by Lory Lilian
Finally, after several seemingly long minutes, Elizabeth decided at least to express her thanks to Mr. Darcy by actually using the glasses while desperately trying to understand what was happening on the stage. All she could think was, Thank heavens I know this play by heart!
Time passed tortuously slowly for Elizabeth; yet, when the second part of the play was ended, she discovered the new intermission brought her more unease than relief.
The ladies were talking of the actors’ performances and the play while Mr. Gardiner and Colonel Fitzwilliam immediately rose from their seats, declaring their intention of taking a stroll in the halls. None of the ladies accepted the invitation to join them; Mr. Darcy seemed to hesitate a moment and then exited the box with the other gentlemen.
Their departure made Miss Darcy more animated, and she daringly initiated a lively conversation with Mrs. Gardiner and Elizabeth.
“Mrs. Gardiner, I am so pleased you and Miss Bennet are here with us.”
“Thank you, Miss Darcy.”
Her gaze moved from the younger lady to Lady Cassandra, who answered with a smile, “We are enjoying your company very much, Mrs. Gardiner, I assure you. As for Miss Bennet, I confess I have long desired to meet her! From what I have heard of her so far, she apparently has the happy ability to charm everyone around her.”
Elizabeth’s cheeks coloured instantly as her eyes met Lady Cassandra’s amused ones. The expression on the lady’s face proved she was partially speaking in jest. Elizabeth could easily notice the hidden irony in her apparently friendly tone; she also noticed that there was no hint of malice in the lady’s tone. It was more…a challenge?
Elizabeth held that green, insistent gaze for a moment and then allowed a large smile to accompany the gentle mockery in her answer. “Lady Cassandra, I cannot possibly imagine what your ladyship could have heard that brought you to such a conclusion. Unfortunately, it is further from the truth than I should like to admit.”
“Ah…then perhaps I might be deceived.”
“I am afraid so, your ladyship.”
“But that is not very likely; my authority was too good, and I do trust it implicitly.”
Their eyes remained locked in a challenge until Lady Cassandra spoke again, causing a new wave of redness to overspread Elizabeth’s cheeks. “Or perhaps my source was blinded by a partiality to you, and the report has been favourably exaggerated.”
Elizabeth did not have the time—or the words—to answer or understand fully the implication of the statement before Mr. Darcy unexpectedly returned, and that topic of conversation was suddenly dropped.
The gentleman was received with open and welcoming smiles by both Miss Darcy and Lady Cassandra. He seemed well humoured and, to Elizabeth’s chagrin, inquired as to the subject of their conversation.
“Well, Brother, mostly Miss Bennet and Lady Cassandra talked, and we listened.” Miss Darcy seemed equally as good-humoured as her brother.
“Ah…I hope I did not interrupt you.” His eyes travelled from one mentioned lady to the other.
“Well, actually you did, Darcy. But I dare say the interruption was not completely unpleasant, was it, Miss Bennet?”
Elizabeth wished she possessed the ability to hide her embarrassment as she felt her cheeks flushing full red again. “No, indeed it was not. And I dare say, sir that being the owner of this box offers you the unique privilege of interrupting any conversation that might take place within it.”
He laughed openly in a way Elizabeth had never heard before. “Thank you, Miss Bennet. I shall remain forever indebted to you for reminding me of this privilege.”
“You know, Darcy”—Lady Cassandra spoke again with a familiarity that left no doubt regarding the intimacy of their relationship—“Miss Bennet and I had met before you introduced us.”
“Really? That is truly a surprise! And may I dare ask when this happened?” His wondering gaze was upon Elizabeth again, and a sudden lump in her throat forbade her reply.
Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr. Gardiner returned, but their presence did not stop Lady Cassandra from continuing to relate the events.
“It happened in the lobby before the three of you arrived while I was speaking with the Crawfords. Apparently something drew Miss Bennet’s attention on her way inside the theatre, and I noticed her insistent stare; I confess I was intrigued and was wondering who she was. I even asked the Crawfords about her. But now that I am thinking of it, I should have known it was Miss Bennet.”
