“I recall what I said, Jane,” Elizabeth said, closing her eyes.
“And you said that he almost ran away from you and did not speak another word to you all night!” Jane finished triumphantly. “Oh, Lizzy! Perhaps he really is in love with you!”
“But he will not acknowledge it,” Elizabeth whispered. She told Jane everything that Georgiana had said about the letter being a mistake, and he not being someone who would ever give in to such romantic nonsense.
When she was done, Jane sat silently, with a perplexed expression. Finally, her brow cleared and she said, “Well, I will tell you what I will do, Lizzy. I will speak with Charles about it.”
“Oh, no! Jane! Please do not! I would be mortified to think that people were speaking of it!”
But Jane was adamant. Elizabeth had deliberately left Meryton so that Jane could marry the man she loved; Jane would do what she could in return.
Chapter Ninety-Four
Jane did indeed speak with Mr. Bingley, who gave the matter a good deal of thought. Darcy was quite stubborn, he knew, and it was difficult to know how to approach him without causing that stubbornness to get in the way.
Finally, he hit upon an idea. At breakfast the next morning, he said, “I hear from my Jane that Miss de Bourgh thinks of inviting Miss Elizabeth to London, where she is certain to cause a sensation.”
Mr. Darcy’s hand, which was poised to lift his teacup to his lips, stopped. “Oh?” he asked, striving to sound casual.
“Yes,” Mr. Bingley nodded, sounding very innocent. “Miss de Bourgh says she is accomplished and well-educated, as well as very pretty.”
“She certainly is!” Georgiana put in.
Miss Bingley scowled at Georgiana. “It is odd that you say so, Miss Darcy, as your brother has told me that he regards her looks as merely tolerable. I believe that to be an exact quote, is it not, Mr. Darcy?”
Georgiana stared at her brother, shocked. “Impossible,” she declared. “I do not believe it.”
“Indeed,” Mr. Darcy said at once. “In point of fact, she is the handsomest lady of my acquaintance.”
Georgiana would very much have liked to put her tongue out at Miss Bingley, but of course could do no such thing. She contented herself with observing the look of anger on Miss Bingley’s face.
Mr. Bingley went on, “And there being no reason for Miss Elizabeth to remain in Meryton, why, she may as well go to London. Evidently your aunt, the Countess, is willing to sponsor her in society as a favour to Miss de Bough.”
“Brother…” Georgiana began, warningly.
“I beg you to excuse me,” Mr. Darcy muttered, and he all but ran upstairs to his room.
In truth, Mr. Darcy had really not needed to be pushed by his sister or his friend. He had concluded, entirely on his own, that he could never be happy in life unless he spent it with Miss Elizabeth.
Anne had told him that Miss Elizabeth blushed when she heard his name, but did that mean anything? Then he recalled the dinner at Netherfield Park; had it truly only been a few months ago? He remembered how they hadbothall but dropped their teacups when their hands touched, and how he had wondered at the time if she had been as affected as he.
He now believed that the symptoms of attraction – the tingling of the fingers, the racing of the heart, the blushing countenance – were not mere romantic fancies. They were real, and they meant something important. How could he have ever thought otherwise?
Of course, Miss Elizabeth, being female, would not be as obtuse as he had been. She would have understood at once what such feelings meant. And being a gently bred young lady, she could not make her own preferences known until the gentleman had first done so.
So was she waiting for him to give her some indication of his feelings? Of course she was!
His heart singing, he went to the front door to ask for his carriage to be brought round at once. It would have been faster to ride his horse, but he recalled his own advice to Reginald. Did he wish to arrive smelling of horse and dust? He certainly did not!
Georgiana accosted him before he could speak with the butler. “Are you going to Longbourn?”
“I am, yes.”
“May I accompany you?”
He hesitated.
“Oh! You are very well-dressed, I see; I believe that is the most extravagantly tied cravat Durham has ever managed to coax you into! Are you going to ask her, Brother?”
