Page 6 of Winter of Passion (Pride and Prejudice Variation)
“W e nearly starved waiting for you!” Miss Bingley said as soon as they appeared in the dining room. “Breakfast has been ready for an hour! The servants seem to be efficient, but the house needs to be properly run.”
“Good morning. I am sorry we are so late. It was my fault,” Elizabeth admitted while taking her seat. As on the previous evening, she was sitting opposite Mr Darcy, and she dared to meet his gaze — and his little smile — for a moment.
“Do not worry, Miss Bennet. I only came down myself a few minutes ago,” Mr Darcy replied.
“Besides,” Bingley interjected after briefly kissing his wife’s hand, “we are all family now. You should have begun eating if you were hungry, Caroline.”
“What sort of answer is that, Charles? We have never eaten separately before. And in a few days, the house will be full of people with flawless manners and impeccable educations who know the importance of punctuality!”
The remark was as aggressive as it was rude, and Elizabeth looked at Jane.
“Caroline, since we are only family here, I shall take this opportunity to clarify something before others join us. Jane is the mistress of this household, and she may do as she pleases! Please refrain from any further reproofs, or I shall be forced to rebuke you in reply.”
Bingley’s statement stunned his sisters, who looked at him and each other in disbelief.
“And since earlier you asked me why Miss Elizabeth’s presence was needed at Netherfield, I shall respond to you that any of Jane’s sisters are entitled to stay at Netherfield whenever they want, just as you and Louisa are.”
Miss Bingley’s face turned red, then white — clearly surprised by her brother’s betrayal.
“You misunderstood my meaning, Charles!” the lady finally articulated. “My suggestion was that there are enough servants in this house to accomplish all the necessary preparation for the parties without any further help being needed.”
“Lizzy is here mostly for my enjoyment,” Jane responded. “I am sure you and Louisa feel the same, since you two are together all the time, even though Louisa is married.”
Jane’s voice never lost its sweetness, so the sharpness of her words was easily concealed.
“I am just happy to have Elizabeth here,” Bingley declared. “Her company is delightful, and I believe she is the only one who can win an argument with Darcy. She is clever enough and bold enough for that.”
Elizabeth laughed, slightly unnerved by such a declaration.
“I am not sure if boldness is a quality appreciated in a lady,” she said. “But I shall accept your compliment nevertheless, Brother.”
“If boldness comes with wit and determination, it is certainly appreciated,” Mr Darcy responded. “I admit to being delighted to be able to argue with Miss Elizabeth, but I shall choose my debates wisely so I can win at least some of them.”
“I believe we should all mind our manners when the rest of the guests arrive,” Mrs Hurst interjected. “We should all act in ways that please the guests who are visiting Charles for the first time and are ready to judge everything they see.”
“That is a wise suggestion, Mrs Hurst,” Mr Darcy agreed. “However, looking at Bingley, I suspect that a man so happily married cares little about the opinions and judgments of strangers.”
“You are absolutely right, Darcy!” Bingley admitted joyfully with an adoring gaze at his wife.
“Mr Darcy, I must say I am stunned and bewildered by your complete change of mind in matters of significant importance,” Miss Bingley said.
“From a man with solid values, impeccable manners, and a strict adherence to rules, you have developed a nonchalance towards the basic rules of polished society.”
“I am sorry for stunning you, Miss Bingley,” he replied sternly.
“I do not believe a man like Mr Darcy can utterly change his values and beliefs in just a few months,” Elizabeth interjected. The impulse was stronger than her prudence, and all eyes turned to her, so she had no other choice but to continue.
“I believe that in essentials, Mr Darcy remains the same. What might have changed are his manners, his behaviour, and perhaps the way we judge him on better acquaintance.”
She felt herself blushing, so she only cast a brief look at him.
“Well, Mr Darcy has changed his opinion on several subjects. In that, I second my sister,” Mrs Hurst uttered. “One of those subjects is you, Miss Eliza.”
“I have changed my opinion, especially regarding Miss Elizabeth,” Mr Darcy admitted. “Though it is not a recent change — it happened more than a year ago.”
“I am glad of it, Darcy!” Bingley replied, still joyful. “I would be worried if you and Elizabeth were still at war, especially since you are staying in the same wing of the house. I would not want to place servants to prevent you two from fighting.”
Elizabeth fell her cheeks burning, and she kept her eyes on her plate while hearing Mr Darcy’s reply.
