| The Other Bingley, Part IV |
| Elizabeth's emotions were running high as she read Darcy's letter a second, then a third time. She felt abused by Wickham, she felt indignant over Darcy's presumption in separating Jane and Bingley, but she also felt grateful to him for opening himself up so completely, for confessing to trespasses of which she had no knowledge. That he was willing to admit that he was wrong, and that he had accepted Mrs. Westling's criticisms, showed her a humble side he had never revealed. That he was willing to share with her such sensitive and private information about his family showed a respect and trust in her that she felt she had no right to receive. His interference with Jane and Bingley, which in the first reading incensed her, by the third had become almost justified as she recalled the behavior of her family on more than one occasion; his appraisal of their standing in society, thought mortifying, was accurate; but most importantly, his avowal of the error of the whole affair was noble. He had sinned, he had repented, and he had been forgiven by those who had been hurt; who was she to deny him that forgiveness? She, who had utterly misjudged him, who had given credence to the lies of Mr. Wickham without a second thought merely because of her vanity... she had no right to withhold that which he had so gallantly requested after giving so much of himself in return. After great reflection, much self-reproach, and many tears, Elizabeth collected the materials to write a letter of her own. * * * * * * "Mrs. Westling, this letter has just arrived for you from Longbourn." Elinor frowned slightly, but thanked Fosset and took the packet from the tray. She hadn't been expecting a letter; this was indeed intriguing, and became more so when she read the note addressed to her. Mrs. Westling, Forgive me for using you as an intermediary, but I need you to convey a message for me. As I am certain you know, Mr. Darcy wrote to me explaining his dealings with Mr. Wickham, and his part in the separation of Mr. Bingley from my sister. I beg you to give him my reply: please tell him that his apology is accepted only if he will accept mine as well- that he may trust me to keep his confidence as he requested- and that I hope that next time we meet, it will be on friendly terms. I thank you for this service, and I do hope that you will call on us again soon. Yours, etc., Elizabeth Bennet Elinor could scarcely believe her eyes; Darcy had written the letter, and he had not only told her of Wickham, but of the detachment of Bingley and Jane! This she had not expected, and was curious not only as to how Elizabeth took this news, but also to why he even mentioned it! She was proud of Elizabeth for handling this awkward situation in so ladylike a fashion, and was pleased to be so trusted by a new acquaintance. She immediately set off to find Darcy and share this message with him. She found him in the library calmly reading what looked to be a novel; he hastily put it aside when he saw her and smiled in greeting. "Mrs. Westling, how do you do? You will be happy to know that I met with Miss Elizabeth Bennet this morning, and as you suggested, I gave her a letter explaining everything." Elinor pulled the letter from her pocket and toyed with the edges. "Yes, I know... I have just received her reply, which I am to give to you," she said calmly. Darcy practically jumped from his seat and was at her side in a moment. "And what does it say? Did she believe me? Does she think better of me?" "That you may read for yourself, though the letter was written to me." She began to hold the letter out to him, but pulled it back suddenly. "She mentioned something about your role in that sad affair with my brother and her sister... I wonder that you told her about that. May I ask why?" "Because disguise of every sort is my abhorrence, and I felt that she needed to know all if there is to be any hope of one day making her my� friend," he replied haltingly. "You made the right decision Mr. Darcy. I am sure she will be happy to bestow her friendship on you now," she smirked. "Now, you may see what the lady has to say." With trembling hands that could scarcely hold the envelope, Darcy unfolded the brief missive, pausing only briefly to see if he could detect a hint of Elizabeth's lavender scent on the paper. His satisfied smile told Elinor that the response was what he had hoped for. He folded it back up and placed it in his jacket pocket. "Mr. Darcy, I do not believe that is yours to keep!" Elinor teased. "Mrs. Westling, surely you knew that once it had reached my hands, I would not be relinquishing such a treasure. No, I will keep this as what I hope to be the first of many letters written to me- or at least, for me- by Elizabeth Bennet." Elinor raised her eyebrows in surprise. This was the