Turning back to Darcy, Elizabeth said, "Well, Mr. Darcy, I suggest we rejoin your guests, or else give your sister something else to talk about."
Mr. Darcy followed Elizabeth's gaze and grimaced good-naturedly. "Ah yes. Excellent point, Miss Bennet."
And with that, the two of them went to rejoin the others.
******
"What were you and Elizabeth talking about, brother?" Georgiana inquired as Elizabeth and Darcy joined the group.
"You, Georgiana." Darcy said.
"Oh." Georgiana looked slightly crestfallen at this. She brightened suddenly. "Brother," she started. Darcy heaved a theatrical sigh, drawing a laugh from everyone. "Might you play your violin again?"
"I will decline, Georgiana." Darcy said, ignoring the pout on his sister's face. "However, I am sure Miss Bennet and the Gardiners would be more than willing to hear you play."
Elizabeth smiled. "You did promise you would play, Georgiana." Amidst Georgiana's protests, Elizabeth took her young friend's arm and seated her at the pianoforte.
"If you insist, but please do not make me sing," Georgiana implored, suddenly becoming shy.
"If you like," Elizabeth said, opening the first piece of music she laid her hands upon. "Play this. I shall be listening from over there," she said, indicating a seat next to her aunt.
Georgiana nodded and began to play the first notes of Beethoven's Andante Favori. Elizabeth smiled and seated herself next to her aunt.
"And how are you enjoying your evening, Aunt?" Elizabeth asked.
Madeline Gardiner cast a smile at her niece. "Quite thoroughly. Your performance with Mr. Darcy was quite charming, Lizzy." Pretending ignorance to the slight blush at appeared on Elizabeth's face, she continued in a lower voice. "I must say, Mr. Bingley is an affable gentleman and very kind. I can see why Jane preferred him."
Nodding her assent to her aunt's observation, Elizabeth looked to where Mr. Bingley was sitting with Mr. Darcy and Mr. Gardiner. Since the mention of Jane's name, Bingley had become quieter, contributing only when necessary in the conversation. It appeared Mr. Darcy and her uncle were talking of fishing again. "He is, indeed. Mr. Bingley is the sort of gentleman who would have made Jane very happy."
"Would have?" Mrs. Gardiner asked quietly. "From all appearance, he is still quite in love with her."
Elizabeth sighed. "Though I believe so too, his sisters would have him marry elsewhere. A more distinguished connection. A young lady with fortune."
"His sisters do seem less agreeable than he," Mrs. Gardiner agreed. "They have barely spoken two words strung together to me and your uncle this evening."
"Most likely they did not expect the Bennets from Hertfordshire to have such agreeable and polite relations." Elizabeth said, playfully. "On more than one occasion have they made a point of our Uncle Phillips being a local businessman in Meryton."
"That is quite wrong of them," Mrs. Gardiner observed.
"Indeed it was," Elizabeth said, still in good humor. "I shall never forget Miss Bingley's list of achievements for an accomplished young lady. With such a list, it would be nearly impossible to find half a dozen truly accomplished young ladies."
Mrs. Gardiner laughed, drawing the attention of Mr. Darcy, who had begun to walk in their direction.
"If I may ask," Darcy said with a small smile, "what is it that amuses you ladies?"
"Oh nothing, Mr. Darcy," Elizabeth replied. "I was just telling my aunt of Miss Bingley's list of accomplishment's for a truly accomplished young lady. If I remember correctly, sir, you also contributed to that list."
Mr. Darcy looked embarrassed at remembering this. "I do recall this conversation, Miss Bennet," he began. "But since then, I have changed my opinion on the matter entirely."
"Really, Mr. Darcy?" Elizabeth asked, arching an eyebrow up at him.
Mr. Darcy sat down next to Elizabeth on the divan as he continued, "Yes I have. A young lady does not have to play or sing very well, only have a great love of music. She must improve her mind by reading, and show a compassionate manner to all around her. She should also be active, whether it be walking or riding. Family loyalty is to be expected, and good manners in all sorts of company, no matter how rude or snobbish the company may be," he said, pointedly.
"Should they also be handsome enough to tempt young men of fortune?" Elizabeth asked, her eyes twinkling good naturedly to show Darcy she forgave him for his previous blunder from their first encounter.
"By having such recommendations as I have already stated, Miss Bennet, I believe I would find the young lady quite handsome enough to tempt me." Darcy said, smiling back. "That is all I require in a wife."
