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“Before we talk of your future let us deal with our outstanding issues, of which two are easy. Lady Catherine has not been in regular society in London for more than 30 years. She was the older daughter of the previous Earl of Matlock and is therefore the sister of the current Earl. She resides at her estate in Kent and if she does come to London she stays with her brother. The de Bourgh townhouse has been closed up for at least 20 years.”

“She does not rent it out?”

“No. Apparently she wants to be able to open it if necessary, despite the fact she has never done so since being widowed. Like I mentioned earlier she had a reputation of pontificating about things she knew nothing of. And I do not mean the conduct of the war or anything like that. She would make comments about someone’s playing of the piano even although she could not play herself. She can best be described as a loud nuisance.”

Elizabeth wondered if she was leading Lady Maria astray, blunt candour was unusual for her.

“Miss Bingley is even easier to deal with. I have never met her, and if we have been at the same events I have never been introduced. But I have heard an occasional mocking comment from acquaintances. She spends lots of money at the modiste yet her taste is not the best. She has a penchant for feathers, and in loud colours. She is becoming the personification of a nouveau riche social climber. Enough of her. Describe to me Mr. Darcy so that I can be sure we are talking of the same man.”

“He is lean and trim, carrying no excess weight, around 6’ tall with black curly hair.”

“Is he handsome?”

Elizabeth flushed at the question and then sighed.

“Yes, he is handsome.”

“Do you remember anything else from the introduction.”

“He is from Derbyshire but I do not remember the name of the estate.”

“Pemberley?”

“That might be it but I cannot be sure. No, hang on. He did talk about it at the ball. He was looking forward to returning there with his sister.”

“We are talking about the same man. Tell me all.”

Elizabeth started at the Assembly, glossed over her snub at Lucas Lodge before recounting her introduction to the man.

“I hardly had any interaction with the man before I attended Jane at Netherfield Park. He said nothing the first evening and I spoke briefly to him the next two mornings.”

“So Mr. Darcy is Mr. Bingley’s friend that you met at breakfast?”

“Yes.

“Was there any conversation?”

“Not until the third morning. Jane’s fever had broken and the weather was too poor to ride, so he arrived in the dining room earlier than the previous days. He asked why I read the paper so avidly, wondering if I had a relative in service with General Wellington.”

Elizabeth explained her discussion about provisions and the retreat of the French without a fight.

“During the fight on the final evening I was aware that he was staring intently at Mr. Bingley hoping he would intervene with his sister. I did not speak to him again until the evening of the ball. He asked me to dance and we had agreed the second set, which never came to pass due to the clumsy feet of Mr. Collins. I did take the opportunity to goad him into asking my sister Mary to dance. He took the hint and during their set he apologised to her for the insult two months earlier.”

“It took him two months to apologise?”

“Yes. I do not know if he realised he had been heard but when I used one of the words back at him he stepped up. Mary told me it was a handsome apology, if only he had done it sooner. But after they had completed the first set I had to let him know that I was no longer able to dance. Instead he sat with me during that set and we talked about, let me think.

“We talked of music, although that might have been before the ball. He mentioned the pleasure in receiving a letter from his sister. What else? We talked of books we had read. It was fortunate that I had recently read for the second time a Scott poem. My normal reading is of the newspapers and magazines, with occasional journals as well. But we were able to talk through the set, and again over supper. I found him to be charming and well read. Other than the night of the Assembly he had been perfectly pleasant. He is a quiet man but after Mr. Collins I have come to appreciate that more!

“Now that I have satisfied your curiosity you must return the favour. Why were you so agitated about him?”

Lady Maria smiled at Elizabeth’s characterisation.

“He is a well-known gentleman about town. I mentioned the current Earl of Matlock and his sister Lady Catherine. Darcy’s mother was the third sibling, Lady Anne. So he is the nephew of the Earl. His estate in Derbyshire is substantial as is the manorial house, Pemberley. He is one of the more eligible bachelors in society, not yet 30 and master of his estate.”

Elizabeth contemplated this intelligence.

“I can see why he thought he had consequence. He tends to stand at the edge of events, rather than be in the thick of it.”