by Lory Lilian
It might have been better if we had not met again.
Only a moment later, Elizabeth again questioned herself, laughing at her own folly. Better? Easier perhaps. Compared to what? I am so ridiculous! Truthfully, did anything of significance happen? Not by design but by simple chance did we occasion upon Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam, and out of courtesy, Mr. Darcy introduced us to his sister. That is all. Things are no different now than they were a week ago.
Yet, in retrospect, things were quite different, and Elizabeth knew it. She not only had met Mr. Darcy but also had the opportunity to witness an utter change: a significant softening of his manners and a completely new aspect of his character in his affectionate care toward his sister. He had been more than just polite; he had been gracious and, indeed, friendlier —with both herself and her aunt—than she ever had witnessed before.
He had invited her to his home and declared her to be a welcome guest. In addition, he offered to do whatever she required to assure her comfort and enjoyment during the visit. To her greater surprise, he had encouraged a further acquaintance between her and his sister, promising to call on her in Cheapside, an event she never would have considered possible.
Chills shivered down her spine as her mind admitted the implications of her thoughts. She could not deny the truth any longer—at least to herself: Her torment was due to the presence near him of the beautiful Lady Cassandra and his warm behaviour toward her. Obviously, they were more than mere acquaintances, and this realisation greatly affected her, throwing her into a storm of anxious speculations.
“…the last man in the world…”
She never had desired his good opinion nor had she welcomed his declarations. She was content to know she would never see him again after the unfortunate day at the parsonage. Then why did the mere presence of another young lady near him bother her so? She was not jealous—no, that was not possible and could not even be taken into consideration! But she admitted she was…distressed, a sort of distress she never before had experienced and that made her think herself a simpleton.
Furious to feel her cheeks burning, she sighed deeply, drawing Mrs. Gardiner’s attention. She met her aunt’s inquiring look and forced a smile to calm herself. Then, with great determination, she kept her gaze fixed upon the activities on stage for that part of the performance. However, it was fortunate that she knew the play by heart, or she never would have known what transpired during the remaining minutes.
The sudden activity of those around her took Elizabeth by surprise. She had been so caught up in her thoughts that she failed to notice the end of the first act.
Mrs. Gardiner asked her opinion about the performance, and she tried to formulate a polite, neutral answer. The voices around her—complimenting the actors’ performances and the excellence of the play—helped her express a favourable opinion; however, she could not deceive her perceptive aunt who looked with doubt upon her answer. She considered herself fortunate that Mrs. Gardiner did not question her further; instead, they all rose from their seats, and a moment later, the inevitable happened.
As she was facing her aunt, Elizabeth saw the elder lady’s countenance lighten as she curtseyed discreetly and addressed both her niece and her husband. “What a delightful surprise! Mr. and Miss Darcy are here too! And so is Colonel Fitzwilliam—just to your left, Lizzy!”
Elizabeth was forced to turn by her aunt’s command and her own curiosity. Mrs. Gardiner would not have greeted the Darcy party had the gentlemen not acknowledged her presence first.
She hesitated a few moments, causing her aunt to raise her eyebrow in wonder. “Lizzy, what is the matter with you? Are you not turning to greet Miss Darcy? Is everything well, my dear?”
She nodded in agreement, forced a smile, and then turned to the place she had tried so hard to avoid; yet, by the time her eyes settled on the box, no gentlemen remained—only Miss Darcy and Lady Cassandra. The former smiled openly at her, the discreet move of her head accompanied by a small gesture with her hand. Elizabeth returned her warm greeting with real pleasure and an equally warm and genuine smile.
At the same moment, she sensed Lady Cassandra’s insistent, piercing gaze upon her and could do nothing but meet it. Elizabeth did not fail to comprehend that this second wordless encounter was utterly different from their earlier one when both were oblivious of the other’s identity. My identity? It must be of little interest other than one of curiosity for her ladyship, Elizabeth thought as her smile faded and her countenance changed from one of friendly warmth to one of demure, though distracted, politeness.
