“Surely you don’t think this is news to me. Nor to anyone who sees you dancing with him. You’re alight with pleasure whenever you’re near him. It’s obvious.”
Jane shook her head. “I do admire him so, Lizzy. He’s so handsome and witty. He holds the most intelligent conversations with me. I have truly never felt like this before.”
Elizabeth nodded. “I know, Jane.”
“He complimented with me with several dances tonight.”
She nodded again. “I saw you dance with him often. You smile twice as wide when he has you in hand. Still, you must be cautious. I’m unsure about his sisters. They do seem a bit odd to me.”
Jane frowned slightly, looking confused. “They’re fine ladies. What bad do you have to say of them?”
Elizabeth thought for a moment before answering. She didn’t want to offend Jane, who never saw anything but good in everyone. She had never personally heard Jane speak ill of anyone in her entire life. “I must say what’s on my mind, dear Jane, though I can’t tell you what opinion to have of them. You certainly do spend more time with them than I do.”
“You’re unhappy, Lizzy. It’s a shame; you seemed to enjoy dancing with him tonight.”
“All isn’t as it seems,” Elizabeth murmured, frustration making her feel hot inside. She worried that she might be blushing. “What Darcy does in the presence of society is calculated to please others and to keep them from speaking ill of him. His behavior isn’t the same when we’re alone.”
“He’s cold to you?”
“He’s not cold. He’s distant. He’s always a gentleman, but he doesn’t hold conversations with me and I don’t know any of his thoughts. It’s impossible to understand someone if they refuse to speak more than a few words to you.”
Jane was quiet for a moment. When she spoke again, it was to tell Elizabeth about her garden and how the new flowers were blooming despite the cloudy days they had been experiencing. Elizabeth listened in silence, wishing she knew how to get Darcy to speak more openly with her.
Chapter 3
“I am dismayed, Charlotte, and I need advice.”
Charlotte Lucas, Elizabeth’s dearest friend, leaned over the table, pouring hot water into the tea cup, stirring, and moving it so it was in front of Elizabeth. The young Miss Bennet had come to Meryton to spend time with her good friends, the Lucas family, along with her mother, who was good friends with Mrs. Lucas. The older women were walking in the garden, arm in arm, most likely chatting about the fates of their daughters.
“I will be happy to speak to you, Lizzy, but there is little chance I will have any good advice. I have not been married and have no prospects of that changing soon. My mother had hopes that the arrival of Mr. Bingley would change my situation. But, unfortunately, it is not me he is interested in dancing with.”
“You have danced with him.”
“Yes, but his choice was not in my favor.” Charlotte smiled at her. “You know this is true, my dear Lizzy, since you have spoken with your sister recently.” She giggled.
“You mean Jane. Yes, well, he may likely admire her but if she’s to be betrothed to him, it’s to her own detriment. Have you met his sisters, especially the elder of them? I remain suspicious that they are of low character and intelligence.”
“Oh, they’re quite clever, Lizzy, you must admit.”
“Clever.” Elizabeth nodded. “That’s a word I would use for them, most certainly. And not in a pleasant way. I suspect they will not be good for my sister.”
Charlotte raised her eyebrows. “You don’t think they’ll hurt her?”
“Not physically. But I am suspicious of them. They’re not trustworthy. I’ve seen the way Miss Bingley looks at me and it’s not a pleasant look.”
Charlotte snickered softly. “You’re to be married to Mr. Darcy. I’m certain she had her eye on him for a time. She’s jealous.”
“Her jealousy makes her unattractive. It’s no wonder that Darcy didn’t dance with her when asked.”
“Don’t forget, Mr. Darcy came to visit Derbyshire with the Bingleys. He traveled with them. I’m certain he knows of their nature and that’s why he showed her so very little attention.”
Elizabeth snorted in an unladylike fashion, making Charlotte grin wide. “He showed attention only to Mr. Bingley. I didn’t see him giving his name for any dance cards the first few parties he attended where I was present. He certainly didn’t dance with me. In fact, he insulted me quite openly.”
“You were at them all.”
Elizabeth nodded. “My point is made.”
“Yet he does have a right to be prideful. He’s wealthy and comes from a good family.”
“That may be true. But his behavior didn’t give me a good first impression of him.”
Charlotte leaned over and picked up another small biscuit. She used a small knife to spread red jam on the surface. “He hurt you on your initial meeting, didn’t he? He hurt your pride.”
As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Elizabeth had to nod. “It’s true, he did mortify my pride. But it’s not only that he’s prideful, it’s that he treats those he deems less fortunate disdainfully. It continues to mortify me as I see him treating others with disregard. Now he’s to be my husband and his behavior reflects on me. He’s vain and it brings me embarrassment.”
“I do find it strange that your father would create this pain in your life. How could he insist that you marry a man you barely know and don’t like? It seems odd, bearing in mind how dear your father considers you to be. He’s always favored you over your sisters.”
