Chapter 16

"I wonder who Miss Elizabeth was so angry with," Darcy asked his uncle. They were in the Netherfield library after the dinner at Longbourn. Bingley had already retired for the night, exhausted after the ball, the thrill of his engagement, and the quarrel with his sisters, who had not taken the announcement of his sudden intention to marry too well.

Elizabeth's outburst had taken Darcy by surprise. He had noticed a significant change in her at the end of the ball and had been tempted to go after her in the library, but he had no right to do so. Even when the Bennets left Netherfield, Elizabeth barely looked at him. He suspected she was upset with him for some reason, but that would have been strange. Their dance together had been delightful, and she had seemed to enjoy it too. Since then, they had had a brief discussion while waiting for Bingley to propose, which he assumed Elizabeth saw as a happy event. He tried to recollect whether he had said something that might have upset her, but he remembered nothing of the kind.

He had expected to find her — and the family — overjoyed by Bingley's proposal. Instead, when they had arrived at Longbourn, they had been told Elizabeth was unwell and in her room. Then Mrs Bennet had commented about Elizabeth rejecting Mr Collins and the clergyman's proposal to Charlotte Lucas, which had amused Lord Matlock and Mr Bennet, but Darcy had felt rather uncomfortable. It was not unexpected — both he and his uncle had guessed the clergyman's intentions; however, it was not a subject of amusement, and Mrs Bennet had proved one more time her poor manners and ignorance of decorum.

Still, Elizabeth's outburst was more than Darcy had expected. She had seemed upset but also furious. She had mentioned his engagement to Anne and Lord Matlock's marriage, which had appeared to affect the earl greatly. He had looked hurt, Mr Bennet had looked distressed, and Darcy had allowed them some time to speak privately in the library.

Lord Matlock had given him only a few details about his relationship with Mr Bennet. He had related their friendship and praised Mr Bennet for helping him, but what had interrupted their friendship and caused a twenty-year separation remained concealed.

About his uncle and aunt's marriage, Darcy knew only what was apparent. They had a typical marriage, very much like Lady Catherine and Sir Lewis de Bourgh's, and like many others he was acquainted with too. His parents' marriage had been different — more affectionate, more tender, more caring — but he knew that was an exception, not a rule of society. Was there something in his uncle's thirty years of marriage about which he was ignorant but that Elizabeth knew about?

"She was probably angry with all of us, except you," Lord Matlock finally answered. "She certainly has no reason to be upset with you, as far as I know. But Thomas's sense of humour can be a little too sharp at times, and I was impolite to join in his mockery."

"I hope now you agree with me when I first mentioned Mrs Bennet's wanting manners. I have been wrong on many things, but this is definitely not one of them."

"She might be difficult at times, even for her daughters," the earl agreed. "I assume it is hard for Miss Elizabeth especially, as her respect for her mother forbids her from replying as she is likely tempted to."

"I find it dreadful that Mrs Bennet would force Miss Elizabeth to marry that man if she had the power to do so."

"Many young women are forced to marry someone they loathe, Darcy. And men too. Being married to someone against your inclinations, especially if your feelings lie elsewhere, might be torture, even if that person is beyond reproach."

"I am sure you are correct."

"And yes, I shall not argue with you — I find Mrs Bennet's judgment wrong and silly on this matter. Fortunately, Thomas is a wise man and capable of making sound decisions. If not, Miss Elizabeth would have been trapped in the middle of a conflict. Of course, you could have saved her, if that was the case," the earl ended with a grin.

"I wonder what you mean, Uncle."

"I am sure you know what I mean. Unless you still have doubts regarding your objections against her family, I dare say that Elizabeth Bennet would be a great match for you. I watched you dancing. I am not sure what you talked about, but your gestures and expressions were quite eloquent."

"I shall have to take your word for that. And yet, our conversation was perfectly appropriate between any couple who dance at a ball."

"I did not expect anything less from you. However, gestures and expressions can be more revealing than words. I have enough experience on this matter to stand behind my statement."

"I shall have to take your word on that too," Darcy said, equally amused and distressed.

"Did you notice how displeased Miss Elizabeth was when she mentioned your engagement to Anne? That could be a good sign."

"I do not see how she being upset can be a good sign. However, on further consideration, it is likely that the clergyman told her about my supposed engagement. Only Lady Catherine, of all people, could still insist on it and share it with others."

"Speaking of gestures, I have noticed a significant change in Miss Elizabeth's behaviour towards you since I first saw her."

"You have? I am glad to hear that."

