His Uncle's Favorite (27 page)

“I was out most of the time…” Miss Darcy replied uncomfortably.

“With the Miss Bennets,” said Lady Selina. “In truth, since they arrived in town, I do not think there were two days in a row when we did not visit.”

Lady Selina smiled while Miss Bingley’s gaping mouth needed a long moment to close.

Dinner then passed pleasantly; afterwards, the earl invited the gentlemen to join him in the library while the ladies remained to amuse themselves.

More than once, Miss Bingley’s rudeness irritated everyone but Elizabeth, to whom it was chiefly directed. Elizabeth struggled to remain calm since, no matter how undeserving both ladies proved to be, they were Mr. Bingley’s sisters and—with God’s will—would soon be family. Furthermore, Elizabeth now understood that Miss Bingley’s insolence to her was due to jealousy. It was quite pitiful the way Miss Bingley struggled unsuccessfully for Mr. Darcy’s attention.

“Caroline dear, you are a handsome woman but so annoying! Why do you keep fretting Elizabeth? For heaven’s sake, no man will marry you if you continue to be bitter and mean.” Lady Brightmore took a last gulp from her wine glass.

The ladies frowned, and Jane and Georgiana stared at each other in shock while Caroline Bingley pressed her chest, gasping for air, until her sister helped her sit.

“Miss Bingley, a little water will help,” Mrs. Gardiner said gently, handing her a glass, and Lady Selina declared it was time for the gentlemen to return—and hurried to fetch them.

As the next day was the last before their departure, the long-planned sleigh ride was anticipated. Elizabeth wanted to ask Miss Darcy whether her brother would join them. It was a daring presumption, considering the circumstances. Besides, the thought of spending time in relative privacy with Mr. Darcy was not at all comfortable for her, so perhaps it would be for the best if he did not come. However, if he were willing to come, it would not be fair of her to reject the idea—that is, if he were informed about the sleigh ride at all.

“I say, Mr. Bennet, you must admit I was right in suggesting you ask for Darcy’s help,” said the earl, enjoying his brandy. “Upon my word, this young man is the best landlord I know—I dare say even better than his father!”

“Uncle, you are too kind, and your praise is generous but undeserved. Let us change the subject.” Mr. Darcy seemed completely uncomfortable as he briefly glanced at Elizabeth. She looked at him, intrigued, wondering at the disappearance of the proud, aloof man whose cold look of superior contempt would intimidate anyone who might happen near him.

“If I may be so bold as to give
you
advice, you should learn to bear praise better, Mr. Darcy, especially when you deserve it,” said Mr. Bennet.

“Darcy, are you coming with us tomorrow? In the sleigh? I mean—it is your sleigh, after all,” Mr. Bingley inquired, and for a moment, Mr. Darcy seemed pleased with the change of subject. Yet, the new one made him equally uneasy as Mr. Darcy looked at his friend and then at Elizabeth. When he met her inquiring gaze, he averted his eyes for a moment.

“Oh, Brother, you cannot miss such an opportunity. The weather is lovely, and we will all be together. You must come!” Miss Darcy said, animatedly.

“I would be happy to join you, but I have another engagement…”

Elizabeth’s struggle to keep her countenance was unsuccessful; she acutely felt the regret, and only that moment did she admit her wishes: she wanted and hoped that he would come. She was furious with herself for allowing him to see her disappointment, as she was certain he did not miss it. He had other engagements… Of course…

“I invited Mr. Bennet to visit. It seems that we share a passion for books, and he was eager to see my library. I… He will be my guest tomorrow. Otherwise, I would be pleased to keep you company. I hope you have a lovely ride.”

Elizabeth raised her eyes, hardly believing her ears. That was his ‘engagement’?

“And, as I can imagine how frozen you will be after the ride,” he said as Elizabeth blushed violently, remembering his hands warming hers, “I shall await you all with hot tea and refreshments.”

“Very well, I guess that is as perfect as it can be,” Mr. Bingley concluded. “I have just one request: may I have a glass of your fine brandy instead of that hot tea?”

