Page 40

DEEPER IN LOVE

Before too many hours had passed the next day, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley called at Longbourn. After sitting for so long as his patience and proper etiquette allowed while his amiable friend managed the bulk of the conversation, Darcy, professing a great curiosity to see the view from the Mount, proposed a walk. As his offer was made in such a manner that suggested Elizabeth as its primary recipient, she immediately acquiesced. Mrs. Bennet instantaneously offered up Jane as an addition to the party, citing that Mary and Kitty could not be spared. Neither of the two seemed particularly bothered by being excluded. Mary felt she would much rather return to her book, and Kitty was not impressed with the gentlemen, even if they were so very rich. Neither of them was an officer, which still meant something to her, even though she did not express it so openly as she did before her youngest sister’s elopement.

As for Mrs. Bennet herself, she was not in the habit of walking about the countryside. No—such an endeavor was strictly the occupation of the younger people. She did, however, conveniently escape the drawing room on the heels of her two eldest daughters when they went upstairs to get their bonnets.

“It seems you made the best possible use of your time while you were away visiting those awful Collinses, Lizzy,” said Mrs. Bennet when she walked into the room Elizabeth and Jane were occupying.

Turning to face her mother directly, Elizabeth inquired, “What do you mean, Mama?”

“Clearly we have you to thank for this civility. This is the second time Mr. Darcy has called on us with his friend Mr. Bingley. Not once has he called on Lady Lucas, nor anyone else of our acquaintance, even though Mr. Bingley called on Sir William at least once.”

Elizabeth sighed a little inside. One would think her mother’s greatest pastime when she was not scheming to marry off her daughters was getting the better of the Lucases. Mrs. Bennet had yet to forgive Charlotte for stealing Mr. Collins before she had ample time to work on Elizabeth and force her to marry the man. It made matters even worse that the gentleman had come to Longbourn for the express purpose of selecting a wife from his fair cousins and Mrs. Bennet had at least two others waiting in the wings should she fail to change her second eldest daughter’s mind. She often supposed that either Mary or Kitty would suit the man just as well as Elizabeth might have.

Elizabeth could not help thinking of the irony of her mother’s blatant change of opinion towards Mr. Darcy. How it had wounded her earlier that week hearing her mother’s words that she did not care if she ever saw him again after all that Elizabeth suspected he had done on her family’s behalf.

Mrs. Bennet shook her head knowingly. “Mr. Darcy is entirely in your power. I can see that now, else he would not have danced with you twice when no other young lady of our society garnered such attention.” She placed her finger on her chin in contemplation. “That is not to say that you do not face formidable competition from Miss Caroline Bingley, his friend’s youngest sister, but you did not hear that from me, for I refuse to say a word about your future prospects or lack thereof—not a single word.”

The determined matriarch marched over to Jane and took up the task of tying the soft, pastel colored ribbons on her daughter’s bonnet. “Mr. Bingley might very well be in your power too. When he was not dancing with you at the assembly, he could hardly tear his eyes away from you, as everyone who was there will attest to. You must be certain to do everything you can to encourage his affections and make him fall in love with you.”

“Mama,” the eldest Bennet daughter cried, “the gentleman and I just made each other’s acquaintance mere days ago. Accompanying him on a walk to Oakham Mount is hardly an inducement for such sentiments as you espouse.”

“Why, it is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. There is no reason in the world that such is not the case for Mr. Bingley. Just in case he is not so inclined, I shall depend on you to help him along. Then, you, too, shall have all the latest fashions, the likes of those worn by his sisters last evening.”

“Mama, you know such things mean nothing to me,” Jane said.

“Well, they very well should. What young woman does not wish to be rich—to be married to a man of such consequence? What fine jewels a rich husband the likes of Mr. Bingley might very well bestow upon you. What fine carriages, a house in town, and everything that is nice. Do anything but allow this chance to slip away from you. Who is to say when another such opportunity will present itself?” She looked at her other daughter pointedly. “The same applies to you, Lizzy. However, as I know you well enough to know you will do anything to rob me of the joy of another son-in-law, I will say no more on the subject. Although I will say the two of you can learn quite a great deal on how to land a husband from your youngest sister, Mrs. Wickham.”

Swelling with annoyance that her mother actually supposed Lydia’s behavior was a model of proper decorum, Elizabeth said, “As I told Mrs. Wickham, her manner of finding a husband holds no appeal to me whatsoever. I am certain I speak for Jane as well.”

Standing firm, Mrs. Bennet rested her hands about her waist. “Oh, I wish you would have some compassion for my poor nerves. In such cases as this, the ends most certainly justify the means, as the two of you will find out when you have daughters of your own.”

She stood back a step or two and checked over her two eldest daughters for a moment and then encouraged them to be on their way. “You must not keep your gentleman callers waiting a minute longer. Now hurry! And make certain to take all the time in the world for nothing would please me more than the prospect of another wedding or two.”

Darcy and Elizabeth walked along at a slow, deliberate stride, thus allowing Bingley and Jane to outpace them. It was a long walk, one they enjoyed in companionable silence, interrupted by the occasional remark on the weather and other such threadbare topics. Arriving at Oakham Mount and finding themselves very much alone met with Darcy’s complete satisfaction. He missed having Elizabeth all to himself.

“This is a lovely place,” he said, taking in his surroundings.

“Indeed. I come here often, especially during those times when I am most in want of solace away from my family. It is one of my favorite places.”

“No doubt, I will soon be able to boast of this being one of my favorite places as well.”

“It sounds as though you mean to remain here in Hertfordshire for a while.”

“I do—for so long as it takes.” Darcy gazed at Elizabeth. Taking note of her countenance, he said, “You seem surprised in hearing me say this. You must know I came to Hertfordshire for the sole purpose of being close to you.” He took her hand in his and silently urged her to walk along beside him.

There had been a time or two when they walked arm in arm when they were together in Kent, but never before had he initiated such an intimate act as this. Elizabeth’s heartbeat raced, rendering her almost speechless. The little things about him that had nearly escaped her mind over the past weeks flooded her senses: the melodious sound of his voice, the touch of his hand, and the intoxicating aroma of his masculinity.

Willing her power of speech to overrule her body’s stirrings, she said, “I do not think that I have adequately expressed just how grateful I am for all you did for my family, sir.”

“I am not certain you will feel that way after you hear what I have to say to you.”

“Oh?”

Releasing her hand, he said, “Indeed. You see, I have recently learned that Wickham had a strong inducement to pursue your youngest sister in such an unseemly manner.” Darcy went on to confide in Elizabeth all that his aunt Lady Catherine had done and all he had done in turn.

Elizabeth listened. She colored, and for the longest time she said nothing.

At length, she responded, “How could she? How dare Lady Catherine take it upon herself to decide the fate of others so wholly unconnected to her?”