"So, have you decided what you wish to do?"

"I am not considering so much what I wish to do but what I should do. I too feel Miss Elizabeth's opinion of me has improved, and we might be called friends. I would have no objection to something more."

"This is comforting. As I said, I am sure she would be a good match for you. She is witty, clever, and amiable. She is neither impressed by you, nor obedient, nor fearful of challenging you. I do not think you can argue about the fact that she is charming and alluring. She will keep your mind, your heart, and your body engaged and alert."

Darcy suddenly felt warm. "I suggest we go to sleep. This conversation has gone too far. We are both tired and probably not clear-minded."

The earl laughed. "I agree. I can barely keep my eyes open."

"Uncle, I am relieved that you do not seem distressed any longer. When Miss Elizabeth scolded us, I felt you were quite distraught."

"I was," the earl answered in a serious voice. "I assumed Miss Elizabeth knew more than she did. Thomas explained the truth to me, and all is well now."

"I am glad to hear it."

"So, Darcy, if Thomas agrees to bring his family to London for Christmas, would you and Georgiana join us?"

"Of course."

"Or what if I return to Netherfield for Christmas, with Richard?"

"I cannot bring Georgiana to Netherfield as long as Wickham is here. I cannot take the risk she might see him."

As soon as he spoke the words, Darcy realised his error.

"Why not?" the earl immediately asked. "Why would she care about him? I am sure that scoundrel would not dare come anywhere near her."

"I…Georgiana has been fond of him since she was a child. You know my father treated him like a son, and Georgiana thought of him as an older brother. She was hurt to find out about his deceptive nature."

"Yes, I suppose you are right. She is very sensible, and she might be distraught if she saw him. I shall insist on Thomas bringing his family to London. He is too lazy to travel in the winter but will have to change that since his daughters were thrilled by the idea."

"I wonder whether Miss Elizabeth is thrilled too. She was not present when you shared your plans."

"I hope she will be, Darcy. Whatever upset her today will surely pass or will be clarified in a fortnight. Let us go to sleep now."

Later, alone in his room and exhausted yet unable to sleep, Darcy recollected that day's events. Lord Matlock was correct — Elizabeth now behaved differently towards him. Her smiles, her teasing, her glances, her little gestures could appear the same to a distant observer, but he knew — he felt — there were differences. And the more he recollected her outburst, the more he realised that his supposed engagement to Anne bothered her. If that was the case, she was disturbed by something that was not even true. That must be remedied immediately — the very next day if possible.

As for Wickham, he remained a threat and an annoyance that had to be carefully watched.

∞∞∞

"We shall have no female company at breakfast," Bingley said the next morning. "My sisters will not join us."

"I am sorry to hear that. I hope they are not unwell," Lord Matlock said, though his face contradicted his words.

"I believe they are upset about my engagement. They claimed I should have waited and discussed it with them before I proposed. They are entitled to their opinions."

"True," the earl agreed.

"I am exceedingly pleased with my decision. I finally slept soundly!" Bingley continued. "And I am very hungry now."

The food was served, and Bingley announced, "I shall go to Longbourn later. I wish to see my betrothed."

His enthusiasm was so genuine that the earl responded with a large grin.

"I believe we shall go to Longbourn too. There is not much else to do today. Mr Hurst, will you join us?"

"I would like to, but I am afraid my wife might need me."

"I understand. A husband's duty is to serve his wife," Lord Matlock said.

Darcy smiled to himself. Since Bingley's engagement, his bond with the Bennet family — with Elizabeth — seemed to be growing stronger. The image of Elizabeth as his wife was clearer in his mind, and there was nothing he wished for more than for her to be his wife and to serve her.

"So, Bingley, when do you plan to leave for London?" Mr Hurst asked.

"In two or three days. I am not sure yet. But, Brother, your plans must not depend on mine. You have your own carriage, so you may travel where you please and when you please."

"True. But Louisa wants us all to travel together."

"You must consider that I might return to Netherfield in a few days. My plans for Christmas are not fixed yet, but they depend on Miss Bennet. Anyone else is welcome to join me, or not."

"Young man, I am quite impressed with your determination," Lord Matlock said. "And I congratulate you for it. Whatever the consequences of your actions might be, you embrace them. This is very gentlemanlike behaviour."

