In a More Amiable Light

by Marley Fulton

  So Fitzwilliam Darcy committed himself to pursuing Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

  Chapter 7

  Georgiana Darcy had never had many friends. She was shy by nature and, after her parents passed away, she grew up mostly with people older than she was. There were several ladies who attempted to befriend her – Caroline Bingley and Louisa Hurst were among them – but she always knew they were trying to use her to their benefit, mostly to gain her brother’s attention.

  Things were completely different with Jane and Elizabeth Bennet – and she could feel their genuine friendliness.

  After the successful evening, she wanted to see Elizabeth and Jane again and so she decided to extend an invitation to the theatre to them and the Gardiners. To her surprise, both Darcy and Bingley encouraged her and declared they were delighted to join the party. And so, she sat down and wrote them an elegant invitation which she promptly sent out.

  Mr. Darcy was excited indeed at the prospect of being near Elizabeth at an event that he knew she found enjoyable. The dinner at the Gardiners had gone splendidly, allowing him to feel that perhaps, despite their differences, Elizabeth might begin to return his affections. He felt as though all previous miscommunications had been cleared up, and he hoped that a night at the theatre would bring him that much closer to Elizabeth. He made his best effort to keep his mind on his business, but he often found his thoughts straying to Elizabeth. He knew that she was to return home soon, and the thought of her being far from him disturbed him. He hoped that he would be able to spend a significant amount of time with her before she left, just as he hoped that a happy resolution between Bingley and Jane Bennet would provide him more opportunities to reach a happy resolution for him too.

  Elizabeth and Jane were delighted to receive the invitation to the theatre. Since arriving in London, they had attended many events and seen many sights, but they had not, as of yet, been to the theatre. They were equally pleased with the company that would be in attendance and pleased to see Miss Darcy’s continuing interest in furthering their acquaintance. They too liked and admired the young lady very much and were astonished to see someone of her consequence being so unpretentious and so kind. As Mrs. Gardiner pointed out, Georgiana’s character was surely the result of her nature, but also of a proper education provided by her brother, her only support since the death of their parents.

  A night at the theatre sounded very exciting especially to Elizabeth and Jane, as they both loved the energy and beauty of the vivid performances. Jane was also eager to meet Mr. Bingley again, as all her thoughts of late were situated around him. Since Mr. Bingley had turned his attentions towards her in no uncertain terms, Jane had been a pleasure to be in company with.

  Elizabeth, too, had been in much higher spirits since the dinner, although not as high in spirits as Jane. During the dinner she had hosted, Mrs. Gardiner had watched both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy engage in, what seemed to her, a pleasant conversation, and although she had gone to great lengths to separate them with her pre-arranged seating plan, she now felt as though all had worked out for the best. Of course Mrs. Gardiner suspected that there was more than friendship blossoming between the two, but she did not take this matter up with Elizabeth. She felt strongly that Mr. Darcy had affections towards Elizabeth, but was unsure of whether or not Elizabeth returned his affection, and she did not want to discuss the delicate situation lest she be wrong in her suspicions.

  Elizabeth found her mind turning to Mr. Darcy quite often in the days that followed the dinner, and when her thoughts did turn to him, she found herself smiling in spite of herself. She would not admit that she had developed an inclination for him in the true sense of the word; however, the anger and hostility that she had felt towards him since arriving in London seemed to dissipate. At the very least, Elizabeth believed that she and Mr. Darcy could form a cordial friendship, which suited Elizabeth just fine, especially since Jane and Mr. Bingley were becoming closer by the minute. And although the Bennet sisters were due to return home in a matter of a few weeks, Elizabeth had the foresight to know that, if things continued to go well between Jane and Mr. Bingley, it was entirely likely that she would see both Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy again in the future.

  The night for the theatre engagement arrived, and both Elizabeth and Jane did their utmost to look their best.

  Sadly, the Gardiners’ youngest child fell ill with a cold the day before, therefore both Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner were forced to regretfully stay home and sent their apologizes to Miss Darcy.

