Chapter 30:
Elizabeth tossed and turned in her bed the first night she spent at Grovner Park. She was certain that she would not be able to sleep. She missed her room in Ashton Park. Her reception at Governor Park was nothing but formal and cold.
Lady Isabella's parents were not pleased with the arrival of the children, along with the couple.
They had nothing much to say to Elizabeth. Elizabeth had spent some time helping the children settle down in the new place. Mrs. was grateful for her assistance; Edmund was restless in the new house. Elizabeth hoped the children would get accustomed to the change soon.
Even though it was only for a month, Elizabeth knew her time in Governor Park would be stressful. She knew nobody wanted her there except Lord Ashton.
She constantly thought about Lady Isabella and what she may be hiding. On the other hand, she was guilty for what she had done to Darcy. She hated the pain she had caused him.
She did not know when she would see him again.
I am certain that he will come back to Pemberley sometime. How am I to even face him when I return to Ashton Park?
She had written to Mary before she left. She had mentioned Darcy's proposal and why she had refused him.
Elizabeth often wondered how her life would have been had she not left Longbourn. However, she contemplated prospects. She was certain that she could have never been able to live under the same roof as her parents, who betrayed her in every way.
She also wondered about her father. She did not know if she would ever know the truth about his identity.
Someone must know who he was. Someone, in town may be.
She did not want to entertain the thought of fate bringing them together at some point in her life. She hated the man. She hated the man who was the sole reason for her current state.
The first day in Grovner Park passed swiftly. Elizabeth was busy with the children.
Lady Isabella's parents did not like her presence with them during meals. Lord Ashton was oblivious to their state of mind.
He was happy to have Elizabeth accompany them on the trip and join them for meals as a routine. Lady Isabella said very little. Elizabeth found it strange that she was aloof from her parents as well. She looked troubled most of the time.
Elizabeth had noticed in the past few weeks she had kept to herself in her room, feeling unwell.
Maybe she is with child. Elizabeth thought.
She missed Lady Martha a lot, and wondered how she had grown so attached to her over the past months. She respected Lady Martha for her kindness and support in ensuring her welfare since the day she had set foot in Ashton Park.
Meanwhile, the next day in Longbourn, Mrs Bennet rushed into the parlour in a hurry.
"Oh! Dear Jane! You will not believe this. Do you remember the handsome man we met yesterday? "
"Who, Mamma?"
"Oh! That tall man, Mr. Darcy."
"Oh! Yes! He looked so grumpy."
"Do not say that. He looked so handsome, and do you know Mr. Darcy has a ten thousand pounds a year."
"What? Ten thousand?"
"Yes, my dear. He has one of the biggest estates in Derbyshire. Several houses in town, I believe. And do you know his uncle is the Earl of Matlock? What luck my dear Jane, for him to be here. I always knew you could settle very well in life."
Jane did not need any more information in this matter.
Ten thousand a year! She thought.
"He seemed very amiable indeed, Mamma! How noble of him to travel all the way to assist his friend. Next time when we meet, I will let him know how much I admire this quality in men," Jane exclaimed.
Mary was shocked. Now Jane has shifted her interests to Mr. Darcy. I am so ashamed to be a part of this family.
"Yes, yes, my dear. You do that. I think we have an invitation from Mr. Bingley this week. He is inviting us and the Lucas family over for supper. I am pretty certain Mr. Darcy would like to know you better. Mr. Bingley is nothing when compared to him," Mrs. Bennet said.
Mary had heard enough. She was anxious to post the letter she had written to Elizabeth the previous night. Just as she was about to leave, Mariah Lucas walked in along with her mother.
"Oh! Lady Lucas it is nice to see you," Mrs Bennet said.
Mariah immediately walked up to Mary, and asked her to accompany her for a walk in the gardens.
Once they were out, she pushed a letter into Mary's hands.
"Oh! Is it from Lizzy?"
"Yes, it came along with Charlotte's letters this morning," Mariah replied.
"I hope she is all right. You said she is travelling somewhere with her employer."
"Yes, she must be there now. Thank you for bringing, I was just about to visit you to post my letter to Lizzy."
"You can give it to me now."
"No, I want to read hers and see if I need to rewrite mine."
"Alright, I will leave you to your privacy," Mariah said, and walked into the house.
Mary hurried away from the house and sat down to read Elizabeth's letter.
It was dated a couple of weeks ago. Mary read the letter with anticipation. The first part of the letter did not contain any particulars about Darcy. Elizabeth wrote about her intended travel to Grovner Park and her daily activities.
