by John Edwards
After they reached the house Mr. Darcy said his goodbyes to the others and then to Elizabeth. Soon he was on his way and the others came into the house. Mr. Gardiner saw Mr. Bennet and the two went into the study where they spoke for nearly an hour. Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner and Mrs. Bennet were in the same room but Mrs. Bennet was silent, and since she had settled in her mind to say nothing, she soon left the room to go outside.
“Now Lizzy, what do you make of all this friendliness from Mr. Darcy? For myself, I am very surprised. Do you not suspect some partiality on his part?”
“That may be, I do not know. What I do know is when I was sick and the doctor came into my room, Mr. Darcy was awaken from a small bed that the housekeeper had made for him in a far corner of my room, but he had privacy curtains around his bed. When I realized that he was in my room, I told the doctor that I hated Mr. Darcy and that either he or I would have to leave.”
“Lizzy, I thought you said Mr. Darcy was helping people all night, yet he was in your room that morning?”
“Technically I was in his room, or at least it was his until he left for London before all became sick. And he did work all night until near eight the next morning when a bed was made for him in the corner. Later I did speak with the housekeeper and she told me Mr. Darcy did not recognize he was in my room for he was nearly sleepwalking as he was so exhausted.”
“And how does this all affect you, Lizzy?”
“I am not the same, aunt. At first it was he who was so hard on me and was so prideful and above his company, but now I have witnessed such a change in him to mystify me. On the other hand, it is I who have taken his place and have said such things as I could scarcely imagine against a man I now know to be good and decent. What am I to do?”
“What do you want to do?”
Mrs. Gardiner waited for a reply from Elizabeth, but none was offered. “Very well, he came by today Lizzy, and that was well after you said that you hated him. He is a smart man, and I can guarantee you that he understands why you said that, and he certainly knows you do not hate him. And you said those things under much duress and before you had learnt the circumstances of his lodgings, and before you fully understood how the man worked all night looking after the household, and before your subsequent meetings and walks with him and the knowledge recently gained that he is a very good sought of man. No, Lizzy, you will have to ask your heart for guidance in your situation.”
“But aunt, why do I have such feelings? I know I do not hate him, but he scares me, and I have other feelings I have not felt before and I do not sleep well and I walk hoping all the time that I shall see him. Oh, I am as bad as my mother!”
“But Lizzy, I should counsel you to not tell anyone else of your present feelings.”
“So aunt, are we to visit Pemberly? I know that I should like that very much. I very much want to meet Miss Darcy and judge her for myself.”
“I would like that too, Lizzy, but let us see what Mr. Gardiner thinks and then we have only to fix the date.”
At the same time as Elizabeth and her aunt were talking, Mr. Gardiner and Mr. Bennet were doing the same. Mr. Bennet had suspected that there was an attraction between his daughter and Mr. Darcy, in spite of the utterances that he was so hateful and full of pride. But Mr. Darcy had recovered from his poor initial performance in Meryton, and now was recognized as the best of gentlemen. That Mr. Darcy had an eye for his favorite daughter concerned Mr. Bennet, but his wish was that she be happy, and if he were to lose her, better it be to a good man, and he thought Mr. Darcy might just be that sought of man. Not being one to hold another in suspense, Mr. Bennet got straight to it. “Are they in love? What say you brother?”
“If I only could say yes or no, then I would say yes. But you know your daughter better than I do. Has she ever been in love?”
“No, she has not. And what about Mr. Darcy? Does he love my Lizzy?”
“I would say yes to that as well.”
“But does he know that he should expect problems with some of his class of friends and even more so his family? They would be shocked if he married down.”
“Brother,” Mr. Gardiner responded, trying to suppress a chuckle, “Mr. Darcy said many of his relations and his friends are not worth his considerations. He told me that if Elizabeth and him were ever married, he would consider her as marrying down, while he would consider himself marrying up.”
“My,” Mr. Bennet smiled as he thought on what his brother had just told him, and then he wiped a small tear that welled into the corner of his eye. “Then I should suppose that one day he may appear to ask my permission for him to call on Elizabeth?”
“Yes, but when he comes to you, I invite you to speak to him on current events and any other subjects. Just walking with him earlier, I find he is very wise and converses as well as any man I have known.”
“Well then, this is all good to know. Perhaps when he does come to see me, I may ask Lydia to join us in some conversations.” Soon both men laughed. “But brother,” Mr. Gardiner said, “did I tell you he has invited Mrs. Gardiner and Elizabeth and I to visit Pemberly? What think you of that?”
“Let us see what Elizabeth thinks. You know that even if she were set against Mr. Darcy, she would still desire to see the house, for Mrs. Gardiner’s benefit if not her own.”
“Yes, but Mr. Darcy has a younger sister who Elizabeth may wish to meet.”
“Then let us watch this show, because I have two daughters in great danger of being in love. Pray hope they will not be hurt and that their hearts will remain unbroken.”
Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner soon left for London, while Mr. Darcy returned to Netherfield and found Mr. Bingley and his sisters working on the list of those to be invited to the Netherfield Ball, just a week away. “Darcy, I am near complete with the list. I should ask that you review it and tell me your thoughts and if you see any changes that you want to make.”
