“No,” Elizabeth said, shaking her head. “That at least I can say is not true. She had those tender feelings, that real emotion, admiration and infatuation. She loved you as much as — it was not base motives that drove her. She acted wrong, but it was not fromgreedbut rather a foolish, stupid, broken heart.”
Darcy looked at Elizabeth, and he sighed.
“Ha,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said. “And every poet says that love is a good motive for action. There are some who would place it higher than duty, than that feeling we have for our king and the drooping of his flag over more cities and castles.”
“I would not judge love as higher than duty.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam rolled his eyes. “I did not tell you thatyoudid.”
“But what about Mr. Bingley,” Elizabeth asked Darcy. “You judge him not based upon any criticism you have of his soul, his intentions, but upon his capacity.”
“What do you mean?”
“My brother, he only acted in the manner that any man of honor who believed his sister would. His failure was that he too easily trusted Caroline, and that his eyes did not instantly see through this misjudgment.”
Darcy looked at her for a long time.
“You said that your good opinion once lost is lost forever. Perhaps that is a flaw in your own character, one that you might strive to overcome… to improve. Forgiveness—”
“Forgiveness may be divine,” Darcy replied sharply, “but I make no claim to ascend above humanity.”
“Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth replied, “everyone has a flash of the divine in their souls. So I believe.”
He drew his breath in to deliver some sharp retort, but then he frowned and tilted his head. He pressed his hand against his chin.
Elizabeth perceived thatthisat least had struck him in some way.
Lady Catherine said, “Forgiveness! No, no, no! Darcy, you must promise me that you will not seek to rebuild such a connection — no matter what the man’s sister by law says. There is no benefit to you in knowing such a scandalous family, with a new built fortune. Bingley was always beneath you. Personable friendly fellow, but I never understood what you saw in him — I told you once. And now my prescience has been proven. I dare say you never received any value from the connection — I mean no offense to you or your sister, Miss Bennet.”
“Of course youmeantnone,” Elizabeth replied. She preferred Lady Catherine’s pompous absurdity to Darcy’s serious distemper.
“I can detect the impertinence in your tone,” the older lady replied. “I’ll brook no such insults in my house.”
“I do not mean to insult.” Elizabeth smiled sweetly, falsely. “Only to say that I do in fact feel insulted to hear my dear brother labeled as a worthless person whose connection is of no value.”
“Cousin Elizabeth!” Mr. Collins exclaimed in horror.
Darcy stopped the conversation though, by briefly pressing his hand on Elizabeth’s shoulder. “Perhaps, Miss Bennet, you might show that spark of the divine in yourself, by forgiving Lady Catherine.”
“I do not require—”
“And you, my dear aunt. You might apologize.”
“Harumph.”
Georgiana, Charlotte, and Mr. Collins stared between them, their faces ranging from horror (Mr. Collins and Georgiana) to bemusement (Charlotte). Colonel Fitzwilliam had that delighted look in his eyes, as though he credited himself with having started the tussle.
Anne de Bourgh then giggled. It was the first time Elizabeth had heard an actual pleased sound from the young woman, though it turned after a minute into a fit of coughing.
Somehow this triggered laughter in everyone, except Lady Catherine, but even she smiled a little. But Elizabeth could tell that she’d kept close eyes on her for the rest of the night, and it was impossible for any conversation between her and Mr. Darcy to be continued in anything but the most public manner.
Chapter Twenty
Despite every appearance to the opposite, George Wickham was a man who at last had the awakening of hope.
Mrs. Phillp’s maid had brought out candles that were set on every table as the spring sun set. The cards were spread in front of them all, and Wickham was frowning.
He really had not brought any further money with him to this game, largely because he had been afraid that if he brought more of his slender salary, he would have lost it.
