Page 37 of Mr. Darcy’s Diamonds

Elizabeth hoped that was still true. Either Jane was an excellent actress, or she was enamored with Charles already and not merely angling after his wealth.

Her friend nodded, took a few breaths, and sipped her tea. “Very well. I will watch, and I will not yet banish Jane.”

“I thank you for your restraint,” Elizabeth said sardonically.

“I had expected I would have to feign interest, but Lizzy! Mr. Bingley is perfect!” Jane’s smile was genuine as they sat in the carriage together to return to Gracechurch Street.

“He appeared to think the same of you.”

“Do you think so? You know him well. Do you think he truly likes me?” Jane sounded so hopeful.

“I have not seen him behave in such a manner before, but then I have not seen him with any girl besides his sisters and myself,” Elizabeth cautioned. “You must also accept he is full young.”

“He is older than I am.”

“Jane. He is still an Oxford student. He cannot marry until he graduates, or at least you could not live together. He will not be of age for a year and a half and will not finish school until almost a year after that!”

“I could wait for him,” Jane said softly.

“And I would fully support you, as I like Charles immensely, but Jane, consider. You would not be able to marry for more than two years. Even more significant, you only met him today and spent less than half an hour with him. Do not rush your feelings, I beg you.”

Jane nodded and stared dreamily out the carriage window.

The cousins did not continue the discussion begun in anger in Caroline’s room. Jane had an evening engagement with the Gardiners and then began attending events nearly every day with Charles and Caroline, with Mrs. Hurst chaperoning. Elizabeth was invited to join them all on a walk in the park once, and she spent a couple of hours in the afternoon with Caroline and Jane twice in that week leading up to Easter, but for the most part, she stayed home.

Chapter Eighteen

The day after Easter, Darcy departed Kent at dawn. Despite having seen her at Christmas, Lady Catherine insisted he leave Pemberley and go to her estate to review the ledgers and speak with the steward. It had been a wasted trip.

The steward had Rosings well in hand, and Lady Catherine had used each of Darcy’s four days in her home to extoll the blessings a union with her daughter would bring him. Georgiana was with the Matlocks but would return to school soon for two more months, so he would visit her, take care of some business, and return to Pemberley.

When he arrived at his home in London, he found a note Bingley had sent the day before inviting him to call whenever he reached town. His jovial friend would finish the process of cheering him up that his ride from Kent had started. Changing his clothes and his horse, he called at Hurst’s home.

“Darcy, it was good of you to come,” Bingley said when the butler showed Darcy to the billiards room, where his friend played a solo game.

“I was happy to get your note. How was Hilary Term?” Darcy asked as Bingley handed him a cue.

Bingley laughed nervously. “I passed all but Latin, but I have already engaged a tutor to help me next term.”

“Good, good.”

“I have no need for Latin beyond school.”

“Perhaps not, but I find more enjoyment and opportunities opened to me due to my knowledge of Latin and Greek. Lectures and books about botany and medicine and astronomy rely heavily on the ancient languages, you know.”

“Ha! You sound like Lizzy—or Miss Elizabeth as Caro says I should call her now. Do you know Miss Elizabeth only last week stopped calling me Charles? I am now Mr. Bingley to her.”

“It is only proper, as she is no longer a child…She is not out already, surely?”

He did not like the idea of men preying on the young girl. He imagined he would feel the same when his sister came out, but Miss Bennet had told him in January she would wait another year or two to enter society. Had Miss Bingley pressured her now that Miss Bennet was sixteen?

“No, but Darce! The reason I asked you to come is I want you to meet someone. I have found an angel.” Charles sighed and replaced his cue on the rack.

“An angel. And where did you meet her?”

“In the drawing room. It is Miss Elizabeth’s cousin, Miss Bennet.”

“Miss Jane Bennet?” Darcy asked.