Elizabeth hardly knew what she was saying as she hastened to join Mr. Darcy. “How sly of you to sneak in so stealthily, sir; I had not thought you to be so serious about learning my style of trickery, but I heartily approve!” Elizabeth grinned at him, and then her gaze landed on the letter her sister was reading, as Phillip took full advantage of the chance to move in close.
“They have had word of our cousins from Lady Rebecca,” Miss Bennet told her sister, her eyes still roaming the page. Darcy could sense the moment she read the passage about Elizabeth, for Miss Bennet looked between her sister and Darcy with a faint shade of uncertainty in her brows before returning the letter to Phillip.
“When next you write to her, do ask Lady Rebecca to tease our cousins for their negligence,” Elizabeth said.
Mrs. Jennings turned away from Mrs. Ferrars to address her guests with a merry wave of her hand. “I hope you will write them unceasingly, my dears! I am confident I have kept you well entertained, and you must inform them of all they are missing by refusing my invitation!”
Elizabeth could not resist a menacing glance at Edward Ferrars before she replied to her hostess. “We will make them well aware.”
But her satisfaction at nettling the person she disliked was fleeting, for there soon arrived another foe; Caroline Bingley was shown into the drawing room. The woman surveyed them all with a haughty expression as she looked for a place to sit, pasting a false smile on her face as she found no place near enough Mr. Darcy and his cousin. She instead sat beside Mr. Ferrars, drawing a gaze of appraisal from his mother.
“But where is your charming friend, Miss Steele? I have grown so fond of her since you introduced us,” Miss Bingley purred. She smiled at Mr. Ferrars, as if Lucy Steele had confided in her.
Jane said something polite and noncommittal about Miss Steele, carefully avoiding Mr. Ferrars’s eye, and then inquired after Mrs. Hurst.
Miss Bingley fanned herself idly. “My sister is very dull today, but I was of a mind for company, and I understand you have had a great deal of it, dear Jane. I called at Matlock House and was told my brother’s relations would be found here, and of course I have been delayed in returning your call, for we have had so much company at my sister’s house. You must come and visit us there, Viscount Bellamy. And you as well, Mr. Darcy – I did not think you were fond of morning calls, sir, but I suppose you are bearing them for your sister’s sake. How pleasant it is to see you enjoying so much new society, Miss Darcy – butyou must not forget your old friends. Why, we are practically cousins, are we not?”
Elizabeth knew that the viscount’s sister was the widow of Miss Bingley’s late elder brother, but it was apparent that neither of the Darcy siblings welcomed this familial claim. Viscount Bellamy forced a smile and nodded his head to the harpy.
“It is for my sake that Darcy has forced himself into more society; my mourning period is long ended, and I have come to London to move more amongst our intimate circle. At present, that has only included the fine folks you have found here today, Miss Bingley.”
It was not lost on Elizabeth that the viscount had worded his reply to exclude Miss Bingley herself; even Jane betrayed a little smile of amusement. But Miss Bingley was not daunted. “How charming! Yes, I am sure it must be daunting to return to town after your sorrows, which is precisely why you must take care with whom you claim as intimates; but one might always depend uponfamily. But I am afraid I am not acquainted with all your new set.”
Mrs. Jennings did not appear the least bit chagrined by having omitted the introductions. “Miss Bingley, after our last visit, I confess I was so astonished to see you here that I quite forgot the usual niceties.”
Elizabeth did not conceal a wide grin, and the viscount winked at her before addressing the woman who claimed him as kin. “Miss Bingley, may I present Mrs. Madeline Gardiner, the lovely aunt to the Bennet sisters, and here is Mrs. Evelyn Hatchard and her daughter Sophie, and her son Mr. Willoughby, of Combe Magna in Somerset. And this is Colonel Brandon, of Delaford in Dorsetshire. And to all of you, I present Miss Caroline Bingley.”
The viscount did not repeat any of the nonsense about their tenuous connection, and neither did he acknowledge anybody called Ferrars; Elizabeth was ready to hug his neck for the insolence of it.
Emboldened by his cheek, she allowed herself the same indulgence. “Are you already acquainted with Mr. Ferrars? I trust you have seen your new accomplice Miss Steele since last we met.”
Jane’s eyes went wide, and Mr. Ferrars began to cough. Miss Bingley glanced round at Mrs. Ferrars and offered her a gracious smile before turning her head so that the older woman could not see her expression as she screwed up her face. “Miss Eliza,” she huffed in a low whisper. “Some secret-keeper you are! But I should of course prefer discretion.”
So Miss Steelehadindeed informed Miss Bingley of the farcical tragedy of her secret engagement; Elizabeth wondered if Mr. Ferrars had met with both the vicious ladies, who were certainly designed for friendship with one another.
Viscount Bellamy glanced curiously at Mr. Ferrars, then looked to Jane, who schooled her countenance into something neutral. When he turned to Elizabeth, she betrayed a slight flick of her eyebrows, for she had not the least objection to informing him, perhaps privately, the reason why Mr. Ferrars was hardly a rival for Jane’s affection.
Miss Bingley shifted uncomfortably in her seat, but though nobody was especially keen to converse with her, she was determined to have a share in the Bennet sisters’ amusement. “How lovely to meet you all. Are you connected to the bookstore, at all, Mrs. Hatchard? Indeed! Well, what a fine thing! I daresay this is fine consolation for you, Mr. Darcy, in being amongst so large a party – I believe you share my appreciation of a fine library.”
“Yes; Darcy actually has one,” the viscount drawled.
“Perhaps Mrs. Hatchard might advise your brother on his collection, now that he is back at Netherfield. When last you were there, I believe you urged him to think of such matters.” Elizabeth gave Miss Bingley a brilliant smile as she made it clear that they knew where Mr. Bingley was, despite her efforts to conceal it.
“Surely Mr. Darcy would prefer the honor himself,” Miss Bingley sniffed. “But Charles is indeed resolved to make the most of Netherfield; he flatly refused to return to London when I wrote to suggest it. I believe he likes the place just as well as he ever did, and is just as content there.”
Jane gave no reaction to Miss Bingley’s ploy to distress her. Instead, she bestowed a beatifical smile upon the viscount, who in turn grinned. “How fascinating. My sister Rebecca is quite the dramatist, it would seem, for her post this morning painted a dismal picture of Bingley’s efforts to rejoin the neighborhood, as if they had some cause to resent his going away and vowing not to return. And yet, I have always thought her to be so very prescient in such observations.”
Elizabeth smirked at Mr. Darcy. “Perhaps, Miss Bingley, your brother means to act upon good advice and apply himself to matters of estate above all else. Surely that would earn him a modicum of respect from the neighbors.”
“Dear Lady Rebecca is just the sort of companion who is sure to give him sound advice; I know her very well, Eliza, and she is better suited to aiding him socially rather than worrying overly much about an estate he is only renting.”
Mr. Darcy looked incensed and stood abruptly. “Well, I believe Mrs. Jennings must find her drawing room overly crowded; perhaps we ought to be going.”
“Oh, not so soon, surely,” Sophie cried, latching onto Georgiana.
“It would be a pity, particularly when I was about to propose we all walk out and enjoy the fine weather,” the viscount suggested.
Mr. Willoughby stalked over to Mrs. Jennings. “What do you say to a picnic, Madam? I declare, it is quite unseasonably warm, and we have a few hours yet of sunshine. I am sure it would please the young ladies, which makes the notion of utmost importance to me.” He placed a hand on his heart and flashed them all a roguish grin.
