His Uncle's Favorite (40 page)

“Yes?”

“As Georgiana said earlier—‘surely you are joking, sir’! I thought I already gave you my answer, but it seems you are not very perceptive, either.”

He looked at her in disbelief, wondering whether he understood her correctly, and she laughed nervously and tearfully. She then moved slowly and, as he was still kneeling, allowed a shy kiss of her own to give him the answer he needed.

It was no wonder that, when the library door opened and Miss Darcy appeared, searching for Elizabeth, neither of them noticed her presence.

Embarrassed at her intrusion, Miss Darcy slowly retreated, closed the door behind her and propped herself against the wall, catching her breath. Then she joyfully ran through the halls as she did as a little girl. For the first time in her life, she had dared to mock and scold her brother—and with so much success! It seemed that Fitzwilliam Darcy had already made the proper amends to rectify his error. He had always been a man of action—no doubt about that.

***

Later that day the entire party was gathered in the drawing room, waiting for dinner to be announced. Still overwhelmed by the events that had changed her life in a heartbeat, Elizabeth had little to say to the others. Her eyes frequently encountered Darcy’s own, and more than once she saw Mrs. Gardiner watching her with great interest. She knew she would have to speak to her aunt soon, but she needed a little more time to become accustomed to her unexpected happiness.

Besides, she and Darcy decided not to make their arrangement public until they returned to Hertfordshire and spoke to Mr. Bennet. It would be only a few days delay, but Mrs. Gardiner, who was exceedingly attentive, surely would notice even the smallest change in their behaviour, so it would be difficult to keep the secret.

Earlier, Jane expressed her wish to speak privately, and Elizabeth wondered—briefly—what her sister had to say. It could not be anything grave, as Jane seemed very happy.

Elizabeth noticed Darcy exchanging a few words with Georgiana, and the girl’s happy glance allowed little doubt about their discussion. Elizabeth smiled at them both then turned to Jane, who was just whispering something, ashamed that she neglected her sister.

“Jane dearest, I was wondering… After dinner perhaps we can find a few moments to talk—just the two of us? You must tell me about your ride.”

“Oh, I would love that, Lizzy. I have so much to tell you—”

“About riding?” Elizabeth laughed, and Jane blushed violently while she whispered.

“No, not really. I mean—the ride was very pleasant…”

“You know, I did not expect Miss Bennet to be such a skilful rider,” Lord Matlock intervened. “I was quite impressed. Beautiful and brave and with the sweetest disposition—I say, Miss Bennet, there must be many young men vying for your affection, and very few of them deserve it. You must be stern and particular in your choice,” the earl added, and Jane became crimson while Mr. Bingley blanched.

“Bingley, be so kind as to give me a glass of brandy, would you, son? And perhaps you should consider one for yourself; you look quite distressed,” Lord Matlock concluded while the colonel quickly moved near Darcy, both struggling to keep their countenance.

Elizabeth did not miss their amusement, but she was not willing to make fun at her sister’s expense, so she cast a sharp glance at them. The next moment, the earl’s attention found another object.

“What about you, Miss Elizabeth? How did you employ your time? Were you not bored? When do you plan to commence riding lessons?”

“Excellent attempt, your lordship.” Elizabeth laughed. “Not very successful, though. It is true that I have significantly changed my opinion about riding during the last few days, but I still prefer walking—”

“I am sorry to hear that, Miss Elizabeth. I had great hope that you would be persuaded to change some of your earlier preferences, but it appears my confidence was undeservedly bestowed. Persuasion is a rare virtue, apparently, and needs much effort, but success is even more worthy,” he said with sharp mockery, hidden beneath apparent seriousness.

“Persuasion is indeed a rare virtue, as are patience—and wisdom,” Darcy intervened as he moved a few steps nearer. “Besides, I consider it a great merit for a young lady not to change her preferences and opinions easily. Success in convincing a young lady of exceptional wit and self-confidence is worth any effort.”

