“Yes; Mary, you go with them,” Mrs. Bennet ordered. She would be glad to sit in her own room and ruminate over what had just occurred. Had Jane lost Mr. Bingley? Might this be a good thing, rather than a bad thing? She could not want Jane to marry a man with such a sister, no matter how wealthy he might be!
Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy waited for Mary to run upstairs for a pelisse; she returned with one for Elizabeth as well.
In the garden, Mary chose to sit on a bench with her eyes closed, which suited her elder sister very well. Elizabeth took Mr. Darcy to the far end of the garden and demanded, “Mr. Darcy, what just happened?”
Mr. Darcy shook his head. “I know Caroline Bingley to be rude and opinionated, but what I heard today was shocking, even for her. It could be – but no, likely not.”
“It could be what?”
Mr. Darcy took a deep breath. “Well, you are aware that both Mr. Bingley and my cousin are interested in your elder sister. Bingley asked the Colonel to desist in his attentions to her, but the Colonel gave his opinion that Miss Bennet should not have to tolerate Caroline Bingley. He said he would not back down from calling on your sister unless Mr. Bingley proved he could control her. It is possible that this conversation was overheard and passed on to Miss Bingley.”
Elizabeth’s agile mind leapt to the obvious conclusion. “So Miss Bingley, very muchnotwanting to have her brother married to Jane, has made herself uncontrollable.”
“I do not know how Miss Bingley might have learnt of the agreement between her brother and my cousin, but it would explain her performance today.”
“Well, that is all for the best; I think Jane far too good for the likes of a weak man such as Mr. Bingley,” Elizabeth said, decidedly.
“You favor my cousin?”
“For Jane? Very much so.”
“But not for yourself,” Mr. Darcy said, hoping for confirmation from the lady.
“No. I like him, of course, but I do not think he and I would suit on a long-term basis.”
“Miss Elizabeth, I must tell you that I think of you often. Quite often, in fact.” His voice was soft.
Elizabeth’s heart pounded. “Mr. Darcy, I think of you as well. But you have a good deal of sorrow and anger in your heart just now. I think you are very probably not quite yourself.”
And just then, Mary announced rather loudly that she wished to go inside now. She really was the most annoying chaperone imaginable!
Mr. Darcy escorted both Miss Elizabeth and Miss Mary back into the house. He took his leave of them and started on the walk back to Netherfield, as the coach was no longer available.
Elizabeth started up the stairs to Jane, who doubtless needed consolation, but she was stopped by her mother. “Is Mr. Darcy interested in you, Lizzy?”
“Perhaps, Mama.”
“Perhaps? Oh, but he comes here almost daily! Why does he do so, if he is not interested in you?”
“He has family matters that distress him a good deal, and it calms him to speak to me about them.”
“But it could turn into something more, could it not?”
“It could, but I will not accept a change in our relationship until his family matters are resolved. Until then, Mama, I need you to stay calm. Can you do that?”
“Calm? How can I be calm? For that matter, Lizzy, how is it thatyouare so calm?” Mrs. Bennet peered at her second daughter with something like suspicion.
“I like him, Mama, but I do not love him. And I do not think he is ready to love me, not just now.”
Mrs. Bennet mulled this over for a minute. Then she said, “Lizzy, I know you do not think much of my intelligence – no, no, do not protest. Just listen. There are a good many marriages, perhaps most marriages, that are founded on nothing more than two people liking one another. They have interests in common, they find each other attractive in their persons, they enjoy speaking together. That is the foundation of a successful union.Love comes later. I shall not say always, but in the great majority of cases.”
Elizabeth, having never heard such a speech from her mother before, was surprised into silence. Then she had the courage to ask, “What happened with you and Papa?”
“Obviously, we do not have interests in common, and perhaps that is the problem. I was pretty enough to marry into the gentry and your Papa was foolish enough to be caught by a pretty face. Despite such a beginning, I have done my best to be a good wife to him.”
Her mother’s tone was sad. Elizabeth reached out and hugged her mother hard. “Oh, Mama, you have been the best wife and the best mother, and you must never let anyone tell you otherwise. Papa would never have been happy with someone who shares his odd interests, no matter what either of you may believe. Can you imagine him arguing with his wife about the correct interpretation of the wordgreyn? No, indeed, he needs a wife who will take care of the house and the children, so that he may focus on his books.”
Mrs. Bennet smiled and replied, “I suppose you are right, Lizzy. Go on up to Jane; doubtless she will need your comfort.”
