A Fortuitous Meeting

Chapter 1

As Mr. Bingley walked towards his brother's house in Grosvenor Street, he was thinking of Miss Jane Bennet. He had been able to think of little else since his return to town nearly two months ago. Each day he doubted whether his decision not to return to Netherfield had been the right one. His sisters and his friend had assured him that Jane did not return his love; and although he had believed she did, he credited their opinions more than his own -- particularly Mr. Darcy's who, he believed, was able to be more objective in the matter than himself. He had long ago begun to wonder whether he would not prefer to return to Hertfordshire and try to win her love, but the other objections Darcy had pointed to weighed heavily on his mind. They had meant little when he believed his affections to be returned, but everything was changed by Darcy's conviction that the lady did not love him. Bingley had never believed the disadvantages to the match as unfavorable as Darcy and his sisters had made them out to be, but they all seemed so certain that it would be unwise for him to pursue her. They even believed she would agree to marry him without love, but for more material concerns. He did not wish to believe such a thing about Jane, but he thought of her mother's persistence and Jane's wish to please those dear to her, and he felt she might be persuaded to accept him even if she did not return his feelings. She could hardly be blamed if she did, considering her situation in life. Much as he loved her, and would like to take care of her, though, he would not subject either of them to a marriage based on one-sided affections. Such a circumstance would be just as difficult for her as for him. No, he could not marry her if she did not love him.

He looked up from his troublesome ruminations in time to see a young lady exit the door of his brother's house and descend the steps. If he had not recognized her profile immediately, he would have been able to tell from the decided lack of feathers in her headdress that she was not one of his sisters. He gasped when he saw her; and as she turned away from him to walk down the street, he quickened his stride and was soon by her side. "Miss Bennet."

She stopped in her tracks and looked at the gentleman whose voice she knew so well, "Mr. Bingley," she exclaimed as she blushed becomingly.

Bingley smiled, and despite his firm reliance on his friend's opinions, he could not help but notice the rosy hue that his address had brought to her face. That blush was certainly not due to indifference, and he was certainly not imagining her embarrassment. "What a pleasure it is to see you here, I had no idea you were in town. How long have you been here?"

"About two weeks. I am not surprised that you were unaware of my being in town. I just learned from Miss Bingley, that my letter containing that information never reached her."

"You have been to see my sisters?"

"Yes, I just left them a moment ago, it seems they are going out."

"Yes, they were planning to go out with me." Then he realized Jane had probably been trying to avoid him, by leaving before he arrived, until she spoke again.

"They were expecting you?"

He was surprised that she had not known he was expected. "Yes, did they not mention that I should arrive at any moment?"

"No, they did not, in fact they were quite certain they would not see you at all today. Perhaps there was some mistake."

"I see," he replied, pleased that his earlier conjecture had been wrong, but wondering about the apparent deceitfulness of his sisters - for he was certain there could be no mistake. "May I escort you to your destination, Miss Bennet?"

"Are not your sisters awaiting your arrival?"

"Yes, but I am sure a few more moments will do no harm. Now, where are you walking to?"

"I am to meet my aunt just three blocks from here. She is visiting a friend nearby, so I took the opportunity to call on your sisters."

"I believe my sisters told me you had an aunt and uncle who live in town. Are you staying with them?"

"Yes, in Gracechurch Street."

"How long will you be staying in town?"

"Until May."

"And how are your family? I hope they are well."

"Yes, they are quite well, I thank you. I understand that you have been staying with Mr. Darcy and that you are spending quite a bit of time with him and his sister. I hope they are well. Please give Mr. Darcy my regards."

"Thank you, they are quite well. Perhaps you will have the opportunity to meet Miss Darcy while you are in town. I believe you would like her."

Jane immediately comprehended that by seeing Miss Darcy with Mr. Bingley she could discern whether there was any real attachment between them. Though such a circumstance might bring her pain, she was anxious to make the acquaintance of the young lady. "Perhaps," she said.

They walked on for a few moments, talking amiably, Jane answering Bingley's questions regarding their acquaintance in Hertfordshire. Finally, Jane stopped in front of a house and said, "this is where my aunt is visiting. Thank you for walking with me."

"It was my pleasure Miss Bennet. I would like to call on you, perhaps tomorrow, at your uncle's house -- if that would be acceptable to you."

Jane was caught by surprise, and a pink hue again graced her features. "Of course," she replied, and gave him the direction of her uncle's home.

"Thank you."

She only waited a few moments at the home of her aunt's acquaintance and soon they were in a carriage on the way back to Gracechurch Street, on the other side of town. Jane immediately told her aunt of her meeting with Mr. Bingley and of his professed intention of calling the following morning.

Mrs. Gardiner was pleased, but she was wary. She quickly recognized that Mr. Bingley's sisters had been deceitful in failing to mention that their brother was to arrive, and she began to suspect the veracity of Miss Bingley's claim that she had never received Jane's letter. When they arrived home, Jane immediately wrote to Elizabeth, telling her all about her meeting with Bingley. Mrs. Gardiner felt that any courtship between Mr. Bingley and Jane might be met with adversity by his sisters. Thus, she wrote a letter as well:

My Dear Lizzy,

I am sure you know from your sister's letter that Jane encountered Mr. Bingley in town today as she was coming out of his brother's house after visiting his sisters. I believe their meeting went well; indeed, he walked with her to her destination. Her spirits have been visibly improved since then. She has told me that he promised to call on her here, tomorrow morning.

I know that your mother tends to exaggeration, but I cannot help but think of her reports of how this young man used Jane so very ill. I have myself been witness to Jane's low spirits this past month, and I recall very well that you yourself had attributed it to a broken heart. And, I think there may be something more, that even Mrs. Bennet does not comprehend. I suspect that Mr. Bingley's sisters may not be pleased to learn of the reunion between their brother and my niece. I recall you telling me of your suspicions that they did not approve the match. From what Jane has said, it seems that they did not tell her that Mr. Bingley was to arrive at the house at any moment, but instead informed her they would not see him at all today and rushed her out. I cannot help but believe this was done on purpose to avoid a meeting between them. I hope Jane tells you more in her letter about her visit with Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst as she has hardly spoken a word of it to me.

I am now more than ever inclined to share your suspicion that Mr. Bingley's sisters had something to do with his staying away from Hertfordshire this winter. If Mr. Bingley is in earnest about renewing his acquaintance with Jane, I am wary that his sisters may again attempt to thwart his efforts. From what you have told me, their mutual attachment is genuine, and though I am concerned that Bingley may again prove inconstant, I desire Jane's happiness.

I believe your presence here would be a great comfort to her during this time of uncertainty. I know that she takes you into her confidence, at least more than she does me, and that she relies on your judgment. I believe you may have a more accurate understanding of Mr. Bingley's sisters than she does. For these reasons, I hope you will join us sooner than you had planned. If you come up to town next week, Sir William Lucas will still be able to collect you here on his way to Kent in March, according to the original plan. I think it might also be good for you to get away from Longbourn sooner.

I hope to see you here soon after your next letter.

Affectionately,
M. Gardiner

That evening when Bingley returned to Darcy's house for dinner, his friend noted that he was in a good humor for the first time since their departure from Hertfordshire. Darcy viewed it as a hopeful sign that his own spirits might soon recover from a similar depression. He had been confident that his fancy for Miss Elizabeth would pass as soon as he was away from her, but he found that he thought of her quite constantly, and he regretted her lack of connections and her family's ill behavior more each day. But, being the reserved and fastidious gentleman that he was, he continued to persist in his endeavors to forget her, certain of his eventual success.

When the gentlemen were alone after dinner, Darcy observed curiously, "you are in a very good mood, Bingley."

Bingley was a bit hesitant to mention his encounter with Miss Bennet to Darcy, knowing his friend's objections to a match with her, but he said, "I am happy for a reason, Darcy. I ran into Miss Bennet today. She is in town."

Darcy was astonished. The first thought that occurred to him was whether Elizabeth was with her. "I see," was all he could say. The source of Bingley's happiness did not bode well for Darcy's hopes that he might experience a similar recovery of spirits - at least so long as he harboured any desire to repress the urges of his heart.

"She visited my sisters this morning, and they were expecting me at any moment, but did not tell her so. It seems, instead, that they rushed her out of the house." He paused, then continued, "I saw her on her way out just as I was about to go in. I plan to call on her tomorrow."

"Do you think that is wise, Bingley?"

"The wisdom of it is beginning to affect me less. I have not been able to stop thinking about her for two months, without even having seen her during that time. You say I have been in love many times, but my feelings have never lasted this long, nor endured in the prolonged absence of their object. I have never felt so strongly about a woman before, and I am beginning to believe that if she does not return my affections then I would rather try to win hers than give up altogether. You cannot imagine what I felt at seeing her today." Darcy was certain he could well imagine it. "I was delighted. Nothing else mattered, but that she was there, in front of me." Darcy was able to understand his friend's feelings. "I realized that I might be giving up my chance at happiness for considerations that seem inconsequential in comparison. I believe there may be a chance she does return my feelings, in spite of your strong conviction to the contrary; and I must find out. I was hoping that you might come with me to call on her, so that you might have another chance to judge for yourself."

Darcy's urge to consent to accompany his friend was strong. Just the chance of possibly seeing Elizabeth was so compelling that he could scarcely stop himself from agreeing to go at that moment. However, he considered his friend's circumstances and his own. It would do no good for either of them to nurture their inappropriate attachments. "Bingley, I do not think that it is wise for you to see her again. Such an event can only make matters worse."

Bingley put his hand up to forestall his friend's speech. "Darcy, I am quite determined to see her tomorrow. I already told her I would call, and I cannot go back on my word. I hope that you will come with me, and that your observation of her tomorrow might lead you to judge differently about her feelings. When I saw her today, I was sure I saw something of regard for me in her look."

Darcy sighed heavily. He knew he should avoid the possibility of any contact with Elizabeth, but he felt he should be with Bingley for his meeting with Miss Bennet. He tried to believe that the latter was not merely an excuse to ignore the former. "If you are so determined, I cannot allow you to go alone. I have no engagements tomorrow morning. I will accompany you." Darcy was surprised to hear himself agree to make a call in such a part of town, but he told himself that he must be there for Bingley, to confirm his previous opinion that Miss Bennet did not love him and dissuade him, once again, from making an unsuitable marriage. He could not deny, however, that at the forefront of his mind was the possibility that Elizabeth might be there. The prospect of possibly seeing her again on the morrow was overwhelming, and kept him awake most of the night.

The next morning, Darcy approached the steps to the Gardiner home in Gracechurch Street with no small amount of anxiety. The idea that Elizabeth might be within affected him more than he had expected, and he felt he had to steel himself against her charms. In the back of his mind also resided objections to the neighborhood and the unfashionable merchant whose society they now sought. A merchant, moreover, who was Mrs. Bennet's brother. Darcy fully expected an enthusiastic welcome as well as hints and urges for his friend to pursue Miss Bennet, much akin to those he had unwillingly borne witness to in Hertfordshire. His pride revolted against such associations and he hoped whatever Mr. Bingley's meeting with Miss Bennet brought, it would not be an ongoing association, on Darcy's own part, with his inferiors. When the door was opened, Mr. Bingley asked for Mr. Gardiner as they were not yet acquainted with the gentleman of the house. They were shown into a small office, and announced to Mr. Edward Gardiner. The gentlemen introduced themselves, and Bingley explained the purpose of their visit.

"Mr. Gardiner," he began, "we were acquainted with your niece, Miss Bennet when we were recently in Hertfordshire. She had developed a friendship with my sisters and I saw her yesterday leaving my brother's house, as she had been visiting with them. I promised to call on her today, and hope to visit with her after making your acquaintance."

Mr. Gardiner eyed Bingley carefully then said, "my sister, Mrs. Bennet, and my nieces have spoken of you, Mr. Bingley, and of your friend," he added nodding to Darcy. "I understand that you quit the country for town rather suddenly last autumn."

Darcy's interest was awakened. He recognized that Mr. Gardiner must have learned of Bingley's unforeseen removal from the neighborhood just at a time when everyone expected him to become engaged, in fact he had little doubt that Mrs. Bennet would have made this perfectly clear. That knowledge now compelled Mr. Gardiner to subtly extract an explanation from Bingley. Mr. Gardiner was obviously very astute; and though Mr. Darcy did not realize it at present, the merchant had just won his respect. This may have had much to do with the fact that Darcy himself had a beloved young lady under his protection. Darcy was pleased, though surprised, to see that in spite of the great advantage Miss Bennet would receive from the match, her uncle was apparently attempting to protect her from insincere attentions rather than encouraging those attentions, in the hope of gaining a rich relation, without a thought of the cost to his niece.

Bingley did not read quite so much into Mr. Gardiner's comment. He merely replied, "I had some business in town that I expected to take a few days, but the rest of my party followed me almost immediately. It seems that my sisters wished to settle in for the season a bit early. I deeply regretted losing the society I had so enjoyed in Hertfordshire, but I was very pleased to renew my acquaintance with Miss Bennet yesterday."

This seemed good enough for Mr. Gardiner, at least for the present. "Then, shall we join the ladies?"

As they rose to enter the drawing room, Darcy again began to feel anxious about the possibility of meeting Elizabeth. He was profoundly disappointed when he entered the room to find only two ladies there, but he did not lose hope that she might yet be in the house. Mr. Gardiner introduced the gentlemen to his wife, and they greeted Miss Bennet with the usual civilities. Miss Bennet's blush and glowing smile did not escape Darcy's notice, nor did the exchanged look between the Gardiners upon witnessing the meeting of their niece and his friend. The latter, of course, could be easily explained away by the fact that the Gardiners' view on the matter must be influenced by news from Mrs. Bennet.

As he and Bingley sat down, Darcy resolved to concentrate on the task at hand -- determining the feelings of the young lady before him. Soon after, every lingering hope of seeing Elizabeth was dashed when, upon Bingley's inquiry, Miss Bennet revealed that Elizabeth was in good health at Longbourn along with her parents and other sisters. He was surprised by his own reaction to the news. He felt something beyond disappointment -- he was saddened. Only then did he realize that he had given little thought to the possibility that she might not be there. He told himself his expectation had been rational given the strong attachment between the two sisters, but he knew it had been due more to his desire to see her than anything else. Nevertheless, he scolded himself for not realizing that if Elizabeth had been in town, surely she would have visited Bingley's sisters with Miss Bennet.

At first Darcy behaved in his usual reserved manner, speaking little and concentrating on observing Miss Bennet. But as Bingley and Jane continued to speak about Netherfield's neighbors, the latter soon mentioned that her friend, Miss Lucas, had recently married Mr. Collins, and Mr. Darcy was moved to divulge his prior knowledge of the information from his aunt and Mr. Collins' patroness, Lady Catherine DeBourgh.

As the visit progressed, Darcy watched Miss Bennet carefully and noted that the Gardiners seemed to be watching Bingley in the same way. They were doing the same as himself - they seemed as intent on determining the gentleman's feelings as he himself was upon observing Miss Bennet's. Darcy realized that this could only mean that at least they believed Miss Bennet cared for Bingley. All the while, Darcy hoped that Elizabeth might be mentioned again, that he might hear more news of her, but nothing further was said of her as the conversation turned to the many diversions to be found in London. The earlier news that she was well and at Longbourn was hardly enough to satisfy Darcy, but what more could he expect? These meditations naturally led to reproaching himself for his weakness.

Returning his attention to Miss Bennet, Darcy noted that she seemed very pleased in Bingley's presence. He watched her carefully, cataloguing her looks, her smiles, and her blushes. She was certainly affected by Bingley's presence. She did not have the same look in her eyes when she addressed himself as when she spoke to Bingley. Yet, her countenance was so serene. She did not demonstrate any of those signs he was so accustomed to seeing from ladies who were in the habit of making their admiration known. She spoke to everyone in the room, and did not focus her attention solely on Bingley. She did not flatter him and she did not attempt to gain his notice. She was everything that was pleasant and civil, but there seemed to be an edge to her that he hadn't noticed in the past, something akin to anxiety, but barely perceptible. He decided he would reserve his judgment. One visit of half an hour was hardly enough time to gauge a woman's heart sufficiently to overcome his prior conviction which was formed over an acquaintance of several weeks. Upon deciding that he would reserve judgment, and thus coming to a conclusion regarding his purpose for today's visit, he congratulated himself on having been able to focus his attention on Miss Bennet and having gone a full ten minutes without Elizabeth being at the forefront of his mind. During the remainder of the visit, as he conversed amiably with the Gardiners, he also continued to watch Miss Bennet, not only as a service to his friend, but to discern in her looks and mannerisms any resemblance to her sister.

While Jane and Bingley conversed primarily with one another, Darcy was eventually drawn out of his reticence by the lady of the house. Mrs. Gardiner had initiated a conversation with him by asking about his home in Derbyshire and explaining her own connection to the very neighborhood in which his home was situated. Darcy found her sincerity and warmth endearing and was soon conversing easily with her, quite forgetting that she was beneath his notice. He learned that she had spent some years in Lambton, and she spoke affectionately of his home county, a circumstance that could only win his favor. Her husband soon joined their conversation, and Darcy was pleased to note that his address was marked by sense and intelligence, and he was a well-informed man with good conversation. Darcy realized that these people, though not fashionable, were pleasant and respectable, and he was surprised to acknowledge to himself that he enjoyed their company. Though Mr. Gardiner was in trade, his manners were not coarse, and his conversation was interesting. Mrs. Gardiner proved to be well bred and in possession of a natural elegance that perhaps surpassed the affected refinement of ladies to whose company he was more accustomed. The house, though modest, was tastefully furnished and well kept. The servants were respectful and accommodating, and their appearance was tidy. He could find fault in nothing.

As the subject of commonality between Mrs. Gardiner and Mr. Darcy was canvassed, and once they had discussed a few mutual acquaintances in Lambton, Mrs. Gardiner observed, "I also had the pleasure of meeting another gentleman from the area while I was in Hertfordshire, one who claimed a particular acquaintance with you, sir, a Mr. Wickham." Darcy's countenance immediately changed, and although Mrs. Gardiner was aware of what Wickham had said about Darcy's dealings with him, she was curious to see what the man before her had to say on the subject. Thus, she continued, "I found him very agreeable, he is well liked by everyone." She was startled by her companion's sharp reaction when she added, "Lizzy is particularly fond of him." His interested but troubled expression intrigued her.

Darcy wondered what Mrs. Gardiner could mean by 'particularly fond?' He longed to ask questions, to learn more about this apparent attachment between his beloved and his worst enemy. But, as he could not respond in the manner that he wished, he instead said, "I no longer associate with Mr. Wickham, Madame."

Mrs. Gardiner, however, was not willing to let the subject drop. "I understand that his father was steward to your father, and that the two of you were raised together rather closely."

Darcy was quickly beginning to lose his patience with Mrs. Gardiner. He was in no humor at present to provide her with information to gossip about with her friends. But then it occurred to him that perhaps the purpose of her inquiries was to protect Elizabeth. She had said Elizabeth was fond of Wickham; perhaps the attachment was a serious one. Perhaps she was merely seeking further information on the man who had attracted her niece. He felt he must do what he could to get information to Elizabeth about Wickham's true character, and if Mrs. Gardiner was to be the conduit, then so be it. "Yes, his father was an excellent man. However, George Wickham has turned out to be quite a disappointment. He is not of good character, Madame, and I would urge you to counsel your niece to take care in her dealings with him."

Mrs. Gardiner appeared surprised, but could see that she was not going to get any further details of Wickham's character from her companion. She wondered at Mr. Darcy's expectation that she believe him over Wickham who had said the exact same thing about Darcy. "I see," she replied, "I had no idea." After noting Darcy's earlier response to the mention of Elizabeth, Mrs. Gardiner sought to change the subject from Mr. Wickham to Lizzy, to gauge Darcy's reaction. "I will be sure to mention what you have said to Elizabeth, though I am not sure she will be surprised"

Darcy again could not hide his interest from the scrutiny of his companion. Perhaps Elizabeth had heeded his words during their dance at Netherfield. "She is already acquainted with the faults in his character, then?" he asked hopefully.

