Chapter Nine
The following morning saw Elizabeth, Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy sat together breaking their fast. Elizabeth had just shared the news that Jane was feeling much more like herself that morning when she turned to Mr Bingley and asked, "Jane said she may be up for a stroll around the rose garden this afternoon, if you care to join us?"
The gentleman replied in the affirmative and then politeness dictated she extend the invitation to Mr Darcy as well. "I would not wish to intrude."
"My dear sister would not consider your presence an intrusion, Mr Darcy." He heard the remark which remained unsaid.
"Would I be considered an intrusion?" asked Richard from the doorway interrupting any response Darcy would have made.
"Never!" replied Elizabeth with a smile.
Darcy felt a spasm in his chest when he observed the smile so freely given to his cousin, which he had not noticed until that moment he himself had yet to receive from the enchanting Miss Elizabeth.
By the time they all gathered after lunch the quintet had turned into a party of seven, with Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst expressing their desire for a turn in the garden also once they had learned of the plan. To no one's surprise Mr Bingley offered to escort Jane; he wanted to ensure that the convalescing guest in his home did not overexert herself. The smiles and blushes on both of their faces showed that to be only a half-truth at best.
Darcy had hoped to use the walk as an opportunity to speak with Miss Elizabeth on the subject of the accident but the addition of the Bingley sisters put a swift end to that plan. He had learnt, during a conversation just prior with Colonel Fitzwilliam, that the only ones to know anything of the carriage accident were his mother and Mrs Gardiner. They had been given the details of the event by Lady Anne Darcy but had all agreed that the decision to tell the girls the horrid details in the future was Mr Bennet's responsibility. When he decided not to tell them, they chose to follow his example. Darcy had come to realise that he did not agree, Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth should be given that choice themselves.
He even lost out on the chance at a routine conversation with the charming Miss when Miss Bingley latched onto his left arm and proceeded to stop every three paces to point out some flower or other. Miss Elizabeth and Mrs Hurst, therefore, found themselves walking together with the Colonel and ahead of the group more often than not. The conversation between the trio was far from easy and Mrs Hurst took each opening to circle back and speak with her sister and Mr Darcy, leaving Elizabeth and Richard alone and relieved.
They spoke quickly and quietly of family so as to move on to more general topics and not raise curiosity from the others about their subject matter. As she walked Elizabeth noticed her sister and Mr Bingley sat together on a stone bench a short distance away. She was just beginning to worry that her sister had pushed herself too much when she noticed that Jane's expression looked far more serene than the gentleman next to her, and he appeared to be deflated more than anything else. 'Jane must be speaking of our plan to return to Longbourn on the morrow' she thought.
Mr Bingley had made no secret of his wish to get to know Jane better, and her being a guest in his home was an ideal way to make progress in that endeavour. However, both Jane and Elizabeth knew that to stay longer than the minimum time decreed by the apothecary would be to risk angering Mrs Bennet more than necessary. If Jane decided that the amiable gentleman would contribute to her future happiness, Elizabeth was determined to see it happen - but it would not be achieved by provoking their step-mother.
As Elizabeth watched the would-be lovers, she was herself being watched. Darcy, having resigned himself to the fact that Bingley would not be coming to his rescue on any occasion when Miss Jane Bennet was present (and that Richard found it far more enjoyable to watch him suffer from afar), decided to distract himself from the tiresome drivel coming from Miss Bingley by letting his gaze follow wherever Miss Elizabeth took it. Her natural beauty was complimented by the soft sunlight being diffused through the clouds. To him, it looked as though the sun was trying to break through the cover of the clouds just to bathe her in its warm glow.
