Page 2 of A Tale of Two Suitors

Elizabeth placed the tray of refreshments on her father’s desk and was about to leave when their guest addressed her, increasing her amazement.

“Miss Bennet, please allow me to tell you how deeply sorry I am for my improper behaviour on the night of the assembly.”

“Oh…there is no need, sir…”

“Such ungentlemanly behaviour requires an apology. For a while, I have not been in the right disposition for entertainment, and I should not have attended at all, but Bingley insisted on being there. He also insisted I should dance, which made me withdraw even more. I am not fond of dancing even when I am in my highest spirits, let alone then.”

Elizabeth was so surprised by his words that she delayed her answer.

It was a gesture of courtesy that she had not expected from such a proud man; of course, she could enquire why he had needed to call her tolerable and not handsome enough to tempt him and to state that she had been slighted by other men, instead of a simple and polite refusal to his friend.

But it mattered little, coming from a man who was obviously accustomed to giving offence with little consideration for the feelings of others. He had apologised, and it was enough.

“I appreciate your explanation, Mr Darcy,” she replied. “After all, nobody can force someone to dance, even at an assembly when men are scarce,” she concluded with a meaningful smile that implied more than her words.

“You have my sympathy, Mr Darcy,” Mr Bennet said.

“There are few things I loathe more than being dragged to parties and forced to dance because etiquette requires it. Of course, that happened when I was younger. Nobody has insisted on my dancing in many years, not even my wife. A benefit of getting older is that you have the liberty to attend gatherings and drink in peace.”

“I understand you perfectly well, sir,” Mr Darcy responded.

“Of course, I was never particularly handsome or wealthy, so people showed little interest in me in any case. You, sir, must carry a heavier burden,” Mr Bennet uttered in the mocking tone Elizabeth knew too well. Mr Darcy, however, frowned and nodded while gulping from his glass.

“I shall not bother you any longer,” Elizabeth said. “And I shall take the cat with me. He can be a real annoyance around strangers.”

“It is a beautiful cat,” Mr Darcy offered. He leant down to stroke him, but Mr Ash immediately ran away.

“He is, but not friendly with people he does not know. I am surprised that he even entered the library with you here, Mr Darcy.”

“And he rubbed against Mr Darcy’s ankles a few times, which I have rarely seen,” Mr Bennet added.

“He must know I am fond of animals,” Mr Darcy declared, finally smiling. “Especially cats, dogs, and horses.”

“He must do. Now please excuse me. I shall leave you two gentlemen to continue your conversation,” Elizabeth said, grabbing the cat.

She took Mr Ash to her chamber, wondering about Mr Darcy’s change of manners. Apparently, her father and her cat were the gentleman’s preferred company in Hertfordshire.

Once Mr Ash was secured in her room, Elizabeth joined her mother and sisters, who were all still engaged in conversation with Mr Bingley.

The gentlemen’s visit lasted another hour, much to Jane and Mrs Bennet’s delight, and at the end, both expressed their desire to call again in a few days, much to Elizabeth’s amazement.

“Dear Jane, I can safely declare that Mr Bingley’s admiration has lasted beyond those two sets,” Mrs Bennet said after the guests had gone.

“Mama, let us not assume more than there is,” Jane answered, blushing. “Mr Bingley is the most amiable gentleman of my acquaintance and the most pleasant companion.”

“In case anyone cares, I also enjoyed spending time with Mr Darcy,” Mr Bennet interjected.

“He might not smile as much as his friend, nor does he possess the same amiable manners, but the man has a great knowledge of books. He promised to lend me two volumes published only last week. How kind is that?”

“Dear Papa, do not set your hopes too high,” Elizabeth replied. “These rich people can be rather inconstant with their favours, and he might change his mind by tomorrow.”

“I wonder when you became so proficient at judging rich people, Lizzy, since you hardly know any,” her father mocked her. “As for Mr Darcy, he seemed a gentleman whose word can be trusted. You should have more faith in one of the very few people whom your cat seems not to despise.”

“We certainly do not care much,” Mrs Bennet interjected.

“I am content for you to keep him busy while Mr Bingley calls on Jane. I welcome you enjoying Mr Darcy’s company so much since Mr Bingley seems to value his opinion highly.

He even said he decided to rent Netherfield at Mr Darcy’s suggestion.

For that, I can forgive him for calling Lizzy tolerable! ”

“We should forgive Mr Darcy for that indiscretion in any case, since he apologised to me,” Elizabeth answered. “Papa was a reliable witness.”

“Did he? How kind of him! I am sure Mr Bingley demanded he apologise as you are Jane’s sister. I am sure all was done for Jane,” Mrs Bennet concluded.

“Mama, please do not say that,” Jane murmured, though her eyes shone with joy.

“Oh, hush, girl. You do not know better than your mother! He even mentioned he would host a ball at Netherfield once he is completely settled. Why would he do that, if not to dance with you again?”

“Oh, I long for another ball!” Lydia exclaimed. “Aunt Phillips said a militia regiment is expected to arrive in Meryton next week. Can you imagine a ball with all the officers?”

