Page 32 of To Go Against Her Heart (Pride and Prejudice Variation)

As the introductions were made, Elizabeth found it difficult to judge who felt the greater discomfort in the present situation. Darcy seemed outwardly composed, yet she sensed a quiet unease beneath his demeanor. Mr. Bingley looked completely distraught, and his eyes searched for Jane.

“I was just telling your uncle, Miss Elizabeth, that I was unaware of your sister’s...I mean…I was unaware of you calling on us, and I apologize sincerely for this misunderstanding. I should have called on you earlier.”

Elizabeth nodded, and Mr. Gardiner sent word for Jane.

When Darcy looked at Elizabeth, she met his eyes with a smile.

At that moment, he knew he had done the right thing to accompany his friend that morning.

Though Mr. Bingley was surprised to see Georgiana join them, he understood she was eager to make Elizabeth’s acquaintance.

Now he sat in anticipation of Jane’s arrival and knew that it would not be easy for her to forgive him, although he had no part in his sister’s schemes.

Elizabeth understood within a few moments that Georgiana was no different from her brother when it came to conversing with new acquaintances. However, she perceived that the visit was prompted by a genuine regard, and not merely for her brother’s sake.

“It is kind of you to call on us, Miss Darcy; I have heard so much about you,” Elizabeth said, and she could not believe the young girl had suffered so much in life because of Wickham.

“I wish we had known about your presence in town earlier; I always wanted to make your acquaintance,” Georgiana said with a smile.

“I hear you are very fond of music and play very well.”

“Yes, I am exceedingly fond of music and devote much time to its practice. My brother did mention that you play beautifully, and I would love to hear you play,” she said, and their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Jane and Mrs. Gardiner.

All eyes were on Jane and Mr. Bingley to see how they reacted to each other, and Elizabeth was worried about her sister.

But to her relief, Jane handled the meeting graciously, though she was startled, she did not show her unease.

But seeing the once confident Mr. Bingley struggle in her presence was a pity.

Without wasting time, Mr. Bingley sincerely apologized for being unaware of Jane’s presence in town.

Jane looked at him in shock. However, she had no intention of questioning him about his sister’s actions in the matter.

As surprised as she was by his visit, the realization that he had never sought to avoid her made her heart feel unexpectedly light.

Jane could also see plainly that Miss Bingley’s picture of him and Georgiana was done for her own benefit.

As much as Mr. Bingley wanted to take his seat by Jane as before, he was ashamed to take the liberty. He regretted his hasty actions in leaving Hertfordshire and knew very well that he had hurt Jane beyond measure. He sat beside Mrs. Gardiner and looked longingly at her niece.

Darcy and Elizabeth had not spoken to each other since his arrival. However, he was glad to see that Georgiana felt comfortable in Elizabeth’s company. He admired how Elizabeth allowed Georgiana to take her time to venture into a conversation, not pressing her beyond her comfort.

“I understand from your brother that you love to read.”

“Oh! Yes, I do! I cannot tell you how upset I was to understand that I missed meeting you at the bookstore,” she said, and Elizabeth laughed. Georgiana observed her brother’s smile as he noticed Elizabeth’s laughter and, for the first time, realized that he may have fallen in love with her.

“If you miss an opportunity to visit a bookstore, I am certain you have a compelling reason to be upset,” Elizabeth said, and Darcy finally found a chance to join their conversation.

“My sister enjoys poetry as much as you do,” he said.

“I am certain she takes after you,” she replied, smiling.

“Miss Elizabeth, I would like to invite you to our home for tea tomorrow. I hope you can visit us along with your sister, aunt, and uncle,” Georgiana invited, stressing each word.

Elizabeth looked at Darcy in surprise, and he took the opportunity to invite her uncle and aunt to tea the next day. Mr. Bingley seemed to be already aware of his intentions. Though surprised, Mr. Gardiner agreed, and Georgiana was elated to hear the same.

The party took leave after some time, and Mr. Bingley struggled to depart from Jane without revealing his true feelings. Her countenance, masked with shock and unease, tortured him.

As for Darcy, he did not want to leave without thanking Elizabeth.

“Thank you for accepting my sister’s invitation. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow,” he said, and she nodded.

