Chapter Twenty-Four

A fter the Bingleys' hasty departure, Longbourn's parlour was in an uproar. Mary was visibly upset, with tears in her eyes. Lydia was imitating Miss Bingley, walking about with her nose in the air, saying things like, "Oh, this air is far too foetid for my delicate constitution!" and "I cannot possibly drink that tea, I would doubtless die immediately!" She was egged on by Kitty's delighted laughter.

Mr. Darcy could not help wincing upon hearing Miss Kitty and Miss Lydia. He was unaccustomed to seeing young ladies so – and once again, he stopped, reminding himself that he had no right to be critical of the behaviour of other young ladies.

Elizabeth could see Mr. Darcy's disapproval of her younger sisters' behaviour. "Mama, may Mr. Darcy and I walk in the garden together?"

"Yes; Mary, you go with them," Mrs. Bennet ordered. She would be glad to sit in her own room and ruminate over what had just occurred. Had Jane lost Mr. Bingley? Might this be a good thing, rather than a bad thing? She could not want Jane to marry a man with such a sister, no matter how wealthy he might be!

Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy waited for Mary to run upstairs for a pelisse; she returned with one for Elizabeth as well.

In the garden, Mary chose to sit on a bench with her eyes closed, which suited her elder sister very well. Elizabeth took Mr. Darcy to the far end of the garden and demanded, "Mr. Darcy, what just happened?"

Mr. Darcy shook his head. "I know Caroline Bingley to be rude and opinionated, but what I heard today was shocking, even for her. It could be – but no, likely not."

"It could be what?"

Mr. Darcy took a deep breath. "Well, you are aware that both Mr. Bingley and my cousin are interested in your elder sister. Bingley asked the Colonel to desist in his attentions to her, but the Colonel gave his opinion that Miss Bennet should not have to tolerate Caroline Bingley. He said he would not back down from calling on your sister unless Mr. Bingley proved he could control her. It is possible that this conversation was overheard and passed on to Miss Bingley."

Elizabeth's agile mind leapt to the obvious conclusion. "So Miss Bingley, very much not wanting to have her brother married to Jane, has made herself uncontrollable."

"I do not know how Miss Bingley might have learnt of the agreement between her brother and my cousin, but it would explain her performance today."

"Well, that is all for the best; I think Jane far too good for the likes of a weak man such as Mr. Bingley," Elizabeth said, decidedly.

"You favor my cousin?"

"For Jane? Very much so."

"But not for yourself," Mr. Darcy said, hoping for confirmation from the lady.

"No. I like him, of course, but I do not think he and I would suit on a long-term basis."

"Miss Elizabeth, I must tell you that I think of you often. Quite often, in fact." His voice was soft.

Elizabeth's heart pounded. "Mr. Darcy, I think of you as well. But you have a good deal of sorrow and anger in your heart just now. I think you are very probably not quite yourself."

And just then, Mary announced rather loudly that she wished to go inside now. She really was the most annoying chaperone imaginable!

Mr. Darcy escorted both Miss Elizabeth and Miss Mary back into the house. He took his leave of them and started on the walk back to Netherfield, as the coach was no longer available.

Elizabeth started up the stairs to Jane, who doubtless needed consolation, but she was stopped by her mother. "Is Mr. Darcy interested in you, Lizzy?"

"Perhaps, Mama."

"Perhaps? Oh, but he comes here almost daily! Why does he do so, if he is not interested in you?"

"He has family matters that distress him a good deal, and it calms him to speak to me about them."

"But it could turn into something more, could it not?"

"It could, but I will not accept a change in our relationship until his family matters are resolved. Until then, Mama, I need you to stay calm. Can you do that?"

"Calm? How can I be calm? For that matter, Lizzy, how is it that you are so calm?" Mrs. Bennet peered at her second daughter with something like suspicion.

"I like him, Mama, but I do not love him. And I do not think he is ready to love me, not just now."

