Chapter 5

True to Elizabeth’s prediction, three days later, Mrs Goulding told Mrs Philips, who told Mrs Bennet, that the housekeeper at Netherfield was preparing to receive Mr Bingley. Only one guest was spoken of, and Elizabeth was certain who it would be. She was so visibly happy that even Mary noticed and asked what had her in such a good mood. Elizabeth said it was the delightful weather, although it was nothing uncommon for the season.

On the nineteenth of September, almost six weeks after last seeing him, Mr Darcy was at Longbourn. Elizabeth could hardly take her eyes off him; at the same time, she wanted desperately to hide from him, given the embarrassing display her mother was making. Mrs Bennet was all solicitousness to Mr Bingley and praised Jane excessively. In contrast, she was all rudeness to Mr Darcy, sniffing and speaking coldly when required to address him. Elizabeth wanted to blurt out that he was the one who had rescued her precious Lydia from a life of infamy and demand her mother treat him with the respect he deserved. Instead, knowing how much he would hate it, she took comfort in the steadiness of his gaze upon her, which seemed to say that nothing her mother did or said would alter his feelings for her.

The only thing that briefly distracted Elizabeth’s attention was Jane. Her sister had sworn she would be unaffected when meeting Mr Bingley again, but her red cheeks and evident unease showed that she was not. No doubt Mrs Bennet’s antics made her situation worse. A man who loved less would flee the scene, and Elizabeth gave Mr Bingley credit for remaining polite and not chuckling or rolling his eyes a single time in the face of so much provocation.

Mr Darcy and she managed only one short exchange before the gentlemen took their leave. They stood to the side while Mrs Bennet continued to speak to Mr Bingley.

“Thank you,” Elizabeth said. She hoped her simple expression of gratitude would be the last time either of them had to refer to the Wickhams.

He shook his head. “I believe I once told you I would do anything to make you happy. I expect no gratitude for it. Are you well? I know your return must have been…difficult, but I pray you have been able to put the entire affair out of your mind. It need not distress you any longer.”

Her heart swelled with love. “I am very well now.” She hoped he understood that it was his presence that made all the difference to her well-being. “And you, sir? I am certain the weeks we were apart were not entirely pleasurable for you.”

“That is all forgotten.”

His fingers lightly brushed her hand just as Mary approached them. Elizabeth savoured his brief touch and thought of him incessantly for the remainder of that day and all of the next, when they did not see each other—not that he had been far from her mind since their parting in Lambton. By fortune, the following morning they happened to meet in Meryton. Kitty had begged her sisters to visit the shops with her, and soon after they reached the town, Elizabeth saw Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley riding towards them.

She believed Mr Darcy noticed her at the same moment she did him; he smiled, and the sound of her sisters’ voices faded as she contemplated his fine form. A moment later, the two parties met. After the usual greetings, Mr Bingley, Jane, and Mary began to exchange pleasantries, leaving Elizabeth with Mr Darcy and Kitty, who was in an especially talkative mood.

“The weather is rather fine today, is it not? We have been particularly fortunate of late. It has hardly rained.” She chattered on, evidently not noticing that her companions had no opportunity to speak, let alone that they might want to be alone. “I am glad Meryton is such an easy walk from Longbourn. I think we have a good selection of shops here, and Lydia was always happy enough to come, but now that she has been to Brighton, she says Meryton is dull and hardly worth visiting!”

“She is permitted her opinion, and since she is not here, it need not bother us,” Elizabeth said. She doubted Mr Darcy wanted to listen to talk of Lydia, but catching her eye, he gave a slight shake of his head, which she understood meant she should not worry he was vexed. Yet, she sought some way to make her sister go and speak to the others.

“I suppose. Mr Darcy, what is the town near your estate like? My aunt Gardiner told us at Christmas that she lived there when she was a girl. Is it larger than Meryton?”

He glanced at Elizabeth, and she suspected he was puzzled. She still had not mentioned her time in Lambton. It was possible Mr Bingley had spoken of seeing her there, but if he had, it was not in Kitty’s presence.

“It is similar in size and variety of shops. I admit, I have not spent very much time there.”

Kitty sighed. “You are so fortunate you have been able to travel, Lizzy! I long to leave Longbourn. Anywhere would do. May I go to the haberdasher’s while Jane speaks to Mr Bingley?”

“You may, if Mary accompanies you.”

Kitty agreed and left them without a word. It did not look as though she asked Mary to go with her so much as took her arm to lead her away, but Elizabeth did not care. She was intent on taking advantage of her few minutes with Mr Darcy.

Lowering his voice, he said, “You have not told her you were lately in Lambton?”

Elizabeth shook her head. “I hardly wished to speak of having enjoyed myself when I first returned, and keeping those memories to myself, as closely guarded, cherished possessions, has become a habit.”

His expression softened. “I am relieved it is not that recalling the visit displeases you.”