closest he had come to an open declaration of his intentions. "It was my understanding, sir, that letters are only to be exchanged between engaged couples, members of the same family, and friends of the same sex. To my knowledge, you and Miss Bennet do not fit into any of those categories." "Indeed you are correct. My hope is that in time I may convince her to� alter our situation," he replied with a cryptic smile. Elinor grinned mischievously. "I do hope you do not intend to become a woman Mr. Darcy. Think of all the hearts that would be broken!" "I think you know quite well what I mean, Mrs. Westling. But let us keep this our little secret for now, shall we? It would not do for the lady to discover that I am to propose before I even begin to woo her." Elinor laughingly agreed and they shook hands to seal the pact. This would be interesting indeed. * * * * * * The following week consisted entirely of wind, rain, and cold, but the forces of nature could not keep Charles Bingley away from Longbourn and Jane. While this in itself was not a surprise, it was unexpected that he brought his friend along everyday. And if Mr. Darcy's presence wasn't enough of a shock, his complete change in demeanor was sufficient to leave Mrs. Bennet speechless for a full ten minutes. He smiled, he spoke to everyone, he laughed; in short, he acted in a way more befitting Mr. Bingley than Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth sat in astonishment as the gentleman proceeded to discuss music with Mary for several minutes, leaving her only to learn about the latest fashions in bonnets from Kitty and inquire about a good gift for his sister. When at last he spoke to her she had begun to swoon from seeing his dimples so many times. "Miss Elizabeth, I hope you are well. I fear that this dreadful weather has prevented you from taking your daily exercise." "Thank you sir, I am well. I have tried to take a few turns about the garden when the rain stops, but my opportunities have been quite limited. I am anxious for the spring." Darcy leaned near her to pull back the curtain and look outside; he happily noted that the weather seemed to be holding at least for a short time. "It appears that this is one of those times. Can I tempt you to venture out now? Perhaps your sister and Mr. Bingley would care to join us." With a blush covering her cheeks, Elizabeth agreed and proposed the idea to Jane, who declined the invitation. Darcy did his best to hide his satisfaction at the thought of being alone with Elizabeth as they collected their coats. He offered her his arm and felt the heat run through his body when her gloved hand wrapped around his elbow. They walked in silence until they reached the garden, Darcy just enjoying her proximity and Elizabeth feeling bewildered from when he placed his other hand on top of hers. She wondered what he could mean by such familiarity. "I believe we must have some conversation Mr. Darcy," she said tartly, breaking the silence to cover her embarrassment. He turned to her and grinned from ear to ear. "Oh no, Miss Bennet, I will not fall into your trap again. I distinctly recall the last time you began a conversation that way, and I have no wish to repeat that." His tone was teasing, but Elizabeth could not help blushing at the memory of her rudeness to him. "Please do not remind me of my behavior then, sir. I can assure you that I am most ashamed of-" He held out his hand to stop her. "Miss Bennet, I meant no admonition, and I apologize if that is how you saw my remark. Let us not speak of unpleasant things today. My behavior was not above reproach either; can we not start afresh?" His eyes bore into hers with an intensity that made her avert her gaze. It also didn't help her concentration when he began to brush his thumb over her hand as he awaited her response. "Thank you sir," she said at last, "you are too kind." She lifted her eyes once more and saw how handsome he looked with a smile of pure joy suffusing his face. He raised her gloved hand to his lips and placed upon it a kiss that lingered a bit longer than propriety would advise. "You are the kind one Miss Bennet." Time stopped as their eyes locked and Darcy began to lean towards her as if by reflex. It was only when he felt the sigh that escaped Elizabeth's lips that he realized how close he was coming to her lovely face. He stopped himself in time, but could not hide the tenderness in his eyes. She sensed his proximity, and the intimacy sent a shiver through her. Concerned that she was cold, Darcy rubbed her hand and suggested they go back inside. Eager to escape from this uncomfortable situation, Elizabeth agreed. Darcy was not content to merely allow her back into the house, however. As soon as Elizabeth had undone the buttons of her coat but before she could call for Hill to help remove it, Darcy