The second week in Brighton taxed every last ounce of energy Elizabeth Bennet possessed. The social demands of card-playing, dinners, and dancing twice a week in the assembly rooms were far more than what was expected back home in Hertfordshire, or any place that Elizabeth had the privilege to visit. To complicate matters further, the constant coming and going from the town home came at an inconvenient time for Lizzy. Her courses were brief but forced her to disappoint the Darcys with her regrets for a few days.
Thankfully, Elizabeth was not alone in needing a reprieve from the social life of Brighton. Mrs. Forster also found herself indisposed with greater frequency, and so often Colonel Forster escorted Lydia, with the help of Mrs. Warrender, to the various engagements while the other two ladies stayed home. By the middle of June, Elizabeth was able to enjoy a walk in the Old Steine Gardens once more with the Darcy party.
Just as they had before, they broke into two couples, with Mr. Darcy escorting Elizabeth and Georgiana and her companion taking the exercise together.
"Have you considered how long you and Miss Darcy will remain in Brighton?" Elizabeth asked, slightly nervous in her tone. It had been nearly a week since she played duets with his sister and dined at Marlborough House, and Elizabeth found herself to be much more at ease in Mr. Darcy's company. However, the man excited her to no end! Her nervous demeanor no longer came from fear of his derision, but a painfully desperate desire for his devotion.
"At present, our plans allow us to stay for another month. Then we have plans with Mr. Bingley and his sister to travel North, to Pemberley."
Elizabeth sighed. "I believe we are to stay until the middle of August, but I am not convinced we shall make it that long."
Mr. Darcy gave her an inquisitive look. Not prone to melancholy, Elizabeth Bennet began to chuckle at herself. She was not ready to explain to Mr. Darcy how they would soon have to sever their acquaintance. But she was resolved to explain the situation plainly to him that afternoon.
"Do you know if I had not come to Brighton, I was due to travel to the Lake District with my Aunt and Uncle Gardiner. We were to stop in a place I believe not so very far from your home," she explained. "My aunt hails from Derbyshire."
Mr. Darcy tilted his head to one side, recalling Georgiana's incessant belief that he and Miss Elizabeth Bennet were destined to run into each other once more.
"May I inquire as to what is the name of the village?" he asked.
"Lambton."
Mr. Darcy gasped. "Why that is not five miles from Pemberley! My sister and I routinely visit, when we are in residence, of course. Very much the same as you and your sisters and the proximity to Meryton," he explained.
Together, they gleefully chuckled as they began to walk with more energy around the small garden. Mr. Darcy told her all about Lambton, and Elizabeth appreciated the details as she felt more connected to her favorite aunt.
"There is a small series of rapids, a perfect location for a picnic. When I was a child, my nanny and I would make small paper boats to race them down the stream," he said.
Elizabeth beamed up at Mr. Darcy's willingness to share his childhood memories. "That sounds like a lovely way to spend an afternoon," she commented.
He took a breath and confessed how he hoped to one day race paper boats with his children.
Both of them blushed profusely, and before either could think of a change of subject, a carriage pulled up to the curb beside them.
Mrs. Maria Fitzherbert waved her bejeweled hand out the window, calling over to the two people who provided her with great amusement.
"Yoohoo! Mr. Darcy, Miss Bennet," the grand lady announced. A young handsome footman scurried out of the seat next to his mistress and approached the promenading couple. He bowed low and presented each of them with an elegant invitation to a ball at Steine House on the 22nd of June.
Grinning, they both walked over to the carriage and Mr. Darcy spoke first.
"How marvelous of you to invite us both. Would you mind greatly if I allowed my sister to attend? Not to dance, of course, but with her companion to observe?" he asked, as though he had not a hand in the planning of the ball.
For her part, Mrs. Fitzherbert played along.
"Yes, yes, of course, Mr. Darcy. You'll see that the invitation is for your entire household. Forgive me, Miss Bennet, your invitation is addressed to the Colonel and his wife. But it is so very lucky that I saw you to deliver it, for I wished to place it into your hand myself," Mrs. Fitzherbert explained, and Elizabeth nodded in thanks for her regard.
"I can see why Brighton is such a favorite along the coast. I doubt there is another seaside village better suited for those who love to dance," Miss Elizabeth said, making polite conversation.
Mrs. Fitzherbert raised an eyebrow. "And do you count yourself among those who dance every set, Miss Bennet?"
Elizabeth blushed. "I find any physical activity to be a rewarding way to spend one's time," she said.
Mr. Darcy coughed, as Mrs. Fitzherbert began to laugh heartily at the double entendre to Miss Bennet's words.
Another maiden might have flinched, or looked away, but not Elizabeth. She maintained her countenance and forced her companions to either directly address the unintended interpretation of her words, or allow the matter to drop. Thankfully, as Mr. Darcy was the first to find his tongue, he changed the subject to move the conversation along.
"Are you delivering all of the invitations?" he asked, reminding Mrs. Fitzherbert of the errand she was on.
"Heavens no, but a handful I will see personally delivered today. The rest are being dispatched by my messengers. And on that note, my dears, I'm afraid I really must be going. Enjoy your afternoon, and I expect you both to open the ball dancing together," Mrs. Fitzherbert stated, and the happy couple laughed at the eccentric antics of one of Brighton's most famous residents.
They stepped away from the carriage before Mrs. Fitzherbert could close the window, to avoid the cloud of dust disturbed under the quick start of the wheels. Georgiana and Mrs. Annesley caught up to them, and Elizabeth excitedly told Miss Darcy about the ball. She made sure to include that her brother intended for her to attend with her companion to observe.