  Showing even more consideration and care, Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy and Miss Darcy all came early to bring the Bennet sisters to the theatre.

  When Jane and Elizabeth heard the carriage, they both felt a flutter in their chests. Jane's elation was for Mr. Bingley, of course. But Elizabeth was perplexed as to why she should suddenly feel this way. She dismissed these feelings as mere excitement for the theatre, as she had not been to a play in a very long while. It was not until she entered the carriage, that she realized the cause of her unanticipated thrill.

  Mr. Darcy was seated inside the carriage, looking quite dapper in his finer clothing. As Elizabeth stepped inside, his eyes met Elizabeth's, and immediately her heart fluttered again. Once she was seated, she allowed herself another glance at Mr. Darcy. She recognized he looked quite handsome, in a way she had not fully noticed before. Mr. Darcy smiled at her and nodded and she again noticed the dimples in his cheeks.

  During the carriage ride, Elizabeth was seated across from Mr. Darcy, who could not help but steal glances at her. She looked beautiful, with a pale peach dress and her hair pinned up elegantly, which Darcy appreciated suited her very well. Elizabeth was aware that Mr. Darcy was glancing at her perhaps a few too many times, but she pretended not to notice. Several times she caught his glance and each time she blushed, but in the darkness of the carriage nobody else noticed.

  Inside the theatre, they were met with a large crowd, many people being acquainted with the Darcys. Bingley offered his arms to both Jane and Elizabeth, and Darcy walked with his sister. Elizabeth and Jane were taken aback and slightly intimated by sitting in a private box – Darcy’s private box - for the first time.

  Jane exclaimed: "I am always happy to be here. The theater has always fascinated me.”

  "It is quite magical, is it not?" Georgiana asked, pleased that both Elizabeth and Jane were delighted.

  "How wonderful," Jane exclaimed. "We must have the very best view in the entire room!"

  Mr. Bingley seated himself at the end of the box, and Jane promptly sat down beside him. Georgiana took her seat next to Jane and then motioned for Elizabeth to join her. Mr. Darcy sat down beside Elizabeth, secretly thankful the seating arrangement had allowed him a seat beside Elizabeth. The velvet curtain to the stage was closed, and Georgiana said:

  "This is my favorite part of the theatre!'

  "The closed curtain?" Mr. Darcy asked, bemused by his sister. Of course he knew that the anticipation was her favorite part.

  "I like to imagine what it is like right behind that curtain! I like to envision all the actors and stage hands running around, perhaps nervous, perhaps attending to any last minute costume crisis or prop mishap. It must be ever so exciting to be behind that curtain," Georgiana replied, her eyes wide and sparkling as she looked down onto the stage.

  "I suppose so," Elizabeth said thoughtfully. "Although perhaps the excitement would wear off if it were something that you did every night. It is but a matter of employment for the actors."

  "The most extraordinary of employments," Georgiana declared. "To be on stage in front of all these people every night! To hear the thunderous applause!"

  "We must take watch of her," Mr. Darcy said, leaning in towards Elizabeth. "If we are not careful she may just run away and join the theatre!"

  Mr. Darcy was so close, Elizabeth could almost feel his breath on her neck. She knew that he meant to be humorous in his comment, and that he had lent in so close in order to keep the nature of hi
s comment from Georgiana. However, Elizabeth's breath had caught in her throat as he was so close to her.

  Elizabeth was tormented by her own reactions. Why did she suddenly have so much awareness of Mr. Darcy and his proximity to her? Surely friends whisper in this way all the time to one another. But something about this did not feel like friendship.

  Mr. Darcy looked more at ease than usual and Elizabeth smiled at his comment about his sister. She could see they were closely watched by many in attendance, very likely wondering who were the two unknown women seated in Darcy‘s box.

