Page 27

“What a crush,” Miss Bingley said to Mr. Darcy in Mrs. Peacock’s drawing room that evening. “And I do not mean that in a fashionable way. This room is not big enough for such a large company.”

Mr. Darcy could not disagree, yet he was looking for an increase in their numbers. Miss Elizabeth Bennet was not among them, and he was filled with eagerness to see her again.

“And what a dreary company it is,” Miss Bingley said. “So very dull and stupid.”

On this point, Mr. Darcy silently disagreed. He had just exchanged a few cheerful words with Sir William Lucas (such a genial man with an admirable desire for everyone to be happy) and Mrs. Long (really very friendly and not as nosy as he had thought upon first acquaintance).

“I find the officers particularly disappointing,” Miss Bingley said. “Nothing like your cousin and his sophisticated friends.”

Mr. Darcy was far from being disappointed with the officers.

Especially since one of them had informed him that Mr. Wickham would not be present this evening.

And even better, the reason for his absence was some extra duties for which he had volunteered, and they were likely to keep him from enjoying other parties as well.

“And here are more people arriving. How will they squeeze in?”

Mr. Darcy would happily make room for them. Having had his own eyes upon the door, he had already observed that the latest arrivals were the very people that he had been looking out for.

“I see it is the Bennets,” Miss Bingley said. “I simply cannot understand my brother’s liking for that family.”

“Perhaps it would be well if you tried to understand,” he responded. “It is a friendship which he particularly values.”

“It would be better if he tried to be more perceptive. I do not know how he can fail to comprehend how unsuitable they are to be our friends.”

“I have not seen any reason to think them unsuitable.”

“You surprise me. However, I suppose the assembly did not provide sufficient opportunity. Much might escape one’s notice in the midst of such noise and bustle.

But once you have observed them more thoroughly, you will see what I mean.

Just look at Miss Lydia, shoving people aside in her rush to get to the officers.

And Miss Kitty is copying her example. You would not want such awful girls to be your sisters, would you? ”

Mr. Darcy looked, and while Kitty appeared to be innocent of this criticism, Lydia was indeed guilty of rudely pushing her way past people. He really wouldn’t want her as a sister, but he was not inclined to concede this point to Miss Bingley.

However, she was evidently assuming that the point had been taken, for now said, “I can’t imagine you would want them to be my brother’s sisters either. I know you have his best interest at heart, and in this case that means detaching him from these dreadful people as swiftly as possible.”

“It is not my custom to interfere in the lives of others, especially in such drastic ways.”

“The direness of the situation calls for drastic action. Look at Mrs. Bennet, surveying the room with eagle eyes. Obviously on the lookout for opportunities.”

“She could just be looking for her friends. That is what people commonly do upon entering a room full of people.”

“Or she could be calculating which gentlemen to instruct her daughters to pursue. Now she is pointing Charles out to Miss Bennet. Surely you can agree that is suspicious.”

“It is not unusual for people to point out friends in a crowd.”

“It is kind of you to give her the benefit of the doubt, but the woman does not deserve such generosity. It is clear that she intends to trap my brother. He is in desperate need of all the protection his friends can provide.”

One thing was now clear to Mr. Darcy: Miss Bingley intended to enlist his support in a campaign against the Bennets.

“I hope any scheme of that sort would never catch me unaware,” he replied. “but I do not believe that Mrs. Bennet is setting traps.”

“I beg of you to observe her further. You have a scientific mind and exceptional judgement. If you would just apply those skills to this situation, I am certain you will come to agree that I am right.”

“I have no such extraordinary abilities.”

“You are too modest. I do not know anyone as perceptive as you. Nor a greater friend to my brother. By saving him from these artful people, you will be rendering a vital service to him.”

Mr. Darcy would have liked to explain that her brother was not in need of saving. But it was not for him to reveal Mr. Bingley’s intentions. Or to say that saving him from his sister’s dislike of the Bennets might be more to the point.

Before he could decide how to reply, Miss Bingley’s concerns took a diversion. “It appears that Mrs. Bennet has given some instructions to Miss Elizabeth as well. I believe that she has been sent in your direction, Mr. Darcy.”

“Appearances can be deceiving. If she is coming this way to speak with me, it is more likely because I have asked her for information about the local sights.”

“Oh, I see. That is why you found her conversation so interesting. I was forgetting about your fondness for riding about the countryside. Well, I shall leave you to your amusement, but take care not to appear too interested in learning the best places to ride, or Mrs. Bennet will be planning your wedding as well as my brother’s. ”

Her tone was jovial, but Mr. Darcy caught a note of falseness and a hint of jealousy.

She was obviously meaning to deter him from finding too much enjoyment in the company of another lady, but her efforts had caused him nothing more than irritation, which was eclipsed by Elizabeth’s bright smile and cheerful manner.

“Just the man I wanted to see,” she said to his delight. “The idea of an expedition further afield has been suggested, and I must know your opinion.”

Mr. Darcy’s opinion was that he would go anywhere with her. Aloud, he expressed eagerness to see either Hatfield or Knebworth, or any other place of her choosing. But then he learned that this expedition had actually been proposed by Mr. Madison, who was keen to join their walks.

“Have you met him?” she asked.

“No. Mr. Bingley has mentioned him, but I have not yet had that pleasure.”

