You guys are seriously the sweetest ever. Thank you so much for your encouraging words. You're all the best. :)
Please, continue to do me the favor. :)
Now, stuff's gonna go down at said ball mentioned at the end of the chapter. Be prepared.
The month passed by as an uneventful one, save a couple of visits by Bingley and his sisters, though they weren't memorable enough to stand out. The civility Elizabeth showed during their 'date' did not increase, but nor did it decrease; she remained rather pleasant, and Darcy often found himself wondering what brought about this sudden change. Though he did not often wonder long, for he certainly wasn't going to question a positive change. Whatever Georgiana had intended seemed to succeed, however temporarily it may be.
The month passed, and before long, the eve of Bingley and Jane's first year of marriage approached. The family – all except maybe Lydia and her husband, whose presence would certainly not be missed by Darcy in the slightest – would be gathered at the Bingley's estate in Lambton, which they three months previous had settled into. Bingley had very much take to the atmosphere of the area, and the relative closeness of Jane to her sister sold them on the estate, and shortly thereafter, they moved in. Upon arriving to the estate, Elizabeth and Georgiana quickly took to Jane, and Bingley took the opportunity to escort Darcy around.
"I must say, I never foresaw you deserting Netherfield so soon after resettling."
"Oh, no, I do not see it deserting. Jane's whims change ever so quickly that I am sure we will be back ere long."
"What prompted the move?"
Bingley took care to dust the cover of a book with his sleeve before responding. "I do believe Janey found the closeness to her mother...unbearable, as it may, though I am sure she would never reveal as much."
"No, I am quite confident she would not."
"Despite being with child, I find Jane to be more agreeable than ever. She hardly ever argues a point with me any more."
"That may be, but it is probably more for your sensibilities than hers."
"That is highly likely. If she was not so calm as she is, I might have gone out of my mind by now."
"She is in your very capable hands, Bingley."
His smile brightened. "I do like to think so."
Bingley concluded his tour in the gardens outside his estate. "Jane takes impeccable care of these gardens. Every day, she is out here, tending to the flowers and pulling weeds. She refuses to let a day go by where she does not."
Darcy's friend continued to sing praises on his wife's attention to the garden, but did not do so for very long before inquiring on Darcy's own estate.
"As well as to be expected. There is often music about, with Georgiana's constant practicing, and I do believe she is quite coming along in the kitchen," answered Darcy.
"And yourself and Elizabeth?"
"I would say...rather the same."
A look passed over Bingley's face, one of which Darcy barely caught, but it spoke volumes to just how apparent the tension between the young couple was; a tension that, though slowly fading away, still lingered about in the air. Bingley didn't give the conversation a chance to tend in that direction, though.
"We plan to hold a ball in a sennight, if you will still be visiting..."
Bingley didn't even have to finish his question, for Darcy answered, "We'd be honored to attend, of course."