Hello readers. I'm sorry it has taken me a while to share another chapter. I thought things were getting better but they weren't, and I've really been struggling with my depression these last several weeks. If you've any positive energy to spare, I'd appreciate some being sent my way - hopefully it will help pull me out of this funk I've been in. In any case, I want to thank everyone who has been reading, favoriting, following, commenting... All the encouragement and enthusiasm is so much appreciated.


Chapter Nineteen


Darcy swallowed.

She looks stunning, he thought.

"…I present Mr. Charles Bingley, his sister Miss Elizabeth Bingley, and Mr. and Mrs. Reginald Hurst," Fitzwilliam was saying. "Sirs, ladies, I give you my dear mother, the Countess of Disley."

Elizabeth and Mrs. Hurst curtsied respectfully while the two men bowed from the waist. "It is a very great pleasure to make your acquaintance, my lady," said Bingley.

"A pleasure to make yours, Mr. Bingley. And yours, Miss Elizabeth," Lady Disley replied. "I have heard a great deal about you, my dear."

Elizabeth's smile took on a nervous quality as she said, "I do hope it was all to my credit, my lady."

"My son and my nephew have certainly been singing your praises," replied his aunt.

"M-Miss Elizabeth is wonderful, Aunt," ventured Georgiana, eliciting both wonder and pride in Darcy that she had deigned to speak at all. "She has been a very good friend to me."

Lady Disley's gaze softened when she looked at her. "I am so very pleased to hear it, dearest. Tell me, what do the two of you do together?"

"We have been practicing music, ma'am," offered Elizabeth. "My skill at the pianoforte sadly suffered during my years abroad. Miss Darcy is helping me to relearn the instrument by allowing me to practice with her."

"A-and Miss Elizabeth has been teaching me Spanish in return," said Georgiana.

Lady Disley's brows rose. "You speak Spanish, Miss Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Fluently, Your Ladyship. I could not but learn it after so long in that country. At my former school, I also learned French and Italian, though I do not speak them quite as well."

"If your instructors were Englishmen teaching the language, it is understandable," Lady Disley replied. "My own French master was an actual Frenchman. I found it far easier to learn the language from that gentleman than my attempt to learn Italian from an Englishwoman several years later."

Elizabeth smiled. "I quite agree with you, my lady. I have, in fact, said almost that to Miss Darcy, in that I found Spanish easier to learn as I was surrounded by so many who had spoken the language all their lives than it was to learn Italian and French from my teachers at seminary."

Darcy was relieved to note that his aunt's expression and posture were growing more relaxed the more she and Elizabeth spoke. It boded well for their getting along, even if his aunt were to continue looking down on her for being a tradesman's daughter.

"Mrs. Hurst," said his aunt then. "Do you speak any languages?"

Louisa Hurst coloured, then cleared her throat softly and said, "I also learned Italian and French at school, my lady, as I was the first of my sisters to attend. I believe I speak both fairly well, though I have of late had little reason to use either."

Lady Disley then asked her a question in French, which Mrs. Hurst responded to in the same language. The two conversed some more as the musicians were beginning to take their places.

"I think your command of French is quite good," said the countess. "You must endeavour to practice more, even if you do not often use it—for you never know when you will have need to."

"Perhaps that is something we can do together, Louisa," said Elizabeth. "We may not be speaking to actual Frenchmen, but I daresay it would still help both of us to speak French to each other."

"A very good notion, Miss Elizabeth," said Fitzwilliam then. "But I do believe we had best take our seats, as I believe the concert is about to start."

Others around them were doing the same, so the party all moved to sit near the front of the audience. Darcy found himself seated between his aunt and Elizabeth, which both thrilled him and made him exceptionally nervous. Being anywhere in the vicinity of the latter made it harder for him to ignore his growing attraction to her, and his aunt was a shrewd woman who might pick up on what he was trying to hide.

Darcy also felt somewhat ashamed of his feelings. Though they were natural and just, that he could stand up to his aunt and defend his friendship with the Bingleys yet deny himself any deeper connection to them because of the same reservations that the countess had expressed… Did that not make him a hypocrite?

