Lydia had claimed Georgiana’s arm and was laughing in an immoderate fashion. Mrs Bennet was talking very loudly about a young man who had written Jane a poem. Mary was saying that the poem had been badly written, and that the young man should have studied Milton in order to write something of worth. In fact, Elizabeth thought her family could not have embarrassed her more if they had set out with that express intention.
Miss Bingley, meanwhile, was delighted that Elizabeth’s family were behaving in such a ridiculous fashion. She looked more and more pleased with every shout from Lydia, and every ridiculous remark from Mrs Bennet. It was not hard to see why. With every shameful comment from Elizabeth’s family, Miss Bingley felt her own chances of securing Mr Darcy increasing, and she made several genteel comments, as if to point up the very great difference between the vulgar Bennets and her own refined behaviour.
Elizabeth was not worried, however, for she knew that Mr Darcy had no liking for Miss Bingley.
Even so, she wished her family was not quite so embarrassing.
She and Jane exchanged resigned glances. They were both of them being let down by their relations.
Elizabeth glanced at Mr Bingley. The poor man did not know how to reply to Mrs Bennet’s silly comments. If he was still eager to see Jane after this, he must be falling in love! thought Elizabeth.
And what of Mr Darcy? She glanced towards him. He held himself aloof, a little apart from the others, as if he were still recovering from the powerful memories he had just experienced. He had confided in her in a way she suspected he had never confided in anyone before and she was deeply touched.
He appeared cold and arrogant on the surface, and yet beneath that surface there beat the heart of a caring and loving man. She felt that such a combination was capable of shattering her calm existence and throwing her into all the turmoil of falling in love.
But did Mr Darcy really want to shatter her calm?
And was she ready to let him?
Chapter Eight
The ladies of Netherfield returned the call a few days later. Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy escorted them.
Mrs Bennet was nearly frantic as she saw them approaching the house.
‘Hill! Hill! We have visitors! Oh, the house is so untidy! Lydia, why must you leave your bonnets lying about in such a manner?’
‘Because I am trimming them,’ said Lydia.
‘And Kitty! Why must you cough so?’ demanded Mrs Bennet.
‘I am sure I don’t mean to cough,’ said Kitty, who was understandably put out.
‘Mary, stop that caterwauling and help me to tidy the room!’ said Mrs Bennet, bundling a pile of mending into Mary’s arms. ‘Now take that to the laundry room. And Jane! Jane, go and change your gown. Mr Bingley has seen you in that one. Put on your lemon muslin. Oh, Elizabeth! You had better change your gown, too. Mr Darcy seems to have taken a fancy to you and you should encourage him. He is very wealthy and he has a huge estate in Derbyshire. Only marry him, and we will all be settled for life!’
Elizabeth went upstairs and together she and Jane changed their gowns. By the time they returned to the drawing-room, the Netherfield party was at the front door. A minute later, they were shown into the drawing-room.
There was the usual bowing and curtseying as greetings were exchanged.
Elizabeth was pleased to see that Georgiana had more colour than she had done at their last meeting. She appeared more animated and was able to smile and answer politely when Mrs Bennet enquired after her health.
They talked of the weather, of the garden, of the Bingleys’ carriage and half a dozen other such topics before Mrs Bennet said, ‘Jane, I am sure Mr Bingley would like to see our wilderness garden.’ She turned to Mr Bingley. ‘It is not so grand as the Netherfield wilderness, but it is thought very pretty all the same.’
‘I should like to see it very much,’ said Mr Bingley, jumping up.
‘Would you care to see it, Miss Darcy?’ asked Elizabeth.
‘Oh, yes, thank you, I would,’ said Georgiana.
Mr Darcy did not offer to escort them and Elizabeth understood why. Miss Bingley did not like to let him out of her sight, and she would have demanded to go too if Mr Darcy had been one of the party. They had been lucky to escape her before but they could not count on having such luck again. And if Miss Bingley accompanied them, it would prevent Elizabeth having any private talk with Georgiana. So Mr Darcy had obviously decided to stay in the drawing-room and endure the silliness of Mrs Bennet, and the possessiveness of Caroline Bingley, so that his sister could unburden herself.
