Page 62 of Bitterness of Spirit

“Caroline, I was not aware you visited Mrs. Gardiner,” Bingley interjected. “When did this happen?”

“It was three months ago when Jane first arrived in Town,” Mr. Wilson added. “She and my sister called on Miss Bingley first and then she and Mrs. Hurst were kind enough to return the visit—in Gracechurch Street, not here. It was a pity they stayed so little time that we had no chance to make their acquaintance. But I am glad we have the opportunity tonight.”

“I was not aware that Miss Bennet called at my house. Nor that Caroline and Louisa visited you!” Bingley replied bewildered, glancing from a flushed Jane to a calm Mrs. Gardiner. “Darcy, did you know of this?”

“Yes, I was informed at that time, and I apologize for not sharing the knowledge with you, Bingley.”

“Well, it seems nobody thought of sharing the information with me,” Bingley said with unusual sharpness. “Had I known, I certainly would have called on Miss Bennet. I did not know,” he repeated, this time staring directly at Jane.

“I see no reason to discuss past matters now, and even more to argue over a family subject in public,” Louisa said, attempting to scold her brother.

“I agree we should not discuss these things now; it should have happened three months ago!” Bingley repeated severely.

“You were not at home, Charles,” Louisa insisted.

“Oh, but I think you were, sir,” Jane finally spoke, much to everyone’s surprise. “Caroline told me you were engaged with Mr. and Miss Darcy, so you must have been in Town.”

Bingley stared at her, dumbfounded, while Caroline and Louisa forgot to breathe. Such daring intervention they likely never expected.

Darcy became part of the conversation one more time. “There must have been some kind of confusion. My sister departed for Pemberley in February, and she and Bingley have only met each other—maybe once or twice—in the last year.”

Smiles mixed with frowns, amusement, and gratification—coupled with panic and resentment. For a moment, silence fell over the room.

Elizabeth allowed her contentment to spread freely across her face. She purposely sought out Darcy’s eyes and held them, nodding her head slightly. She was pleased and grateful for his intervention. He was relieved that one of his mistakes had been forgiven.

“Well, after so much confusion and misunderstanding, it is dinner time.” Mr. Wilson settled things with an offer of a truce. “Nothing repairs miscomprehension better than a tasty meal and good wine,” he uttered, inviting everyone to follow him.

Only a moment of haze and distraction was needed for Bingley to overcome his fears of rejection and offer Miss Bennet his arm with great determination. She flushed, lowered her eyes, and then gracefully accepted it, her shy fingers barely touching him.

Elizabeth walked behind her sister, lightheaded and hopeful. Mr. Bingley appeared to have improved his resolve.

She did not look at him, but she felt Darcy’s presence near her. On her other side, the colonel joyfully offered her his arm, and she took it. Then, hoping her voice was composed, she said, “I am glad that you and Mr. Darcy came to dinner tonight. We all left Kent so hastily that there were still many things I would have liked to discuss. I hope we shall soon have more such opportunities.”

“Likewise, Miss Bennet,” Colonel Fitzwilliam replied readily. “I would have called on you anyway as I promised. I was saying to Darcy last night that Mr. Wilson’s invitation was a lovely surprise—for both of us.”

“Meeting Mr. Darcy in Hyde Park a few days ago was a lovely surprise for us too,” she declared, speaking to the colonel, though her words were meant for Darcy.

He said nothing, but she knew he heard her. She caught his scent so close that, if she stretched her hand, she might have touched him. But she continued to walk with the colonel towards the dining room table. It was not the time to say more to Darcy—yet.

Their places were already established, so no choice was allowed. Elizabeth found herself situated across the table from Darcy and the colonel. Her younger sisters were placed between Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner. Mr. Bingley sat by Jane and across from his sisters. Elizabeth smiled to herself, noting how obvious Mr. Wilson had been in arranging his guests.

As dinner began, conversation slowly advanced. Mr. Bingley paid little attention to anything except his dinner companion. Within minutes, the months spent apart and the sorrow they had to bear after the Netherfield ball seemed to disappear. All they needed was an apologetic confession from an honest friend and the opportunity to allow nearness to restore their true feelings.

Elizabeth watched them, her heart filled with affection for her dear sister. A stolen glance showed her that Darcy’s thoughts were little different, and her own remorse reappeared. He had taken her words to heart and had made amends for his errors within days. While he might have been genuine in misjudging Jane’s feelings in the past, his pride was less strong than his kindness and honour. He admitted his faults and promptly confessed them. Did he do it for his friend’s happiness or for her? Did he truly believe that Jane was the proper choice for Bingley, or did he only want to please her?

Elizabeth quickly dismissed that notion, ashamed at her own vanity. How could she even imagine that he would cast off his own beliefs to please her? Even more, how dare she presume that he had any interest in pleasing her after her outrageous behaviour?

“Jane dear, do you plan to stay in London long?” Miss Bingley asked.

Jane was surprised but smiled and replied demurely, “For as long as my father allows and Mr. Wilson can tolerate us.”

“Oh, we shall stay longer,” Lydia suddenly interrupted. “For the Season! Tomorrow we have a modiste coming to make us new gowns, and we will attend balls and parties. We will not return to Longbourn soon!”

“My sister is very enthusiastic, but the truth is, we have not yet decided on the length of our stay,” Elizabeth replied, attempting to curtail Lydia’s outburst.

“Well, it would be lovely to take part in some of the activities of the Season,” Mrs. Hurst added. “After all, you cannot be certain when you will have another such opportunity.”

Mr. Bennet nodded. “How thoughtful of you to take care of my daughters’ entertainment. To be honest, I hope they marry soon; then the daunting task of enjoying the Season will belong to their husbands.”