Miss Bingley declined the invitation at the revelation that Mr. Darcy would not participate in a silly sleigh ride—what nonsense; it surely must be Eliza’s idea! The others would never consider spending half the day in freezing weather, so Mr. Bingley remained the only gentleman to keep company with the Bennet sisters and Miss Darcy.

Half an hour later, the earl reminded both Elizabeth and Georgiana of their promise to play and sing together. He was surprised that his shy, restrained niece accepted without hesitation. She took Elizabeth’s hand, and they stepped together to the piano, followed by Darcy’s insistent gaze.

The earl looked closely at his nephew; he was surprised to see Darcy wear an expression of warm delight on his face when he looked at Miss Elizabeth. His restrained nephew never bestowed such a tender gaze upon any young lady except Georgiana. Despite any quarrel Darcy might have had with Miss Elizabeth a couple of weeks earlier and any disagreements they might have had in the past, they seemed perfectly capable of reconciling them.

The earl was exceedingly pleased with himself; he had been correct when he asked his sons to abandon any attempt to court either of the Miss Bennets. It was simply not meant to be. From their first acquaintance, he was aware that neither of his sons was appropriate for his favourite Bennet sister.

***

Darcy paced the library, careful not to disturb his guest.

He briefly looked at Mr. Bennet and could not restrain a smile; the elder gentleman seemed under a spell from the moment he entered the library. He had spent long moments in front of each shelf, perusing every book and tentatively touching rare editions as if he were afraid he might damage them. Darcy had encouraged him to borrow any book in which he might be interested. Mr. Bennet thanked him heartily, but Darcy felt ashamed, as he knew he had another motive for encouraging Mr. Bennet to borrow books: a justifiable reason to visit the Bennets…and soon.

Mr. Bennet’s presence and company made Darcy feel ashamed for other reasons, too. He had lived in Hertfordshire for quite some time and never bothered to begin even a superficial conversation with Mr. Bennet. He judged him an indifferent father and husband, unable to control his wife and younger daughters, and occasionally displaying improper behaviour—a simple, country gentleman who did not deserve Darcy’s interest.

When they first met in London, Darcy had no genuine interest in Mr. Bennet. He was Elizabeth’s father and needed help; his problems were also Elizabeth’s problems. He made the effort to spend time with the gentleman only for her—to prove to her that he could be a different man than she accused him of being.

However, he soon discovered the real Mr. Bennet: a well-read gentleman, full of wit and humour, sensible and perceptive, and capable of amusement at his own expense as much as at others’. He enjoyed spending time with Mr. Bennet, whom he was earlier incapable of recognising due to his selfish pride—exactly as Elizabeth had described him.

Then she seemed somehow to forgive him. She behaved quite friendly— though a little embarrassed—during the first moments they met.

She tried to apologise and to thank him for his help, and she even smiled at him a few times. The day before when they spoke of the sleigh ride: was she disappointed he did not attend? She seemed so, but again—he could not depend on his judgement about anything regarding Elizabeth Bennet.

She would leave the next day, but he felt somewhat relieved; more than two weeks had passed since his dreadful proposal, and they seemed able to forgive each other and to maintain a polite acquaintance, though that was not enough for him. Since the moment he saw her again and she smiled at him, he knew it was not enough. His feelings had not changed in the slightest, but the future would depend on her feelings and wishes alone.

Perhaps it was for the best that she returned home. She needed time: time to forgive him and perhaps to forget his worst behaviour. Someday she might allow him to speak to her again…about his wishes and desires…

In a short time, she would be in his house again. He could picture her appearance: her eyes sparkling with exercise, her cheeks red and chilled, her hair shining from the snow, and her hands cold and trembling…

Mr. Bennet’s voice brought him back to reality, inquiring about the provenance of a book. They began to discuss it, and Darcy asked his guest whether any of his daughters shared his passion for books. For the next half hour, Mr. Bennet delighted his host with anecdotes about his favourite daughter—Lizzy—and her love for books. Mr. Darcy declared with complete honesty that he had not had such a pleasant time in a while.

