Ardently Loved

by Lory Lilian

  “Mama, for heaven’s sake, please stop, and never speak of this again!” a dumbfounded Jane pleaded. “Dear Lord, I cannot believe you said that…”

  “Nonsense,” Mrs. Bennet repeated lightly. “Be sure you both prepare your luggage for tomorrow. You will stay at Netherfield two full days.”

  Any other opposition or reasoning was useless, and the girls abandoned any attempt. However, long after their mother left, her words continued to sound in their minds and keep them awake and restless as they realised that Mrs. Bennet might not be entirely wrong.

  Chapter 8

  Mr. Bingley brought the two eldest Miss Bennets from Longbourn in the afternoon along with their luggage. The decision to remain at Netherfield until the ball had been made by their parents and accepted with little disagreement. The rain had stopped during the night and morning but started again around noon and continued for hours. It was windy and cold, smelling of winter and cold. The soundest thing to do was to stay at Netherfield overnight—just as their mother suggested.

  Once they arrived, the master of the house—embarrassed that he had no better option—offered them the bedchamber they previously occupied last autumn, and they happily accepted. The room—large and comfortable enough for the two of them—was bright, warm, and filled with memories of the previous year.

  Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst welcomed them with forced joy. Their behaviour had slightly improved, but there was no genuine friendliness in them.

  Jane was treated—and still felt—like a guest in the house. Therefore, late in the afternoon when they went down to meet the others, Jane was concerned about the guests’ liking her, considering they were all Mr. Bingley’s relatives and friends. About that, Elizabeth was at peace. Any genteel man or woman would readily observe Jane’s worthiness. Those who did not should just be ignored.

  Their reception was filled with curiosity and interest. Introductions were made by Bingley with such an apparent admiration for his betrothed that it made Elizabeth smile.

  Misses Laura and Julia Kendal, as well as Miss Emma Godwin, were all beautiful and exceedingly elegant. Their manners were polite but similar to Bingley’s sisters. Each seemed preoccupied with showing her superiority over the others, and their opinions were loudly expressed, each trying to prove that only she was correct.

  However, all the ladies had something in common: an obvious interest in gaining Darcy’s favour despite his apparent struggle to remain calm and distant towards them.

  He claimed his favourite spot by the window, showing a peculiar interest in the view outside, intervening only when his opinion was specifically required, and answering only if the question was directed at him.

  The three gentlemen—Adam Godwin and David and Hugh Wilson—were handsome, spirited, amiable, and seemingly well educated. They approached the subjects of theatre, poetry, war, and politics with equal ease, and they treated Jane—as well as Elizabeth—with proper consideration and unconcealed admiration.

  “Bingley, this weather almost dissuaded our intention to come here, but I am glad we did. Ordinarily, it would not be worth it to travel such a distance through the rain for a simple ball, but it is surely worth doing so for an old friend and such exquisite company,” Hugh Wilson declared.

  “I agree,” his brother added. “Bingley, I envy you for your lovely property, which is nothing compared to your future wife. Miss Bennet, would you be kind enough to let us know how Bingley tricked such an admirable lady like you into marriage? We all have a lesson to learn from him.”

  Jane blushed with surprise and embarrassment and struggled to reply.

  “You are too kind, sir, but I assure you that Mr. Bingley did not trick me. I would say that honesty and candour are his best qualities, among many others.”

  David Wilson bowed to her and smiled. “I shall not argue with that, but he is also very fortunate. I confess I was somewhat intrigued when I heard the news of Bingley’s wedding. We surely did not expect it since he is the youngest of us all. Young men are often charmed by beautiful young ladies and fall in love quite often, but seldom are they induced into matrimony. Now we can easily see the reason behind his decision.”

  Colonel Fitzwilliam laughed. “Come now, Wilson; that is nonsense. Of course, men are seldom induced into matrimony compared to the situations in which they allow themselves to be charmed. Otherwise, each man would have quite a lot of wives during his lifetime.”

  The ladies blushed demurely while the gentlemen joined the colonel in amusement.

  Miss Bingley suddenly intervened. “Well, perhaps it is better for a man to be charmed than to be imprudent and marry unwisely based on little more than admiration.”

  It was her tone more than the words that distressed those who guessed her meaning and made Jane pale and sad.

  “I admit that I might have been charmed in the past, but when one feels the power of true love, one knows that he will not be charmed by anything else ever again,” Bingley declared, taking Jane’s hand.

  Elizabeth felt so much gratitude for her future brother-in-law at that moment that she would gladly embrace him. Instead, she looked warmly at the couple; then her eyes travelled towards Darcy. From near the window, his gaze resting upon her was equally warm and chilling.

  Dinner was announced, and the party slowly walked towards the dining room. To Elizabeth’s surprise, it was Mr. Adam Godwin who offered his arm first, and she took it. Her disappointment was not insignificant. She had hoped that someone else would be near her for the evening, but Darcy remained in the back, walking behind everyone else.

  Netherfield’s dining room was impressive in the elegant arrangements and scores of bright candles.

  The guests took their seats, but name cards were quickly ignored, first by Mr. Godwin himself, who sat next to Elizabeth, and then by Bingley, who invited Jane to sit at his right although her assigned place was at the middle of the table.

