“I very much hope not.”
Charlotte now commanded Elizabeth’s attention, so Elizabeth was forced to contain her natural curiosity on the subject and satisfy Charlotte’s enquiries as to her enjoyment of her food.
Eventually, Lady Catherine rose, signaling the end of the meal, and led the ladies into the drawing room. Lady Catherine went to her preferred high-backed seat, Anne took the seat nearest the fire, and Charlotte, Elizabeth and Maria sat together on the sofa.
“Sit beside me, Miss Bennet,” Lady Catherine commanded.
Elizabeth rose and went to Lady Catherine’s side. There was no chair nearby, but Lady Catherine gestured to a low footstool. Unbelievable, Elizabeth thought, but sat at her ladyship’s feet, as she had been bid.
“You are a pretty enough girl,” Lady Catherine began. “What are your accomplishments?”
“I play, as you know –“
“Poorly,” her ladyship interjected.
“I did say that my sister Mary was the proficient, you recall. I speak French and Italian, and have a good understanding of European history and geography. I am competent in mathematics.”
“That is all?”
Elizabeth shrugged. “I read a good deal, your ladyship.”
Lady Catherine scoffed. “Do you paint? Draw? Design tables?”
“No, Lady Catherine, none of those.”
“So you cannot call yourself truly accomplished.”
“Indeed, I would never have dreamt of doing so.”
“Very well. You understand that my nephew Darcy is engaged to my daughter?”
“I know nothing whatever of the matter, your ladyship, as it is none of my concern.”
“None of your concern! Did you not invite my nephew Darcy to sit beside you before dinner, in a blatant bid for his attention?” Her ladyship rapped her stick on the floor, angrily.
Elizabeth was reaching the end of her patience. Only a quick glance at Charlotte, who was looking pleadingly at her, allowed her to keep her countenance. “No, your ladyship, I did not. He chose that seat himself.”
At this, Lady Catherine waved her away. Gracefully and gratefully, Elizabeth rose from her low seat, curtsied, and went back to her place between Charlotte and Maria.
“Charlotte…” Elizabeth muttered.
“Later, Eliza,” her friend whispered.
Elizabeth glanced over at Miss de Bourgh, who was frowning mightily at her.
The gentlemen soon returned. The Colonel made a beeline for Miss de Bourgh, so that the seat beside her was occupied, thus allowing the other gentlemen to sit where they chose. Her ladyship frowned at the Colonel, but he ignored his aunt completely.
Mr. Darcy was disappointed to see that there were no seats available near Miss Bennet, but perhaps that was a good thing. He knew he had already made her a target for his aunt’s ire; he should stay far, far away from Miss Bennet for the duration of his visit to Rosings Park.
But he found his eyes drawn to her face, again and again. Her beautiful, expressive dark eyes! The intelligence that shown from her visage! Against his better judgment, he compared her to his cousin Anne, who sat beside Richard and had nothing whatever to say to him, though Mr. Darcy knew Richard to be an entertaining and intelligent companion. Look at how engaged Miss Bennet had been by him at dinner; the two had whispered to one another throughout the entire meal.
Then Mr. Darcy grimaced. Richard and Miss Bennet? Was it possible that his cousin could develop a tendré for Miss Bennet?
Chapter Eight
The next morning, Elizabeth received lectures from both Mr. Collins and Charlotte regarding the inadvisability of speaking with Mr. Darcy.
“What would you have had me do?” she asked, when she was finally permitted to speak. “He sat beside me and spoke to me. Tell me exactly what I should have done. Should I have gotten up from my seat and found another? Should I have stared at the floor as he spoke? Should I have pretended not to understand English?”