“I remember telling you how much I liked Derbyshire and how happy I was there. My opinion has not changed. Do you often have difficulty recollecting events that happened not two months ago?” She arched her brow in challenge. When he chuckled, she grinned.

“Do you know how much I delight in you teasing me? I would hate it from anyone else,” he said softly.

How was she expected to respond to such a statement? She averted her eyes and took a surreptitious calming breath, hoping her cheeks would not turn bright red.

“Perhaps I only wished to hear you say it again,” he said a moment later.

She lifted her eyes to his, and speaking as gently as he had, said, “Then I shall gladly repeat myself. I am very, very glad—overjoyed—that I went to Lambton and that I visited Pemberley just when its proprietor happened to be arriving.”

“We ought to let the ladies continue their day, Darcy.” The sound of Mr Bingley’s voice was so unexpected that Elizabeth started.

The gentlemen were soon on their way, and Jane and Elizabeth went to find their sisters.

On Sunday, the gentlemen attended church and returned home with the Bennets, allowing Elizabeth and Mr Darcy to speak for a longer period without threat of being overheard or interrupted. They went for a walk with Jane and Mr Bingley. Once they were out of sight of the house, a natural separation arose between the couples.

“Your sister is happy to see Bingley again. I am glad my wrongheaded interference, and that of other parties, will not have any lasting damage. I doubt I could forgive myself if it were otherwise,” Mr Darcy said.

“It is in the past, Jane is happy, and I insist we forget it ever happened. Does Mr Bingley know?” She laughed. “Perhaps I ought to have asked my question and obtained your response before saying we should forget it.”

“The pleasure of hearing you laugh is enough to excuse any confusion you caused.” He paused and grew more serious. “I told Bingley everything before we parted ways in August. I knew he was considering returning to Netherfield after seeing his family in Scarborough. It was important to me that he understood what your sister’s sentiments had been and that I recognised I had been horribly mistaken and presumptuous—to say nothing of lying to him when I did not tell him Miss Bennet was in London last winter.

“He was…very angry. Rightly so. I apologised, but to be honest, I was not sure our friendship would survive. When he called on me in town, shortly before we came to Meryton, I was relieved. He has said he forgives me because he believes I am contrite. Naturally, he has made me promise not to behave in such an ungentlemanly manner again. Unfortunately, his sisters are not at all remorseful. They see nothing wrong in how they acted.”

“I am very glad that your friendship has not ended. I believe it is important to both of you.”

He nodded. “It is, and that is why he has chosen to overlook my misdeeds.”

Elizabeth briefly tightened her hold on his arm; it was the only mark of affection she could offer him in their present circumstances. “I am sorry to hear his sisters maintain their opposition to Jane. I hope it does not distress him too much. He seems cheerful, but I do not know him well enough to tell whether he is simply hiding his less pleasant feelings.”

“Presently, his only care is winning Miss Bennet’s forgiveness for the manner in which he left and then earning her regard.”

Again, Elizabeth laughed. “If he thinks either are necessary, he does not know Jane as well as I thought he did! She will see nothing to forgive, certain he had very good reasons for how he acted even if he never offers any, and she loves him as much as she ever did.” Adding a serious note to her voice, she continued, “Enough about them. If you agree, I would like to have done with disagreeable topics and take this opportunity to thank you properly for what you did for Lydia. It must have been horrible for you, and I know she does not deserve it, but on her behalf and that of my entire family, thank you.”

He shook his head, his gaze on the vista. “It had to be done. I wish I could have devised another end for your sister, but she refused to leave him. If only I had exposed Wickham’s true nature?—”

“It is not your role to protect the world and its many silly young ladies from scoundrels like him.” Seeing a dark cloud pass over his countenance, Elizabeth realised he might be thinking of Miss Darcy. She had not meant to remind him that his sister had also fallen under Mr Wickham’s spell; indeed, she had forgotten it for the moment, so consumed was she with her own sister’s situation—and the thrilling sensation of being with Mr Darcy again. “I see no reason to speak of him further. He is married and settled far from us. There is little he can do to disrupt our peace now.”

He took a deep breath and nodded. “How long do you think it will be before Miss Bennet and Bingley are engaged?”

“Hmm. I would be willing to wager he will wait one more week, then propose at the first opportunity. What say you?”

“Oh no, Miss Elizabeth, I shall not take that bet. I believe he will propose by Wednesday. Would you agree that they deserve to have their happiness to themselves for a short while—not have it overshadowed by any other similar event? If his sisters and I had left him to make his own decisions, they probably would have been betrothed nine or ten months ago.”

There was no mistaking the meaning behind his question, and warmth flooded Elizabeth’s body, both in anticipation of soon receiving a very welcomed second offer of marriage from him and of his thoughtfulness for her most deserving sister and his dearest friend.

“I do agree, sir. Provided, that is, Mr Bingley does not delay!”

They laughed and continued their walk until it was time to return to the house.