Page 12 of Superior Connections

D arcy rode around the land surrounding Netherfield for more than an hour. He held the reins loosely, giving his horse its head. As his torment calmed and his mind cleared, he decided on the next step. He would leave Hertfordshire the next morning; there was no point in him staying longer. But before then, there were things he needed to do, as unpleasant as they might be.

As if reading his mind, his horse took him close to the spot where he had found Elizabeth. He dismounted and walked around, smiling at the image of her pretty face, flushed and dirty. The sensation of holding her in his arms, of her arms around his neck, her scent, and her warmth were so vivid they had become impregnated on his own being. His regrets for what could have been were deep; if Bingley’s feelings were anywhere near as strong as his, knowing he could have been engaged to the woman he loved and then losing her all of a sudden must be agonising.

With one last look about, Darcy jumped back into the saddle and pulled the reins to the right.

He had lost track of time when he arrived in front of Longbourn, and he hoped it was an appropriate hour for a call. He tied up his horse, then took a moment to compose himself before he knocked.

“Mr Darcy?”

Elizabeth’s voice startled him, and his heart began to race.

“Miss Bennet.” He bowed, and they waited, facing each other.

“I was taking a turn in the garden,” she explained.

“I assume your ankle is better?”

“Very much so, thank you.”

“Miss Bennet, forgive me for intruding. I shall leave Netherfield tomorrow, and I hoped I might secure a few moments to talk to you and Lady Rosseford. I wish to do so not only for myself but also for Bingley, and probably your sister.”

“I am not… I shall ask Lady Rosseford. Would you like to come in? Yes, of course you would — you cannot wait here. My father is in the library. My mother and sisters are in the drawing room.”

She seemed as nervous as he was, rubbing her hands together.

“If it is not too much of an imposition, I would rather speak to your father while I wait.”

“Of course. I shall show you to the library.”

He nodded and followed her. He had so many things to tell her, but no words seemed appropriate.

Mr Bennet looked surprised but pleased to see him but became thoughtful when he revealed the reason for his visit.

“Papa, I am going to speak to Aunt Dorothea,” Elizabeth said.

“Is there any particular reason you wish to talk to my aunt? Can I not help you?” Mr Bennet enquired.

“No, sir. I have… There was a little incident last evening, and Lady Rosseford and Miss Elizabeth heard a certain conversation that I feel must be clarified before I return to London.”

“Ah. Very well, then,” he replied. “May I offer you a drink, Mr Darcy?”

“No, thank you, sir. I drank too much and slept too little last night.”

“I imagine we all did. So, you leave tomorrow? Together with Mr Bingley and his family?”

“Yes.”

“And will you return to Hertfordshire soon? Mr Bingley said he would only stay in London for a week.”

“I am not… I intend to spend Christmas with my sister in London. I am not aware of Bingley’s plans.”

It was not long before Elizabeth returned, and, to Darcy’s surprise and relief, Lady Rosseford accompanied her.

“Mr Darcy,” the lady said sternly.

“Your ladyship. I thank you for your time,” he replied, bowing to her with formal politeness.

“Well then, since you have things to discuss, I shall take my book elsewhere,” Mr Bennet uttered. “Unless my presence is needed.”

“I believe it would be better if I gave you a brief explanation of the whole story later,” Elizabeth suggested.

“Brief stories are my favourites,” the gentleman declared.

After Mr Bennet had closed the door behind him, an awkward silence enveloped the other three. The ladies sat, and Darcy remained standing until Elizabeth invited him to sit too.

Lady Rosseford’s sharp and cold gaze pierced him, and her handsome face was set in a frown.

“Mr Darcy, it is quite a surprise to see you here. I did not expect a proud man like you to willingly engage in another discussion with me.”

“I might be proud and at times arrogant and presumptuous, but I hope I am not so vain as to allow my errors to hurt other people without trying to make amends.”

“I feel this might well describe both you and me,” the lady said. “Since you came all the way here, I shall listen to what you have to say.”