Mary was shocked to read the rest of the letter.
"…. Mary, I intended to post this letter last week, conveying that there was nothing much to add about the happenings here. But something happened since then, so unexpected, I do not know how I could ever contain it within myself…."
She went on to explain about Darcy's proposal and how she rejected it. Mary was shocked to learn about the developments.
"I made him believe that I hated him. I rejected his feelings, sentiments, and love, so brutally, that I cannot believe I am capable of being so cruel. But what am I to do? I do not deserve him. I could never put him and him Miss Darcy to shame. If he marries me, he will suffer for the rest of his life. I am certain of that….."
Mary was agonized by the heartfelt outburst by her sister. She was even more troubled to understand why Darcy was here.
"…He left, Mary. As I accused him of ruining my life in Ashton Park, I cannot explain the pain my words caused him. He left because of me. When Miss Darcy visited me feeling depressed about her brother's sudden departure, I was vexed…."
Mary read every sad detail with tears in her eyes.
He loves her too. He proposed, knowing that she was a governess. Lizzy should not have rejected him. She thought.
She also understood Elizabeth's reasoning. She knew her sister well enough. She knew that Elizabeth thought it was better to reject Darcy than reveal her feelings and past. Somehow, Mary was certain that Darcy would stand by Elizabeth no matter what.
She decided not to inform her sister of Darcy's presence in Hertfordshire. She did not know how to help Elizabeth and Darcy in this matter.
She closed the letter and hurried inside. Her mother and Lady Lucas were still gossiping about the previous evening. Day by day, Mary was tired of living in the same room as her family.
Mariah whispered to her and asked whether everything was all right
"Yes, Mariah. I have to rewrite my letter. I will give it to you later this week," Mary said.
The next day, the Bennet and Lucas family arrived at Netherfield for the evening engagement.
Since his arrival, Darcy had spent most of his time in his room and the library at Netherfield. He did not want to spend time in the company of Miss Bingley.
As much as he wanted to stay away from Elizabeth, his heart yearned to see her again. He wanted to know if she was safe. He fervently hoped she was safe in Grovner Park.
He joined the others for the evening, hoping against hope that he would not be stuck with Sir Lucas for long.
Mr. Bingley looked forward to the evening, hoping to spend more time with Jane. He was taken by her beauty and found her extremely pleasant.
The Lucas carriage came first, followed by the Bennets. It was dark, and Mr. Bingley stood outside to welcome them.
Jane looked out the window and exclaimed.
"Oh! Mamma, we are not the first to arrive. We must be. Mr. Darcy must see us first. Oh! What horrendous luck."
Once the carriage stopped, she tried to get down first and fumbled over Mary's feet.
"Ouch!" she cried.
"Mary, what is the matter with you? I would have torn my gown. Don't you have any sense? Do you think I could afford such a scene in Mr. Bingley's house? Oh! Thank heavens, my dress did not rip off."
"Jane, I am sorry. I did not think you would get up so soon."
"Oh! Shut up. What is the use of explaining about beauty of my dress to someone as plain as you. Sometimes I hate to sit next to you in the same carriage," she cried.
Unfortunately for her, Mr. Bingley stood near the carriage heard every word of her outburst.
He was shocked beyond measure to listen to Jane's words. In the past weeks, her conversions with him were so pleasant that she could not believe she could say such a thing to Mary.
He moved away from the carriage, not wanting them to know that he had overheard them.
"Mary, let your sister get down first," Mrs Bennet cried.
Mr. Bennet said nothing. Since Elizabeth disappeared, he was filled with rage and had no interest in anything.
Mr. Bingley handed Jane out of the carriage. He could see the same sweet countenance on her face.
He could not believe it was the same woman who had spoken rudely to her sister a couple of seconds ago.
Mary was the last to get down. She looked at Mr. Bingley and tried to smile.
Mr. Bingley could see the sadness on her face. Somehow, it pained him to see her hurt.
"Good evening, Miss Mary. You look beautiful this evening," he said.
Mary's surprise was evident on her face, and Mr. Bingley saw her blush. He suddenly realised that she was beautiful. Her face, though been called plain by Jane, radiated warmth and kindness.
He locked arms with her and led the party indoors.
Mary was surprised that he was not by Jane's side. She somehow felt something different in the way he looked at her.
Once indoors, Darcy and Miss Bingley joined them.
"Oh! Mr. Darcy, it is lovely to see you again. I am certain you are quite pleased with Hertfordshire. You have the best company and the prettiest girls to dance with."