As he spoke, Darcy glanced at Elizabeth and their eyes met and held. Every word brought her equal joy and embarrassment, and she wondered briefly whether the other guests understood to whom they were referring.

“True, true…” the earl added. “Patience and wisdom are great virtues but only if they do not crush and defeat passion and daring.”

“You are right, of course, Uncle, but passion and daring require a strong character and superior mind to keep them under good regulation.”

During the entire exchange, Darcy barely took his eyes from Elizabeth and looked at his uncle only briefly. She felt increasingly flustered, and breathing became more difficult with every passing moment. She wished to speak, but her lips became so dry that she struggled to open them. Suddenly, she heard herself whispering.

“I would love to learn how to ride if it is possible…”

The others stared at her in utter bewilderment, as her words seemed to have no relevance to the conversation. Mr. Bingley was uncertain about the subject of the discussion, so he gulped some brandy to hide his puzzlement. Then the earl started to laugh, took Elizabeth’s hand and kissed it gently.

“I am very happy to hear that, my dear—very happy indeed.”

“Not happier than I am, I assure you,” Darcy concluded in a lower voice, a mischievous smile lighting his face as he continued to look at Elizabeth.

The earl laughed again.

“I am very happy that you are all happy, gentlemen,” Elizabeth finally replied, attempting to sound perfectly light and easy. “Had I known that my riding lessons would bring you so much happiness, I surely would have broached the subject earlier.” She forced a laugh.

“The timing was perfect, I assure you, Miss Elizabeth,” Darcy replied. “Neither sooner nor later would have been as adequate.”

“I cannot argue with you in that, sir,” Elizabeth admitted, her eyes still locked with his.

Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst were certain that their eyes and their common sense betrayed them when they saw Lord Matlock kissing Eliza Bennet’s hand. It was worse than anything they imagined before.

The butler finally invited them all to the dining room. Darcy offered Elizabeth his hand; she took it and began to rise from the settee, but flustered from the earlier conversation and Darcy’s meaningful gaze, Elizabeth forgot about the coffee cup in her left hand. The coffee spilled into her lap, a large, dark stain spreading over her gown. She let out a small cry, which caused Darcy to ask if she were hurt.

“No, no,
I
am not hurt—only my pride,” she said, crimson and self-conscious, attempting to make light of her carelessness. “Please forgive me; I shall change in an instant. I beg you, proceed with dinner; do not wait for me,” she addressed Lady Selina then left the room in a great hurry, while Jane followed her immediately.

“Please forgive me; we will be back shortly.” Mrs. Gardiner politely excused herself and left to follow her nieces.

Darcy looked around for a moment, uncertain what he should do and hoping their indiscreet and improper conversation did not upset Elizabeth. He should not have said so much without her permission.

“You seemed preoccupied, Cousin. And very lost in her eyes if I may say so…” the colonel teased him as they walked to the dining room. “Miss Elizabeth is well, I hope?”

“Yes…I believe she is. And feel free to make fun of me, Robert, but please do it privately. I do not want to embarrass Elizabeth more than I already have.”

“So—she is ‘Elizabeth’
now?”

Darcy hesitated a moment. “Yes, she is.”

“I see… Is there anything else I should know—anything else you might be tempted to share with me? You know you can trust me when needed.”

“I know that. I do not doubt your secrecy. But I beg your patience a little longer.”

“I can be patient if you wish me to. I can be the soul of absolute discretion, but I am no fool, so I cannot pretend I do not understand what this means. I shall, but not with you.”

“Thank you—your discretion is appreciated.” Darcy smiled.

They took their seats at the dinner table, joining the conversation. It took only a couple of minutes for Miss Bingley’s comment to arrive.

“I find it strange that anyone could spill coffee on themselves. A lady should be careful how she behaves, especially in company. But of course, we cannot expect someone who rarely leaves her small country estate and the nearby
four and twenty families
to behave properly in illustrious company.”