“I have come to apologise on behalf of myself and others involved in last night’s incident. But, most importantly, I wish to beg you not to punish Bingley for my or his sisters’ behaviour. His only fault was that his admiration induced him to act less prudently than he should have. He genuinely believes himself in love with Miss Bennet. Even if my doubts are valid, Bingley did not try to trifle with your niece, and he did not feign admiration and affection for his own gain. He was honest about what he believed he felt, and if he had proposed, he would have done it with an open heart, even if the consequences may have been less than desirable.”

Lady Rosseford looked thoughtful, and so did Elizabeth.

“So you are trying to excuse your attempt to separate your friend from my niece while protecting him from the shame of being weak, shallow, and undecided. You are a clever man, Mr Darcy, but not cleverer than me.”

“My actions have been foolish on more than one occasion, so I cannot pretend to be clever. And I certainly am not trying to compare myself with your ladyship. I shall accept any humiliation from you — considering your connection to my family — if that is the price of protecting my friend.”

“You are a loyal friend, Mr Darcy. I shall grant you that. And a considerate man. We are all grateful that you saved Elizabeth, and I wish you to tell me how I can repay you. But one noble act does not excuse the other hurtful ones. One requires compensation, which I am more than happy to pay. The others require condemnation.”

“You wish to pay me? For bringing Miss Elizabeth home?” Darcy repeated, hardly controlling his anger. “I do not believe I deserve such censure nor such offence.”

“Indeed you do not, sir!” Elizabeth interjected, her voice slightly raised. “And I am sure my aunt did not mean it and already regrets her words. I shall be forever indebted and grateful to you for helping me with so much kindness, even if I cannot easily forget the conversation I heard last night that was so hurtful to my family.”

“I understand that, Miss Elizabeth. I shall ask for that payment Lady Rosseford mentioned, though, in the form of a little more time to explain myself in regard to what you heard.”

“Very well,” Elizabeth said, while Lady Rosseford remained silent.

“Thank you. I shall not deny anything I told Bingley. Disguise of every sort has always been my abhorrence, and I take responsibility even when I am wrong. I do believe Bingley was charmed by Miss Bennet — a woman who is exceedingly beautiful and possesses a nature as alluring as her manners. Most men would have fallen in love with her. My friend is young and easily impressed, and yes, I have seen him fall in love a few times before. Is his admiration and affection for Miss Bennet different? It might be, but I cannot be sure, and I fear he cannot be either, considering they have been acquainted for less than two months.”

He paused. Lady Rosseford said nothing, but Elizabeth replied, “I agree with you, sir. It is better to discover the strength of one’s feelings before becoming engaged, in order to avoid pain and sorrow.”

“Precisely. As for Miss Bennet, Lady Rosseford said her affection for Bingley is deep and genuine, and I have no reason to doubt it. But from afar, to someone who hardly knows Miss Bennet’s nature, her sentiments were not so obvious. So I was genuinely worried for my friend. A marriage in which one partner brings more affection than the other, or there is no true affection on either side, cannot be anything other than objectionable.”

“Again, I agree with you, Mr Darcy. I believe we should have the same concerns regarding Jane.”

“Thank you. One last thing. I shall not deny that more than once I disapproved of breaches of decorum I witnessed from Mrs Bennet and the youngest Miss Bennets. I disapproved of their manners just as they disapproved of mine. I have accepted their criticism and their ill opinion of me, and I apologise if my opinion offended them. However, I stand by my judgment.”

“That is a fair statement,” Lady Rosseford finally replied. “So, Mr Darcy, Elizabeth agrees with you on two important aspects. And, if I accept that Jane has strong feelings for Mr Bingley, we should consider her well-being as much as you have considered your friend’s. What do you expect us to do now regarding this matter? We cannot pretend nothing happened and cannot accept the risk of a marriage that might hurt one or both of them.”