“Well, my dear,” said her aunt, “apparently the gentlemen have left their box. It took you an eternity to decide whether you wished to proffer them a polite look. Really, Lizzy, you are acting rather strangely, my dear. You are not quite yourself.”
“If those gentlemen are not drawing your attention any longer, ladies, perhaps you would allow this gentleman to escort you to the foyer for a few moments before the second act begins,” offered Mr. Gardiner, which only caused his wife to laugh affectionately, take his arm, and squeeze it tenderly.
Elizabeth delayed in following them, casting another look toward Miss Darcy; there still were no gentlemen in the box. Her glance caught Lady Cassandra’s notice once more, and Elizabeth felt her face flush as though she had been caught doing something improper. She turned her head, embarrassed, and quickened her steps to catch up to her relatives.
No more than a minute passed before Elizabeth had the answer to what would happen during the first intermission. Her party had barely entered the foyer when they were abruptly stopped by the surprising appearance of Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam.
Elizabeth was so startled she did not have time to feel embarrassed; her unwavering gaze met Mr. Darcy’s eyes for a few moments. Without a doubt, he looked pleased at their unexpected meeting though he remained a little behind the colonel and considerably more silent.
Colonel Fitzwilliam did not lose a moment in his joyful greeting of their party, and before Elizabeth could fully recover, Mr. Gardiner had already been introduced to both gentlemen.
“It is a pleasant surprise to meet all of you here this evening,” declared Darcy with the same warm politeness. He then lowered his head a little as though attempting to address her directly. “I had the impression I saw Miss Bennet earlier, but given the fact that only a few moments remained before the play started, I could not be certain. I am pleased to see I was not wrong.”
“Yes, we were very late,” explained the colonel with an openness that greatly amused both Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, “and I am afraid it was entirely my fault. We arrived only a few moments before the play began.”
“I am sure there was a good reason for your delay, Colonel,” offered Mrs. Gardiner. “I know how easily a man’s demanding business can interfere with one’s fixed engagements. Certainly, Mr. Gardiner finds it so.”
“I thank you madam, but unfortunately, I cannot claim such a worthy excuse. I simply forgot we were to attend the theatre this evening, but I could not refuse the invitation; Darcy would not have it, though I must admit I am wondering at the wisdom of this. Who would willingly spend an exceedingly warm evening crowded among hundreds of little-known acquaintances now that the season has ended? Must be the reason Covent Garden is closed during the summer; any reasonable man—
He caught himself and stopped, the smile frozen on his suddenly deeply chagrined face while his eyes looked in panic from the Gardiners to Elizabeth. “Oh, please, I sincerely beg you excuse me. I truly meant no offense. Of course a good play—a good performance—is to be enjoyed anytime in any season.”
Mrs. Gardiner smiled kindly. “Sir, no need to worry; we took no offense.”
To the colonel’s utter relief, Mr. Gardiner added, “Indeed no offense is taken, sir. I totally understand your meaning and find I share your feelings. Given the opportunity, I would gladly prefer a quiet evening at home in the cool solitude of my study; however, this is a sacrific
e I gladly make for my wife and my dear niece as this play is a particular favourite of theirs.”
“I easily understand your desire to gratify the ladies’ wishes, sir; our own presence this evening is due to the insistence of my cousin Georgiana and Lady Cassandra. What gentleman would not sacrifice his comforts to please a beautiful lady?”
Mr. Gardiner laughed and hurried to approve the colonel while Mrs. Gardiner smiled, trying to catch her niece’s eyes to share their amusement—with no success. The mere mention of her ladyship’s name caused Elizabeth to startle, and instinctively, she cast a quick glance towards Darcy who returned her insistent gaze. Blushing, she quickly averted her eyes.
“Mr. Darcy, is Miss Darcy enjoying her time tonight? Has the performance been to her liking thus far?”
“Yes, Mrs. Gardiner, she likes it very much, thank you. I must say she was very happy to notice your presence and has expressed her hopes that she would be able to speak with you this evening. She did not join us presently because she finds herself uncomfortable among the crush of the crowd.”
