Chapter 13

Thirteen

"They ought to be engaged by now! If only Mr Darcy had not gone away. Everything would be settled, I am certain of it. First his uncle insists he goes to town—I do not care that he is an earl, it was very inconsiderate of him—and then Mr Bingley drags him to Hertford. The dear boy did not understand what he was doing, so I can forgive him, but why was it necessary to go today? Why could it not have waited until after Lizzy and Mr Darcy reached an understanding?" Mrs Bennet's heart fluttered, and she felt alternately hot and cold. While knowing she should calm herself, how could she when her daughter's future was at stake? She had kept her feelings to herself until Jane and Elizabeth left the room, which was quite the feat.

Mrs Goulding offered her salts while Mrs Philips fixed her sister a fresh cup of tea.

"It is not so desperate a situation as you seem to think," Mrs Philips said.

"They were much more comfortable together last night than I recall ever seeing them. When you first mentioned wanting them to marry, I could not see why, but now I do," Mrs Goulding said.

"I watched them at dinner, and I also noticed that. Really, you must not let your nerves get the best of you." Mrs Philips nodded vigorously, her cap shifting until it was crooked. She never had been able to affix it properly.

Mrs Bennet allowed them to fuss over her a while longer. She finished her tea with several large gulps and pointedly adjusted her cap and shawl, hoping her sister would understand the hint. She did not.

"If what you say is true, then our efforts have had an effect, and we must redouble them! I shall not have a peaceful moment until he has proposed. If she does not accept him after all of this, I wash my hands of her. It would be unconscionable of her, especially when anyone could see they suit each other perfectly," Mrs Bennet said.

"Yes, indeed." Again, Mrs Philips nodded and further dislodged her cap. Mrs Goulding poked the annoying thing into a better position, to Mrs Bennet's relief.

"We must decide on our next course of action," she said.

Mrs Goulding waved a hand as though asking for permission to speak. "There is an assembly on Thursday."

"Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy will attend, will they not?" Mrs Philips asked.

"Of course they will! Mr Bingley will want to dance with Jane, and naturally, his friend will attend with him." Mrs Bennet's brow furrowed as memories from the previous year came to mind. Mr Darcy had insulted Elizabeth, claiming he did not wish to dance with her. She grinned as inspiration struck. "Mr Darcy will not only be at the assembly, he will dance with my Lizzy. I guarantee it. They will flirt a little, and the music and the movement will sweep them up in its romance. Mark my words, by the end of the night, they will be engaged. All that will be wanting is Mr Bennet's approval—you know he will not escort us, no matter how much I tease him—and he will not dare to refuse a man such as Mr Darcy."

"What will she wear? It is not every day a girl gets proposed to, and she must look her best." Mrs Goulding slid forward in her seat, her eyes round with excitement.

"You must direct her, Sister. She is young and does not know how to capture a man's attention. Even though Mr Darcy is in love with her, if she looks especially well?—"

"It will show him that she had made a special effort to please him!" Mrs Goulding said.

"Never you worry. I know how to handle my daughter. Come Thursday, Lizzy will be almost beautiful enough to rival Jane!"

Darcy could not decide whether he was pleased at having to go to Hertford. On the one hand, he wanted nothing more than to be near Elizabeth, but on the other, he sensed a final confrontation of some sort coming, and it frightened him. If he could assure himself it would end with him and Elizabeth being engaged, he would set up camp outside Longbourn. But if heartache was in his future, he wished to put it off as long as possible, and continue to live with the dream of having Elizabeth for his own.

He and Bingley called at Longbourn on Monday. Darcy saw Elizabeth, but they had no occasion to speak. On Tuesday, rain kept everyone at home; on Wednesday, when he and Bingley again went to see the Bennets, Elizabeth was not there. Fortunately, Mrs Bennet was also absent, and he was spared having to listen to her views on marriage and her second daughter.

It was only later that he realised Miss Bennet's manner towards him had been altered. He could not quite grasp what had been different, but it had been as though she wanted to tell him something but could not bring herself to do it. Previously, she had been polite, even welcoming, but not particularly warm. He assumed that was because Elizabeth had confided in her sister about their tumultuous past.

On this occasion, he had been sitting with Miss Bennet and Bingley, when she turned slightly towards him, giving the impression that her words were especially meant for him.

"Mrs Stuart begged Lizzy to keep her company today, since Mr Stuart had to go see someone about a piece of business. I am afraid I have forgot the details, but he will be gone all day. Since she has had a child recently, she must remain at home and feels the want of company sorely. I am sure Lizzy will regret having missed seeing you, but she could not deny our friend."

"It is very good of her to give up her day," Darcy had said.