Darcy agreed with his uncle. In such a short time, Bingley had progressed from a hesitant, obedient, doubtful young man to a gentleman who knew his heart and was ready to fight for it. It was impressive indeed. If not for Lord Matlock, Bingley might have allowed himself to be convinced by his sisters to leave Jane Bennet. And he, Darcy, would have likely supported them and pushed Bingley into misery. In doing so, his relationship with Elizabeth would have turned from bad to worse, and this thought gave him shivers. He could have destroyed his own felicity and Bingley's because of his poor judgment of Jane Bennet's feelings as well as Elizabeth's.

Lord Matlock was right. He was ill-qualified in the business of the heart.

For that morning, his plan was to clarify Elizabeth's misunderstanding about his engagement to Anne. If she was still too unwell to see him, he would reveal the truth to Mr Bennet. The more he thought about it, the more irritated he was that his aunt was still holding onto that silly notion of their arranged marriage. However, there was nothing to be done. Lady Catherine de Bourgh was known for never accepting any other opinion but her own.

After breakfast, Darcy wrote a letter to Georgiana and one to his solicitor, while Lord Matlock wrote to his sons. Around noon, they rode towards Longbourn. The weather was sunny but cold, and their reception by the Bennets was warm and effusive. The ladies were all in the drawing room, except for Elizabeth.

"Mr Bennet is in his library, as usual," Mrs Bennet said with a trace of reproach. "I shall send John to fetch him."

"Thank you, but there is no need," Lord Matlock answered. "If you do not mind, we shall go there. We already know the way."

"Of course, sir! Please do as you please. Treat our home as your home," Mrs Bennet replied, and the earl bowed to her.

As expected, Mr Bennet was there. As Darcy had hoped, Elizabeth was there too. At their entrance, both stood to greet their guests. Elizabeth seemed a little pale and slightly uneasy, and her eyes met his for only a moment.

"My dear Miss Elizabeth, I am glad to see you looking much better," the earl said.

"I do feel better," she agreed. "Mr Jones's medicine was very helpful. I must thank Mr Darcy for insisting on him being fetched, even with my opposition."

"There is no need for thanks, Miss Bennet," Darcy answered. "If I were in your place, I would have been as stubborn as you were in not calling him."

"So would I," the earl interjected. "We often have a tendency to show more concern for those we care about than for ourselves."

Darcy held his breath for an instant. Those we care about was a natural expression given the circumstances, but it revealed quite a lot if it was properly understood. Elizabeth's quick look at him and sudden blush indicated that she might have caught the meaning too.

"Mr Darcy, Lord Matlock, I cannot go any further with this discussion without apologising for my irrational outburst yesterday. I was inexcusably rude. I twisted your jest and turned it into a quarrel. It was outrageous, and I am very sorry."

As she spoke, she glanced at Darcy for another moment, and he knew it was the perfect time to intervene. However, Lord Matlock spoke first.

"It was not outrageous, only confusing, Miss Elizabeth. We knew your sense of humour to be impeccable, but we know you felt unwell. But I must ask, where on earth did you hear that nonsense about Darcy's engagement to Anne?"

Elizabeth turned pale again, obviously disconcerted, and tried to mumble a reply.

"I am sure it was your cousin who told you, and he must have heard it from my sister. Being among friends, I must say I am not sure which of the two is more of a lunatic."

Elizabeth still looked bewildered and glanced at Darcy a few more times, her expression doubtful.

"Yes, Mr Collins told me, but it was rude of me to mention it."

"I am glad you did, Miss Bennet," Darcy finally said. "There is no engagement. It is merely a story repeated by my aunt since my childhood. She believes I should marry Anne and that we would be perfectly suited."

"Oh…" Elizabeth whispered.

"After my parents died, my aunt made a habit of repeating this story to anyone who wished to listen. Neither I nor Anne wish for such a marriage, and we have said as much to my aunt too many times to count. But it is never enough."

He smiled at her, but her countenance was still clouded, and she was far from her usual self.

"I understand. Thank you for telling me, sir," she finally whispered.

"Of course, if I were engaged, I would not have kept it a secret. I strongly believe that an engaged man should show at least that much respect for his betrothed."

He hoped his meaning was clear to her.

"Indeed, I agree," she responded. "I should have assumed as much."

"If there is anything else you wish to clarify, please do not hesitate to ask me, Miss Bennet. I might be proud, arrogant, and annoying, but disguise of any sort is my abhorrence. So you can expect the truth from me if I am allowed to say it, even if it might be unpleasant. Even if I cannot reveal a secret, I shall not lie."

He spoke in earnest, and the conversation was now being carried exclusively between him and Elizabeth, while the other two watched.

"I shall remember that, Mr Darcy," she declared, and finally the bright smile returned to her lips, and the sparkles to her eyes.