“Well,” the colonel intervened, “perhaps Georgiana could have been persuaded to join us; however, we left the box in quite a hurry. We did not want to lose the opportunity to greet you properly.”
Mrs. Gardiner smiled again and insistently looked at her niece, whose face turned crimson; neither of them failed to understand the reason for the gentlemen’s hurry to greet them. Mrs. Gardiner could only suspect which of the two gentlemen was more eager to meet her niece. For a moment, it even crossed her mind that both of them shared an eager interest in that regard; however, she dismissed it instantly, hoping it were not true.
In an attempt to hide her uneasiness, Elizabeth finally gathered her wits sufficiently to speak. “I did have the pleasure of seeing Miss Darcy a few minutes ago; in fact, we greeted each other from afar.”
“Is that so? I am glad to hear it. Indeed, I— Darcy paused briefly, as he looked from Mrs. Gardiner to Elizabeth. He seemed to search for the proper words until he finally voiced an invitation that Elizabeth never would have expected to hear. “Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, Miss Bennet, if we are not intruding on your plans, I…we would be very happy to have your company this evening. My box is quite spacious, and I would be only too happy if you would do me the honour of joining our party for the rest of the performance.”
Their surprise was complete, and for a few moments, none of them knew how to answer. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner exchanged wondering glances, trying to discern Elizabeth’s opinion—as it was clear she was the main object of the invitation—but she insisted on keeping her eyes averted as she bit her lower lip in a barely perceptible gesture. She was nervous; her aunt was certain of that, but what was the cause of her unease? Mrs. Gardiner could not tell for certain, yet neither could she imagine any serious reason for Elizabeth to be displeased with it except for the modesty and shyness inherent in accepting attention from a man of Mr. Darcy’s consequence.
After a moment of reflection, Mrs. Gardiner decided it was unwise to lose such an opportunity of improving their acquaintance with the Darcys.
“Mr. Darcy, we would be honoured and delighted to join you; however, we do not wish to intrude on your private family party.”
“It is no intrusion at all, I assure you. My sister will be as pleased as I am to see you again, and I am certain you will find Lady Cassandra’s company equally pleasing.”
“Mr. Darcy, perhaps Lady Cassandra will not be pleased with unexpected additions to your group.” Elizabeth did not realise she was speaking until the words were out of her mouth, at which moment she panicked, desperately attempting to discern how her words sounded and affected the others.
“You must not concern yourself, Miss Bennet,” Darcy continued with warm persuasion in his voice. I am certain Lady Cassandra will be pleased to make your acquaintance and highly appreciate your company, as will we all.”
The warmth of his response did little to settle her unease—in fact, quite the contrary. The compliment, as well as his insistence, again took her by surprise, but this time she dared to lift her eyes to meet his. Whatever relationship might exist between Mr. Darcy and Lady Cassandra, it could not be doubted that he wished for her company. He remained equally as attentive toward her as he was two days before—even more so. However, the motives for his attentions—so openly displayed in front of her relatives and his—she could not resolve, nor did she make the attempt; the circumstances did not allow for such reflections.
The second act of the performance was about to start, and the pressure of time forced a reply to the invitation. Mr. Gardiner accepted on behalf of himself and the ladies, a fact that drew a jovial “Excellent!” from the colonel.
Darcy chose a more restrained but no less eloquent manner of expressing his satisfaction. He offered his arm to Elizabeth—only a second earlier than the colonel did. Elizabeth accepted it with obvious restraint, barely daring to touch the sleeve of his coat with her gloved hand.
Elizabeth began to wonder and worry about Lady Cassandra’s reception, not only toward herself but her relatives as well. Of course, she did not expect open rudeness—not when their presence was at the invitation of Mr. Darcy—but how would her ladyship receive her relatives from Cheapside and her appearance on Mr. Darcy’s arm?
The moment they faced each other, Elizabeth’s eyes were instantly drawn toward Lady Cassandra’s intense, inquiring stare. She witnessed the surprise on the lady’s face and the unmistakable change in her countenance when the introductions were made. Elizabeth was grateful for the advantage of having a little time to prepare for their encounter.
