“Please do, and warn them that I am coming.”

“I am sure they will be pleased to see you again,” Darcy said, knowing that Louisa and Caroline would be anything but pleased.

Lizzy thought that Jane would definitely be happy to see her. Mr. Bingley, highly likely. Mr. Bingley’s sisters, not very likely at all.

In the foyer, Lizzy was greeted by Mr. Bingley, Mrs. Hurst, Miss Bingley, Mr. Darcy, and Mrs. Hurst’s maid, who handed her clean hose and shoes. After removing to an anteroom where she changed her footwear, Mr. Bingley escorted Lizzy to her sister’s suite. Although Jane had asked that he not send for the apothecary, Mr. Bingley, in exercising an abundance of caution, had done so. The diagnosis was that she had a bad head cold and needed to rest and recommended some draughts specific to her complaint.

Lizzy spent the whole of the afternoon seeing to the care of her sister. The Bingley sisters visited several times to ask after Jane’s health, and on their last visit offered to send for a carriage to take Lizzy home. But Jane gave out a cry imploring her to stay, and Caroline and Louisa, with great reluctance, sent a servant to Longbourn for a change of clothes for Elizabeth.

“They do not want me here, Jane.”

“Lizzy, you have frequently said that you do not care what they think about you, so why give in to them now when I am in need of you, if not to nurse me back to health, then at the very least to cheer me up.”

“You are right. How dare they not like me? I shall punish them by staying.”

Jane took her sister’s hand and smiled. “I feel better already, but you must go downstairs for dinner as you have not eaten a morsel all day.”

Lizzy did join her hosts for dinner but immediately returned to Jane’s room to find that the apothecary’s potions had done their work. Even though Jane was sound asleep, Lizzy remained in the bedchamber as she had no wish to spend an evening with Louisa and Caroline, who had stared at her through the whole of dinner as if she was a specimen from a distant land. Mr. Bingley was all charm as usual, but Mr. Darcy had very little to say, except to share some news of his sister.

The following day, Lizzy spent most of the morning reading to her sister, but she could have read the same chapter over and over as Jane was so sleepy that she could not keep her eyes open. The prescribed rest was doing her a world of good, and hopefully, they would be able to leave the day after tomorrow as her color had definitely improved.

After supper, all adjourned to the drawing room. Louisa, Caroline, and Mr. Hurst were in favor of playing cards, while Mr. Darcy chose to write a letter to Georgiana Darcy. But Miss Bingley could not be kept from commenting on anything to do with Mr. Darcy.

“How I long to see Miss Darcy again. She is so elegant and represents the very best in polished society.” She proceeded to wax rhapsodic on all of her many accomplishments.

Lizzy thought how silly all of this was. Caroline’s purpose was to show that the Bingleys and Darcys moved in a society inaccessible to the Bennets, but her monologue was wasted on Lizzy as she had no pretensions to be anything other than what she was—a gentleman’s daughter.

“It is amazing to me how young ladies have the patience to be so very accomplished as they all are,” Charles said.

This statement brought an immediate challenge from Caroline, who listed the requirements for such praise. She must play an instrument, sing, draw, dance, know the modern languages, and improve one’s mind through extensive reading for the word to be half-deserved.

Mr. Darcy nodded in agreement. “I do not know more than half a dozen ladies who are truly accomplished.”

Unable to remain silent any longer, Lizzy said, “I am no longer surprised at your knowing only six accomplished women, Mr. Darcy. I rather wonder at you knowing any.”

“You are severe upon your sex, Miss Elizabeth,” Mr. Darcy said with that quizzical expression that Lizzy found to be adorable.

“Not at all, sir. My idea of an accomplished woman is someone who has mastered some discipline to a level that is beyond the ability of most of us. For everyone else, we do the best we can. In my family, my grandmother saw to our education. We all learned to net purses, cover screens, paint tables, sketch, and play the piano. You can imagine in a family with five daughters that there are boxes in the attic filled with aging purses, painted canvases, and samplers. My forte is needlework, and I will compare my letter E to anyone’s.”

Lizzy had meant this last comment as a means of lightening the mood, but there was hardly a moment’s pause before Caroline added, “And you are also an excellent walker, Miss Elizabeth.”

“I do enjoy walking as there is so much to observe in Nature, and I make no apology for it. In fact, it is my intention to take the air tomorrow morning as soon as my sister has had her breakfast.” Rising, she bid them all a good night.

As soon as she left the room, Miss Bingley started to complain about Miss Elizabeth. “I am fond of Jane Bennet, but with such a father and mother, no connections, and an uncle who lives in Cheapside…”

“Their lack of connections and an uncle in Cheapside do not make the Bennet sisters one jot less agreeable,” Bingley said, interrupting his sister.

“But it lessens their chance of marrying any men of consideration in the world,” Darcy added.

“That would be true if I were a Darcy, but I am not. And although the Bingleys are rising, we do not have ancient ties to Norman kings, nor am I the grandson of an earl. In fact, I lack any pedigree whatsoever, and as such, I may marry where I choose without the pillars of society collapsing all around me.”

Darcy said nothing, but Bingley’s sisters made up for his lack of response with howls of protest. After a heated exchange, Bingley left, only adding that he would not be joining them for breakfast as it was his intention to go riding. He had deliberately not asked Darcy to join him as he had no wish to be lectured about choosing a suitable marriage partner by his friend.

