Darcy & Elizabeth: A Season of Courtship (Darcy Saga Prequel Duo) (24 page)

Lizzy laughed out loud and hugged
Jane. “Oh! How I do love it when an unforgiving commentary passes your lips! It
is such a singular occurrence as to be noteworthy and of substantial weight. If
you concluded Mr. Darcy’s true delight in the evening’s outing, then I can rest
contentedly that my likewise conclusion was not merely the result of wishful
thinking for it to be so.”

“Not at all. It was obvious, Lizzy.
In fact…” Jane paused, a faint crease marring her brow. “Correct me if I am
wrong or overstepping, but I believe Mr. Darcy, in an odd way, is easier to
interpret than Charles…that is, Mr. Bingley.”

“Oh, Jane! I do think it is fine to
address him by his given name, with me especially. I am curious what you mean,
however.”

Jane hid her flush by adding
another log to the fire, finishing the task before responding. “Charles is
lively and unreserved, easy with everybody, and unfailingly good-natured. I
love these traits, you understand, so am not criticizing—”

“Indeed not! Jane never criticizes.
Except for keen observances of Miss Bingley’s puckered mouth, that is,” Lizzy
teased.

Jane’s rosiness increased, and she
went on as if Lizzy had not interrupted. “Charles’s perpetual amiability makes
it difficult to decipher if his mood is less than delighted at any given moment.
Granted our lives are steeped in happiness at the present, but even at the best
of times, one has occasion to be sad or irritated, yes?”

“Yes, of course that is true.
However, my guess is that Mr. Bingley’s natural disposition does not allow for
sadness or irritation unless of a significant level, and then the negative
emotions would be brushed aside or hidden behind a pleasant smile. In this, you
and Mr. Bingley are akin: neither of you wishes to displease others or be
displeased, hence the enviable ability to view everyone, and everything, as
delightful. You are the optimist whereas I am the cynic!”

Jane smiled at Lizzy’s dramatic
declarations, but she shook her head. “You are not cynical, Lizzy. You see the
world and the people in it with a clearer vision and are unafraid to label
accordingly. I cannot say I wish I were more like you, preferring to live in my
sunny cocoon, as you once called it. Nevertheless, I now appreciate that
shielding one’s thoughts behind a placid face or gay smile is debilitating and
has the potential for misunderstanding.”

“My, you are full of deep intensity
tonight, dear Jane. What has brought on this serious introspection?”

Shrugging, Jane answered, “Nothing
untoward or of tremendous significance, merely honest observance. I wonder if
my relationship with Charles might have followed a smoother path if I had been
able to overcome my modesty to convey the depth of my sentiments. I truly never
thought to do so and refused to heed Charlotte’s advice, or listen to your
assertions of his affections, because my retiring nature insisted on
interpreting Charles’s congeniality as universal and not special toward me.”

“In regards to events from the year
past, we could forever point to our errors in interpretation and judgment, all
four of us. Best for you and Mr. Bingley to leave it be, as William and I have
agreed to do. Learn from mistakes, to be sure, then carry on. That is my advice,
and since you once before chose to ignore your sister’s remarkable wisdom, you
must do so now.”

 Lizzy kissed Jane on the
brow, both of them giggling like silly schoolgirls. Then Lizzy jumped up,
crossing to a small table where a plate of cookies sat. Pouring two glasses of
water and grabbing the plate, she returned to their roost by the fire. Two
cookies and some idle chitchat later, Lizzy resumed the previous topic, “I do
understand what you meant by Mr. Darcy’s moods being easier to interpret than
Mr. Bingley. It was not always so, of course. Preconceived conclusions and
erroneous translations were the hallmarks for both our relationships, Jane. Yet
there were those, myself included, who knew Mr. Bingley cared for you. No one,
however, had any idea that Mr. Darcy regarded me with special interest. Least
of all me.”

“You did tell me that Charlotte
hinted at it.”