Miss Elizabeth appeared relaxed as she walked through the formal gardens, though Darcy could not help but imagine that her personality would better suit the less manicured surroundings of Pemberley. His father had preferred a more organic aesthetic and Darcy had continued to maintain their grounds in the same fashion since becoming master of the estate. There were some truly wild areas at Pemberley, especially in the Kympton Woods. The gardeners he employed had wrestled for years with clearing some of the trees to allow light to reach the woodland floor, for the bushes and ferns that made up the ground coverage to flourish. Darcy could envision Miss Elizabeth walking in the wildflower meadows that bloomed each spring; like the young lady they grew more beautiful the less you tried to restraint them.
An increasingly jealous corner of his heart also determined her light, pleasing figure would be far better complimented with him as a companion than Richard.
As Darcy watched Miss Elizabeth watch the would-be lovers, he himself was being watched. Caroline Bingley had come to the conclusion that her walking companion was not paying her the attention she believed she deserved. She was growing tired of his evident preference for the county nobody; the way he studied and baited the chit into debate was almost as embarrassing as the way Charles mooned over Jane. So far, attempting to find flaws in her rival and highlighting herself as the one with the superior education and connections was not effective in distracting her dear Mr Darcy from his little crush; she would have to find another new tactic. Perhaps it was time to get more creative.
That evening Jane joined the party for dinner. Whilst Caroline tried to inject some enthusiasm for her friend's recovery (and the fact that at least some of her unwelcome guests would soon be vacating her home), the meal was rather subdued. Bingley had tried to campaign for the Bennet sisters to reside with them a few days longer but he had been unsuccessful. Since his fruitless request he had decided to take every opportunity provided to him to converse with Miss Bennet; consequently, the pair were speaking together in low tones at one end of the table and ignoring all other diners.
Miss Bingley had rather quickly abandoned her efforts to pull Mr Darcy into conversation when each of her questions or comments was replied to by Colonel Fitzwilliam. She had hoped that the Colonel would engage Miss Eliza in conversation but he seemed to delight in antagonising his hostess. Richard had resorted to irritating his hostess in a vain attempt to distract himself from the growing unease he felt observing Jane and Bingley.
The sexes separated after the final course and, once the gentlemen were satisfied that Hurst was sound asleep, they removed themselves to Bingley's study. When they entered the room Darcy headed immediately for the decanter of brandy and poured them all large measures.
Richard was the first to speak once they had all taken seats by the fire, "Have you spoken with Mr Bennet at all, since coming into the area?"
Bingley had nothing but pleasant descriptions to relay, though he admitted to having had little interaction with the gentleman. Darcy was curious to understand the question further so rather than answer immediately he asked, "Do you fear running into the man?"
The Colonel shook his head in response, verbalising his thoughts only after a hefty sup of his drink, "I do not intend to be here long enough to meet the man in a public setting; I shall leave the day after my cousins do. I was merely apprehensive of his reaction to a Darcy showing an interest in one of his daughters."
Darcy was so startled by his cousin seeing through him that some of his drink came out of his nose. After righting himself Darcy replied, "You are mistaken, there is nothing of the sort for the gentleman to be concerned about." Richard simply raised a single eyebrow and Darcy continued speaking so as to move the topic on. "He has been polite but nothing more I suppose. I could not detect any animosity. Although I would argue it would be unreasonable for him to hold a grudge against a man who was only nine at the time of the accident.
"Mr Bennet did not know that my parents had both passed, he seemed genuine in him condolences to me. He does not strike me as a man to dissemble. On the few occasions I have been in his company I have observed him to be an intelligent man who gives his opinion freely. Sometimes to the insult of his neighbours, although I do not believe it his intention to be malicious; he is most likely just thoughtless and never been called out for his ungentlemanly conduct. Perhaps if you sought him out to establish a public relationship with his daughters he would at least have a rational conversation with you."
Darcy realised he did not know what had brought his cousin into Hertfordshire to begin with. "You could not possibly had received word of Miss Bennet's illness and been able to obtain leave so quickly, so if you are not checking on the health of your cousin and you are not here to meet with Mr Bennet, why are you here Richard?"
