Mr. Bingley stepped forward and greeted Mr. Hadley just as warmly, his demeanour open and cheerful. "Of course! Georgiana, this is Mr. Hadley. He is the rector in Meryton, and his wife, Mrs. Hadley. Mr. Hadley, Mrs. Hadley, this is Mrs. Bingley."
Mary had made her way to the entry to greet the new arrivals as well. She expressed her delight at seeing Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy again, and welcomed Mrs. Bingley very warmly. She then turned so she might introduce Mrs. Bingley to the others in the room. She began with Mr. and Mrs. Phillips, both of whom were effusive in their felicitations. Elizabeth knew she was next, so she gathered her courage. When her sister brought the young lady towards Elizabeth, she was ready. No one who saw the pair meet would think that there was anything amiss, except perhaps if they looked at Mrs. Bingley's brother. That gentleman glowered at Elizabeth, perhaps angry that she dared to even address his sister.
Mr. Bingley quickly covered over any awkwardness, asking after Elizabeth's family. She explained the state of her father's health and that Mrs. Bennet had felt it prudent to remain behind with him. Mr. Bingley wished her father a speedy recovery and asked if he was able to accept visitors. He was, so Mr. Bingley promised to call soon.
When Mr. Bingley was drawn into conversation with Sir William, Mr. Darcy drew near and murmured, "Please share my best wishes for your father's speedy recovery." He moved away quickly before Elizabeth could register what he had said. She stood staring at his back as he approached Mr. Hadley and began to talk with him about some matter.
"That was not so terrible, now was it?" asked Mary, startling Elizabeth from her consideration of Mr. Darcy.
"I suppose not," Elizabeth had to agree.
"I daresay you all will be able to get on well now, which is very good. With introducing Mr. Darcy and Maria Lucas into the seating, I was forced to move some people around. Mr. Darcy will be seated next to you, but you will go into dinner with Henry Lucas."
"What?" Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at her sister, remembering how keen Mary was on her looking her best tonight.
"I am very sorry, but the only other configurations that made sense, given the familial relationships of so many of the guests and their respective ranks, had Mr. Darcy seated next to either Lady Lucas or my mother-in-law," Mary explained. "This way, he is seated between you and Charlotte."
Elizabeth had to admit that the idea of Mr. Darcy spending the evening seated next to either Lady Lucas or the elder Mrs. Hadley was not a pleasant one. She also knew how Mary sat with different coloured paper, trying to figure out configurations that made sense and how much two extra guests must have thrown these plans off. It might have not been so bad if they were both merely members of the gentry, but the daughter of a knight and the grandson of an earl were slightly higher in rank than others, which moved them up the table. Still, she was dreading having to speak to him, which she certainly would be made to when seated next to him.
Elizabeth smiled, as Lady Lucas approached her and her sister.
"Are you nervous, my dear?" Lady Lucas addressed her remark to Mary. "Your first dinner party. How exciting for you!"
"Indeed, madam," said Mary.
Mary and Lady Lucas then began to talk of the efforts that go into planning such an event, leaving Elizabeth to watch Mr. Darcy out of the corner of her eye. He was speaking with Henry Lucas, which she found interesting. Henry was only nineteen and a second son. He was in the navy, but had been injured a few months ago. Until his arm fully healed, he was on leave. Elizabeth slowly moved away from Lady Lucas and her sister, which they did not even notice. She pretended to admire a painting on the wall near where Henry and Mr. Darcy stood, so she might listen to their conversation.
"…a land position. The home office is always looking for people," Mr. Darcy said.
"The home office?" asked Henry.
"It is not all spying, no matter what people tell you. There is much else that must be done. My cousin spends most of his time at dinner parties, although the people attending are ambassadors and dignitaries instead of people from neighbouring estates," Mr. Darcy explained.
"I suppose it will depend on how my wound heals. I love the sea, but if I cannot regain my strength in that arm, I do not think I will be much use on a ship," said Henry.
Elizabeth had not known that there was a possibility that Henry's arm would not return to normal. Because there had been no infection, she assumed all was well. Now that she considered, however, she remembered Sir William telling her that the surgeon had to cut through a great deal of muscle to remove the bullet and debris.
"Had to learn how to write with my other hand," Henry said. "My sister laughs at me, because my writing is worse than my younger brother's."
"It cannot be any worse than Mr. Bingley's," said Darcy, loud enough for Mr. Bingley to hear.
"And I do not even have an injury to blame," said Bingley with a laugh, coming near to the other men.
