Page 46 of Mr. Darcy’s Diamonds

Bingley narrowed his eyes at Darcy. “Are you well?”

“Of course. Forgive me. I got little sleep last night. Perhaps I should go home.”

“No, no. Stay, I beg you. My sister will never forgive me if I let you leave.” Darcy grimaced, but Bingley continued, “Miss Bennet and her cousin will also arrive soon. You like talking to Miss Elizabeth, do you not?”

“How can you have noticed whether I do when your attention is entirely on her cousin?” Darcy asked petulantly.

Bingley chuckled nervously. “Yes, well.”

A footman came to inform them the ladies had assembled and their company was expected.

Not following Bingley immediately, Darcy breathed deeply to settle his turmoil. How had he not known? Why had she not told him?

Why should she have? He had not been courting her and had never raised any of the kinds of questions he had finally asked his friend. As he thought back, he recalled her making comments on more than one occasion about not wishing to be a burden and appreciating the kindness of her relatives though she was not close to her cousin.

She had endured Miss Bingley’s poor behavior. Was it because she felt she was beneath the other woman? Now that he thought if it, Miss Bingley did sometimes treat Miss Elizabeth almost as a pet. He had noticed something off in their friendship but had attributed it to age. Was not this why he had arranged for her to visit the menagerie? The menagerie that was practically around the corner from her home. Miss Elizabeth had even said that morning that she had walked nearby but never quite to the Tower. He thought it an odd place for a stroll but had not questioned her.

She probably thought he knew all of this about her already, as the Bingleys did. Bingley! Why had he set her up as an ideal match for him from the beginning? Frequent comments about their compatibility had wormed their way into his mind. Surely some of the blame for Darcy’s mistake fell on his friend.

No. It was his own responsibility to guard his heart and seek information. He had only himself to blame. Anger at his own carelessness and the feeling of loss it had engendered threatened to crush him, and he groaned, a megrim starting to form.

He had let his hopes rise from the moment he had laid eyes on her the evening before. They had smiled and conversed through a lively jig, and he had continued to think of her as he was coerced into a dance with Miss Bingley. He had attempted to speak more with Miss Elizabeth throughout the evening, but Miss Bingley was always there, demanding his attention.

He had told Bingley the truth when he said he had slept little the night before. He had instead thought of Miss Elizabeth and how much she would love the open space, clean air, and woods of Pemberley. He still longed to show her his home. But now he knew he never could. He forced himself to join the others, but his feet were lead, and his head protested the growing noise and light as he approached.

Elizabeth knew her dance with Mr. Darcy the evening before had been only between friends, but Caroline had left her in no doubt either after the dance or this morning. She, Jane, and their aunt had departed before the others, and this morning Caroline spoke of Mr. Darcy’s increasing attentiveness to her as the night wore on.

Elizabeth recognized that Mr. Darcy could choose any wife he liked, but she hoped he would find someone who loved him—as she did, she almost thought before smothering the unwelcome thoughts—someone who loved him for himself and not for his wealth. It was clear Caroline cared only for his money and estate, which she also talked about with barely a pause this morning. Apparently, she had been invited to Pemberley for Christmas and spent a great deal of time with Georgiana and her brother.

She was pulled cheerfully from her unsatisfactory thoughts when the man himself entered the room a few minutes after Mr. Bingley. She felt her brief, involuntary smile fall as she took in his dark look. His gaze fell on her, he scowled more deeply, and he looked away. What was that about? Could he be upset with her in some way? She looked at Mr. Bingley but saw only happiness as he now sat beside her cousin.

Elizabeth watched Mr. Darcy give a slight bow to the room but no warm greeting as his friend had done. He then went and sat heavily in a chair apart from the group and stared at the rug in front of him.

“Mr. Darcy,” Caroline tittered. “Why do you sit so far away? Come, join us.”

He grudgingly got up and moved slowly toward his hostess.

The Hursts were out this morning, so he had the choice of a seat on a chaise lounge beside Bingley and Jane, which would place him next to Caroline, or a comfortable bolster armchair on the other side of Jane, with herself on his right, where he would face Caroline. To Elizabeth’s surprise, he chose to sit between Bingley and his sister, making her feel isolated.

Elizabeth blanched. He really must have valued his time the night before with Caroline but had not wanted to appear too eager when he first entered the room. Why else would he avoid Elizabeth? He had sought her out the evening before and had always sat next to her when possible the previous year.

After a few moments, Elizabeth realized she was being absurd. They were only five people. By returning to the group, he was not avoiding her or anyone else. She noticed Caroline was speaking to Jane of the event they would attend this evening and shook off her silly thoughts.

“I have it on good authority that Mr. Criffel will be at the ball tonight,” she was saying. “I will introduce you, Jane, as I am sure you will get on well with him.”

Jane smiled, though Elizabeth detected a tightening around her eyes. She realized Mr. Darcy was inspecting Jane’s reaction, as well, before sighing and turning away.

“Mr. Criffel?” Mr. Bingley said. “Who is that, Caroline? I have never heard of him.”

“Oh, have you not? He is a friend of a schoolmate, and I am told he has a small estate in Devonshire,” Caroline replied.

Elizabeth knew her friend wanted someone wealthier for her brother, so it could be seen as a kindness that she was attempting to help Jane find someone else, rather than abruptly ending their acquaintance, as she could have done. Perhaps she had been unsuccessful in talking her brother out of his choice.

Mr. Bingley had given in to his sister’s wishes constantly when Elizabeth first knew them. She could talk him into changing plans with his own friends if Caroline wanted him to take them to walk in a park or play cards. Elizabeth, in her childish innocence of two years ago, had once asked him why he did not think himself important enough to ever come first. He had been surprised by her question, then thoughtful. She had noticed that after that, Caroline did not get her way every time she asked. Elizabeth thought it had been good for both of them.

“Are you to be a matchmaker, then, Miss Bingley?” Mr. Darcy asked derisively. “Have you found someone suitable for Miss Elizabeth, too? Perhaps a tenant farmer? Or are you going to help her secure a position as a governess?”

Elizabeth’s eyes grew wide as she heard gasps around her; one of them was her own. Was Mr. Darcy insulting Caroline or herself? Or perhaps both?