“There is one change I would like to make. I would wish to invite my friends John and Elizabeth Winstead. They are in London now and I should hope they can come.” After further perusal, he declared the invitee list to be correct and he said as much.
“And Darcy, your friends shall stay here at Netherfield.”
“Thank you Bingley.”
Caroline Bingley then asked Mr. Darcy if he thought he could get through another evening with the Bennets and he replied. “The Bennets are a good family. I suppose it is difficult to raise five daughters and at their present age, which must be tiring. Still they do their best. I certainly can find no fault in the two older girls. Jane and Elizabeth are two of the best women of my acquaintance. Yes, I think the Bennets are a fine family.”
While Charles smiled, his sisters looked at each other in amazement. “This is not the opinion you last shared with Louisa and me, Mr. Darcy. Pray tell us why such a change?”
“I have got to know them better, Caroline. I am certain of Jane’s sincerity with your brother, and Elizabeth is a loving sister who is playful and spirited but mainly she has a good heart.”
“And does she have your heart, sir? You have already said she had fine eyes. Should you not be meeting with your future mother-in-law to be completing your own plans? I am sure she would succeed in inviting at least one or two guests that would be acceptable to your friends and your family.”
“You carry on so, Caroline. Is this what most women do, where they see a man and a woman talking, then they spy a smile and immediately they are measuring the woman for her bridal dress? As for Mrs. Bennet, I do find her with beauty, and I believe she also has a good heart.”
Mr. Darcy’s responses put the ladies in a quiet mood and he used the time to write to the Winsteads and to Georgiana.
Some days later, Caroline was the first to notice a letter of reply from Elizabeth Winstead and immediately assumed it was from Miss Bennet. She was discomposed that Elizabeth would send a letter to Mr. Darcy and he was likewise, because she told him it was Miss Bennet’s letter, but when he opened i
t he smiled broadly and exclaimed, “I just love that woman.” Caroline immediately left the room, now in full distress to hear from Mr. Darcy’s own words that he loved Elizabeth. After calming herself, she returned, and looking at him with dismay, she exclaimed. “Now I guess it is settled, I suppose you plan to announce your engagement at Netherfield?”
“What?”
“Why sir, I mean your engagement to Elizabeth Bennet.”
“And how did you arrive at this conclusion, Miss Bingley?”
“You received the letter from Elizabeth and shortly into it you said you loved her.”
“Caroline, the letter was from Elizabeth, Mrs. Elizabeth Winstead, an older family friend. Both her and her husband will attend the ball. You and Louisa will like them, I am sure.” Caroline told him she looked forward to seeing his friends, then she soon became quiet again and Mr. Darcy was pleased.
The day before the ball Elizabeth and John Winstead arrived. Both Caroline and Louisa liked them immediately and thought Mrs. Winstead quite friendly and very attractive, as they did Mr. Winstead, who they found equally agreeable. They assumed Mrs. Winstead to be in her mid-thirties and her husband near forty, but they made a very handsome and engaging couple. Mr. Darcy paid his friends much attention, and while John Winstead and Mr. Bingley went for a tour of Netherfield, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy went outside for a brief walk, for though they were dressed warmly, the days of warm weather were over. But there was no chill in the conversation.
“Elizabeth, I am so glad you and John have come and that all is fine with your family and I ask you to pass on to them by best wishes. Now I suppose you would like to hear of my current situation?”
“Yes, I would, for I must say I can hardly wait to meet this young lady that has caught your attention. So tell me all of what has transpired since you left.”
Mr. Darcy looked around before speaking and seeing no one else was nearby he told her of his stopping in Meryton to help that man with his cart and then he told about the sickness at Netherfield and all he did, including bringing his own doctor and two maids and his cook in from London to help at Netherfield. Soon he saw Elizabeth smile and follow up with expressions of the strongest approval. He did not tell her about Mr. Wickham, for only he and Miss Bennet and his cousin knew of this, but he did tell of meeting Elizabeth’s aunt and uncle and walking with them and of his other walks with Miss Bennet.
“Then I must wait to watch how you both perform. I sincerely trust this ball will be more agreeable than the dance at the assembly. Now that you have apologized and have demonstrated yourself to be a man of good character, what do you see for yourself and the lady in the future?”
“I will take each day at a time and see how this all works out. The next step is at Netherfield. There still is so much we do not know of each other. I have never danced with her, and then you may recall that she told the doctor that she did not like me.”
“It will all work out William, but for now let us go inside and sit by the fire.”