Her tone grew more amused as her lips twisted into a large smile, mixing the jest with seriousness so Elizabeth could only hope she was not annoyed by her breech of etiquette when she had stared at her. She was prepared to apologise while wondering at the meaning of the statement, “I should have known it was Miss Bennet.” Were her appearance and manner of dress viewed so poorly among the other ladies, or was her ladyship only trying to offend her as Miss Bingley used to do?
“Oh, come now, Lady Cassandra!” said the colonel. “How could you have known it was Miss Bennet? You have never met her before. I know Miss Bennet quite well, and still I did not notice her the other day in the Park until Darcy drew my attention to her.”
The colonel’s eyebrow rose with incredulity, and her ladyship turned to him, fixing him with her eyes for a moment. “Colonel—let us have a more private conversation about your attention and perceptiveness, shall we? I do not want to spoil our guests’ good opinion of you.”
“I am entirely at your disposal any time, milady! Still, I cannot abandon my inquiry about how your perceptiveness could help you identify an unknown lady in a room full of ladies.”
Only one more moment did Lady Cassandra hold the colonel’s gaze before turning and noticing the same curiosity in the others’ faces. She smiled with confidence and addressed Elizabeth directly. “Miss Bennet, I would gladly answer if you would favour me with an answer of your own.”
“I shall try, your ladyship.”
“Miss Bennet, what exactly concerned you, causing you to turn your head and stare at me in the lobby?”
Georgiana gasped softly, shocked by the impropriety of such a direct question, and Mr. Darcy’s brow furrowed deeply in obvious disapproval of this incivility.
Curiously, however, Elizabeth did not feel at all offended. Suddenly, daringly and well humoured, she returned her ladyship’s confident smile. “Nothing gave me cause for concern, Lady Cassandra—quite the contrary. Your ladyship looked stunningly beautiful; I simply stopped to admire you. I apologise if I caused you any discomfort.”
Her unexpectedly honest answer and her eyes sparkling with amusement clearly disconcerted Lady Cassandra, and her ladyship’s expression, as well as her smile, changed and warmed in an instant. “Thank you, Miss Bennet,” was her only reply.
“Now, it is your ladyship’s turn to answer my question,” said the colonel. “I hope you will keep your promise.”
“I always keep my promises, Colonel! As for my answer—come now, it is very simple, and I feel really ashamed for not guessing from the beginning. Just look at Miss Bennet!”
Elizabeth’s cheeks started burning in embarrassment again as she felt six pairs of eyes fixed on her, filled with curiosity.
Lady Cassandra continued, pleased with the interest she aroused in her audience. “As I am sure you are already aware, Colonel, Miss Bennet has a very specific and rare quality; she has an unpretentious elegance, a natural beauty and an intelligence that is apparent in the expression of her eyes. So being beautiful, unpretentious and intelligent—it was obvious she could not be one of the young heiresses from Town!”
None of them succeeded in holding their choking gasps and chuckles, drawing the attention of everyone in their vicinity. Darcy attempted to shake his head in censure, but the mirth he felt was clear. The corners of his mouth tightened noticeably and a smile formed upon his lips. “Lady Cassandra, though I tend to agree with your characterisation of Miss Bennet, I would suggest you postpone the rest of your reasoning until we ar
e in a more private situation.”
Elizabeth was too mortified to share everyone’s amusement; to be complimented in such a way by Lady Cassandra and then hear Mr. Darcy loudly declaring his agreement with that flattering characterisation seemed impossible to believe and highly embarrassing.
The performance began, and Elizabeth cupped her face with her palm in an attempt to cool the heat of her cheeks.
What an evening!
***
The next—and final—intermission passed with considerably less excitement than did the previous two. The members of the party by now were reasonably well acquainted, and a convivial conversation developed among them.
For Elizabeth, however, the situation grew more difficult to bear as her heart became heavier with each passing moment—not because she did not enjoy being with the Darcys and their companions but because she enjoyed them more than she ever thought possible.
