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Chapter XVI

D arcy gave the appearance of being focused on his conversation with Mr. Bennet, and the appearance was fact, but he was also aware of his cousin's position speaking with Miss Elizabeth. Knowing Fitzwilliam as he did, he had suspected Fitzwilliam would go to her, knowing he had spoken out of turn, and offer his apologies. While Darcy conversed with Mr. Bennet, at first speaking of Wickham, but then of more general topics, he wondered if he might approach and remain unscathed. Miss Elizabeth was generous, but the scene in Hunsford's parlor must still be fresh in her mind. It certainly was in his.

Yet how could he not approach her? The fascination he had felt in Hertfordshire, that had turned to preoccupation those months after he left, and then passionate regard in Kent was as strong as ever—perhaps far stronger. He no longer knew how to measure the strength of his attraction, for it was a part of him, another appendage or a portion of his heart that no longer belonged to him. He could not more easily ignore her than the moth could resist the flame's brilliant call.

Something of his distraction was apparent, for Mr. Bennet was looking at him with clear amusement. Never having spoken much to the man, Darcy knew little of his character, but his powers of observation were not in question. What opinion he had of Darcy's interest in his second eldest daughter he could not say, but Darcy did not think he would need to wait long before Mr. Bennet made his sentiments known.

"It appears my Lizzy has made an impression, Mr. Darcy."

With a start, Darcy realized he had been silent for some moments, contemplating what was between Miss Elizabeth and his cousin. The sheepish look he turned back on Mr. Bennet appeared to confirm his suspicions and amuse him.

"Do not be cast down, young man. I will own that I had some notion of it before you went away in the autumn."

That was a shock to Darcy, such that he gaped at the other man. "How?"

Mr. Bennet chuckled and shook his head as Darcy confirmed his suspicions. "I noted how much you looked at her, sir, particularly at Mr. Bingley's ball. Though Lizzy contended you looked at her to catalogue her faults, I am aware of what attracts a man's attention. No man looks on a woman as much as you watched Elizabeth to look only for blemishes."

"Yes," said Darcy absently, "I recently realized that she was ignorant of my interest. To own the truth, I had thought I was rather blatant."

Mr. Bennet grinned. "Then it appears it is fortunate your inscrutability deceived more than just my Lizzy. Unless I miss my guess, your aunt would not be pleased if she was aware of it."

Darcy's scowl seemed to provide the man with additional fodder for his amusement. "The time is coming when I must disabuse the notion altogether."

"And what do you suspect she will do then?"

"If the island does not tip over from her rampage, it will be nothing less than a miracle."

A hearty laugh was the man's response. "She does appear akin to a force of nature."

Then he sobered and turned all his attention on Darcy. "I shall not sport with your intelligence, sir, for I suspect you understand something of the lay of the land. At present, I cannot say Lizzy favors you, though I believe I detected a softening of her feelings."

"That is heartening, Mr. Bennet," said Darcy.

"Yes, I suppose it is. While I do not think a father should involve himself in his daughters' romances, except perhaps to run off those unworthy, allow me to give you a bit of advice. Lizzy is strong-willed and capable, and she will not take kindly to anyone attempting to stifle those facets of her character that make her exceptional. I hope you will pardon me for this bit of fatherly pride, but it is the truth."

"I could not agree more, sir."

"Then you should also know that she will never be happy in marriage unless she can look up to her partner as her equal, and she will not accept any proposal unless she feels herself attached to the man. I have heard my eldest speak of their desire for a meeting of minds to know that they are determined on this point."

"It may be a surprise," replied Darcy, "but I wish for the same. My parents enjoyed a close attachment, and their example is something I have always wished to emulate."

Mr. Bennet regarded him for a long moment, though his scrutiny was not uncomfortable. At length, he nodded.

"I think you have a chance, sir. Once you push past this nonsense of her first impression of you, I believe you are the sort of man who will intrigue her.

"You will, you understand," said Mr. Bennet in a dryer tone of voice, "deprive me of the company of my favorite daughter and most sensible companion. When you and Bingley remove my eldest from the house, it will leave me with naught but silliness. Perhaps I should not have given you the key to her heart."

"For that, I make no apologies," replied Darcy. "But I shall offer an olive branch."

"Oh?" asked Mr. Bennet, his raised eyebrow showing Darcy whence Miss Elizabeth had inherited that saucy response.

"At both my house in town and my estate in Derbyshire, I have fine libraries, the one in the north the work of many generations."

"Bribery, sir?" asked Mr. Bennet. "Fortunately, you could not have chosen a better bribe. I accept though I offer this warning: you may regret your offer and grow tired of me."