“I assure you that Miss Elizabeth and I do not need a chaperone and certainly have no intention of fighting,” he said.
“What room do you have, Miss Eliza?” Miss Bingley asked with apparent disquiet. “Did you not take the one in which you stayed last year?”
“I placed Lizzy in the blue room in the east wing,” Jane intervened. “It is larger, with a better view and certainly more convenient. If Kitty and Mary remain overnight, they can easily share Lizzy’s room.”
“But…Colonel Fitzwilliam and Georgiana should have stayed in the east wing!” Miss Bingley continued.
“There are two other perfectly comfortable rooms in that wing,” Jane responded.
“Is it not strange that Miss Elizabeth is alone in the same wing as Mr Darcy?” Mrs Hurst asked.
“Why would it be strange?” Bingley questioned. “They just admitted they do not hate each other any longer, so they will not be bothered by each other. Besides, soon the house will be filled with people.”
“I dare say the accommodation for Miss Bennet, me, my cousin, and my sister are the last subjects to concern you,” Mr Darcy concluded. “Mrs Bingley surely considered the matter carefully when she chose the rooms. We should all trust and accept her decision.”
The entire conversation seemed to disconcert Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst deeply, and Mr Darcy’s last statement only added to their apparent vexation. They ate little and exchanged repeated glances until breakfast was over.
Afterwards, Mr Bingley claimed he had some calls to pay and asked Mr Darcy and Mr Hurst to join him. The former accepted; the latter declined.
Jane asked Elizabeth, Mrs Hurst, and Miss Bingley to assist her in choosing the courses for the forthcoming dinners; only Elizabeth showed interest, while the other two refused coldly and retired to their chambers.
∞∞∞
By the afternoon, all the tasks of the day had been accomplished, and Jane went to rest. The gentlemen were still out, and the Bingley sisters had not left their chambers.
Elizabeth was tempted to rest too, but she felt too agitated; she was tired, but she hoped that would help her sleep better that night.
She decided to choose a book and read a little before she was required to change for dinner. She could not stop wondering where Mr Darcy was and when she would finally have time to talk to him at length.
She was holding her book without much interest when the door opened and the subject of her musings entered. Along with him, a scent of fresh winter air invaded the room. He stopped, clearly surprised to see her, and she jumped to her feet.
“Mr Darcy!”
“Miss Bennet…I hope I am not bothering you?”
“No, not at all…I came here to read…”
“So did I. I did not expect to find anyone else here.”
“The others are all resting,” she explained.
“Yes, I was told as much. Bingley has gone to his chamber too,” Mr Darcy replied. “May I sit?”
“Of course. Did you have a pleasant ride?”
“Very much so. We called at Longbourn and spent a little time with your father.”
“I am sure he enjoyed your company,” Elizabeth said.
“I hope so. We certainly enjoyed his.”
He poured himself a drink then hesitated before choosing the chair at the desk. Elizabeth remained on the sofa. They both were more reluctant to be close to each other in the daylight than they had been in the middle of the night.
“Miss Bennet, I have long wished to speak to you. I know these days are exceedingly busy for everyone, but I would be grateful for a little of your time, whenever possible.”
“I would be happy to talk to you, sir. Any moment would do for me. Even now…”
“Now would be perfect, if you do not mind.”
He gulped from his glass, then put it on the desk, his nervousness apparent. She wondered about it, hoping and fearing to assume too much.
“I certainly do not mind. Please know, sir, that anything you wish to tell me is most welcome. I believe we have come to a point where we should not fear being honest with each other. You saved my sister Lydia from greater suffering and my entire family from ruin. You played a significant role in Jane and Charles’s present happiness.
I am so grateful and so deeply in your debt that I shall never be able to repay your kindness—”
“This is quite an unfortunate beginning to our conversation, Miss Bennet,” he interrupted her, and her heart skipped a beat.
“What I would like to say cannot be said amidst words like gratitude, repayment, or kindness. Hearing you say as much, I have lost the courage to express myself and even more so address a question to you that has been torturing me for many months.”
He sounded serious, and he was frowning.
“I am sorry if my attempt to thank you had the opposite effect, sir. That was certainly not my intention, and I apologise.”
“Your apologies scare me even more,” he replied, but this time a little smile twisted his lips. “I fear that you might accept my words out of gratitude, and if I ask a question, your answer will be burdened by your desire to repay me. That I cannot bear.”