  “I chose the places carefully so everyone would feel at ease during the evening,” Miss Bingley declared reproachfully. “Otherwise, awkward situations might arise.”

  “I believe there is no need for such concern, Miss Bingley. We do appreciate your hospitality and careful arrangements though,” Mr. Godwin said.

  “But, brother, I believe Miss Bingley is right this time,” Miss Godwin intervened.

  “But if she is,” the colonel said with a smile, “I would not have the pleasure of sitting by your side, Miss Godwin, and I would not wish to lose that.”

  “Then by all means take a seat, Colonel.” The lady returned his smile.

  Darcy chose a place across the table and to the left of Elizabeth so they could see each other easily but not speak comfortably. He looked uneasy and disturbed by something and gave complete attention to his plate, only rarely glancing at her.

  That only added to her disappointment and made it more challenging to listen to her companion. However, Mr. Godwin proved to be an agreeable partner for conversation. During the first two courses, she even had the chance to disagree with his opinion about Daniel Defoe as a writer of novels and political tracts. Their argument extended to the authors Mrs. Maria Edgeworth and Mrs. Radcliffe, and Elizabeth was equally upset and amused by the gentleman’s conviction that men had better skills at writing “serious” novels.

  The other ladies participated little in the debate while each gentleman had rather strong opinions on the matter—except for Mr. Hurst, whose interest was drawn by his wine glass and dinner plate.

  Elizabeth constantly felt Darcy’s insistent glances and even met them occasionally. He seemed amused and pleased to see her in the midst of such animated conversation. He even intervened a couple of times, not by supporting her directly but by asking questions that allowed her to prove her point of view.

  She relished the little scheme they shared—a mutual and silent understanding unnoticed by the c
ompany. She also sensed that the other ladies became irritated at not being able to display more of their accomplishments.

  So it was no surprise when Miss Bingley suddenly declared, “We are so happy to have you all in our home. It is the first time we have enjoyed such an elegant party at Netherfield in the year since my brother first leased it. We hope you will enjoy your time here; we are always proud to host parties that make our friends happy.”

  “I am sure we shall, Miss Bingley,” Miss Laura Kendal replied. “I do not remember being invited too often to your parties, but one time is as good as another.”

  “I believe it was Mr. Bingley who invited us, was it not?” her sister retorted. “I am sure he was the one who decided to host this ball in honour of the future mistress of this house. By the way, Miss Bingley, have you decided where you will stay after your brother’s wedding?”

  The question fell harshly upon Miss Bingley, who needed some time to respond as she glared at those around her.

  “Let us not discuss living arrangements during dinner, Miss Kendal,” she finally replied. “But I thank you for your concern, which I am sure is genuine.”

  “I also do not remember when I last attended a party hosted by Miss Bingley, but perhaps she has not considered us among her close friends until now,” Miss Godwin added with the pretence of jesting.

  “I am sure I invited all of you as often you invited us,” Miss Bingley replied with an insincere smile and forced politeness.

  The conversation continued in a harsh manner, much to Jane’s obvious distress and Elizabeth’s amusement. Surprisingly, unlike his fellows who appeared to enjoy the exchange, the colonel intervened coldly.

  “On several occasions recently, I have witnessed young ladies of education and means speak rather rudely to each other. Is this now the fashion? Have you been told that such malice is appealing?”

  His scolding startled all the ladies, and looks of intrigue and disapproval turned towards him.

  “I am not sure I understand your meaning, Colonel,” Miss Godwin finally answered.

  “I am sure you do, Miss Godwin, as we were just offered a good example of it. The instant a lady speaks pleasantly or a gentleman praises her or expresses a positive opinion, at least one of the other ladies will slight her, even attack her. Does a woman think that defaming another woman will gain the fancy of a man? Do any of you believe that, by offending or condemning that woman, you will persuade the gentleman who admires her to abandon her and turn his admiration towards her critic?”

  “Oh come now, Colonel. Men do the same,” Miss Laura Kendal replied.

  “Not at all, I assure you. A man of the world knows too well that he will never win a woman’s heart by attacking a man she favours. A young lady rarely changes her opinion so quickly and so thoroughly. Besides, a group of men arguing is different. We all know men are hasty, unwise, and even aggressive at times and do stupid things. But beautiful, delicate ladies behaving in such a manner is somewhat disturbing.

  “Colonel, you are too harsh with us,” Miss Godwin continued. “That is quite ungenerous of you.”

  “If I was ungenerous and unfair in my comments, my observations must be superficial. We shall see tonight and tomorrow whether I am proven wrong.”

  “Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr. Darcy both tend to judge harshly any lady who is not from Hertfordshire. Lately, they seem to be partial to local manners,” Miss Bingley commented sarcastically, “as I know that Mr. Darcy had a different opinion last year.”

  Darcy rolled his eyes and sipped some wine. “And here is proof that the colonel was right.”

  “One cannot but admire local manners as they are exhibited by Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth,” Mr. Hugh Wilson declared. “It is not about partiality but fairness.”