Focusing on the concert was not an easy task, but Darcy managed it. Mostly. It did not help matters that he could feel the warmth of Elizabeth's body next to his, and every time she shifted her legs in the slightest, her skirt would brush his calf.

Get control of yourself, Fitzwilliam, he admonished himself silently.

When the intermission came, he took advantage of the opportunity to escape and get himself some air—the irony of their being outside already was not lost on him. Darcy offered to join the other men in fetching refreshments for the ladies.

Fitzwilliam sidled up to him as they moved away and leaned close to whisper, "Are you all right there, Darcy?"

"Why should you ask, Theo?" Darcy countered.

"You just… Well, you seemed rather tense through the first half of the concert."

Darcy shook his head. "I do not know what you mean," he lied.

"Come now, Will, you can be honest with me," he said, glancing ahead of them at where Bingley walked with Hurst. "Is there anything you wish to share?"

Pausing, Darcy said, "Do not make yourself uneasy, cousin. I am hiding no secrets," said he, ignoring the inner voice that shouted "Liar!"

He moved away from Fitzwilliam then, but did not miss his cousin's utterance of "Mm-hm. In denial."

Edmund Hiddleston approached as they were reaching the long, loaded banquet tables. "Hello there, gentlemen!" he greeted them warmly. "I thought I saw you ahead of me—Mother and I arrived a little late; the concert had already started."

"Good to see you, Hiddleston," said Fitzwilliam.

Bingley and Hurst voiced their agreement, and Darcy offered the other man a nod.

"Say, is Miss Elizabeth with you, Bingley?" Hiddleston asked. "I should like to pay my respects to her if she is."

Bingley and Fitzwilliam exchanged glances, and Darcy could feel each one spare him a glance. Hiddleston had made no secret of his own interest in Elizabeth, which had put Darcy in a tough position. Could he do as he had told his aunt and ignore the family's origins, and make his attraction to Elizabeth known? Or did he continue to deny the growing feelings within him for the sake of "protecting" his family's reputation? Do what he wanted, or what society expected?

Blast and botheration, he thought. My aunt is right—to break free of the restraint our upbringing has had on us is no easy task.

Bingley confirmed that Elizabeth had joined him for the concert and invited Hiddleston to come and visit with her. Darcy followed them momentarily, forcing himself to walk at a normal pace. He had to force himself not to scowl at Hiddleston while the other gentleman conversed with Elizabeth, and he did his best to ignore the first stirrings of jealousy as she appeared to not only enjoy his company but welcome his attentions.

And why should she not? his inner voice queried. It's not as if you've made your interest known.

"Brother?" said Georgiana's soft voice. "Are you well?"

Darcy plastered a smile on his face as he turned to look at her. "Of course, dearest. Why do you ask?"

"You… Well, you looked rather upset just now. I have not done something wrong, have I?" Georgiana asked, her eyes full of worry that she had behaved improperly.

Instantly forgetting his own concerns, Darcy slipped an arm around his sister's slim waist. "Of course not, dearest," said he before touching his lips to her temple. "I have just been thinking."

"By your expression, Fitzwilliam, whatever you were thinking of was distressing to you," Georgiana observed.

Darcy sighed softly as his gaze drifted back to where Elizabeth stood, her hand on her brother's arm but her eyes and smile focused on Hiddleston.

"It was," he confessed. "And I have absolutely no idea what I will do about it."

The intermission soon ended, and Darcy could not deny his relief when Hiddleston took his leave. The relief was short-lived, however, as when they had taken their seats again, Elizabeth leaned over to say, "We shall have us a merry party at Netherfield, I think. My brother has invited Mr. Hiddleston to join us there, and he has accepted."

"Is that so?" Darcy asked as casually as he was able, while inside he fumed at the amiable nature that prompted Bingley to surround himself with friends. He had to forcefully remind himself that Netherfield would for the foreseeable future be Bingley's home, and that he could invite whomever he wished to visit him.