Later, in the quiet of his room, Darcy thought about what Bingley had said. It was true the Bingleys were moving up in society, but if he did not marry into a prestigious family or one with excellent connections, he would find his progress checked. But Bingley did not seem to care about such things, and because of that, Darcy envied him. For all of his advantages over his friend, there was one thing he could not do. He could not marry where he wished. That was a luxury even a Darcy could not afford.

Chapter 4

In the morning, Jane was feeling so much better that she told Lizzy that she anticipated joining the others for supper. “I am not sure if I will eat, but I would enjoy being out of this room.”

“And seeing Mr. Bingley, perhaps?”

“He is all that a man should be, and we are of such like temperaments,” Jane freely admitted.

“It is as if the two of you were made for each, and I believe you were. I think you may safely depend upon an offer in the very near future.”

This was not idle conjecture. After leaving the drawing room, Lizzy had stopped in the library to retrieve the second volume of a book she had been reading and had heard the heated debate between Bingley and his sisters regarding Jane. However, Charles had prevailed, and Lizzy did not think it necessary to mention it to her sister.

Looking out the window, Jane said, “When you walk this morning, you may have company as Mr. Darcy is in the lane.”

Lizzy joined her sister at the window. “Well, I shall not disturb him as it is easy enough to go out through the breakfast room onto the terrace.” But when she went downstairs, she found that the maids were in the room cleaning. Well, he does not bite, Lizzy thought and went out the front door. She walked quietly and as closely as possible to the house to avoid his notice.

“Miss Elizabeth, are you trying to escape?” Darcy asked as she emerged from behind a bush.

“I was trying to avoid intruding upon your privacy, Mr. Darcy,” an embarrassed Lizzy answered.

“If that is your goal, I would suggest you stay off the gravel,” and then he smiled. It was an infrequent event, but when it did happen, it was a reminder of how truly handsome he was. It seemed rather unfair. If you were rich, you should not be handsome, and if you were poor, you should be blessed with good looks. One person should not have it all.

“I am not in need of solitude this morning. Quite the contrary, I would enjoy your company.”

Lizzy was used to walking at a brisk pace, but Mr. Darcy preferred to amble along. But the pace did lend itself to conversation, and he shared with her his visit with Miss Darcy.

“When Bingley and I first planned to come to Netherfield, I had hoped my sister would join me, but instead she chose to be with friends in Hampshire. It is very strange. I have spent five years moving her toward adulthood, and now that she has reached it, I find I want to pull her back.”

“As her guardian, I think that is a natural inclination as you wish to protect her. Up to this point, you have been more father than brother, but you may now look forward to a mature relationship. It may take some time for you to get used to it as she will probably wish to make her opinions known.”

“Oh, it is too late for that. Her powers of observation are amazing, and there is nothing that does not merit some comment.”

“Since you are of a taciturn nature, Mr. Darcy, surely the pleasure she derives from talking takes some of the burden of conversing off of you. And since you do not like the preliminaries necessary for friendship, she may catch you up, and you can jump right in without enduring the tedious parts you so dislike.”

“I would most definitely have benefited from such assistance before being formally introduced to you. I would have been warned of your penetrating wit and ability to strip a person of all pretenses.”

“Would you have avoided me, sir, if you had known?”

“No, but I would have asked you to dance at the assembly, thereby avoiding your censure.”

“But you had an opportunity to dance with me at Lucas Lodge, but chose not to. Did you not risk the same result?”

“I think not. You now know me better and understand that my comments at the assembly were not malicious, merely thoughtless and inaccurate.”

“And the dance?”

“A lost opportunity, not to be repeated.”

“Does Mr. Bingley plan to have a ball at Netherfield? He spoke of it when he first arrived. If so, you may yet claim your dance.”

“Yes, there will be a ball, and the date has been set for the first night of the full moon. Bingley will soon be sending his cards around, and after the ball, his sisters will return to London.” Looking at her to make sure she understood the importance of what he was about to say, he added, “but Bingley will remain at Netherfield. Unlike his sisters, who have tired of the country, Bingley has found much to admire here.”

Lizzy’s assessment had been correct. Mr. Bingley would not yield to his sisters on the matter of whom he should marry, and because of that, she smiled, letting Mr. Darcy know that she had understood his meaning.

“Who will keep house for Mr. Bingley if both of his sisters leave?” Lizzy asked.

“Most likely it will be his eldest sister, Diana Crenshaw. If she comes to Netherfield, you will know of it. She has a large family, actually more like a tribe, on the order of the Red Indians of America. Her two eldest are twin boys, impossible to tell apart and equally inclined to mischief. Mrs. Crenshaw was greatly influenced by Rousseau’s concept of the noble savage in rearing her children. The savage part of the equation has been achieved. However, I have seen no evidence of anything noble in their behavior.”

“Do you mean to frighten me, Mr. Darcy?”

“No, but I do mean to warn you as one of their favorite entertainments is to dig up repulsive creatures from stream beds and share them with the ladies. And they are fearless. Do not be surprised if you find them in the top branches of your apple trees throwing fruit at your servants and laborers.”

“When I hear of the Crenshaws’ arrival, I shall send up a hue and cry to alert the population. And your plans, Mr. Darcy? Will you stay at Netherfield and provide the neighborhood with some protection?”

“No,” he answered looking away from her. “After the ball, I shall return to London as I have important business to attend to, and it is likely that I will not come back to Netherfield at all.”