Page 7 of Darcy’s Guarded Heart

Darcy

“W hat a lovely night,” Bingley said as their carriage rumbled away from the assembly and back towards Netherfield. “The air is so much fresher in the country than in town. And look, you can see all the stars. There is not a cloud in the sky; the moon is guiding our way.”

Darcy sighed in exasperation, for he knew well what Bingley’s reverie meant. He had seen it before. Bingley had a tendency to become enamoured of a charming young lady, though never so swiftly as now.

“Charles, will you cease?” Caroline said. “I am not inclined to indulge in poetry this evening.”

“Caroline, you seem to have little regard for nature’s beauty,” Bingley said.

“Leave him be,” Mr Hurst said as he crossed his arms and nuzzled into the side of the carriage. “Young Mr Bingley has fallen in love,” he said, eliciting disapproving murmurs from Louisa and Caroline.

“And so what if I have?” Bingley said. “Miss Jane Bennet is beautiful—she is kindness itself, with a tender heart, keen wit, and the grace of true refinement.”

“And you know all this after two dances?” Caroline asked sharply.

“Two dances and an hour-long conversation. Can you not share in my happiness?”

“I think we are concerned. It is never good to give your heart away to someone you barely know,” Darcy warned.

“You are only dubious because you do not care for her brother.”

“He is not her brother,” Darcy said sharply. “The fact that he conceals this from us…”

“Did he? I recall him telling us that he is Mr Bennet and lives at Longbourn, and that there are five lovely young ladies there. All of that seems accurate,” Bingley said.

Darcy wasn’t sure why, but it bothered him that Bingley was defending the young man. He wasn’t wrong. Mr Thomas Bennet had never declared himself master of Longbourn, or indeed referred to the young ladies as his sisters. Still, there had been a deception there; he had allowed them to assume…

“All we are saying,” Louisa said now, putting on her most sensible voice, “is that you should tread carefully. You do not know her. You do not want to lose your heart and your head just yet. We are to be here for months upon months; there is plenty of time to get to know her.”

“Indeed,” Darcy said. “And many other young ladies wish to dance with you,” he reminded.

“You are one to talk. You danced only with Louisa and Caroline. It was rather uncharitable of you to deny other ladies the opportunity to dance,” Bingley said.

Darcy looked out of the window. “I was not in the proper frame of mind.”

“I must say, it was rather ungracious of you to refuse to dance with Miss Bennet, Darcy,” Bingley continued.

Darcy curled his hands into fists and tightened his shoulders. He did not take kindly to such insinuations, and it was rare for Bingley to rebuke him. Although he wasn’t necessarily wrong in saying what he did.

“Did she truly not meet with your approval?”

“She was tolerable,” Darcy said. “Not handsome enough to tempt me. But tolerable. But you know I do not like strangers.”

“Acquaintance must begin somewhere if one hopes for friendship,” Bingley said.

“Good heavens, he is at it again,” Louisa remarked, “our brother the philosopher.”

“Love will do that to a man,” Mr Hurst mumbled, causing the ladies to look at each other in amusement.

“Well, I shall take your advice and get to know the lady better. Starting this very Friday. We have all been invited to a tea at the home of Sir William and Lady Lucas. Anyone who is anyone in Meryton will be there.”

“So, just it will be just us and the Lucases?” Caroline asked, and her sister and Mr Hurst chuckled.

Darcy said nothing on the matter and simply looked outside.

It still bothered him that Miss Bennet had overheard their conversation earlier.

He regretted nothing of what he had said, but still, he knew he should have been more discreet.

“I do expect all of you to be in attendance,” Bingley said. “You too, Darcy.”

He turned and nodded. “Very well, I shall. But do be aware that next weekend I am going into London to fetch Georgiana and Mrs Annesley. I will not be available for whatever social excursions you have planned.”

“Dear Georgiana,” Caroline said, “It will be such a delight to have her here. I always think of her as a younger sister,” she said, and looked at Darcy, who regarded her without blinking. He knew what the comment meant but also understood that it would be best not to respond.

“How old is she now? Sixteen?” Louisa asked.

Darcy shook his head. “She is seventeen. She will be eighteen in May.”

“Time certainly flies,” Caroline mused. “I remember when she was just a tiny little girl. And now it’s almost time for her coming-out ball. Have arrangements been made, Mr Darcy?”

Darcy shook his head. “Not yet. My aunt will take charge of it, I’m sure.”

“It will be grand,” Caroline said. “A coming-out ball for Miss Darcy. It will be a society event. You should hold it in London. A shame Darcy House does not have a ballroom. But perhaps you can find a suitable venue.”

“Oh, I am certain of it,” Louisa agreed, and the two ladies went off on a planning expedition of their own, leaving Darcy to his peace and quiet.