Mrs. Gardiner replied, "I meant only that she would not be surprised to hear that you do not think well of him."

This left Darcy with much to ponder. He was relieved to note that a half-hour had passed and after a few more moments he found an appropriate time to remind his friend that they should be going. The two gentlemen thus departed, with a promise to call again in a few days.

Bingley was in high spirits as they left the house and spoke with great enthusiasm of his hopes for the next visit. "You will come with me again next time, will you not, Darcy?"

Though he knew Elizabeth would not be present, Darcy determined to accompany his friend again, to further observe Miss Bennet.

Upon receiving this favorable reply Bingley implored his friend to give his opinions on this visit. Darcy explained that he could not make a judgment without further observation of the lady in question.

That evening, the Darcys were engaged to dine in Grosvenor Square. After dinner, while Georgiana was playing the pianoforte and Bingley was conversing with his brother in law, Miss Bingley took the opportunity to approach Darcy, "I must tell you who visited me yesterday."

"Miss Bennet," replied Darcy, thwarting her attempt to further the conspiratorial intimacy she fancied existed between them as a result of their previous similarity of opinion as to Miss Bennet's suitability for Bingley.

She was surprised, "how did you know?"

"Bingley met her on her way out of this house. He walked with her to meet her aunt and he called on her this morning."

Miss Bingley was obviously astonished. "Oh my," she said with alarm, bringing her hand to her chest, "this is an unhappy development."

"I went with him," added Darcy.

"Oh, thank goodness," she said, visibly relieved. "I take it, then, that you spoke to him about her again."

"Yes, we spoke."

"So he will not be seeing her anymore?"

"To the contrary, we will be calling on her again in a few days."

"At the home of her aunt and uncle, near Cheapside?" asked Miss Bingley, obviously indignant that Darcy would allow her brother to continue to forward such acquaintances.

"Yes."

"And pray, how did you find them? Dare I hope they were more refined than her relations in Meryton?"

"They were very pleasant."

"Indeed? I am all astonishment. And pray did Miss Bennet have news of your Miss Eliza?"

"Miss Bennet assured us that all her family are well," he said evenly, "but I am sure you already knew as much from your visit with her yesterday." He then picked up a book in an effort to foreclose further conversation.

Over the next few days, Mr. Darcy had the opportunity to review his visit to the Gardiner home in light of his own feelings. He recollected his disappointment that Elizabeth had not been present and, though he acknowledged that he would have enjoyed her company, he concluded that it was for the best, for both of them, that she had been absent. Darcy was relieved that he had not been placed in further danger by being in company with her; and for Elizabeth's part, it would not do for her to discern any further sign of his admiration; otherwise, she might suffer from disappointment. He schooled himself to be pleased that she was not in London, in spite of the yearning within him to see her again that was increased by his short-lived expectation that he would encounter her on his visit to Gracechurch Street, as well as by having been in company with her sister.

Darcy also could not help dwelling on Mrs. Gardiner's hints regarding Elizabeth's intimacy with Mr. Wickham. Why had she not heeded his warning at the Netherfield ball? Perhaps he should have said more to reveal Wickham's true nature, but that was an issue that he preferred to remain untouched. In the end, Darcy determined that, since it was Wickham's avarice which motivated him and since Elizabeth had no fortune, she could not be in any real danger from him -- other than what might result from the extent of her own feelings when she would finally realize that they were not returned. The thought of Elizabeth's heart being broken was not comforting, and the thought that Mr. Wickham might have the power to break it was even less so, not only because he was wholly unworthy of her but because of Darcy's own personal unsavory associations with him. But Darcy was able to find some consolation in his conviction that Elizabeth was safe from any real harm from Wickham.

Elizabeth arrived at Gracechurch Street on the third day after the gentlemen had visited. Mrs. Gardiner had not informed Jane that she was expected, and Jane was pleasantly surprised. The sisters were delighted to be reunited, and Jane recounted everything about Mr. Bingley's visit to Elizabeth, whose greatest shock in the whole business resulted from learning that Mr. Darcy had called with his friend at Gracechurch Street.

After she had discussed as much as Jane would allow regarding Mr. Bingley, Elizabeth expressed her astonishment that Mr. Darcy had accompanied him, though she secretly wondered whether his purpose in coming had been to preserve his friend from the dangers of an attachment he deemed imprudent. Whether Mr. Darcy desired a match between Mr. Bingley and his sister as much as Bingley's sisters desired it, she could not speculate on with any degree of certainty. "I can scarcely believe that Mr. Darcy came here," said she.

"Indeed he did," replied Jane. "He spoke to our aunt of Derbyshire, for a good part of the visit. The town where she used to live is located but five miles from his estate."

Elizabeth turned to her aunt and said, "I cannot imagine that he talked very much about anything. I believe you must have spoken for the greater part of the conversation while he replied only as little as civility would require."

"Actually," said Mrs. Gardiner, "he was very agreeable, even amiable. He seemed genuinely interested in my associations in Derbyshire. I must say, Lizzy, that while there was some degree of pride in his demeanor, I did not find it offensive in the least. I saw nothing in him of the extreme haughtiness and arrogance that you described. At first, I admit that he was very reserved, but as we spoke of places and people known to him he became easier in our company."

Elizabeth was further astonished by these revelations. She then recalled Mr. Wickham's words regarding his childhood companion, "Mr. Darcy can please where he chooses. He does not want abilities. He can be a conversable companion if he thinks it worth his while." Yet, she could think of no reason that Darcy would consider it worth his while to be agreeable to Mrs. Gardiner.

Elizabeth was surprised when Mrs. Gardiner continued by saying, "That is, until I mentioned Mr. Wickham."

"I do not imagine that is a subject about which he was particularly inclined to talk," replied Lizzy.

"At first he became completely silent when I mentioned Mr. Wickham. Then he spoke only to inform me that he no longer associated with him. I pressed him further, and after some hesitation he explained that Mr. Wickham's character was deficient."

"And do you not think it was rather presumptuous of him to expect you to believe his account of the situation and to discard Mr. Wickham's?"

"Yes, I did at the time."

"And having met both gentlemen, are you not more inclined to believe Mr. Wickham's word than Mr. Darcy's?"

"I do not see why I should believe either one of them over the other. Mr. Wickham was very friendly and engaging to be sure, but I found nothing objectionable in Mr. Darcy's manner."

"I think the details that Mr. Wickham gave in support of his account of their prior dealings leave little room for doubt. I do not suppose Mr. Darcy said anything more about the matter?"

"Not in the way of details regarding the history of their association. However, I mentioned your friendship with Mr. Wickham, and Mr. Darcy suggested that I advise you to take care in your dealings with him. He also expressed a hope that you might be already acquainted with Mr. Wickham's faults."

"If Mr. Wickham is of such a bad character, I wonder that Mr. Darcy might hope I would have occasion to learn of his faults through my associations with him."

"I do not believe he hoped you had been injured by Mr. Wickham, Lizzy, only that you might have cause to understand that his character was of questionable value."

"He did say to me once that though Mr. Wickham was able to make friends easily, his ability to keep them was doubtful. But Mr. Darcy could hardly be expected to speak kindly of Mr. Wickham after the abominable way in which he treated him."

"He did seem genuinely concerned for your welfare, Lizzy."

Elizabeth laughed at this observation. "Well, neither he nor you have anything to fear on my account as far as Mr. Wickham is concerned. His attentions to me have subsided. He is the admirer of another. He has been making himself agreeable to Miss King for the past fortnight, which is a rather prudent change of heart for him as she has recently inherited ten thousand pounds. I expect that they will soon be engaged and probably married before my return home."

At this point Jane rejoined the conversation, saying with concern, "I hope you have not been too much affected by the transfer of his attentions."

"Not at all. I am perfectly convinced that I have never been much in love, for had I really experienced that pure and elevating passion, I should at present detest his very name, and wish him all manner of evil. But my feelings are not only cordial towards him; they are even impartial towards Miss King. I cannot find out that I hate her at all, or that I am in the least unwilling to think her a very good sort of girl. There can be no love in all this."

Jane smiled at her sister's teasing manner. She considered that in her own situation, when she had thought Mr. Bingley had shifted his attentions to Miss Darcy, she too had not been able to think ill of the girl, though she knew that she was very much in love with Mr. Bingley. But her sister did not seem at all unhappy about Wickham's transfer of affection and the fact that Elizabeth could speak so lightly of it was enough to satisfy Jane that she was unaffected. "I am happy to hear that you do not suffer the loss of his attention; and to see that your attachment was not so great as to cause you pain when it occurred."

"Indeed, Jane, how could I have formed any sort of strong attachment to him when I was so wisely counseled regarding the imprudence of such a match?" Then turning to her aunt, Elizabeth said, "So you see, Aunt, my watchfulness has been effectual; and though I should certainly be a more interesting object to you both, and indeed to all my acquaintances, were I distractedly in love with him, I cannot say that I regret my comparative insignificance. Importance may sometimes be purchased too dearly."

"Some forms of importance are less desirable than others, Lizzy," admonished Mrs. Gardiner.

"Yet, not all young ladies are wise enough to distinguish among them. I fear that Kitty and Lydia take Mr. Wickham's defection much more to heart than I do. They are young in the ways of the world and not yet open to the mortifying conviction that handsome young men must have something to live on as well as the plain." After thinking for a moment, Elizabeth added, "though I cannot so easily account for my mother's failure to see the prudence of his choice. She is nearly as disappointed as they are."

As Mrs. Gardiner had no inclination to comment on Mrs. Bennet's view of Mr. Wickham's preferences, she instead attempted to rally her niece on Wickham's desertion , and complimented her on bearing it so well. Mrs. Gardiner, though, was a bit unsettled by Darcy's comments about Wickham, and added, "But my dear Elizabeth, what sort of girl is Miss King? I should be sorry to think our friend mercenary."

"Pray, my dear aunt, what is the difference in matrimonial affairs, between the mercenary and the prudent motive? Where does discretion end and avarice begin? Last Christmas you were afraid of his marrying me, because it would be imprudent; and now, because he is trying to get a girl with only ten thousand pounds, you want to find out that he is mercenary."

"If you will only tell me what sort of girl Miss King is, I shall know what to think."

"She is a very good kind of girl, I believe. I know no harm of her."

"But he paid her not the smallest attention till her grandfather's death made her mistress of this fortune."

"No - why should he? If it were not allowable for him to gain my affections because I had no money, what occasion could there be for making love to a girl whom he did not care about, and who was equally poor?"

"But there seems indelicacy in directing his attentions towards her so soon after this event."

"A man in distressed circumstances has not time for all those elegant decorums which other people may observe. If she does not object to it, why should we?"

"Her not objecting does not justify him. It only shows her being deficient in something herself - sense or feeling. And as for his circumstances, I do not know that they are so distressed. What is it that makes them so, that he had an expectation of something better? Had he never known the Darcys or had he not been raised to expect the continued friendship of Mr. Darcy, he would likely be in the same circumstances, but would his behavior to Miss King then be less acceptable?"

"Well," cried Elizabeth, "have it as you choose. He shall be mercenary and she shall be foolish."

"No, Lizzy, that is what I do not choose. I should be sorry, you know, to think ill of a young man who has lived so long in Derbyshire."

"Oh! If that is all, I have a very poor opinion of young men who live in Derbyshire!"

At this point, Jane interceded again, "Lizzy, I do not think Mr. Darcy is as bad as you believe him to be."

Elizabeth had no desire to quarrel with Jane and, thus, she turned the conversation to a more agreeable topic, namely speculation of when Mr. Bingley might call again. Elizabeth privately hoped that his sisters and possibly his friend would not convince him to stay away from Jane, as they had previously done.

All speculation was put to rest the following morning when the gentlemen paid the much anticipated visit. Mr. Bingley had prevailed upon his sisters to join him, as he was eager for them to resume their friendship with his beloved. Mr. Darcy now felt that his duties were increased. Not only was he to watch Miss Bennet in the hope of discerning her feelings, but he felt he should protect his friend from further interference from his sisters.

He wondered to himself at the change in his position with respect to the whole business. Not two months ago he had given Bingley's sisters every assistance in separating their brother from Miss Bennet. He had been the principal spokesman in convincing his friend not to return to her and it was his argument that had prevailed in the end. Now, though, he had promised his friend that he would renew his observations and he felt bound by that promise to prevent any further interference from the sisters until he had made his judgment and advised Bingley of his opinion regarding the young lady's feelings.

Darcy approached the house with greater ease on this second visit, confident in the certainty that Elizabeth would not be there, but not without the hope of learning more of her. For all his thoughts on Bingley's situation he had not been successful in remembering to forget about Elizabeth. There was something about being here, in this house, with relatives he knew her to be fond of and who clearly loved her so dearly, that brought comfort to the emptiness his heart had felt since losing her company.

Upon arriving at the house, the four visitors were promptly shown into the drawing room and admitted to the company of Mrs. Gardiner and Miss Bennet. Greetings were exchanged all around and Mrs. Gardiner was particularly pleased to see Bingley's sisters. Their presence, though perhaps not indicative of the sincerity of their own affection for her niece, at least showed that Mr. Bingley felt it was important for them to join in the visit. For it was quite evident from their affected cordiality that their attendance must be due to his influence. Mr. Darcy's presence, too, was of some interest. She could not help but wonder why he had returned, unless it was to continue his observations of Miss Bennet. As for her own observations in that quarter, she had seen enough in Mr. Bingley's manner already to be assured of the violence of his affections towards Jane and could direct her attention towards another without concern. Indeed, her last conversation with Mr. Darcy had made him an object of interest with respect to a different niece altogether. She acknowledged to herself that his reaction to her mention of Elizabeth the other day might signify nothing, but she would watch him carefully, nonetheless.

One thing could be said for Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst: in spite of their apparent disdain for their current company, they were fashionable women, well-educated in drawing room decorum and, accordingly, there was no want for conversation. Mr. Darcy was silent as the ladies discussed their various acquaintances and the latest fashions. He noticed Miss Bingley's attempts to inject his sister into the conversation as much as possible. Eventually the talk turned to the subject of Jane's friends and family in Hertfordshire.

"I hope your sisters are all finding sufficient entertainment at home, dear Jane," began Miss Bingley, "I am certain that, between them, they must have captured the admiration of all the officers." Mrs. Gardiner noticed her sideways glance to Mr. Darcy as she added, "particularly your sister, Miss Elizabeth. What with her fine eyes and pretty face, her beaux must be too numerous to count. And what a comfort it would be for your mother to have her well settled."

Mrs. Gardiner perceived that Mr. Darcy seemed a bit uncomfortable. But before Jane could answer, the door to the drawing room opened, and the very object of their discourse entered the room. Mrs. Gardiner continued to watch Mr. Darcy carefully as a variety of emotions, not the least of which were surprise and delight, crossed his features.

Darcy was indeed caught by surprise. And, being wholly unprepared to see Elizabeth again, he had no opportunity to school his features to indifference. He could only pray that she would not notice his reaction. He had turned towards the opening door, as did all the others in the room (except for Mrs. Gardiner) and when she entered his eyes were immediately arrested by her. He could scarcely move from surprise. He had not the time at present to examine or even acknowledge the tumult of feelings that swelled in his breast. He caught his breath and composed himself as best he could while she greeted the other visitors. Her subsequent acknowledgment of his presence was civil, but was lacking in the warmth with which she had addressed Bingley. The brief moment that Darcy had Elizabeth's attention on himself produced the only real smile Mrs. Gardiner had ever seen on his face.

At last everyone resumed their positions, Elizabeth taking a seat next to her sister. Darcy longed to know where she had been, when she had arrived in London, how her journey had been, and a great many other things, but he dared not ask. Jane provided him some relief by saying, "I hope you had a pleasant walk in the park."

"I did, thank you. It is a beautiful day."

Darcy thought to himself that she too looked beautiful. Her face was bright and rosy, and her countenance as lively and playful as ever. He could scarcely believe that he was here in the same room with her, that he was in her presence again after all he had done to separate himself from her and to forget about her, after he had been certain he would never see her again. He immediately perceived that her greatest interest was in her sister and Mr. Bingley. She was genuinely happy to see them together. He noted her expression, while she looked on at her sister and Bingley, with satisfied contentment. Darcy was touched to see how affected Elizabeth was to see her sister happy. She seemed to be glowing with joy on her sister's behalf, which in and of itself was a testament to Miss Bennet's true feelings. Elizabeth was happy, and Darcy found himself happy because of it. Nevertheless, it had not escaped his scrutiny when she swept her eyes suspiciously across Bingley's sisters, and he was more amused than surprised when she included him in her glance as well. Meanwhile, Mrs. Gardiner watched the entire scene unfold with great interest.

After the first few minutes following Elizabeth's entrance into the room, Darcy had obtained sufficient composure to behave with civility towards his hostess, who had again sought to draw him out of his reticence. Even as he carried on a conversation with Mrs. Gardiner, though, his attention was ever on Elizabeth and he was keenly aware of every nuance of her presence. He particularly noticed when she looked, with an expression of undisguised wonder, upon himself and her aunt as they conversed. He did not dare return her glance; but a few minutes later, while Mrs. Gardiner was speaking to Mrs. Hurst, he was at leisure to turn his eyes upon her again. He had not realized how intently he had been watching her until she caught his gaze. She appeared surprised, and returned a look of curiosity. He looked away immediately, but could not help smiling slightly. The ever-vigilant Mrs. Gardiner noticed the exchange.

Miraculously, in spite of his preoccupation with her sister, Darcy even remembered his object of observing Miss Bennet during the course of the visit. Her behavior on this visit matched what it had been during the last visit, but she seemed more at ease today. Darcy was again cognizant of the warmth in her eyes whenever they were turned upon his friend and it was quite obvious that Elizabeth was pleased to see the two together. Whether this was the result of some private understanding of her sister's feelings or simply a hope of seeing her sister well-settled, he could not readily determine, and he resisted drawing any conclusions about the lady's feelings. Knowing that it was his conviction in Miss Bennet's indifference that had ultimately won Bingley to the course of action Darcy preferred, perhaps, made it more difficult for him to relinquish that conviction now, in spite of the evidence before him. He could not fail to recognize, however, that Bingley would keep seeing Miss Bennet and as he did, his attachment would increase. Darcy could think of no way to remedy that situation.

For her part, Elizabeth was amazed by Mr. Darcy's civility. That he had ever called in this part of town was astonishing enough, but that he had done so for a second time, and that he was conversing amicably with her aunt, went against everything she knew about the gentleman before her. At one point she caught him watching her as he had done in Hertfordshire. She understood that he still disapproved of her and he apparently found something about her humorous as he smiled to himself when he looked away. Every ill feeling she had harbored towards him was rekindled, but the strength of the favorable impression left by his kindness towards her aunt would not be easily forgotten and she was left merely puzzled by his behavior.

Soon after this exchange, Bingley provided further relief to Darcy's curiosity by asking Elizabeth about her presence in town. She explained that she had been planning to stop in London on her way to Kent in March, and had decided to come to town early to be with Jane. When pressed further, she revealed that she planned to visit her friend, Mrs. Collins at Hunsford Parsonage. Darcy started at the revelation, but before he could say anything Bingley said, "is that not near your aunt's home, Darcy? I believe you said you planned to be visiting there at Easter. You will be there at the same time as Miss Elizabeth if that is the case."

"Indeed, you are correct, Bingley. My cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, and I will be spending three weeks at Rosings this Spring, as we do every year." He looked towards Elizabeth and added, "it appears that we will see one another there, Miss Bennet."

"I believe we will, Mr. Darcy, for my cousin has said that his home is divided from Rosings Park by only a lane," she replied archly.