Mrs. Bennet mulled this over for a minute. Then she said, "Lizzy, I know you do not think much of my intelligence – no, no, do not protest. Just listen. There are a good many marriages, perhaps most marriages, that are founded on nothing more than two people liking one another. They have interests in common, they find each other attractive in their persons, they enjoy speaking together. That is the foundation of a successful union. Love comes later. I shall not say always, but in the great majority of cases."

Elizabeth, having never heard such a speech from her mother before, was surprised into silence. Then she had the courage to ask, "What happened with you and Papa?"

"Obviously, we do not have interests in common, and perhaps that is the problem. I was pretty enough to marry into the gentry and your Papa was foolish enough to be caught by a pretty face. Despite such a beginning, I have done my best to be a good wife to him."

Her mother's tone was sad. Elizabeth reached out and hugged her mother hard. "Oh, Mama, you have been the best wife and the best mother, and you must never let anyone tell you otherwise. Papa would never have been happy with someone who shares his odd interests, no matter what either of you may believe. Can you imagine him arguing with his wife about the correct interpretation of the word greyn ? No, indeed, he needs a wife who will take care of the house and the children, so that he may focus on his books."

Mrs. Bennet smiled and replied, "I suppose you are right, Lizzy. Go on up to Jane; doubtless she will need your comfort."

Elizabeth started up the stairs but was stopped by Mrs. Hill. "Your father wants you," she said. Sighing, Elizabeth went back downstairs and knocked on the study door.

"Come in, Lizzy."

"You asked to see me, Papa?"

"Lizzy, what was all that noise in the parlour earlier?"

"Oh! I wish you had been there to give her one of your set-downs, Papa, I truly do!"

"Give who a set-down?"

"Caroline Bingley!"

"I could hardly give a set-down to a lady, Lizzy," Mr. Bennet said, reprovingly.

"You have not yet heard what she said. Let me see; she started by telling Jane that she could never have gotten over her cold at Longbourn, because the house is so small that the noise must be terrible."

"She is not wrong there," Mr. Bennet said, wryly.

"Then she went on to say that the furniture is out of fashion, the butler old, the exterior of the house ill-kept, and that the overall impression was one of chaos."

"All true, you know, Lizzy."

"That is not the point, is it?"

"No, of course not. And what did Jane's beau, the estimable Mr. Bingley, do then?"

"Absolutely nothing."

"Nothing? He allowed his sister to say all that?"

"He did."

"And then?"

"Jane burst into tears and ran off, Mr. Darcy scolded Miss Bingley, and I ordered both Bingleys out of the house."

"Did you, indeed!"

"Someone had to, you know, and Jane certainly could not."

"Though your mother could have, I think."

"She could not; she sat in silence. Perhaps she was in shock. Or perhaps she still has hopes of Mr. Bingley for Jane."

Mr. Bennet shook his head. "I will never consent to such a match." His voice was firm.

"Good; Jane deserves better."

"Colonel Fitzwilliam, for example?"

"He is a good man, Papa. He would take care of Jane. He is like the Knight in our story!" And she quoted, " A Knight ther was, and that a worthy man, That from the tyme that he first bigan, To ryden out, he loved chivalrye, Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisye."

"You remembered that whole thing? Very nice; but can he afford a wife? He is a Colonel; would Jane be willing to follow the drum?"

"I do not think that would be necessary. Mr. Darcy would gift him an estate so that he might resign his commission."

" Gift him an estate? How many estates does he have, for heaven's sake?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "I have no idea."

"You do not know the extent of Mr. Darcy's wealth?"

"I am certain he can support a wife and children; that is enough." She hesitated before continuing. "Papa, may I ask you something?"

He eyed her over his glasses. "Of course."

"If someone is very angry at…well, perhaps a family member, would you not agree that he is not in the best frame of mind to make an important decision, such as one having to do with a relationship?"

Mr. Bennet leaned back in his chair. "Come, Lizzy, let us speak plainly. This ‘someone' is Mr. Darcy, is it not?"

"It is, but I am not at liberty to share details about the family situation."

