Elizabeth wondered how Mr Wickham could ever have imagined such a lovely young woman to be proud. The thought came to her that he had never imagined it at all; that he had deliberately tried to blacken Miss Darcy’s character in order to win Elizabeth’s sympathy. When she thought of everything Colonel Fitzwilliam had told her, she was ready to believe that Mr Wickham was not the agreeable gentleman she had thought him, but that he was, instead, deceitful and insincere.
It was hard for her to admit this, but not as hard as it would have been at Christmas, for she had discovered several things to his disadvantage in the meantime, such as his pursuit of Mary King. He had paid Miss King no attention when she was poor, but he had become suddenly interested in her when she had inherited a fortune.
How mortifying it was to realise that Mr Wickham was degenerate, and it was even more mortifying to realise that she had been so easily taken in.
She glanced at Mr Darcy, realising that her dislike of him was built on shifting foundations, only to see him looking at her with such an expression of longing on his face that her heart stood still.
He loves me!
The shocking revelation burst upon her all in a moment. She had seen, in that unguarded look when he thought himself unobserved, all his feelings for her. She had argued with him and berated him and treated him abominably, and yet he loved her. He had done everything in his power to correct his mistakes for her. He had brought his sister to meet her, and she felt humbled by his feelings. So humbled, that she asked herself what her true feelings were for him. It was a habit with her to think ill of him, but that habit had been shaken over the last few weeks, so that now her feelings were very different to what they had once been. Every small word and gesture which showed him in a good light now returned to her with full force. She thought of the respect his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, had for him and the strong friendship Mr Bingley had for him. She thought of the love his sister had for him – for her love was evident whenever she spoke to him – and she thought of everything he had done to correct the faults of which she had accused him. She felt a warm glow steal over her. He was a man who was well liked and respected, and he was in love with her.
She was recalled to her surroundings by her aunt addressing some remark to her. Jane, seeing that she had been preoccupied, answered for her. Elizabeth gathered her thoughts and paid attention to the conversation, although she could not help stealing a glance at Mr Darcy every now and then. Once she caught his eye and they could not help themselves: they smiled at each other.
Miss Darcy was still looking embarrassed and Elizabeth set out to put her young guest at ease.
‘I hear you are a musician, Miss Darcy,’ said Elizabeth.
Miss Darcy replied, shyly, ‘I play the pianoforte and the harp.’
‘Perhaps you would allow my sister to play for you tomorrow, after dinner,’ said Mr Darcy. ‘I know my sister would like to invite you all to Darcy House.’
Mrs Gardiner looked astonished at this piece of civility and even Elizabeth was surprised. But a moment’s reflection showed her that this was another way in which he had set out to please her, for he had abandoned his former objections to Gracechurch Street and its inhabitants, and this was his way of showing it.
The invitation was accepted with thanks and Elizabeth continued to put her young guest at her ease. It soon became clear that Goergiana was eager to please and to be pleased, and Mr Darcy, too, seemed determined to be pleased.
How different he was from the man who had accused her of arranging the mistake at the wedding. By his behaviour since that conversation he had shown his remorse for his incivility and his determination to put things right and win Elizabeth’s approval. Could it be possible he also hoped to win her love?
She felt herself blush and risked stealing another look at him. He was looking at her with such tenderness that she felt it in her heart and she returned his glance.
Throughout the visit he made an effort to be agreeable and to take part in the conversation. In all that he said, she heard an accent that was far removed from hauteur or disdain of his companions and she knew that he had taken the trouble to correct himself in that way, as in others. Never had she seen him so desirous to please, so free from self-consequence or unbending reserve as he was now and she honoured him for it with all her heart.
The final joy came when Mr Bingley entered the room. He was an amiable young man and although he did not have the broodingly dark and handsome looks of Mr Darcy, he was still a good looking man. He wore a blue coat over a white frilled shirt, cream pantaloons and black shoes. His genial face was wreathed in smiles. He told them he had just returned from Longbourn and that Mr Bennet had given his consent to his marriage.
