Chapter 3

New Friends

T he ladies of Meryton were aflutter due to the imminent arrival of a party of affluent gentlemen from London. “My mother said there were to be four gentlemen and three ladies,” Miss Goulding claimed.

Miss King, feeling more confident, raised her voice just louder than a whisper to refute her friend. “No, no. It is to be six ladies and five gentlemen.”

Charlotte laughed. “I have it on good authority that you are both wrong. My father visited Netherfield today and there are to be three gentlemen, and two ladies. The man who leased the estate is a Mr. Bingley, and he is joined by his two sisters, his eldest sister’s husband, and a good friend.”

“Mr. Charles Bingley?” Elizabeth asked.

Charlotte nodded. “Yes, do you know him?”

Elizabeth indicated that she did. She told them that his father had been good friends with her own papa until his untimely death two years ago. “Since then, Mr. Bingley has often been at our home to discuss business matters with Papa. Mama has sometimes invited him to stay for supper. I am certain you will all like him. He is very amiable.” This information was happily accepted by all three of her companions.

“Is he handsome?” Miss Goulding asked, causing Miss King to blush a fiery shade of pink.

Elizabeth smiled at her new, bold friend. “I think most ladies will find him to be handsome. He is not so tall, but I cannot call him short. His figure is pleasing, his eyes are brown, and his hair is the lightest of red, one might mistake it for blond. I think you will be pleased with his looks.”

“What about his friend, a Mr. Darcy? Are you familiar with him, as well? Father said he was not to arrive until today, so I have no information on him.”

Elizabeth shook her head. “I am sorry, Charlotte, that is not a gentleman I know.” The ladies were briefly disappointed, but their emotions rallied when the doors opened and in walked five new persons.

“They are here!” Miss King squeaked. “And he is handsome, just as you said, Miss Gardiner.”

“Not as handsome as his friend. That is a gentleman I would like to get to know.” Miss Goulding then laughed heartily at her own comment. Elizabeth’s eyes traveled from the well-known face of Mr. Bingley to the tall gentleman who trailed behind. Her heart sped. Miss Goulding had not exaggerated. He was possibly the most handsome gentleman she had ever seen. His dark, curly hair, sculpted jaw, and broad shoulders greatly appealed to her.

Charlotte took Elizabeth’s arm. “Come. Father will want to greet them and make introductions to my family. Mr. Bingley will be pleased to see that you are in attendance.”

Although Elizabeth wished to be introduced to the handsome Mr. Darcy, she declined. “I appreciate the offer, but I must go to Jane. If I am to be introduced to the group, it should be in partnership with my sister.” The little group broke up so that each lady could find her respective family members. Elizabeth weaved her way through the crowd until she was beside her sister and aunt.

“There you are, Eliza. Jane mentioned you were here, but you are so short I could scarcely find you in the crowd.” Elizabeth contained the frown that threatened on her lips. She was nearly the same height as Jane.

“I have been reacquainting myself with the young ladies of the community. They all went to find their families so they could be introduced to the new party.”

Her aunt sniffed. “You are smart to seek out your sister. The gentlemen will recognize her beauty and wish to be introduced to her straight away. But I warn you not to get your hopes too high. Though you are better looking that I had anticipated, you still do not have your sister’s fine looks.”

“Then it is good for me that Jane is married, else I may never gain a gentleman’s attention in her presence.”

Her aunt looked as if she wished to say more, but she was interrupted by the arrival of her son-in-law. “My darling, you must come with me. And you, too, sister. I would have you meet our new neighbors. I, myself, have not yet met the gentleman, but I do not believe we should be made to wait for an introduction. As a fellow gentleman, I declare it is just as appropriate for me to introduce myself.”

Mr. Collins pulled his wife along while Elizabeth and Mrs. Phillips followed in their wake. When they arrived to greet the Netherfield party, Mrs. Phillips pushed Elizabeth aside so that she stood just in front of her niece.

“Mr. Bingley, my good man, you must allow me to welcome you to Meryton. It is our humble pleasure to host you and your family and guests. I am Mr. Collins. My estate is Longbourn, and I am your nearest neighbor.” Mr. Collins bent at the waist and offered a deep bow. Unfortunately, he had stopped too near to Mr. Bingley, which forced that gentleman to step back to avoid a collision. There was some scuffling, as Mr. Bingley jostled into Mr. Darcy who stood gaping in horror at the imbecilic gentleman who had eschewed decorum and introduced himself.