Darcy smiled, "his information is very exact, I am sure." She could not help but return his smile.

"How has Mrs. Collins been since her marriage?" asked Mrs. Gardiner. Elizabeth then began a recitation of the information contained in her letters from Charlotte. Darcy was glad for the change of subject and for the respite from having to formulate words and sentences. He was grateful to have a moment just to absorb the information that Elizabeth would be at Hunsford while he was at Rosings. He mused at the coincidence that they should both be there at the same time as the realization that he would have seen her soon anyhow, even if Bingley had not encountered Miss Bennet, swept over him. Soon after this extraordinary revelation took place, it was time to leave, and Darcy was simultaneously disappointed and relieved to be going.

Chapter 4

As soon as the door was closed on the carriage leaving Gracechurch Street, Miss Bingley began to make known to her companions her disdain for the company she was leaving behind. "Oh, Louisa, it was worse than I ever imagined! The house was so shabby and the furnishings so outdated, and the servants so neglectful."

"Indeed sister, but, nevertheless, I do believe that we were waited upon by the entire household staff!"

The sisters laughed lightly and Miss Bingley continued, "and what do you think of their mistress? Mrs. Gardiner seems to fancy herself a fashionable woman."

"To be sure. She even tried to compare the style of her own gown to mine. And what do you think of all those children? To allow them free run of the house while she is entertaining company is positively uncivilized!"

"I could scarcely hide my astonishment when those children entered the room. And of course, her tea service was mismatched, and there was not even any fresh fruit. She might as well not have offered us anything at all."

As the ladies continued in this manner, the gentlemen were silent. Bingley glanced at Darcy, who knew his friend's unspoken question. For once, Darcy was glad for the presence of Bingley's sisters for he wished for some time to think of what he would tell his friend about his observations of Miss Bennet. Bingley, however, could not remain silent for long, once the ladies began to speak of Jane.

Miss Bingley said, "even Jane looked rather plain today. I could not recall, upon seeing her again, why I had thought her to be so pretty once. Do not you agree, sister?"

"Oh yes, Caroline, I am quite of your mind. I do not believe her looks are in any way extraordinary."

It was here that Bingley interjected, "I thought she looked very well. In fact, she looked prettier today than I have ever seen her."

"How can you say so, Charles?" asked Miss Bingley, incredulously. "She appeared quite drawn and pale to me and it was obvious that she took no special care in her appearance today. What do you think, Mr. Darcy?"

Mr. Darcy had been hoping that he would not be drawn into the discussion. He replied, "I thought she appeared the same as ever." Bingley's dejected reaction - obviously believing this pronouncement was Darcy's answer to his unspoken question - did not escape his notice.

Mrs. Hurst then added, "I also thought her reception of us all was rather cold and distant."

"I must agree," said Miss Bingley. "I am sure she only called on us a few days ago out of a sense of obligation. But I cannot say I discerned any desire on her part, either then or today, to resume our prior intimacy."

"I thought she was very friendly to all of us," countered Bingley, "particularly to the two of you."

"Oh Charles," said Miss Bingley in an exasperated tone, "you only ever see what you wish to see, which is why your judgment cannot be relied upon."

Darcy noticed Bingley glance at him, yet again, when this reprimand was delivered. The comment seemed sufficient to compel Bingley into contemplative silence.

Finding nothing more to criticize about Miss Bennet, Miss Bingley found another object. "The worst part of the whole visit, though, was having to suffer the company of Miss Eliza Bennet."

Darcy did not react. He had known the attack was imminent, and he showed no outward sign of his disdain for Miss Bingley's comments.

"Really," continued Miss Bingley, "her sudden appearance today was quite a shock. What can she mean by coming to town in such an abrupt way?"

"Do not you wonder what could have motivated the change in her plans?" asked Mrs. Hurst.

"She did seem to arrive rather soon after Miss Bennet's call on us and our brother's subsequent visit to the home of her relations with his friend."

Darcy had not yet thought to wonder why Elizabeth had come to town. He now wondered whether it could be that she decided to come only after he had called on her relatives with Bingley. He quickly calculated whether enough days had passed to allow her to receive a letter written after their visit and for her to plan the trip and then travel to London. Had Elizabeth come to town in the hope of casting herself in his way again? He recalled the last time they had been together. It had been at the Netherfield Ball, when he had danced with her. He had singled her out, and he had felt that doing so might give her a suspicion of his admiration for her. Was it possible that she was aware of his attraction to her? Did she believe that he was so much within her power that she need only put herself in his way again to elicit a proposal? Why was the thought so abhorrent to him? His answer was immediate, because he had thought she was different, that she would not reduce herself to such tactics. He did not want to believe that she might be so mercenary and so calculating, yet there were reasons enough for her to pursue a hope in that regard. The advantages of such a match would all be on her side. Was she just like all the other women he knew, after all? In spite of his wish that it were not so, however, he had to concede that a part of him received some satisfaction from the prospect that she might have come to London for him.

Meanwhile, the ladies went on talking without regard to Darcy's thoughts. "I could scarcely keep my countenance when she burst in on us so flushed from being outdoors. Surely there was no excuse - such as a sick sister - for her to appear so breathless and disheveled," said Mrs. Hurst.

"To be sure, Louisa, a girl who begins with so little in the way of natural beauty or elegance should have been taught to behave with more . . ."

'Artifice?' thought Darcy, sarcastically, as Miss Bingley searched for the right word.

" . . . delicacy," she finished.

"How can you wonder that she was never taught how to comport herself, with such parents?" asked Mrs. Hurst. The two sisters laughed as they recalled the vulgarity of Elizabeth's nearest relations.

"But perhaps," said Miss Bingley, "she exercises to add brightness to her eyes."

"She must get whatever help she can in improving her looks," agreed Mrs. Hurst.

"For my own part," rejoined Miss Bingley, "I must confess that I never could see any beauty in her. Her face is too thin; her complexion has no brilliancy; and her features are not at all handsome. Her nose wants character - there is nothing marked in its lines. Her teeth are tolerable, but not out of the common way; and as for her eyes, which have sometimes been called so fine, I never could perceive anything extraordinary in them. They have a sharp, shrewish look, which I do not like at all; and in her air altogether, there's a self-sufficiency without fashion, which is intolerable. I remember, when we first knew her in Hertfordshire, how amazed we all were to find that she was a reputed beauty; and I particularly recollect Mr. Darcy saying one night, after they had been dining at Netherfield, 'She a beauty! I should as soon call her mother a wit.'" Both ladies giggled and Miss Bingley shifted her eyes towards Darcy to add, "But afterwards she seemed to improve on you, and I believe you thought her rather pretty at one time."

Darcy was resolutely silent during the course of this speech and would not give Miss Bingley the satisfaction of any reply. But in his mind he disagreed with everything she said as she was saying it. Each point that she made about Elizabeth's deficiencies was met with contradiction in the privacy of his own thoughts.

By this time, both gentlemen were pleased that the carriage was pulling up in front of the Hurst home. They remained with the ladies only briefly, before taking their leave to return to Darcy's house.

After a few moments of silence, while they were in the carriage together, Mr. Bingley spoke of what was foremost in his mind. "You must know what I wish to ask you," he said to Darcy, "will you tell me, now, what you think of Miss Bennet's demeanor today? Surely you do not agree with my sisters' assessment of her manner."

"Bingley, you know that I believe you have chosen a very imprudent course of action in this. It is not too late to deviate from it. You have not yet done anything to engage your honor towards the young lady." Bingley said nothing. "You must consider what such an alliance will cost you. You will gain nothing by it. In fact, the consequences will be quite the opposite. Your situation would suffer a degradation by such a match -- one that would oppose all of your father's efforts in establishing your family's footing in society. Think of her connections. It is not only that she has none that would benefit you, but those she does have are of such inferiority that your position would be damaged by an association with them. You must also consider the behavior of her family. All of her nearest relations, save Miss Elizabeth, are disgraceful."

"I have considered those things. I have thought of little else since we last spoke of this matter."

"And you would still contemplate making such a choice?"

"Darcy, I love her."

Darcy said nothing for a moment, as images of Elizabeth passed unbidden before his mind's eye. He gathered his wits and said, "you have been in love before and you will be again. You must know that you will find a young lady, among your acquaintances, who is both suitable and worthy of your love."

"At this moment, I cannot imagine caring for anyone else as I do for Miss Bennet."

"I understand how you feel," Darcy replied unwittingly. "But this moment will pass and with time she will be forgotten. You will come to love another, and your present attachment will seem trifling in comparison to what you will then feel for her."

Bingley's thoughtfulness following this speech gave Darcy hope. After a few moments, however, Bingley said, "will you not tell me whether your impression of Miss Bennet's feelings has changed?"

Darcy sighed, "I can hardly say whether or not she is in love with you. It is clear that she is not displeased with your attentions. But whether that is the result of any tender feelings on her part, or simply a desire for an advantageous match, I cannot say."

"You do not think her mercenary?"

"Not for herself, perhaps, but I do believe she would marry in the interest of her family. I am sure that her mother can be relied on to offer vehement persuasion. You must know that she would be influenced by the hope of benefiting them. You have spoken yourself of her generous solicitude for her family. Indeed, she could not be blamed if she allowed herself to be thus influenced. And, though she may not love you there is certainly nothing she could object to in your person - she could find no reason there to refuse you. It would be foolish for her to turn you down just because she does not love you. What might be viewed as mercenary from your perspective might be viewed as prudent from hers. She would have no reason to reject an offer from you and every reason to accept it, whether or not she loves you. But marriage under such circumstances would not make you happy and the degradation of your family name that would likely result from such an alliance, is simply not worth the risk."

Bingley was again quiet as he thought about his friend's speech. Finally, he said, "but you believe there is a possibility that she might love me?"

"I will concede that there may be a possibility of it," said Darcy, grudgingly, "but I hope you will give serious consideration to the many disadvantages that must be attendant upon such an union."

Bingley gave his friend the assurance he asked for as they arrived at Darcy's house.

Meanwhile at Gracechurch Street, after Mr. Bingley and his party had left, Jane and Elizabeth were able to speak privately about the visit. "I told you he still loves you Jane," said Elizabeth, "although I am not fully satisfied as to why he did not return to Netherfield."

"I am not so certain of his feelings as you seem to be, Lizzy."

Elizabeth took her sister's hand. "I know it must be difficult, Jane, to trust that he will not repeat his prior neglect of you, but I have no doubt that he loves you. He seems inclined now to act on his feelings, but I cannot explain his prior failure to do so, except that I am convinced his sisters persuaded him against it."

"If that is true Lizzy, then what is to prevent him from submitting again to their persuasion?"

"Perhaps a little encouragement from you would give him more conviction in his own feelings. Charlotte once told me that she thought you did not show your affections enough."

"I do not know what I should do. I would not wish to appear forward."

"No, of course I did not mean to suggest that you should. But Mr. Bingley seems to be so modest, I think he needs to know that you like him. Surely you can show him that without any improper display."

"Perhaps, if he calls again, I will make more of an attempt to do so."

"If?" laughed Elizabeth. "Oh Jane, you must know that he will return."

When Mrs. Gardiner came back into the room, the three women discussed the visit. Both Mrs. Gardiner and Elizabeth were happy to learn that Jane had not been fooled by the artifice of Mr. Bingley's sisters, though she was a little hurt by the realization of their insincerity. Elizabeth was amused by it, though she felt for Jane; and Mrs. Gardiner was satisfied by her belief that Mr. Bingley had brought his sisters as an offer of proof that his present addresses were genuine. The sisters had spoken compliments to Mrs. Gardiner, but had made their disapproval of their surroundings evident in their manner, belying their words. When they had taken leave, Mrs. Gardiner had given the ladies every assurance that she and her nieces would return their call in a few days time. Their displeasure with that prospect had been evident. After some conversation, the three ladies decided to call on Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley the morning after next.

With that matter resolved, Mrs. Gardiner ventured to ask Elizabeth for her impression of Mr. Darcy during this visit.

"His manners were so very altered, Aunt, I scarcely recognized him."

Mrs. Gardiner's suspicions regarding Mr. Darcy's preference for her niece heightened her desire to think well of the gentleman far beyond what it might otherwise have been. "I wonder if he is as bad as you have been led to believe," she asked Elizabeth.

"My dear Aunt, how great is your desire to not think ill of any young man from Derbyshire! But I think you will have to allow that the character of one or the other of them must be deficient. And since they are both from Derbyshire, I fear you must be disappointed in the end."

"It would seem so, but why should I believe Mr. Darcy to be at fault any more than I should believe it to be Mr. Wickham?"

"Because Mr. Wickham's manners are more open and pleasant, while Mr. Darcy is haughty, arrogant, and almost uniformly silent. Besides, Mr. Wickham gave facts and details in support of his claims and Mr. Darcy has given none. It seems that of the two of them it is Mr. Darcy who has a desire to keep the particulars of their past dealings concealed from the world, and that does not reflect well on him."

"But why should he be open with his business? He owes none of us any explanation of their history together. All I have seen is his wish to retain the privacy of his personal affairs. Indeed, I begin to wonder whether it was entirely proper for Mr. Wickham to divulge so much of his private business to you upon almost your first meeting with him."

"He felt comfortable speaking to me, I suppose, when he learned my opinion of Mr. Darcy. He was accustomed, I am sure, to his former friend being very well thought of."

"But he could have no such motivation for relating the story to me as I had never met Mr. Darcy. Indeed, you did not hold the distinction of being in his confidence for very long, for he soon shared his information with all the neighborhood.

"Yes, and you were ready enough to believe him at the time. Your own recollection that Mr. Darcy had been spoken of as a proud, ill-natured boy even when you lived in Derbyshire is further evidence in his favor. What has happened to cause you to doubt him now?"

"Simply that I have now met Mr. Darcy myself and no longer need to rely on what I have heard from others. If he was, indeed, an ill-natured boy, he has certainly changed for the better."

"I understand perfectly," said Elizabeth archly, "now that you like him, Mr. Wickham is no longer justified in exposing him."

"Perhaps you are correct and I have been influenced, by my approval of Mr. Darcy, to question Mr. Wickham's account; or perhaps I was previously influenced by Mr. Wickham's friendly, agreeable manner to overlook the impropriety of his disclosure. Do you not find it odd that he related the tale to one and all only after Mr. Darcy quitted the vicinity?"

"Is it a wonder he should have felt he could not be open about his past dealings with Mr. Darcy, while they resided in the same neighborhood? Mr. Darcy is a man of wealth and power, as he has already demonstrated to Mr. Wickham in the most painful terms."

"So it is your belief that Mr. Wickham was intimidated into silence? Was that his motivation for not sooner exposing Mr. Darcy's ill treatment of him to all the neighborhood?"

Elizabeth was about to speak in further defense of Wickham when she was struck by a memory. She paused abruptly before the words were off her tongue and after a moment of thought said instead, "actually, Mr. Wickham told me once that he would not expose Mr. Darcy out of respect for the memory of his father."

"That is singular, considering he did precisely what he had vowed not to do and for such noble reasons."

"But what does it signify?" asked Elizabeth resuming her defense of Mr. Wickham, "How often do all of us resolve upon something only to break our resolution at a later time?"

"It signifies something, I think, but I agree that it does not decide the matter. I will keep to my opinion that we have too little information upon which to judge. They each claim that the other is not of good character, yet from what I have seen of both, I have no reason to think ill of either of them. Will you not at least concede as much, Lizzy? Will you not give Mr. Darcy the benefit of the doubt?"

"What does my opinion of the matter signify? I will probably never see Mr. Wickham again, and as for Mr. Darcy, though I may have occasion to see him in the future," here she glanced at a blushing Jane, "I do not anticipate it will be very often. I do regret that he will be visiting at Rosings while I am with Charlotte. But there is nothing to be done for it. All I can hope is that he finds the residents of Hunsford Parsonage beneath his notice and, consequently, I will not be too much in company with him."

"I am sure his presence will not make your visit with Mrs. Collins less enjoyable, Lizzy."

"Oh no, I would not allow that. I am very much looking forward to seeing Charlotte - in all her domestic felicity. I have missed having her nearby. But, I know our friendship has suffered irrevocably by her marriage."

"Why should that be? She has moved far away, to be sure, but you may still enjoy the same intimacy by writing letters. Or, is it the fact that she will become mistress of Longbourn that causes you discomfort?"

"It is neither the distance she has moved nor her future position that troubles me, but her choice of husband."

"But if she is satisfied with her situation, why would you object to it?"

"Oh, you did not have the opportunity to meet Mr. Collins! He is by far the stupidest man I have ever known. That she would willingly marry him shows her to be less sensible than I had before imagined."

"Perhaps she saw something attractive in him that you did not notice."

"The only thing he had to recommend him was his independence, and it is that which attracted her. She married him only to secure herself a situation."

"Then it seems to me that you fault her for acting more sensibly than you would have liked, not less. Consider that she was a young woman of seven and twenty with neither beauty nor fortune nor even youth to recommend her. What would you have her do? At least you could live independently, though not extravagantly, on the meager fortune you will inherit from your mother, if you had to. But, she had not even that much."

"I understand the prudence of her choice, but still I cannot be easy with it."

"But this does not coincide with your approval of Mr. Wickham's pursuit of Miss King."

Elizabeth was thoughtful for a moment, then said, "but, as foolish as you would have her yesterday, Miss King is not nearly so objectionable as Mr. Collins."

"Ah," said Mrs. Gardiner, "is this, then, where you separate the prudent motive from the mercenary one - in the relative tolerability of the object? I believe we were comparing the actions of Miss Lucas and Mr. Wickham, rather than the attractiveness of Mr. Collins and Miss King. In my view, they have both attached themselves to someone with a means of providing them with financial independence, in spite of a lack of tender regard."

"I will concede that the cases are similar when you put them in such simple terms."

"Then why do you condemn one and not the other?"

Elizabeth sighed, "I can hardly say. In truth I had never thought to compare the two."

"It seems to me that the one you excuse has, perhaps, committed a greater offense. You said that Mr. Wickham has been making love to Miss King yet you are certain that he cares nothing for her. It seems, then, that he is attempting to make her love him so that she will accept his offer. But, has Charlotte ever professed to being in love? Did she flirt with Mr. Collins in an effort to make him love her?"

"No, she did not," said Elizabeth, "but that man requires no assistance in imagining himself in love where he is not. And, as neither situation concerns me directly, I shall think no more of the subject. I can promise you that I will make every effort to enjoy my time with Charlotte -- in spite of the presence of those I might wish to avoid - and if I find her happy, I will be happy for her. There, are you satisfied, dear Aunt?"

"For the present," said Mrs. Gardiner, smiling to her niece.

Over the next few days Darcy was at war with himself. Bingley had expressed his intention to call at the Gardiner home again soon and his hope that his friend would join him. The struggle of whether or not to see Elizabeth again was difficult enough, but it was compounded by his continued indecision with regard to the state of Miss Bennet's feelings and his desire to continue observing her on behalf of his friend. He knew that to continue his efforts in that quarter would give him an excuse to spend more time in Elizabeth's company, and he tried to be wary of using Bingley's situation to convince himself to see her again. However much he might wish to spend time with her, he knew it was for the best for him to stay away from her altogether, particularly if she suspected enough to cause her to come to town in the hope that their acquaintance might lead to something more. He knew he could not return to the Gardiner home now that she was there. He had formed no serious design on Elizabeth, and he knew it was impossible to form any, as much as part of him might regret that choice. If he returned to the home of her relations it might be perceived as a sign of particular regard, and he could not, in good conscience, mislead her about his intentions. He determined that there was little more he could do for Bingley in any case, and he resolved to avoid her.

