As she clapped a hand over her mouth, Mr. Willoughby laughed uproariously. “How could any man resist such affected charms?”
“Oh, dear – I ought not to have said – I am sure he thinks no such thing.”
“No, indeed; it is obvious that he is enamored with you, Miss Bennet – obvious to all but Miss Bingley, it seems. Until I have word from Marianne, I have no objection to pestering her with my nonsense. As you have cleared a path to reconcile me with your cousin, you must allow me to do likewise with the obstacles you face.”
Jane pressed her lips together. The greatest obstacle was her own indifference. The viscount did not make her laugh as Mr. Willoughby did, he did not captivate her imagination, did not compel her to ruminate in volumes of romantic poetry, and sigh out the window while waiting for him to appear.
“I wish you well with Marianne, truly, sir. But do you think it wise to… muddy the waters?”
“Wise? No. Amusing? Vastly. As I said, it is a favor I am happy to pay you; but you may rest assured that Miss Bingley has no heart for me to break when Marianne learns the truth – if she can accept my situation.”
Jane eyed him skeptically. “You would not… not actually pursue Miss Bingley? Her fortune does not tempt you?”
“There are far too many pleasant women in my life for me to abide such a creature for my bride, and I should say the same if she had a hundred thousand pounds! When I wed, it shall only be for the deepest love and mutual respect; I rather pity anyone who has a more pecuniary approach to such matters.”
Jane grinned at him as the viscount broke away from Miss Bingley and began walking toward her. She gave Mr. Willoughby a gentle nudge. “Go on, then, and commiserate with her for such heartless aspirations.”
She watched him go with a strange ache in her chest, knowing his finest qualities would be wasted on Miss Bingley. Butshehad no right to appreciate his charms. Jane remindedherself to think of Marianne, who knew better than she what a fine man he could be.
She turned her faltering smile on the viscount and resolved to be pleased by coming to know him better. Furthering their acquaintance must reveal something between them that could ignite her fancy, if only she applied herself to the attempt. Wishing both of her cousins’ beaux miles away, Jane devoted herself for the remainder of the picnic to coming to know the viscount better and endeavoring to make herself known to him.
But at the end of the day, she could persuade herself to think no differently, and she chastised herself privately for thinking entirely wrongly about everything. It was all a hopeless mess.
Chapter Fourteen
Hertfordshire
The Dashwood sisters did not remain long at odds with one another; Mary would not allow it, and had only to remark upon the childish disputes of her younger sisters to inspire reconciliation between Marianne and Elinor.
Marianne apologized for her assumptions and promised that she would be civil to Mr. Bingley, and Elinor vowed that she would cease to pine for Edward. Marianne had not asked it of her – had instead acknowledged that Elinor’s silence did not preclude the depth of her feelings – but now that Elinor had purged herself of these sentiments in an effort to make herself understood, she wished desperately to overcome what troubled her.
The two sisters both promised to be of good cheer, and they were tested in their resolve as they dressed for dinner that evening. The post was delivered very late, and they were already about their toilette and Elinor and Marianne read the letter from their cousins in London. Elinor bore their news of Edward with resignation; she had neither the claim upon his honor that Lucy Steele boasted of, nor any of the wealth and status that hismother desired in his future bride, and she was only sorry that Jane’s inheritance had drawn the notice of Edward’s unctuous relations.
To Elinor’s astonishment, Marianne betrayed little reaction to Jane’s inclusion of a note for her from Mr. Willoughby; she only tucked it into her pocket without a word of acknowledgement, and spoke of Elinor’s misfortunes rather than her own.
The dinner itself was to be another trial for them, for the Bennets and Dashwoods were invited to dine at Netherfield. Colonel Fitzwilliam was present, which pleased both Elinor and Marianne; the Lucases had also been invited, which only made them uneasy.
The family from Longbourn had not seen the Lucases in nearly a fortnight, since their altercation in the village, and Elinor was sorry that Mr. Bennet, and not his wife, had stayed home with Margaret, Lydia, and Julia. Without her husband present to restrain her, Mrs. Bennet did not trouble herself to conceal her contempt for their neighbors, and Mrs. Dashwood was too gentle to sufficiently deter her from loud, cutting remarks at Lady Lucas’s expense.
Several other officers had accompanied the colonel, and fortunately they were sufficiently distracting Lady Lucas and her eldest daughter from Mrs. Bennet’s disdain. In turn Mrs. Bennet began to promote her own daughters to them. Elinor did not quite know what to do with herself as they all conversed in the drawing room, and when she saw Maria Lucas looking equally uncomfortable, she approached the girl.
“You are looking well this evening, Miss Maria. I have heard from my cousins that you have excellent taste in ribbons and lace.” It was all Elinor could think to say, and she hopedthe girl would understand the sentiments she really wished to convey.
Miss Maria smiled nervously, tears shining in her eyes. Her reply was barely audible. “I suppose they despise me, now.”
“Bad feelings, even the strong ones, do not last forever. It is hard, when one is grieving a loss, to see anybody happy.” Elinor sighed, thinking of how she had resented John and Fanny when they arrived at Norland after her father’s death. She had not been as vocal in her sentiments as her sisters and their mother, but she had felt it all the same. Surely if she had ever been as fond of them as the Bennet girls had once been of the Lucases, she would endeavor to heal the breach between them.
“I think it is hard for Charlotte, but I would never have been cross if Lydia had not been so cruel. I hope you will teach her and Kitty some of your wisdom, Miss Dashwood.”
“I shall, I promise it. But my cousin Mary – I know she is sensible enough to see things as I do.” Elinor gave the girl an encouraging smile as she tipped her head toward Mary, who was floundering in conversation with Lieutenant Sanderson.
“Mary looks lovely tonight; perhaps I will tell her so.” Miss Maria gave Elinor a look of gratitude before moving away.
Elinor observed with satisfaction as Mary received Miss Maria warmly, a look of relief on her face as her friend praised her to the young officer. As a smile spread across Elinor’s face, Colonel Fitzwilliam came to stand beside her.
“I can guess what delights you, Miss Dashwood. You are thinking of enlisting in my regiment, for you are a better peace-keeper than any of my men.”
“But not nearly as skilled with a weapon,” Elinor laughed.
