Mr. Gregory Johns arrived on Wednesday, and Kitty was all impatience when she learned of his arrival and could not stand up and go to meet him herself. When he finally entered the sitting room, she was, she believed, fully prepared to meet the most incredible man she had ever encountered.
His initial appearance did not disappoint. He arrived in style behind Mr. Knott and Colonel Fitzwilliam, and made the two of them look quite commonplace by comparison. Kitty could not stop staring at him. His blue coat was the height of London fashion, and set off his smooth complexion and shining brown hair to perfection.
"Miss Bennet," he said, his silky voice sending a shiver up her spine as he bowed over her hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you. Allow me to say that I am very grieved that you should have injured yourself so, for had you not, I would take this opportunity to solicit your hand for a dance this evening, and wheedle someone into playing for us!"
Good Lord, he was exactly what Mr. Warde ought to have been! "Oh!" Kitty said, blushing deeply, "if I could, I would be delighted to accept, but as you see…" She sighed and gestured to her foot, propped up on a stool and a series of cushions and secured under a light blanket.
"Indeed, indeed, you poor thing," Mr. Johns said, shaking his head. "We will have to seek other ways to entertain you, then, will we not?"
"Mr. Knott has been reading The Absentee to us some mornings, and we mean to resume tomorrow morning," Miss Darcy offered with a shy smile. "Perhaps you would like to join us."
"That sounds delightful, Miss Darcy!" He turned to her and bowed his head, eyes twinkling. "I would be honored to join, if my duties at Edgepark do not call me away."
Kitty saw an opening to regain his attention and seized it. "Yes! My sister told me you were remodeling your house."
"I am indeed. Alas, it is proceeding but slowly, as these things tend to do when one is particularly eager for them to move faster," he said, shaking his head as he took a chair beside her. "But it means I will be able to enjoy your hospitality for that much longer, and in such good company, so I cannot find too many reasons to be downcast about it." This last was addressed to Elizabeth, who accepted it with a graceful nod and the appropriate niceties.
The day passed quickly in such company, particularly as the Colonel and Mr. Johns seemed almost to be in competition to see which of them could be more agreeable to the general company. Kitty chose to believe that this was for her benefit as an invalid as well as a pretty young lady, and enjoyed it as such. Mr. Johns was very attentive to her, and she did everything she could to deflect Colonel Fitzwilliam to Miss Pratt, and thereby they passed the day as enjoyably as she could have wished.
Dinner itself began with more lively conversation and more laughter than Kitty could have imagined possible at the Darcy home. Even Mr. Darcy, who was in better spirits than Kitty had ever seen him, was occasionally prevailed upon to add to the jovial conversation, and spent the rest of the meal smiling upon his wife and the others in turns. The only thing that could have made the evening sweeter would be the prospect of an assembly to look forward to and talk about, but even her broken ankle had netted her the sweet attentions of her dinner partner, Mr. Johns, and Kitty could not be that upset about it.
"Are you quite comfortable, Miss Bennet? We can have more cushions fetched for you, if you need them." He appeared to be on the cusp of summoning someone to bring them before she could respond.
She smiled at him. "No, indeed—do not trouble yourself, I beg you. My ankle is well supported and has not bothered me in the slightest."
"If you are certain…"
"Very, thank you." She reached for her wine and took a sip, marveling at the spread before them. She knew that the Darcys were rich, and of course Pemberley was an intimidatingly fine house, but she had not anticipated a meal of this luxury for what was, ostensibly, a mere family dinner. The table was set to magnificence and the food looked and smelled divine.
It tasted as good as it smelled, too, and Kitty was happy to listen to the conversation around her and enjoy the meal for the first few minutes. When Mr. Johns engaged her attention she chatted with him quite amiably about anything that came to her mind, and enjoyed his gallant attentions to her.
How well the evening was progressing! If she continued at this rate, she would be engaged to Mr. Johns before she had to return to Longbourn. Wouldn't that just show Mary, and her under-clerk!
When the ladies withdrew, however, Miss Pratt claimed the spot on the sofa beside her and proceeded to abuse her friend for her abominable neglect. "For," said she, "I have not been able to speak three words to the Colonel all evening, and I was counting on you to help me."
Kitty apologized; she had been so focused on Mr. Johns and the pleasure she found in his company that she had quite forgotten about her friend.
"Well, I will require you to repent by helping me when they join us. I mean to persuade Miss Darcy to play a duet with me, and you must ensure that he attends the performance, and my playing particularly."
"When you have finished playing you must come and attend me; I will have him nearby and you can use me as your excuse to talk to him."
Miss Pratt beamed. "That is perfect. Thank you!"
Accordingly, when the gentlemen joined them, Miss Pratt asked Miss Darcy to play with her what they had been practicing, and they moved to the pianoforte. Kitty looked eagerly for an opportunity to engage Colonel Fitzwilliam, but instead of him, or even Mr. Johns (whom Kitty would happily have accepted as a substitute) Mr. Knott came and sat beside her during the performance. The two gentlemen in whom she had the greater interest sat on the opposite side of the room and conversed with Mr. Bennet between songs. Kitty did not know how to engage their attention without being able to stand and walk to them herself, and was left with nothing to do but cast apologetic glances toward her friend and express her distress by what means she had available to her. It was hardly enough.
To make matters worse, Mr. Knott seemed entirely unaware of her distress. Every time the music paused for a moment, it was "How are you liking Derbyshire, Miss Bennet?" and "What do you like to do with your mornings?" and all manner of innocent-sounding questions in which Kitty perceived malicious intent. Did he not see that she wished to talk to the other gentlemen? She kept looking toward them, but none of them noticed her.
Very well, she would simply have to turn the tables. "Have you known Colonel Fitzwilliam long?"
He looked surprised at her question, and a little bit offended, and Kitty realized belatedly that she had not answered his last question. Well, who cared about the feelings of some clergyman who couldn't even get a living on his own? If he was really here to answer for the living Mr. Darcy had open, he would behave himself around that gentleman's family, no matter what they did.
"Yes, I suppose I have. Several years at this point, anyway," he said. "We met through a mutual friend, who introduced us just a few months before I finished school."
Kitty nodded, barely listening. She was trying to think of how she could turn the conversation into a request to bring him over to her. But Mr. Knott seemed bound to cross her purposes at every turn. "My mother was so proud of the acquaintance—it was the first sign of such social consciousness I had ever seen in her, and it quite took me back. But she, worthy woman that she is, could think of nothing more than my prospects, which I must admit improved on knowing him. I am grateful to have found such a friend."
"He seems to be a very generous friend." It was stupid but she couldn't let him turn the conversation back to himself or his mother. What grown man talks so much of his mother, anyway?
"He is indeed, and very good company, too. When I was last at my family's house…" He entered into some story or other about himself, and his mother, and some favor the Colonel had done for them. Kitty listened for any opportunity to contradict what he said, or ask something that he would have to defer to his friend and call him over for an explanation, but he was too well prepared for such tactics, and deflected or answered every inquiry without requiring any assistance at all. By the time he was done with his story, the other ladies were finished playing, and there was nothing Kitty could do for Miss Pratt except watch helplessly as she was drawn into a conversation with the Darcys.