On the appointed morning, Mrs. Gardiner, Jane and Elizabeth called on Mrs. Hurst and Miss. Bingley in Grosvenor Square. When they were shown into the drawing room, they were surprised to notice an unattended young woman, who could not be more than sixteen, sitting with the other two ladies. After greeting her callers herself, Mrs. Hurst introduced them to Miss Darcy, making it evident that she took no pleasure in doing so. Miss Darcy was spending the day with Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley as they were all to dine together, with their brothers, in the evening. Upon hearing the girl's name, Elizabeth immediately felt for Jane, who was a bit uneasy as she finally came face to face with the young lady who had been set up as her rival.

Miss Darcy was tall, on a larger scale than Elizabeth; and, in spite of her youth, her figure was formed, and her appearance womanly and graceful. She was less handsome than her brother, and not nearly so pretty as Jane. But there was a sense of good humour in her face, and her manners were perfectly unassuming and gentle. Elizabeth, who would have thought to find in her as acute and unembarrassed an observer as ever Mr. Darcy had been, was pleased by discerning such different feelings. Indeed, Elizabeth had fully expected Miss Darcy to be as arrogant as her brother, in accordance with Mr. Wickham's description; but the observation of a very few minutes convinced her that she was only exceedingly shy -- so much so that neither Elizabeth nor Mrs. Gardiner could elicit much more than a monosyllable from her for the first half of the visit. Elizabeth observed that though Miss Darcy shared her brother's reserved silence, she did not possess that air of haughtiness that so marked his demeanor.

Miss Darcy knew, upon hearing their name, that the Miss Bennets were acquainted with her brother. She was immediately disposed to like them based on his description of them. She had also heard them spoken of between her brother and Mr. Bingley on occasion, over the past week or so. Nevertheless, Miss Bingley felt she should acquaint Miss Darcy with the ladies' association to herself and her sister. "Georgiana, we met the Miss Bennets and their family when we were lately in Hertfordshire. Their home is but three miles from Netherfield. They have come to town to stay with their aunt, Mrs. Gardiner, in Gracechurch Street."

"Yes," replied Miss Darcy, quietly, "my brother mentioned them to me."

Elizabeth smiled to herself at what she imagined Darcy's description of her to his sister must have been. No doubt, Miss Darcy must believe she and her sister to be two of the most ill bred young ladies in the country.

"Did he?" replied Miss Bingley with interest.

"Yes," was Miss Darcy's only response.

The ensuing conversation was initiated by Mrs. Gardiner, whose endeavor to introduce some kind of discourse proved her to be more truly well-bred than either of the ladies of the house. And so the conversation was carried on between Mrs. Gardiner, Jane, Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley, with occasional help from Elizabeth. Miss Darcy looked as if she wished for courage enough to join in it; and sometimes did venture a short sentence when there was least danger of its being heard. Elizabeth was moved to make the girl feel more comfortable; and so, during a pause in the conversation, she disclosed to Miss Darcy her aunt's association with the part of the kingdom to which she belonged. Miss Darcy was pleased to learn that Mrs. Gardiner had lived in Lambton, and was perfectly content to listen to her talk of the area with great affection. As she had done with the brother, Mrs. Gardiner, gently and subtly induced the sister to be more communicative, through her animated discussion of their common love for the Derbyshire countryside. Miss Darcy was by no means chatty, but Elizabeth did notice her talking more as the conversation progressed, and she even went so far as to offer some comments of her own beyond the required responses to direct questions.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth and Jane continued to converse with Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley. The conversation was often strained and sometimes awkward, as each pair of sisters had so little in common with the other and at least one pair was wholly disinclined to further the association. Miss Bingley or Mrs. Hurst would often call on 'Dear Georgiana' to offer an opinion on some matter or another, interrupting her pleasant discourse with Mrs. Gardiner; and at least one out of every two of these exchanges involved one or the other of their brothers.

Elizabeth observed Miss Darcy carefully whenever Mr. Bingley was mentioned to discern whether she could perceive any partiality for him, and she could tell that Jane was doing the same. Elizabeth was pleased that Miss Darcy seemed to show no preference for him, but she hoped for the chance to see them together, so that she might better judge the feelings of each.

In time, Mrs. Gardiner was given to learn that Miss Darcy enjoyed walking outdoors and very much missed the grounds at Pemberley during her time in London.

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Gardiner responded, "Elizabeth is very fond of walking outdoors as well. Like you, she is not able to do so as much as she would like here in town; but when she is at home at Longbourn I dare say she takes a long walk outdoors at least once every day." Then she turned to her niece who was not occupied by conversation for the moment and added, "do you not Lizzy?"

"Yes, I do take great pleasure in walking outdoors and I attempt to do so each day. But I am sure the grounds at Longbourn are not nearly so lovely as those at Pemberley." Miss Darcy smiled. "I have heard that Pemberley is unequalled in beauty and splendor," finished Elizabeth.

Miss Darcy seemed almost embarrassed by such praise of her home and merely looked down as a slight blush tinged her cheeks.

"Miss Bingley has spoken very fondly of your home," said Elizabeth, with a hint of impertinence.

Miss Darcy looked puzzled - for although Miss Bingley had been a guest at Pemberley once, she had scarcely ventured outdoors - but she said nothing.

Elizabeth went on to tell Miss Darcy of the park near the Gardiner home, where she took her walks while in town. Miss Darcy was encouraged to speak of the park near her own home, venturing to add, "my brother walks out with me every day when he is in town."

Elizabeth could discern deep admiration and respect in Miss Darcy's expression when she mentioned her brother, and she could not help but smile. "You must enjoy having him back in town with you."

"Oh, yes," she replied. It was said quietly, but with an enthusiasm that showed the depth of her affection.

Soon after this exchange, it was time for the party from Gracechurch Street to return there. The residents of the house farewelled their visitors with greater alacrity than civility. When Miss Darcy made her curtsey to Elizabeth she blushed slightly and said in almost a whisper, "I do hope we shall meet again soon, Miss Bennet."

Elizabeth, realizing the exertion required of the girl to make such a declaration and therefore valuing it all the more, could not help but smile as she replied, "as do I, Miss Darcy."

As she entered the carriage, Elizabeth reflected with satisfaction what Mr. Darcy would think of his sister's making her acquaintance and expressing a wish to further their intimacy. She would never have imagined that his reaction to their meeting might be the exact opposite of her suspicions.

On the drive home, the three ladies talked at length about the visit. They were all in agreement that both Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley took no pleasure in their company. They also agreed that Miss Darcy was as dear a girl as ever there was. None of them could find any fault in her. They agreed that her excessive shyness would not serve her well when she entered society, and they pitied her. And, in her mind, Mrs. Gardiner was already considering how much good it would be for the girl to have just such a sister as Elizabeth.

The conversation had by Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst, following this visit, was less favorably inclined towards their visitors. Miss Darcy, however, would not participate in it, and attended her needlework most diligently.

Later that evening, after dinner, Miss Bingley found a moment to converse privately with Darcy, while his sister was at the pianoforte. "The Miss Bennets called on us today, with their aunt."

He said nothing.

"We had no choice but to introduce them to Georgiana."

Still, he did not speak.

"Surely you cannot wish for such companions for your dear sister. Now that Charles' silly fancy has gone so far as to result in Georgiana being on visiting terms with a merchant's wife from Cheapside, perhaps you will find a more effective form of intervention than you previously attempted. You must know you are the only one he will listen to."

Darcy scarcely heard a word that was spoken by his companion as he had been preoccupied with imagining how the first meeting between Elizabeth and Georgiana might have gone. He had always expected he would be there when they met, if they met. No, he could not deny that in his own mind he had always hoped they would meet; though such an expectation was in complete opposition to his resolve to avoid Elizabeth. He excused himself from Miss Bingley, without responding to anything she had said.

At the other side of town, Elizabeth and Jane finally had some time for private conversation when they had retired for the night. Jane wanted to know Elizabeth's impression of Miss Darcy, and Elizabeth repeated what she had said of the girl in the carriage. Jane agreed that Miss Darcy was everything good and sweet and amiable, and seemed genuinely pleased to find her so. "If she and Mr. Bingley do marry, I think she will make him happy."

Elizabeth could not help but smile at her sister, "oh Jane, any other woman would have been disappointed not to find the girl detestable! Does your goodness know no bounds?"

"But why should I wish him to be anything less than happy? If he chooses her, then he does not feel for me what I previously thought, and for that I cannot fault him."

"But he does feel for you, that much I know for certain. If he were to choose her, I would change my opinion as to the perfection of his character rather than as to where his affections truly lie."

"Please do not speak so Lizzy, it pains me to hear it."

"But Jane, he will not choose her. You must see that he has made every effort to preserve his acquaintance with you upon your accidental, but very fortuitous meeting a week ago. He has called on you twice since then, and from what I have seen, he is as in love with you as ever he was."

"I hope you are right, Lizzy."

"You shall see that I am, dear Jane."

The following morning was the first opportunity since the previous day's visit that Miss Darcy had for private discourse with her brother. As they walked in the park before breakfast she said, "I made some new acquaintances yesterday, while at the Hursts' home." He said nothing, so she continued, "A Mrs. Gardiner called with her nieces, two of the Miss Bennets whom you met when you were in Hertfordshire."

"How did you like them?"

"I liked them very well. Mrs. Gardiner spent many years residing in Lambton. She has a great fondness for Derbyshire. I was delighted to hear her speak of familiar places with such affection."

"And what of the Miss Bennets?"

"I found them both just as pleasant and amiable as you described them in your letters from Netherfield. I did not speak very much with Miss Bennet, but I talked to Miss Elizabeth for a few minutes. It seems she shares my love for walking outdoors."

Darcy could not repress his smile. He glanced at his sister, and noted that she wore a troubled expression. "What is it my dear?" he asked her.

"Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst said some very unkind things about all of them when they left us. They seem to feel that the Miss Bennets and Mrs. Gardiner are so inferior to themselves in station as to be unworthy of their notice. But, I knew you would not object to them on such grounds."

Darcy was speechless for a moment. He did not know what to say in response to this display of faith in him. He knew his sister held him in the very highest esteem and never before had he felt any failure in himself to measure up to her perception of him, until now.

"I do hope I have the opportunity to see them again soon," she continued.

"Perhaps you may," he replied.

Later that morning, Bingley called again at Gracechurch Street. This time, he was alone, and Elizabeth was relieved by it. The expression of his preference for Jane being now unencumbered by the presence of those who might influence his behavior, it was more evident than ever that he held her in the highest regard. Jane, too, exerted herself to be more attentive to him, without being indelicate. His pleasure in response to her behavior was obvious. By the end of the visit, even Jane had to abandon her doubts with respect to the gentleman's feelings. And, Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner watched the scene unfold with great satisfaction. Before he left the house, Mrs. Gardiner issued an invitation for him to dine with the family two nights hence. He accepted with undisguised delight and Elizabeth reflected on how much easier and pleasanter things were when Mr. Darcy did not accompany his friend.

Darcy learned from Bingley of his engagement to dine at Gracechurch Street, later that evening. He deferred all thought of it until he was alone, and affected indifference in front of his friend. In the privacy of his own room, after retiring for the night, he gave free reign to his reflections on the subject.

His own failure to protect his friend from attaching himself to Miss Bennet was foremost in his mind. He had wanted to see her again, to make further observation and come to a conclusive decision as to her feelings. He knew that the two times he had observed them together, in London, he had expected and hoped, to find her indifferent. In spite of his wishes and expectations regarding the matter, he had been unable to reach the conclusion he hoped to reach with the same certainty he had felt after the ball at Netherfield. If his observations had continued in the same direction, he might have been obliged to assure Bingley of her regard after a few more visits. Yet, there was always the possibility that further scrutiny might have reconfirmed his prior conviction in her indifference; and he could not help feeling that now, when Bingley needed him to confirm that she did not care for him and to give him the strength to resist falling within her power, he had failed to be of assistance to his friend, by placing his own need to stay away from Elizabeth paramount.

But it could not be helped, he could not place himself in the danger of being further bewitched; and he had keenly felt the gravity of that danger when last he met her. There was also more than his own feelings to be considered. The possibility, which he had earlier acknowledged, that she had come to London because she suspected that he admired her and with the hope of securing a proposal, brought on another reason to avoid her: to prevent her from being disappointed by encouraging expectations he had no intention of meeting. Protecting her feelings in that regard was equally as important as protecting his own.

He had done everything he could for Bingley. He had convinced him not to return to Netherfield. But, his unfortunate meeting with Miss Bennet in London had taken the matter out of Darcy's hands. He could not keep them apart. Although there had been the hope of influencing Bingley before Elizabeth's arrival, Darcy felt his powers of persuasion would not have withstood the competition of Miss Bennet's company, and there was no way to prevent Bingley from seeking it. He had counseled his friend to avoid her, and he had pointed out the certain evils of Miss Bennet as a choice of wife more than once, but to no avail. And now, with Elizabeth at the Gardiner home, Darcy felt his own weakness. He could not go there. Even if any chance of him influencing Bingley's choice could have withstood Miss Bennet's presence in London, it could not withstand Elizabeth's. He had been able to follow his own advice and avoid Elizabeth, even if Bingley refused to heed it with respect to her sister. He could do no more to preserve his friend from the imprudent choice he seemed so inclined to make.

Darcy's thoughts turned back to Bingley's dinner engagement and he envisioned the family sitting around the table together talking comfortably and happily. He could not deny that the prospect was a pleasant one, and he knew if he had gone with Bingley he too would have been invited. Then he shook his head to rid himself of such thoughts, and laughed to himself at his own folly for even thinking of dining at the home of those so far beneath him. To have called there twice was quite enough.

And, though he was successful in driving thoughts of a family dinner in Gracechurch Street from his mind, he could not dispel from it the enchanting image of Elizabeth. Now, his thoughts turned again to his sister's meeting with her. He was pleased that they had met, in spite of himself, and that Georgiana had liked her. This he felt safe admitting in the privacy of his own thoughts. Georgiana's declaration of her conviction that he would not object to the ladies due to their situation in life caused him more perturbation than he liked, particularly in light of his own present admonition against considering the possibility of dining at the Gardiner home. He satisfied himself by observing that Georgiana was still very young and naVve in the ways of the world. Still, he could not stop himself from picturing Elizabeth and Georgiana together, and he indulged in the private pleasure of imagining how well they would enjoy each other's company. His last thought before closing his eyes for the night was that he would like nothing more than to see them together as friends . . . sisters.

"I knew you would not object to them on such grounds."

Darcy awoke with a start to the same thoughts and meditations that had at length closed his eyes. He stood and walked to his window, the sun was just rising.

Why would Georgiana say such a thing? She had said it in complete innocence, of that he was certain. Yet Georgiana was not ignorant of her station in life - he had personally seen to her education in that regard with diligence. And this particular lesson would have been enforced all too well by her experiences last summer. He had sensed since then that she understood what was expected of her.

He thought of the implications of her words. It was true that no objection could be made to either Miss Bennet or to Elizabeth if only their personalities and characters were to be considered. Yet, their situation in life was objectionable. Georgiana was unaware of the ways of the rest of the Bennet family. Yet, she knew of their low connections, and she must understand that such a circumstance would reduce their suitability for any association of an intimate nature. He was somewhat mollified with the realization that he was thinking of Elizabeth as a possible sister for Georgiana while his sister was only thinking of furthering a very slight acquaintance. There was a great difference between his marrying her and allowing Georgiana to befriend her.

He could not help but think of the criticisms made by Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst to Georgiana about their visitors. He was certain Georgiana had been kind in her reference to their remarks and, having heard them himself, it did not require much exertion of his imagination to know what had actually been said. While he could withstand their ill-natured remarks with ease, he would have preferred them to be more temperate in expressing their disapprobation to his impressionable young sister. Yet, he was proud of Georgiana for recognizing ill breeding when she saw it.

He reflected on the irony of her association with the two pairs of sisters. The ladies of a more appropriate situation to be companions to his sister behaved in a manner that he would rather prevent her from being influenced by; while those he might hesitate to allow her to associate with because of their situation would be infinitely better friends to her and would provide better examples of proper behavior. The contrast between the personalities and situations of the four women in question struck him forcibly. He could not help but realize the irony in having hoped to connect his sister to two women whose behavior he consistently disapproved, by marrying her to their brother; while he resisted connecting her to two women who had always conducted themselves with the utmost propriety. He had not yet learnt, however, to condemn his motives for resisting his attraction to Elizabeth or forwarding Georgiana's relationship with Bingley's sisters. They were just the type of women she should be associating with, as far as society was concerned. But, he began to question his priorities when it came to his sister, which naturally led to questioning them when it came to himself as well.

Yet he could not fail to acknowledge that the only circumstance that allowed him to be pleased about Georgiana's meeting with the Miss Bennets, was his admiration for Elizabeth. Had it been any other women in their situation, he was not certain he would have allowed his sister to further the acquaintance. They were daughters of a gentleman, but they were residing in a part of town and with such people as would not reflect favorably. But, he was happy that the acquaintance had been made, and he wholeheartedly wished it to be furthered - though he would have liked to have been present for it if only to take delight in seeing them together, meeting for the first time. He could not account for the satisfaction he received from learning that their meeting had been a pleasant one, but he smiled as he congratulated himself on having always known that they would like each other.

Yet, his smile could not withstand the reality of his situation. He sat down and buried his face in his hands. His heart was heavy with disappointment and frustration. He loved Elizabeth - he could no longer attempt to deny it. She would be everything he could want in a wife, and a perfect sister to Georgiana. He allowed himself, now, the painful indulgence of allowing his mind to dwell on his regret of her situation and her family. He had, previously, always forborne from such thoughts, as nothing good could possibly come from regretting and resenting circumstances that were irrevocably established and unchangeable as the rising and setting sun. But now he damned every circumstance that made the one woman who had ever attracted him, delighted him, captured him, an unsuitable choice, every circumstance that led to his present pain and grief for not being able to have her. Every circumstance was cursed in his mind but one - that he loved her. At this thought he smiled again, he could not regret loving her. But he regretted every other obstacle that stood between himself and the happiness he would never have. He regretted them now with all the strength of bitter resentment he was able to command, not only for his own sake, but for Georgiana's as well.

His thoughts wandered back to his sister's innocent declaration of the day before, and to the events that had precipitated it. Her words would not cease to haunt him. If he was so certain that he had not been in error and that her understanding was limited by her innocence, then why had he felt so inadequate, so ashamed when she had said it? Why did he feel he had failed his sister, when her expectation was so wholly unreasonable?

Social inferiority was, after all, a perfectly just reason to avoid or limit some associations. Nevertheless, he told himself that he did not disapprove of the Miss Bennets merely on the grounds of their social inferiority - their family's deportment was, in and of itself, sufficiently repugnant to give him pause. He simply recognized that Elizabeth would not make him a suitable wife. Then he found himself smiling, almost laughing to himself as he stood and paced across the room. She was suitable in every way - indeed, as a woman, she was his perfect match. It was her situation - her family and connections - that was unacceptable, and the one could not be separated from the other.

He knew his sister had been speaking of a relationship of much lesser intimacy when she had spoken the words than what he now contemplated as they reverberated in his mind. A friendly acquaintance between Elizabeth and Georgiana was possible, while marriage to Elizabeth was not. He shook his head as he thought again of the degradation that would certainly befall him in consequence of making such an imprudent alliance. Then, Georgiana's words returned to him forcefully. But, he struggled against them with equal, if not greater, resistance. Should he be expected to rejoice in the inferiority of Elizabeth's connections? To congratulate himself on the hope of relations, whose condition in life is so decidedly beneath his own? No, his feelings in opposition to such a marriage were natural and just and he would not allow Georgiana's pointed words make him feel guilty about it. She hardly meant them in such a way, after all.

Then the struggle began anew as he told himself that his other feelings were equally natural and equally just. Would it not be natural and just for him to be with the woman he loved? He sighed . . . if only he could have it both ways. But he would waste no more time on useless regrets. Elizabeth was what she was and there was nothing to be done for it.