“Allow me to introduce my lovely wife, Mrs. Collins, my mother-in-law, Mrs. Phillips, and my sister, Miss — ”

“Miss Elizabeth Gardiner!” Mr. Bingley’s eyes lit with happiness to see a familiar face. “I would not have anticipated meeting you in Meryton, of all places, but I am glad to find you here. How is your father and mother?”

Elizabeth assured him her parents were well and encouraged him to make the introductions for his party. To his right stood his oldest sister, Mrs. Hurst, a plump woman who looked much like her brother. She was joined by her husband, a lethargic looking gentleman who eyed the punchbowl on the opposite side of the room. “This is my youngest sister, Miss Caroline Bingley. I believe you are the same age and will likely have many friends in common.” Miss Bingley’s mouth opened in horror at the thought of sharing any background with someone attending a public assembly. “And this is my good friend, Mr. Darcy.” Mr. Bingley turned, indicating the tall man behind him. The air seemed to shift as he stepped forward and offered a polite bow. A sudden warmth spread through her, starting from the pit of her stomach and rising to her cheeks. His steady gaze met hers, and for a moment, she was certain he could sense the rapid flutter of her heart. Gathering her wits, Elizabeth dipped a curtsy to the group, which prompted Mrs. Phillips and Jane to follow suit.

“Miss Gardiner my first dance is promised to Miss Lucas, but I would be honored to dance the second with you.” Elizabeth noted Jane’s shocked look before accepting Mr. Bingley’s offer.

“My dear, I believe we should dance, as well.” Mr. Collins reached his hand out to Jane, but she did not accept it.

“I am sorry, Mr. Collins, but I have promised the first to Mr. Lucas. I did not expect you would wish to dance.”

Mr. Collins’ jowls shook as he answered her with some animation. “No, of course. It would be unseemly for me to open the dance with my own wife. Though, for all those who live in tents and the porpoises, it is hardly any different to dance the second than the first.” Elizabeth hid a smile when she saw Mr. Darcy’s eyes widen at Mr. Collins’ blunder. She must remember to share that with Suzy in her next letter.

∞∞∞

Elizabeth danced the first with Mr. John Goulding, the older brother of Miss Goulding. “My sister says you know the new gentleman from Netherfield.” Elizabeth admitted that she did, though only through her father. From there, the two discussed travel. He had spent the summer months with a friend in Staffordshire, while she was planning to go to the neighboring county of Gloucestershire for the yuletide season. Their conversation was superficial but engaging.

Soon, Mr. Bingley found her for the next set. “I really cannot believe I have found you here, of all places, Miss Gardiner. But you must tell me, how is that you are sisters to Mrs. Collins?”

“Our parents were in a terrible carriage accident when Jane was but three and I was not yet out of my infancy. Unfortunately, they did not survive. My aunt, Mrs. Phillips, agreed to raise Jane, and my papa, who is by blood my uncle, raised me.”

The movements of the dance took them apart for a while. When they reunited, Mr. Bingley asked. “Were you from here? Originally, I mean?”

Elizabeth skipped around her partner before answering. “Yes, my father owned Longbourn. Mr. Collins’ father was his heir. My father passed away before he could father a son.”

“Then your sister — ”

“Yes, my sister married our cousin and has now returned as mistress of our ancestral home.”

Mr. Bingley looked down the line of dancers where Jane partnered her husband. Mr. Collins was sweating profusely and missed several steps of the dance, but it did not appear to affect his wife. She maintained a serene and sweet look on her face.

“They are very… different,” Mr. Bingley finally said.

Elizabeth smiled. It was always like this. No matter how much her family insisted she was the spitting image of her sister, aside from her dark hair, she did not believe it. Men always found Jane enchanting and beautiful. And, though she felt unkind to think it, no one thought of Mr. Collins as handsome.

When the dance ended, Mr. Bingley offered his arm to Elizabeth. “You must let me introduce you properly to Darcy. I do not believe he made the connection when you were introduced before.” Wearing a broad smile he walked to the corner where his friend stood, grim faced with his hands held firmly behind his back.