The dinner bell rang then, and the guests began to move towards the dining room, organising themselves by rank. Elizabeth and Henry Lucas followed Charlotte and Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy looked relieved when he realised who he was paired with, as Miss Lucas was undoubtedly one of the few ladies — save his sister — who he might regard as a tolerable dinner companion. All easily found their places. Elizabeth noted that Mrs. Bingley was placed between Mr. Hadley and Mr. Phillips, an intelligent placement on Mary's part. Mr. Phillips, although not refined, was not overly lively or opinionated. He would speak with Mrs. Bingley about the weather, her journey, and other such mundane topics. Mr. Hadley was, of course, the soul of discretion and the host, so he would do all that he could to ensure the young lady's comfort.
As everyone settled into their places, the servants came forward with the soup course. It was, to Elizabeth's delight, one of her favourite kinds. She did not like the white soup so often served at parties, despite it being considered very elegant. Secretly, she believed that most people did not like it, but only served it to impress others.
She and Mr. Lucas conversed only a little during that course. He asked after Lord and Lady Wallingford and she was able to share some news from her most letter. He was glad to hear that they were so well.
When the servants began to clear away the soup and set the next course, Elizabeth felt her anxiety heighten. It was expected that she would turn now to the guest on her other side to speak to them. She must either converse with Mr. Darcy or spend the entire main course eating in silence.
Other than his offering her various dishes, there was not very much to say for the first several minutes. The smell of the delicious food filled the room as everyone enjoyed their meals, the only sound the clinking of cutlery and quiet murmurs of thanks when a lady was assisted by a gentleman.
"Your sister sets a fine table," Mr. Darcy finally said. "I do not know that I have dined at the parsonage before this."
"Thank you. Yes, they only wed earlier this year, so this is the first large dinner party they have hosted. Mrs. Hadley was very anxious that all should go well, but I think she had no cause to worry."
"I shall have to inquire what sort of relish is on the goose."
"I believe it is made with port and peppers. I can have her cook send the receipt to Netherfield, if you wish."
"Thank you, Miss Bennet. I would be grateful if you would."
A pause ensued while a servant came forward to replace one of the empty dishes with a full plate of the same.
"How long shall you be remaining at Netherfield, or are your plans not yet fixed?" asked Elizabeth.
"I am not yet certain. I do not have to return to Pemberley until spring planting begins, but other responsibilities might call me away sooner."
"Will Mr. Bingley's sisters be joining you at Netherfield?"
Darcy could not prevent a brief scowl from flashing over his face. "They will remain in town. Mr. and Mrs. Bingley…decided that it was better for them to be in the country, while his sisters wish to remain in town for the season. I do not believe the country is to their liking."
Elizabeth smiled slightly. "I thought as much when they were last here."
Mrs Phillips' booming laughter reverberated throughout the room, making Elizabeth cringe in embarrassment.
"Mrs. Bingley likes Netherfield very well," said Mr. Darcy softly.
"I hope…I hope that Mrs. Bingley did not come to Netherfield because it was the only option available," Elizabeth replied in a matching low tone.
"Mrs. Bingley was given the option to remain at Pemberley, if she wished," said Mr. Darcy, "but then she might have to give up the chance of ever…having an estate. She decided Netherfield might be agreeable and Mr. Bingley thought so as well."
Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy's eyes locked for a moment, and Elizabeth sensed a deep sadness in him. "I am sorry that she was forced to make that choice," she replied, looking away.
"It is not your fault that she was made to decide," said Mr. Darcy.
Elizabeth looked at him curiously, her eyes searching for answers. He shook his head, for already they were drawing the attention of others. "I will explain another time," he whispered, before raising his voice to a normal tone and complimenting Mrs. Hadley on the fine meal.
Elizabeth stared at her plate until a servant took it away, and dessert was placed on the table. The cake she was served was likely very good, but she could not appreciate it due to her agitation.
"Are you well?" asked Mr. Lucas.
"Perfectly," she said with a smile, before asking about his father's new mare. He took up the subject easily, explaining that while the horse was fit for the fields, she was not so large as some of the others and much prettier.
"She's a little young still, so we can't let the young ones ride her yet, but I think by the time Greta is twelve, Nyx shall be a perfect mount for her."
Elizabeth commented on the mare's unusual name, which turned the conversation to that of mythology, a topic she knew a great deal about because of her father. By the time the ladies withdrew, she was in a more genial mood, although still she could not help but wonder about what Mr. Darcy had said.