Mr. Darcy continued to be attentive to her, and Miss Darcy was nothing but warm and friendly. As for Lady Cassandra—Elizabeth could not assess with certainty the lady’s opinion of her, nor did she have reason to complain. The lady was gracious to the Gardiners and seemed to have an amazing influence over Mr. and Miss Darcy as well as the colonel. She was the one who seemed to charm the people around her.
While observing her in silent contemplation, Elizabeth noticed Lady Cassandra was not as young as she had initially presumed; her age was likely only a year or two younger than was Mr. Darcy’s. She addressed both siblings in the same manner as the colonel: as someone from within the family. It was true Mr. Darcy was constantly using the polite “Lady Cassandra” when addressing her; however, their exchanges proved clearly that they were closely acquainted with each other.
Absorbed in her thoughts, Elizabeth interjected little into the conversation. She welcomed the beginning of the last act of the play, and while pretending she was fully concentrating on the performance on stage, she heartily wished the eventful evening would finally end.
***
They remained among the last to leave as their conversations continued almost a quarter of an hour past the end of the performance. The farewells took place in the front of the theatre while waiting for their carriages, and Mr. Darcy brought up another topic just before they were to depart.
“Mrs. Gardiner, Mr. Gardiner, I was wondering…Have you—or Miss Bennet—any fixed engagements for tomorrow?”
“I will be out for business, Mr. Darcy, but as far as I know, my wife and niece will be at home.”
“My sister and I were considering calling on you tomorrow afternoon if that is convenient.” His eyes were fixed on Elizabeth as though awaiting some response from her, but the acceptance came from Mrs. Gardiner, who expressed her delight in having them as guests the following day.
As if awakened from a deep sleep, Elizabeth gathered herself and remembered the basic rules of polite behaviour. “It would be a pleasure to see you again tomorrow, Miss Darcy, Mr. Darcy. I look forward to it.”
As the carriage departed, Elizabeth blamed her lack of courage for not looking at Lady Cassandra during the last exchange. She now dreaded knowing how much the lady approved or disapproved of the impending visit.
Supper at Gracechurch Street was an animated affair that evening. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner seemed to have interest in nothing more than sharing impressions about the unexpected party that they had the good fortune to join.
The colonel’s manners were much appreciated, and Miss Darcy was declared a beautiful and graceful young lady. As for her brother, he was deemed “perfectly well-behaved, polite, and unassuming,” by Mr. Gardiner. Privately, he wondered about Elizabeth’s previous and decidedly unfavourable opinion of him.
“There is something a little stately in Mr. Darcy, to be sure,” replied her aunt, “but it is confined to his air, and is not unbecoming. He is not as voluble as the colonel, but he is very pleasant nevertheless.”
Mr. Gardiner nodded. “I could not have been more surprised by his behaviour to us. It was more than civil; he was very attentive. To invite us into his box and be so amiable on such a trifling acquaintance was amazing and very gracious. There was no necessity for such attention, to be sure; in fact, I would fully comprehend if he did not seek our company at all the entire evening. We are not closely acquainted with him or his social circle, and neither is Elizabeth.”
“But my dear—what do you think of Lady Cassandra?” asked Mrs. Gardiner; and for the rest of the evening, she was the main subject of conversation between her uncle and aunt. It was also a major interest for Elizabeth, but she preferred to analyze it in the seclusion of her bedchamber.
Alone, Elizabeth spent the next hours listening to the sounds of a warm summer night through her open window. Her thoughts were divided between the day that had just passed and the one that was about to start.
It was almost dawn when Elizabeth finally fell asleep. Countless recollections of the evening were still spinning in her head. Meanwhile, the icy hole in the pit of her stomach grew deeper; its coldness had her shivering.
Before sleep finally took her, Elizabeth became certain of two things: first, she liked Lady Cassandra very much, and second, the lady was a perfect match for Mr. Darcy.
***
“Darcy, I have to say that Miss Bennet was not exactly what I expected,” said Lady Cassandra as soon as their carriage began to move.