Her aunt and uncle observed them keenly, and Mrs. Gardiner could not misjudge Darcy’s attention toward her niece.

Now I realize why she was unsettled when I mentioned him, her aunt thought.

Georgiana held Elizabeth’s hand and bid goodbye, filled with excitement at the prospect of seeing her at their home.

As the carriage left, Jane looked at Elizabeth and raised her eyebrow, demanding an explanation.

“I apologize, Jane. I met Mr. Darcy at the bookstore yesterday, and he informed me that Mr. Bingley was unaware of our presence in town.”

“And why did you not tell me this?” asked Jane in shock.

“I wanted to, but…”

“You did not want to disappoint me again, did you? Is that right?” She interrupted, and Elizabeth nodded.

“But…but I do not understand this; as you suspected, was his sister the sole reason for him being unaware of my visit?”

“It is quite evident that she is the one to blame. I felt sorry for him as he apologized.”

“Lizzy, I have often thought about it, and his visit has also made me think about the same subject again. Could Miss Bingley have been the reason for his leaving Netherfield in haste?”

“I do not doubt it; it is all her work.”

“If at all he had some regard for me, then it was so easy for his sister to manipulate him to make him believe otherwise.”

“You seem displeased with him; whatever the cause of his departure from Hertfordshire was, he would not have made this visit today if he still held the same feeling.”

“I am not angry with him, Lizzy; I am angry with myself. I believed Miss Bingley’s lies about him and Miss Darcy. You mentioned several times that it was untrue, but I did not trust you.”

“Please strive to forget the past, now that Mr. Bingley is entirely aware of his sister’s cruel deceit, he will not permit her to meddle any longer. You have suffered a lot, Jane, and I am certain you will not in the future as everything is resolved.”

“Nothing is resolved yet. If at all we cared for each other, both of us would have never let situations or people play a hand in separating us. We both must bear the weight of our actions. Should he still care for me as much as I do, it will not do any good to brush everything that happened aside and continue our acquaintance as before,” she said firmly, much to her sister’s surprise.

Elizabeth realized that whatever happened with Mr. Bingley had wounded Jane beyond measure, and it would not be easy for her to trust him again.

***

Meanwhile, Mr. Bingley sat with Darcy in his study, and Georgiana excused herself when they reached the house.

“She hates me, Darcy, and honestly, I do not know if she could feel anything else towards me. I cannot believe I let this happen to the woman I love. All these weeks, she was here while I wandered the town in despair, longing to return to Hertfordshire to see her. I should never have believed my sister nor doubted Miss Bennet’s affection.

Whatever doubts I had, I should have discussed them with her.

Now everything is too late; how will she ever trust me? ”

“You are being too hasty; I do not think she hates you.”

“Did you not see how she reacted upon seeing me? She seemed so uncomfortable being in the same room with me. How can I expect her to even converse with me like before?”

“Has she not always been the same, to plainly say, reserved?”

“She has—but now I understand the difference. The way she behaved with me before was because of her feelings for me; she was simply shy. I was a fool to have doubted her then. But today, she seemed lost in thought, as though guarding her heart, reluctant to let it wander down that same path again. I have lost her trust, Darcy, and it pains me beyond measure.”

“All is not lost; I do not understand why you blame yourself to this extent. Yes, your sister used your doubts to manipulate you, but dwelling on the past is of no use. I wish for you to be present tomorrow, while they are here for tea.”

“I do not wish to put her in discomfort.”

“If at all you want to win her heart, there is no chance to do so by distancing yourself from her.”

Mr. Bingley nodded, deeply regretting all his past actions. He knew he had nothing else to do but hope that Jane would see his true feelings and forgive him.

***

The next day, Darcy waited impatiently for Elizabeth’s arrival and stood by the window, anticipating the arrival of their carriage.

“Brother, is Miss Elizabeth leaving town soon?” Georgiana asked once again.

“As I said, that is what she informed me at the bookstore.”

“But we just met, and I would love to spend more time with her,” Georgiana pleaded.

“I hope she can extend her stay, and I think her uncle desires the same. Do you like her?” he asked finally.

“Of course I do; I have never felt this comfortable in anyone’s company before.”