Page 12 of The Painting (Pride and Prejudice Variation)
Bingley moved to a chair and collapsed into it like he had lost all his strength. He was silent for a long time.
Outside, the storm had begun, the rain hitting the roof and the wind rattling the windows, while thunder and lightning crossed the sky.
“And why are you telling me this now, Darcy?”
“I had to. To be honest, I planned to tell you this summer at Pemberley, but I had no right to prolong this deception. I felt you must know, so you can decide how to proceed further. Was I wrong?”
“No… I am not certain. This is so unexpected…Everything seems to have changed now… I must think about it…”
“Yes… And…”
“And? Is there more?”
“Until today, I believed that was all. But earlier I happened upon Miss Elizabeth Bennet. It was a shock for me too, so we did not speak much. You see, we are not quite on friendly terms. But I believe Miss Jane Bennet might be here too.”
Bingley almost jumped to his feet. “Here? What do you mean here? Do you know where? What are they doing here?”
“To all these questions, I have only one answer. I was told they are staying at Crawford Cottage. It is the fifth house from this one, to the left.”
“Here? The fifth house? How did you meet Miss Bennet? Never mind… So you are not certain if the eldest Miss Bennet is here too?”
“No, I am not.”
“Well, then…”
The rain was falling heavily and Bingley shrugged.
“There is not much we can do now. We could not possibly call in this weather. But…Do you think I could go and enquire after them? Just out of politeness? After all, I was well acquainted with their family. Do you think she would mind? If she is here, of course.”
Bingley’s perturbed state was the best proof that his feelings for Miss Bennet had not diminished in the last eight months; they had only been deeply buried under sadness and regret.
Darcy was relieved that his confession, although late, was not useless.
He could not offer Bingley any ill-grounded hopes but avoided discouraging him either.
“A friendly call is always welcome. And if you meet Miss Jane Bennet, I am certain she will indicate to you whether she desires to see you again or not.”
“Yes…Very likely…Will you come with me?”
“I am not certain. As I said, I suspect Miss Elizabeth’s opinion of me is rather ill and I might be an obstacle in your way to renewing your acquaintance with them. I trust you will do very well on your own.”
“Very well. The fifth house, you said?”
“The fifth house. And Bingley, I am truly very sorry for all the distress I have caused you.”
“Do not worry. Thank you for letting me know. Who would have imagined that Miss Bennet could be in Brighton? Is it not a happy coincidence that you asked me to come here?”
“It is. A happy and most astonishing coincidence.”
“Indeed. I am quite hungry. Do you think dinner is ready? And Darcy, tell me again, how did you meet Miss Elizabeth?”
The conversation continued in the same manner, as well as the storm. Bingley’s spirits seemed to lighten with every passing hour and, instead of being angry for the deception he had suffered as Darcy rightfully expected, he seemed anxious and eager to make plans for the next day.
While watching Bingley’s joyful restlessness, Darcy admitted once again that his friend’s loyalty and kind heart was more than he deserved.
∞∞∞
Moments after they arrived home, two events made Elizabeth’s turmoil complete: the storm that suddenly sprang up and an unexpected visit from Mrs Forster, Lydia and Kitty, together with Wickham and Lieutenant Denny.
The sight of Darcy—who had seemed to appear from nowhere—embracing Mrs Norwood, made her dizzy, and in vain she struggled to recover.
She was grateful that the storm had given her an excuse to leave, but her mind remained fixed upon that image.
So he was in Brighton. Probably with Mr Bingley—which meant Jane had indeed seen him.
Was it his close acquaintance with Mrs Norwood that had brought him here?
Who was she to him, since she openly embraced him, even in front of her children?
Countless questions that she fought to dismiss were spinning in her head and she hoped for some privacy to regain her composure.
The appearance of the visitors—unannounced, careless, declaring they had been in the neighbourhood and decided to call on them briefly—irritated her so much that she could barely act politely.
And worst of all was Wickham, who sat next to her and repeatedly expressed his delight in seeing her again.
Mrs Forster, as thoughtless as Lydia and Kitty, showed no concern for being in an unknown place and spoke with a determination that admitted no opposition.
“My dear Miss Bennets—all of you! And Mrs Gardiner. I must have your word that you will attend our ball! It is three weeks tomorrow. I have invited plenty of officers and I must provide them with enough pretty ladies to dance with!”
“Indeed, I must add my plea!” Wickham interjected. “Furthermore, I would like to ask for the pleasure of a set with each of you.”
“I will discuss it with my nieces and send you our answer later tonight, Mrs Forster,” Mrs Gardiner assured her.
“Yes, Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth said the same, but I have received no answer yet. So, I took it upon myself to come in person. And to thank you for letting Kitty stay with us. I am having so much fun with her and Lydia. I would be truly bored without them!”
“And us, without you!” Lydia replied.
There was not much to be done to temper such exclamations, to which Mrs Crawford only raised an eyebrow from the doorway.
Fortunately, the rain stopped a little, enough for the party to take their leave.
Wickham threw Elizabeth another smile that she had once found to be charming, but she did not even bother to return it.
As soon as the guests left, the ladies returned to their chambers and only then did Elizabeth have time to temper her ire and to bring a bit of order to her tormenting thoughts. Then she related to a completely astonished Jane her extraordinary meeting with Mr Darcy.
The coincidence was debated at length with their aunt too, late after dinner. With Kitty gone, Mary had more time to spend with her cousins, allowing Mrs Gardiner a little more liberty.
Mr Darcy was a subject of great interest for all three ladies, although for different reasons. Mrs Gardiner was touched by his connection to Derbyshire and Lambton—the village where she had grown up as a child—while Jane secretly hoped that Mr Darcy’s friend was in the area too.
Elizabeth failed to understand the whirl of emotions that captured her and made her feel increasingly trapped. Again and again, she wondered why the notion of Mr Darcy embracing someone else troubled her so much—but that question, like many others, remained unanswered.