Assumed Engagement (24 page)

He looked over at his other table partners and felt as though he should make some attempt at conversation, but at this point he was really not in the mood. It was very obvious to him what had happened. He had walked through earlier and seen that he was placed to sit across from
Elizabeth
. He looked forward to the meal and being able to spend it in conversation with her. But he had seen her come out from the dining room earlier. She must have moved his place card down to the far end of the table, as far away from her as possible, so she would not have to endure his company during the course of the meal.

He felt a strange discomfort that took away most of his appetite. He looked at his sister who was so enjoying
Elizabeth
's company. As he watched her, he met
Elizabeth
's eyes, but could not tell whether she was looking at his sister, or beyond her at him. He still found himself drawn to those eyes, and with great pain, he realized this was going to be a very long evening.

Chapter 16

    
C
harlotte
turned to Mr. Darcy after noticing her husband had solicited the attention of the Gardiners, who were seated next to him. "I must apologize for my husband," she spoke softly. "He had no right to be so unkind toward you. It is just that we have endured several weeks of very taxing visits with Lady Catherine. Just to let you know, she has been telling some quite disturbing stories about you regarding her visit to
Pemberley
. I am quite sure that she has greatly exaggerated what happened there."

Looking straight ahead, Darcy nervously drew himself upright in his chair. "Quite the contrary, Mrs. Collins. I am in no doubt that everything she has told you is true." He turned to her, seeing her puzzled look.

"If she told you I was callously rude to her, removed my sister from her presence, and refused to allow her to see her, finally demanding that she leave my home, that is correct." His eyes narrowed as he recalled his anger that day.

"I am certain that there must have been a very good reason for it, Mr. Darcy." She did not want to pry, but if he wanted to share what happened, she would be willing to listen.

He was reassured by her look of compassion, and was aware again as he looked at Mrs. Collins, that he could easily watch
Elizabeth
without her taking notice. She may not want his company, but he was going to act as civil and polite to her family and friends, no matter what she thought of him at the moment. And what harm was there in looking upon her face? In spite of his distress over her actions, having her in his sight actually soothed his spirit.

He continued, "She insulted my sister, Mrs. Collins, bringing her to tears. She questioned my ability to raise her properly. I would not stand for it and I knew if she remained, her unjust, heartless accusations would not have ceased. I could not,
would
not, allow her to remain on at
Pemberley
." He spoke with intensity, but softly, so as not to draw Mr. Collins' attention.

Charlotte
responded, "I was quite certain, Mr. Darcy, that whatever happened between the two of you was attributed to her behaviour."

She turned her head toward her husband, and unfortunately, she and Mr. Darcy overheard an occasional word whispered fervently by Mr. Collins to the Gardiners, "my patroness… such distress when one’s own family members… her nephew… demanded she leave."

She looked from Mr. Collins back to Mr. Darcy. "Please allow me to apologize for my husband. If he had any good sense, he would be willing to listen to your account of what occurred."

As she turned to whisper something to her husband, Darcy kept his eyes in her direction, looking past her to
Elizabeth
. He observed that there was something in the way she and Georgiana seemed to enjoy each other's company that made it difficult to look away. The only time he had seen them together was when
Elizabeth
was leaving
Pemberley
, as he watched them say goodbye to each other from his study window.

He noticed the difference in his sister as she spoke with
Elizabeth
, and then as she turned to speak to
Elizabeth
's two youngest sisters. As she spoke to them, she appeared more shy and reserved, smiling politely, but struggling with conversation. Yet when she turned back to
Elizabeth
, she displayed more an air of assurance and he could detect a very eager spirit within her. She seemed to have no difficulty keeping up the conversation.

Darcy's thoughts were very much whirring around inside him now. Charlotte and her husband appeared to be discussing something while Darcy continued to contemplate the effect Miss
Bennet
had on his sister… the effect she still had on him!

Suddenly Mr. Collins arose, and in an apologetic voice uttered, "It is with deepest regret that we must take leave of you now. My devoted wife has just informed me that she has been taken suddenly ill, and desires to return directly to her parents’ home to rest. Would you please excuse us for the evening?"

A general response of sympathetic words poured forth from the party, and they began to walk toward the door. Mr.
Bennet
rose from the table to escort them out.
Elizabeth
was up instantly as well.

As they drew into the entry, she pulled
Charlotte
off to the side, knowing she was not feeling ill at all. "
Charlotte
, you need not to do this. I do not want you to leave. I know you are not truly ill."

"It is best. It will be impossible for my husband to remain silent tonight on the subject of Mr. Darcy's behaviour toward his aunt, and he does not even know the truth of the matter." She looked at
Elizabeth
and whispered, "Mr. Darcy informed me that Lady Catherine was very critical of Georgiana, even bringing her to tears. He would not allow her to stay in the house because of the hurt she was inflicting on his sister."

"I am not surprised, knowing Lady Catherine as I do. Poor Georgiana!"

"
Lizzy
, I know that you have been very offended by Mr. Darcy's behaviour in the past. But let me assure you that tonight he seemed most amiable. I truly enjoyed his company."

Elizabeth
smiled meekly.
Why did I ever change his seat?
she asked herself regretfully.
Everyone seems to have been able to enjoy his company but me.

Elizabeth and her father bid the couple goodbye and walked back into the dining room. When she stepped in, she noticed that the Gardiners had moved over and were now seated next to Darcy, engaged in conversation with him.

