Georgiana hadn't sat long with the Bennets before she knew that this was the kind of position her brother would usually want to escape. The trouble was that by most accounts her brother appeared happier than usual – he had a gleam of amusement in his eyes every time they met Richard's – the pair of them seemed almost bemused by Mrs Bennet's words and actions, but that didn't make much sense because the woman didn't seem much changed from how she had been the last time that they had been here.
Moreover, her brother looked as though he was about to break into a broad smile whenever he met Miss Elizabeth's eye – but that was just another issue for she was sitting clear across the room from them with Jane. Mr Bingley seemed just as displeased by that as her brother was.
Georgiana couldn't help if she had stopped attending to Mrs Bennet's effusive kindness to all three gentlemen. At least, Mary seemed to have noticed Georgiana's unease, because the other girl looked up from the book she had appeared to be intently studying to give Georgiana a small smile.
Kitty and Lydia sat nearby catching each other's eyes frequently and always seeming to be on the verge of giggling, however much they seemed to be resisting the impulse. Mr Collins and Mr Bennet were both absent – Georgie supposed that meant that they hadn't realised that Mr Bingley, Richard and her brother had arrived. They seemed like important enough guests to warrant the appearance of the resident gentlemen.
But perhaps it was good that they hadn't yet made an appearance. It gave her more freedom.
"Miss Mary?" She spoke quietly so as to not appear to be too rude to Mrs Bennet. The woman drifted off slightly nonetheless – Georgie had to fight hard against the blush which threatened to coat her features at the attention the older woman cast in her direction. "Might you... that is... would you care to take a turn about the garden with me? I am sure there are beautiful haunts near here – but I haven't yet had the chance to find them..."
"Well, if you want to see a place of beauty," Mrs Bennet spoke warmly, but without quite so much of the fawning she placed on the gentlemen. "You might want to take the walk to Oakham Mount – although it is quite a way..."
Mr Bingley was quick to add his desire to see the place, and Mr Darcy's own agreement to the plan followed promptly. Georgiana almost wondered if the whole party was to set off – except for Mrs Bennet of course – when Richard finally spoke.
"Might I prevail upon you to keep me company a moment longer?" Mrs Bennet almost puffed up with pride at the direct address. "I find that I am not equal to muddy lanes today, but I would love to hear some more about those about here that I did not get a chance to meet last evening."
Mrs Bennet was quick to suggest that Lydia and Kitty remained too. Perhaps she realised, as Georgiana had, the benefit of letting Mr Bingley and Jane, and Elizabeth and her brother to have some time together. After all, Mary and Georgiana were perfectly good chaperones, were they not?
.
They walked in companionable silence for quite a time – with only the occasional polite comment coming up; Mr Darcy asked Elizabeth how she fared today and in turn she remarked on their sisters' common skills at disappearing. Indeed, Elizabeth and Darcy couldn't see any of the other four they had set out with, but neither saw any desperate need to complain.
"I am so glad that Georgiana has taken to Mary." Elizabeth remarked a moment later. "Mary has few enough friends, and at times during my stay at Netherfield, Georgiana would go on about music in quite the same way as Mary. I confess it all means very little to me – I am no musician – but I am glad that they always seem to have something to say to each other."
"You do yourself a great discredit." Darcy wasn't looking at her, so Elizabeth could hardly tell where his comment would lead. She didn't have his facial expressions as any kind of guide. "You are a skilled musician – nobody who heard you could doubt it."
Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh, and Darcy's slightly confused expression only increased her mirth. She couldn't help but note his happiness though – had she really been so blind at first to not notice how clearly he showed his feelings? Had she been so determined to dislike him that she hadn't even acknowledged that he might be a worthwhile person?
That failure still stung, but she was fast to shake it away. After all, there was little point dwelling on the past if it didn't give her pleasure.
"I thought you did not like falsehoods, Mr Darcy?" His confusion only increased. "You have been subjected to my playing often enough to know how ill I play."
He shook his head, with some indistinguishable expression upon his face. "I am in far too good humour to argue with you," Mr Darcy seemed to have picked up some of Elizabeth's impertinence. She wasn't entirely convinced she disapproved. "But I will not agree."
A warm moment or two passed without either really noticing. For her part, Elizabeth had suddenly remembered something that Lydia had said late the previous evening - that Lizzy should forgive Colonel Fitzwilliam and not make one of her ridiculous immediate dislikes to someone who did not deserve it.
Lydia seemed to think that if she wasn't worried about what he had said, then Lizzy certainly had no business being annoyed. Lizzy had wondered if her sisterly protectiveness was appreciated at all – but she had known better than to ask. It would have been an easy failing for Lizzy to make after all – Lydia's words would have stung less could she not acknowledge how true they were.