“Yes,” Lizzy answered slowly, “she
did. Although at the time it seemed highly incredible. I laughed the concept
away, and Charlotte came to agree that Mr. Darcy’s demeanor was not consistent
with a man in love.”

“Obviously you were both wrong.”

“I daresay we were.” Lizzy chewed a
bite of cookie and picked at the crumbs on the plate. “As I grow more familiar
with William, I realize his cool demeanor is normal, yet also a façade erected
to control, and perhaps hide, his spirited nature. He is a man of uncommon
feeling, Jane. Far more passionate than he appears.”

“Why does he hide, do you think?”

“For similar reasons as you, Jane.
William is shy, although not to your degree, and he does not desire having attention
called to him. Largely I think it is because he despises artifice. Rather than
acting contrary to what he may be feeling about a person or situation, he has
perfected a neutral, aloof mask. Obviously this has served him well for nigh on
thirty years, while also causing troubles. I see this as why he now strives to
be clearer.”

“Precisely my point. He is
impassive a great portion of the time. Thus, when he baldly expresses an
emotion, it is transparent. When it comes to you, he makes no effort to
disguise his delight and love. He is permeated with good humor and it colors
everything, even a county theatrical. No wonder Miss Bingley was annoyed!”

Lizzy emitted a rude sound. “Caroline
is an irritation I am fighting to be patient with. You have no idea how often I
bite my tongue, and the urge to respond violently is harder to suppress with
each passing day. If not for my promise to you and my sympathy for Mr. Bingley,
I would have shoved her onto the floor when she sat next to William at the play
tonight. The nerve!”

“You have a right to be angry,
Lizzy. If it is any consolation, Charles is vexed by Caroline’s actions. I fear
his tolerance may soon end.”

“Has he said this to you?”

“No. I do not discuss Caroline with
Charles. I have no wish to hurt him, so remain serene and do all I can to
assure that I am unfazed by her bitter words.”

“Are you? Unfazed, that is?”

Jane sighed. “For the most part,
yes. It is not her actual words that distress, but what they portend for our
future tranquility. I harbor no concerns over Charles’s dedication and
commitment to our marriage. Caroline is doomed to fail in her attacks on me,
and you for that matter—just as she is doomed to fail in changing Mr.
Darcy’s mind. So I pray daily her heart will soften before Charles—or Mr.
Darcy—is forced to confront it directly.”

“Well, you continue to pray for
Caroline while I continue to pray for personal restraint. Frankly, I do not
think either of us will have our prayers answered before one of our fiancés
takes action. God help her if it is William.”

Exactly
one week earlier, Darcy had awoke from a troubled sleep well before the dawn,
his heart heavy and confused. As it turned out, that was the last morning for a
long while that Darcy would wake in a depressive state. Within hours, his heart
had soared and all traces of confusion evaporated. Elizabeth Bennet had
declared her love for him and accepted his marriage proposal. The brilliant sunrise
and richly blue sky on that October morning had been unable to compete with the
resplendence inside his soul.

Today he woke after a deep, restful
sleep long after the scheduled sunrise. As on each morning since his betrothal
seven days ago, his heart smoothly transitioned from the rapture of dreams with
Elizabeth to the blissful anticipation of spending the day in her company.
Parting the drapes confirmed what he had presumed by the room’s gray dimness: a
sky dotted with dark clouds, and a sun that failed to break through them. It
was not raining yet, and from the looks of things, it could go either way, but
weather had no impact upon his mood. All it meant was their afternoon together
would be spent inside rather than outside, and as long as he was with
Elizabeth, it mattered naught.

Shortly after noon, the carriage
sent for the Bennet sisters arrived. Darcy and Bingley welcomed their ladies
with reserved affection, ushering them quickly into the warmed parlor. For the
first day since the announced Darcy–Bennet engagement, and even longer
for Mr. Bingley, the couples had no set agenda for the afternoon and no social
appointments for the evening. All four of the persons involved were relieved to
be free and, in light of this astounding development, had jokingly vowed to let
whimsy and spontaneity rule.