Mr. Bennet returned to his book, and Darcy left the library to speak with Mrs. Spencer.

The doorbell and the din of voices were clear signs of his guests’ arrival. Darcy greeted them at the door and smiled. They looked exactly as he expected.

Miss Bennet was slightly flustered and obviously very cold, but her appearance was as impeccable as ever.

His sister and Miss Elizabeth were another story; he could easily guess that they had spent time out of the sleigh as the hems of their gowns were frozen and their shoulders were heavy with iced snow.

Mrs. Spencer hurried to Georgiana while Mr. Bingley helped Jane to remove her coat.

“Oh dear child, look at you! Your bonnet and your coat are completely frozen; I cannot even unbutton it! You will not be pleased unless you catch a cold, upon my word!”

Miss Darcy laughed while she bore the reproaches.

“Oh, I am fine; Elizabeth is much worse—just look at her! She lost her mittens in the snow, and she cannot even move her fingers! And I fell when we got down from the sleigh, and she tried to help me, but we fell together!”

“It is not nice to throw me in the middle, Miss Darcy,” Elizabeth laughed.

“It is not nice, indeed,” Mr. Darcy replied, moving closer until he was only a step away. Elizabeth lifted her eyes and met his; suddenly, she felt exceedingly warm.

“Please allow me, Miss Bennet,” he said, and before she had time to answer, he began to unbutton her coat. She frowned. He gently removed her coat and his palms lingered on her shoulders a moment longer, then his fingers began to untie her bonnet. She scarcely breathed. The ribbon was wet and frozen, and he needed real skill to unloosen it. Each movement of his fingers brushed and warmed the skin of her neck. She never felt the touch of a man’s hand before, and she never imagined it might arouse such feelings inside her. Her heart beat so wildly that she was certain he could hear it. He continued to struggle with the ribbon until he finally defeated it. She closed her eyes and felt him remove the bonnet, then he gently brushed the snowflakes from her hair. She grimaced when his hands took hers and gently squeezed them. She needed to sit, as she was not the master of her strength any longer.

“You are chilled through, Miss Elizabeth. Come, we must remove your shoes, too,” he said, and his voice made her tremble. Surely, he cannot mean that—“Mrs. Spencer, please take my sister and Miss Elizabeth to Georgiana’s room. I trust you will do everything that is needed to make them dry and warm.”

“Do not worry, sir. If you allow me full responsibility and insist they both listen to me…”

“You are fully responsible, and we all will follow your advice on this matter,” Mr. Darcy replied with perfect seriousness while Mrs. Spencer quickly directed them both upstairs.

Only then did Elizabeth realise that Mr. Darcy was still holding her hands.

The guests reunited in the living room as soon as Elizabeth’s gown was dry, and hours flew in pleasant conversation. Mr. Bingley and Jane sat close to each other on the settee, while Elizabeth and Miss Darcy each took a chair near the fire. Mr. Darcy took another chair a short distance away.

The warmth of the fire and the hot tea turned Elizabeth’s cheeks crimson, and they kept their colour for some time.

***

The morning of their departure for Hertfordshire proved to be more difficult than expected. The earl’s family, together with Miss Darcy, came for a last, short visit, and their regrets were all genuine and heartfelt as was their acceptance of Mr. Bingley’s invitation to visit Netherfield. Miss Darcy asked Elizabeth to write her as soon as she arrived home, and it was decided that their correspondence would be regular and detailed.

Elizabeth dared not ask about Mr. Darcy, though his absence was equally surprising and disappointing. The earl informed her that Darcy was already out when he stopped to fetch Georgiana, so it was likely he had some urgent business. Of course he had, she admitted. After all, he could not be expected to neglect his business just to say good-bye after he had spent the entire previous day with them.

The guests departed, and the three Bennets awaited Mr. Bingley. The gentleman was kind enough to take them in his carriage, as it was large enough to accommodate at least six persons, and his sisters decided to extend their stay in town. He finally appeared—well spirited, ready for the trip and closely followed into the house by Mr. Wickham. Elizabeth frowned while Mr. Bingley spoke animatedly.