Elizabeth honoured him for it.
After donning their outdoor things, Mr Bingley offered Jane his arm and then, followed by Elizabeth and Georgiana, went outside.
Jane and Mr Bingley soon fell behind as Elizabeth and Georgiana bent their steps towards the wilderness garden. The orange and gold leaves swished beneath their feet as they did so.
‘What a change in the weather,’ said Georgiana. ‘When you came to Netherfield, the day was warm despite the wind, but now there is the nip of autumn in the air. There are falling leaves everywhere.’
She was right. Even now they were swirling down from the trees, like slow birds gliding down to the ground.
‘Yes, indeed,’ said Elizabeth, drawing her cloak around her. ‘We did not have a chance for truly private conversation at Netherfield, but I hope you know you can confide in me at any time,’ she continued. ‘Your brother is worried about you. He thinks you have not recovered from your shock.’
‘Dear Fitzwilliam, he is always so careful of me.’
Elizabeth thought about what he had told her, that he had lost two sisters in an epidemic, and her heart went out to him again. It also went out to Georgiana, who must barely be able to remember her sisters.
‘And have you recovered from your shock?’ asked Elizabeth kindly.
‘A week ago, I would have said no,’ said Georgiana. ‘But now I am starting to feel the shadow lifting. I could not talk to anyone about it, you see, and I felt I had to be watchful in case I let anything slip by mistake. But now I know I can talk about it whenever I wish – thanks to you, Elizabeth – I feel the burden has gone from me. It is true that Mr Wickham hurt me very much, and his behaviour shocked me, and I should like to talk about it, if you do not mind.’
‘I would welcome it, if it will put your mind at ease,’ said Elizabeth.
‘You see, I meet so few people, and I do not know how people in the wider world behave. I cannot help thinking that I must have been to blame. I keep asking myself if I was too friendly to Mr Wickham. Did I encourage him?’
‘You did not,’ said Elizabeth robustly.
‘But I was very friendly towards him. He was not to blame for thinking that I would welcome his advances.’
‘Of course he was. He knew very well that what you felt for him was friendship, occasioned by growing up on the same estate. He deliberately set out to ensnare you because he wanted your fortune, and he was entirely to blame for abducting you when you refused to go with him willingly. If he had had any proper interest in you, he would have asked your brother if he could court you, so you must not blame yourself for anything. Nothing was your fault.’
‘Oh, thank you! You set my mind at rest. I have had no one to ask, you see. I could not ask Mrs Annesley because she does not know what happened in Ramsgate and I could not possibly tell her. I have been very worried about it.’
‘That is a terrible burden to bear alone for so many months. No wonder your spirits were low. But now you do not have to worry about it any more.’
Georgiana took her hand impulsively and squeezed it.
Elizabeth returned the pressure.
‘You are lucky to have so many sisters,’ said Georgiana. ‘You always have someone to talk to. I think you are very close to Jane.’
‘Yes, I am,’ said Elizabeth. She went on gently, ‘Your brother told me that you, too, had sisters, but that they died. I am sorry.’
; Georgiana was surprised.
‘My brother has never spoken of it to anyone outside the family before. He must like you very much.’
The artless sentence, so simply uttered, touched Elizabeth deeply. She found herself increasingly drawn to the proud man who seemed so harsh on the surface but who was quite otherwise underneath.
‘I think you like my sister, Kitty?’ asked Elizabeth, as they entered the wilderness garden.
‘Yes,’ said Georgiana. ‘We both like blue ribbons and dislike yellow. We prefer silk to satin, and we prefer muslin to sarsenet.’ She blushed. ‘I dare say such things seem trivial to you, but I have never had anyone to share such things with. My conversations at home revolve around art and music. They have to be educational, you see.’
Elizabeth laughed. ‘You need not worry about having an educational conversation with Kitty! She has no interest in anything educational. I think she is doing you good. I think you will do her good, too. She spends too much time with Lydia, and my youngest sister is inclined to be silly. Your influence will show her that it is possible to be more elegant and still have fun.’
