Page 7 of Winter of Passion (Pride and Prejudice Variation)

She felt her heart pulsing in her chest so wildly that it was almost painful. She held her breath, and her eyes locked with his. There could be no doubt as to his meaning; in truth, there were no doubts after their brief night-time encounter.

“You have nothing to fear, Mr Darcy, and nothing to bear except my honest answer to everything you may tell me or ask me,” she said, her voice trembling as it carried the weight of her intense feelings.

He stood up and so did she; they were steps away, and each moved closer. Their eyes were already locked, expressing the tumult of their souls and their repressed expectations.

“Miss Bennet, I—” he began hoarsely, just as the door opened and Miss Bingley rushed in.

“Mr Darcy, I saw you from the window and…oh…Miss Eliza!” Miss Bingley’s voice faded, her countenance darkened, and she moved towards them, while Elizabeth and Mr Darcy took a step back.

“Miss Bingley,” Mr Darcy answered, clearing his throat. “May I be of any assistance?”

“Yes, I wished to ask for advice… I expected to find you alone, but I see you are busy with another conversation.”

“Not at all,” Elizabeth responded. “I was reading a book when Mr Darcy arrived. I shall continue reading in my room.” She moved towards the door, then she turned and said daringly, “My conversation with Mr Darcy may wait for a little while. I trust we shall find a better moment to complete it sometime later, if that is acceptable to you, sir.”

“Perfectly acceptable, Miss Bennet,” he agreed.

She exchanged a glance with Mr Darcy, then smiled at Miss Bingley and left, closing the door behind her. Outside the room, she took a moment to regain some composure, then hurried to her chamber.

She was disappointed by the interruption but not at all concerned as she was certain what would come.

In fact, she felt grateful that Miss Bingley had entered at that precise moment.

It would have been much worse if she had interrupted them minutes later when Mr Darcy was in the middle of his confession, or when she was ready to respond to him.

She threw herself onto the bed and buried her face in the pillow.

There would be no private time for them to complete their discussion before dinner, or during it.

The only possible time would be later on, when everybody had retired for the night.

She had suggested it, and he had seemed to agree — if he truly understood her hidden invitation.

A wild and complete sense of joy enveloped her, though she realised she should be ashamed for inviting a man to her room, at night — twice. She should be — but she was not. Quite the opposite.

∞∞∞

Elizabeth’s departure hurt Darcy; the sudden interruption of what he had expected to be the long-awaited unleashing of his turmoil vexed and disappointed him.

He had few concerns left; Elizabeth had said little but enough to assure him that this time, his addresses were expected and would be welcomed.

He anticipated her positive response, his happiness, perhaps the first touch and taste of her lips.

But it was all gone in the blink of an eye, and he could hardly conceal his irritation.

However, it would have been worse if Miss Bingley had interrupted their understanding when they were in the middle of it.

Perhaps it was not meant to happen in the daylight.

Perhaps there would be a better time during the night.

The mere thought gave him a thrill, and his imagination ran freely.

“I hope I did not interrupt anything important, Mr Darcy.”

“You should not worry about the interruption, Miss Bingley. Please let me know how I may help you.”

“I have been trying to talk to you since you arrived, but I have found no opportunity.”

“You have it now. I am ready to advise you if I can.”

“I am sure you can. As you know, I have quite a large amount of money at my disposal. I would like to invest it so that I may increase my income.”

“That is very wise of you, Miss Bingley.”

“Thank you. I believe the same. Charles is far from being proficient in such affairs, but you are. There is nobody else I trust more than you or whose opinion I value more. I hope you will provide me with suggestions of advantageous investments.”

“I can certainly do that, but I must insist on sharing your plans with your brother. Besides my suggestions, what you need is to hire trustworthy and knowledgeable people to manage your affairs. Excellent and honest solicitors you may depend on.”

“I hope you may suggest someone to me.”

“My solicitor will certainly be able to provide you with all the details, and I am sure he has some people to recommend. I can write to him whenever you want.”

“That is very kind of you, Mr Darcy! I confess I depend on your guidance.”

“That is a commitment I cannot make, Miss Bingley. I could not make it for you, for Bingley, or for anyone else. I have my own plans which might soon allow me less time for involvement in others’ business.

But I assure you of my assistance in hiring the right people for your endeavour, which I find to be remarkable for a young woman. ”

“Thank you, sir. Your approval is very important to me. I am glad we had the chance to talk.”

“No thanks are necessary, Miss Bingley. Bingley is my friend, and I have every consideration for his family. Any of you may count on my support. Now please excuse me, I shall retire to my room. I shall also write to my solicitor today.”

He left the library thoughtfully; it was the first time he had heard Miss Bingley mention investments or anything related to financial issues.

She might be interested in the matter, or it could be another scheme to gain his attention. She had attempted it many times and failed on each of them, but she seemed determined to persist in the effort.

Darcy spent the rest of the afternoon in his room.

He thought of the dialogue with Elizabeth and what he would say when they met again.

He would certainly propose that evening; he could not afford to waste more time.

The following day, Georgiana and the colonel would arrive, then the other guests.

There would be fewer opportunities for him to speak to Elizabeth privately, and living with that uncertainty for another fortnight would be torture.

He had to ask her and discover her answer.

If she accepted him, he could not bear to wait any longer to finally have her by his side.

But he needed to know. Perhaps then he might rest a little, be able to sleep, and the mist that shadowed his head might finally dissipate.

∞∞∞

Dinner was similar to breakfast, only with less tension. Miss Bingley spoke of her plans and reminded Darcy of his promise to assist her.

Darcy noticed Elizabeth’s uneasiness during the conversation.

He was uncertain of his supposition, but he felt she was displeased and wondered whether she disapproved of him helping Miss Bingley or if she was jealous.

He tried to speak to her, but neither of them could escape the others, so glances exchanged over the table were the only way of communicating.

“I am afraid I shall retire early tonight,” Bingley said when dinner was over. “We may have a few drinks, but I shall not stay as long as yesterday. Jane and I are very tired, and we need to preserve our strength.”

“I have slept very well since we arrived at Netherfield,” Mr Hurst uttered. “The country air must be beneficial to me, but Bingley’s brandy helps too.”

“I hope it will be beneficial for me too,” Darcy said. “I have slept poorly for weeks, so a restful night would be most welcome. And yes, perhaps a drink would be helpful. Though I had several drinks last night and still had very little sleep.”

At that, he glanced at Elizabeth and noticed her blushing.

“If you do not mind, I shall retire now,” Elizabeth said with a smile. “All this talk about sleep is contagious.”

“I shall retire for the night too,” Jane replied.

“While you are having your drinks,” Caroline said, “I shall take the opportunity to ask Mr Darcy a few more questions.”

“You may ask, but I doubt Darcy is in a proper disposition for enquiries,” Bingley uttered, while Darcy’s eyes followed Elizabeth’s figure leaving the dining-room.