"Indeed, sir," Elizabeth replied. "Mrs. Hiddleston intends to take her daughters to Bath for the waters, as Miss Edwina has been battling a terrible cold this last week that she cannot seem to shake. So, my brother's friend has found himself without ladies to entertain."

The last she said with a slight giggle, leading Darcy to hope that she found Hiddleston diverting but not so much that she would agree to a courtship. He would not be able to stay at Netherfield if Elizabeth allowed Hiddleston to formally pay suit to her, so he had no choice but to pray it would not come to pass.

"I am certain Hiddleston will find the wilder countryside in Hertfordshire diverting," was Darcy's eventual reply.

"I am quite looking forward to returning to Netherfield," Elizabeth said then. "The two young ladies Charles and I met when we visited seemed like lovely girls, and I should very much like to know them better."

"Miss Lucas and Miss Bennet, I believe their names were?" said Darcy.

Elizabeth chuckled. "I see that my brother or I have mentioned them to you already. Well, I for one look forward to building a friendship with them. Miss Lucas said her father was knighted some years back after an address to the king during his tenure as the mayor of Meryton, and Miss Bennet is the eldest daughter of the local squire. She is also the niece of our mutual acquaintance Mr. Gardiner—his sister is married to Mr. Bennet."

"Are not the Bennets the family with four daughters?" asked Darcy.

Elizabeth smiled. "They are."

"And all of them no doubt of a marriageable age," Darcy said. "We shall be inundated with matchmaking mothers in no time at all."

A soft laugh escaped Elizabeth, then she surprised Darcy by briefly laying her gloved hand atop his and giving it a pat. "My dear sir, do not fear. There will be three other eligible gentlemen in residence—if you pretend to be proud and disagreeable, the mothers will ignore you in favor of my brother, your cousin, and Mr. Hiddleston."

"Would you ignore me if I pretended thus?" Darcy asked—and immediately regretted it, for he had not intended to speak the question aloud.

Her hand patted his again. "I most certainly would not, for I know what kind of man you really are."

It pleased Darcy that Elizabeth had been able to see him for who he really was, and he could not help but wonder if, should he break free of the doubts holding his admiration in check, she would accept his suit over Hiddleston's.

The rest of the concert passed more enjoyably for Darcy, and it was with some reluctance at its end that he bid farewell to Elizabeth and her brother by their carriage. When he, Georgiana, Fitzwilliam, and Lady Disley were once again in his and on their way to Bolton Street, the countess audibly harrumphed—though softly, of course, as was only ladylike—then said,

"I will say this for Miss Elizabeth—she is a far more likeable creature than that one sister of hers."

"Indeed mother," Fitzwilliam agreed, and Darcy could feel his cousin's gaze on him even in the dark.

"Mrs. Hurst seemed… Well, she seemed well enough. Perhaps she is changing for the better," Lady Disley went on. "For her sake, I hope it is true, as she'll never be able to rise very high in the ton if she is not amiable."

"I believe Bingley has been trying to make that point to his sisters for some years," said Darcy. "Unfortunately, it took one of them being cut and the other being threatened with the same for his point to be carried."

"Young Mr. Hiddleston seemed to be enamored of your friend's sister," the countess went on. "It would be quite the achievement for one of her origins. And he is so popular among our set for his fine horses and excellent manners, the girl is sure of making further connexions in society. Do you think he will offer for her?"

"Miss Elizabeth and Mr. Hiddleston?" queried Georgiana. "Oh, I hope not!"

"Whatever do you mean, Georgiana?" said her aunt. "It would be a more than suitable match for your friend."

"I-I…" Georgiana paused, and in the darkness, Darcy felt her gripping his hand tightly. "I just do not wish to lose my friend. Did you not tell me once, brother, that your friend's estate was in Somersetshire?"

"Brooksbank is in Somersetshire, yes," Darcy confirmed.

"Elizabeth would be so far away. I would never see her!"

"Dear Georgie," said Fitzwilliam in a placating tone. "I am certain that no matter who Miss Elizabeth marries, no matter where she settles, she would make every effort in the world to see you as often as possible."