had taken it upon himself to ease it off her shoulders. "Allow me," he said softly, from what sounded like a much-too-close position by her ear, and placed the coat on a chair by the door before removing his own. Elizabeth was blushing furiously by now, and was not a little put out at this sudden inappropriate attention from a man she had barely had time to stop disliking. She did not know what he could mean by his advances, but their relative positions in society put her on her guard against the possibility of dishonourable intentions. Darcy did not notice her change of demeanour until he attempted to place her hand on his arm again and she quickly took it back again. He looked confused and hurt for a moment before realizing that perhaps he was pushing her a bit far in this first meeting. "Forgive me Miss Bennet, I did not mean to cause offense. I simply thought you might be fatigued and wished to provide you more support. My arrogant presumptions have once again led me astray." Elizabeth felt a pang of remorse at his words. "Do not give it another thought sir. I am merely quite accustomed to exercise and this brief excursion was no trial at all. Shall we return to the drawing room?" He smiled weakly and nodded, not at all comforted by such an indifferent reply. Apparently she still had some vestiges of distrust in him, and the process of wooing would be more complicated than he had previously imagined. He did not stay at Longbourn much longer, leaving Bingley alone to spend the remainder of the afternoon with Jane. He figured that it would be better to give Elizabeth more time to come to terms with all the information he had given her, however much he would have preferred to be near her at all times. She was not yet ready for his attentions, and he would not impose himself upon her. The only question remaining was: how in the world would he be able to stay away? * * * * * * Bingley came home in a more ebullient mood than usual, and for good reason; he had decided to give a ball at Netherfield in Jane's honor. Darcy cringed at the memory of the last ball while at the same time feeling strangely giddy at the thought of dancing with Elizabeth again. A ball would be the perfect situation to show his interest in her, and the intervening fortnight would give him plenty of time to begin insinuating himself into her heart. If Bingley noticed that his friend did not present a single objection to the scheme, he did not let on. Elinor just smiled to herself over the look of anticipation on Darcy's features. A ball�... a grand notion indeed! * * * * * * Elizabeth readied herself for the ball with trepidation. For two weeks now, Mr. Darcy had accompanied Bingley to Longbourn nearly everyday, and nearly everyday he had sought her out as his companion of choice. His attentions were growing so acute that even her mother had begun to notice his preference and begun fawning over him and encouraging their interaction. Darcy bore Mrs. Bennet's officiousness with equanimity, as more often than not it provided him with an opportunity to speak only with Elizabeth rather than make small talk with everyone present. Elizabeth was mortified by the behavior of both of them, but could not help feeling flattered by Darcy's notice. He was perfectly discreet and proper in his actions, but never missed an opportunity to convey a greater depth of feeling than he could actually show; lightly touching her arm while speaking, holding her gaze for slightly longer than he should, never allowing her to walk without holding his arm- these and countless other subtle actions had begun to affect Elizabeth in a way she had never imagined possible. She was becoming quite attracted to Mr. Darcy, both physically and emotionally, and she was starting to think that perhaps he had real, serious intentions towards her; the notion was far from unpleasant. She dressed herself with unusual care for the ball, but this time not with Mr. Wickham's appreciation in mind. She thrilled at the thought of dancing with Darcy again, and this time she would not be so blind as to insult and accuse him when he was being courteous to her; she had made out his character, and found him to be not at all wanting. In fact, he seemed to possess all the qualities she could wish for in a gentleman. Not quite prepared to make any stronger declarations for herself, she merely decided that he was one of the most amiable and honourable gentlemen of her acquaintance and she would not be displeased to know him better. Darcy, meanwhile, was doing everything in his power to keep his shaking hands away from the brandy decanter. It would do no good for him to be inebriated during his first overt attempt to show Elizabeth his feelings, but he desperately needed something to sooth his rattled nerves. It was in this state the Elinor found him. "And how are you faring sir?" He jumped at her voice, having been concentrating too hard on the tempting red liquid to take much note of his surroundings. "My sudden urgent need for brandy notwithstanding, I am well. Nervous, perhaps." Elinor poured a small quantity of drink for him and placed it in his hands. "That should suffice for now. Besides, you do not have time for more; the Bennet carriage has pulled up and we are to stand in the receiving line." He smiled widely, his anticipation rising. If Elizabeth looked half as beautiful as she had at the last ball, he was a lost man. The Bennets walked in just as he was arriving in the hall. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet entered first, followed by Jane, and then� Elizabeth. He inhaled sharply as she began to walk towards him with a shy smile playing on her lips. They exchanged formal greetings before he offered her his arm to escort her into the ballroom. He was loathe to leave her there, but knew that he had to greet the remaining guests before he could return to her. For the time being, he contented himself with kissing her hand. "Miss Bennet, you look stunning this evening. If you are not otherwise engaged, I hope you will honour me with the first set." She smilingly assented before he returned to the foyer. More than a few whispers were exchanged when Darcy and Elizabeth took the third position in the first dance, behind Bingley and Jane and the Westlings. Mrs. Bennet gloated over her good fortune, not forgetting to mention how amiable Darcy was and how rich Elizabeth would be with his 10,000 a year. Despite her lack of discretion in sharing this information, Darcy paid no heed; his attention was focused on one thing only: Elizabeth. His eyes did not leave her form throughout the dance, and he was eager to retake her hand after every separation. He enjoyed her presence in silence for a few minutes as he built his courage to speak. "Miss Bennet, allow me to say again how very beautiful you look this evening. I had not thought you could surpass November's ball, but I was mistaken. You seem to be the embodiment of absolute perfection," he whispered. Elizabeth could only blush in reply. "I hope you will excuse my presumption in saying so. I know I have not always treated you in such a way as to show my regard, but I hope you will believe that I have always admired your liveliness of spirit and handsome eyes." He clutched her hand to keep his own from trembling. He was not accustomed to making such overt declarations, and her continued silence did not alleviate the tension. "Come Miss Bennet, it is your turn to say something now. I talked about your beauty; and you ought to remark on my fine dancing skills or fashionable choice of waistcoat." Her laughter broke the barrier of discomfort between them. "Forgive me sir. I am not used to receiving compliments. You waistcoat is very fine indeed, and I cannot find fault with your dancing abilities. I thank you most heartily for not stepping all over my feet as some of my previous dance partners have done." "Not at all. I would not wish to damage any part of your flawlessness, particularly your feet, for then you could not accompany me on the delightful walks we so often take." Elizabeth felt her cheeks grow hot again. "That would be unpleasant indeed," she replied a little more boldly. "I enjoy walking out." She stopped short of adding with you. "I understand that Bingley and your sister have set a date for their wedding," he said after an awkward pause. Elizabeth was grateful for the neutral topic. "Yes, they have decided to marry in May, though I believe they had originally wanted it closer to Easter." "I am afraid I am to blame for the change. I am obliged to visit my aunt in the Easter season, and I would have been able to attend the wedding but not help Bingley prepare for it. Therefore he changed the date to accommodate my trip." Elizabeth could not suppress the urge to tease him. "How very kind of Mr. Bingley to alter his wedding plans to suit you! It is not as if you are marrying that day as well." Darcy looked at her seriously. "No, though I would not be opposed to the idea." Elizabeth's eyes widened and she dropped her gaze. "You may be hard-pressed to find a bride in so short a time," she replied in a desperate attempt to lighten the mood and turn his last comment into a joke. Her comment did not have the effect she had hoped. "The problem of finding her has long-since been resolved; I am more concerned with winning her heart and convincing her to marry me." The dance parted them for several moments, allowing his words to sink into her brain. Surely he cannot mean�... "And will it be a terrible challenge, do you think?" she asked when they came together again. Again he would not humor her attempt to ease the tension. "That I do not know; perhaps you can tell