Page 24

“How could you say that birds are boring!” Mrs. Bennet cried. “That was a splendid opportunity to show Mr. Darcy how perfect you are for him, and you threw it away. Why must you be so difficult?”

“I don’t think him perfect for me,” Mary replied.

“But he fits your own description of your ideal husband.”

“I only said that a studious man would be my preference for a husband if I wanted one. Not that I would gladly marry any man who ever read a book.”

“I wasn’t suggesting any such man, just Mr. Darcy, who has a splendid library and the ability to keep you in great comfort. Most ladies would think that enough to make a very happy match.”

“I have a different idea of marriage.”

“When did you start getting your ideas from Lizzy?”

“She has some very good ones.”

“If you must take your example from her, then keep in mind that at least she talks a great deal with Mr. Madison even though she will insist that he doesn’t want a wife. You should not underestimate your own attractions, Lizzy. I have no doubt that you will succeed with Mr. Madison.”

Elizabeth was torn between a desire to firmly declare that she did not want to succeed with him and a disinclination for exacerbating her mother’s irritation.

But Mary blundered ahead in the outspoken way which she had lately been acquiring. “Lizzy doesn’t want to marry Mr. Madison any more than I want to marry Mr. Darcy.”

“Don’t start giving her ideas,” Mrs. Bennet said.

“At least she is aware of the ways in which she and Mr. Madison are compatible. You should consider Mr. Darcy’s merits before someone else snaps him up.

And you might try to take a little interest in birds.

They are obviously the way to his heart.

A very strange way indeed, but one must take gentlemen as they are. ”

“Or not take them,” Mary declared.

Elizabeth braced herself for a torrent of anger. But there was nothing. Her mother was looking out the window again. Presumably an approaching visitor or an interesting sight had caught her attention.

But then Mrs. Bennet said, “I never knew we had so many birds in our hedge. It really is quite a spectacle. I can see why Mr. Darcy finds them so interesting.”

“I can’t,” Lydia declared. “What I want to know is if anyone else is coming to call.”

Receiving no reply, she said to Jane and Elizabeth, “Most of the officers came while you were out. They were all very gallant toward me. And Mr. Wickham told us the funniest thing. He was once intending to be a clergyman. Isn’t that droll?

I can’t imagine him preaching sermons. And we would not have the pleasure of seeing him in a uniform, which suits him better than anything. ”

“We haven’t seen him attired in anything else,” Mary pointed out.

Lydia scowled. “We don’t have to see him in ordinary clothes to know how well a uniform becomes him. Or that a clerical collar would not.”

“Did he give any particular reason for not having pursued a career in the church?” Elizabeth asked, wondering if Mr. Wickham had decided to air grievances against Mr. Darcy after all.

“Yes, he said that a parson’s life would have been much too dull for him.”

“Then I am sure he chose wisely,” Elizabeth said, feeling some relief that Mr. Darcy was not going to be given cause for reconsidering his decision to stay in Hertfordshire. The world had seemed a brighter place while they were walking together; it would dim considerably if he went away.

“I don’t think Mr. Wickham has the right qualities for being a clergyman anyway,” Kitty said, startling Elizabeth with this astounding opinion. When had she become so perceptive?

“He would be good at anything he chose to be,” Lydia declared. “You are just jealous because he doesn’t pay any attention to you.”

“No I’m not. He does talk to me, but yesterday I noticed that he speaks too much of himself and very little of anyone else. And I’m not the only person who thinks so. A clergyman should have more thought for others. Like Mr. Charlton.”

Mrs. Bennet had dozed off, but evidently this comment caught her attention because she sleepily said, “I’m glad to hear that you have gained an appreciation for clergymen.”

Elizabeth was expecting her to jump upon this opportunity for once again recommending Mr. Collins to Kitty.

Fortunately, if that was her intention, it was prevented by her falling back into her doze.

She did not wake again until more callers arrived—Lady Lucas, Charlotte, Maria, Emily, and two of their brothers.

The visit began with compliments on both sides as to the dresses which the young ladies had worn on the previous evening and the attentions they had received from various gentlemen.

These were the usual proceedings, but Elizabeth was horrified when Lady Lucas gave the opinion that Mr. Darcy had taken a particular liking to his first partner.