That same morning, at Gracechurch Street, the visit to Grosvenor Street from two days prior was again canvassed - this time for the benefit of Mr. Gardiner, who had not yet been apprized of the details of the occasion. When Mr. Gardiner had been told by all three ladies that Miss Darcy was a sweet, amiable, but shy girl, he looked at Elizabeth and asked, "so she is nothing like her brother, then?"

"Not at all," said Elizabeth.

Her tone compelled him to ask, "Were you surprised to find her so different?"

"I confess, I had been told that she shared his pride, but I saw nothing of it yesterday."

"Perhaps the person you spoke to did not know her well enough to draw an accurate opinion."

"I do not see how that could account for it. Mr. Wickham is the one who told me about her and he was raised in the same household with her while she was a child."

"But has it not been many years since he has seen her?" asked Mr. Gardiner.

"He did not mention how long it had been since he had last seen her."

"Well, his falling out with Mr. Darcy occurred at least two years ago, according to my recollection of his tale," said Mrs. Gardiner, "and I cannot imagine he has been with her since that occurred. Mr. Darcy made his ill opinion of Wickham very clear and even asked me to warn you against him, surely he would not allow him near his own sister."

"In that, you must be correct. We may, then, suppose that it has been more than two years since Mr. Wickham has seen Miss Darcy."

After a moment of thoughtful reflection, Mrs. Gardiner said, "Yet, she would only have been about fourteen then. It seems untenable that she would have grown from a sweet affectionate young girl, to a proud and arrogant young lady of fourteen and then again to the charming, amiable, timid thing we met yesterday."

"It does seem that Mr. Wickham was mistaken about her character," added Jane. "I wonder what could possibly have given him the impression that such a girl could be as he described."

"His description of her was certainly in error," agreed Elizabeth, "unless there is a hidden side of her personality that we have not yet seen!"

The following day brought Mr. Bingley to their door again, and this time, to their table. He was able to bring with him an invitation from Mrs. Hurst for the whole party to dine in Grosvenor Street on Tuesday. This invitation he had extracted from Mrs. Hurst with much effort. She had, at first rebuffed every suggestion to invite the Gardiners and their nieces to dine at her home by inventing excuses or merely ignoring her brother. Then she agreed to invite only the ladies and only for tea, on an evening when there would be no gentlemen at home. Finally, a cozy family dinner with no one else in attendance was grudgingly agreed upon.

But when Bingley learned that the Hursts were hosting a large dinner, he suggested that the Gardiner party be invited then. Bingley's goal in doing so was twofold. He wanted to make the point with his sisters that the Miss Bennets were to be accepted as part of their social circle, and not hidden away as acquaintances to be ashamed of. But, he had also felt that Darcy had given up his observations of Miss Bennet as a result of a disinclination to call in the Gardiner's neighborhood. When they had last spoken of the subject Darcy was still uncertain as to her feelings. This dinner would give him another opportunity to see that she returned Bingley's regard, and Bingley felt a strong desire to be assured that Darcy agreed that she now loved him before making his addresses to her.

His sisters had been adamantly against inviting the Gardiners and the Miss Bennets to the dinner party. At first they argued that the addition of four more people would simply make the number too large. But they soon gave their true reasons for opposing the scheme: it would not do to parade their Cheapside acquaintances amidst the more superior company they were expecting that evening. It was not until Mr. Hurst, who wanted the matter to be done with, took Bingley's side in it, forcing his wife to capitulate.

And so it was that Bingley brought to Mrs. Gardiner a note written by his sister making the invitation. Mrs. Gardiner wrote back accepting the kind offer with gratitude.

The dinner at Gracechurch Street was as delightful and pleasant as anyone could have anticipated. After dinner, the conversation was light and cheerful, and all the participants in it were perfectly content in each other's company. It was exactly the picture of felicity that Mr. Darcy had imagined it would be.

When Bingley returned to Darcy's house, the master had already retired. The following morning, after breakfast, Bingley raised a new subject with his friend. "Darcy, were you planning to attend the opening performance of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' on Friday?"

"I had planned to attend, yes. I was going to mention it to you as well, and invite you to join me in my box if you would like."

"I had determined to invite the Miss Bennets and the Gardiners to see it with me. I had hoped you would come along, but if you have invited other guests to share your box, I will secure one for the evening."

"I have not invited anyone else. You and your guests are welcome to use my box."

"In that case, they would be your guests would they not?" asked Bingley with a good-natured smile.

Darcy was a little perturbed at being forced into spending an evening in her company. But, he had already said he planned to attend the event and it would be impolite to back out now, only after Bingley made known his intent to invite others. His perturbation was, of course, well eclipsed by his delight with the prospect of Elizabeth's company. He had to admit that keeping his resolve to avoid her, while knowing she was in London, had proven very difficult. He longed to see her and could not force himself to be unhappy that he would. He simply had to be very careful to remain master of his feelings while in her presence. In any case, he liked Shakespeare and it was, after all, his box.

"So they would be," he replied to Bingley. "I will send a note to the Gardiners making the invitation, but I will be sure to mention your inclusion in the party."

Bingley smiled. The note was written and sent. It was received at Gracechurch Street by many expressions of surprise and delight. Elizabeth, in particular, was pleased beyond measure as 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' was her favorite play. She was also surprised. She could scarcely believe that Mr. Darcy had made the invitation, though the mention of Mr. Bingley shed some light on his motive. This led her to believe in the possibility that he may have given his permission for his friend to be happy. Yet, that he would invite such people as her aunt and uncle to join his party in public was quite beyond her understanding of the man. She wondered whether Mr. Bingley's sisters or Miss Darcy would also be present. The invitation indicated that the gentlemen would collect them at Gracechurch Street prior to the performance. Mr. Gardiner wrote back to Mr. Darcy his grateful acceptance of the invitation.

Mr. Darcy examined his reflection in the looking glass, wondering whether she would approve. Then he shook his head, scolding himself for being so silly. Never in all his life had he given any concern to his appearance, at least not when it came to the ladies . . . except perhaps in his preparations for the ball at Netherfield last November.

Darcy had not been looking forward to the Hurst dinner party, at least not before he had learned that she would be present. As much as Miss Bingley prevailed upon her sister to limit the number of eligible ladies invited to these affairs, he knew he would be the object of unwanted attention from one woman, at the very least. He reflected with satisfaction, though, that the presence of numerous guests (one in particular) would make the evening more tolerable than the quiet 'family' dinners he and his sister were so often invited to at the Hursts. It was true that such evenings were conducive to forwarding the intimacy he desired between his sister and Bingley, but suffering Miss Bingley's presumptuous attentions was almost intolerable; and, he knew from experience, would be more intolerable with Elizabeth present.

When Bingley had informed him that the Miss Bennets would be there, his responsive emotions were conflicted - just as they had been when he had learned he would be attending an evening at the theatre with them. He was pleased both with the prospect of seeing Elizabeth himself and of seeing her with Georgiana. Yet, he was also apprehensive. His mind had not relinquished its preoccupation with her, and he had continued in constant battle - his judgment at war against his inclination - since he had last seen her.

As he stood in front of the glass he could see the reflection of the door on the opposite wall behind him that led to her room, or the room that would be hers if it were possible to make her his. He could almost see the door opening; he could almost see her stepping through it, clad in an elegant evening gown; he could almost hear the endearment on her lips as she addressed him, announcing that she was ready to go; he could almost see her smile as he complimented her looks; he could almost feel her soft lips brushing against his cheek as she kissed him lightly. He sighed. How much more he would enjoy evenings such as this one if he did not feel like an object of prey, if he were already married. How much more he would enjoy them with her at his side. To be able to discuss the events of the evening at the end of it with someone of sense and intelligence. To share their opinions on the people they had spent the evening with and the conversations they'd had. To share the intimacy and confidence of such an open relationship. How happy he would be to share all this with her.

He closed his eyes and sighed again. How could he face her this evening with such thoughts occupying his mind? He gathered all his strength of conviction in her unsuitability for such a position as his wife and conjured the image of Mrs. Bennet enumerating the benefits of a match between Jane and Bingley, not the least of which was casting her younger daughters into the paths of other rich men. He wondered now whether it was Mrs. Bennet who, upon learning that he had called at Gracechurch Street with Mr. Bingley, had sent Elizabeth to London. With such preparations completed, Darcy exited the room with every confidence of surviving the evening with his resolve unscathed.

When Elizabeth arrived at the Hurst home, her mind was almost wholly occupied by her sister's situation. Not only was Jane to be subjected this evening to the disapprobation of Bingley's sisters and probably his friend as well, but she was about to see him in company with Miss Darcy. Elizabeth's goal this evening was only to secure Jane's comfort and ease. Now was the moment her object in coming to London would be met, and she intended to keep to her purpose.

There was a large gathering of guests in the drawing room and Elizabeth did not notice that the eyes of at least one gentleman were immediately upon her. Indeed, he had been awaiting her arrival since his own. Mr. Bingley joined their party as soon as they entered the room and began introducing them to some of the other guests. As Elizabeth looked around, she noticed Miss Darcy moving towards her slowly, on her brother's arm, with a look of subdued eagerness in her countenance. After the usual civilities were exchanged, Elizabeth's entire party thanked Darcy for his kind invitation to use his box at the theatre on Friday. He acknowledged their gratitude with a bow and assured them that it would be his pleasure and that he hoped they would all enjoy the performance.

In the few moments that they all stood together talking, Elizabeth was occupied in observing Mr. Bingley and Miss Darcy and could see that Jane's thoughts were similarly bent. On this point, she was soon satisfied. No look appeared on either side that spoke particular regard. Nothing occurred between them that could justify the hopes of his sister.

Georgiana had remained silently by her brother's side, while the others exchanged pleasantries. When there was a pause in the conversation, Elizabeth acknowledged her again, "Miss Darcy, it is a pleasure to see you again." Knowing that his sister's shyness was in conflict with her desire to further her friendship with Elizabeth, the latter's initiative could only serve to endear her to Darcy more. He smiled. Elizabeth was surprised by his apparent pleasure, as she had fully expected that he would disdain any association between herself and his sister.

Jane had, by now, walked on with Bingley and the Gardiners, to be introduced to some of the other guests, but she could not help casting a last glance towards Elizabeth and Miss Darcy. Elizabeth gave her sister a reassuring smile while Miss Darcy replied, "Miss Bennet, you must allow me to tell you how delighted I was to learn that you would be here this evening."

Elizabeth had to smile at the innocent sincerity of her words. How different this young girl was than what she had once imagined her to be. How unaffected and unassuming was her manner. "I hope the weather has not kept you indoors too much, Miss Darcy."

"Yesterday I was prevented from going out at all, but this morning, after breakfast, I prevailed upon my brother to join me for a stroll in the park."

Elizabeth smiled, "I hope it was a pleasant one. I could not resist going out myself when I saw that the weather had improved." Then glancing at Darcy she added with a hint of mischief in her tone, "in spite of the mud left behind by yesterday's storm."

Georgiana smiled shyly, then lowered her voice and said, "I confess that I was so determined to go out today that I gave no thought to the condition of the ground and my skirts were a little muddy by the time I returned indoors."

Elizabeth could not help glancing at Darcy with a smirk, but his face betrayed no recollection of her own similar experience. In truth, it took all his willpower to refrain from smiling back at her when she looked at him in such a way, and he was not sure that he had been wholly successful. He vividly recalled the day she had arrived at Netherfield with mud on her petticoats and his own reaction to seeing her thus.

"I have been in that situation more than once, myself, Miss Darcy. I suppose being exposed to a little dirt once in a while is the price we must pay for the pleasure of walking outdoors."

Georgiana smiled again, encouraged by Elizabeth's lighthearted treatment of the incident. "Luckily, I was able to change my dress before receiving any visitors." Her glance towards Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley revealed to Elizabeth exactly whose censure Georgiana had been so relieved to escape this morning. Elizabeth had to stop herself from laughing at the very idea of those two ladies saying anything critical of the one before her. As much as Miss Bingley wished to please Darcy, Elizabeth was sure his sister would be acquitted with alacrity of the same infraction for which they had shown Elizabeth so much disdain.

"My dear Miss Darcy," said Elizabeth with a hint of impertinence, "I am sure that you could never provoke the censure of anyone."

Miss Darcy blushed suddenly as her countenance assumed an expression of extreme mortification and her eyes shifted to her brother.

He gently brought his unoccupied hand to cover her hand, which rested on his other arm. "Miss Bennet is correct, my dear" he said in a comforting and affectionate tone, unlike anything Elizabeth had ever heard from his lips before, "you consistently conduct yourself with admirable decorum." Then he added in a quiet tone so intimate that Elizabeth felt she was intruding on their privacy by merely hearing his words, "and I am very proud of you." Miss Darcy seemed to have recovered from whatever had troubled her and Darcy added in a more lighthearted tone, "I will not hesitate to add, that a little mud on one's dress is hardly deserving of ridicule." He could not resist a glance at Elizabeth who was looking at him in undisguised wonder. She searched his countenance for any sign of sarcasm, but found none.

The quiet conversation between the three of them had, by now, garnered the notice of more than one pair of eyes in the room, particularly Mrs. Gardiner's. She was intent on studying the gentleman, and noticed his varying expressions with great interest. They were then approached by Miss Bingley, who addressed Miss Darcy with an air of superior intimacy. Elizabeth, though undaunted, refused to allow herself to be made a part of that lady's spectacle, and graciously excused herself to join her sister and Mr. Bingley. Darcy's eyes followed her, while his sister was occupied by Miss Bingley's conversation, and he watched as Bingley introduced her to Hurst's cousin, who had just arrived in town today. A parson, by the name of Tilney.

Elizabeth and Mr. Tilney seemed very well pleased with one another. They soon separated from the rest of her party and remained in conversation together until dinner. Darcy was seated as far from Elizabeth as the table could divide them, but Mr. Tilney was seated beside her. Darcy watched in growing frustration as they chatted easily together. He could not hear their discourse, but it was evident that they had taken an immediate liking to one another.

Elizabeth was completely oblivious to his scrutiny, however, and was engaged in answering Mr. Tilney's questions about her family. "I have three younger sisters, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia. Though Kitty's real name is Catherine."

She was surprised to observe his reaction to her last word. He raised his brow and smiled involuntarily, as a light blush crept into his cheeks. When she returned his expression with one of curiosity he said, "Catherine is a lovely name."

Elizabeth smiled in understanding, "It is a name you are not wholly unfamiliar with, then?"

"No indeed," he replied, still smiling.

He did not seem inclined to reveal more, so Elizabeth spoke of other things.

Darcy had noticed the gentleman's peculiar reaction to something she had said, and Mrs. Gardiner observed him as he watched Elizabeth and Mr. Tilney. He was then distracted by the whispered expressions he overheard between Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst, who were both seated very close to him.

"At last Miss Eliza has resigned herself to a more appropriately moderate pursuit," said one.

"Even he is out of her reach," replied the other.

Darcy put an end to their malicious gossip by striking up a conversation with both ladies.

Later, after the ladies had withdrawn and the gentlemen were alone, Darcy said to Bingley, "Mr. Tilney seems to be an amiable sort of gentleman."

"Indeed, I like him very well. He is full of wit."

In an attempt to distract himself from contemplating just how much that particular attribute would attract his Elizabeth, he said, "How long will he be staying in town?"

"Only three weeks. He had some business here, then he returns to Woodston, his home in Gloucestershire."

Darcy asked no more questions on the subject of Mr. Tilney, but continued to watch him with interest.

When the gentlemen rejoined the ladies, Mr. Darcy was happy to see Georgiana conversing with Elizabeth. They both looked up when the gentlemen entered the room. The former was obviously looking for him, but the latter was not. At first Darcy thought she might be anticipating the arrival of Mr. Tilney, but he was relieved when her eyes fixed, instead, on Mr. Bingley, and watched as they followed him towards her sister. She smiled and then glanced at Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley as if expecting them to interfere. He walked over to the two ladies and sat down next to his sister on the sofa.

Georgiana addressed him, "Miss Bennet and I have been discussing the arrangement of a walking excursion together."

Darcy was pleased, but restrained himself from expressing the full measure of his delight with the plan. "I am sure that will be very enjoyable for you both," was all he said.

"She has agreed to go walking with me in ---- park, we have only to fix on a date." Then turning to Elizabeth she said, "does Saturday suit you?"

"Saturday suits me very well, Miss Darcy. You may expect me around eleven o'clock."

Miss Darcy hesitated for a moment, then glancing at her brother with a diffidence that marked her little in the habit of giving invitations said, "I hope that you will stay the morning with me, afterwards."

"It would be my pleasure, Miss Darcy."

Darcy was pleased with his sister's initiative. Elizabeth seemed to put her at ease enough to cause her to forget some of her timidity.

At that moment, Miss Bingley walked past them and Elizabeth could see that she was on her way towards Jane, who had just been left standing alone by Mr. Bingley, who had, in turn, been called away by another guest. Elizabeth turned to Miss Darcy and said, "I look forward to it very much," before excusing herself with the utmost politeness. She walked over to where Miss Bingley had just joined Jane. Darcy could not hear what was said between them, but at one point, he saw Jane's face pale while Miss Bingley was speaking. Elizabeth gently, almost subconsciously, raised her hand to her sister's arm. It was a slight gesture, but one of protection and support. Then Elizabeth smiled and said something to Miss Bingley, who walked away from them with a very dissatisfied expression. Elizabeth looked compassionately at her sister and said something. Miss Bennet simply nodded and gave her a grateful smile. They both looked up a moment later upon the approach of Mr. Bingley and Mr. Tilney.

Darcy garnered a great deal of information from this brief exchange between the Bennet sisters - some of which he had already known and was only confirmed, and some of which was entirely new to his understanding. Clearly Miss Bingley had set out to attack Miss Bennet in some manner calculated to divide her from her brother. It was equally clear that Elizabeth had lent support to her sister and found a way to thwart the intended affront. He had known Elizabeth to be a woman of strength and compassion and devotion to those she loved, especially Jane, and this display only served to reinforce those aspects of her character.

The novel realization that resulted from the exchange and that struck him so suddenly and with such clarity was that this was why she had come to London. She had come to see Jane through the renewal of her acquaintance with Bingley and to brave, with her, the disapprobation of his sisters. She must have concluded that he remained in London by their persuasion. She had come to town for the same reason she had walked three miles in the mud on foot to go to Netherfield - love for her sister. His heart swelled with admiration for her as never before. This was followed by a sense of profound relief that she had not come to London to ensnare him. The tiny amount of disappointment that naturally accompanied this sentiment was assuaged by his realization that although he was not her inducement for traveling to London, it did not necessarily follow that she did not hold some regard for him.

The realization of Elizabeth's purpose in coming to London brought on another realization of a different sort: Miss Bennet must be attached to Bingley. Elizabeth must be in her sister's confidence and if the renewal of Miss Bennet's acquaintance with Bingley had brought Elizabeth to London, it must be due to intelligence of her sister's regard for him. He could not see it as possible that Elizabeth would come to town simply to assist her sister in securing Bingley, and the display he had just witnessed told him otherwise. Elizabeth had been protecting more than her sister's future security, she had been protecting her feelings.

Darcy continued to watch, while chatting idly with his sister, as the two gentlemen began a conversation with the two ladies. His recent observations caused his attention to be drawn to the interaction between Bingley and Miss Bennet. Her countenance was affected by his presence. Her look, her smile, her color spoke of feeling, though her expression remained properly sedate. In that moment, he was convinced that she was in love with him, and he wondered that he had not seen it before.

For her part, Jane had been gratified by the amount of attention Mr. Bingley had given her during the course of the evening, particularly in comparison to Miss Darcy, who by Elizabeth's account did not seem at all to particularly desire his company or to lament the lack of it. She liked him well enough as her brother's friend, but seemed wholly indifferent to him otherwise. This report brought no small amount of relief to Jane's heart, and eased any anxiety she may have felt for her would-be rival.