"Bingley and I go to London tomorrow." Darcy had struggled long enough trying to get the words out – to try to begin to say what he wanted. He had known she was lost in thought too – and he hadn't wanted to disrupt her musings, but then his thought had just blurted out before he could control it. Elizabeth looked surprised – but Darcy couldn't tell whether that also indicated that she would miss him.
"For what purpose?" She blushed after speaking, and quickly looked away, hiding her face from him. "That is... I don't mean to be too intrusive... but..."
Darcy couldn't help but smile slightly as she stuttered. Elizabeth was never lost for words.
"We have some business which can no longer be attended by letter – but hopefully we should be back within five or six days."
Elizabeth finally looked back at him, her mouth twitching with amusement once more. "I am shocked, Mr Darcy, do you mean to say that you have not been caring for your estates as correctly as it utterly possible?"
Darcy looked away, but Elizabeth was sure she caught a flash of a smile in his features as he did so. She was glad – she didn't want to scare him away any more than her family already must have done.
"I was wondering..." He had turned back to her and stopped walking, his eyes piercing and intent, the purpose of the conversation evidently altered. "That is, I wanted to ask..." He seemed to be struggling to discover how to say what he meant. Elizabeth had to consciously quash a flutter of an idea that rose up inside her. "Might I call upon you when I return?"
Elizabeth quickly realised her previously rationalisations must have been for nothing.
"Are you asking to court me?" The words were spoken slower than she normally spoke, but at least she didn't stop mid speech.
"Yes." Darcy was almost smiling again, and he made it sound as though his answer should have been obvious. "And I know that you didn't even like me until very recently – and as such I'm perfectly willing to wait until my return for your reply – but, I felt that I should make my intentions clear..."
How had she ever thought him proud? Elizabeth couldn't help but want to reach out to comfort him, Darcy seemed so unsure of her response. The single fact that he had given her the option of time was enough to make her confident of what she wanted her response to be. Who else would she find who would be so accommodating? Where else would she find a man so willing to let her get over her unfounded dislike that she couldn't even countenance now.
But then her previous doubts began to come back; the many reasons that he could have no reason to be forming an attachment to her.
"But what of your family?" She could easily read his confusion, much as he tried to hide it. "And what of mine?"
"What bearing do they have on us?" Had he had a trace of anything other than genuine confusion in his words, she wasn't sure that she wouldn't have been tempted to argue with him in anger at his unwitting dismissiveness.
"Colonel Fitzwilliam disapproves of my family – what of your other relatives?" She could see a frown beginning to form in his features, but it didn't stop her words. "You can't deny that you are known to the ton – you are an eminently eligible bachelor in the highest levels of society – and I am from an unknown country family... Society wouldn't countenance it."
"What care do I have for society?" Darcy seemed almost amused by that. "You have seen how poorly I perform at even a simply country assembly – do you really suppose me to be more at ease in town, just because the men hold titles and the women dress in more finery?"
Elizabeth couldn't help a small smile at that. She hadn't even thought to consider him in such a situation – but now she tried to imagine it, it was an easy enough picture to see.
"And as for my family – they know that I am a grown man, it is my decision to make." His expression lightened again suddenly. "Georgiana loves you already – she would not begrudge my choice – and she is the only one who really matters."
Elizabeth smiled – it was far too easy to let him put her mind at ease and to dismiss all her fears, but, in truth, she couldn't help but do just that.
"Georgiana would be glad to know she held such distinction I'm sure." She tried to lighten the tone again. Perhaps she could make sense of this later – for she knew she couldn't be thinking rationally now – after all, she had always been half positive that she was going to die an old maid, caring for Jane's children.
She didn't think she was as good as Jane, so how could she hope to have such happiness?
Darcy seemed to have understood her need to change the conversation, because he made a comment in a similar vein. Soon enough they were discussing all of their families – how they were now intermingled with humorous anecdotes from the past. They scarcely noted the passage of time, before they finally realised that they could see Jane, Bingley, Georgiana and Mary standing a short distance from them making polite conversation with the Lucas family.
Elizabeth and Darcy both increased their pace, catching up with the party as they finally reached Longbourn. No one seemed to comment on their delay in arriving, Lady Lucas fortunately was too engrossed in some conversation with Georgiana that she didn't pay either of them any attention at all.
Charlotte for her part gave Elizabeth a pointed look and fell back to walk beside the pair of them. Elizabeth could only assume that her friend felt that the pair of them needed a chaperone, and more, she wasn't sure that she was upset by the assumption. After all, were she to have agreed to Mr Darcy's suggestion - as she had been so tempted to do immediately - it would now be even more important than ever.
Darcy for his part was clearly attempting to be personable, even if he was evidently slightly uneasy in that role. His efforts only added to her joy, and she couldn't quite restrain the odd thoughts wishing that he was not to go away.
But that must have been foolish, for five days was not so long and then she would be able to give him her reply - and until then, she could count on the presence of Georgiana with ease.