and conversation flowed freely amongst the group.
From that day forward, it was not only Georgiana Darcy that could be found in the vicinity of Mary Bennet. Since Mary and Elizabeth were always together, and Darcy visited Elizabeth daily, it was Darcy as well as his sister who could always be found in the company of the Bennets and their relations. For several weeks, his daily calls continued. Often, he would invite Miss Bennet and her family for outings, to the museum or for a walk in Hyde Park, and once to a ball.
Those outings always involved talks with Miss Bennet, who Darcy found to be more fascinating the longer he knew her. Finally, the day came when he knew he wanted to ask her to marry him. He was reasonably certain she would accept based on her looks when he entered the room she was in, her expressions when she gazed at him without knowing he saw her, and her responses to his touch, which had gotten a bit bolder over the weeks.
Darcy wanted to create a special atmosphere in which to make his proposal. He decided to host Miss Bennet and her family for dinner, and enlisted his sister to help him plan it.
Chapter 3
“Georgiana,” he began, walking into the breakfast room. “I need you to do me a favor.”
Looking up from the sideboard, where she was filling a plate, her face reflected her surprise. It was a rare thing for her brother to request anything of her. “Certainly; you only need ask.”
Picking up his own plate, Darcy joined her. “I want to hold a dinner party. Will you organize it for me?”
Alarm spread over Georgiana, reflecting itself in her countenance. “I have never done anything of that nature before. I, I, I-“
“Did school not teach you such things?”
“Well, yes, we had lessons on entertaining, but, that is hardly the same thing as actually arranging one!”
“Then this shall be practice for you, will it not?” Seeing her doubtful look, Darcy continued. “I have every confidence in you. Mrs. Annesley is here to help you. And, it will be just a small party in attendance: the Miss Bennets, Lord and Lady Watts, us, and Bingley. Oh! And the Gardiners and Jane Bennet, as well.” Darcy and Georgiana had met Mary and Elizabeth’s Aunt and Uncle Gardiner the day before, and were aware that the eldest Bennet daughter was due to arrive in London in another day or two.
“Not Mr. Bingley’s family? Just him?”
Darcy cleared his th
roat. His sister was unaware of Miss Bingley’s recent attempt to force him to marry her, and he had no intention of informing her. “Yes, just Bingley. Miss Bingley is attending a house party with friends, and Mr. and Mrs. Hurst are visiting his father’s estate.”
Georgiana nodded. “Very well, then. To be honest, I am happy to hear it. They make me uncomfortable, and I do not like the way Miss Bingley behaves as though she owns this house when she is here.”
“No, I do not like it either, but I did not realize you were uncomfortable with them. Why did you not tell me?”
“Mr. Bingley is your friend, Fitzwilliam. It pleased you to have him here and that meant having his sisters, as well.” She shrugged. “I could bear it for your sake.”
“Well, thank you. I hope, though, that you no longer will need to. I do not see Bingley’s sisters visiting anymore. Not Miss Bingley, at any rate.”
Georgiana’s brows rose at this, but she knew better than to question her brother. If she needed to know, he would tell her. He would not appreciate impertinence on her part, and inquiring into his business would most certainly been seen as such. “Well, then. I will plan for nine. Should I invite someone else, or will Mrs. Annesley do to give us an even number at table?”
Darcy paused, thinking. “Mrs. Annesley is a good choice. You will then have her guidance as you serve as hostess for the evening.”
The pair had moved to the table while they were talking, and began to eat as Darcy laid out his desires for the event. Setting a date for three days hence, they decided that Georgiana would write out the invitations and plan the menu after breaking her fast, and take them to her brother, who would give final approval to the menu and send a messenger to deliver the notes.
The longer they spoke and the clearer her plans became, the more excited Georgiana was. It would truly be a momentous occasion for her, but given her brother’s close attention to every detail, she suspected it might be for him, as well. She would discuss it with Mary when she arrived today to visit. Brother will keep Miss Bennet occupied, I am sure. Perhaps I will ask Mary to help me with the planning.
~~~***~~~
While Darcy and his sister were planning their dinner party, Elizabeth and Mary received word that their eldest sister, Jane, had arrived at their Aunt and Uncle Gardiner’s house on Gracechurch Street. They sent a message back to her via Lord Watts’ private courier that they would call the next day.
As soon as was acceptable the following morning, Mary, Elizabeth, and Lady Watts were knocking on the door of the Gardiner residence. Jane met them in the entrance hall rather than waiting in the drawing room.
“Lizzy!” Jane rushed to her sister, enveloping her in a hug. After a moment, they drew slightly apart, each reaching out to Mary to draw her in.
“Oh, Jane, I have missed you!”
“I have missed you, as well, dear Mary. Let me look at you.” The girls separated so Jane could take in the gorgeous dress Mary was wearing. “What a beautiful gown! So elegant!”
Mary blushed at the compliment. “Thank you. Aunt Agnes insisted on purchasing me some new things. I worry that the color is too bright,” Mary glanced at Lady Watts, “but she insisted that I was too young to dress somberly.”
“The color is perfect! It brings out the blush in your cheeks. You are such a lovely young woman, regardless of what you wear, but this gown displays it better.”
“Thank you. Lizzy said much the same about the blue one I wore yesterday.”