Elizabeth fought to hide back a smile. "With such a list, Mr. Darcy, I fear you may not find such a young lady in the ton of London, or anywhere for that matter."
It was Mr. Darcy's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Indeed, Miss Bennet?" Forgetting Mrs. Gardiner's presence, he fixed two intense hazel eyes on her teasing face. "I believe I have found one such lady already, and she is sitting before me."
As Elizabeth struggled to form a response to such a cryptic statement, Miss Bingley cried out from her seat across the room. She could not help but notice that all evening long Mr. Darcy had been paying extreme amounts of attention and civility to Miss Eliza and her unfortunate relations. After watching the two performer's duet and being outsmarted by Georgiana on behalf of Miss Eliza, Miss Bingley was quite on the edge of despair of becoming Mistress of Pemberley. This unwelcome revelation drove her to extreme measures.
"Mr. Darcy, you cannot possibly mean Miss Eliza here!" Miss Bingley cried out.
Georgiana stopped playing (though she had been playing, she too had been listening to Darcy and Elizabeth's conversation) and all attention in the room turned to what Miss Bingley was saying.
Darcy leveled a cold smile at Miss Bingley. "I assure you, Miss Bingley, I do."
Miss Bingley had a slightly panicked look on her face as she said, "But she has nothing to recommend herself to be Mistress of Pemberley! Nothing! No fortune, no connections!" Her eyes fluttered around the room and came to rest on the Gardiners, who were sitting stiffly in their seats as Miss Bingley attacked their niece's character. "And her relations, Mr. Darcy! Tradesmen in the local village! Residents on Gracechurch Street! How can you say that such a, a…a country bumpkin like her could be the Mistress of Pemberley!"
"MISS BINGLEY, THAT IS QUITE ENOUGH!" roared Mr. Darcy, rising from his seat. The other occupants in the room watched, frozen.
The Hursts watched in horror from the distance; Bingley was looking at his sister in indignation, horror, embarressment, and anger; the Gardiners and Georgiana looked horrified at what they were hearing, and Elizabeth herself was pale and watching Miss Bingley with wide eyes.
The whole party looked on as the Master of Pemberley strode to stand before Miss Bingley.
"Miss Bingley, I demand you stop!" Mr. Darcy said, angrily. "You have insulted my guests and friends in the most infamous and degrading way and insulted them in very possible manner. I have borne your presumptuous manner and snide remarks only because you are the sister of my best friend." Here Mr. Darcy paused. The entire room held their breath.
When Mr. Darcy began again, it was in a low, dangerous voice. "I demand you leave my house at once!" he said, addressing Miss Bingley. "I do not tolerate rude and unfeeling people here! You shall pack your trunks and be taken as far as London this very night. You will never be allowed onto my property again, mark my words, Miss Bingley. Never again will you be allowed to address myself, Georgiana, or Miss Bennet and the Gardiners, whom you have insulted so severely!" Mr. Darcy stopped, directing a glare that even a grown man would have cowered under towards Miss Bingley.
Miss Bingley stiffened and turned white at Mr. Darcy's words. After she showed no signs of moving whatsoever, Darcy moved swiftly to the door, opened it, and yelled for Mr. Reynolds, his butler, and two footmen.
When Mr. Reynolds entered the room with the footmen, Mr. Darcy commanded, "Reynolds, escort Miss Bingley to her rooms and make sure she packs her trunks. Ready the carriage and take to wherever she wishes in London, just as long as she is out of Pemberley within the hour."
Reynolds and the footmen moved towards Miss Bingley. She rose stiffly, trying to collect her dignity. "I see the way things are, Mr. Darcy," she said coldly. "You refuse to see what that, that girl truly is."
"I assure, you, Miss Bingley, that Miss Bennet is worth ten of you," Darcy replied. "Now please leave."
Miss Bingley turned and walked out the door, followed by the footmen and Reynolds. Mrs. Hurst cast a nervous glance around the room, grabbed Mr. Hurst, and hurried after her sister.
Well, there it is! Miss Bingley finally got the ultimate punishment. This was quite a fun section to write.
I have a long weekend (4 days!) ahead of me, so I will try and add a chapter each day. I have already started Chap. 6, so that will be posted hopefully by tomorrow. I'm hoping to include some of Darcy's point of view, but we'll see how it goes.
Thank you so much for the encouragement and reviews! They make writing easier, knowing that I have such supportive readers!