Richard had not actually claimed to be avoiding Mr Bennet entirely, only that he would not meet with the man publically. Since Darcy had missed the subtlety of his earlier comment, Richard chose not to correct him. The fewer people who knew of his impending audience the better.
"You mentioned just now Mr Bennet having some ungentlemanly manners, but I have it from a reliable source that he is not the only one offending the local population."
"What do you mean? I have been perfectly polite, I assure you," Darcy defended. Richard could see the colour in his face darken when Bingley scoffed, as he tried to recall any of his behaviour that was less that gracious. Clearly he found some element of his conduct to be unbecoming judging by the shade of him.
"You have offended my dear cousin Elizabeth and I have come to correct your behaviour."
Darcy felt that stabbing pain in his chest once more before he responded, "She asked you to come here?"
"No, she was as surprised by my appearance as you I imagine. Lizzy wrote to Helena after some local dance, with a report of your abominable behaviour. Her word, not mine. Although from her account of things I am inclined to agree with her." Darcy looked pained at this explanation, but Richard told him he could not find it within himself to pity the man who called his beloved cousin 'tolerable'.
"She heard that? Blast! Well that explains the impertinent comment she made later. I was in a foul mood, I never meant for her to hear that. It is not even true."
"It also explains her behaviour to you since then, my friend." Bingley added. Richard asked what he meant by that so he continued, "She spars with him, a war of wits. I find I cannot keep up with it. I am sure she purposefully chooses whichever argument opposes yours, Darcy, so that she does not have to ever admit to sharing an opinion with you."
"It seems she may not be quite as charmed by you as you seem to be by her, cousin."
Richard could not help but enjoy the irony of the situation Darcy found himself in. He had spent many years, almost since the very moment he took his place in society, downplaying his generous and loyal nature. Darcy had utilised his innate reserve to prevent the raising of expectations he did not intend to meet. Now, the only woman Richard had ever known to turn the taciturn gentleman's head was so far from at risk of falling in love that his modulated behaviour was wasted. The Colonel knew that if Darcy wished to win Elizabeth's good opinion, she needed to witness for herself who his cousin truly was. She would not easily trust somebody else's word after his own behaviour had formed the basis of her current estimation of his character.
The Bennet sister's vacated Netherfield Park after breakfast the following morning. Later that Richard Fitzwilliam pulled Darcy into a disused parlour. He was resolute; Darcy needed to understand that his name and his wealth would not be able to secure the favour of Elizabeth. His character and actions mattered far more to her than the trinkets he could give her or the parties he could take her to.
"Hear me when I say, cousin, that you ought to shrug off your aloofness and show our dear Lizzy who you honestly are. However if you do not correct the foundations you have so poorly laid already, no amount of effort on your part will see you succeed in this endeavour."
"I must apologise, I had already decided to speak with her but am unsure how to without attracting gossip."
"What does a little gossip matter when you intend to wed her?"
Darcy was not entirely sure he was settled on such a resolution but could not argue the point for he had considered it. Still, he would rather have such a conversation without prying eyes and ears. Such privacy would also provide him with the opportunity to ask Miss Elizabeth if she wished to know more about her mother's death.
Richard shared the intelligence which had once been supplied to him by his cousin Jane. Elizabeth had a tendency to take even longer walks than was her usual practice on important family dates; presumably to escape the spite of her step-mother. Her parent's wedding anniversary, all of their birthdays, and the anniversary of the accident, which would fall the day after next, all roused Lizzy to ramble her local countryside for almost a full day.
Richard himself had agreed to meet with the two girls at the base of Oakham Mount after breakfast that day. From there he would depart for London, Jane would likely return home and Elizabeth would set off on her walk. If Darcy wished to speak with Elizabeth (not that Richard would at all encourage any sort of break in propriety such as their meeting for a significant length of time unchaperoned), then he might consider spending the day on horseback exploring the local environs.