This sort of information could lead to her mother deciding to throw her at him instead of Mary, which would be mortifying.

Her fear was increased when Mrs. Bennet gleefully replied, “He did indeed.” But then she added, “I do think the advantage of him having asked Mary for the last dance instead of an earlier one is that he would have gone away thinking of her in particular. The end of the evening is always the most memorable part.” Apparently her ears had managed to hear last instead of first.

Lady Lucas was frowning in puzzlement, but instead of addressing this misunderstanding, she said, “I have always thought the earlier part of the evening the most memorable. By the end, one is too tired to form any lasting impression.”

“Not for younger people,” Mrs. Bennet protested. “I do not think Mr. Darcy was tired, and those final impressions would have stood out as the most recent ones.”

“So Mr. Darcy’s strongest recollection of the evening was putting on his coat,” Elizabeth said, having had enough of this line of conversation. “And mine was seeing Miss Crane step upon Miss Peacock’s dress, which caused a substantial tear and a sharp exchange of words.”

“I never saw that,” Mrs. Bennet said. “But I am not surprised. Miss Peacock should not have had such a long train to her dress.”

“She has no sense,” Lady Lucas said. “And what about that awful dress Margaret Finch was wearing.”

“It was hideous,” Mrs. Bennet agreed.

United in these opinions, they carried on critiquing other attire which had offended their sensibilities.

Lydia and Emily started talking enthusiastically of officers and their dancing prowess.

Kitty and Maria recounted the merits of their partners, officers and otherwise.

One brother asked for Jane’s opinion on his idea of taking up a military career, and the other gleefully told Mary how much he would dance and drink and participate in every kind of fun once he was old enough to attend the assemblies, a plan from which she endeavoured to dissuade him.

With such noise around them, Charlotte and Elizabeth were able to speak freely to each other in quiet voices.

“What is this about Mary?” Charlotte queried.

“My mother is persuaded that she and Mr. Darcy will suit each other ideally,” Elizabeth said.

“Mothers do have their own way of perceiving things. Mine was wanting to believe that he had taken particular notice of me. I had to disabuse her of that notion. But I am surprised that yours did not see which of her daughters Mr. Darcy actually admires.”

“There was nothing to see.”

“I beg to differ. It was obvious that he did not mean to dance at all, but he suddenly changed his mind.”

“That had nothing to do with admiration. Lowering her voice even further, Elizabeth explained the incident which had caused Mr. Darcy to prefer dancing over standing about. “But he only chose me over the dangers of Mama’s new fan.”

Charlotte smothered a burst of laughter. “Not very flattering, especially for someone who rarely sits out the first dance. Incidentally, how did that happen?”

“Someone had to sit out,” Elizabeth said dismissively. “It could as easily be me as anyone else.”

“I was wondering if it had anything to do with you being so busy bringing Susan to Mr. Charlton’s attention.”

“I might have been doing a little matchmaking. She needed some encouragement to talk to him. But don’t you ever tell anyone.”

“Your secret is safe with me,” Charlotte said with a grin.

“But Susan might not be the only one in need of some encouragement. I think you are too quick to dismiss the notion of Mr. Darcy’s admiration for you.

He might have begun by thinking a dance with you the lesser evil, but I believe he was very pleased with his partner by the end of it. ”

“No more than mildly amused, I think. Mr. Darcy had the goodness to indulge my whimsicality, but I am sure he found me excessively outspoken.”

“I suspect that he likes outspokenness. It will not surprise me if he comes to call upon you very soon, perhaps even this morning.”

Elizabeth felt a little embarrassed as she admitted that he had already come and they had spent an hour walking together.

Charlotte eyed her speculatively. “This is great attention indeed. Now I am even more curious about your unwillingness to believe that he admires you.”

“And I am curious about your willingness to suspect so much of a man who is just being friendly. Does it not occur to you that visiting this morning must have been Mr. Bingley’s idea? Do not forget how frequently he has become accustomed to calling upon us.”

“We are not speaking of Mr. Bingley, although if we were, I would take the liberty of saying that while he undoubtedly admires Jane a great deal, he may never do more if she does not encourage him instead of being guarded in her manner.”

“You have just done so,” Elizabeth said with a smile. “And I might say that guarding herself against revealing her feelings to the world is extremely wise.”