“If I may comment, sir.”

“Of course, Mercer. Speak freely. Have I chosen unwisely?”

“Oh no, sir. You have chosen to great effect. However, your expression is that of a man going to the scaffold, not supper.”

“Hah! It is easy enough for you to say that it is just a supper, but you do not have to face a room full of women, each of whom believes she should have some say in my future. I was so looking forward to dining with Miss Elizabeth, but now that the time is near, all I can see are the problems created by having Miss Elizabeth, Anne, and my sister in the same room as Miss Bingley and her sister. It is as if I invited two warring parties to fight it out in Pemberley’s dining room. I do not think it will go well.”

“I believe Jackson anticipated the situation, sir, and I think you will be pleased by the seating arrangement. The warring parties, as you call them, have been separated to minimize damage.”

“That is all well and good during the meal, but does Jackson have a plan for after supper?” Looking in the mirror one last time and after straightening his waistcoat, he told Mercer, “Well, what will be, will be. Onward into battle.”

* * *

Before going down to supper, Darcy asked Bingley to join him in the study. It was his intention to apologize for his interference in his affairs with regard to Miss Bennet. He felt confident of his forgiveness, not only because Bingley was not one to hold grudges but also because there had been such a change in his friend. He was exuding a confidence that Darcy could only attribute to one thing: He had already made up his mind to call on Miss Bennet.

Charles was waiting in the study and had poured a brandy for both of them. He already knew the reason why Darcy had asked for this meeting. His friend had changed his mind regarding Miss Bennet because, if any reservations had remained, he would never have revealed that Miss Elizabeth was staying at the inn. It was evident that Darcy now approved of the match, and an unfortunate episode in their friendship could be put behind them. Charles was confident there would be a time in the not-too-distant future when Mr. Darcy would be welcoming Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bingley to Pemberley.

Taking the brandy from Charles’s hand, Darcy got right after it. “You know me well enough to know I do not beat around the bush. The reason I have asked you here is to apologize for my interference in your affairs with regard to Miss Bennet. I completely misjudged the depth of her affection, and it was presumptuous of me to assume that I knew more than you did as to matters of the heart. I did not understand how quickly one could fall in love, and I regarded it almost as an affliction that one would eventually recover from. However, I now recognize that it is a force that reaches into every fiber of your body, and that it is something not to be resisted but embraced.”

“Well said, Darcy. But are you talking about me or you?”

“The matter at hand is your love for Miss Bennet.”

“Darcy, I understand you were acting in my best interest, but you arrived at your decision based upon how you would have acted. But I am not a Darcy. I do not have Norman blood running in my veins, and my ancestors were not earls. I am a simple man with simple tastes. I want no more than to be surrounded by family and friends and to have horses to ride about my property on a fine day. And who knows what the future holds? I have just learned that my brother, George, is on the king’s birthday list for a knighthood, so the Bingleys are rising.

“In the early days of our friendship,” Charles continued, “I looked to you as an older and wiser brother, but in the intervening years, I have grown up. I now trust my own judgment and am confident that I am capable of making wise decisions. Not that I won’t need your counsel from time to time, but it must be a contributing factor, not the deciding one. So if it is my forgiveness you are seeking, you are forgiven.”

“I readily agree to your conditions,” Darcy said and hoped that Bingley would feel the same way when he had finished. “However, there is one other matter I must acquaint you with. A few weeks after our departure from Hertfordshire, Miss Bennet visited her aunt and uncle, whom you met this morning, in London. I knew she was in town but said nothing. I now know from Miss Elizabeth that her sister thought you knew she was staying with the Gardiners, but chose not to call. As a result, she was deeply hurt. Fortunately, Miss Elizabeth was able to reassure her sister that you were completely unaware of her presence. At the earliest opportunity, it is my intention to apologize to Miss Bennet. And now you know it all.”

Bingley started to pace about the room, saying nothing, and as the silence lengthened into several minutes, Darcy was less sure that his friend would forgive him now that he knew the full extent of his interference.

“I should be angry with you, Darcy, but I am angrier with myself. I should not have taken your advice regarding Miss Bennet nor given in to the pressure from my sisters. However, I cannot change the past, and since you are sorry for what happened in Hertfordshire and London, how can I not forgive you?” Charles stood next to Darcy and clapped him on the back, a gesture the older Darcy often did to his friend. It was the first time Charles had ever done it to him.

“Now, that we have cleared the air, in a gesture of friendship, I shall do you a favor. I know how much my sisters, especially Caroline, annoy you. Don’t pretend that they do not. If it was ever a secret, it came into the light of day at Hulston Hall. Caroline’s behavior towards our hosts put a permanent scowl on your face. So this evening, I will suggest that tomorrow we all go for a ride in the Peak District, knowing full well that neither of my sisters nor my bloated brother-in-law will get on a horse. Caroline will be unhappy, but she will be unhappy with me and not you. Of course, you must invite the Gardiners and Miss Elizabeth to go riding. I would be very surprised if Miss Elizabeth’s aunt and uncle accepted the invitation, which will leave Georgiana, Miss Elizabeth, and you. While you are showing Miss Elizabeth the wilds of the Peak, I shall offer to drive the ladies to the various lookouts that require no exertion whatsoever.”

“You are making it sound as if you are deliberately throwing me into the path of Miss Elizabeth, or am I mistaken?”