“Oh, I think Miss Bennet looked lovely tonight.” Miss Darcy avidly entered into the conversation. “I truly like her.”
Darcy chose to remain silent for the moment, only staring inquiringly at Lady Cassandra who was sitting opposite.
“I do not disagree, my dear Georgie. In fact, I found her quite beautiful, though perhaps not a classic beauty. I noticed something very open and natural in her appearance that I truly liked. Even the first time I noticed her in the hall before knowing she was your Miss Bennet” —she nodded toward Darcy—“I was quite impressed by the lively expression in her eyes. And yes, you were right in that respect—beautiful eyes, I will grant her that.”
“Cassandra, Miss Bennet is not our or anybody’s property, so please refrain from speaking in jest about her. And secondly, I am only curious…if you so approve of her, why did you say she was not what you expected?”
“Oh, come now, Darcy. You are so sensitive! I meant no offense. As for what I did not like…well…I barely saw anything of the wit and cleverness of which you spoke so highly. I can hardly believe she was the one expressing such decided opinions in front of Lady Catherine. I would rather believe she needed protection, or your frightening aunt would have devoured her completely!”
“Cassandra!” Darcy’s tone expressed the deepest disapproval, while Georgiana laughed openly. “Could you humour me just once by speaking without offending anybody?”
“I shall try—but only to humour you, especially when the subject is Lady Catherine. Now, to resume: Miss Bennet’s behaviour was everything proper, but in truth, I barely heard her speak at all. She seemed a little more animated only when she talked to Georgiana and the colonel. And I have to say, Georgie, that both you and your cousin seem quite taken with her.”
“I confess I do like Miss Bennet very much, Cassandra. And I am sorry you did not completely approve of her.”
“Oh, but I do, dearest, believe me, and I am certain that my opinion of her will improve upon closer acquaintance. It is just that— She paused and stared intensely at Darcy, holding his gaze. “I never would have guessed that she was the lady you told me about, Darcy—that is all.”
He sustained her stare a bit longer. “Miss Bennet always got along quite well with my cousin’s easy manner from the first moment they met, but that is hardly surprising. David excels at everything I lack to be at ease in pleasant company. As for Georgiana…”
He stretched to catch his sister’s gloved hand gently. “My dear, I have to say I am quite pleased to see how friendly you have become in such a short time with both Mrs. Gardiner and Miss Bennet. As f
or your comment”—he turned to Cassandra— “I have to admit that you are right. Miss Bennet’s manners were more restrained than usual, and considering that she seemed comfortable with Georgiana and the colonel and even with you, I have to draw the conclusion that it was my presence that made her uneasy. It seems I have a habit of making people around me uncomfortable.”
“Oh, that is not true, Brother.” Miss Darcy seemed appalled that he would say such a thing about himself. “I saw nothing strange in Miss Bennet’s behaviour toward you. She seemed to enjoy your company as much as did Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner.”
“I truly enjoyed the Gardiners’ company,” admitted Lady Cassandra.
However, Mr. Darcy seemed to lose interest in any subject and preferred to admire the view through the carriage window until the they reached Lady Cassandra’s house. Only then, did he move to help her exit the carriage and then accompany her to the front door.
They made their goodbyes, and as he hurried to return to the carriage where his sister was waiting, Lady Cassandra’s voice delayed him and made him return.
“Darcy…about Miss Bennet’s being uncomfortable in your company—
“Yes?”
“You might be right about her reasons, but then again—you might be completely wrong once more.”
Before he had time to comprehend her words, she smiled mischievously and entered the house, leaving him to stare at the closed door.
Chapter 3
“Well, my dear, apparently it was not Lady Cassandra whom we met last night,” said Mr. Gardiner good-humouredly after entering the salon to greet his wife and niece.
Mr. Gardiner had spent the morning settling business and then visiting his club. He had agreed to be home sometime after noon, prior to the time Mr. and Miss Darcy were to call. Eager to share his news and latest source of amusement with the ladies, he arrived well before he was due.