He took Jane’s hands and said, ‘We are to be married.’
Jane glowed with happiness and there were congratulations all round. Seeing her sister so happy, Elizabeth could not resist another glance at Mr Darcy. There was no hostility in his gaze as he looked at the happy couple. He regarded them with as much respect and approval as Elizabeth could have wished.
There were now plenty of things to talk about and the conversation became less strained. Even Miss Darcy lost some of her shyness and ventured some remarks unprompted.
At last the visit drew to a close. The two gentlemen bowed and Miss Darcy curtseyed, then Mr Bingley left with Mr Darcy and Miss Darcy, since he had business to put in hand now that he knew his marriage could go ahead.
Once the door closed behind them, Mrs Gardiner remarked on Mr Darcy’s politeness and his sister’s endearing qualities.
‘Are you sure you want the annulment?’ asked Mrs Gardiner gently.
Elizabeth said, ‘I am sure of nothing, Aunt. Mr Darcy was so different . . . his kindness in bringing his sister to see me . . . his respect for you . . . his friendship to Jane . . . ’
‘I know your uncle is busy at the moment. I will ask him not to pursue the annulment on our account, but to inform us if he hears anything from Mr Darcy’s lawyers,’ said Mrs Gardiner.
Elizabeth nodded.
Her aunt drew Jane aside to talk of arrangements for Jane’s wedding and Elizabeth donned her outdoor clothes and then went into the garden where she could be by herself for a while and think about everything that had happened. As she walked round the small London garden, with its hyacinths and its daffodils and its blossom trees just bursting into life, she endeavoured to make out her feelings. She no longer hated Mr Darcy; she no longer disliked him. But did she love him?
A warm feeling stole over her. She knew that she liked him. His friendly treatment of her aunt and sister, and his recent civility to herself, had earned as much. She esteemed him and respected him, for he had taken her criticisms to heart and acted upon them. She was grateful to him for loving her, even when she had spoken to him in such a forthright manner. She was now strongly prejudiced in his favour, where once she had been prejudiced against him. But did she love him?
Only time would tell.
.
Chapter Twelve
As Mr Darcy dressed for dinner the following evening, he thought back over his meeting with Elizabeth in Gracechurch Street. He was relieved to know that he had done away with her dislike of him, and that she appreciated the steps he had taken to put right the wrongs he had done to others. Her manner to him had been much more friendly than it had been, and her manner towards his sister had been charming. It had given him a great deal of pleasure to see a friendship springing up between the two of them. It had also given him pleasure to see how happy Elizabeth had been with the engagement of her sister and Mr Bingley. And, if truth be told, it had given Mr Darcy pleasure, too. He no longer had to feel guilty about having separated them and he realised they were well suited. They were both amiable and easy going and they were obviously in love.
Mr Darcy tied his cravat and then shrugged himself into his tailcoat. He examined himself in the cheval glass to make sure that he was immaculately attired, out of respect for his guests,
and once his valet had brushes his coat to remove any imaginary specks of dust, he put his signet ring on and went downstairs.
As he reached the halfway landing, he remembered his surprise at meeting Mrs Gardiner. If he had not met her in Gracechurch Street he would have taken her for a lady of fashion. Indeed, Gracechurch Street had not been as vulgar as he had feared and his visit had been more enjoyable than he had dared hope. Mrs Gardiner had been eminently sensible and she had spoken knowledgeably on a number of subjects. On seeing the love and affection between Elizabeth and Mrs Gardiner, he understood how it was that Elizabeth had come to be such an admirable young lady, despite the failings of her family, for her aunt set her a good example. But Elizabeth’s charm and vivacity – they were her own.
He arrived in the drawing-room to find his sister already there. She was looking perfectly charming in a pale pink silk gown. She was looking less anxious than she had done the previous day, when they had visited Gracechurch Street. She had liked Elizabeth and was looking forward to seeing her again.