Miss Darcy seemed to waver between the pleasure of seeing the ladies again and shyness at her new acquaintance with Mr. Gardiner. However, the gentleman—whose manners were easy and pleasant—managed to obtain the hint of a smile, a couple of monosyllabic answers, and a deep blush from her in less than a minute.
To Elizabeth’s surprise, the introduction to Lady Cassandra was not at all unpleasant. Her Ladyship’s manner resembled that of the colonel or Mr. Bingley. She openly smiled at the Gardiners, declared she was informed by Miss Darcy of their previous encounter, and was indeed pleased to have at last made their acquaintance.
Finally, Lady Cassandra turned to Elizabeth—who seemed content to remain silent—and their eyes met once more.
“So, Miss Bennet, we meet again; at least this time, we have the advantage of being properly introduced.”
“Indeed, your ladyship; it is a pleasure to have made your acquaintance.”
Any further conversation was interrupted as they all hurried to take their places for the second part of the performance. Miss Darcy was seated on Lady Cassandra’s right, and on her left was the colonel. However, he gladly offered his seat to Elizabeth, preferring to move closer to Mr. Gardiner in the hope of garnering some conversation during the rest of the evening.
This change pleased Miss Darcy exceedingly, and she expressed her joy to Elizabeth more than once in the minutes that followed. The girl’s friendly manners made Elizabeth’s opinion grow warmer, and she tried to answer with equal gentleness. She liked Miss Darcy more than any other young lady she had met in Town. If not for the awkward situation with her brother —
“Miss Bennet, is everything well?”
She startled and turned to her younger companion, meeting her preoccupied gaze. “Yes, thank you, Miss Darcy; everything is wonderful.” She smiled, said something neutral, and then turned the topic to the play. Whispering to each other, they spoke for a few moments before the performance drew their attention to the stage.
Yet, Elizabeth’s attention was not entirely concentrated on the stage—quite the contrary.
Mr. Darcy had politely helped Elizabeth take her place prior to making sure that the Gardiners were made comfortable; only when everything seemed to meet his approval did he finally resume his place on the left side of the box near Lady Cassandra. That was precisely the point toward which Elizabeth’s furtive
glances and most of her attention were drawn.
From time to time, Miss Darcy would address her with a question, and in order to answer her, Elizabeth leaned to her left. Each of these times, her gaze travelled a little further toward the end of the box. She could sense more than see the slight moves and whispered conversation on the other side of Miss Darcy; once, her eyes met Darcy’s for a brief moment.
Though she promised herself to pay attention to the stage, Elizabeth could not resist the temptation to examine Lady Cassandra’s reactions during their brief encounter and try to understand her relationship with the Darcys.
She had to admit the lady’s manners were more pleasant than she had expected considering her ladyship’s situation in life. In fact, Lady Cassandra was ten times more pleasant than Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst, who were undoubtedly greatly beneath her in consequence, social standing and manners. It suddenly crossed Elizabeth’s mind, I wonder if Lady Cassandra is acquainted with the Bingleys, and a large smile spread over her face as she pictured Miss Bingley attempting to compete with the lady.
Her smile turned to a frown when she noticed Mr. Darcy leaning to his right toward her, disturbing both Lady Cassandra and Miss Darcy. “Miss Bennet, I happen to have an extra pair of opera glasses, and I thought they might be useful to you.”
Elizabeth took the glasses from him. Her heart started beating regularly again only after a few moments; she felt so unsure of herself that she did not dare to turn or even attempt a gesture of thanking him, nor did she dare to actually use the opera glasses. She simply held them absentmindedly.
When she regained some composure, she became alarmed, wondering what the others—especially Lady Cassandra—would think of his gesture. Undoubtedly, Miss Darcy did not seem in the least surprised; she continued talking to Elizabeth in a low voice of how considerate her brother always was. Elizabeth could do nothing but nod in agreement, hoping she did not look as embarrassed as she felt.
