Chapter Three: Marriage and Gossip
Mrs. Bennet returned from her visit to Meryton in high spirits; there was undoubtedly no end to the pleasure which she would receive from informing the other neighborhood ladies that she had one daughter engaged and two others very soon to be. Nothing could dampen her spirits, and her enthusiasm was almost too much for Elizabeth to bear. Mary could not help but boast of her good fortune; it was absolute bliss for her to have finally outdone her sisters in something, since she had neither beauty nor taste to her advantage. Mr. Collins insisted on their marrying very soon, since he did not wish to displease Lady Catherine by being too long without a wife.
"I am very happy for them," said Jane when she at last had a moment alone with her sister, away from the raptures of their mother or extended speeches of Mr. Collins. Elizabeth picked up her needlework and smiled.
"I wish I could think so well of every situation as you, Jane. I'm rather inclined to think that neither is in love with the other."
"That cannot be so, Lizzy! Why would Mr. Collins propose if he was not in love, and why would Mary accept? And surely you listened to Mary at dinnertime, as she was praising him to the skies."
"Mama told me only last night that Mr. Collins intended to marry me; and I rather believe that Mary hoped to inspire envy in us, rather than she felt Mr. Collins seriously encompassed everything that she described him to."
"Inspire envy? How can you think so ill of your own sister? But he really did mean to propose to you? Mama must have been mistaken."
"She was quite certain," Elizabeth assured her sister.
"Well, I am inclined to believe that he must have felt obligated to propose to you since you were older, though he was really in love with Mary all this time."
"But then why did he not propose to you?—Oh, it is not worth arguing over.—you can believe what you like, and I shall continue to think of their marriage as I did before."
"Very well, then. But Lizzy, I have been wondering this ever since Mama hinted it to Lady Lucas when we went to Meryton earlier today—is it true that you are in love with someone? Mama painted him to be a very rich, eligible sort-of fellow. But I have no idea who it is she speaks of!"
Elizabeth colored slightly, and hoped that her mother had not been spreading such gossip all day. It would certainly be shameful it was circulated around that she was in love with Mr. Darcy! Certainly he thought very little of her, and what sort of news would that be to him? And that it was not true! And Mr. Wickham, whatever would he think? It would be absolutely embarrassing, and she regretted not having made her mother assure her of her secrecy.
"Lizzy? Are you all right?" asked Jane, observing her sister's discontent. Elizabeth looked up, unsure of how to respond to Jane's inquiry. Surely it would be painful to lie to her dearest sister, but could she really approve of the lie which she had told her mother?
"I have no idea where Mama got that idea from. It must be some worthless rumor that she picked up from one of the servants, no doubt."
"No doubt," replied Jane, though looking very suspicious of her sister. However, it was much to Elizabeth's relief that their tête-à-tête was interrupted by the arrival of Lydia and Kitty, who had also come to escape the cheery uproar which the rest of the household seemed to be in.
"Lizzy, Jane," said Kitty as they sat down on the sofa, "will you not go on a walk with us? We've had quite enough of Mary and Mr. Collins."
"Oh Lord! Yes, do come with us. If I hear another word about Lady Catherine de Bourgh or which kind of roses grow in the hedgerows, I might just have to hang myself. I could dearly use the fresh air as well," continued Lydia.
"And we might meet an officer during our walk," added Kitty with additional excitement.
The two elder sisters agreed to this idea, finding it all-together agreeable, and left the house, deciding to walk the lane which headed towards Meryton. There was still enough light in the sky to see easily, and though it was a bit chilly, the temperature became very tolerable after having walked about for a while. Kitty and Lydia mainly gossiped about soldiers and soldiers' wives, and Elizabeth and Jane said very little, both distracted by their own thoughts. Elizabeth was worrying about what her mother had told others concerning her 'love' for Mr. Darcy, and Jane was probably daydreaming about how good of a kisser Mr. Bingley was. It was very ironic, then, when they happened to cross paths with the two gentlemen who were the object of the two eldest Miss Bennet's reveries on their walk.
Upon their meeting at a small footbridge which stretched over a small stream, Mr. Bingley looked slightly pale, for what reason Elizabeth could not imagine, and Mr. Darcy looked as taciturn as ever. The Miss Bennets curtseyed in greeting, though it was very apparent that these were not the men which either Kitty or Lydia had hoped to encounter.
"Are you well?" said Elizabeth civilly, after several moments of uneasy silence.
"Wha—oh—yes," replied Mr. Bingley, though looking rather distracted. Elizabeth satisfied herself in believing that he was extremely distracted by Jane's beauty. Mr. Darcy said nothing at all, except glancing at Elizabeth oftener than anyone else in the party, which made her wonder if the gossip had traveled so quickly that even he was aware of it.
"Were you coming to call on Jane, Mr. Bingley?" asked Lydia, with a mischievous glance at her eldest sister.
Before the addressed gentleman had an opportunity to reply, Kitty quickly added,
"The ball at Netherfield was spectacular! I do not think I have ever danced for so long, or had so much white soup. I hope that you will throw another one soon, no doubt?"
Elizabeth noticed that Jane was glowing with admiration for Bingley, which he could, undoubtedly, not ignore; but she could not help but blush at her younger sisters' obnoxious behavior.
"Kitty," Elizabeth snapped quietly.
"Excuse us. We have urgent business," said Mr. Darcy, speaking for the first time, and then bowed and departed with his friend. The Miss Bennets could not help but wonder at Mr. Bingley's uncharacteristically uncomfortable behavior; and Jane especially looked disconcerted. They then headed off towards Longbourn in the opposite direction as the gentlemen had.
"I believe that Mr. Bingley had come to propose," whispered Elizabeth to her sister, "but could not muster up the courage."
"Do you?" replied Jane, imitating her sister's low tone, with her voice full of hope. "I own that I thought something worse had happened. I was going to ask if his sisters were well, though they left so suddenly. Certainly something was wrong."
"I would think little of it," Elizabeth assured her sister. They then returned to their previous silence, though the two eldest Miss Bennets were not quite so happy as when they had quitted Longbourn. Jane's head was full of what could be wrong with Mr. Bingley, as she could not flatter herself as much as her sister could flatter her, and Elizabeth could only hope that Mr. Darcy would leave Netherfield quickly, before word got round that she was supposedly head-over-heels for him.