“And you know I was correct,” Elizabeth teased. “By the end of your visit with our aunt, you will be so accustomed to wearing bright colors that you will never again wear drab ones.”
Mary laughed. “Mama will be happy, I am sure.”
Jane and Elizabeth joined in her laughter. Finally, Jane looked to her aunts and noted Mrs. Gardiner’s pointed look toward the parlor. “Come. Let us sit down and catch up on all your new experiences.”
The ladies retired to the drawing-room, arranging themselves on the sofas and chairs in an intimate configuration while Mrs. Gardiner rang for tea. At first, they all conversed together, sharing news and jokes and laughter. Soon, though, the ladies formed smaller groups, with Lady Watts and Mrs. Gardiner conducting one conversation while Jane, Elizabeth, and Mary had another.
Mary, who had been bursting to tell the news, was the first to indicate to Jane that their sister had a suitor. “Do you recall my friend, Miss Darcy?” she asked.
“I do,” her eldest sister replied. With her focus on Mary, Jane missed the blush that quickly overtook Elizabeth’s features.
“She has a brother, and he has been calling on Elizabeth!”
Jane laughed at the manner in which her most restrained sister displayed her excitement, which was far more like their youngest sister Lydia than her usual self. “Really?” She turned to Elizabeth. “Is this true? It must be, if I am any judge of your expressions.”
“It is true. Mr. Darcy is the best of men. He is intelligent and respectful, and I greatly enjoy spending time with him.”
“Have you…reached an understanding?”
Elizabeth looked at her hands, clasped in her lap. “No,” she replied softly, “but I have great hopes.” She looked up to her sister just as a smile brightened Jane’s countenance. “He is far above us in consequence, as our sister has noted in her letters, and he has a fair amount of pride in his estate and family, but he is friends with a tradesmen’s son and kind to everyone he meets, from what I have witnessed.”
“Do you love him?”
Elizabeth hesitated, but answered Jane’s question. “I am uncomfortable sharing feelings with you that I may or may not have, and that I have not shared with him, but I will tell you that I greatly esteem him and respect him, and I know from his behavior that he respects and esteems me.”
“If he proposed…?”
“If Mr. Darcy proposes, and it is not a certainty that he will, but if he does, I will accept him.”
Jane nodded. “You are correct. Certainly, marriages have started with far less.”
Thinking of their own parents, who had little in common with each other, Mary interjected her thought on the subject. “You are both intelligent and well-read, and enjoy a good debate. You are highly compatible; it is an eligible match for you in all aspects.”
Elizabeth smiled. “It is, indeed. However, he may never ask me, and so this is all simple conjecture.” She wondered at the sly smile that appeared on Mary’s face at her statement, but did not have time to inquire further, as her young cousins entered the room at that point to spend time with them. By the end of the visit, it had been forgotten entirely.
~~~***~~~
On the day of the dinner, Mary could barely contain her excitement. She and Georgiana had planned this evening’s entertainment very carefully, as per Mr. Darcy’s directions, and had speculated eagerly on his intentions in holding it. None of the Darcy family relations had been invited and only one of his friends. Georgiana had ventured the opinion that he did not want his aunts and uncles to know, for various reasons. Having already learned that they tended to look down on those they deemed social inferiors, Mary was glad they were excluded. The girls had finally, after much discussion and conjecture, decided that Darcy was going to propose to Elizabeth. Nothing would give either of them more pleasure, and both were certain Elizabeth would accept him.
And now, on the day of the big event, footmen flew back and forth between Darcy House and Arthur Place bearing notes for Mary and Georgiana. If they could not be together all day to express their sentiments in person, they could very well do so in writing.
Lord and Lady Watts and Elizabeth observed Mary’s excitement with amusement. For Elizabeth, it was almost as though someone had once again kidnapped her normally staid sister and replaced her with their youngest sibling, Lydia. She would never say that to Mary, though, for she enjoyed this new aspect to her next younger sister’s personality. Would that she had met Miss Darcy years ago, she thought.
F
inally came evening, and the residents of Arthur Place gathered in the vestibule, ready to go out. Once the Gardiner carriage arrived, they boarded their own equipage for the short trip around the corner to the Darcy residence. Once there, Lord Watts handed out his wife and her goddaughter before stepping back, for Darcy himself had arrived at the carriage to hand out Elizabeth. With the vehicles emptied and greetings made, the group made their way inside.
Upon entering the drawing room, where Georgiana waited with her companion and Mr. Bingley, more introductions were made. Bingley, once he laid eyes on Jane Bennet, was struck speechless. Jane was similarly affected, and her sisters could plainly see that she liked him very much. The group fell into easy conversations while they waited for dinner to be served.
Once the bell was rung, Darcy let everyone know that formal protocol was not to be followed, thus allowing him the privilege of escorting Elizabeth in to dinner. Seating her at his right hand, and with Georgiana, as hostess, at the other end of the table, he waited for everyone to find a place before he and the gentlemen sat.
Conversation flowed easily and smoothly as the courses were served. At one point, Bingley indicated he was looking for an estate to lease, and Jane remembered that the estate next to Longbourn was currently empty.
“Why, there is a house next to Longbourn that is available for lease. The family that had been living there returned to the north several months ago. Perhaps you might look into it? It is called Netherfield. My Uncle Phillips is the solicitor in charge of it.”
