Chapter 10

Elizabeth pulled her rug closer to her and shifted her feet, the better to enjoy the heat emanating from the wrapped brick on the floor of the carriage. There were, she mused, definite advantages to being very rich; her own father, while relatively wealthy, had but one carriage, whereas Mr. Darcy had at least five, all of them luxurious and well sprung.

They were on their way to Longbourn, summoned hither by Mrs. Bennet, who was ecstatic at Jane’s engagement and eager to talk wedding clothes and wedding breakfasts. Elizabeth had left the Gardiners with affectionate kisses and embraces, but she too was excited to return home. Her father missed her, and she missed her father, and she wished to be of assistance to Jane and Bingley, who would doubtless be harried and harassed by Mrs. Bennet over the details of the wedding. Bingley was now settled back in Netherfield Hall, but he did not have a hostess, having left Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley behind in London. Thus, Bingley and Jane would be spending much time together at Longbourn, and Elizabeth would do her best to distract Mrs. Bennet so that the newly engaged couple could enjoy each other’s company in peace.

Elizabeth turned her head to look out the window. The view outside could be considered bleak, with gray clouds above and slushy snow covering the fields below, and bare trees shivering in the chill wind. But it was her home county, and Elizabeth loved it.

“It was kind of Mr. Darcy to lend us his carriage,” Jane said from the seat next to her.

Elizabeth leaned closer to her sister, the better to enjoy shared warmth, and agreed, “It was kind and, I confess, quite surprising.”

“Elizabeth,” Jane said, eyeing her reproachfully. “You know that Charles considers Darcy his closest friend. I do wish you would stop thinking so poorly of the man.”

“Mr. Darcy insulted me before we even met when he would not dance with me at the assembly in Meryton,” Elizabeth pointed out, and quoted, “She is tolerable: but not handsome enough to temptme; and I am in no humor at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men.”

Jane sighed. “My poor Lizzy, I see that Mr. Darcy’s thoughtless words were more painful than I realized.”

Elizabeth opened her mouth as if to protest, and then thought better of it.

“I suppose I was more affected than I realized,” she finally admitted. “I am pleased with my own appearance, but when Mother insists on comparing me to you and Lydia, and a tall, handsome, wealthy man disdains me – well, perhaps it was foolish pique on my part.”

“Nonsense,” Jane said warmly, “it was very ill said on Mr. Darcy’s part. All the same, I do believe you should try to forgive the man. Charles tells me that Mr. Darcy is very uncomfortable in company and often acts in a lordly, even discourteous, way to cover his unease.”

“I suppose that is possible, though a man of such birth ought to do better. Besides, do you not remember what Mr. Darcy did to Lieutenant Wickham when the former denied the latter of a valuable church living? That was not the behavior of a good tempered, well-intentioned gentleman!”

“But can we entirely trust Mr. Wickham’s description of the affair? Mr. Wickham also said that Miss Darcy was proud and ill-mannered, which I do not believe is true at all.”

“No, not at all,” Elizabeth confessed. “Indeed, the young lady is painfully shy, though perhaps some people do think her proud because she finds it so difficult to speak. However, given that Mr. Wickham has known Miss Darcy since she was but a small child...”

She trailed off and turned to stare at the barren fields outside.

“I received a letter two days ago from Kitty,” she said, keeping her face averted.

“From Kitty?” Jane asked, her brow crinkled with concern. “Was it bad news?”

“Not bad news, exactly,” Elizabeth answered, now turning a rueful countenance toward her sister. “Kitty merely wished me to know that Lieutenant Wickham is pursuing Miss Mary King.”

“Mary King?” Jane repeated in astonishment. “She is a very pleasant sort of girl, but that seems ... peculiar, given the lieutenant’s obvious interest in you.”

“She inherited ten thousand pounds from her uncle,” Elizabeth said airily. “Truly, Jane, do not worry about me. My heart was only a little touched, and while I consider Mr. Wickham a delightful man, he is not eligible since neither he nor I have money.”

Jane, secure in her engagement to a wealthy man who truly loved her, felt her eyes brim with tears, but she merely said, “I understand, Lizzy.”