"Brother, is there time for me to visit the modiste? Oh and Miss Bennet, you must come with me. We must have new gowns for the ball!" Miss Darcy exclaimed, no longer shy around Elizabeth since the afternoon of duets.
Mr. Darcy cleared his throat, as Elizabeth looked away. Her limited funds would not allow her to procure a new gown. But, she didn't want to disappoint Miss Darcy either. After all, the evening would be the young woman's first opportunity to observe high society.
"Before I left for Brighton, I had an appropriate wardrobe freshly made," she explained, even if it wasn't quite the truth. But nor was it a lie, as she did procure one new frock for the town's festivities. She simply had not anticipated there would be such demand in Brighton for dancing.
Elizabeth pushed aside the thought that the gown she planned to wear for Mrs. Fitzherbert's soirée was the same frock that Mr. Darcy saw her on their first night together at the assembly. Hopefully, few noticed her attire that evening that they would not notice her wearing the same again. "But I should dearly love to support you, Miss Darcy, if your invitation still stands."
They made an accord to go shopping on a day that suited them both in the very near future.
As they passed by a bench, Miss Darcy announced that she would like to sit and rest for a moment, a thinly veiled effort on her part to give her brother and Miss Elizabeth more privacy. She did not appear to be particularly fatigued, but Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth accepted her plan graciously. They continued slowly along the circuit while Georgiana and her companion sat underneath the shade of the trees.
Lost in their thoughts, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth walked together silently for half a circuit. Elizabeth no longer thought that Mr. Darcy was thinking the worst when he was quiet, and increasingly she was more distracted by her own concerns. There was no denying that she and Mr. Darcy came from very different spheres of wealth. She never thought of herself as penniless, but even Elizabeth was sensible about her dowry. She possessed very little to recommend her to a potential husband.
She thought about him being a doting father, the parent he did not appear to have, taking the children on adventures on his estate. Her heart felt so full in his company, and yet she knew she could never have them.
"Would you be offended, sir, if I spoke plainly on the subject that may cause injury to us both?" she asked.
Mr. Darcy stumbled in his steps but recovered his gait quickly. He touched the brim of his hat and nodded, not daring to say a word.
"I feel honor-bound to warn you that my sister Lydia is hopelessly entangled with Mr. Wickham. Her behavior each day grows more outrageous than the last, and I have no ally in the house to help me check the worst of it. Colonel Forster maintains that he will consent to Lydia's marriage to any man he deems worthy. But my trepidation is that no man will find Lydia worth the trouble."
Mr. Darcy listened carefully to Elizabeth's words and nodded to acknowledge that he heard her.
"Has Mr. Wickham shown any sign of losing interest, perhaps?" Mr. Darcy asked, and Elizabeth shook her head.
"Quite the opposite. He and Lieutenant Denny visit every day, any time they don't have any duties. Colonel Forster escorts Lydia out with them practically every evening," Elizabeth said, her voice gaining a hard edge to her tone as she became angry at her predicament.
"That is very grave, indeed. Do you believe Miss Lydia has been taken advantage of?"
Elizabeth laughed hollowly, "Ha! If I was not quite aware of the man's lack of scruples, I should be more worried about the gentleman being taken advantage of by my sister," she said. Immediately, Elizabeth ceased walking and closed her eyes, angry that she allowed her frustrations with Lydia to bring unkind words out of her mouth.
"Forgive me. My sister is immature and determined to find a husband. With her behavior, I can say it is better for her to marry sooner rather than later. But I'm afraid it is nearly inevitable she will either align herself with Mr. Wickham or ruin us all," Elizabeth said, finally opening her eyes and turning to gaze deeply into Mr. Darcy's, "I shall not be able to keep an acquaintance with you." Her voice cracked as she tried to tell him the very worst of it.
Mr. Darcy swallowed, and his eyes searched hers for relief.
"Elizabeth, I could never -" he began, but then stopped and looked up at the sky.
Elizabeth, fearing the worst, begged him not to say more.
"Please, sir, I hold no delusions of what my future will become due to my sister. And I am powerless to stop it. But I realize that I cannot bear to hear you say we may never meet again," she said, looking away from him to see Miss Georgiana Darcy, who had decided her rest was over, walking once more with her companion. In Elizabeth's opinion, that young woman was everything sweet and kind she wished her sister Lydia was, but it was not to be.
"Do those clouds look ominous to you?" Miss Darcy said as they soon came upon her brother and Miss Elizabeth standing awkwardly next to one another, both looking very upset.
Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth turned around to spy an angry squall on the horizon, blowing in a cold wind.
"I must get you back," Mr. Darcy said, without giving Elizabeth much of a chance to speak further.
Under the circumstances, Georgiana and Mrs. Annesley headed straight for Marlborough House across the square. Elizabeth worried for a moment about walking without a chaperone with Mr. Darcy back to King's Road. On balance, she realized it was a silly concern. Lydia would ruin them all, regardless.
They were only a block away when the skies opened up and a torrential downpour began to pelt every unlucky pedestrian who had not yet found shelter. Elizabeth broke out into a run, trying to protect the invitation in her hand by keeping it close to her person. She squealed with delight as the rain was so very cold against her skin. Mr. Darcy easily kept pace just behind her with his long legs, and they reached the door of the town home.
"Miss Elizabeth," he said, but she did not stop due to the poor weather. The front door opened and Elizabeth hurried inside, gratefully accepting a towel from the butler. When she turned around, believing Mr. Darcy was right behind her. To her surprise, the man never came inside.
Elizabeth walked back to the front door, and opened it, but only a bluster of rain blew in, earning her shouts from the staff to kindly close the door. Mr. Darcy had disappeared.