Page 12 of Darcy in Distress (Pride and Prejudice Variation #17)

“Miss Bennet, will you not introduce me to your companion?” Mr. Bingley requested, bestowing an admiring smile on the lady.

“Thank you, Mr. Bingley. May I please introduce you to my father, Mr. Bennet, master of Longbourn. Father, Mrs. Hurst, Mr. Hurst, Mr. Bingley, and Mr. Darcy.”

The gentlemen bowed and Bingley said, “Mr. Bennet, it is a true pleasure to meet you at last. Please, will you and your daughters take a seat? I will send for tea.”

“Thank you, Mr. Bingley,” Bennet answered courteously. “I am most pleased to meet you all as well. I really must apologize for my delay in calling upon you. I fear I am rather a reclusive sort of man, and widely considered an eccentric.”

“Father spends most of his time in the library at Longbourn,” Elizabeth explained with a fond smile. “He is a most enthusiastic reader.”

“I am as well, sir,” Darcy said softly. “May I inquire as to...?”

The door to the drawing room opened again, interrupting him, and Lady Anne and Georgiana Darcy entered along with their companions, Mrs. Lockwood and Mrs. Younge.

A moment later, Wickham and Colonel Fitzwilliam stepped within as well.

The room was suddenly full of people, and Darcy found himself overwhelmed by the accompanying introductions, bows and curtsies.

This was, of course, a common enough scene for a gentleman, but he had never enjoyed hubbub and confusion, and he was worried about Georgiana’s introduction to the older Bennet daughters.

He thought well of both Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth, but Georgiana was shy.

At the very least, he ought to sit near his young sister. ..

Before his astonished eyes, Lady Anne steered Georgiana to a seat as far away from him as possible, even as she shot a reproving look at him.

It seemed that Lady Anne did not want her son hovering nervously over her daughter.

He hesitated, worried that the noise and bustle would be too much for his mother, who was still frail.

A moment later, reason asserted itself. His mother was much stronger than she had been even six months previously, and she liked the Bennets. All would be well.

“I fear my library is pathetic,” Bingley said, drawing Darcy’s attention back to his friend. “I ought to do something about that, but I confess to being an idle fellow, and I have not even read the few books I own. ”

“Your library is an excellent room for sleeping and writing letters,” Wickham said, “but there are precious few books littering its shelves.”

“Well, at least it is good for something,” Bingley returned with a chuckle. “You will find more in common with my friend Darcy, Mr. Bennet; his library at Pemberley is most impressive.”

“You are to be congratulated, then, Mr. Darcy,” the master of Longbourn said. “I believe there are few things of greater value than a library full of excellent literature.”

“I quite agree with you,” Darcy replied, eyeing Mr. Bennet uneasily. Did the master of Longbourn know of the scandal engulfing his family? Was it entirely fair to associate with the Bennet family given the whispers in London concerning his mother?

Bingley caught his eye and smiled reassuringly, and Darcy heaved out a soft sigh. Mr. Bennet was a self avowed eccentric and almost certainly did not care about such things as foolish rumors in London.

“Pemberley’s library has been the work of many generations,” Darcy said, “and I am thankful for my forefathers’ diligence in expanding it.”

“You ought to be,” Bennet agreed. “My own library was pathetic when I inherited Longbourn, but I have been adding to it for some twenty years now. I do not own many rare books, though I did pick up a moderately valuable copy of Dante’s Inferno some ten years ago.”

“Do you speak Italian?” Darcy asked, his tension melting away in his excitement over speaking with a fellow bibliophile.

“I read it moderately well, though I am certain that if I tried to form Italian syllables, a native speaker would not understand me in the least.”

“I confess I do not read Italian at all,” Darcy said, “though I do have a number of books in Latin.”

“Such as?” Bennet asked with obvious interest.

“I have many copies of Cicero’s works, for example.”

“Do you?” Bennet demanded, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. “I have only dilapidated copies of De Oratore and Brutus .”

“What think you of Brutus ...?”

Wickham grimaced comically and turned to the colonel and Bingley, remarking, “It seems our friend has found a kindred spirit. Shall we three join the ladies?”

Darcy and Bennet were now spouting Latin at one another, and Richard walked over to where the ladies were comfortably settled in a cluster of chairs and a couch, with Bingley and Wickham in pursuit .

“Do you mind if we join you?” Wickham asked politely. “Mr. Bennet and Darcy are busily chattering away in Latin, and I fear I was not a good student during my days at Cambridge. I cannot understand more than a word here and there!”

“By all means, do sit down, Richard, Mr. Bingley, Mr. Wickham,” Lady Anne said, gesturing toward the open seats. Elizabeth smiled at Wickham as he sat down next to her. Bingley, naturally enough, sat down next to Jane, and Colonel Fitzwilliam took his place next to Georgiana.

“I do hope you are able to visit Astley’s Amphitheater again, Miss Darcy,” Elizabeth said, picking up the thread of the previous conversation. “I know that it is supposed to be meant more for children, but I have been there twice, and I appreciated it more at seventeen than I did at eleven!”

“Why was that, do you think?” Wickham asked curiously, his eyes dwelling on Elizabeth’s pretty face and winsome expression.

“I think it was because when I was eleven, it seemed more like magic than anything else. During the second visit, I was more appreciative of the skill and artistry involved in the performances. The acrobats alone – when you consider how long they must study and practice to manage such incredible balancing feats! ”

“I think I would enjoy the horses the best,” Georgiana confided. “I absolutely adore riding but cannot imagine standing on the back of a horse and picking up handkerchiefs and the like.”

“It is amazing !” Jane agreed. “I consider myself a reasonably competent equestrienne, but I could never fathom such acrobatic feats on a moving horse!”

“Do you enjoy horseback riding, Miss Elizabeth?” Wickham asked.