  “My point exactly,” Darcy said. “And I shall admit that Miss Bingley’s statement is correct: I have changed my opinion on many things since I first came to Hertfordshire.”

  Jane blushed, Elizabeth smiled, and the other ladies’ countenances displayed disapproval, confirming once again that the colonel’s observation was accurate.

  “Indeed—Mr. Darcy’s first acquaintance with the people of Meryton was at a ball. He was rather displeased with the entire evening and danced very little, if at all,” Miss Bingley continued.

  “Darcy rarely dances anywhere,” Bingley intervened.

  “Well, if you have changed your opinion on other things, might it be possible for us to observe a difference in this area too? We do hope to see you dance more, Mr. Darcy,” Miss Godwin said.

  “I shall do my best, madam,” he replied seriously.

  “Well, the rest of us are happy to compensate for Darcy’s lack of inclination to dance,” Mr. Hugh Wilson said.

  “And speaking of dancing—Miss Elizabeth, would you give me the honour of the first set?” Mr. Godwin inquired.

  Elizabeth startled, and for a moment, she felt uneasy as all eyes turned towards her with surprise.

  “I would be happy to dance with you, sir, but the first two sets are already promised,” she answered in a light tone.

  “Already promised? One evening before the ball, and I am already late? May I ask whom I should envy for his punctuality?” Mr. Godwin continued.

  “I asked Miss Elizabeth for the first set, and the colonel for the second,” Darcy intervened with more seriousness than the situation required. Elizabeth easily noticed his irritation.

  “Oh, I see. Well, good for you. Then I hope to benefit from the third,” Mr. Godwin replied, and he was met with Elizabeth’s smile of approval.

  “You will open the ball with Miss Elizabeth?” asked Miss Godwin. “Being the gentleman with the highest rank, should you not have chosen a lady of the highest consequence? I only ask out of curiosity as I find your choice a bit peculiar.” Miss Bingley slowly turned pale then red-faced.

  Darcy’s eyebrows knit in displeasure, and his voice turned colder. “I find your curiosity a bit peculiar, Miss Godwin. I hope I have the liberty to decide which sets I shall dance and with whom.”

  “Of course, sir. Indeed, I never imagined my question might upset you.”

  “It did not, I assure you. But I find this entire discussion rather improper. Perhaps we should speak of books or the theatre instead.”

  Elizabeth was both surprised and embarrassed. Darcy’s responses bordered on rudeness, and she struggled to guess the reason for his petulance. Could he possibly regret that he asked her and now had to explain his gesture? People would inquire; she had known that from the moment he offered the invitation, and she wondered whether he was willing to provide an explanation.

  Conversation moved to the weather for a time, and then questions were addressed to Jane about her family and sisters.

  Suddenly, Miss Julia Kendal asked, “I understand one of your uncles is in trade?”

  “Yes. He and my aunt are at Longbourn and will attend the ball tomorrow,” Jane said.

  “How nice. Being in trade is honourable enough these days. Many people make a living this way.”

  “May I ask what you mean by ‘honourable enough,’ Miss Kendal?” Darcy intervened again. “Mr. Gardiner is very successful in his business and a gentleman whose company I enjoy. I am happy to claim a recent friendship with him.”

  She had no time to reply as Darcy continued. “Mr. Gardiner’s success makes him even more worthy of admiration since he was not born with a fortune and an easy situation in life but built it himself—as did Bingley’s father or your grandfather, if I remember correctly. Both of them honourable gentlemen, worthy of appreciation.”

  The Miss Kendals blushed in embarrassment and remained silent; Caroline and Louisa Hurst were pale and obviously distressed.

  Mr. Hugh Wilson intervened readily. “And like our father. We could not be prouder of him. No son had a
father to admire and respect more.”

  “Indeed, Mr. Wilson is also a man whose friendship would be of great value to anyone,” Darcy concluded.

  “You are correct, of course.” Laura hurried to take her sister’s side. “We were just curious as we did not know much of Miss Bennet. We understand her father owns an estate close to Netherfield.”

  “Yes—Longbourn. It is only three miles away,” Jane explained, trying to overcome her distress.

  “A very convenient distance. It must be pleasant to know you will live so close to your family,” Laura continued, happy to change the conversation.

  “Very close indeed,” Caroline Bingley interjected. “Miss Eliza has walked the distance several times.”

  “Walked?” The other ladies showed their disbelief.

  Elizabeth smiled but refrained from answering.

  Miss Bingley continued. “Yes; she is not a good rider but an excellent walker. I imagine she will walk quite often from Longbourn to Netherfield in the future. As for the rest of the family, they will be only a few minutes away by carriage.”

  Elizabeth breathed deeply, took a sip of water, and then responded, never allowing the smile to leave her face. “I do enjoy walking—I always have—and if I happen to be in pleasant company, even more so. I sincerely hope never to disturb my sister more than necessary. In my opinion, a couple that marries for love should be allowed to enjoy their privacy. No family—hers or his—should intrude excessively.”

  Miss Bingley did not miss the allusion, and Mrs. Hurst answered coldly, “That might be necessary for those who live in small houses, but a proper house can easily accommodate several persons and still provide privacy for all.”