As Jane continued to converse with Mr. Bingley, Mr. Tilney and Elizabeth walked to a pair of chairs situated near the Darcys, who had recently been joined by Miss Bingley. Now, Darcy was able to witness first hand the easy rapport Mr. Tilney and Elizabeth had developed over the course of the evening. Yet, he could not fault the manners of either. Tilney spoke of his life as a country parson, of his house at Woodston, and of the improvements he was making to it. Elizabeth then spoke of her impending visit to her cousins, the Collinses, at their parsonage home and mentioned that his patroness was aunt to the Darcys. "You will like her very well when you learn her name, I think," she teased him in that tone of mixed sweetness and archness that so well became her, "it is Lady Catherine de Bourgh."

Tilney chuckled and said to her, "indeed, I dare say she is already a favorite, though I believe I prefer Catherines who are undecorated by title."

Darcy was puzzled by the exchange, but was able to gather that it had nothing whatsoever to do with his aunt.

Miss Bingley chose this moment to exact some measure of revenge on Elizabeth for her earlier impertinence. In an effort to draw attention to the folly of Elizabeth's family, she asked her, "do the ---- shire militia continue in residence at Meryton, Miss Eliza?"

"Yes, Miss Bingley. They will be there through the spring I believe."

Darcy suddenly appeared a bit apprehensive.

"Then I wonder what could draw you to town when you have such agreeable company at home. I know that you were a favorite with the officers. I dare say you danced with several of them at ball we gave at Netherfield."

"Yes, I did enjoy their company very much."

"I believe there was one officer you were particularly fond of, who had been unable to attend the ball. I hope you are not suffering too much for having lost the company of Mr. Wickham."

Before Elizabeth could respond, her attention was momentarily distracted by a barely perceptible sharp intake of breath by Georgiana who had turned pale at the mention of Wickham's name. She seemed overcome with confusion and unable to uplift her eyes. Darcy was looking at her with grave concern and a heightened complexion. Elizabeth noticed that he took her hand in his and looked as if he wished to say something but knew not what. The moment of this entire scene was fleeting, and Elizabeth quickly turned her gaze back to Miss Bingley. And though she was curious as to this exchange between brother and sister, something in Georgiana's countenance caused her to feel this would not be the time to champion Mr. Wickham for the sake of vexing Mr. Darcy. Instead, she replied, "but the society to be found in London is so varied and unconfined, Miss Bingley, that I find I do not suffer a lack of company at all."

Mr. Darcy looked at Elizabeth in surprise, not sure whether to be amused or offended by her apparent mockery of what he had once said, but profoundly grateful for her change of subject. Elizabeth was glad Miss Bingley did not pursue the matter further, and was at leisure to consider what Miss Darcy's reaction to the reference to Mr. Wickham could mean. She was not the only one who was curious, however. Mrs. Gardiner had witnessed the entire exchange as well from her position at a card table situated behind the sofa upon which the Darcys were seated.

It took Miss Darcy several minutes and a glass of wine to regain her color, but she was unable to rejoin the conversation. In the meantime, Elizabeth kept Miss Bingley and Mr. Tilney occupied in conversation to give the girl a chance to recover from her distress with as little notice as possible.

Mr. Hurst then made a general request for music and as he began to speak Miss Darcy looked to her brother in mortification and whispered, "I cannot. Please."

"Do you wish to go home?" he whispered back.

"No, but I could not play now."

As Miss Darcy had predicted, Mrs. Hurst took up her husband's request by a specific entreaty to her.

Darcy turned to Mrs. Hurst and said, "Thank you, Mrs. Hurst, but my sister is a little tired this evening. She has been practicing her music all day and begs to be excused. Surely, there is some other lady who would be kind enough to oblige the company in her stead."

"Of course," said Mrs. Hurst. She then turned to another young lady, a Miss Grey, and asked her to play.

After two songs, the lady relinquished the instrument. Scanning the crowd, Mrs. Hurst fixed on Elizabeth, who was still sitting near the Darcys and in her sister's way. A few minutes after Elizabeth began to play, Darcy moved from the sofa to the chair she had just vacated, to gain a better view of the fair performer. Elizabeth did not notice, but Mrs. Gardiner did, as well as Miss Bingley. The latter was so vexed that she called his attention from the performance with constant attempts to engage him in conversation. Miss Grey had joined them, taking the seat next to Georgiana, but looking and speaking more to her brother. Darcy was relieved when Mr. Tilney began a quiet conversation with Miss Grey by complimenting her playing. But he was not able to observe Elizabeth in peace.

After one song, Elizabeth rose to move away from the instrument, and politely refused any entreaties to continue playing. She gave no thought to returning to her prior place, and instead walked directly to Jane, who was still in quiet conversation with Mr. Bingley.

For Miss Grey, Mr. Tilney was not an object. She had waited patiently throughout the evening for a chance to be near Mr. Darcy and would not now resign him to the attentions of Miss Bingley. At first, Mr. Tilney withstood her rebuffs. Indeed, any man who is summarily dismissed by the object of his unwanted attentions might be inclined to continue bestowing them simply to vex the lady, particularly when the man is secretly engaged to another. But such an amusement could only entertain him for so long and he soon left Darcy to fend for himself.

Darcy might have amused himself by drawing out the opinions of both ladies on various topics to learn that while they disagreed with one another in everything, they both always agreed with him; but it was not in his nature to take pleasure in such sport. Instead he spoke to his sister as much as possible, while always maintaining an awareness of Elizabeth's location in the room and who she favored with her attention.

Elizabeth happened to glance in his direction at a moment when he happened to be looking at her, and he could see the expression of amusement that overspread her features when she witnessed his situation. He imagined for an instant what a great joy it would be to be in her confidence, and to experience the intimacy of sharing a knowing smile across the room, understanding what the other is thinking. But she had immediately looked away, and he exerted himself to dispense with such thoughts.

The company remained much the same for the remainder of the evening. And as it drew to a close, the Gardiners were the first to depart, with the Darcys following soon thereafter.

At last Darcy was alone in his room and could reflect on the evening at leisure. But he refused to think about all that had happened, or to reopen the struggle of his own mind. He simply wanted to think of Elizabeth, in the peace offered only by solitude. He envisioned her behind his eyelids, in all her beauty and liveliness and sweetness, and he fell asleep with a smile on his face.

Darcy awoke on Wednesday morning with the same smile upon his lips that had been present when he fell asleep the night before. Elizabeth was his first thought, his only thought, his every thought. His mind wandered back to the previous evening. There was much for him to think about and reflect on, but he could not do so now. He arose and began to prepare for the day. Later, he entered his study to attend to some business matters before breakfast, but found that his mind was unable to fix on anything but her. He shook his head; 'what has become of me?' he thought to himself with a smile. At last he succumbed and leaned back in his chair to consider the events of last evening.

If any part of him had remained unconquered by her since yesterday, that was certainly no longer the case. He had witnessed something of the attributes he loved most about her in everything she had said or done. From the moment of her arrival she had shown kindness to Georgiana beyond the requirements of civility. She had put his sister at ease more than once during the course of the evening, and had shown an interest in her friendship.

Thinking of her kindness to his sister reminded him of her kindness to her own. He recalled the exchange he had witnessed between the Miss Bennets and Miss Bingley. He smiled as he thought of Elizabeth's devotion and her ardent affection for her sister. He could not resist allowing his mind to wonder what it would be like to be so loved by her, to be the recipient of that kind of devotion - from her.

He began to think again of how happy he would be with her. To have her companionship always. To be able to converse with her freely and openly. To share with her all he had seen and learned of the world and the experiences of his daily life, and hear her thoughts on them. To let her liveliness lift his spirits and fill his world with vivacity and felicity. And how he longed to show her Pemberley, to walk with her through the grounds and show her all his favorite spots as they talked together comfortably and contentedly.

But such pleasant meditations would not long endure. His mind soon turned - quite involuntarily - to the memory of the time she had spent during the previous evening with Mr. Tilney. They had clearly enjoyed each other's company. From what he knew of Tilney, it would be an eligible match. He shook his head as he considered it. They had only just met! Yet, they were both good-natured, intelligent and unmarried. There could be no doubt that Mr. Tilney had been attracted to her. He could not have failed to notice her beauty, the brightness of her eyes, the lightness of her figure. And clearly, he had appreciated her lively wit and playful disposition. He began to consider whether Tilney would wish to further his acquaintance with Elizabeth, whether he might use this time in town to learn more of her. He sighed, and shook his head again.

He wondered at his present abhorrence of the idea of a gentleman paying attention to her. When he had left Hertfordshire he had known of Mr. Collins' designs on her. (And he could only account for his choosing the former Miss Lucas by supposing that Elizabeth had rejected his suit.) Yet he had walked away from her then with no intent of ever seeing her again. Why should he now concern himself with Mr. Tilney's designs? Perhaps the difference was that Mr. Collins was so repulsive that he had known she would not have him; while Mr. Tilney was . . . admittedly, less repulsive. He had always known, though, that she would marry someone.

Nevertheless, his memories of the attentions Elizabeth had bestowed upon Mr. Tilney during much of the previous evening were more than a bit disconcerting. He decided that he would have to make sure to learn if Mr. Tilney made any overtures towards continuing his acquaintance with her and whether he showed any interest in her beyond friendship.

Darcy was roused from his meditations by a knock on the door. "Enter," he called.

The door was opened by his butler to advise him that breakfast was ready. He went to the breakfast room to find his sister already there. They greeted one another warmly and soon after they sat down, they were joined by Mr. Bingley. The conversation turned to the previous evening. Bingley spoke fondly of the time he had spent in the company of Miss Bennet, and how much she was looking forward to the play on Friday. Then he said, "and I was pleased to see how well Mr. Tilney and Miss Elizabeth got on. They certainly seemed to enjoy each other's company. They are well matched in wit, I think. I know you do not think much of her, Darcy, but I believe Tilney was pleased with her."

Georgiana suddenly stared at her brother. She had liked Miss Elizabeth very well, but his judgment could not err. Had she misjudged the worth of Miss Elizabeth's character? She had hoped she would not repeat that mistake. But when they had conversed with Miss Elizabeth during the previous evening, he had not seemed to disapprove of her. Georgiana was confused. Darcy caught her glance and could read her thoughts. He simply smiled, but did not wish to contradict Bingley's assertion openly.

After breakfast, Bingley left the house, professing his intent to call on his sisters. Meanwhile, Darcy and his sister walked to the park together.

Mr. Darcy took the opportunity to ask her how she was faring since last evening.

"I am doing well, Fitzwilliam."

"I know Miss Bingley said something to discomfort you."

"Yes, I was simply taken by surprise. I promise that I am well. Thank you for making my excuses from playing."

"Think nothing of it, my dear. I could see that you were quite upset."

After walking for a few minutes in silence, Miss Darcy spoke again, quietly, "may I ask you something, Brother?"

"Anything my dear."

"Are you unhappy about my acquaintance with Miss Elizabeth Bennet?"

Darcy almost laughed out loud at the irony of his sister's supposition, but controlled his expression to a mere smile. "Not at all."

Miss Darcy was silent for a few more minutes and then said, "it is just that Mr. Bingley said at breakfast that you did not think well of her."

"Mr. Bingley was mistaken," was all he said.

Her brother did not seem very forthcoming, but Miss Darcy forged on timidly, "but what would give him that impression?"

He looked sideways at her and smiled, then said, "I suppose it is because I refused to dance with her once. You know I do not like to dance, but Bingley enjoys it very much. And he seems to believe that if a gentleman does not stand up with a lady it must be due to some particular dislike of her on his part.

"But how came you to refuse to dance with her?"

"The first time I saw the Miss Bennets was at an assembly ball in the country. I had no inclination to dance, but Bingley urged me to join in. He persisted even after I expressed my disinclination for it and he suggested, in particular, that I engage Miss Elizabeth to dance, as she did not have a partner at that moment. I simply told him that I did not care to dance with her."

Georgiana was thoughtful for a moment. She was surprised that her brother would leave a lady without a partner at a dance, but she did not dare question his behavior.

He looked sideways at her again. "I know what you are thinking." She said nothing. "You believe I was wrong to not dance."

"No!" she exclaimed, "I never . . . "

"You are quite right," he replied, "I can only plead in my own defense that I was not in a good humour that evening."

Georgiana was surprised by his admission. "So you do not think ill of her?"

"No, I think very well of her, Georgiana."

"I am relieved. I had begun to fear that I had erred in my judgment, as I have done before."

"There is no reason for you to lack faith in your judgment."

Miss Darcy smiled. "Thank you. I am glad I was not mistaken about her."

"You like her then?"

"Very much."

He smiled.

"I like her sister also."

"I am glad to hear it. They are both amiable young ladies."

"I think Mr. Bingley is also very fond of them, and of Miss Bennet in particular," she said with a smile.

"He does seem to enjoy her company."

"I am pleased to see that they are so attached. He seems to be in better spirits since having met with her here in town." Darcy was surprised that she had noticed that Bingley and Miss Bennet were mutually attached, and that she had noticed the change in Bingley's spirits. "Do you suppose they will soon become engaged?"

"I think it is very likely."

She smiled. "They will be quite happy together, I believe."

"It will be an imprudent match on his part, though, Georgiana," said Darcy in a serious tone. "Affection is not the only consideration when entering the state of matrimony."

"I know," she said quietly, casting her eyes downward.

Darcy felt the need to explain further, to distinguish Bingley's situation from her own, to make her understand that though Miss Bennet was not of a bad character, as Wickham had been, it might still be imprudent for Bingley to marry her. "My dear, Miss Bennet is a respectable lady with a lovely disposition, but she lacks family, connection, and fortune." Georgiana said nothing, and he added with an uncharacteristic impetuosity, "do you suppose he should marry her in spite of all this, simply because he loves her?"

She smiled, "I will be guided by your judgment. If you believe it is imprudent for him to marry her, then it must be so."

"But I wish to know your opinion," he replied.

She hesitated for a moment and then said, "I think that if he loves her, then she is the only one that can make him happy. If he forsakes her because of the reasons you mentioned, he will always regret her."

He smiled. "You do not believe it possible to fall in love again?"

"I do. In this case, if she did not care for him, perhaps he might love again. But knowing that he was the cause of his own unhappiness would only bring pain, and he would soon come to resent all of those things that he sought to gain by forsaking her."

"And do you not think the reverse to be likewise possible? That he might come to resent her for the degradation brought on himself as a result of connecting himself to her?"

"I suppose it is possible. But I prefer to believe that if he loves her, then her constant society and companionship and the return of her love would make up for any ill-consequences of the marriage. And, in truth, I cannot think they would be so very bad.

Darcy was silent for a moment as he reflected on his sister's words. Then he smiled at her and said, "I believe I must speak to Mrs. Annesley about what you are reading. It seems you are too fond of novels."

Georgiana laughed. "Well, perhaps I have read too many novels; or perhaps I have simply heard of too many matches made merely with fortune or connections in mind and with no affection. It is refreshing to see two people so attached to one another." Then she added quickly, "I do not mean to say that one should enter into an engagement lightly or with someone who is inappropriate." She blushed with shame as she recollected her own indiscretion. "But Miss Bennet is so sweet and gentle and amiable, and she is the daughter of a gentleman. Perhaps my ideas are too romantic, though, too much influenced by the novels I have read. Perhaps his love for her would fade with time."

"I do not know that it would," he replied in a tone of voice so solemn it startled her.

They walked quietly together until they reached the house. Darcy then returned to his study to resume the work that he had neglected earlier in the morning. But, again, he was distracted by his thoughts. He abandoned every pretense of working and decided to go out to his club. He chose to walk to give himself time for silent reflection.

As he walked, he thought of his conversation with Georgiana, and his previous confusion gave way to clarity. He realized now that if he let Elizabeth go, as his sister had put it, he would regret her. He reflected that Georgiana had been speaking of Mr. Bingley and Jane rather than his own situation, but her reasoning applied equally in both cases.

It had not escaped his notice that Georgiana had been wholly unaffected by Mr. Bingley's attachment to Miss Bennet. While he and Mr. Bingley's sisters had hoped for an attachment between the two of them, the thought had apparently never even crossed Georgiana's mind.

He reflected on how easily his sister had perceived their mutual attachment. Her observations must be wholly unbiased. For the first time he admitted the possibility that his prior perception of the matter may have been influenced by his own hopes regarding Mr. Bingley's choice of wife. He was pleased that his sister had not entertained similar hopes, for his friend's fate now seemed certain. The realization caused him to smile in spite of his own dissatisfaction with it, as he imagined how much their engagement would please Elizabeth.

He recalled his realization that she had come to London for her sister's sake. Knowing that she had come for Miss Bennet rather than for himself raised rather than lowered her in his esteem. Upon learning that her sister had met with Mr. Bingley, she would have realized how difficult the renewal of their acquaintance might be; and it would only be so difficult for Miss Bennet as to require the company of her sister if she was indeed in love with his friend. This much he had deduced the night before.

Now that he could no longer deny that Miss Bennet was in love with Bingley and had allowed that his own judgment might have been at fault, he thought further of their previous association. As he now recalled her behavior, he realized that she had always comported herself with the utmost propriety. He had before criticized that, although she received Bingley's attentions with pleasure, she had shown no sign of peculiar regard in his favor. It was clear now that her behavior in allowing his attentions was all the sign of regard that would be proper. He reflected ruefully that perhaps he had expected more from her because he had become accustomed to ladies making their ambitions towards him obvious. Had Miss Bennet done anything more in Hertfordshire to show her feelings, he would have censured her for making an indelicate display of regard and likened her to those ladies whom he so despised. And yet he had admonished Bingley for not following those same principles that he so disdained in women who pursued him, by not choosing a bride who would improve his own situation.

But as Darcy now reviewed Bingley's entire relationship with Miss Bennet, he knew she was no fortune hunter. Bingley had always sought out her company, never the reverse. He had started every conversation, and initiated every contact with her. She had always behaved as she ought. And Darcy could now perceive that he had based his previous opinion upon her failure to behave in a manner that he despised. He considered her situation in life and how favorable a match with Bingley would be for her. He could not fault her for considering the advantages to herself and her family of the match - as he himself had criticized Bingley for not taking the very same considerations into account. Perhaps the advantages to her in marrying Bingley made the match a happier one for her, but he now believed that she would not enter into such a marriage, no matter how favorable, without some feeling of affection. And he had seen sufficient proof of that affection last evening in Miss Bennet's behavior as well as Elizabeth's. He had also seen it during his two visits to Gracechurch Street, yet he had then been reluctant to acknowledge it.

As for Darcy's other objections to the match, he could not discard his opinion that Bingley's choice was an imprudent one. But Georgiana's view of the matter had impacted his own. In the end, he was pleased that his friend would be happy and he acknowledged his own envy of that happiness. He concluded that he could explain his objections to the match to his friend in terms no plainer than he had already done. And he conceded that the disadvantages of the connection could not be so great an evil to Bingley as to himself. With this disconcerting realization all thought of Bingley and Miss Bennet was abandoned, as his mind again fixed on his Elizabeth and the words of his sister again struck him forcibly. His inclination towards Elizabeth was strong. And he began questioning his long-held conviction that he could not marry her, in light of his sister's observations.

Could he marry her in spite of her unsuitability? He knew he would be happy with her, but would such happiness be worth the justified censure of his family? Could he disoblige them for the sake of his own feelings? Would it be worthwhile? The answer to these questions came to him with surprising clarity in the form of an unqualified, resounding 'yes.' Then he thought of her family. Could he tolerate her mother? Her younger sisters? Pemberley was far from Longbourn to be sure, and this was a favorable consideration, but some intercourse with them would have to be tolerated. Then there were her relations. The Philipses he discounted, as they would only be seen during visits to Hertfordshire and would never travel to Pemberley and it was unlikely they would even go to London. As for the Gardiners, the fact that he had met them and liked them was in their favor, but the situation of neither uncle could be overlooked.