“Then you must come and meet him now. I am certain you will like him very much.”

Since Elizabeth seemed desirous of having this gentleman included in future outings, Mr. Darcy smiled. But he was already disliking the man who would intrude upon the foursome which had been so pleasing to him on the previous morning.

After the introduction had been made, however, he quickly found himself liking Mr. Madison.

The two of them fell easily into conversation, and Mr. Darcy was happy to feel that he had made yet another friend.

When a plan was formed for walking together the next morning, he was not displeased by the inclusion of both Mr. Madison and Miss Lucas, for whom he had already formed a liking at the assembly.

“I knew you would like him,” Elizabeth happily said while Mr. Madison was answering an enquiry about his journey to London. “He is an excellent addition to the neighbourhood. And Mr. Charlton as well. I believe you had some conversation with him at the assembly.”

“Yes, a very pleasant man.”

“One among many. I have been quite astonished by recently making so many new acquaintances who are exceptionally agreeable. Indeed, having had such ordinary luck already, I was expecting you to be the most disagreeable man I have ever met.” She smiled, and there was a lovely twinkle in her eye.

“You see what good friends we have already become for me to tease you in this manner.”

“And for me to declare myself grievously wounded.” Mr. Darcy smiled back. “But instead of playing the victim, I must confess that I also came into the neighbourhood with low expectations. I have an unfortunate tendency toward expecting the worst rather than the best.”

“We seem to share a similar trait. It has lately been pointed out to me that I have a similar flaw, which I cannot deny, although I mean to set about correcting it if I can.”

“No one has ever pointed my flaws out to me—”

“Really? Never?”

“It sounds shocking now, but I was allowed to grow up thinking myself without fault.”

“Well, perhaps you were.”

“I don’t think so, for as I was about to say—”

“Before I interrupted you.” Elizabeth laughed. “And now I have done so again. Do continue.”

“I did not mind, which is unusual for me, but I think that your interruptions must always be entertaining. What I was going to say is that I am now aware of having plenty of faults, which began to form in my childhood and youth.”

“Yes I agree. I mean I agree that our characters, including deficiencies, are generally rooted in our early years. On the quantity of your faults I have no opinion.”

“I wouldn’t even mind if you were wanting to point them all out,” he said cheerfully. “One cannot improve without knowing the ways in which improvement is required.”

“All of them at once! I think it might be kinder to bring up only a single fault at a time, and at sufficient intervals for you to recover your spirits in between,” she jested.

“And since you have already confessed one today, I need not look for another to bring to your attention at the moment. But perhaps we might learn to conquer our shared flaw together.”

Mr. Darcy thought it would be easy to achieve anything alongside her.

“I shall begin right now with my expectations of the coming weeks—excellent company, stimulating conversation, plenty of interesting diversions, and of course, viewing a variety of scenery. In short, a perfect autumn in the country.”

And enjoying parties which he would once have thought tedious. Almost everything about the evening was delightful to Mr. Darcy. And the few things which were irritating, like Mrs. Peacock trying to direct his attention toward her daughters, he was easily able to disregard.

Even though he certainly had no intention of subjecting the Bennets to scientific observation, he couldn’t help but notice some further laxity in the behaviour of Miss Lydia Bennet, and a few transgressions made by Miss Kitty as well. They really were too young to be out in society.

But when Miss Bingley expressed a similar opinion in the carriage on the way home, Mr. Darcy joined her brother in the opinion that they were just enthusiastic, which wasn’t unusual for young ladies taking their first steps in society.

“Their behaviour goes beyond mere enthusiasm,” Miss Bingley countered. “They display a shocking disregard for propriety. Allowing them the privilege of being out is a grievous error on their mother’s part.”

“I can understand Mrs. Bennet feeling that it would be hard upon them not to have a share of the pleasures which their sisters enjoy,” Mr. Bingley said.

“The pleasure should first be earned,” Miss Bingley said. “Young ladies who behave like Miss Lydia and Miss Kitty should not be out until they are ready to conduct themselves appropriately. Society shouldn’t have to put up with them.”

“I am certain no one minded their presence this evening,” Mr. Bingley said.

“These people have no standards,” Mrs. Hurst declared. “No one in London would tolerate them.”

“It is not unusual for girls who wouldn’t be out in London to attend country parties in order to gain experience,” Mr. Darcy said.

“I expect Miss Lydia and Miss Kitty will benefit from that opportunity,” Mr. Bingley said.

“Not when they are so busy taking advantage of the opportunity to indulge themselves,” Miss Bingley said. “I think they are more likely to become worse by the day.”

Mr. Darcy feared that was likely, especially in the case of Lydia, who had demonstrated before his eyes a propensity for outrageous flirting. But he said, “I am confident that they will daily improve.”

Miss Bingley looked horrified, but Mr. Bingley happily agreed that they would, which was exactly why they should be out and gaining useful experience.

Giving up on this subject, she instead attempted to convince him that Mrs. Bennet had said a great many vulgar things that evening, but he insisted that his sister was mistaking country informality for vulgarity.

And Mr. Darcy eagerly agreed with his friend in this opinion as well.

When the two of them were alone together, he also agreed that Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst’s aversion to the Bennets was an unfortunate development, but that they would soon come round. However, in this opinion, Mr. Darcy could not really share Mr. Bingley’s confidence.