"Why that should be, I cannot say," replied Darcy. "The house is large, and you will be in the library. If I do not wish to see you, I dare say I may go to other parts of the house."

"That is the spirit, sir!" said Mr. Bennet, clapping him on the shoulder. "I shall anticipate it very much."

It was nearing time for dinner. Lady Catherine, who was now fussing over Anne, much to her daughter's annoyance, would demand Darcy escort Anne the moment the housekeeper made the announcement. Now that he noted Anne's reaction to her mother, he could not help but see a change in her demeanor. Darcy had never witnessed her so much as give the appearance of disagreeing with Lady Catherine, yet here she was, keeping a check on her perturbation by only the barest of margins. Something had changed, and he could not quite put his finger on what it was.

Fitzwilliam appeared to see the same, for he shot a grin at Darcy and moved to distract them, sitting nearby and speaking in low tones. As the opportunity had presented itself, Darcy excused himself from Mr. Bennet—noting the man's seemingly endless sense of amusement—and approached Miss Elizabeth. The woman herself noted his approach, and though her attitude was not precisely welcoming, it was not as cold as he might have expected, given the events of their last meeting. Perhaps Mr. Bennet was correct.

"Miss Elizabeth," greeted Darcy, "I appreciate this moment to converse with you, for I cannot express my appreciation for what you did for my cousin today in warm enough terms."

Miss Elizabeth regarded him, a hint of asperity coming over her features. "Please allow me to say that I do not believe I did anything extraordinary, and certainly nothing more than any person of moral character would do. As the thanks are becoming a little excessive, I hope you will accept my assurances that I was happy to do it and allow the subject to rest."

"Believe me, Miss Bennet," said Darcy, "I would never suspend any pleasure of yours. I said that once before, and I meant it without reservation."

Miss Elizabeth nodded, and they did not speak of the matter again. For a time, their conversation was not stimulating, nothing of the interesting repartee or depth of subjects they had discussed in the past. It had a more hesitant quality as if each was uncertain of the other and struggled to find firm footing. It was a close approximation of what he felt, for while he wished for nothing more than to be in her company, he also did not wish to make another mistake.

"I see my friend has picked up where he left off in the autumn," said Darcy after he noted the looks Miss Elizabeth was giving to her sister.

She turned and regarded him, considering her answer before responding. "Jane's happiness is pleasing to see, Mr. Darcy."

There were no comments concerning her sister's suffering or suggestions that he had caused it, and for that Darcy was grateful. Her sister was still a closed book, even more reticent and difficult to understand than Darcy was himself. At this late date, nothing would make him even hint at the suggestion that Miss Bennet was not desperately in love with his friend. Thus, Darcy endeavored to respond in a manner that would not offend her.

"When Bingley learned the truth, he was determined to come to Hertfordshire at the soonest opportunity. Had this business with Anne not brought us here today, only a few more days would have passed before he was beating down your father's door."

Again, Miss Bennet did not respond at once, content to regard him with no little interest. "While I should ask why he is here at all given the matter of your cousin does not concern him, I am more interested in the exact means by which he became aware of my sister's regard for him. Did you tell him?"

Darcy chuckled. "You are nothing if not direct, Miss Elizabeth."

"I find it saves time," was her bland reply. "Will you not answer my question?"

"I shall answer them both," agreed Darcy. "Bingley is here because my aunt incautiously swept into my study and spoke of Anne's disappearance without ensuring I was alone. In this, she was fortunate it was Bingley, for I trust him implicitly."

Miss Elizabeth appeared to find this amusing, for she covered her mouth with her hand. "Your aunt has never struck me as a cautious sort of woman."

"No one could make such a claim with a serious face, Miss Elizabeth," said Darcy. "As for the second, I did not speak to my friend about your sister."

A solemn regard was Miss Elizabeth's only response. Darcy might have thought anger would rule the day, but she appeared willing to allow him to explain himself. Darcy lost no time in doing so.

"When Bingley visited me a few days ago, he spoke of his plans to travel north for the summer. Though I had some notion of speaking of Miss Bennet, I did not think it was correct to disrupt his plans. Therefore, I instead suggested that he might wish to look in on Netherfield when he returned."

Miss Elizabeth's eyes widened. "Then you intended he return to my sister's company."

Uncomfortable though he was, Darcy hastened to explain himself. "I will own that my thoughts were not so well developed. Of course, I knew Bingley would come close to your sister again, but I think I only wished to put him in the position of making his choice free of the influence of myself or his sisters.