Then there was his family. Lady Catherine would be incensed, and doubly so as she would not only object to Elizabeth but she would be disappointed by his failure to marry her daughter, Anne. The latter consideration would elicit her disfavor no matter whom he might marry. But, eventually once she resigned herself to the impossibility of a marriage between himself and Anne, she might come to accept Elizabeth. In all likelihood, she would be prevailed upon, in the end, to follow her brother's lead. How much his uncle, the Earl of -----, might wish him to marry Anne Darcy could not say; but that he would be made unhappy by an alliance with Elizabeth was beyond any doubt. Could he be prevailed upon, though, to notice her as his wife, or would he cut off the connection completely? Perhaps once his uncle met Elizabeth, he would be charmed by her. Darcy smiled as he considered this. His aunt, Lady -----, would certainly like her and her uncle probably would as well; but this did not mean they would approve such a connection with her. He considered the idea further and concluded that it could only work in her favor if they were already acquainted with her and liked her. Yes, his aunt and uncle must meet her. They were in town at present. He would have a dinner and invite them all. As for Lady Catherine, he knew she would soon meet Elizabeth in Kent.

His arrival at his club brought a welcome distraction from his troublesome meditations and he spent the next few hours engaged in conversation and other gentlemanly pursuits with his peers. At last, he went home for dinner, arriving shortly before Mr. Bingley. The latter immediately sought him out for an opportunity to converse privately.

Bingley began by asking Darcy about how he had enjoyed the previous day's dinner in Grosvenor Street. Then he quickly turned the conversation to Darcy's impressions of Miss Bennet. Darcy gave his opinion honestly, assuring his friend that he was now convinced that she cared for him. Bingley was understandably pleased by Darcy's change of opinion.

"I am glad to hear that you have seen it too. I had thought that I might be seeing more than what was really there because I wished to; but I must say I could have little doubt of her affection after seeing her today."

"You have been to call at Gracechurch Street today?" asked Darcy with an interest that his friend mistook for disapprobation.

"I know it is rather soon after seeing her last evening, but when I went to see my sisters Mr. Tilney was there and he expressed a desire to further his acquaintance with the Miss Bennets."

Darcy was astonished. This was an unexpected blow. "Mr. Tilney called on them with you?" he asked trying to mask the concern in his voice.

"Yes, we walked out in the park with Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth."

After a momentary pause, he said quietly, "I trust you had an enjoyable visit?"

"Yes I confess that I did," replied Bingley with a smile.

"And, Mr. Tilney?" asked Darcy tentatively.

"I believe he enjoyed himself very well. He seemed quite delighted with Miss Elizabeth's company."

"I am sure he was," said Darcy flatly.

Bingley again mistook his friend's reaction and said, "what is it that causes you to dislike her so, Darcy?"

"I do not dislike her, Bingley," he replied. Then looking at his watch he observed that it was time to prepare for dinner and fled the room.

Later that evening, Mr. Darcy advised his sister of his plans to host a dinner on the following Tuesday evening and asked her to invite their uncle and aunt, as well as the Gardiners and the Miss Bennets, and a few other acquaintances of theirs. She thought the task of organizing the dinner a little daunting but he assured her that she would have no trouble with it, and that if she required any assistance, he would oblige her.

Elizabeth awoke that same morning to the warm feeling of being assured of her sister's happiness that she had brought home from the previous night's dinner party. Mrs. Gardiner was happy to see both her nieces in such good humour when they all met in the drawing room. The three ladies went to a couple of shops before breakfast and then settled down to a morning of work and conversation afterward.

"Did you girls enjoy the dinner party yesterday evening?" asked Mrs. Gardiner. "Neither of you said more than a few words about it on the drive home."

Elizabeth looked to Jane with a broad smile and watched as her sister turned pink under her gaze. "I believe Jane had a delightful time, Aunt."

"Indeed, I had a lovely evening," confirmed Jane.

All three ladies were thinking of Mr. Bingley. That he loved Jane was evident enough, but given his past behavior all three felt concern that he might yet not act on his feelings. It was difficult to think so ill of him as to believe that he would show her such particular regard without having any intent of following through. But his prior conduct spoke to the possibility of it. Elizabeth, in particular, was vexed by how easily Mr. Bingley had been influenced by his sisters and hoped he would not again submit to their persuasion. However, she laid more guilt on them for their officious intervention and apparent disdain for their own brother's feelings than on him for possessing the weakness that allowed him to be swayed.

Mrs. Gardiner recognized there was not much more to say regarding Mr. Bingley, and until he declared himself there would be doubt and uncertainty brought on by his prior inconstancy. In truth, she preferred to discuss Mr. Darcy. She had witnessed some things the previous evening that had confirmed her conviction that he was in love with Elizabeth. She had seen his interest in Elizabeth's conversations with Mr. Tilney and his movement to a different chair with a better view of her when she played, and she had noted that he spent much of the evening by her side.

"I believe you had a pleasant evening as well, Lizzy, and received your share of attention," said Mrs. Gardiner.

Elizabeth laughed. "Yes, I did enjoy the company of Mr. Tilney a great deal. But do not fear, Aunt, that he shall come to like me too much."

"I do not see why he should not, he seems a very amiable young gentleman. And he did seek out your company above that of any of the other young ladies present."

"I believe that may have only been because Miss Grey and Miss Bingley were far more interested in Mr. Darcy's ten thousand pounds a year than Mr. Tilney's pleasant disposition."

"Lizzy," admonished Jane playfully.

"I thought Mr. Darcy was very pleasant yesterday evening," said Mrs. Gardiner.

"Of course Aunt, why should he not have been pleasant? He was, for the most part, among people of greater consequence than he had been used to meeting in company in Hertfordshire; but then you did not see him there and can make no comparison." Then, becoming more serious, she added, "I believe his behavior may also have been influenced by his sister's presence last evening."

"And, how does he seem as a brother?"

Elizabeth was thoughtful for a moment and said, "very solicitous."

"Does that surprise you?"

"I confess that it does. I suppose after meeting her I expected to find him overbearing and to find her always cowering in fear of him. I had thought her shyness might have been the result of his oppression of her. But, on the contrary, his presence seemed to make her more comfortable."

"He seems to be a very good brother, then."

"Indeed, I suppose I must give him credit for that. I even witnessed him more than once say something designed to put her at ease. He was very tender in some of his expressions to her."

"It was very kind of him to ask that she be excused from playing," added Jane.

"Yes, I believe many parents and guardians are overly eager to have their daughters or their charges exhibit their accomplishments," replied Elizabeth.

"And this is what you expected of Mr. Darcy?" asked Mrs. Gardiner.

"Yes, but because I am quite fond of her, I was happy to see him behave with more consideration for her feelings than for disobliging his hostess and her esteemed company."

"I would have liked to hear her play," said Jane, "Miss Bingley says that she performs beautifully."

Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner shared a knowing smile at this evidence that Jane no longer felt threatened by Miss Darcy.

"She did seem positively mortified to play," said Mrs. Gardiner. "If she plays so well, she must know it. I wonder that her shyness could be so severe."

"Mr. Darcy did say she was merely very tired. Perhaps we will have an opportunity to hear her another time," replied Jane.

"Oh no, Jane, I cannot let you continue to labor under the misapprehension that her unwillingness to play was due to mere fatigue. There is much more intrigue here than you know!" laughed Elizabeth.

Jane looked at her expectantly and said, "what other reason could there have been?"

"Miss Darcy became extremely upset only a moment before Mrs. Hurst petitioned her to play and only because Miss Bingley mentioned the name of Mr. Wickham."

"Mr. Wickham? Why would Miss Bingley mention him, and in Mr. Darcy's presence? She knows they are not on friendly terms."

"Yes, and we all know how ardently she endeavors to please Mr. Darcy. She mentioned him, however, to me, expressing her hope that I did not miss his particular company too grievously."

"I wonder why the mention of his name could have upset her so," said Mrs. Gardiner.

"Perhaps it is merely that she knows Mr. Wickham and her brother were once childhood friends who no longer associate," offered Jane.

"I believe it must have been something more than that," said Elizabeth. "You did not see her, Jane. She became quite pale and could only look downward for several minutes. And Mr. Darcy knew it upset her, for he took her hand immediately and ordered her a glass of wine. I even heard him offer to take her home. It was quite strange."

"Did no one else near you notice it?"

"I do not know. I tried to keep the conversation going between myself and Miss Bingley and Mr. Tilney. And since the request for her to play came so quickly afterwards, perhaps others may have attributed her subsequent more reserved demeanor to that alone, for I do not believe she spoke for the rest of the evening except to her brother."

"Well this does add something further to the consideration of how things stand between the two gentlemen," said Mrs. Gardiner. "It is not in Mr. Wickham's favor that a sweet, quiet girl such as Miss Darcy would react so violently to the mere mention of his name and that her brother's only concern would be to comfort her."

Elizabeth sighed. "It is puzzling."

"It is, only if you are trying to reconcile Wickham's tale to what you witnessed yesterday."

"I do not see that Miss Darcy's reaction to the mention of his name necessarily means that he must no longer be believed."

"But Lizzy, what did he have to recommend him other than himself? Nothing. We have already established that his impression of Miss Darcy was inaccurate, and there can be little chance that he was merely mistaken about her disposition."

"When Mr. Wickham related the whole of the story to me, there was no doubt in my mind that he had been telling the truth. He spoke so artlessly, so unceremoniously."

"But consider your own tendency at the time, Lizzy. He was a handsome, good-natured young man paying you particular attention and speaking ill of another man who had slighted you and whom you already disliked. It is no wonder you were so inclined to believe him then, and to overlook the impropriety of such a disclosure upon so short an acquaintance."

Elizabeth sighed in frustration, unwilling to concede that her own judgment may have misled her.

"Consider what you have learned since then about both Mr. and Miss Darcy and about Mr. Wickham himself."

"Yes the indelicacy of his pursuit of Miss King. I have not forgotten."

"It is not merely his pursuit of her that was indelicate, Lizzy, nor even the sudden nature of the transfer of his attentions from you to her. You must consider also that he gave you his particular attention and made evident his admiration for you without ever intending anything more serious. He should have taken more care to repress the expression of his feelings for you if he knew he could not act on them."

Elizabeth laughed. "I fear, dear Aunt, that if all men thought of our eligibility as wives before paying us any attention, then none of us would ever even be looked at."

"I think there is a difference between being friendly with a young lady and regularly singling her out for particular attention."

"Yes, there is a difference," said Elizabeth, glancing at Jane. "But at least Mr. Wickham exhibited some tendency towards friendship. Mr. Darcy never even made an effort to appear satisfied with his company."

"I do not think Mr. Darcy's manners have been so deficient as you have always believed them to be," said Jane.

"Who do you ever believe to be deficient, dearest Jane?"

"I am not so blind as you believe me to be, Lizzy. I agree that he should have danced with you at the assembly and that his behavior was not then what it should have been. But after that his manners improved somewhat. He did even speak to you on occasion. And, since renewing my acquaintance with him here in London, I have found him quite amicable."

"Yes, I confess that his behavior while he was here did improve my opinion of him. But do you not wonder why he came at all? Do you not see that it was only with the intent of preventing his friend from forming an attachment that he deemed imprudent?"

"If that was his design," said Mrs. Gardiner, "then he has failed. But, while I think he was here to protect his friend, I do not think it was as you have described. During his two visits - the first in particular - he seemed as intent on watching Jane as your uncle and I were on watching Mr. Bingley." Jane looked up at her aunt suddenly. "I think he wanted only to see evidence of her attachment just as we hoped to see evidence of his."

"It is more likely that he hoped to see no evidence of it," said Elizabeth.

"My goodness, Lizzy, I do not believe I have ever witnessed you exhibit so immovable a dislike towards anyone. I do not like to see you so unreasonable."

"Unreasonable?" exclaimed Elizabeth. "I have always been an able judge of character."

"So you have, which is why I cannot understand your persistent willful misunderstanding of these two men."

Elizabeth looked sharply at her aunt; Mr. Darcy had identified willfully misunderstanding others as her greatest fault. "And are you so certain of Mr. Darcy's goodness and Mr. Wickham's worthlessness?"

"No, I am not certain of anything. I have too little information for any kind of certainty. But when I consider all of the information I do have that is the most likely conclusion."

"Then let us now identify all the information that we are to consider. Let us enumerate the good and bad aspects of each man, so far as we are aware of them. For it is of great import that we do not err in our judgment of either."

"I know you are not being serious, Lizzy, but I will do as you suggest nonetheless. First, with respect to Mr. Wickham, we know that he is handsome, his manners are friendly and engaging, and he admired you. Have you anything more to add to his list of good qualities?"

"I do believe he was in possession of a modicum of intelligence, Aunt, and let us not forget that he enjoyed dancing."

"You will not take this seriously! I am sure we may assume that both men are intelligent so that shall not be a consideration. And, as one's preference for dancing is not indicative of one's character, that attribute does not hold sway with me."

"Very well, let us now hear of his iniquities for I know the list will be much longer."

"Indeed. We will start with his confiding in you a history of a very personal nature on almost his first meeting with you, including a very inaccurate description of Miss Darcy - in spite of his intimate acquaintance with her family. He then continued to show you particular attention even after he must have learned you could bring very little to a marriage. But he suddenly transferred his attentions to another young lady immediately after learning that she had inherited a large fortune. To this we must add the fact that he told you he would not make Mr. Darcy's ill treatment of him generally known out of respect for his godfather, but as soon as Mr. Darcy left the country he acquainted everyone with the story. Also, I believe he said to you that he did not feel as though he should be the one to avoid Mr. Darcy - since he was the one who had been wronged - yet he purposely did not go to the Netherfield Ball for the particular reason of not wishing to meet with Mr. Darcy. And, finally, we witnessed a violent reaction to the very mention of his name in a sweet and exceedingly shy girl of tender age. You have defended him in all of this, but taken together I think these examples show a pattern of behavior indicative of a deficient character."

Elizabeth said nothing.

"Now with Mr. Darcy, we will begin with his faults. While he was in Hertfordshire, his manners seemed to demonstrate an excessive amount of pride and reserve, and he seemed disdainful of his company. He also refused to dance with you and called you only tolerable. Have you anything to add?"

"Only that he dislikes dancing," said Elizabeth with an impertinent smirk.

"Very well," replied Mrs. Gardiner. "In his favor, we have seen evidence that he is a very good, caring brother to his sister. He also has as a recommendation, the intimate friendship of Mr. Bingley, whom we all like. He was friendly and conversive on his two visits here. Yet he was unwilling to reveal personal details of his history with Mr. Wickham, though he did attempt to warn you against him. He has invited us all to use his box at the theatre tomorrow. Oh, and did you not say he danced with you at Netherfield?"

"What has that to do with anything?"

"You allowed me to list his prior failure to dance with you among his faults and you yourself added his dislike for dancing."

"But what else is one to do at a ball?" asked Elizabeth.

"Would you not have faulted him more if he had failed to attend at all?"

"Very well then, have it as you wish. Is that all I am to consider in his favor?"

"For the present," responded Mrs. Gardiner.

It was at this point that their conversation was ended by the arrival of Mr. Bingley and Mr. Tilney. After spending some time visiting in the house, the four young people went for a walk in the park. Mr. Tilney seemed just as eager as Elizabeth to allow Mr. Bingley and Jane to outstrip them. They both enjoyed the time they spent walking out together. And, for Elizabeth the knowledge of Mr. Tilney's engagement made her more at ease in his company.

After the gentlemen departed, Elizabeth spent some time reading and writing letters and then it was time for dinner. After dinner, the family spent a quiet evening at home together. Elizabeth and Jane enjoyed playing games with their young cousins and telling them stories. It was not until after Elizabeth had retired for bed that she had occasion to reflect on the conversation earlier in the day regarding Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham. Although she had clung to her former opinions when speaking to her aunt, she now began to question them.

The memory of all she had witnessed of Mr. Darcy's care for his sister the prior evening was vivid in her mind. His words, his gestures, his tone of voice had all been full of tenderness and protective concern. She recalled Darcy's comment that soiled skirts were not deserving of ridicule. He seemed to have said it to put his sister at ease, but part of her knew that he intended a reference of her own previous situation. Yet, his words baffled her. Then suddenly a conversation she had with him at Netherfield came to mind. What had he then said? Something about always attempting to avoid being the object of ridicule. She shook her head in frustration; the man was a puzzle.

She recalled, too, his kindness to his sister after her reaction to hearing Mr. Wickham's name. That event was the most troublesome of all to comprehend. Miss Darcy's expression at that moment seemed similar to her expression in response to Elizabeth's own playful observation that she could not be deserving of any censure, only her reaction to hearing Mr. Wickham's name was more severe. But the reaction itself had elements of something more than embarrassment or mortification - Miss Darcy had seemed ashamed. She also recalled how Mr. Darcy had protected his sister from having to play when Elizabeth would have expected him to force her to meet her social obligations. He had even offered to take her home early. All of this spoke of a goodness in him that she had never before had occasion to notice.

Elizabeth had to admit that she liked Miss Darcy very well, and had considered the only regrettable part of an acquaintance with her to be that she was Mr. Darcy's sister. She had been surprised when he had not expressed any sign of disapprobation of their friendship, but instead seemed almost to wish to encourage it. It was clear he took a great deal of care of his sister and would not allow the continuation of a friendship he did not approve.

As for the two gentlemen, Elizabeth did not know what to think. She had liked Mr. Wickham and did not like Mr. Darcy, but she acknowledged that changing her mind about one did not necessarily mean she should change her mind about the other. Yet, she could not stop considering all that Mrs. Gardiner had said about both of them earlier in the day; and she could not help but give some credit to her aunt's assessment of the characters of both men. The good and bad aspects of each man as listed by her aunt reverberated in her mind. When each man was summed up so succinctly yet so comprehensively everything seemed clearer. She finally fell asleep in puzzled frustration over the enigmatic Mr. Darcy.

Chapter 17

The following morning, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley arrived at Gracechurch Street at the earliest acceptable hour to make a call. Darcy had invited his sister to accompany them, but she felt she would be in the way; so she decided instead to make some other calls that she had been putting off. When the gentlemen arrived, Mrs. Gardiner permitted them to walk out with Jane and Elizabeth. This scheme was agreeable to both couples, as it allowed ample opportunity for private conversation.

As they approached the park, Jane and Bingley slowed their steps, allowing Darcy and Elizabeth to outstrip them. When they could speak in relative privacy Darcy said, "I confess I had hoped for a few moments to speak with you privately. There is much we have to discuss."

"This sounds very serious," said Elizabeth playfully.

Darcy smiled. "Well, the most important matter at present is for me obtain your father's consent. I shall ride to Longbourn tomorrow to speak with him."

Elizabeth's countenance became more solemn. "He is likely to be quite shocked by your application. I had better send a letter with you or he may not believe I have consented. Even then he may wonder if I have taken leave of my senses!" Seeing his expression become even more serious, it occurred to her that she had pained him. "I am afraid I was rather liberal in expressing my prior ill opinion of you; I wish now that my expressions had been more moderate as they are likely to cause you difficulty in speaking to my father."

"Elizabeth," said he, "now that I have gained your consent, I can have no fear of not gaining your father's."

Elizabeth smiled in response to his first use of her given name.  "Are you implying, sir, that I am more fearsome than my father?"

He smiled again. "Not at all. Only that I know he must desire your happiness. If I cannot convince him that your marriage to me will secure it, then you must do so. If he does not give his consent tomorrow, I will simply renew my application once you have returned to Longbourn when he can speak to you about it himself."

"Let us hope that a letter from me will suffice."

"I believe it shall, but I will also do everything in my power to convince him that I will take good care of you and strive to make you happy."

"And I will simply have to praise you to the skies in my letter, to make him forget that I ever said anything to the contrary. Between the two of us, we will bring him around!"