Mr Darcy gave her some words of encouragement and then he set about examining the reception rooms to make sure that everything was ready for his guests. He was a proud man, and although some of his pride was misplaced, some of it was justifiable. He took a pride in his sister and a pride in his houses. He took a personal interest in his properties so that he could be sure they were always maintained and were suitable for receiving his guests.
As he went around the house, he remembered Caroline Bingley saying pointedly that his house needed a mistress. She had fancied herself in the role of mistress of Darcy house, mistress of Pemberley and wife to Mr Darcy. She had been disappointed. But Mr Darcy hoped that Darcy House would indeed soon have a mistress, for he hoped to convince Elizabeth that their marriage could be a happy and fulfilling one, even if its outset was unplanned.
He heard the Gardiners’ carriage arriving and went out into the hall to greet his guests. Mrs Gardiner, Jane and Elizabeth he already knew, but Mr Gardiner was a stranger to him.
As the Gardiners were shown into the house he saw that Mr Gardiner was a well-dressed man with the air of a gentleman. The two greeted each other appraisingly and somewhat warily. But the rest of the greetings were more friendly.
Mr Darcy was pleased to see that Georgiana welcomed her guests cordially, and with only a little prompting from her companion. Elizabeth helped Georgiana immensely by maintaining the flow of the conversation and he was grateful to her for her thoughtfulness and kindness.
Mr Bingley arrived before they had finished exchanging greetings and then the whole party went into the drawing-room.
Elizabeth settled her shawl in the crook of her arm as she went into the magnificent drawing-room. It was a large and spacious chamber with elegant proportions, lit by sparkling chandeliers. The decorations were light and airy, with cream walls and moulding picked out in white. Graceful sofas and chairs were arranged around the room and there was an Aubusson carpet on the floor.
With a little prompting from her companion, Miss Darcy asked her guests to sit down.
Elizabeth had been surprised and yet gratified to see Mr Darcy and his sister waiting in the hall to greet them. Now here, for the first time, she saw them in their full glory. This was the setting in which they should be seen in order to know them.
She looked at them closely for any signs of arrogance but she could see none. There was a certain amount of natural pride but it was understandable in such a fine establishment. Both Darcys carried themselves well but without any haughtiness. Miss Darcy, indeed, was looking rather nervous and so Elizabeth smiled at her encouragingly. She was pleased to see Miss Darcy smile shyly in return.
Miss Darcy began to ask the customary questions about their journey and Elizabeth left it to her aunt to reply, for she was looking at Mr Darcy. He was looking magnificent in his black tailcoat, with his white frilled shirt and his cream breeches. His dark hair curled naturally and set off the handsome angles of his face. But it was the expression on his face which attracted her far more than any other aspect of his face or person, for he was smiling at her with a warmth that set her heart fluttering in her breast.
She thought he was aware of her reaction, for his smile deepened and she looked down, for she felt herself blushing.
When she was once more in command of herself she joined in with the conversation. Mr Darcy was polite and welcoming to her family. He was a little restrained with her uncle, but with her aunt and her sister he was everything that was amiable.
When the dinner gong sounded they went through into the dining-room. It was another impressive apartment. It was painted in dark green with white panelling picked out on the walls. Family portraits were arranged around the room. Candelabras were set on the mantelpiece, with their many candles creating halos of light.
The table was made of mahogany and it was spread with a white cloth. Silver cutlery glowed on the cloth and there were crystal glasses set at each place which caught the light. The whole scene looked magical.
Elizabeth took her place and the conversation continued as the food was served. Elizabeth learned many things about the Darcys over dinner. She learned something of their history and their magnificent estate in Derbyshire, and by the time dinner was over she felt much closer to Mr Darcy. She understood now that his parents had died whilst he was still quite young, and that he had been left to care for Georgiana from the age of twenty-two. She understood how this had shaped his serious personality. She learnt something, too, of his many responsibilities and understood why a certain amount of pride and, yes, arrogance were necessary if he was to instruct hundreds of servants who were all older than he was. And she learnt more of his love for her, as she caught several expressions on his face when he thought himself unobserved that convinced her of his feelings for her.