Apparently they had not been able to get any kind of responsive conversation with the
Hursts
, who were seated on the far side of Mr. Gardiner. When
Elizabeth
walked in, it did not escape Mrs. Gardiner's notice that Darcy's attention was immediately drawn to her. She noticed that the instant he looked over at
Elizabeth
, he closed his fist and nervously rubbed his thumb and index finger together. Oblivious to his actions and her notice of them, he quickly turned back to continue his conversation with her.

Darcy discovered that Mrs. Gardiner had grown up in Lambton and enjoyed sharing their favourite places of the area. They talked of people they knew, and whether the other might know them. When Mrs. Gardiner mentioned the Franks Darcy nodded fervently.

"Why he is my head stableman! He is such a fine man and has such a wonderful family, indeed!"

"His wife and I grew up together. I remember when she first met Mr. Frank. He was working at
Pemberley
back then as simply a hired hand to work the stables."

"Obviously my father saw great potential in him, eventually moving him up to be in charge of the stables and horses, which he still is today."

"Are you aware, Mr. Darcy, that their daughter is deaf?"

"Yes, I just recently was made aware of that. Since then I have been getting information on a school in
France
that teaches communication using hand signs. I informed them of this and they seemed most interested in finding out more."

"Yes, she wrote me about that. She said that someone was looking into starting such a school in Derbyshire itself." She looked at Darcy and saw a somewhat embarrassed reaction; he coloured slightly and looked down, making her wonder whether it may have been Mr. Darcy himself who was putting up the money to start the school.

"So I have heard." He neither confirmed nor denied that he was the one, but she felt strongly convinced that it most likely was he.

Darcy selfishly wished to tell Mrs. Gardiner all about his involvement, knowing she would most surely relay this information to her niece. But he knew that telling her would make him appear too proud and conceited. He did not even want the people of Derbyshire to know of his total responsibility for it. His eyes drifted over to
Elizabeth
, and he wondered what it would ever take to get her to notice him. But he had a strong impression it would not be because of things he did or what he had. It would only be because of who he was on the inside. He wondered whether he could ever be that person.

As they talked, Darcy began to feel a little less distressed, finding the company of this couple genuinely pleasant. He was amused to watch their interaction with Mrs.
Bennet
. Mrs. Gardiner truly had a gift as she dealt with her sister-in-law. Whenever Mrs.
Bennet
began to get a trifle too agitated about something, Mrs. Gardiner calmly responded with a gentle word and look, which helped keep Mrs.
Bennet's
boisterousness to a minimum.

Because of the calming effect of Mrs. Gardiner, Darcy was actually able to converse civilly with Mrs.
Bennet
, but he preferred the company of the couple on his right. He found the Gardiners more knowledgeable on many subjects, but it also allowed him to covertly observe
Elizabeth
across the table.

Mrs. Gardiner watched him intently, being ever so aware of the slight shift of his eyes as he talked to her. She knew that from her niece's behaviour the previous night, and
his
behaviour at the moment, there was more between them than either would admit.

Darcy was drawn into a conversation with the
Bennets
about
Pemberley
; Mr.
Bennet
inquiring how long it had been in his family. Darcy obliged them with the history of his family and
Pemberley
, going back some two hundred years. Mrs.
Bennet
obliged him with overstated details about how much her two daughters enjoyed their stay there and how they returned with unending praise about the place and its occupants, causing him a little discomfiture.

Darcy felt he had spoken enough on the subject of
Pemberley
and turned the subject matter to Longbourn. Mrs.
Bennet
answered obligingly, despite her wish to continue talking about him and his home.

"Mr. Darcy, our home, I am sure, is very modest compared to your great estate, and with it entailed away from the female line, I have long hoped and prayed that each of our lovely girls would be fortunate enough to enter into a most beneficial marriage." She smiled at him and looked as if she expected a response. She then turned her gaze down to the far end of the table where her second eldest daughter was sitting.

Elizabeth
watched as her mother smiled at Darcy and then glanced down the table and smiled at her. She had been carefully scrutinizing this interaction between Darcy and her parents.
Elizabeth
did not like the look of that smile and felt her mother was beginning to get some ideas into her head about her and Darcy. She tried to give her a warning look, hoping she would stay away from any subject of marrying her daughters off, especially to
desirable rich men
!

Darcy felt himself colour and awkwardly sought something to say. He could easily have come up with a response to secure Mrs.
Bennet’s
favour by stating his intentions toward their daughter.
I want nothing more than to ask for the hand of your second eldest daughter, Elizabeth!
or
Mrs.
Bennet
, is my ten thousand sufficient enough to win your favour?
Or possibly,
How can you help me secure the favour of you second eldest daughter when even my ten thousand is as nothing to her?
"How fortunate that you have five lovely daughters, Mrs.
Bennet
."

"Why thank you, Sir. You are too kind! But as Longbourn is entailed, I am most distressed." Darcy drew back a little from her as she became somewhat frantic. "Every time I see that Mr. Collins, who is so very anxious to kick us out and move right in, it just makes…" Suddenly she stopped, looked at her husband, and turned back to Darcy and smiled, picking up her cup of tea and taking a sip.

Elizabeth
, from the other end of the table could not believe what she just witnessed. Her eyes widened as she contemplated what happened. Did her father actually do what she thought she saw him do? If she was not mistaken, he had given her mother a nudge with his knee underneath the table to silence her! And it must have worked! But did anyone else notice?
Elizabeth
looked immediately at Darcy, who brought his napkin up to his face and politely dabbed the corners of his mouth. Was that a smirk she saw peeking out from behind?