For the rest of the journey, the men were left to their own devices, Bingley lost in thoughts of his enchanting Miss Jane Bennet, and Darcy fretting about what such a connection would mean for Bingley.

Mr Hurst, meanwhile, had taken a journey of his own to the land of nod.

By the time they arrived, the two ladies were still talking about Georgiana’s upcoming debut when Darcy spotted a carriage pulling away.

“Were you expecting a visitor, Bingley?” he asked, and Charles shook his head.

“No, I was not.” He looked at his sisters, then the carriage, and as they alighted, the party of five made their way to the front door.

Immediately upon arrival, the butler cleared his throat. “Mr Bingley, sir, a caller is here. It’s Miss Darcy and her attendant.”

“Georgiana?” Darcy said, utterly confused. What was his sister doing here? “Where are they?”

“The footman has seen to the attendant. The young lady is in the drawing-room,” the butler replied.

“Oh, we must say hello,” Caroline said, clapping her hands, and immediately set off into the drawing-room.

Darcy followed and overtook her by a nose length to find his sister sitting by the fire, her eyes closed.

She was still in her travelling outfit, her bonnet sitting on the chair beside her, but upon hearing the commotion, she opened her eyes and smiled, flying into his arms.

“William, there you are!” She embraced her brother, inhaling the sweet tones of rose that came from the perfume she always wore. She had inherited several bottles from their mother and taken to wearing them over the last couple of years.

“What are you doing here?” he asked before she could answer. Caroline and Louisa embraced her, and soon the gentlemen greeted her with practiced bows.

“Oh, I could not bear to stay at Darcy House any longer. I was so very bored, and Caroline’s letters sounded so delightful.

I could not wait to come. Besides, Aunt Catherine is in London.

She has monopolised all of my time, and I must say I found it rather tiresome. All she talks about is you and Anne.”

Darcy closed his eyes. Would his aunt ever give up her pursuit of making a match between him and Anne?

“You should have sent a message ahead, Georgiana. I would have stayed here and awaited you.” And avoided the unfortunate run-in with the family, he thought to himself but didn’t say it.

“I did,” she replied, a little perturbed.

Bingley nodded and held up a piece of paper. “Here it is. It seems it arrived while we were out. Well, I, for one, am very grateful for it,” he said. “The more, the better.”

“I agree,” Caroline said. “A young lady of excellent breeding at last,” she added, taking Georgiana’s arm with a pleased smile.

“Were there no ladies of distinction at the assembly tonight?” Georgiana asked. “The housekeeper told us about it when we arrived.”

“There are certainly ladies of distinction,” Darcy said. “But we do not know them well yet, so it is much preferable that we stick to our own company for now.”

“There is certainly one lady of quality,” Bingley said, and Darcy noted that his tone indicated he was upset by what had been said.

“Oh, and pray what is her name?” she asked.

“Bennet. Jane Bennet. And you will meet her, because we have been invited to a gathering at one of the local knight’s homes,” Bingley said, and Georgiana’s eyes grew wide.

“I can come? Even though I have not yet had my coming out ball?” she asked, glancing at Darcy, who felt the weight of the accusation in her gaze.

He had postponed her debutante ball, not quite ready to let his little sister enter the world of courtship that would lead to him losing her.

Besides, he did not trust the men in their society to treat her with as much care as she deserved.

He had already had one bad experience in that regard, after all.

A year and a half ago, his father’s ward, an insufferable gentleman by the name of George Wickham, had prevailed upon Darcy to give him a loan so he could study the law.

He had already spent all the money Mr Darcy had given him as part of his inheritance.

Darcy, hoping to be rid of the man, had obliged, only to find out later that Mr Wickham had rather darker plans.

During his visit—much to Georgiana’s delight, as she had always been fond of Wickham for reasons Darcy could not decipher—he had planned to charm Georgiana, then barely sixteen.

If it hadn’t been for the honesty of Wickham’s would-be accomplice, Mrs Young, who once served the family as a lady’s maid, Wickham might have succeeded.

As it stood, Darcy had been able to dispatch him under threat of violence if he ever came near his sister again, all without Georgiana being any the wiser.

His sister still lamented the loss of her friendship with Mr Wickham and sometimes blamed Darcy for it, but he would rather have her remain blissfully unaware of the calamity she had managed to evade, even if it meant her being a little angry at him.

“Oh, I look forward to it. I am so glad I brought some of my best gowns with me. Miss Bingley, Miss Hurst, you will help me look my best, yes?”

“But of course,” Caroline said. “And please, if I have told you once, I have told you a hundred times—call me Caroline—and this is Louisa.”

Georgiana beamed as she sat with the ladies to discuss their looks for the gathering at Lucas Lodge.

Though Darcy had to admit, he had no wish for Georgiana to be so publicly displayed. She had already proven herself to be lovely and beautiful, but the public adored her too much, and it was difficult to know where to go next.