“Yes, but that does not make her the measure of everyone else.”
“Yet you are warning me to be careful,” Elizabeth murmured.
“I am telling you that this fortune has had a curious effect upon you. It has given you freedom, yet it has also made your choice more difficult. You weigh and consider where once you would have trusted your feelings.”
“I am confused,” Elizabeth admitted.
Mrs Gardiner immediately drew her into an embrace.
“I know, my dear. But you are a strong woman, and neither fortune nor the ton will alter who you are. You will find your way. Of that I am certain.”
Chapter 22
The first people they met upon entering the upper lobby were the Darcys. And this time, he looked worried. Even Elizabeth could perceive his state of mind. He looked at the procession coming in their direction, with Thomas Bennet escorting the duchess and Mrs Bennet on Mr Kendall’s arm, and his heart froze. His words against Mrs Bennet still reverberated in his ears whilst this young gentleman was on the best of terms with Elizabeth’s mother.
He took advantage of his sister joyfully welcoming Lydia, Kitty and Mary to offer his arm to Elizabeth, uncertain where they would view the play. He had a box, but Thomas Bennet certainly did too. Unwilling to surrender the advantage of escorting Miss Bennet, he addressed the rest of the party, who had paused to wait for them.
“Would you give us the pleasure of joining us in our box?” he asked, gesturing towards the open door nearby.
The answer came with unexpected firmness from Mr Bennet. “Yes, thank you, Mr Darcy. Your box is better placed than the one we rent. Please, show us the way.”
Mr Darcy had not expected anyone else to speak. Encouraged by that first small victory, he remained beside Miss Bennet and thus secured a seat near her. Matters unfolded exactly as he had hoped. When the play began, however, Elizabeth intercepted a glance from her uncle in their direction and gradually became convinced that the arrangement of seats within the box had been entirely of Uncle Thomas’s making. The suspicion distracted her from the play for several minutes. Mr Kendall sat in the second row behind her mother and Lydia, his countenance far from cheerful, whilst Mr Darcy leaned close to whisper how stunning she looked. His nearness affected her in a manner she could not control. Whenever he bent towards her, colour rose instantly to her cheeks. The agitation of her heart left little doubt regarding the nature of her feelings.
At the first interval, however, her certainty wavered once more. In the brightly lit lobby, a procession of people from the ton approached to greet the duchess, and every one of them appeared to know Darcy. They exchanged greetings and spoke of visits to country estates, postponed hunting parties, and acquaintances Elizabeth had never heard of before. It was plainly his world. No one spoke of the play; they seemed to have attended the theatre merely to see and be seen.
The only person genuinely interested in the performance was Miss Darcy, and Elizabeth approached her to discuss the first act.
“It is a relief to find a person who is actually interested in what is happening upon the stage,” said Elizabeth.
Both rejoiced in their mutual interest. Around them, the conversations wandered very far from Shakespeare.
“My brother told me that you would probably be the best companion for discussing the play.”
“Your brother has a high opinion of me. I am not sure that I deserve it.”
Even whilst she spoke, her eyes sought the brother whose attention appeared equally fixed upon her. “I am sure he is right,” said Georgiana with confidence. “And I hope to have the chance to converse with you far away from this noise.”
The two ladies agreed to meet one morning.
“And spend a few hours discussing the play, or any other subject except fashion,” added Elizabeth.
“And balls,” Georgiana added.
“You do not like balls, Miss Darcy?” asked Mr Kendall as he approached them under Darcy’s watchful eye. The latter remained trapped amongst a group of friends and could not easily escape.
“I do not like them much,” she answered, blushing before the handsome gentleman she had only just met.
Observing her rosy cheeks and her tendency to lower her eyes, Elizabeth concluded that she was unaccustomed to meeting strangers or participating in large gatherings. It seemed remarkable that so rich an heiress should be so shy and so unfamiliar with the society her brother appeared to navigate with ease.
Visibly embarrassed by her own blushes, Georgiana murmured, “We live most of the year at Pemberley. We lead a rather secluded life there.”
Elizabeth could not help but count that amongst Darcy’s advantages. It suggested that he spent much of his life at Pemberley, removed from London and the ton.
“But this year I shall be presented at court and, I hope, that will change,” Miss Darcy continued.
The prospect did not appear to delight her, yet Elizabeth again found herself uncertain. A court presentation belonged to a world beyond anything a young lady from Meryton could imagine. Her gaze drifted once more towards Mr Kendall. Gradually, she understood that she was no longer consideringhim merely as an individual. He had become the embodiment of a different sort of future: a simple life, a pleasant family, country balls amongst neighbours, and occasional visits to London for a new gown and a play.
Several less than cordial glances passed between Mr Darcy and Mr Kendall. Each wished to secure Elizabeth’s attention. Darcy soon perceived that his rival’s interest lay entirely with Elizabeth and not with Shakespeare.