‘I admire Lydia’s spirits,’ said Georgiana. ‘But she is just a little wild.’
‘You are too kind!’ said Elizabeth. ‘Lydia is very wild!’
They had by now walked through the wilderness and they set off back towards the house.
As they approached the door, they stopped and waited for Mr Bingley and Jane to join them.
‘Mr Bingley is very taken with your sister,’ said Georgiana.
‘Yes, he is.’
‘Does she like him, too? I cannot make her out. She is so serene that I have difficulty knowing what her feelings are.’
‘In confidence, she likes him very much,’ said Elizabeth.
‘I am glad. I think my brother would like me to marry Mr Bingley when I am older, but although I like him, I could not think of him as a husband.’
‘Then tell your brother so. He will listen to you now, I think.’
‘Oh, I could not say such a thing to him!’ said Georgiana in consternation.
‘My dear Georgiana, life will be so much easier for you and your brother if you learn to talk to each other, believe me.’
‘Perhaps you are right,’ said Georgiana. ‘I will try.’
Jane and Mr Bingley drew level with them and they all went into the house.
Once they had removed their outdoor clothes they returned to the drawing-room. Mr Darcy had a pained expression on his face and Elizabeth felt sorry for him. He had been trapped with Mrs Bennet for half an hour, and that was not a fate she would wish on anyone!
The Netherfield party soon took their leave, but not before inviting Jane, Kitty and Elizabeth to dine with them in a few days’ time.
‘The gentlemen will be dining with the officers,’ said Miss Bingley, ‘and we will be short of company.’
It was hardly the most polite way of phrasing the invitation, but Elizabeth did not much care. She knew that she, Jane and Kitty could raise Georgiana’s spirits still further, and she was glad of an opportunity of doing so.
She was also glad of an opportunity to see Mr Darcy again, as well, for although he would be dining with the officers, she would be likely to see him at some point.
She could not help wondering what he had been about to say to her at Netherfield Park, when they had been so rudely interrupted by Mrs Bennet.
Chapter Nine
Elizabeth chose a simple sprigged muslin gown for dinner at Netherfield Park. She could not compete with Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst in terms of dress, for they were both very fine ladies and wore silk and satin even in the daytime. Such rich fabrics were quite beyond Elizabeth’s means, for although her family’s income was adequate, it did not stretch to such luxuries. There were five Miss Bennets to clothe, and so they had to be content with sarsenet and muslin. But Elizabeth did not mind. The sprigged muslin suited her, and its simplicity suited her open temperament.
Jane chose a white sarsenet gown, which made her look like a beautiful Grecian statue, for she was tall and elegant, and Kitty chose a spotted muslin.
‘Why wasn’t I invited?’ demanded Lydia. ‘I am sure I am more interesting than Kitty. Miss Bingley should have invited me.’
‘When you have learned to behave like a young lady, perhaps you will be invited to sensible gatherings,’ said Mary. ‘Join me in a reading of Fordyce’s sermons, Lydia. They will teach you how to go on.’
Lydia rolled her eyes then gave a heavy sigh and threw herself onto the sofa.
When the three young ladies were ready, Jane asked if they could have the carriage to take them to Netherfield.
‘I suppose you must,’ said Mrs Bennet, in an aggrieved tone of voice. ‘If you had been invited on your own, Jane, I would have sent you on horseback, so that if it started to rain Miss Bingley would have invited you to stay the night. But as there are three of you, you will have to take the carriage.’
The carriage was duly organised and the three young ladies set out.
Their mother’s hopes for rain were realised, but inside the carriage they remained dry.
‘What a good thing we had the carriage,’ said Kitty. ‘Our hair and clothes would have been ruined otherwise.’
They soon arrived at Netherfield Park, where they were made welcome in accordance with the characters of the different ladies. Miss Bingley gave Elizabeth and Kitty a supercilious nod, but was a little more friendly to Jane. Mrs Hurst declared it was prodigiously good of them to call, and confessed she would have been bored to death without them. Georgiana was warm and friendly, greeting them all with genuine affection.
