Page 30 of Gold and Good Sense

Though she had invited such a compliment by her deliberate self-effacement, the pointed nature of his phrasing caused Elizabeth to blush.

“Now that is a flattering light,” said Elizabeth. “Far more so than I likely deserve, but I will refrain from arguing you out of such an opinion. I have found that it is far better for others to have too high an opinion of oneself than too low.”

A hint of humor flashed through Mr. Darcy’s eyes, and the corner of his lips compressed slightly as though he wished to smile but did not quite know how to go about it. “Is that so?” he said.

“It is, indeed,” said Elizabeth with spirit. “I would much rather the world believe me to be perfection personified than a village idiot.”

“There must be some middle ground between those two extremes, Miss Elizabeth,” said Mr. Darcy. “Something that is more reflective of reality.”

“Ah, that is where you are wrong, Mr. Darcy,” said Elizabeth. “People rarely think in shades of gray, though many would claim otherwise. It is far easier to think in extremes: love or hate, black or white, good or evil. By saving one’s mental energy in such a way, people are much more able to devote their time and thoughts to more productive pursuits, such as playing cards, gossiping, or riding aimlessly about the countryside.”

The humor in Mr. Darcy’s eyes and the suppressed smile on his lips could no longer contain his mirth. Laughter broke free like a flock of pigeons that had just been released from a cage.

His laughter was loud enough and prolonged enough that they began attracting stares from the dancers near them. Though many of the gazes were directed toward Mr. Darcy as the source of the disturbance, quite a few were directed toward Elizabeth. The universal expression was surprised curiosity.

Apparently, Mr. Darcy did not make a habit of laughing in public.

Once he had stopped laughing, their conversation settled down into more normal patterns, and Elizabeth found that, once again, he was an interesting enough conversationalist. His opinions, though not always in accordance with her own, were well thought out. When they disagreed, their argument had a light-hearted bantering sort of quality.

Elizabeth was surprised to find that, though she had not looked forward to her dance with him in the least, she was disappointed when it was at last over.

~~~~~

As expected, the following day saw several suitors calling at the Bennets’ home. While Mary and Lydia were in the library with Mrs. Jamison, Elizabeth, Jane, and Lady Esther settled into the drawing room.

The first guest to arrive, only minutes after the polite visiting hour had begun, was Mr. Bingley. He was not alone, however. Accompanying him were his sister, Miss Bingley, as well as Mr. Darcy.

Until that moment, Elizabeth had not even been aware that the two gentlemen knew each other, but it turned out that they were fast friends.

Mr. Bingley easily settled into conversation with Jane while Mr. Darcy and Miss Bingley sat near Elizabeth.

“I was not aware you were such close friends with Mr. Bingley,” said Elizabeth to Mr. Darcy once they were settled.

Though she had been looking directly at the gentleman when she spoke, it was Miss Bingley who answered. “Yes. Mr. Darcy and my brother have been the closest of friends since before I came out.”

Elizabeth thought it odd that Miss Bingley would insert herself in such a way. She said, “And how long ago was that?”

She knew it was slightly rude to ask a young lady her age so directly, but she was irritated that Miss Bingley was preventing Mr. Darcy from speaking for himself.

As expected, Miss Bingley looked slightly affronted. She answered stiffly, “Two years ago was when I made my debut here in London.”

Before Elizabeth could decide how to move the conversation along, Mr. Darcy said, “I have been good friends with Bingley since we met on the continent nearly ten years ago. He is lively company for my occasionally quiet or even somber moods.”

Mr. Darcy’s mood was anything but somber that morning. As he mentioned his occasionally silent moods, clearly referring to the way he had treated her at his uncle’s house, his eyes twinkled with mirth from their shared experience.

“It is good you have such a friend by your side,” said Elizabeth. “Not everyone would be capable of lifting you out of such dour spirits.”

Miss Bingley looked back and forth between the two of them. She seemed vaguely aware that they were speaking of more than what was on the surface, but she clearly did not understand. “Yes, exactly,” she said a little too loudly. “My brother is invaluable company for Mr. Darcy, and Mr. Darcy repays his kindness by offering advice and introductions.”

“Is that so?” said Elizabeth. She was surprised to hear that such a connection was so transactional. She didn’t think that even Mr. Darcy could be that cold and unfeeling.

“I suppose it may appear to be the case,” said Mr. Darcy. “It is more accurate to say that I enjoy Bingley’s company enough that I wished him to be acquainted with those I am acquainted with so that I might enjoy such company more often.”

Elizabeth nodded in understanding. This explanation fit the personalities of Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy far better than Miss Bingley’s, though that did cause Elizabeth to question whether it was, in fact, Miss Bingley who was so cold and calculating.

“I can well believe it,” said Elizabeth. “He seems to be a rather genial gentleman.” So saying, she glanced over to where Mr. Bingley and Jane were laughing softly, a sight which made Elizabeth smile. Though Jane smiled easily enough there were few people who could get her to actually laugh. That Mr. Bingley was capable of such a feat boded well for his prospects should he decide to pursue Jane.

“Exactly,” said Miss Bingley. “He is the kind of man who could easily win any woman’s heart.”