“May we cease speaking about this incident? It is quite irritating. I need more pleasant and witty subjects to enjoy my dinner,” said Lady Sinclair sharply.

“Yes, I agree, your ladyship,” said Miss Bingley.

“Then, by all means, do introduce some witty subjects, ladies,” said Darcy severely. “I have long desired such an unusual event to occur.” His voice was as rude as his words, and his sister stared at him in disbelief.

“Mr. Darcy, you seem in low spirits,” Lady Sinclair replied. “Is there anything we can do to improve your disposition? Your mood has spoiled my appetite.”

“Forgive me, your ladyship. From now on, I shall take your appetite into consideration before allowing my disposition to be openly displayed,” Darcy answered coldly.

“Oh, am I wrong, or has Mr. Darcy’s disposition changed for the worse since Miss Eliza retired to her room? I have to say, sir, that this revelation is quite astonishing to me. I remember a time when you were not at all partial to Miss Eliza’s charms; in fact I remember your avoiding her as much as possible—not to mention her mother. Do you remember when they all invaded us at Netherfield? You even had an argument with Mrs. Bennet; it was
so
amusing. But then Miss Eliza managed somehow to improve your opinion, and at some point you even called her pretty…”

Darcy lifted his eyes from his plate and put down his tableware.

“Yes, I did find Miss Elizabeth pretty, but that was only in the beginning when I did not know her well enough. It has been many months since I have come to admire Miss Elizabeth Bennet and to consider myself privileged to be her friend.”

The astonishment of Mr. Bingley’s sisters, as well as Lady Sinclair’s incredulous disdain, brought an awkward silence to the dinner table. Lord Matlock, interrupted in his animated conversation with Lord Sinclair, turned to Miss Bingley with a sharp smile.

“Miss Bingley, I have long wanted to tell you something. You are a handsome, intelligent young woman and fortunate enough to have a nice dowry. Young men should be clamouring for your attention. Sadly, you are bitter, mischievous, and spiteful. I have yet to hear a single kind or generous word from you about anyone unless you have an interest in flattering that person. Why is that? These are appalling traits to a man, you know. I have to say that, if you continue this way, you will end a spinster; I hope you are aware of that. Lady Sinclair and Mrs. Hurst are not kind either, but they can afford it; they have already secured their husbands while you have not been so fortunate.”

Miss Bingley turned white as the blood drained from her face; for a moment, Darcy wondered whether she was able to breathe and briefly considered that she might need help, but he did nothing, barely able to contain his mirth.

Lord Sinclair, who normally should have been offended by the severe criticism of his wife, laughed heartily and emptied his glass of brandy.

Angrily red, Mrs. Hurst and Lady Sinclair looked furiously at Lord Matlock, but their anger turned wild when they noticed Eliza Bennet, smiling from the doorway.

In the midst of that dreadful moment, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley rose and invited the ladies to their seats. Jane took her place near Mr. Bingley, and at the other side of her, Mrs. Gardiner sat to the left of Lady Selina. At the opposite side of the table, Elizabeth was almost forced by Miss Darcy to take the seat between her and her brother.

The footmen brought the next course, and the food was the object of everyone’s attention for some time. The gentlemen, warmed by brandy and wine, opened multiple and various conversations, and soon the din of voices made it difficult to understand to each other.

“You seem very quiet,” Darcy said to Elizabeth in a low voice. “Are you well?”

“Yes, thank you. I was just thinking… It seemed you had an entertaining debate while we were gone,” she whispered, a smile on her lips.

“‘Very entertaining’
is a description that does not do it justice.” He smiled. “May I dare presume that you heard a part of it?”

“I did. I have to say, sir, that for someone as reserved as yourself, who is always in perfect control, you are doing a poor job of concealing your feelings. If you continue in this way, our secret will last until tomorrow at the latest.” She cast a quick glance at him, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

“Please forgive me. I have no excuse for not keeping my word but—”