"I also wish you to understand that I never spoke against your sister," added Darcy quickly, wishing her to understand this point. "My concern was for her returning regard. I will not scruple to suggest that your sister is most difficult to understand, and I took that reticence as evidence it would be difficult to touch her heart. As I was wrong, I was eager to rectify that error."

"Then how did he discover the truth?" asked Miss Elizabeth, apparently content to accept his explanation.

"Quite by chance," said Darcy, relieved to have navigated past the torrents to calmer water. "As he was preparing to depart for the north, he overheard his sisters speaking. Their conversation was more than enough to arouse his suspicions."

Darcy chuckled and fixed Miss Elizabeth with a grin. "What Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst did not know was that Hurst was aware of it all. He has a habit of sleeping on a sofa in the sitting-room at Bingley's house that is not easily observed. He had heard them speaking frequently. When he made this known, the sisters had no choice but to acknowledge their actions, though I shall not sport with your intelligence and suggest Miss Bingley surrendered easily."

The light of righteous indignation shone in Miss Elizabeth's eyes. "I suppose the daughter of a gentleman was not enough for Miss Bingley's dynastic ambitions."

"Miss Bingley dreams of making a society marriage; I must assume you already know the target of her designs."

Miss Elizabeth nodded but did not speak.

"As for her brother, she wishes the same. It might surprise you to hear it, but she believes her brother suited to marry the sister of the man she wishes to marry herself."

"There you would be incorrect, Mr. Darcy," said Miss Elizabeth. "If you recall, she spoke of your sister in such glowing terms while I stayed at Netherfield that it was not at all difficult to understand her interest. Thereafter, the letter she sent to Jane invoked your sister's name in a manner even more blatant."

The haze of anger settled over Darcy. "That was not well done. I can only assume she did so to extinguish every bit of your sister's hope, for I never—and would never—give her any hope on such a subject. There was a time when I considered Bingley a potential match for my sister, for I can trust him with her tender heart. But she is yet sixteen and not ready for marriage, so any such consideration was in the future and dependent upon their mutual attraction."

Miss Bennet responded with a slow nod, considering his assertion. "Yes, I suppose that makes sense, Mr. Darcy. I thank you for having clarified matters, for I was curious."

"Of course, you were," replied Darcy.

"I would also wish you to know," said she, visibly straightening her shoulders, "that I read your letter and believed you, especially pertaining to your account of Mr. Wickham."

"That much is apparent, given the events of the day," replied Darcy with a smile.

"Perhaps it is. Yet I would still wish to apologize for that error in judgment. I should have been more cautious and slower to give credit to his words, especially on so short an acquaintance. It was clear I was wrong in that instance."

"Since you have been so gracious as to forgive me," replied Darcy with a wink, "I shall offer the same clemency."

They laughed together, perhaps the first time they had ever been so carefree in each other's company. It felt good, Darcy decided, for while he had never seen their interactions as contrary or arguments as she had supposed, they had also never truly enjoyed each other's company either. Hope swelled in his breast, as for the first time since that awful day in Kent, he felt that it might all end well.

At that moment, two things happened at once, one of them fortunate, while the other most certainly was not. The first was the entrance of the housekeeper, announcing dinner, while the second was the braying voice of his aunt, taking advantage of the first.

"Darcy!" commanded she. "Come here and escort Anne to dinner."

Exasperated though he was, Darcy knew it was best to oblige her lest she expose them all to ridicule. Fitzwilliam, however, had other ideas.

" I shall escort Anne, Aunt, for I am already at hand. Come, let us go."

Darcy caught his cousin's look, the significance of which informed him that Lady Catherine had not been unaware of his position by Miss Elizabeth's side. The sensible thing to do would be to excuse himself from Miss Elizabeth and go to his aunt, forming a family group as they entered the dining-room. Darcy, however, was feeling exasperated at Lady Catherine's continued intransigence and insistence on being obeyed, and not at all inclined to allow sense. Thus, he turned to Miss Elizabeth and offered his arm.

"Shall we, Miss Elizabeth?"

The way she regarded him, Darcy could see that she was not convinced of the wisdom of his actions. There was little option to refuse, however, so she accepted and rested her hand on his arm, though with little discernable pressure. She did not miss—nor did Darcy—Lady Catherine's angry glare at her, but Fitzwilliam had the lady controlled for the moment.

"It seems Lady Catherine still stubbornly holds to her dream of uniting Rosings and Pemberley."

Darcy smiled down on his companion, though he was aware of the rueful quality inherent in it. "You have no idea, Miss Elizabeth."

"It seems obvious that you will never gratify her ambition," observed she. "Else that evening in the parsonage would never have taken place."

