Page 9 of Pride, Prejudice and Prudence

Chapter 16

Mr Darcy’s eyes seemed always to follow her; it was most disconcerting. She could not imagine why he should always be looking at her. She supposed that there was something about her appearance that struck him as particularly wrong, so much so that he could not look away. Her father had also seemed to notice Mr Darcy’s attention being drawn to her. She had seen him looking at Mr Darcy with a frown. She would admit, but only to herself, that the thought had crossed her mind that he might admire her, but the looks he gave her held nothing of love in them. His face normally wore a frown or a look more of distaste than admiration.

He did, however, speak to her more than to any member of her family, save for her father. He spoke to Jane but a little, and their mother not at all. He did sometimes speak with Mary, and when he did, Elizabeth saw an unexpected look of kindness about his eyes. His speaking with Elizabeth also made her father frown, but in this case, Elizabeth could perceive the reason. Every time they discussed any topic, they were completely unable to agree. Elizabeth did not know why, for even if she started the conversation in complete accord with Mr Darcy, it never ended that way. His haughty manner of expressing himself always got her back up and made her wish to prove him wrong.

“You are entirely incorrect,” she informed him. “Shakespeare portrayed women as capable of both intelligence and infamy, as it is demonstrated by Portia in The Merchant of Venice and Lady Macbeth.”

“I did not say that Shakespeare did not show women as intelligent or lacking in the complexity of character, which Lady Macbeth shows by her duplicity. I merely said that some of his female characters are naïve and uneducated in the ways of the world, which you must admit the protection of female delicacy makes necessary.”

“Which characters do you mean to demonstrate as having such traits?” Elizabeth asked.

“Ophelia,” he suggested.

“An isolated character,” Elizabeth replied.

“Desdemona,” he added. Elizabeth merely replied to his second example with a hmm.

“You must be kinder to Mr Darcy, Lizzy,” Jane beseeched, when they retired on the evening of the fifth night.

“If this damnable weather would ever improve, I need not ever speak to that gentleman again,” Elizabeth replied, giving her sister a response which she knew was unsatisfactory.

“It is he who is trapped away from his home comforts,” Jane replied. “Can you not see how discomforted he is, and the degradation he has had to endure?” Jane asked.

“Degradation? He has a warm bed and a full belly,” Elizabeth responded, and then continued in a more conciliatory tone. “I cannot like the way he looks down his patrician nose at us all. You know he believes it beneath him to have to avail of our hospitality.”

“But bear in mind, Lizzy, Mama has gone out of her way to make Mr Bingley feel welcome. Yet she makes it very clear that it is an intolerable inconvenience to have Mr Darcy here. Do not suppose he is unaware of his lack of welcome from that quarter.”

“But Papa has more than made up for it,” Elizabeth argued. And it was true; their father had spent an inordinate amount of time with Mr Darcy. Yes, Mr Bingley had accompanied them to walk, the admittedly waterlogged, fields of Longbourn, but Mr Darcy and her father had sojourned to Mr Bennet’s study for hours each day.”

Jane had to own that this was true.

Elizabeth had been curious as to what was engaging the two men together, so much so that she had enquired of her father. He had replied that they were chiefly discussing issues of land management. Yet when Elizabeth had popped her head into the study to ask if he wished for her to call for a midday meal for him, she had found them discussing Plato and Aristotle. Her father was smiling, and it was clear that he had been enjoying a rousing discussion on the philosophers, and that Mr Darcy was obviously knowledgeable on the subject. Elizabeth was the only other member of her family who held an interest in philosophy, so it made sense that he was enjoying the conversation. Her father had tried to engage Mary on the topic, but she had little interest.

Chapter 17

Elizabeth, mindful of Jane’s censure, determined to do better, and on entering the breakfast room the next morning, she addressed Mr Darcy cordially.

“I trust you rested well, Mr Darcy,” she said, and saw that gentleman’s eyes rise at her engaging with him directly. It was only then that Elizabeth realised that although they had had many conversations during his days in Longbourn, it had always been he who opened the conversation.

“I rested quite well, I thank you,” he replied and then added, “I trust you also slept well?”

“I did, I thank you,” Elizabeth said, her answer a near mirror to his own, her mind having wandered away in contemplation of Mr Darcy being so willing to engage with her. Elizabeth, therefore, added nothing else to her reply and instead drifted towards the sideboard to inspect the breakfast offerings. She did, however, note her father’s raised eyebrow, and she supposed it was at her unusual address to Mr Darcy’s comfort.

Elizabeth ate her meal in silence, lost as she was in thoughts which were so unformed she could not fully articulate, even to herself, what they had contained. But as the morning meal drew to a close, she again reminded herself that she must be more polite to Mr Darcy.

However, she need not have concerned herself, for when, after breakfast, Mr Bennet and Mr Darcy again rode out to inspect the stream, they found that the rain, having eased off yesterday, had allowed the water to drop sufficiently to allow the gentlemen to wade across the stream on their mounts.

As they departed, Elizabeth felt a twinge of regret, but it did not last long, for as their father saw the gentlemen out, Elizabeth re-entered the front parlour, which overlooked the front of Longbourn. The window having been opened to allow some air in, she heard Mr Darcy proclaim.

“I have never been so glad to leave a place: a footman stationed at the ladies' bedchambers; Mr Bennet giving me concerning looks whenever I addressed Miss Elizabeth... do they imagine that I would leg-shackle myself to such a family?” Mr Darcy said. Mr Bingley made a sound as if to dispute him, but Mr Darcy continued.

“Their want of connections, their family in trade, and Longbourn entailed away – I doubt that they even have much in the way of dowries.”

“I found the family most agreeable,” Mr Bingley said, when finally Mr Darcy took a breath.

“Yes, I’m sure you did,” Mr Darcy owned, but then added, “It was insupportable to be treated thusly, as if I were a man so lacking in honour that only a guard would keep the ladies of the household safe from me,” he said. He continued his rant, but as he was now some distance from the entrance to Longbourn, Elizabeth was quite unable to hear whatever else he said. But she was sure it was along the same vein. Hearing his vitriol, she was glad she had not behaved more cordially towards him during his stay. She did not find his words an acceptable response to her family’s hospitality.

Chapter 18