It was clear from the look of Caroline’s eyes that she was trying to hold back tears.
Elizabeth determined just to stand there next to her and wait. The terrible thing was that Elizabeth thought Charlotte was right: Mr. Darcy had no interest in Caroline.
But Caroline would need to learn that on her own. Elizabeth knew very well from their years of life together that when her friend got a decided idea into her head, it was no easy matter to dislodge it, and that she did not take kindly to dissenting counsel.
The chief point, in Elizabeth’s view, was that she needed near Caroline to comfort her when she finally realized… And besides, it was not an impossibility, perhaps Darcy might realize Caroline’s virtues, and find himself, to his surprise more than anyone else’s, falling in love with her friend as she deserved.
After a while, and without looking away from red leatherbound books in the bookcase, Caroline said, “I ought to not be so annoyed. She is just a small woman, of small face, small fortune, and smaller hopes.”
“She is three inches taller than I am,” Elizabeth replied, hoping to make a joke of the whole.
“It is the lack of hopes which makes her spiteful.”
Elizabeth sighed. “Charlotte is a dear friend of mine as well.”
“I hardly see why. Small hopes, small apartments, small pinched face, and she hopes to pinch everyone else into the limited scope she might have with her life.” Caroline made a brittle laugh. “To denominatethishandful of rooms Lucas Lodge. What ridiculous pretention.”
“Caroline.”
At last Caroline’s eyes were alight with something other than bitterness. She smirked at Elizabeth, and then sighed. “I can denyyounothing. I shall try. Politeness amongst savagery. I will try my best. But I find her annoying.” However Caroline then took Elizabeth’s hand and embraced her. “For you, anything.”
Elizabeth embraced Caroline back.
Elizabeth sighed. “Youannoy her as well, so equality of disdain. And that is the central point we all seek: Equality in our connections. Oh, I so hate it when my friends do not like each other! There is nothing worse than that. And nothing worth that! That really is whatIwant above all else, for my friends to be happy and pleased with each other.”
Before Caroline ventured upon a reply to that trite sentiment — Elizabeth’sownfoolishness, since she needed some form of stupidity to maintain equality with Caroline’s hopeless enthusiasm for Mr. Darcy — Charlotte approached them again.
She hesitated, pressed her tongue out in her cheek, and then shrugged. “Miss Bingley, I confess I ought to have been a little more in sympathy with the pain that a fear of disappointed hopes can give. I myself have known such emotions.”
“I am not in fear of disappointment. And I will not allow myself to doubt since—”
“And now I am glad that weallare friends again,” Elizabeth said touching both Charlotte and Caroline at the same time. “And it is time for the discourse to turn to a far less interesting subject thanmen. What do you both think, is it like to rain tomorrow again?”
However, Elizabeth’s determination to discuss the weather rather than the whether was interrupted when the man whose “whether” was under consideration approached them.
Upon them seeing Mr. Darcy’s closeness, he augustly inclined his handsome head, and made the appropriate mumblings of greeting, “I had no intention to interrupt your conversation, ladies.”
“No, never!” Caroline exclaimed, smiling at him, and then suddenly frowning as she continued. “I am quite always happy,” she said with what Elizabeth thought was a grotesquely silly frown, “to see you.”
Caroline stopped and she had an odd expression on her face, clearly wishing to smile, but also perhaps thinking that she ought to frown.
Poor, sweet, dear goose — she was quite too tied to Darcy’s opinion to think clearly.
Only a man!
In Elizabeth’s opinion, her friend ought to make no excess of effort to “catch” him. Unless Mr. Darcy was wholly insensible, it was impossible for him to miss Caroline’s preference for him, and while Elizabeth assiduously hoped that hewouldone day begin to look with favor upon her friend, that was a matter ofhischoice.
So Elizabeth took the lead and said gaily, “Youobserved us earlier in conversation — no, you cannot blush and hide it. I noted your attention. Did we not all express ourselves with proper enthusiasm? My dear Caroline especially.”
“I hardly can settle whether it wasproperenthusiasm that you displayed, as I was not privy to the subject of the conversation, but the three of you were quite intent.”
Both Elizabeth and Caroline flushed, while Charlotte raised an eyebrow and smirked at the other two girls. Caroline looked down, clearly unable to come up with a proper way to continue the conversation without revealing that the subject they had been so intent upon had been her interest inhim.
Elizabeth patted Caroline on the arm and said, “I merely teased my dear Miss Bingley, here, upon how she certainly must tease Charlie into throwing us all a ball — one for everyone in the neighborhood, and the new regiment of officers. But I suspectyouwould not enjoy such an event half so much.”
“Hardly, but that does not meanyourenjoyment should be curtailed.”
“No,” Caroline spoke, looking at Darcy and now smiling again, “I would far rather have my enjoyment be curtailed thanyours.”