Darcy did not reply. When he looked at Jane, he was shocked to see her batting her eyelashes at him.
The men left to play billiards, and the women sat down in the drawing room. Mr. Bingley did not pay attention to the game. He somehow wanted to return to Mary and ensure she was alright.
"Is everything alright?" Darcy asked him, sensing his unease.
"Yes, yes," Mr. Bingley said.
Darcy thought his friend looked troubled. He did not prefer the company of Mr. Bennet or Sir Lucas. Sir Lucas, he found exasperating for the monotonous speeches he gave about every topic. Towards, Mr. Bennet, he somehow felt an instant dislike. He did not know why, but his demeanor reminded him of Wickham. He sensed something was off with the man.
Jane waited in anticipation for the men to return. Mrs Bennet was eager to let her daughter charm Darcy. Mary sat in anticipation as well.
She could not look at Darcy without sadness, well aware of what transpired between him and her sister.
He is in love with Lizzy. He has no idea that she feels the same way. How am I to even help in this matter? She thought.
The men returned, and they all sat down for supper.
Mary sat next to Darcy, and Jane was seated opposite to them, beside Mr. Bingley.
"I hope you have settled down here, Mr. Bingley. We hope you will be happy here. And I hope Mr. Darcy likes to stay here as well," Mrs Bennet stated, looking at Darcy.
"Yes, Madam. We have settled here quite amiably. Mr. Hurst is to join us soon as well," Mr. Bingley replied.
"That is wonderful indeed."
Miss Bingley frowned. She was seated beside Mariah. She did not like the idea of sharing Darcy's company with anyone else, especially with society she thought so low in standards.
"Mr. Darcy, please tell us about life in Derbyshire. I have heard much about its beauty," Sir Lucas asked.
"Yes sir, it is quite charming indeed," Darcy replied bluntly.
"You must tell us about your estate, sir. I hope it is grand," Jane asked in the sweetest tone.
"I have lived there most of my life. Whatever I say would be partial."
"I can vouch it is quite grand, Miss Bennet. Having had the pleasure of visiting Pemberley many times," Miss Bingley said, looking sharply at Jane.
Jane immediately saw a competitor in Miss Bingley. She may be well acquainted with him, but she has no beauty. I can make him fall in love with me for sure. She thought.
Mr. Bingley was confused by Jane's behavior. Though Jane was seated next to him, she hardly said more than a few words to him.
She always seemed to join the conversation when someone spoke to Darcy.
Mary sensed what her sister was up to. Silly Jane, he will never fall for you. She thought. After supper, they sat down for some music.
Miss Bingley played first. Darcy had witnessed her performance before. He instantly recollected the mesmerizing vision of Elizabeth sitting on the pianoforte in Pemberley. His heart ached when he came to terms with reality. He thought she may not be comfortable around him anymore, or in Pemberley. He was uncertain if he could ever be in the same room as her, without fighting the thought of pursuing her again.
Mary played next. Darcy liked her performance. Her choice of song reminded him of Georgiana. He could say that both had similar tastes.
When she finished, he said the same to her.
"You play well, Miss Mary. I think you and my sister have similar tastes."
"I thank you, sir. I do know I need to practice more."
"My sister would say the same, about herself," he said, with a smile.
Jane and Miss Bingley stared at them. To them, it almost seemed impossible that Darcy would choose to compliment her.
"I look forward to the Meryton assembly, Miss Bennet. Sir Lucas informs me that it is the most popular engagement of the year," Mr. Bingley said to Jane, hoping to start a conversation with her.
"Yes, it is. We are so glad that this year, we will have Mr. Darcy there as well," she said, and noticed the frown on Mr. Bingley's face, "….and, you as well," she added.
Mr. Bingley did not know why she was so aloof that evening. It made no sense to him.
The assembly was the following week, and Darcy had no intention of staying for the same.
Sir Lucas stressed the anticipation of Darcy's presence for the evening. Darcy made no promises.
He joined Mr. Bingley in handing the women into their carriage. Darcy handed the Bennet family in, and he was beginning to understand Jane's intentions.
"It was a pleasure to spend time in your company, Mr. Darcy. You could call on us tomorrow. I am certain it gets boring in Netherfield," Jane said, and batted her eyelashes.
Darcy has seen enough of women like her and said nothing in reply.
He handed Mary in, and she wished him good night. Mary could see the pain in his eyes, the pain of being rejected in love, the pain of separating from Elizabeth.
She sighed as she sat down in the carriage.
Fate is cruel. She thought.