Before Bingley could further trip on his tongue, Darcy interrupted to say they needed to return to Pemberley. After greeting the Culvers, the owners of the inn, and chatting with the villagers who had gathered around him, Georgiana and he were finally allowed to leave. On the ride home, Darcy went over in his mind all that had transpired and felt reassured. The damage he had done in Kent was not irreparable. It was possible he had been given a second chance.
Chapter 32
Elizabeth joined her aunt and uncle in the front room and spun around so that they might comment on her dress and hair.
“Truly lovely, my dear,” her uncle said. “But I shall leave you ladies to compliment each other, and I shall have the carriage brought ’round.”
“If I had known I was to see Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy on our visit, I would have brought another dress. They have seen this frock a number of times and look at the creases,” Elizabeth said, pulling the fabric away from her body to examine just how bad the wrinkles were. “I am sure all of the ladies will be wearing the finest silk, while I wear muslin.”
“There is nothing wrong with muslin,” Aunt Gardiner said, “and surely they would not expect you to pack your finest dresses to go on a tour of the countryside. Besides, a dress is only good for a first impression. It is the person in the dress that matters, and if your reception is half as warm at Pemberley as it was this morning, then you have nothing to be concerned about.”
“Yes, it has been a pleasant day. I liked Miss Darcy very much, and it was wonderful to see Mr. Bingley again. I have hopes there, Aunt. As soon as he learned that we were at the inn, he came immediately, and you must have noticed how he twice asked after Jane. I am confident that Jane and he will have a courtship after all.”
“And what about you, Elizabeth?”
“I shall wait for events to unfold,” she said, without any of the confidence she felt on behalf of her sister.
“I understand your caution, but I believe Mr. Darcy’s interest in you could not be mistaken.”
“Nevertheless, I shall remain on guard because I saw how hurt Jane was when she realized Mr. Bingley had left Netherfield Park with no intention of returning. And there is the matter of Mr. Bingley’s sister. I do not know how much progress can be made as I am sure Miss Bingley will be listening and watching everything I say or do.”
“I think you are underestimating Miss de Bourgh. She has already proven herself to be an expert in masterminding and executing a plan. I cannot imagine she went to all the trouble of having Mr. Darcy and you meet, only to give way to Miss Bingley. And I suspect you have made a friend of Miss Darcy.”
“It should be an interesting evening. I almost feel sorry for Miss Bingley. She wants Mr. Darcy so very badly, but everything she does diminishes her chances of that happening because he finds her so annoying.”
“If that is the case, you may have a secret ally: Miss Caroline Bingley.”
“Well, what do you think, Mercer? Am I presentable?” Usually, Darcy allowed his man to lay out his clothing, but tonight he had picked out each piece himself because he wanted to look his very best for Miss Elizabeth.
“If I may comment, sir.”
“Of course, Mercer. Speak freely. Have I chosen unwisely?”
“Oh no, sir. You have chosen to great effect. However, your expression is that of a man going to the scaffold, not supper.”
“Hah! It is easy enough for you to say that it is just a supper, but you do not have to face a room full of women, each of whom believes she should have some say in my future. I was so looking forward to dining with Miss Elizabeth, but now that the time is near, all I can see are the problems created by having Miss Elizabeth, Anne, and my sister in the same room as Miss Bingley and her sister. It is as if I invited two warring parties to fight it out in Pemberley’s dining room. I do not think it will go well.”
“I believe Jackson anticipated the situation, sir, and I think you will be pleased by the seating arrangement. The warring parties, as you call them, have been separated to minimize damage.”
“That is all well and good during the meal, but does Jackson have a plan for after supper?” Looking in the mirror one last time and after straightening his waistcoat, he told Mercer, “Well, what will be, will be. Onward into battle.”
Before going down to supper, Darcy asked Bingley to join him in the study. It was his intention to apologize for his interference in his affairs with regard to Miss Bennet. He felt confident of his forgiveness, not only because Bingley was not one to hold grudges but also because there had been such a change in his friend. He was exuding a confidence that Darcy could only attribute to one thing: He had already made up his mind to call on Miss Bennet.
Charles was waiting in the study and had poured a brandy for both of them. He already knew the reason why Darcy had asked for this meeting. His friend had changed his mind regarding Miss Bennet because, if any reservations had remained, he would never have revealed that Miss Elizabeth was staying at the inn. It was evident that Darcy now approved of the match, and an unfortunate episode in their friendship could be put behind them. Charles was confident there would be a time in the not-too-distant future when Mr. Darcy would be welcoming Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bingley to Pemberley.
Taking the brandy from Charles’s hand, Darcy got right after it. “You know me well enough to know I do not beat around the bush. The reason I have asked you here is to apologize for my interference in your affairs with regard to Miss Bennet. I completely misjudged the depth of her affection, and it was presumptuous of me to assume that I knew more than you did as to matters of the heart. I did not understand how quickly one could fall in love, and I regarded it almost as an affliction that one would eventually recover from. However, I now recognize that it is a force that reaches into every fiber of your body, and that it is something not to be resisted but embraced.”
“Well said, Darcy. But are you talking about me or you?”
“The matter at hand is your love for Miss Bennet.”
“Darcy, I understand you were acting in my best interest, but you arrived at your decision based upon how you would have acted. But I am not a Darcy. I do not have Norman blood running in my veins, and my ancestors were not earls. I am a simple man with simple tastes. I want no more than to be surrounded by family and friends and to have horses to ride about my property on a fine day. And who knows what the future holds? I have just learned that my brother, George, is on the king’s birthday list for a knighthood, so the Bingleys are rising.
“In the early days of our friendship,” Charles continued, “I looked to you as an older and wiser brother, but in the intervening years, I have grown up. I now trust my own judgment and am confident that I am capable of making wise decisions. Not that I won’t need your counsel from time to time, but it must be a contributing factor, not the deciding one. So if it is my forgiveness you are seeking, you are forgiven.”
“I readily agree to your conditions,” Darcy said and hoped that Bingley would feel the same way when he had finished. “However, there is one other matter I must acquaint you with. A few weeks after our departure from Hertfordshire, Miss Bennet visited her aunt and uncle, whom you met this morning, in London. I knew she was in town but said nothing. I now know from Miss Elizabeth that her sister thought you knew she was staying with the Gardiners, but chose not to call. As a result, she was deeply hurt. Fortunately, Miss Elizabeth was able to reassure her sister that you were completely unaware of her presence. At the earliest opportunity, it is my intention to apologize to Miss Bennet. And now you know it all.”
Bingley started to pace about the room, saying nothing, and as the silence lengthened into several minutes, Darcy was less sure that his friend would forgive him now that he knew the full extent of his interference.