At Longbourn, on the day of the ball, there was as much confusion as ever. Mrs. Bennet had congratulated herself when she received Mr. Bingley’s invitation in person for the ball and was in full appreciation of that honor which she attributed to her eldest daughter, to whom she credited as the sole reason and purpose for the ball. The other sisters were busy readying themselves for the event and even Mary looked forward to the evening. Jane and Elizabeth spoke of their desires for the evening, but Elizabeth was already in distress that Mr. Collins had claimed the first two dances, for she did not care for Mr. Collins and was quite angry that her mother had placed so much weight on Elizabeth showing such favor on her cousin. She knew she would be humiliated in any dance, and she also figured he had other plans with her beyond the dance, and so she knew no good would come by all this. This ball was her evening to enjoy herself, yet it was doomed to begin on such a sour note. No, Elizabeth would try to be cordial with her cousin, but she had not known him five minutes but she thought him most stupid, and had he been a very slight sought of man and possessed of such a manner, she would consider him a cretin. But Elizabeth was determined to enjoy her friends, but mainly she was interested in seeing Mr. Darcy.
That evening at Netherfield saw the Bennets arrive in two coaches. It was a cool and clear evening and all were excited as coaches and carriages awaited their turn to deliver the parties. Elizabeth and Jane held hands as they walked up the steps and into the house. Already the musicians were playing and a receiving line was set up with Mr. Bingley and his sisters and Mr. Hurst and Mr. Darcy. After greetings with the host and his party, Elizabeth looked and saw several officers but did not see Mr. Wickham. Lydia and Kitty then saw some other officers and were thus entertained, whereas Mary found a safe sought of place from which she could observe and reflect on the evening.
Mrs. Bennet was beside herself with the knowledge that Mr. Bingley favored her eldest daughter and that Elizabeth might soon receive an offer from Mr. Collins, but her other girls were young and so she felt they too had prospects with the officers, and when their eldest sisters were married, more doors would be open for them to meet other gentlemen. Soon she and Mr. Bennet were greeted by Mr. Darcy. “Good evening Mrs. Bennet, Mr. Bennet. I wanted to tell you how pleased I was to meet Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner. They are the best of people.”
“Thank you Mr. Darcy,” said Mr. Bennet. “We also wanted to use this time to thank you for all you did for Elizabeth and Jane and the others when they were sick. You are quite the hero now.”
“It was nothing sir, some things have to be done.”
“Yes,” Mr. Bennet said, as he turned to watch the next dance. Elizabeth and Mr. Collins began their dance and Mr. Collins immediately started bumping into others, turning the wrong way and generally making a fool out of himself and his partner. Mr. Darcy noticed Mr. Bennet turn away from that scene and he noticed him wink, then say, “Yes Mr. Darcy, some things, even dull things, sometimes must be done.” Mr. Darcy gave a nod as if to acknowledge he understood. Elizabeth looked over to see people staring at her, then she saw her parents standing by Mr. Darcy. Mrs. Bennet looked on in pity for her daughter but said nothing. She was at fault for pushing for an alliance between Elizabeth and Mr. Collins, but she still felt in her heart that a match with Mr. Collins would be best in the long run. Elizabeth was mortified to be put on display by such a stupid man, and as the dance ended, she walked away, telling Mr. Collins that she wanted to greet others.
Soon she went over to Jane and Mr. Bingley who were standing near Mr. Darcy.
“Lizzy,” Jane said. “I give you leave never to dance with that man again. He was awful.”
“No, Miss Bennet, Darcy said. If he comes to ask for another dance I should stomp his toes.”
Elizabeth laughed at this and looked at Mr. Darcy and was playful again.
“You would do that for me, Mr. Darcy? And you are an excellent dancer sir. Should I propose that you help Mr. Collins?”
“You may propose that Miss Bennet, but my fee is quite high. Furthermore, you should have to watch the lessons and practice with him after I am finished. But Miss Bennet, after you are recovered, I would ask that you dance with me at a time of your choosing.”
“Then Mr. Darcy, let us have the next dance, for I should like the opportunity to show that I can dance, less those who saw me earlier think me too fond of Mr. Collins.”
The two walked onto the floor and Elizabeth noticed many eyes on her.
Jane and Mr. Bingley also joined them as well as another couple that Elizabeth had not met. The lady looked familiar and there was also something about the man that reminded her of someone. Elizabeth figured the man and woman about fifteen years older than her and Mr. Darcy. The woman was about her own height and she was very beautiful with dark hair and bright inviting eyes. The man was very handsome and truth be known, he had a look and build similar to Mr. Darcy.
Soon both couples were looking at each other. Finally, the dance over, Mr. Darcy introduced
both Elizabeths and Mr. Winstead. Elizabeth Bennet soon blushed and this was followed by Elizabeth Winstead’s own blush. Mr. Winstead and Mr. Darcy looked at each other and smiled. Miss Bennet now knew who this other Elizabeth is, and Mrs. Winstead now knew Mr. Darcy had found his own Elizabeth. The same thought occurred to both ladies at the same time and Mrs. Winstead and Miss Bennet soon left the gentlemen and went off to talk.
It was near a half hour later when they returned. Mrs. Winstead then spoke to Mr. Darcy. “Sir, I believe you have introduced me to myself many years ago. Miss Bennet and I are to be kindred spirits. And when I see you Mr. Darcy, I am looking at Mr. Winstead the way he looked those years ago. It is amazing.”
“Then you approve of her and she about you?”
“Yes, and we plan to meet the morrow, but it will be a ladies only meeting sir, so you will not be privy to anything I may learn from this meeting.”