Georgiana sighed. "If only she could marry—"

Her sentence ended abruptly, leaving little doubt—in Darcy's mind, at least—whom his sister wished Elizabeth would marry.

"If you refer to your brother or my son, my dear, I am afraid there would be difficulties," said Lady Disley. "For one thing, neither has openly declared an interest in the lady. Secondly, given their connexion to nobility, it would be something of a degradation to their own rank to marry so far below their station."

"But what does that signify if they truly esteem each other?" Georgiana protested. "Does not love mean more than money?"

Lady Disley chuckled. "If only the whole of society thought as you did, dearest," said she. "Any gentleman of rank and wealth—even Mr. Hiddleston—must consider whether he is willing to face up to the scrutiny of the ton which he will inevitably face should he choose to marry a young lady whose family, although respectable, has no important connexions and whose fortune is but one generation from the trade that earned it."

"I beg your pardon, Aunt, but that sounds very foolish to me," Georgiana declared. "I may not be out in society, but I have heard enough of it to know that I'm already not very fond of it. People should be judged for their character alone, not their wealth or those to whom they are related. Genuine respect and admiration should be the basis for marriage, in my limited experience."

Across from Darcy, Fitzwilliam applauded her words. "Bravo, Georgie. Very well said, cousin."

Darcy reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Bravo indeed, dearest," he said softly.

He was so very proud of her in that moment—not only for speaking her mind, but in being brave enough to have spoken at all. She had been so quiet, so withdrawn for so long that he had despaired of her ever being able to be introduced into society. Yet in only a fortnight of being acquainted with the impertinent Miss Elizabeth Bingley, Georgiana had not only broken free of her melancholy, but had been incrementally more vocal with everyone, and not just Elizabeth.

That she had been bold enough to speak against the countess, whose normally authoritative manner had always intimidated her, spoke volumes as to how great Elizabeth's influence had been in so short a time.

"I agree with you, dearest," said Lady Disley after a moment of silence had passed. "Perhaps one day that will be the measure by which couples are brought together. But until that day comes, I am afraid that whatever gentleman makes an offer for Miss Elizabeth's hand will have no choice but to face whatever repercussions may come his way. The question is, will he be brave enough?"

Will he be brave enough? Why did Darcy get the distinct feeling that his aunt—though her words were directed at Georgiana—had been speaking to him?

"Do you know, Mother," said Fitzwilliam, startling Darcy from his brief reverie. "I am suddenly reminded that our friend Bingley did say that, should you wish it—in order to spend more time with your favorite son, of course—that he would gladly welcome you to Netherfield."

Darcy had almost forgotten that Bingley had said he would gladly host Fitzwilliam's family. It was a moment or two before the countess replied, saying,

"I daresay your father would not care to go, but he is more resigned to your absence than I. I have missed you, Theodore. Sporadic letters are not nearly enough to satisfy the mother in me. You really must settle down with a wife soon, that you may sell your commission and be home in England all the time."

"I tell you what, Mother," said Fitzwilliam. "I will oblige you if you oblige me and join us in Hertfordshire. Perhaps you will be useful in taming the savage manners of the country folk."

"Do you really think their manners will be savage?" queried Georgiana.

"Of course not, cousin," said the colonel with a chuckle. "A little less refined, perhaps—in my experience, country folk are not as strict as our set in following the rules. The atmosphere is more relaxed—which means they know how to have fun!"

Georgiana giggled beside him, and Darcy stifled a groan, wondering whether he would be able to suffer the indignity of surrounding himself with unrefined manners for the sake of his sister's happiness for an entire month, as he had agreed to stay with Bingley until his cousin departed again for Spain.

He also wondered whether he could endure Hiddleston courting Elizabeth before his very eyes, or if he would—as his aunt had challenged—be brave enough to declare his own admiration.

If only Hiddleston could meet some other girl in Hertfordshire that he liked more and leave Elizabeth alone, Darcy's inner voice added.