Elizabeth was pleased to see how well Georgiana and Kitty got on. They were soon examining a book of fashion plates and exclaiming over the latest styles of gowns and bonnets.
Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst made very little effort to entertain their guests. Instead, they expected their guests to entertain them. Jane and Elizabeth introduced a number of different topics of conversation, but Miss Bingley had a cutting remark to make about every one of them, while Mrs Hurst spent most of the time yawning behind her hand.
Georgiana and Kitty finished looking at their fashion plates and Georgiana went over to the pianoforte. Kitty did not play, and so Georgiana invited Elizabeth to play a duet with her. Elizabeth agreed readily.
Georgiana was a much better player than Elizabeth. She had had the best masters and she had been made to practise, watched over by various governesses and companions. Elizabeth, on the other hand, had not had any good instruction and she had been left to practise if she wished, but she had never been made to do it. Both young ladies enjoyed it nonetheless. They had a natural affinity, which served them well and enabled them to keep their playing together remarkably well.
Miss Bingley walked over to the pianoforte to listen. Elizabeth was not a proficient, and she did not like the way Miss Bingley smiled every time she played a wrong note, but she knew that Miss Bingley wanted to intimidate her and she refused to be cowed. So she kept on playing, bringing true musicality to the piece, despite some wrong notes.
When Elizabeth looked up at the end of the piece, she caught sight of the mirror on the far wall and saw that the gentlemen had returned from their dinner engagement. Mr Darcy was watching her with a heart-wrenching expression on his face. It was wistful and full of longing, and it set her heart beating more quickly in her chest.
She blushed and turned away from the mirror. She did not turn round until she had gathered her thoughts and her emotions. A few weeks ago, she would have said that Mr Darcy was the most proud and disagreeable man in the world, but now she found him growing on her every day. He had overcome the bad first impression he had made on her and he had replaced it with feelings of admiration, respect, friendship and trust. But it was more than this, much more. She was falling in love with him.
But it would not do to show it. He liked her, she knew. He admired and respected her. But what further feelings did he h
ave for her and how deep did his feelings run?
‘How was your evening?’ said Miss Bingley, going over to Mr Darcy. ‘I hope you had a pleasant time with the officers.’
‘Yes, thank you, very pleasant.’
Elizabeth caught sight of Mr Darcy’s expression as he said it, and she knew instantly that something was wrong. He looked worried, and there was a crease between his brows. But Mr Darcy, seeing her concern, gave a slight shake of his head. She understood him instantly. He had something to tell her, but he could not speak of it at the moment, most probably because he did not wish Miss Bingley to hear.
The ladies and gentlemen exchanged news of their evenings. Miss Bingley monopolised Mr Darcy until Georgiana invited her to play a duet. The two ladies went over to the pianoforte and began to play.
Mr Bingley fell into conversation with Jane, and Mrs Hurst advised Kitty on a new way to wear her hair, saying condescendingly, ‘It would make you look quite pretty.’
Mr Hurst flopped into a chair and fell asleep.
Elizabeth went over to one of the bookshelves at the far end of the room and selected a book. It was well away from the pianoforte, and before long, Mr Darcy followed her.
Elizabeth said, in a low voice. ‘Something is wrong. I can tell by your manner. What is it?’
‘I have had a shock,’ he said. ‘We cannot talk of it now, but I would very much appreciate a chance to talk to you about it in the morning.’
‘Very well,’ she said. ‘What is it?’
Mr Darcy said, ‘Wickham is here.’
Elizabeth’s eyes flew wide in astonishment.
‘How do you know?’ she asked. ‘And what do you mean by here?’
‘I mean here in Meryton. We were dining with the officers, as you know, and one of them mentioned that a friend of Denny’s, a Mr George Wickham, had just arrived. He is thinking of joining the militia.’
The militia were stationed in Meryton, and their red coats sent Lydia into a frenzy.
But if Mr Wickham were to join them it would be serious, for it would mean he was intending to stay in the neighbourhood.
Darcy and Elizabeth What If? Collection 1 Page 17
