“Will, you know better than I do that the world is changing. We have rich merchants with chests full of coin, and dukes and earls with little money, and because of this, great changes are happening right under our noses. Sons and grandsons of earls are marrying the daughters of merchants, and that is the way of the future. You are uncomfortable with a possible alliance with a family not of your rank because you are in the vanguard. But be brave. Your children, no matter who the mother, will have to face even greater changes.”
“Before I met Charles Bingley,” Darcy said, “I had reservations about what you just described or what Sir John Montford calls ‘the upward migration of the servile class which threatens England as much as the French.’ However, that is not my main concern. What about Miss Montford?”
“I gather you feel committed to her because you spent so much time in her company during the season, and because of that, there are expectations?”
Richard walked over to the window and looked out into the street. He had no good news for his cousin, as he had heard Sir John Montford speaking of Darcy at White’s, the conservative Tory men’s club, of which he was a member. As an officer in the King’s army, it would not do to tweak the nose of his monarch, as Darcy did every time he dined at Brook’s, the liberal Whig’s men’s club.
“What did Sir John say?” Darcy asked.
“‘Darcy. Damn good sort,’” Richard said, lowering his voice in imitation of Sir John. “‘Terrible politics, but a capital fellow. He will make someone a fine husband,’ and then he winked at his company.”
“Oh, God,” Darcy groaned. “Well, there you have it. Unless something totally unforeseen takes place, you will shortly be wishing me joy,” and he handed his cousin an empty glass.
After a somber dinner at Brook’s, the two returned to the townhouse. For fear of being overheard, nothing had been said at the club, but over a glass of port, Richard asked his cousin the one question that had remained unanswered. Was Miss Elizabeth in love with him?
“I don’t know,” and after puzzling over it in his mind, he repeated that he did not know if she felt as he did. “You know how it is during the season. You start a flirtation, and it begins a progression. If all goes well, it will end up at the altar. I never had that with Elizabeth. Oh, there was a flirtation, but without the prospect of marriage looming in the background, it was very different. We actually had real conversations because of the lack of tension.
“Elizabeth is intelligent, charming, and perceptive. It is a pleasure to be in her company and not to be subjected to the mundane conversation that is the diet of the London salons. Richard, I cannot live on puffed-up pastries. I need meat on my plate,” and looking at his cousin, he concluded, “Elizabeth challenges me. She is my equal in all things but rank.”
“Will, I can see you are troubled, but from all you have said, I do not think you have injured Miss Elizabeth. She sounds as if she is a sensible woman who recognizes that her position is inferior to yours, making marriage unlikely.”
“I hope you are right, Richard, because it would be a dark day for me if I believed she thought I had been trifling with her affections.”
But after his cousin had retired, Darcy went over everything that had happened between Elizabeth and him. He wondered if, in his need to be near Elizabeth, he had hurt her, and if that were the case, he would hurt her no more.
Chapter 18
While Lizzy was packing for her holiday to Derbyshire, Jane was sitting on the bed reading a letter from Lydia.
“Well, it seems that there is no limit to the number of dances and concerts she attends, and she goes to the shops every day and plays cards two or three times a week. She is still a flirt and boasts of it. Last week, she wrote of an Ensign Gray, and this week, she is singing the praises of Lieutenant Tenyson.”
“At least she is moving up in rank. If Lydia manages to attract the attention of a captain, Mama will have Uncle Philips drawing up a marriage contract for her.”
Jane knew her sister was in jest. Both sisters had strongly objected to her being allowed to go to Brighton with Mrs. Forster, who was only nineteen herself, but both had been overruled by their father.
“As long as it is not Lieutenant Wickham,” Lizzy added. “While I was at Mrs. Proctor’s card party, he sought me out once again for the purpose of maligning Mr. Darcy. This time his story involved the sister, Miss Darcy. He claimed to have provided endless hours of entertainment for her. I gave him no encouragement, and when I said that I thought it unfair to talk about someone who was not there to defend himself, he walked away.”
“I saw that,” Jane said. “He was clearly unhappy with you.”
“Well, he is gone, and hopefully, we will hear no more about him. Besides, I want to think about rocks and mountains and gardens and tree-lined paths, not Mr. Wickham.”
It gladdened Jane’s heart to see how happy Lizzy was in preparing for her journey, especially now that she had been assured by Miss Darcy that her brother would remain in London. After first being opposed to going to Pemberley, Lizzy was now eager to visit the manor house and bask in all the delights the landed gentry took in their stride.
“Miss Darcy has mentioned there is a dappled gray in Pemberley’s stables that will do very well for me, and that she will turn me into a first-rate horsewoman. She is being overly optimistic there, but I am agreeable to the idea of becoming an equestrian,” Lizzy said, laughing. “She has also arranged for a picnic in the Peak District, and if we choose, she said that one of her grooms will take us to some of the caves that are actually on the Darcy property. And the gardens! If they are anywhere near as beautiful as her description, then I shall truly be in heaven. It has been two years since we visited Woburn Abbey.”
Lizzy came and sat next to her sister. “It has been five days since Mr. Darcy left to go up to town, and in that time, I have recovered my senses, and I have taken stock of my prospects. Mr. Peterson was very attentive to me at Aunt Susan’s in August, and when a man mentions the size of his fortune, it shows some interest on his part. I wish I had given him more encouragement, but I am confident that if he had become engaged, Aunt Susan would have written to us as she dearly loves sharing neighborhood gossip.”
Looking out the window, Lizzy saw that Miss Darcy and Mr. Bingley had arrived for dinner. Both sisters hurried down the stairs, one to greet her beloved Charles and the other to make welcome a new friend.
Shortly after dinner, Mrs. Bennet gave out a cry announcing the Gardiners’ arrival. Being of an amiable temperament, she loved having guests, but this time her excitement was due in large part to the mode of transportation rather than the people being transported. The Gardiners had arrived in the Darcy carriage.
Every Bennet, Miss Darcy, and Mr. Bingley went out to greet the Gardiners. Once the carriage came to a complete stop, a footman jumped off the back of the carriage and assisted a smiling Mrs. Gardiner as she exited from the luxurious conveyance. Mercer spoke with Miss Darcy, assuring her that the maid had sent the requested items and handed her a letter from her brother.
“I am sure he will begin his missive by telling me how confident he is in my abilities, and then proceed to give me a dozen more instructions as to how to entertain our guests.” Mercer smiled and nodded. His master was a man who paid attention to the details, which was why he found his courtship of Miss Montford so puzzling. It was higgledy-piggledy, a word Mercer had never before thought to apply to Mr. Darcy, but he suspected that the reason for his unsettled behavior was now admiring his carriage.