“Darcy, it will not do,” Charles said, laughing. “You are finally able to understand my love for Miss Bennet because you are in love. I had guessed as much when I saw how you looked at Miss Elizabeth at the inn this morning, but when you confessed that love fills every fiber of your body, only a man in love could utter such words.”

“It seems that I am easily seen through these days. Apparently, love lays bare your soul. It is quite a humbling experience.”

“Yes, but there is nothing like it on earth.”

* * *

Darcy’s heart was keeping time with the gait of the horses as Elizabeth’s carriage came up the hill. He was still unaccustomed to the physical change that came over him whenever he was in her company. It wasn’t only his heart racing, but the feeling of being caught up in something beyond his control, and it quite overwhelmed him.

When the Gardiners and Elizabeth were introduced, everyone was in the music room listening to Mrs. Hurst play one of her pieces on the pianoforte. She lacked the precision of her sister, but her playing was heartfelt, and it led Darcy to believe that if she ever broke free of her younger sister, Mrs. Hurst would be quite a different person.

Anne immediately went to Elizabeth and greeted her warmly, which did not go unnoticed by Caroline Bingley. Just how well did these two ladies know each other? It had been her impression that they had only recently been introduced during Elizabeth’s visit to Kent. If that was the case, why was Miss de Bourgh greeting her as if they were sisters? Caroline suspected a conspiracy, and the evidence was building.

“Miss Elizabeth, it has been too long,” Caroline said, making no pretense at sincerity. “I believe it was last autumn at the ball at Netherfield when we last saw you and your family. If I recall correctly, we returned to London shortly thereafter.”

“Was it only last autumn, Miss Bingley? How the months do pass when one is engaged in enjoyable pursuits in the midst of a loving family.”

Georgiana was already so in tune to Miss Bingley that she could tell by her inflection just how cutting any particular remark was. She knew nothing of the ball at Netherfield, but she had no doubt it was the first arrow out of Miss Bingley’s quiver.

“Miss Elizabeth, you must come and sit by me and tell me everything you have done since arriving in Lambton,” Georgiana said.

“Gladly. This morning, we went to a well dressing,” Elizabeth said enthusiastically. “The workers were still creating their design when we left, but when it is done, it will be of four children dancing around a maypole. It was wonderful. There is nothing like it in Hertfordshire, so we found it to be very interesting.”

Georgiana explained to Miss Bingley and the Hursts that a well dressing was a design made up entirely of flowers and other things taken from Nature, such as moss and leaves and pieces of wood.

“Oh, Will, we must tell our friends about the one we saw last year. It was the largest I had ever seen. It was a replica of a local ruin and very like.”

By the time she had finished her description of various well dressings, Caroline could hardly believe that such a thing had merited fifteen minutes of discussion. Miss Darcy had barely uttered the final word on the subject when Miss Bingley said, “Miss Elizabeth, I understand you were touring the gardens of Pemberley when Mr. Darcy arrived. What a happy event. Did it require much alteration to your plans?”

“There was no alteration on our part, Miss Bingley. Our plans have been in place for several weeks. I came to Pemberley at the recommendation of Miss de Bourgh, and if any alteration was made, it was made by your party, not mine.”

That was the second arrow out of Caroline Bingley’s quiver, Georgiana thought. But from that exchange, she decided Miss Elizabeth was quite capable of taking care of herself, and her brother was of the same opinion. The parties had engaged, but Elizabeth had got the better of Miss Bingley. And it looked as if it was going to be an interesting evening.

Chapter 33

As the current mistress of Pemberley, Georgiana had met with Jackson to discuss the seating arrangements for that night’s supper and had requested only one change. She wanted Miss Elizabeth to sit on the same side of the table as Caroline Bingley. In that way, when her brother spoke to Elizabeth, Caroline would be unable to hear her responses, and if things went as Georgiana hoped they would, her role as mistress of Pemberley would be short-lived, as her brother would soon be marrying Elizabeth Bennet.

As soon as Caroline entered the dining room, she saw how it would be. Caroline was seated to Miss Darcy’s right, next to her brother-in-law, and diagonally across from Miss de Bourgh. With Mr. Gardiner sitting opposite to her, she was completely boxed in. While at the other end of the table sat Mr. Darcy, and to his left, Eliza Bennet. She was sure Miss de Bourgh was responsible for the seating arrangement. It had been just the previous day when Caroline had declared Mr. Darcy’s cousin to be a fool, but now she knew that she was anything but. Once Caroline learned that it was Miss de Bourgh who had suggested Elizabeth’s visit to Pemberley, she remembered what Mr. Darcy had said when he came to the Bingley townhouse: “I would ask that the date for our departure be moved up at the request of my cousin, Miss Anne de Bourgh.” That whole stupid conversation about yellow frocks, favorite flowers, and Elizabeth’s disagreement with Mr. Darcy concerning bathing resorts, was part of an act to disguise her efforts on Miss Elizabeth’s behalf.

Caroline had no doubt Miss Elizabeth and Miss de Bourgh were in collusion, and that the plot had been hatched when the two women became fast friends during Elizabeth’s visit to Kent. It was only after Mr. Darcy’s return from his visit with Lady Catherine that Caroline was told Miss de Bourgh was to accompany them to Derbyshire, a place she had not visited for two years because of her supposed ill health. But the success of their plan was thwarted when she had agreed to the sudden change in their departure date.