The next day they did not all get together as both Elizabeth and Charles said they had correspondence to take care of. Darcy and Georgiana decided they would go riding, with her borrowing a sidesaddle and gentle horse from Longbourn. Darcy showed her some of the interesting spots near the estates, including the view from the top of Oakham Mount, to which he had been introduced years ago on his walks with Elizabeth. They dismounted to walk to the very top to enjoy the view of the entire countryside.
Georgiana stood beside her brother and exclaimed, "This view is lovely! The country is not as wild as Derbyshire, but I can see that it has its own charms. I can understand why the Bingleys decided to settle here. Do you think that Elizabeth will ever want to leave here? Fitzwilliam, I like her and her sister a lot." She smiled up at him.
"Is there anything I can do to help you win her regard, even though she seems to be quite receptive of your attentions? If I might be so bold as to give you advice, I would suggest that you continue to do just what you have been doing. Just be attentive to her and show her that you hold her in high regard. How can she resist such loving attention?
"As I said before, Lizzy is about 24 and from the way she loves to hold the baby, I believe that she would like to have her own family. Even I can understand the appeal of having children when I hold Donald. He is such a good baby! However, do not worry that I am in a hurry to find a husband. I know that I want someone who will love me and not just my dowry. When I see how the Bingleys regard each other, that is exactly what I want in my own marriage."
Darcy looked thoughtful and replied, "I see several problems if I hope to win her regard and her hand. First of all, I have to convince her that I am not the same person she rejected four years ago so she might come to develop better feelings for me. When I made my proposal to her, I told her how ardently I admired and loved her. I have to let her know that my feelings are still the same even after not seeing her for such a long time.
"Second, her caring for Tommy might be a problem. She may worry that I would not want him to be with us, but I would gladly look after him if that is what she wants. I cannot believe that his own mother has abandoned him for Elizabeth to look after as he is such a good child. When you meet Mrs. Bennet, or now Lady Elford, you will see that she is very different from Elizabeth and Jane. She was not nearly as restrained or as clever as her oldest daughters. I still cannot imagine how she gave her baby into Miss Elizabeth's care.
"Finally, Longbourn has been under her sole management for several years, even if only unofficially. If she leaves here, who will look after the estate? I know that she is doing this as there was no one else who would do it. I am sure that she wants to ensure that Tommy will inherit the estate in good condition. We could hire a steward, but she may not be happy with this arrangement. Fortunately, Bingley is so close that he should be able to help with any problems that arise. After all, Longbourn is his wife's family's estate.
"However, I agree that she seems to be quite willing to be with me, so I am optimistic."
They discussed these problems for some time, and hoped that by the time of the Matlock ball, he would have a better idea if she were willing to talk to him about their future. They rode back, stopping first at Longbourn so Georgiana could dress for the Assembly. Darcy then returned to Netherfield.
That evening, they all met at the entrance to the Assembly hall and went in together. Just as had happened so many years ago, Sir William Lucas met them as he was still acting as the host. He had heard that Darcy was back in town, so he greeted him warmly, as he did with everyone. He was introduced to Miss Darcy and asked if he might introduce her to the principal families who were here. Bingley said, "Thank you very much for your kind offer, but I will do that as I know everyone who will be there. The Darcys are my friends and have been for a long time." Binley knew that Darcy was very protective of his sister, so he wanted to choose the people who would be suitable for her to know and to dance with.
When they first entered the hall, they again noticed that the crowd hushed, taking in the appearance of the newcomers. This was so reminiscent of their very first entry into that same ballroom. However, this time the people knew three of the five people quite well and a number of them went to greet them. Several people recognized Darcy, not all with favourable memories. However, just seeing him with the Bingleys and Miss Elizabeth made them interested in knowing him better as they were so well-liked in the area. Bingley made the introductions and soon Georgiana found that her dance card had begun to fill as the young men easily noticed how attractive and how well-dressed she was. In addition, she was new to them and so was more interesting than the young women they had known all their lives. Of course, the young women were not so pleased to see her here.
The first set began and they lined up in their proper spots. It was obvious to all that Darcy was very interested in Elizabeth from the way he smiled at her. They also noticed the way that she smiled back at him. For those who remembered his previous foray at that earlier Assembly, they certainly observed how different his behaviour was tonight. They saw that he danced the next two sets with Mrs. Bingley, then his sister. When Bingley insisted that Darcy not sit down after the third set, Darcy agreed to go with him to find another lady who needed a dance partner. Darcy exerted himself and actually talked intelligently to the ladies with whom he danced. He remembered Elizabeth's exhortations and mentioned the dance, the size of the room, and the number of couples. He found that these topics were sufficient to engage his partner for the rest of the time they were together. While he was busy dancing, he noticed that Elizabeth also did not have to sit out even one set. With such obvious popularity, he wondered if she had received much attention from eligible men who lived here and, if she did, why did she still remain single?
As both Darcy and Bingley had predicted, Georgiana did not sit down even one dance. From her happy smiles, Darcy could see that she was having a great time. When time for supper came, she brought her latest partner to sit with the Bingleys, her brother, and Elizabeth. They enjoyed chatting and eating until the next set was called. Darcy was even civil to Georgiana's supper mate and tried to engage him in conversation. He found that the young man was quite unsophisticated compared to young gentlemen in town, but pleasant enough. However, he was certainly not appropriate to consider in the slightest to be a suitor for her.
Darcy did sit out a couple of sets after supper but Bingley, Elizabeth, and Georgiana did not have that luxury. He managed to secure Elizabeth for the final set, even though she warned him, "You know that people will make the assumption that we are seriously involved with each other? Will that bother you?"