  The play began with a flourish as the curtains opened. The play was a comedy, a happy and humorous tale of two lovers and the numerous mishaps keeping them apart. Elizabeth found herself lost in the story. She was smiling the whole way through it and talked to both Georgiana and Darcy several times. During a particularly happy moment in the play, when it was revealed that one of the lovers was going to propose, Elizabeth, in a moment of pure joy, gasped and moved in her chair, her arm touching Darcy’s.

  She blushed, their eyes met for a moment, and then she turned back to the stage. Elizabeth lost the plot of the play for a moment, and looked at Darcy again. His gaze remained steadfast and focused on the stage, with only the smallest of smiles.

  Mr. Darcy was delighted with the small interaction he and Elizabeth shared. He knew that it was an unintentional reaction to the scene in the play,; however, the fact that her arm touched his, gave him great pleasure. He drew in a deep breath as Elizabeth glanced at him and caught her eyes for a moment.

  Completely unbeknownst to both Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, Georgiana had witnessed all of their little exchanges from the corner of her eye. She was completely dumbfounded, and wondered how she could have been so blind as to not have seen the obvious courtship that was taking place right in front of her. Her focus on the play strayed, as she began to remember all the situations where both Elizabeth and her brother had been present. But she only remembered animosity and anger between them, and the awful tension that they had caused for all around them. At what point that had shifted into this, Georgiana was unsure but she approved it nevertheless. The thought of having her new friend Elizabeth as a part of her family brought her such joy that she could barely contain herself. She spent the rest of the play imagining a wedding, continually glancing towards them for further clues as to their affections towards each other.

  Mr. Darcy also lost his focus on the play, as his thoughts were on Elizabeth entirely, excited and painfully aware of her nearness, of her every move, every gesture, every breath. He could not do much, nor speak to her too often, as he knew many pairs of eyes were on them. He tried to follow the actors on the stage, but every time Elizabeth shifted in her seat, or made any type of movement of any sort, his attention was again distracted.

  Mr. Bingley and Jane had not really been engaged in the play from the start, as they were far more interested in each other. Jane whispered to Mr. Bingley throughout the play that he ought to remove his gaze from her and direct his eyes towards the stage. However, Mr. Bingley would not oblige, and quite frankly, Jane would rather look at Mr. Bingley than the stage anyway.

  When the play ended, they all applauded but had few recollections about the performance. They left the box long after the spectacle finished and most of the people in attendance were already leaving.

  The small party left the theater with more feelings, better understandings and more hopes than they arrived, thankful for a night of further revelation about their own and other’s feelings.

  Inside the carriage, the proper thing to do was to discuss the play and so Georgiana did, before an awkward silence would envelop them:

  "What did you think of the play?"

  They all mumbled that it was most lovely indeed.

  "And what did you make of the ending?" Georgiana pointedly asked, knowing full well that neither couple had followed the play through.

  "It was a most splendid ending," Elizabeth said, with uncertainty in her voice.

  "Indeed, most splendid," Mr. Darcy said, staring hard at Elizabeth.

  "I quite enjoyed the ending," Jane chimed in.

  "As did I," Mr. Bingley agreed, nodding.

  "Right then," Georgiana said, laughing to herself. She could not have asked for a better night if she had tried. And she was more delighted than ever that her companions had been completely oblivious to the entire performance.

  Chapter 8

  After the night at the theatre, Georgiana and the Bennet sisters saw each other often. They went out for tea in London, and took to the shops or walking in Hyde Park.

  Whenever they were out together, it was often Elizabeth who led the conversation, but Jane and Georgiana enjoyed their growing friendship too. On a few walks, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley kept them company. Elizabeth said little to Mr. Darcy during these little trips around town. She often felt him glancing at her, and at times they engaged in conversation, but there was no particular interaction between them.

  To Darcy, those days were precious; he felt enlivened in Elizabeth’s company and grateful for his sister’s enjoyment.

  Elizabeth would be lying to herself if she did not admit that she was beginning to like Mr. Darcy's glances. And, although she was trying to keep her distance from him, she very much looked forward to seeing him, and to having him glance at her throughout whatever activity they were participating in.