After dinner, Miss Darcy treated them to a recital. Elizabeth listened intently and could honestly praise Miss Darcy, who played very well. Miss Darcy thanked her, still shyly, but with a growing confidence.
Afterwards, Elizabeth was encouraged to play. She resisted at first, but when it became impossible to do so any longer she played a simple country air. Her voice was full of emotion when she sang, and her performance was admired just as much as Miss Darcy’s performance, despite the very different music.
Jane was then persuaded to play. Like Elizabeth, she played only a little, but Mr Bingley stood beside her affectionately and admired every note. Mr and Mrs Gardiner listened with equal affection. Mr and Miss Darcy were likewise disposed to enjoy the performance, as was Elizabeth.
Afterwards, the company broke into small groups. Mr Bingley talked to Mr Gardiner, Mrs Gardiner and Jane drew Miss Darcy into their conversation, leaving Mr Darcy and Elizabeth alone at the far end of the room.
Elizabeth felt an unaccustomed nervousness as he sat down beside her.
‘Miss Elizabeth, there is something I must say to you and I hope that, in your generosity of spirit, you will hear me out. I must apologise to you for my unseemly outburst after our unplanned marriage. I said things to you that no gentleman ought ever to say to a lady. I accused you of things you could not have done, and instead of apologising when you rightly pointed out that you could not have done them, I continued in my unjustified accusations. Do you think you can ever forgive me?’
‘I must admit I was hurt by your remarks,’ she said.
He winced.
‘I have never wanted to give you pain,’ he said. ‘You could think of no more fitting punishment for me than to know that I wounded you. I bitterly regret my hasty words and if by any means I can make your recompense for your pain then you have only to name it.’
Elizabeth could not remain angry with him in the face of this heartfelt apology.
‘You have already recompensed me,’ she said softly. ‘It was you, was it not, who told Mr Bingley that Jane was staying with my aunt and uncle? And it was you who told him that she was in love with him?’
‘Yes. It was
.’
‘I am very grateful to you for that. I love my sister dearly and to see her happy is the greatest joy for me.’
‘It is good of you to be so forgiving. I should never have interfered in the first place. It was wrong of me, but I am glad I have been able to make amends. So we are friends?’ he asked, looking down at her in a way that made her heart stand still.
‘Yes,’ she said in a whisper. ‘We are.’
‘Good.’ His face took on an expression that made her colour and made her heart swell with joy. ‘At present I will ask for nothing more.’
Mr Bingley asked Mr Darcy a question at this point, and Elizabeth and Darcy could not have any more private conversation, but Elizabeth’s glow of happiness lasted throughout the evening. When it was time for them to leave, Mr Darcy glanced at his sister. She invited Mrs Gardiner and the Miss Bennets to join her on a visit to the British Museum the following day. They accepted. It was arranged that Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley were to escort them, and Elizabeth left Darcy House with the knowledge that she would see Mr Darcy again the following day.
Chapter Thirteen
The following week passed in a round of engagements for Elizabeth as she saw more of Mr Darcy. The visit to the museum was followed by a walk in the park, a dinner at Gracechurch Street and another dinner at Darcy House.
As Elizabeth and Darcy came to know each other better in London, so too did Colonel Fitzwilliam and Anne come to know each other better in Kent. Colonel Fitzwilliam had set himself out to amuse Anne, once she was well enough to lie on the sofa in the drawing-room, and he had taken the trouble to revive their former friendship. He found that Anne’s crossness resulted largely from spending all day with her mother. Anne was an only child and, without the respite of siblings, she was subject to Lady Catherine’s forceful personality all day, every day. It was no wonder Anne was cross all the time!
Darcy and Elizabeth What If? Collection 4 Page 8