me." The orchestra played the last chords of the song, saving her from having to reply. He led her off the dance floor in the hopes of continuing their conversation, but one of the officers came to claim the dance he had requested earlier. She curtseyed to Darcy without meeting his eye and returned to the dance floor with a mixture of relief and disappointment. She had not the audacity to encourage him, nor the desire to dissuade him. Throughout the dance she looked out at the ballroom to find him looking at her intently. Near the end of the set, she forced herself to meet his stare and smile; his reaction was immediate and unmistakable. The moment the music had stopped he was at her side requesting another dance. Unfortunately she had promised the next two to Mr. Bingley, but agreed that the following would be his. He took the opportunity to dance with Elinor and watch Elizabeth's light form glide across the floor with his best friend. "�do you not agree Mr. Darcy?" "Yes, of course," he replied reflexively to the sound of his name. Elinor's laughter snapped him out of his reverie and he looked at her sheepishly. "Oh dear� what have I just agreed to?" "You were merely concurring that Caroline is the most pleasant young lady of your acquaintance. Not to worry, I will not pass along the information; I was merely trying to determine if you were paying me any attention at all." "My apologies ma'am. My thoughts were elsewhere." "I can guess the subject of your reverie," she declared. "And what is your conjecture?" "You are meditating on the very great pleasure of admiring a pretty woman for whom you have tender feelings." "Perhaps," he answered vaguely. Elinor smiled and left him to his agreeable mediations. She was pleased with the progress these two were making. More slowly than Darcy would have liked, the set finally ended and he found Elizabeth again. He kissed her hand in lieu of the more proper bow and did not release it until the dance forced him to do so. The room was completely abuzz with gossip now, for Mr. Darcy had danced not once, but twice with Elizabeth Bennet; the town busybodies were beginning to believe Mrs. Bennet's assertions. Elizabeth's embarrassment grew into frustration when he placed his hand on her waist at a point in the dance when it should have gone on her shoulders. "Sir, you should not act so," Elizabeth reprimanded quietly. "People will talk." "I care nothing for their chatter. I will act as I see fit, not to appease the gossipmongers." Elizabeth frowned. "Sir, it is a matter of our reputations. You cannot show such attentions without�" she stopped herself, but he finished it for her. "Without acting on them more concretely?" She did not respond. He stroked her hand gently. "Believe me Miss Bennet, if I had reason to believe that I would have a favorable reception, I would not think twice about it." Elizabeth was now completely speechless and looking quite distressed. Darcy mentally kicked himself for being too forward. "I do not wish to cause you discomfort. I only dearly wish for your friendship and regard," and your love he added silently. "Please let us change the subject sir. I cannot� I do not wish to�" He silenced her with a squeeze of her hand. "Let us talk of books. Are you an admirer of Shakespeare?" Relieved, Elizabeth spoke of books with eagerness which they did not often command. They talked and laughed amiably, and were feeling considerably more at ease when the dance ended and it was time to adjourn to the dining room. It was with pleasure that Darcy escorted her to her seat and found that it was opposite his. Elinor was to thank for this, he was certain; he made a mental note to do just that. He also noted that Miss Bingley and the Hursts, who had returned specifically for the ball, were seated at the far end of the same table, effectively keeping them from interacting with him or Elizabeth. Mrs. Westling is a genius. The rest of a ball was a success, though Darcy had to be satisfied with more subtle displays of affection. Only at the end of the night did he venture to make another bold comment. "I hope you enjoyed your evening Miss Bennet." She affirmed that she had indeed. "I am glad to hear it. Your happiness is of great significance to me." He kissed her hand reverently. "I hope to have the pleasure of your company tomorrow at Longbourn, if I may call." "You do not need my permission to call at Longbourn sir; you have done it many times before without such a request." "Yes, but I am not asking to call on Longbourn; I am asking to call on you." His meaning was not lost on her. "Of course, sir," she replied breathlessly and hurried to the carriage before anymore could be said. Darcy smiled after her until long after the carriage had disappeared into the night. Tomorrow he would begin to seek his happiness. Next section... |