Satisfied he had put his aunt off successfully, at least for the time being, any thought of her threat to determine the mysterious young woman’s identity Darcy banished from his mind. The idea of aligning himself with a family with no connections and no fortune had been difficult enough for Darcy to grasp, even though he had ultimately done it. Surely Lady Catherine would never consider such a notion. Everything about her character forbade it.
Curious to know what had become of his cousin, Darcy glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece. He should have arrived an hour ago. Where is he? he silently asked himself.
His question was answered a short while later. The colonel entered the room rather hurriedly. His attitude apologetic, he said, “Darcy, pray you will forgive my tardiness. I was unavoidably detained.”
“By a woman, no doubt,” Darcy said, shutting his book and granting his guest his full attention.
“A woman indeed,” his cousin began. “I am sure you will want to learn who the woman was and what she had to say.”
Darcy shook his head. “I cannot say I do, on either of the two accounts.” He knew as well as anyone how his cousin delighted in what was tantamount to gossiping. He wanted no part of it. He still smarted over the colonel’s interference in his affairs in Kent. Things might have turned out very differently had his cousin just held his tongue.
The colonel shrugged. “As you wish. I suppose you blame me for speaking so freely to Miss Elizabeth Bennet when we were in Kent.”
Darcy picked up a half-empty glass of brandy he had poured earlier and calmly took a sip before silently responding to his cousin with an arched brow.
“You cannot deny it. There has been a fair measure of reluctance on your part to hear anything I have to say of late. Everything concerning the Bennets worked out in the end did it not?” said Richard, crossing one leg over the other. “I understand your friend Bingley is to be married to his lady love after all, so all is well that ends well.”
Darcy reflected on the fact that not everything had ended well. He might be the one on the heels of being married if his cousin had not told Elizabeth what he did. This thought gave Darcy pause. With the circumstances being as they were, perhaps everything had indeed turned out for the best.
Miss Jane Bennet looked positively radiant that morning. Her younger sisters Mary and Kitty, the third and fourth Bennet girls respectively, sat on either side of her at the breakfast table. Mrs. Bennet, a woman of a somewhat nervous constitution, bore an expression of sheer satisfaction. Her eldest daughter was to be married to a young man of five thousand pounds a year. She had indeed formed an excellent match. Adding to her joy was the impending wedding in two weeks. In a fortnight, her daughter would be the mistress of Netherfield. Jane’s good fortune extended to all her girls, for now they were certain to be thrown in the path of other wealthy young men.
Elizabeth, the second eldest Bennet daughter, observed her mother’s contented smile. She knew without being told what her mother was thinking. Longbourn’s matriarch had devoted countless hours in preparation for the wedding of the year. Not willing to chance that Mr. Bingley might change his mind, she had been the one to insist upon an expedited wedding date as soon as the banns were read, and the proper amount of time passed.
Mrs. Bennet had also insisted the wedding breakfast be held at Netherfield. Her husband certainly did not protest. He had paid out more than he anticipated on his eldest daughter’s wedding trousseau. The mistress of the house was going on and on about the arrangements for the wedding feast. Elizabeth gave her father a knowing grin when their eyes met across the breakfast table. It was the family’s worst-kept secret that she was her father’s favorite. Had it not been for his loving support of her right to choose the man whom she would marry, she would well be married to her odious cousin Mr. William Collins. Having spent weeks in that man’s home during the spring and observing firsthand how miserable her life would have been as Mrs. Collins, she made a point of thanking her father daily since her return.
How unfortunate that her intimate friend, the former Charlotte Lucas, was the one who subsequently chose to marry that horrid man. My friend knew exactly what she was undertaking, and therefore I must not feel too unhappy for her, Elizabeth reminded herself. Still, she was not entirely insensitive to her friend’s reasoning. Charlotte was practical and, despite being the wife of one of the most ridiculous men of Elizabeth’s acquaintance, Charlotte could now boast of being the mistress of her own home. No such domestic harmony loomed in Elizabeth’s imminent future as best she could tell. At nearly one and twenty, her chances were diminishing with each passing day.
That Jane’s marriage might elevate Elizabeth’s chances of securing an advantageous alliance to a man whom she could honor and esteem was indeed possible, she supposed. However, as the Bingley connection had done nothing at all to advance Miss Caroline Bingley’s prospects, Elizabeth did not imagine it would improve her chances either. After all, Miss Bingley boasted of a substantial dowry the likes of which Elizabeth could never dream of for herself.
The thought occurred to her that Bingley’s elder sister, Mrs. Louisa Hurst, had made a match with a gentleman of leisure—one that befitted her quite well as best Elizabeth could tell. She laughed inside as her spirits rose to playfulness. Perhaps Mr. Hurst has a cousin.
After breakfast, Jane and Elizabeth went out for a walk. The return of Mr. Bingley as well as the immediacy of the wedding encouraged the two sisters to spend as much of their available time together as possible. They were coming back from the garden when a stately carriage Elizabeth instantly recognized as belonging to Lady Catherine de Bourgh pulled up to the door. When the noble lady stepped down from the carriage, Elizabeth introduced Lady Catherine to her eldest sister. Her ladyship made some remark about Jane’s pending nuptials, and then made it clear she would prefer a private audience with Elizabeth, effectively sending Jane on her way inside the house alone.