“In truth, I journeyed there with the express intention of offering for Anne de Bourgh. But I found that I could not. I simply could not get the words out. Then I met Miss Bennet, and found her so delightful that I could not help speaking with her.”
“And you did not foresee your aunt’s reaction?”
“I should have, absolutely. Miss Bennet even asked me not to show her any notice, but I could not resist her.”
“Thereby earning her the humiliation of being asked to leave the county? Badly done, Darcy.”
Mr. Darcy could not disagree. “I hope to make it up to her.”
“Indeed? And how?”
“Bingley, I am rather in love with her, truth be told.”
Mr. Bingley stared at Mr. Darcy. Then he began to laugh, and he laughed so hard that tears began to form in his eyes.
Mr. Darcy waited in silence until his friend’s hilarity wound down. “Are you quite finished, Bingley?”
“I am sorry, Darcy. It is just that – well, here you are, one of theton’smost eligible bachelor, visiting a friend in a tiny and insignificant town in Hertfordshire and in love with an unknown country girl! It really is too, too funny. Will you propose to her?’
“Hold on, Bingley. You go too fast.”
“What do you mean?”
“Simply this; in Kent, Miss Bennet was a sparkling diamond compared with the lump of coal that is my cousin Anne.”
Bingley winced.
“I know, it is hardly a gentlemanly way to describe a young lady, but you and I can be frank with one another, can we not?”
“We can; go on, Darcy.”
“I fear that my fascination with the young lady may be situational, meaning that she shone so brightly due to the dullness of her surroundings.”
“So you have come now to take another look at her?”
“Quite so.”
“I am not sure how I feel about that, Darcy. I would not be pleased were you to raise expectations and then disappear.”
“I would never do that.”
“From your description, that is exactly what you did do to your cousin, Miss de Bourgh.”
Now it was Darcy’s turn to wince. Bingley’s good nature and cheerful face often led one to forget his sharp intelligence. “I cannot disagree with you.”
“Darcy, I value our friendship highly; you are, truly, my best friend in all the world after my beloved Jane. But it is my duty to protect my sister by marriage, and I will do so, come what may. So I ask you, as my good friend, to tread carefully.”
Chapter Nineteen
Mrs. Bennet considered this evening to be no different from the many other evenings the family had spent at Netherfield since Jane’s most fortunate marriage. She did not bother herself about her daughters’ attire, other than to admonish them to not wear the same dresses they had worn to Netherfield the previous week. Elizabeth had been warned by Jane that there was a special guest at Netherfield that evening, but she had elected not to enlighten her mother on the subject.
The Bennet women all shared a single lady’s maid, Kate. Poor Kate was usually too busy keeping up with the demands made on her by Mrs. Bennet to be of much help to the young ladies of the house, so Elizabeth generally confined herself to simple hairstyles that she could manage on her own. But tonight must be different.
Elizabeth found Kate on the stairs, arms full of fresh laundry. “Kate, can you help me with my hair?”
“Of course, miss, but I must take care of your mother first.”
“Very well, Kate; I will wait for you.”