  The days went fast but they were filled with laughter and friendship. London was so different than home, always alive and bustling, and the girls grew to quite enjoy it and regretted having to leave it soon. Jane did fret from time to time at the thought of leaving London, although it was not London she dreaded to leave, but rather Mr. Bingley.

  Unbeknownst to Jane, Mr. Bingley had decided that the time had come to move their courtship forward. He turned to Mr. Darcy for advice, and discussed at great length his intentions to propose to Jane. He claimed that he had no idea of how to do so, and he was so utterly distraught by the concept of proposing, that it took Mr. Darcy a great effort to help calm his friend's nerves. Mr. Bingley wanted the moment to be absolutely perfect, as he felt that Jane deserved nothing less than perfection. He was also a little hesitant as he feared, deep down, as men in these situations often do, that she might decline. Mr. Darcy assured him that the notion of Jane declining was both preposterous and ludicrous.

  "Why would she refuse you?" Mr. Darcy asked. He did not understand from whence his friend's concerns stemmed, as it was so glaringly obvious to him and everyone else, that Jane was completely smitten with him. Mr. Darcy did not see why it should be so difficult. He felt his friend was over-complicating the matter, and although he tried to be patient, he was growing a little weary of the topic. All Mr. Bingley had to do, in Mr. Darcy's opinion, was ask a simple question - a question that had a fairly guaranteed answer.

  "One day you will feel this way about a woman, my friend," Mr. Bingley told Mr. Darcy. "And then you will understand both my uncertainty and utter terror at the mere thought of proposing."

  "I highly doubt that," Mr. Darcy answered. They had just come from their gentleman's club where the better part of the afternoon had been spent on finding the right words for Mr. Bingley's up-coming proposal. Mr. Bingley had adamantly declared that every single word must convey his deep felt emotions. Mr. Darcy had placated his friend, and together, they had written an eloquent speech that surely bared the true nature of both Mr. Bingley's heart and soul.

  "And what do you doubt?" Mr. Bingley asked Mr. Darcy. "That you will ever feel that way about a woman, or that you will feel uncertain about proposing?"

  Mr. Darcy did not reply, and in his silence was the answer. Mr. Bingley had seen the way his friend glanced at Elizabeth, and he knew that, deep down, Mr. Darcy had developed affections for Elizabeth. He did not know how deep those affections ran, or whether Elizabeth returned them, but he sincerely hoped that his friend's affections Were reciprocated. Mr. Bingley had found such happiness in his courtship wit
h Jane that he wanted the same happiness for his friend.

  "You will come with me to call tomorrow?" Mr. Bingley asked.

  "I will not come with you to call tomorrow," Mr. Darcy declared, rolling his eyes at his friend. "You will call upon Jane yourself!"

  "I cannot," Mr. Bingley said, horrified at the thought of going alone to the Gardiners. "You must come with me."

  Mr. Darcy faced his friend and shook his head. "You are a grown man, my friend. You are perfectly capable of calling upon Jane by yourself."

  Mr. Bingley shook his head. "Not for this. What if I reconsider and do not reach my destination. What if I-"

  Mr. Darcy raised his hand. "Very well. I will accompany you. But I will not stay the whole while." Mr. Darcy agreed to accompany his friend at his repeated plea, but with the undeclared hope that he might steal a little time with Elizabeth.

  "Well, of course not," Mr. Bingley replied. "I cannot have you there during the proposal. That would just be silly."

  Mr. Darcy shook his head and they both laughed, although Mr. Bingley's laugh had the undertone of a nervous man who about to ask the most important question of his life.

  At Gracechurch Street, Jane could no longer contain her happiness. It seemed as though there was nothing wrong in the world and she was surrounded only by pure joy. She understood now all the books of a romantic nature, as she could feel the pull of love in everything she did. Even the drab and dreary London weather was no match for Jane's love-stricken eyes - the rain brought a freshness to the air she decided. And the early morning fog curled in such a beautiful way that Jane was happy to see it from the window.