“No, Charlotte.” Elizabeth shook her head. “You should not say such things.”
Charlotte shrugged her shoulders. “I speak the truth and I speak my mind. We share that trait, dear Lizzie. It’s not uncommon for us to disagree with each other, but you and I both know we will always be completely honest.”
Elizabeth sighed, nodding her head, sipping her tea slowly. “You do speak the truth, Charlotte. I thank you for that.”
“I’m your friend always. You will remember that?”
Elizabeth couldn’t help grinning. “Yes, dear. I will always remember that.”
Proving her good timing, Mrs. Bennet walked in with Mrs. Lucas at that moment. “Oh!” she exclaimed. “I was so hoping there would be hot tea and biscuits. You’re the perfect hostess, dear Miss Lucas.”
Charlotte smiled wide, standing up and offering her seat next to Elizabeth. “Please do sit, Mrs. Bennet. I trust you had a good walk in the garden with Mother?”
Mrs. Bennet moved her smile from Charlotte to Mrs. Lucas. “Ah, but it’s beginning to rain. I was so enjoying my time, examining your beautiful flowers. We saw many lovely flower beds as we walked from Longbourn, didn’t we, Lizzy?”
“Yes, Mother, we did.”
Mrs. Bennet declined to sit where Charlotte had been, gesturing that the girl should sit back down. She took a seat in a high-backed chair near the fireplace, so that she was facing her daughter and Charlotte. Mrs. Lucas sat in a chair a few feet away from Mrs. Bennet, after filling their tea cups with hot water and stirring in several sugar cubes. She offered milk to Mrs. Bennet, but the woman declined.
Mrs. Lucas handed the cup to Mrs. Bennet and took her seat, sipping the warm liquid. “Mrs. Lucas and I were just discussing Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley,” Mrs. Bennet said, her eyes on her daughter. “She’s curious to know how you’re doing with the former.”
“I am…” Elizabeth hesitated, not knowing what to say without sounding offensive or defensive. It was all the ladies spoke to her about. Since Mr. Darcy began courting her it was as though she herself had disappeared into the woodwork, no longer to be seen or heard from again. They weren’t interested in her opinions on anything other than the state of her courtship and how Mr. Darcy was faring since moving back to the area. She supposed she should be grateful that he had decided to move there temporarily until they were to be married. She would be living in Pemberley House when the ti
me came. She knew that he had only chosen to stay because it was close enough to Longbourn to walk to. “I’m managing with my father’s decision the only way I know how. Mr. Darcy is a formidable man, who’s often more amiable to the face than his nature affords. He is intelligent and witty, and many women are now quite jealous of me, though I would beg them not to be for I have gained no prize.”
“Lizzy!” Mrs. Bennet said in a harsh voice, shaking her head. “You shouldn’t speak so of your future husband.”
“Husband or not, he’s at times troublesome to deal with.”
“You’re not happy with the arrangement?” Mrs. Lucas peeked out at her over the brim of her tea cup. Elizabeth couldn’t tell whether she meant to sound amused or not.
“Happy or not,” Elizabeth tried not to sound impertinent, as it might offend her mother further. “It’s my life and I’ll do my best to be happy. Father was only doing what he thought was best for me.”
“That’s correct, Lizzy.” Mrs. Bennet nodded. “You’re blessed to be given the opportunity to be wed to a handsome, wealthy young man. Why, I was just telling Mrs. Lucas as we walked that I can only hope for the best for my other daughters. It appears Mr. Bingley may be interested in courting Jane.”
Elizabeth and Charlotte shared a look.
“Yes, we were discussing that, as well,” Charlotte said.
“Charlotte had been hoping for a dance with Mr. Bingley, but he chose Jane instead. She isn’t jealous over it, though.”
Charlotte shook her head. “Oh no. I can’t be jealous when we’re talking about Jane. She’s delightful and I couldn’t be happier for her. When a man comes for me, there will be no doubt of his affection. And I hope to return that affection in full. I don’t wish to be married to someone I can’t bear to have as a companion.” She turned immediately to Elizabeth and patted her hand. “Oh, I’m sorry, Lizzy, do forgive me. I shouldn’t have said that.”
Elizabeth couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t apologize, Charlotte. I’m sure that, in time, I’ll discover Mr. Darcy’s redeeming factors. In the meantime, I continue on as though I’m none the wiser.”
“Is it truly that bad, Lizzy?” Mrs. Bennet almost sounded regretful, and looked at her daughter with sympathetic eyes. “You do know that I don’t wish you unhappiness.”
“I know, Mother. You needn’t worry about me. I’m a strong woman, and all will be well in no time.”
Mrs. Bennet didn’t look convinced and, truth be told, Elizabeth had failed to convince even herself with the last part of her sentence.
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