“Darcy, I need not have looked anywhere else. I knew you would be holding up a wall, and here I find you holding up two!” Mr. Darcy’s frown deepened, but his eyes softened as they met Elizabeth’s. “Allow me to properly introduce my companion. This is Miss Elizabeth Gardiner.”

Mr. Darcy offered a small bow. “It is a pleasure to meet you again, Miss Gardiner.” Elizabeth felt a slight flutter in her chest as she returned his gaze.

“No, no,” Bingley laughed. “This is not a typical lady, desirous of your purse, Darcy. This is Miss Gardiner, as in Gardiner Imports and G & E Shipping.”

Mr. Darcy’s eyes widened. “Truly? I met with your father only last week. My father invested in Gardiner Imports some fourteen years ago. The profits have been staggering, to put it mildly. I decided to invest further into the newer venture.”

Elizabeth nodded her head in acknowledgement. “Yes, Papa’s businesses have done very well, though the newer venture is no longer so new. I believe Papa and Uncle Paul began G & E at least eight years ago.

Mr. Darcy nodded his understanding but said nothing further. Finally, the silence was interrupted by the clearing of Mr. Bingley’s throat. Mr. Darcy scowled at his friend. “You are not taking ill, I hope.”

Mr. Bingley easily dismissed his friend’s comment and then dramatically rolled his eyes toward Elizabeth. It took three attempts before Mr. Darcy got the hint. “Miss Gardiner, would you honor me with the next dance?”

Elizabeth pretended not to have witnessed Mr. Bingley’s embarrassing display and accepted the offer. A shock of something unexpected ran from her fingers to her elbow when Mr. Darcy offered her his hand. She took a deep breath. The music began and they silently went through the steps. After several minutes with no conversation, Elizabeth spoke. “Is this your normal style of dance, sir?”

A look of confusion crossed her partner’s face. “I do not understand your question.”

She suppressed a smile. “Are you normally so austere at a ball? We must have some conversation.” Then she smiled broadly before floating away to the next formation.

When she returned to him, he spoke. “You must forgive me madam. I did not arrive until late this afternoon. Evening really. There was a carriage— ”

“A carriage in the road with a broken wheel! We must have been very near one another for I was also delayed today. I arrived so late that I did not have supper. I only just had time to prepare myself for the ball.”

The dance took them apart again, but soon they rejoined and restarted their conversation. “How do you do it, Miss Gardiner? You and I had nearly identical days and yet you are bright and pleasant and do not seem displeased to be here, whereas I would much rather have spent the evening at Netherfield, chatting with my friend, and catching up on one another’s lives.”

“I would have also preferred to stay in tonight. I was tired and had many hopes to get to know my sister better. We were raised by two different family members and have had little opportunity to get to know one another. But it was not to be. Since I must be here, as it would have been rude to deny my host’s wishes, I decided to be pleasant. It has turned out to be a nice night. The people are not much like what I am used to, but they are kind and friendly.” Mr. Darcy looked around the room as if he saw the revelers in a different light.

Soon the dance ended and Mr. Darcy escorted Elizabeth to her group of friends. They had joined together once again and were tittering happily about some point of gossip. Mr. Darcy excused himself only a moment before Miss Goulding burst out, “Oh Elizabeth! I can call you Elizabeth?” Elizabeth nodded her consent prompting Miss Goulding to continue.

“Mr. Bingley’s horrid sister, the younger one, loudly proclaimed to her sister that we are all provincial mushrooms. Then she said that the only good thing about being here is that our lack of fashion will juxtapose nicely against her superior understanding of how to dress. Mr. Darcy, she assured her sister, will soon fall at her feet and beg her to marry him.”

Elizabeth looked toward the lady in question and then to Mr. Darcy’s retreating back. “But that is not the funniest of it,” Miss Goulding continued. “No sooner did she say it than Mr. Darcy led you to the dance floor. He has not even spoken with her all night!” At this, the ladies broke out into another round of happy giggles. And though Elizabeth did not credit there was anything more to her dance with Mr. Darcy’s than an obligation to a business partner’s daughter, she joined them in their merriment.