"I will not," said Darcy. "Neither Anne nor I wish it. What has become clear is that I must lose no time in communicating this to my aunt."

Miss Elizabeth regarded him as if wishing to say something, but she shook her head. "No, I suppose you could not speak to her before. She would not listen, and it would have devolved into a family incident."

"You see clearly, Miss Elizabeth," replied Darcy, grateful for her perception. "Now, however, it has become imperative that she understand, so the argument is unavoidable."

"What of Anne's escapade today?"

Darcy understood her question at once. "Fitzwilliam has insisted that should there be any... complications regarding Anne's reputation, he will be the one to marry her. It is not lacking in a certain measure of common sense."

Miss Elizabeth appeared amused. "As I recall, I jested that fifty thousand pounds must be the price for a younger son to enter a marriage. Rosings is so much more than that."

"Ah, I see his need to marry with some attention to fortune has also made its way into his conversations with you."

"That it did, Mr. Darcy."

By this time, those before them had made their way into the dining-room, allowing Darcy to lead her to a pair of chairs on the opposite side of the table from the rest of his family. It was a novel seating arrangement, for Fitzwilliam, as the highest-ranking man in the room should have escorted Mrs. Bennet yet had put himself in a position to control their irascible aunt. Lady Catherine, of course, should have entered on Mr. Bennet's arm, and as Bingley would not allow a team of horses to remove him from Miss Bennet's side, the arrangement was haphazard at best. Mr. Bennet, given his grins, found it all amusing, and while Mrs. Bennet did not seem to understand, she must have attributed it to the foibles of higher society, for she said nothing, giving the signal for the servants to serve the first course. Soon the diners attended their dinner.

"Mrs. Bennet," said Lady Catherine the moment her bowl was before her, "this soup is cold."

"On the contrary, Aunt," said Fitzwilliam, "I can see the steam rising from it."

Lady Catherine threw a vicious glance at her nephew, but Fitzwilliam took no notice.

Mrs. Bennet appeared startled at the byplay, but she said not a word, confining her attention to her meal. That did not stop Lady Catherine, for she began a litany of complaints, from the size of the portion to the arrangements of the dining-room. Clear in her diatribe was the fierce glares she directed at Darcy and Miss Elizabeth; though they were sitting together, Darcy had concentrated on his meal, belatedly unwilling to give her more about which to complain. Though he thought to contradict his aunt's charges, Darcy watched as Fitzwilliam neatly refuted everything she said, all without raising his voice or appearing angry.

"Will you be silent, Fitzwilliam?" Lady Catherine finally snapped at him. "As I have been the mistress of an estate for many years, I am much better positioned to understand such things than a soldier."

"Yet, Fitzwilliam is being a polite guest," said Anne from Fitzwilliam's other side. "Kindly remember, Mother, that we descended upon the Bennets with no warning, and with no invitation. If the arrangements are insufficient for your taste, it is as much our fault as Mrs. Bennet's, who has been nothing but welcoming."

Mrs. Bennet, Darcy noted, regarded Anne with the warmth of gratitude. Lady Catherine, however, would not be denied.

"She should take such matters into account, for one never knows when company will descend unexpectedly. At Rosings, I always ensure a meal of at least three courses and instruct my cook to prepare a meal for six."

"Longbourn differs from Rosings," said Anne. "You should be more gracious."

"Anne!" spat Lady Catherine. "You will not speak to me in this fashion. I am your mother—you will give me your respect."

"You will have my respect when you deserve it, Mother," said Anne, still maintaining her even temper.

Lady Catherine appeared shocked that her daughter would say as much as to her. Then her fury descended.

"It seems these people have affected your good sense. We shall return at once to London where I shall remove this contamination from you."

"You may believe as you wish, Mother. Elizabeth is my friend, and I will not give up her friendship."

"A woman who has your cousin's fortune in her sights." Lady Catherine regarded Miss Elizabeth with utter contempt. "Well, I shall not allow it. No fortuneless upstarts nor libertines will frustrate my designs. When we return to London, I shall publish the news of your engagement at once, which will end this business."

Anne directed a harsh laugh at her mother. "How silly are you, Mother? Should I marry Darcy, you will have no more power to direct me. I may keep my friendship with Elizabeth without reference to your ridiculous demands. Not that I intend to marry Darcy."

"You will!" cried Lady Catherine. "I insist upon it!"

"Lady Catherine," said Darcy, deciding it was time he stepped in, "you may insist all you like, and it will not affect me. Now is not the time to discuss such matters. Please have a little respect for our hosts and cease speaking of this subject."