“But we cannot forbid it either,” Elizabeth interjected decidedly. “Mr Bingley is leaving for London soon, and we shall also go there after Christmas. I suggest Lady Rosseford offers Mr Bingley the chance to call on us in January if he wishes to. There is a whole month before then for him to search his heart and determine his wishes.”

“I agree,” Lady Rosseford said. “Once in town, you and Jane will also meet new people, and she will have the opportunity to compare Mr Bingley with other gentlemen and to understand her own feelings and desires. If their affection is genuine, it will last and will end in an engagement. If not — as Elizabeth said — it is best to know before any understanding is reached.”

Darcy was surprised by the unexpected resolution of a situation that had seemed insurmountable.

“Thank you,” he simply said. “I am sure Bingley will call to take his farewell, and he would be happy to know you will welcome his visit in London.”

“Then it is done. I shall go and rest now,” Lady Rosseford said. “You are a persuasive man, Mr Darcy. And clever. I stand by that statement. I only have one question. Something you have not clarified and I am curious about.”

He frowned, unable to imagine what she was referring to.

“What could your ladyship possibly mean?”

“Miss Bingley said something about you disapproving of Elizabeth’s beauty, which is no secret to any of us, having heard about your remark at the assembly. But what about the part about you finding Elizabeth pretty and being charmed by her eyes? Do you know anything about that, Elizabeth?”

Elizabeth turned crimson, her embarrassment obvious, and even Darcy’s cheeks warmed slightly. The lady was waiting; she seemed unsatisfied with how much she had humiliated him already and was looking for new ways to heighten his embarrassment.

He, however, sensed the opportunity and grasped it. If he was to be further humiliated, at least he would make sure Elizabeth knew the truth before they separated.

“I shall explain it, if Miss Elizabeth will allow me to. I do not wish to make her uneasy.”

“Well, sir, I cannot be more embarrassed than I already am, so please explain and be done with it. If it is not too uncomfortable for you, of course,” Elizabeth answered. The tightness in his heart eased as he noted a trace of teasing in her reply.

“Very well. As I said, I never denied my actions or my words. Miss Bingley referred to a situation that occurred a few weeks ago, at a party at Lucas Lodge, which we all attended.”

“I remember it,” Elizabeth said.

“I was talking to Sir William and told him about my dislike of dancing, but somehow, I ended up asking Miss Elizabeth to stand up with me, and she rejected me. I would say she even mocked me with her refusal. I was amused by her answer and was reflecting upon it when Miss Bingley came upon me and enquired about the subject of my reverie. She assumed I was uncomfortable with the company and the party itself, so I indulged her and explained I was thinking of how lovely a pair of fine eyes on the face of a lovely and witty lady could be. That was all.”

He ended his narration looking at Elizabeth, whose cheeks were brightened by a wave of redness, and her eyes — pretty and sparkling — were staring at him, surprised and doubtful; her lips were parted slightly, and she seemed to have forgotten to breathe.

He smiled, then turned to Lady Rosseford, whose shocked expression amused him. It was the first time she had seemed lost for words, and his satisfaction was not insignificant.

“Is there anything else I might clarify for your ladyship?”

“No…nothing else.”

“Lady Rosseford, one more thing. Please be advised that George Wickham, as charming and friendly as he might appear, should not be allowed unsupervised near young women, especially those who happen to have wealthy relatives.”

He could see the lady’s eyebrows frowning and Elizabeth’s face turning pale.

“Do not worry, Mr Darcy. At my age, I am not easily impressed by charming manners.”

“I am sure you are not. It is not your ladyship I am concerned about but Miss Lydia and Miss Catherine and others of similar age.”

“I understand your advice and will take it into consideration.”

“Then allow me to thank you again before I leave for offering me the chance to explain myself. Bingley and I shall call tomorrow for a proper farewell. That is if we are not intruding.”

“We shall be happy to see you and Mr Bingley tomorrow, Mr Darcy,” Elizabeth answered.