Darcy said, "Not in the least. I do not mind what they think; in fact, I rather hope that they do make that assumption. It will keep all the local men away from you."
She laughed at this, saying, "Mr. Darcy, I have been here all my life and for some time I have been living alone at Longbourn with just Tommy. Everyone knows me and anyone who was interested in me has given up hope for me. I believe that they might just be happy to see me receiving such warm attention from a handsome gentleman."
Darcy smiled when she called him 'handsome' and he hoped that it indicated that she did not look at him the same way that she had four years ago.
As they were waiting for their carriages, they made plans to get together the next afternoon, knowing that none of them would be very active in the morning after such a busy evening. Darcy first assisted his sister into the Longbourn carriage. He asked her, "Well, Georgie, what did you think of this country Assembly? Did you enjoy yourself?"
"I did, tremendously. The only differences that I noticed compared to balls in London were that the musicians were not quite as good and the gowns not so formal. However, everyone was so friendly! I did not hear even one word of criticism about anyone as I constantly hear in town. Every young man that I danced with seemed to be interested in me as a person rather than my position in society. It was a great time. I would not mind doing this again, and I must thank Charles for thinking that we should attend."
Darcy then was about to hand Elizabeth into the carriage, but he could not help but murmuring to her, "I hope I conducted myself better than I did at that first Assembly?"
Elizabeth smiled at him with a teasing smile and said, "If you had been like this then, the past four years might have been quite different." Her words eased his heart and made him smile at her. He kissed her gloved hand, then handed her in.
After that Assembly, they all noticed that they began to receive invitations from the leading families in the area for dinners and other parties, so their social life became much busier. It seemed that many neighbours were interested in meeting Darcy and trying to decide just what his relationship was to Elizabeth. Those with unmarried sons were especially interested in getting to know Miss Darcy better as word of her substantial dowry somehow had begun to circulate. With all these invitations, Elizabeth found that she, Darcy, and Georgiana had few quiet dinners together.
Several days before they left for London, they had an evening with no invitations, so Elizabeth invited them all to Longbourn for dinner. They again enjoyed being together and Georgiana and Elizabeth entertained everyone on the piano after. When the Bingleys were leaving, they carefully went to their carriage first, leaving Elizabeth to escort Darcy to the door. Just before he went out, he turned to her and smiled, "Miss Elizabeth, I have missed these quiet family dinners together. I especially missed being in your company without so many other people around. I could listen to your conversation, your playing, and your singing forever." Previously, he had taken her hand to kiss it good-bye. However, tonight he said, "May I hold you just for a moment before I go?"
Rather than answering aloud, Elizabeth nodded. He put his arms around her and pressed her to his chest. "Elizabeth, this feels so right." He kissed her hair, then stepped back. "Thank you, and good-night." He then went out to the carriage.
When Elizabeth went back into the sitting room where Georgiana was waiting, she said, "Lizzy, you have a faraway look in your eyes. Did Fitzwilliam kiss you? What did he say?"
Elizabeth coloured and said, "No, he did not kiss me, but he held me close for a moment." Even though they had not known each other for very long, Elizabeth felt as close to her as if she were one of her sisters, so she was quite open with her. "Georgie, just being held felt so good! It felt so natural and right."
"Oh, Lizzy, I am so happy for you both. Are you falling in love with him? I hope so as I know how deeply he feels for you."
"I am not sure what it is that I am feeling as I have never been in love. I know that I like to be with your brother and now I know that I like to be held by him. I will have happy dreams tonight." They both giggled at these words.
In the morning, they went to Netherfield and found that Bingley and Darcy were out riding the estate for a last ride. Georgiana became busy playing with Tommy and Anna, leaving Elizabeth with Jane.
"Jane, I have to ask you something very personal. Last night when Mr. Darcy was leaving, he asked if he could hold me for a moment. It felt so good to be pressed against him! I felt something I have never experienced ever before—a warm feeling all over. I did not want to let him go and hoped that he would kiss me, but he did not. Jane, what does that mean? Is it natural? Is that how you feel when you are with Charles? I am so confused."
"Oh, Lizzy, I am so happy for you. What you felt is very natural and that is how I feel when I am with Charles. I just want him to hold me tight and not let go. I believe that this is how wives should feel about their husbands, but not all do. Lizzy, love has at least two important parts: the emotional part where your affection for another person makes you realize that he is the most important person in your life; and the physical, where you want to touch him and want him to touch you. You desire him physically, but this passion is completely normal when you are in love.
"Please do not think that this makes you wanton; it is a wonderful and important part of marriage. When you join with your husband, you will understand just how marvelous it is. I believe that some couples lose this passion after some years, but I can vouch that not all couples do." Jane blushed when she said that.
"Lizzy, now you know that you find Mr. Darcy very attractive and desirable physically. If you like him, admire him, respect him, and esteem him, if you feel that he is one of the most important people in your life, you are either already in love or are about to be. Please do not fight this feeling. Remember what you and Charlotte both said to me when Charles and I had first met? You told me to let him know how I felt about him just in case he was unsure of my feelings. You must do this if you want Mr. Darcy. Do not leave him in doubt. With your history with him, with so many misunderstandings on both your parts, I am sure that he will not know your heart unless you let him know how you feel about him. Lizzy, Mr. Darcy is a very good man; do not let him go. I almost lost Charles and I do not want you to feel what I felt."
Georgiana came in then with the children, so this ended their conversation. Jane had given Elizabeth had a lot to think about.