"Today's events will affect Anne's reputation, Darcy. A timely marriage is of the utmost importance. It is your duty to comply."

"Your opinion of my duty differs from my own," retorted Darcy, his patience almost snapped by her unreasonable demands. "Leave this discussion at once, Aunt, for now is not the time nor the place for it."

"The time and place are of my choosing!" insisted Lady Catherine.

"Ugh!" exclaimed the youngest Bennet. "Can no one silence this virago so we can all eat in peace?"

As it happened, Darcy agreed with Miss Lydia's assessment, though not with the rudeness of saying so much to his aunt's face. Lady Catherine's cheeks reddened with rage at the insult, so much that she appeared incapable of responding. Mr. Bennet looked on with glee, his family with varying degrees of shock or anger, Bingley matching Mr. Bennet, while Fitzwilliam appeared ready to expire from mirth, he was laughing so hard. Darcy thought to interject, reflecting it may be best for them to depart at once, when another spoke before he could.

"I cannot agree more, Miss Lydia," said Anne, smiling at the younger girl.

Miss Lydia realized she had spoken out of turn and was expecting a reprimand, but when Anne spoke, she started, but did not hesitate to grin. Anne, however, turned her fire back on her mother.

"Do you wish to know why I left Rosings this morning, Mother? Do you wish to hear the real reason for my flight?"

Though nearly incoherent with rage, Lady Catherine did not seem eager to hear what her daughter would say. Anne, however, gave her no opportunity to demur, for she continued at once, as inexorable as the tide.

"I left because I could no longer endure your tyrannical ways. Remaining where you could inform me of my opinions, dictate every facet of my life, and browbeat me into doing what you wished became repugnant, so I took the first opportunity presented to me to flee."

"Anne!" exclaimed Lady Catherine in shock.

"I will not return to Rosings with you, Mother," said Anne, directing a pitiless—derisive—glare at her mother. "When we leave Netherfield, I intend to go to London and throw myself on my uncle's mercy to remove myself from your influence. If uncle will not have me, I will ask Darcy to set me up in one of his estates, and should that fail, I will join a nunnery before I submit myself to your authority again."

"Anne!" repeated Lady Catherine, this time the anguish of rejection rather than the fury of confronting disobedience.

"That is quite enough," said Fitzwilliam. "Anne, we completely comprehend your feelings, but let us not say more in front of our hosts who graciously invited us to dine with them."

"Of course, Cousin," said Anne, sipping from her soup. "I apologize for any discomfort I provoked."

"Anne," said Miss Elizabeth warmly, "there is nothing to forgive. I am certain it is already forgotten."

The murmur around the table accompanied Miss Elizabeth's kind words, and silence fell over them all. Throughout the rest of the meal, there was little enough said, though Miss Bennet and Bingley continued to murmur together, and Misses Kitty and Lydia kept up a whispered conversation. Darcy refrained from speaking anything other than the most banal comments to Miss Elizabeth, judging it inadvisable to further provoke Lady Catherine.

It seemed he might not have bothered, for the lady was quiet and ashen, eating little and sneaking glances at her daughter. Anne ignored her, focusing on her meal, her appetite unaffected by the argument. Darcy regarded his aunt critically, wondering at the reaction of the woman to her daughter's denunciation. It seemed she was not beyond reach, though it had taken harsh words from her only living child to inform her that she could not always have her way. It was a hard lesson, and one Darcy had not wished on her, though he hoped she would improve because of the experience.

At length, dinner ended, and Mrs. Bennet invited her guests back to the sitting-room, Mr. Bennet speaking of his intention to dispense with the separation of the sexes. It was just as well, thought Darcy, for there was little enough reason to drink port and smoke cigars after the events of the day and the argument. Darcy, smiling his apology to Miss Elizabeth, made his way around the table and escorted his cousin himself, Fitzwilliam attending to his aunt. As they walked, Anne addressed him.

"Do not take me to task for saying what I did, Darcy. It needed to be said and was long overdue besides."

"Believe me, Anne," replied Darcy, "I had not intended to. While we should not air such disagreements before the Bennets, I cannot but agree with you."

Anne nodded, and they entered with the others, Darcy seeing her seated on a sofa, taking the position next to her. The evening would end before long he was certain, for the atmosphere was not conducive to small talk. Noting that Bingley had entered with Miss Bennet and nearly the entire company was present, he rose to approach his friend and discuss the timing of their leave-taking. That was when he heard a hated voice.

"Well done, Anne. Well done, indeed."

It was Wickham. He stood inside the open door, a pistol held in one hand pointed in the general direction of the company.

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