“A ballroom full of officers would be the most wonderful thing,” Kitty approved, while Mr Bennet rolled his eyes.

“Oh, I always admired men in uniform in my youth,” Mrs Bennet admitted. “Hill, bring me my smelling salts — I might need them.”

The argument over Mr Bingley’s intentions continued till dinner time, and nobody could dampen Mrs Bennet’s dreams of happiness related to that gentleman.

Later on, Jane confessed to Elizabeth that her own hopes were no different, but she was attempting to keep them under good regulation in order to avoid disappointment.

“He is so amicable, so friendly, and has a lovely smile,” Jane said.

“I feel such a strange warmth when he talks to me. Am I silly? Please do not laugh at me, Lizzy. To you, I can confess such a thing, but you must keep the secret. I do not wish Mr Bingley to become distressed by our expectations when he may want nothing more than a friendship.”

“You are not silly, Jane. I like Mr Bingley too. He is also very handsome, so I allow you to like him as much as you want.”

“Did Mr Darcy truly apologise to you?”

“He did — out of nowhere. I was quite shocked. He explained to me he had been in a poor disposition, but Mr Bingley had insisted on him attending the ball and dancing against his will. Apparently, Papa understood him all too well.”

“Mr Darcy must be a good man since Mr Bingley admires and trusts him so much. I cannot approve of him offending you, but perhaps he was truly feeling unwell. If it was in his character to be unkind and uncivil, he would not have taken the trouble to apologise, would he?”

“I agree, Jane. Oh, and another extraordinary thing, Mr Ash seemed to approve of Mr Darcy too. He entered the library through the window, and he actually rubbed himself against Mr Darcy’s legs a few times.”

“Did he? How very strange!”

“Indeed. Mr Ash tolerates Papa and sleeps in the library occasionally, but no other men have been to his liking. Seemingly, he found Mr Darcy tolerable enough to tempt him. Who would have imagined that Papa and Mr Ash would see Mr Darcy differently from how we see him? Either we or they must be utterly wrong.”

“Dear Lizzy, you are as good as Papa at making sport of people, which frightens me at times,” Jane declared, laughing. On the other side of the bed, Ash miaowed once, then returned to his peaceful sleep.

***

“Mama, you will not believe what news we have!” Lydia cried as she returned from Meryton with Kitty.

“I have news too, if anyone is interested,” Mr Bennet interjected.

“What news, my dear?” Mrs Bennet addressed her daughter.

“The regiment will arrive tomorrow! Colonel Forster is already settled, and his wife Harriet is so lovely and pretty! We happened upon them in Mr Green’s shop.

She is a little bit older than me. How fortunate for her to marry a colonel.

I am sure we shall be good friends. Oh, I am greatly anticipating seeing all the officers tomorrow!

We shall go to Meryton and wait for them! ”

“We certainly shall! Mr Bennet, you must give us the carriage,” Mrs Bennet uttered.

“You may have the carriage if you wish, madam,” Mr Bennet responded.

“Just keep in mind we need a good dinner for the day after tomorrow since I am expecting a visit from my cousin. Yes, the one who will inherit Longbourn and may throw you out of the house when I am dead. A tasty dinner is the least we can do to prevent that,” he concluded, evidently amused by the shocked expressions of his wife and daughters.

“Why is that horrible man coming here, Mr Bennet?”

“To visit me, of course, Mrs Bennet. May I ask why you believe he must be horrible just because Longbourn is entailed on him by law?”

“I, for one, would never accept something that is not rightfully mine,” Mrs Bennet said.

“I agree, but nevertheless, Longbourn will be legally his when I die. So your aim should be to keep me healthy for many more years and to win Mr Collins’s friendship. He said he wishes to offer an olive branch, so you should at least ask Hill to cook him a good dinner.”

While Mr Bennet was clearly amusing himself, Mrs Bennet’s frustration visibly increased. The contradiction between the two was so striking that Elizabeth could not help smiling. Lydia and Kitty continued to talk about the regiment and the officers, but Mrs Bennet’s interest was engaged elsewhere.

“Papa, if Mr Darcy loans you those two books, do you think he might allow me to read them too?” Mary asked.

“I am not sure he will truly lend them to me in the end, my child. Let us discuss it further when and if it happens. But I am exceedingly pleased that you are showing more interest in books than in the officers. Quite a pleasant change from your younger sisters. Now, I must leave you. I shall be in my library, reading the books I already own.”

Mr Bennet retired, and Elizabeth, tired of hearing about the militia, wished for some exercise.

After walking for some time, she returned to Longbourn but was not quite ready to enter the house.

Instead, she rested in a secluded spot, just beyond the bounds of the gardens, admiring the beauty around her, coloured in shades of red and brown.

A soft breeze touched her face, and it recalled to her the summer, especially the sea, which she had dearly missed these last two years.

Mrs Gardiner had renewed the invitation for her to join them on the long-awaited journey to the Lakes the following summer.

But, as much as she loved and appreciated her uncle, Elizabeth tempered her expectations in regard to his ability to leave his business; next summer was too far away to allow herself to believe the plan might become reality.