Elizabeth turned toward the man at her side and shook her head decidedly. “No, Jane and my sister Lydia are the riders in the family. I prefer to walk around on my own two feet.”

“But horses are so much faster,” Wickham protested.

“If I wish to go fast, I can ride in a carriage. If I am on Longbourn land, I wish to enjoy nature without the distraction of clinging to a heaving, snorting mass of horseflesh beneath me.”

“I am quite in agreement with you, Miss Elizabeth,” Lady Anne said, accepting a cup of tea from Mrs. Hurst with a smile of thanks. “It is far easier to observe the glories of nature while walking. Regrettably, my health has been indifferent for some years, though I have grown stronger of late. ”

“Nor is it possible to see much of Pemberley on foot,” Bingley observed, though he kept his eyes on Jane’s lovely face. “The park is ten miles around.”

“It sounds marvelous!” Elizabeth exclaimed.

“It is indeed,” Wickham agreed warmly. “The formal gardens, too, are most remarkable, especially the rose gardens.”

“My mother planned them some years ago,” Georgiana said shyly. “They are quite lovely.”

“We have a truly gifted head gardener,” Lady Anne agreed. “Not only does he keep all the lands well maintained, he has a special skill with roses. We have some remarkable hybrids…”

Darcy, who was now engaged in an erudite discussion of Plato’s Republic , glanced over toward the ladies and found himself smiling.

Both Darcy ladies looked comfortable, and Georgiana was actually talking, which was rare for such a shy girl.

Lady Anne was entirely right. The eldest Misses Bennet were obviously excellent companions for his shy little sister.

A moment later, he found his gaze shifting to focus on Miss Elizabeth’s piquant, animated face.

He felt a strange lurch in his heart. She was so beautiful, so vivacious, far more so than her more sedate elder sister.

He had never felt such attraction toward a young woman.

/

“Mr. Darcy is a remarkable scholar!” Mr. Bennet exclaimed as the Longbourn carriage carried the threesome back home. “Really, Elizabeth, I cannot thank you enough for forcing me to visit Bingley. I have not had such a pleasurable discussion with a gentleman in many years!”

“You told Father to visit Mr. Bingley?” Jane asked in surprise. “Why?”

Elizabeth cast an indignant look at her father, who merely grinned, and said in a dignified tone, “I told Father he ought to visit the master of Netherfield since the gentleman might well become your husband, and it would be embarrassing if their first meeting occurred when Mr. Bingley asked for your hand in marriage.”

“Lizzy!” Jane exclaimed, blushing furiously. “We do not know one another well enough to even think of marriage yet!”

“Your mother thought of your wedding the moment she heard Mr. Bingley’s name,” Mr. Bennet pointed out. “It was reasonable enough a request, and I enjoyed myself thoroughly. Mr. Darcy has read Plato’s Republic in Greek! Remarkable. ”

“I am glad that we introduced you to such a literary gentleman, Papa,” Elizabeth said. “Miss Darcy is charming as well, though I think she is quite shy.”

“I agree, although it seemed she grew more comfortable with us over the course of our visit,” Jane offered.

“I am sure you will find this quite interesting, Papa. The topic of romantic literature was canvassed at some length, and both Lady Anne and Miss Darcy consider Olivia Bluebell a reasonably gifted novelist, though not, of course, quite as skilled as Frances Burney and Maria Edgeworth.”

Mr. Bennet laughed and shook his head. “I refuse to be cast down by that. Miss Edgeworth and Miss Burney both are far more serious about the craft than I am.”

“It is merely a matter of taste, I think,” Elizabeth said seriously. “Your work has a lighter tone than those ladies.”

“Will you use your current pen name for your next book?” Jane asked.

“That is an excellent question, my dear. On the one hand, Olivia Bluebell is moderately well known, which will increase preliminary sales. On the other hand, this book is so very different from my previous novels that some buyers will be disappointed by it if they purchase it expecting a gentle romance. I will speak to my publisher and see what he advises.”

/

Darcy forked a bite of roast pheasant into his mouth and looked around the dinner table with contentment.

It had been many years since he had felt so at peace, partly because of his cousin Richard’s assurance of his support against the Earl of Matlock, partly because his precious mother and sister were so relaxed and cheerful.

“The Misses Bennet are such comfortable ladies,” Georgiana said, her eyes glowing with happiness. “Oh Mother, thank you for introducing me to them!”

Lady Anne shot a triumphant look at her son and smiled up into the face of her slightly taller daughter. “I am glad you think so, my dear. I find them delightful as well. Did you enjoy your discussion with Mr. Bennet, Fitzwilliam?”

“I did,” Darcy confirmed. “Mr. Bennet is very well read, and he has invited me to borrow a few volumes from his library, which is generous.”

“Then I am most thankful to Mr. Bennet,” Bingley commented with a smirk. “Do not think I have missed your look of disdain every time we pass the door into the library.”

“It is a travesty to be certain,” Wickham declared solemnly. “I have an elegant and simple solution, however; you could rename the room. It has no right to be called a library, but it is a charming apartment. Perhaps, the Paneled Room?”

“I like that idea,” Lady Anne said happily. “The Paneled Room is dull, though. We ought to be more creative. Perhaps the Peacock Room?”

Bingley stared at his guest in confusion. “Peacocks, Madam? I have not been in that room much, but I do not remember anything about peacocks.”

“There are no birds of any kind,” the lady agreed cheerfully, “but that matters not. It is a memorable name, and if necessary, you can acquire a peacock painting. Do think of my poor son, Mr. Bingley. ‘Tis too cruel of you to continue calling that room a library!”

Darcy laughed along with the others, though inwardly he marveled at the sight of his mother and sister chatting comfortably, very much at peace.