Caroline Bingley was present when
Jane and Lizzy arrived but remained oddly subdued throughout the afternoon. Not
that anyone paid her much heed, which may have been one reason she was sulky.
Then again, sulky and Caroline went hand in hand, so who could say for sure?
Certainly not Mr. Darcy, or even her own brother, and since their attentions
were largely captured by their fiancées, efforts to diagnose Caroline Bingley
were nil.

The first two hours flew by.
Luncheon consisted of finger sandwiches, fruits, assorted cheeses and breads,
bite-sized cold meats, and sweet cakes for dessert, food easy to nibble in
gradual intervals between conversation and laughter.

“We received a letter from our Aunt
Gardiner this morning,” Jane quietly interjected at one point. “She confirmed
that she and our uncle will return to London by the twentieth or thereabouts.
As we anticipated, they insist Lizzy and I come to Town to shop for our wedding
dresses and trousseau.”

“It makes perfect sense.” Darcy
nodded. “Your choices are ample in Town. No point in being limited to what is
available for ladies of your class here in Meryton.”

Darcy noted Lizzy hiding a smile by
biting into a sandwich, belatedly realizing he spoke in his lofty, arrogant
tone laced with condescension. Of course, what he had said, strictly speaking,
was the truth, so she could not fault him for that. Still, he waited for a
teasing rebuke and was surprised when she kept on chewing. More startling was
that Caroline did not jump on the unintended slur with her own pointed one. But
Caroline was staring out a far window and did not seem to have heard.

Lizzy cast a glance in Caroline’s
direction, apparently expecting a comment as Darcy had, but when nothing came,
she shrugged. “We are making our lists so we will be prepared, and Papa is
already cringing.”

“Only because you add items that we
would never buy, the sole purpose being to watch Papa blanch and splutter,”
Jane accused.

Darcy chuckled while Bingley’s
mouth dropped open.

“What are you requesting, Miss
Lizzy?” Bingley had loosened enough to use her family pet name, but refused to
relinquish the
Miss
appellative.

“Oh, nothing too terrifying or
unreasonable really,” she answered airily. “Only that I wanted my gown to be
spun silk with a four-foot train. That I needed a fan of white dove feathers in
case I feel faint at the altar. And that I have always dreamed of yellow
daisies for my bouquet.”

“I do believe it was the tiara that
finally tipped Papa that you were jesting.”

“A tiara? Along with a four-foot
train? That is ostentatious even by my standards!” Darcy choked out between
laughs. Lizzy winked at him. “If you really want a fan of dove feathers, my
dear, I can find one for you. Yellow daisies this time of year are a tall
order, however, so you must suffer the disappointment.”

“I shall try to bear it,” she
sighed dramatically. “Actually, my ridiculous requests are not solely for the
purpose of testing the limits of Papa’s gullibility. I was hoping the fright of
us emptying his coffers willy-nilly would encourage him to insist on
chaperoning Jane and I to Town in lieu of Mama.”

Darcy could readily imagine that
intensive shopping amongst the crowded streets of London would not be a
pleasant chore with Mrs. Bennet complaining every step of the way. He shuddered
inwardly at the thought but, out of kindness, said nothing. Bingley, however,
did not tie the pieces together.

“I would have thought your mother a
preferred companion for purchasing gowns and…other female necessities. Mr.
Bennet surely would be of little assistance.”

“Papa is wiser with money than Mama,
Mr. Bingley,” Jane explained in her soft voice, a hand placed onto Lizzy’s arm
signaling her wish to respond rather than her sister. Considering Lizzy would undoubtedly
be a bit more blunt, Darcy had to agree with Jane. “He can appreciate the
quality and cost of products better than Mama. And of course, Mr. Gardiner is
familiar with many of the merchants, and our aunt as well. Above that, Papa has
traveled to Town frequently over the years, and lived there for a time while
young and at Oxford. Thus, he is comfortable with the streets, traffic, rules,
and the like.”