To Elizabeth's relief, Mrs. Bennet returned alone; as Kitty had stopped off to visit with Maria Lucas, and Lydia had seen her friend Mrs. Forster in town and been invited for supper. However, when her mother learned of all the plans made in her absence, she complained of fluttering nerves so convincingly, she scared poor Miss Darcy to death; and Lizzy wished for a hole nearby perhaps to crawl into.
Everyone else, excepting Richard, was quite used to Mrs. Bennet and her ailments, and so ignored her. And soon enough, she was back to being, well, herself.
"Miss Darcy, how kind of you to inquire of my health. I am quite fine though dear, as you can see."
Mrs. Bennet stated, as if nothing at all unusual had occurred to make Georgiana think otherwise.
"Miss Darcy I have heard that you play the pianoforte, might you agree to play for us?"
"Mother, Georgiana has been playing all afternoon, I am sure she'd like to rest." Lizzy said.
"Well what's that to me? I have not been here." Mrs. Bennet complained. "I am sure Miss Darcy wouldn't mind playing just one more piece?"
"Mother!" she admonished.
Lizzy looked helplessly at Mr. Darcy, trying to convey a silent apology. What he must think of her mother now, she wondered?
Instead of appearing peeved, however, he entreated his sister, "Georgiana, would you mind playing for Mrs. Bennet? After all, has she not been generous to us with her hospitality?"
Of course, I do not mind." And so, after asking Mary if she minded, and receiving a shrug in return, she went to the pianoforte, and began playing a soothing melody that all agreed was quite beautiful. Mrs. Bennet would later tell the neighbors, "Miss Darcy is every bit as accomplished as had been said."
As Elizabeth watched their carriage depart the lane at Longbourn later that evening, she was less confused about some things and more, about others. She felt she was beginning to see Mr. Darcy for who he was, a caring brother; a trusted friend; but what was he to her? Did he still "love her, most ardently", or had her family snuffed that out? He was a gentleman, she knew that much, for only a gentleman would regret the liberty taken and go out of their way to right it. She was sorrowful now for making sport of him with her family; she no longer wished to cause him pain. But cause him pain she was bound to do. For if he still did "love her, most ardently," she did not feel capable of returning it, she worried that being friendly to him would give him hope, and she did not want him believing in something she could not guarantee. But what would be the answer? To go back to the way things were before, where he hardly said two words to her, never smiled, never laughed? Lizzy did not think she could bear that now; after having tasted of something better.
About forty miles north of Hertfordshire, Mr. Wickham's regiment prepared to retreat. George was not sorry to go, for he had amassed quite a bit of debt and, a couple of angry fathers; and knew the time was ripe for moving on. He was pleased to hear that they would be going south, not far from Longbourn, in fact. It would be good to see his old friends, the Bennet's. Once upon a time, he had caught the eye of Miss Elizabeth Bennet; but knowing of her standards and moral character, chose not to pursue her. It had not been a great loss to him, as he rather liked living on his own and not being tied down to any one lady; although, the women he associated with could hardly be called ladies, he thought to himself, grinning.
And that reminded him, he'd recently heard a rumor concerning his old friend Mr. Darcy and as it went against everything the man supposedly stood for, George gleefully relished it. That Mr. Darcy should think himself superior to him! For all his high moral standards, it turned out that he was no better, for Mr. Wickham had heard it said that Fitzwilliam was caught kissing a woman he was not engaged to, unchaperoned. He could not wait to tell Miss Bennet, for he knew she hated the man just as much as he.