"Lizzy is the most excellent sister and friend. She is always willing to lend a helping hand. I shall be sorry to lose her when she marries. I have considered being selfish and speaking against any man she might feel an attachment to, so that I might keep her with me always, but my greatest wish is that she will know the love and joy of being a worthy man's wife and mother to their children."

Darcy had not known how to respond and squirmed in his seat, and avoided acknowledging Bingley's evident confusion.

At last, it was Thursday, and Darcy was certain to see Elizabeth. The moment they arrived in the assembly rooms, Bingley left to find Miss Bennet. Darcy intended to undertake his own search for a young lady, but before he could, he was seemingly surrounded by three middle-aged women.

"Mr Darcy, how wonderful to see you tonight," Mrs Bennet said, Mrs Philips and Mrs Goulding echoing the sentiment.

"Thank you, ladies. I trust you are all well this evening." He struggled to keep frustration from his voice.

"He does look handsome tonight, does he not? Lizzy will—" Mrs Philips whispered to Mrs Bennet, unfortunately not softly enough to avoid being overheard.

Mrs Bennet hushed her, and Mrs Goulding spoke louder than was strictly necessary, perhaps hoping it would make him forget Mrs Philips had spoken.

"Do you not find assemblies terribly exciting? My daughters—I have three, you recall, all married—spoke of nothing else for a week before and after we attended a ball. I always find it so charming to see young people dancing."

"My nieces are exactly the same. So much to-do over what they will wear and, my goodness, how they do like to speculate on who will ask them for a set," Mrs Philips said.

Mrs Bennet tapped his arm, and he looked into her upturned face. "When your own dear sister is out, you will see the truth in what they say. Why, even my Lizzy, who is usually the most sensible of girls, has talked of nothing other than what she would wear for days. She is not usually so anxious to make a good impression."

"Lizzy is a remarkable girl. I pray all my sister's daughters find husbands, of course, and I am very glad Jane and Mr Bingley will be married soon, but I have always hoped that Lizzy, who has a little something extra to her, as my brother Bennet always says, will gain the esteem and love of a gentleman who appreciates her."

With that, Mrs Philips took Mrs Goulding's hand and led her away, leaving Darcy alone with Mrs Bennet. Darcy wanted to roll his eyes or let out a loud, heavy sigh. He had heard one or other of the ladies express the same sentiments many times.

The music signalled it was time for the lines to form for the opening dance.

"Lizzy is standing up with John Lucas for the first set. He asked her days ago," Mrs Bennet said.

Her tone suggested she no more liked that than he did.

"You will ask her to dance, will you not?"

Mrs Bennet's voice was firmer than Darcy was used to, and for the first time, he could imagine her as a woman capable of keeping her children in order when she chose to. He tried to stammer an answer but was too startled by this new view of her.

"She does so like to dance, and I would hate to think that she will not have enough partners. It is always sad when there are not enough gentlemen for all the ladies. That does happen at some assemblies, as perhaps you have observed?"

"Yes, madam." Shame burnt Darcy's cheeks. There was no mistaking it; she was alluding to his mortifying behaviour the previous year.

"Very good!" She smiled, tapped his arm with her fan, and walked off in the direction the other ladies had taken.

Darcy searched through the crowd until he spotted Elizabeth. He had always intended to ask her for a set but felt compelled to do it as soon as possible after what amounted to Mrs Bennet's demand. She stood across from John Lucas. Darcy approached and bowed, but before he could greet her, she spoke.

"Mr Darcy. I did not see you arrive."

Her eyes were bright and she smiled, although she looked more nervous than pleased to see him. Quite possibly, her mother was pushing her to secure him. Had Mrs Bennet made her daughter tell her everything about their relationship? If either Mr or Mrs Bennet knew that he had proposed and written her a letter, they could insist on them marrying. Darcy would hate for Elizabeth to feel compelled to accept him.

"How do you do, Mr Darcy?"

Startled, Darcy looked across at John Lucas; he had forgot the young man was there. He greeted him and then turned to Elizabeth again.

"Will you save a set for me? Whichever you have available."

She nodded, and he thought he saw her swallow heavily. "Mr Bingley claimed the second. Will the third suit?"

"Thank you. Yes."

No other words came to mind, and he withdrew, going to stand where he could observe her. The more he did, the greater his anxiety grew; beads of cold sweat slid down his spine. They had to talk of Mrs Bennet's attempts to throw them together. That was what he had been sensing of late, what their confrontation would be about. He would ask what her parents knew of events in Kent and Derbyshire. Then, he would lay his heart bare and admit he loved her as much as ever and would gladly marry her, but if her only reason for accepting him were because her parents insisted on it, he would accept whatever punishment necessary to save her from that fate.