"I understand. Speaking generally, then, I would agree that a man who is dealing with a difficult family situation is not in the best position to make important decisions, such as taking a wife. Does that help?"

She looked down.

"It is not what you wanted to hear, I suspect."

"No; but I had already come to the same conclusion."

"Lizzy, and do not let your mother's flutterings and twitterings drive you into making a hasty decision. If the gentleman in question is not ready to focus on a potential mate due to family problems, then wait until the problems are resolved. Marriage is for a lifetime. Now, then, shall we return to our translating after dinner, Lizzy? The Clerk awaits us."

"Of course, Papa. But…"

"What is it, Lizzy?"

"Mama is not as silly as you think, Papa. I wish you would give her more consideration."

With that, she left the study and ran up the stairs to the room she and Jane shared. She found her sister lying face down on their bed.

"Jane?"

There was no response.

"Jane, I am sorry Miss Bingley said such terrible things."

Jane rolled over on her back and stared at her sister. "I do not care in the slightest what Miss Bingley said."

"No, of course not; you care that her brother did nothing to stop her."

"Exactly. Mr. Darcy chastised her, but Mr. Bingley just tried to make excuses for her! I believe my sister is not feeling quite the thing, that is what he said." Jane scoffed.

"As awful as this may sound, I am glad the two Bingleys showed us their true colours."

"Yes, indeed; their true colours are green and yellow."

Elizabeth laughed. "Green for envy and yellow for cowardice; I could not agree more."

Jane eyed her sister. "But you have something to tell me, I believe."

"Yes; Mr. Darcy told me that he thinks of me often."

"Lizzy, how wonderful! And you told him that you think of him as well, did you not?"

"I did, and then Mary chose that moment to summon us back inside." Elizabeth did not add that she had discouraged Mr. Darcy from pursuing the matter.

"Does Mama know?"

"No, though she has high hopes of something happening with Mr. Darcy, given that he calls quite often. I have asked her to try to remain calm, as this is not even a courtship, let alone a betrothal."

Jane made a face. "You asked Mama to remain calm? Did you, while you were at it, ask Lydia to gain some sense, Kitty to get a backbone of her own, Mary to stop spouting religious texts at dinner, and Papa to save money for our dowries?"

Elizabeth sighed. "I know, but all I can do is ask. Jane, what about the Colonel?"

"What about him? He did not come with the Bingleys today; perhaps he has lost interest."

"I do not think so, Jane. It seems there was some sort of agreement made between the Colonel and Mr. Bingley."

"An agreement?"

"Yes; the Colonel agreed to leave the field, as it were, if Mr. Bingley could prove that he was able to control his sister."

"So the Colonel was willing to leave me? That does not sound very promising, Lizzy."

"No; the Colonel knew full well that Mr. Bingley could not meet the terms of the agreement. I think this was his way of being in charity with his host, despite courting the same lady."

Jane thought about that. "That is very gentlemanly, as well as rather shrewd."

"The military mind at work," Elizabeth said.

"Lizzy, I do not think I would be a good military wife, however. I am not that bold. Lydia, perhaps, would do well, but not I."

"You would not be required to do so. I understand that Mr. Darcy would gift him an estate if he would leave the army and marry you."

"Truly? Wait – gift him an estate? How many estates does Mr. Darcy have, that he can just give one away?"

"That is exactly what Papa asked! But it does not matter; the bigger question is this: could you come to care for the Colonel?"

Jane replied, softly, "I think I could very well come to care for him."

Elizabeth would have liked to unburden herself to her sister, but she did not have Mr. Darcy's permission to share what she knew about Georgiana. She feared she was coming to care for Mr. Darcy very much, and she thought he was coming to care for her. But she could not, in good conscience, encourage him in his suit. She knew he was, like a good many upper-class gentlemen, accustomed to suppressing his emotions. As a result, he had needed someone else – he had needed Elizabeth – to point out the obvious: he was furious with his sister. And until this rage was excised he had no business seeking a wife.

Papa was right: marriage was for a lifetime. She would wait.