"I am certain of it."

"Though, if you truly wish to make it impossible for him to object, perhaps you ought to make your application to my mother first," said Elizabeth with more than a hint of impertinence.

"I believe I would prefer to consult with your father on the matter."

"Very well, have it as you wish."

"Now that we have settled that, there is something else we should discuss."

"What is it?"

"You should be warned that not all my relations will approve of my choice."

Elizabeth was quiet for a moment. She felt she shouldn't be surprised, but somehow she was. She had hoped she would be welcomed by his family. "I see."

"Lady Catherine, in particular, will be very displeased."

"Oh." Elizabeth was surprised he had mentioned Lady Catherine, as she had thought him to be referring to his uncle.

"I only mention it because you are going to Kent next week."

"Of course," replied Elizabeth. She had all but forgotten about her impending visit to his aunt's neighborhood.

"I intend to alter my plans so that I can travel there on the same day as you."

"Surely there is no need for you to do so."

"Do you dislike the idea?"

"Not at all. I would be very pleased to meet you there earlier than we had planned. I simply cannot imagine that our engagement would necessitate such measures."

"I cannot predict how Lady Catherine will react to the news of our engagement; and I cannot expect you to be in company with her, as you undoubtedly would be, for a fortnight without revealing our engagement any more than I would allow you to be in her company for so long with her knowing of it, without the benefit of my protection."

Elizabeth laughed lightly. "Do you truly suppose I would require your protection?"

"I can only hope that you would not. But I cannot say how she will react. It has been my aunt's dearest wish that I should marry her daughter, Anne, ever since we were both infants."

"Oh. I hope Miss de Bourgh will not be too disappointed."

"I do not know whether she will be or not."

"Surely, if her mother has expected the two of you to marry for so many years, you must have some idea of how she feels on the subject."

"We have never spoken of it."

"I had heard once that you and Miss de Bourgh were to be married. Though I suppose my source is not so great an authority on your family as he claimed to be."

Darcy was surprised. "From whom did you hear it?"

"From Mr. Wickham."

"Of course," said Darcy quietly.

"I should not have mentioned him," said Elizabeth, matching his quiet tone.

"No. I am glad you did. There is more about him that you must know."

"Colonel Fitzwilliam told me everything about your prior dealings with him at the ball."

"He did not tell you everything. There are some things he was not at liberty to mention."

"Surely there cannot be anything worse than what he has already disclosed."

"I am afraid there is something much worse. It may be difficult for you to believe, given your former feelings towards Mr. Wickham."

"My feelings? What do you suppose my feelings for him to have been?"

"I cannot know for certain, but I did suspect you to be attached to him."

Elizabeth had been walking with her hand on Darcy's arm and now she brought her other hand to rest upon his arm as well and said, "Please be assured that I was never in love with him."

He covered her hand with his other hand and turned to look at her as he said softly, "I am happy to know it."

"I confess that I was fond of him for a time but I found I could accept it quite well when he transferred his attentions to another young lady."

"I am glad that he did," said Darcy. "Though it proves he is a fool."

Elizabeth smiled. "I do not believe now that his attentions to me were ever sincere."

"I do not know that his attentions were insincere, I am sure he liked you well enough; but I am certain he could not have formed any serious design on you."

"I suppose I do not have a sufficient fortune to induce a man with such expensive habits into matrimony."

"It is a good thing you do not," he said solemnly, "or he might have convinced you to marry him before you ever realized his true nature."

"Yes," she replied. "It is a very good thing that I have no fortune. We must remind your family of all the benefits attendant upon my being penniless when they object to our marriage."

"I am very glad of such a circumstance if it has prevented the unhappiness you would have endured as a result of a union with the likes of him. In some ways you are very lucky not to have a great fortune. My sister has thirty thousand pounds and it very nearly bought her a life of misery."

"Your sister?" said Elizabeth in surprise, "but she is so young."

"That is one of the reasons she was so vulnerable," replied Darcy. He then revealed to Elizabeth Mr. Wickham's attempt the previous summer to elope with Miss Darcy. She was astonished beyond words. Even after everything Colonel Fitzwilliam had revealed to her at the ball of Mr. Wickham's character, she would never have imagined him to be capable of the evil Darcy now described to her.

When he had done speaking, she expressed her astonishment that such a thing had occurred, followed by her compassion for his sister's situation and his own pain that must have resulted from the ordeal. She finished by saying, "I understand now why she became so agitated when Miss Bingley mentioned Mr. Wickham's name the evening we dined at the Hursts."

"That was certainly an ill-judged remark by Miss Bingley."

"I do not believe she would have said it if she'd had any knowledge of the event."

"Perhaps not, but it was nevertheless said with a motive of cruelty. Her only object was to discompose and embarrass you."

"And she will never know that she succeeded only in injuring one of her dearest friends."

"Yes, but let us speak no more of such unhappy events." He stopped walking and turned to face her, taking her hand in his. "This is a time for joy and I only wish to tell you all that I feel in my heart."

Elizabeth smiled. "Did not you tell me all of it yesterday?"

"Yesterday, I only made a start."

"Then perhaps I consented to this engagement too soon. I should have liked to hear everything."

"I am afraid that will take a lifetime," he said quietly.

"How convenient that I happen to have one to give you for the purpose."

He smiled. "I have missed you since yesterday."

"We were separated less than twelve hours."

"Did you not miss me, then?"

Elizabeth blushed. "I must confess that I did."

He smiled, then raised his hand to her cheek and whispered, "My Elizabeth."

Her blush deepened. "Mr. Darcy," she said, overcome by the intensity of emotion she saw in his countenance.

Then he contracted his brow slightly and widened his smile. "I just realized you do not know my Christian name." Elizabeth's eyes grew large as she too realized she had become engaged to a man without knowing his given name. "I cannot have you calling me 'Mr. Darcy' forever. That will not do."

"Then what is your Christian name?"

"I am afraid it will not be much of an improvement. It is my mother's family name."

"Fitzwilliam?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Fitzwilliam Darcy." Then she looked at him with that combination of sweetness and archness he so loved, and said with raised brows, "Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy. How well that sounds!"

He laughed lightly. "I believe Elizabeth Darcy sounds even better."

Elizabeth thought about it for a moment then said, "Indeed. You are right, as always."

They resumed their walk and Darcy said, "You must tell me if there is anything that might assist me in speaking to your father tomorrow."

"Perhaps it is Mr. Bingley you should apply to for such advice, sir."

Darcy smiled. "I believe I shall do just that."

"And while you are thus engaged tomorrow, I should like to spend the morning with your sister. Do you know if she has a prior engagement?"

"I believe tomorrow is her morning in. She would like it very much if you would call on her."

"Then I shall do so."

"Perhaps you could stay and dine with her. She would be delighted to have your company and I would very much like to see you upon my return."

"I would like that as well. Besides, my father will undoubtedly ask you to bring a letter to me and this way you will be able to deliver it immediately."

They were soon rejoined by Mr. Bingley and Jane and they returned to the house where Elizabeth wrote her letter to Mr. Bennet, while the gentlemen visited with Mrs. Gardiner and Jane.

Gracechurch Street, London
February --, 1812

Dearest Papa,

I hope this letter finds you and my mother and sisters well. I know you must be surprised by the arrival of the gentleman carrying this letter and by the purpose of his visit to Longbourn, particularly so soon after Mr. Bingley's recent call. I know you must be quite shocked to hear that I have consented to marry Mr. Darcy, in light of my former ill-opinion of him. I have learned to wish that I had not been quite so expressive in the early days of my acquaintance with him. Since coming to London, I have become much better acquainted with him and my opinion has altered so much that I now esteem him as the best man I have ever known. I have also met his sister and she is as delightful a girl as ever there was. She and I have become intimate friends these past few weeks. I expect you will be inclined to believe that I might have consented to Mr. Darcy's proposal only because of his wealth, but I promise you that I care nothing for his money. Papa, I would wish you to know that I love Mr. Darcy now as dearly as Jane loves Mr. Bingley. He is not at all arrogant or disagreeable as I once thought. He is quite amiable and I do hope you will see it for yourself when you have gotten to know him better. He is a man of excellent character. He is generous and kind-hearted and intelligent. And he loves me, Papa, which is evidence of his good judgment! Indeed, he has loved me for many months now. I hope that you will accept these reassurances and give your consent to our engagement. I am convinced not only that I will be happy with him, but that I cannot be happy without him. He knows of my prior ill-opinion of him and has suffered enough on that I account, so I pray you will be kind to him and not tease him too much during your interview. Please give my love to my mother and sisters.

Yours, etc.,
Elizabeth Bennet

~

The next morning Darcy set out early for Longbourn. Upon his arrival he was shown into Mr. Bennet's study. Mr. Bennet was indeed shocked to see who had called upon him. He smirked to himself as the thought crossed his mind that Mr. Darcy might have come to ask for the hand of one of his daughters. Then rationality overtook him and he realized that in all probability, Darcy was simply passing through the neighborhood and had carried a letter from Mr. Bingley or Jane even.

"Mr. Darcy. This is a surprise. Please sit down." He motioned to a chair, and Darcy complied. "I suppose you have a letter for me or some such thing."

Now it was Darcy's turn to be surprised. "Indeed I do, sir," he said, removing Elizabeth's missive from his pocket and handing it to Mr. Bennet. "But, before you read it, I should tell you my purpose in calling today."

Surprised to learn that there was a reason for Mr. Darcy's call other than delivery of the letter, he said, "I am all curiosity to learn what has brought you to the neighborhood."

"Sir, your daughter, Miss Elizabeth has agreed to be my wife and I have come seeking your consent to marry her."

Mr. Bennet was truly in shock. He stared at Mr. Darcy for a long moment and then said, "My Lizzy has agreed to marry you?"

Darcy smiled. "She has sir. Perhaps you should read her letter."

"I will read it soon, Mr. Darcy. But first, I would very much like to know why it is that you wish to marry her."

Darcy was a little surprised by the question. Surely Elizabeth's own father must recognize and value her many qualities. "Because I love her."

"I see. And does she love you?"

"Yes."

"Then let us see what she has to say about it, shall we?" said Mr. Bennet as he opened Elizabeth's letter.

~

When Elizabeth and Jane called on Miss Darcy that same morning, they found Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst already with her. She greeted them enthusiastically when they entered and shook Elizabeth's hand with sisterly affection. When they all sat down together, Miss Darcy said, "I am so glad you are both here. Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst have just been speculating about whether Mr. Bingley will have Netherfield newly furnished upon his wedding." Jane looked towards Miss Darcy with interest upon hearing this.

Miss Bingley added, "Our brother mentioned that he was going to talk to a man in the furniture business today, to arrange for them to go to Netherfield together sometime next week. I cannot see anything lacking in the furniture presently at Netherfield, but I believe he feels a sort of obligation to have the place reappointed upon his marriage." She looked to Jane and said, "Perhaps you have spoken to him of your preferences."

"No indeed," replied Jane. "We have not spoken of it at all and I quite agree with your own opinion of the matter. Netherfield is perfectly suitable as it is. There is no need for new furniture."

"Oh but Jane," said Mrs. Hurst, "Would not you like to fit the place up according to your tastes. I insisted on new furniture for Mr. Hurst's home when I was married, but then he hasn't any taste at all. The place was horrid before I became its mistress." She and her sister had a laugh together.

"I see no need to undertake such an expense when the furnishings are neither outdated nor worn," rejoined Jane.

"I am afraid I must agree with Jane," said Elizabeth. "When a home is already comfortable and tastefully decorated there can be no reason for altering it simply to mark the occasion of one's marriage."

Mrs. Annesley spoke up now to say, "When a gentleman alters his home to accommodate his new wife's tastes, it is a testament to his desire to make her in every way mistress of his domain."

Elizabeth smiled, "But when his wife's tastes accord exactly with his own, she has no need to make her own mark upon his home with new furniture. I'd rather think that where there is real affection, a wife's very presence in her husband's domain should be enough to make their home as much hers as it is his."

"I have never seen such a match," said Miss Bingley. "I have never before met an engaged woman who did not have some plan or other for the alteration of her new home."

"Except for Jane," said Elizabeth, smiling at her sister. "And I cannot find fault with her opinion. Perhaps all of your friends, Miss Bingley, find some deficiency in their future homes as Mrs. Hurst did. I am only suggesting that where there is no such deficiency, marriage itself should not be the sole reason for refurnishing an entire house."

"Perhaps you will think differently if you ever become engaged."

Miss Darcy looked slightly mortified by Miss Bingley's comment, but Elizabeth smiled at her, showing that she was only amused by it. Elizabeth was growing weary of the conversation and was glad when an unexpected visitor joined the party. Colonel Fitzwilliam entered the saloon and, apologizing to the other ladies, greeted his cousin by saying he had come to call on Darcy but found he was not at home. "I believe I can guess where he has gone," he said, glancing quickly at Elizabeth. "And so I thought I would at least visit with you for a few minutes while I was here, but it seems I have interrupted your conversation."

"Not at all," said Miss Darcy, "I am always happy to see you."

Colonel Fitzwilliam then looked to Elizabeth so expressively and smiled with such wamth as left no doubt of his good information. She felt herself blush and she looked away from him. He then chose a seat between her and Miss Bingley and said to Miss Darcy playfully, "Please carry on."

Mrs. Annesley then took up the conversation, addressing herself to Mrs. Hurst while Colonel Fitzwilliam said quietly to Elizabeth, "I understand I am to congratulate you."

"I thank you," she said in the same low tone, her blush deepening.

Miss Bingley was surprised by this exchange and wondered what it could mean. But she was soon addressed by Jane, and had to give up listening to Elizabeth and the colonel.

It was not long after Colonel Fitzwilliam's entrance that a Mrs. and Miss Grantley were announced and Miss Darcy asked the butler to show them into the drawing room.

Meanwhile, Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst made ready to depart. "I had hoped to see my brother while we were here," said Mrs. Hurst to Miss Darcy, "Please tell him we expect him for a family dinner this evening, when he returns."

"Oh," said Miss Darcy. "I believe he is to dine with us this evening. The Miss Bennets are to remain here until dinner and the Gardiners are to join us later."

"I see," said Mrs. Hurst, looking sideways at her sister.

"Perhaps you could join us," said Miss Darcy quickly. "We would be delighted if you would return and dine with us."

Mrs. Hurst accepted and reminded Miss Darcy that Mr. Tilney was still residing at her home. Miss Darcy assured her that he would be a welcome addition to the party. With that Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley left the room just as Miss Grantley entered it with her mother. Elizabeth was pleased for the opportunity to meet another one of Miss Darcy's friends. Elizabeth found her to be a pleasant, quiet girl who seemed to be a good friend to her future sister; and her mother was a polite, sensible woman of good conversation and breeding. They spoke of music and books and mutual acquaintances for about half an hour before Mrs. Grantley and her daughter took their leave with a promise from Miss Darcy to call on them in a few days.

As soon as they were gone, Colonel Fitzwilliam said, "My dear Georgiana you must forgive me for asking whether I may impose myself upon you for an invitation to dinner this evening as well."

"You know you are always welcome," replied Miss Darcy.

"Very good. I suppose Darcy will not be back very soon if I am correct in guessing that he has gone to Hertfordshire."

"Yes, he has, but he expected to be home in time for dinner."

"Then I trust he will be in a very good humour this evening," he replied, glancing at Elizabeth, and causing her to blush once again.

~

Mr. Bennet had read Elizabeth's letter through twice while Mr. Darcy waited and watched, trying to discern the expressions that passed across Mr. Bennet's face, wondering what would be the outcome of this interview. When he finished reading, Mr. Bennet was quiet for a long moment. He was still in shock that his favorite daughter had made such a choice. At last, he said, "It seems she is determined to have you. You must know that she has no dowry. I am prepared to offer you only one thousand pounds, and that cannot be paid until after her mother's death."

"I would not wish to accept anything for her, sir. I am prepared to settle twenty-thousand pounds on her upon the occasion of our marriage."

"That is very generous of you, sir." Mr. Bennet was pleased to hear Mr. Darcy's choice, as it would allow him to augment the portions of his other daughters, who he suspected would not be so lucky in the marriage market as Jane and Elizabeth had been. Then he added, "It makes me wonder whether you do not suspect her motives in agreeing to marry you?"

Darcy made every attempt to maintain his composure, though he was a little affronted by the intimation. He had been preparing himself for just such a suggestion as he knew that some of his friends would inevitably suspect Elizabeth of mercenary intentions, but he had not expected to find such an opinion in her father. "Not at all," was his only reply.

"How can you be so certain?"

"It is not in her nature."

Mr. Bennet smiled. "You have my consent, sir, and I will even go so far as to do you the favor of waiting until you have gone before I share the news with Mrs. Bennet and my other daughters. In return, I will not scruple to ask you to visit with them for a few minutes whilst I pen a response to Elizabeth's letter."

Darcy smiled as soon as Mr. Bennet spoke of his consent. He felt an extraordinary sense of relief and contentment. He happily agreed to spend time in the company of the ladies of the house while Mr. Bennet wrote his reply to Elizabeth. When he joined them in the drawing room, Mrs. Bennet was very surprised that he had called and wondered what could be the meaning of it. The idea that his return to the neighborhood alone and without his friend must be due to his interest in one of her daughters drove away any recollection of her previous dislike of him. She began by asking him his reason for being in the neighborhood and whether he intended to remain for very long, as she considered asking him to stay to dinner. He replied only that he had to return to London by dinner time and deflected further inquiry by speaking of Mr. Bingley's engagement to Miss Bennet. He was relieved when Mr. Bennet reappeared and he could be on his way.

Mr. Bennet walked outside with him and handing him his letter said, "Now be sure you do not go telling all of your other friends in London that I have three more girls here. I do not know that I will be able to give another one of them up this season notwithstanding all this gallantry of riding in from Town to ask for my consent."

Darcy did not know what to say in response to this display of wit. He took his leave of Mr. Bennet with utmost politeness and rode back to London in the best of spirits.

~

Mr. Bingley had returned to the house and after visiting with the ladies, he engaged Colonel Fitzwilliam in a game of billiards until dinner. Miss Darcy received calls from two or three more of her friends during the course of the morning and then spent the remaining time before dinner in the music room with the Miss Bennets. Both Elizabeth and Miss Darcy were anxious for Mr. Darcy to return, but he did not arrive before the appointed hour. When the entire dinner party was assembled, Miss Darcy waited a quarter hour after dinner time, then spoke to Elizabeth about it quietly, "I expected my brother to arrive before now."

Elizabeth could sense that Georgiana was worried about her brother. "I am sure he is well and that there is a perfectly good reason for his delay."

"He said I should start dinner without him if he did not arrive in time."

"So you see, he anticipated that he might be a little late."

Miss Darcy smiled her agreement and led the guests into the dining room.

Darcy finally arrived during the first course. Everyone looked up when he entered the dining room and his eyes immediately found Elizabeth's. He began to make his apologies for his delay when he noticed that there were a greater number of guests in the room than he expected. He was surprised and a little disappointed. He had hoped to have some time to speak to Elizabeth and discuss his conversation with her father, but it did not appear that they would have such an opportunity this evening. He greeted everyone warmly and took his seat at the head of the table. Elizabeth could see from his countenance that everything had gone well.

Colonel Fitzwilliam, however, was apparently not satisfied by his cousin's contented look and was compelled to ask, "I trust your business today went well?"

"Yes, very well," smiled Darcy.

"Then everything is resolved to your satisfaction?"

"Indeed, the matter was resolved exactly as I wished."

Miss Bingley said, "It must have been a venture of some consequence to make you so cheerful."

Darcy looked at Elizabeth as he replied, "Indeed it was."

Mr. Darcy was relieved when Mr. Gardiner introduced a new subject of conversation.

The rest of the meal was uneventful. Elizabeth was seated next to Mr. Tilney and she made every effort to listen to him as he spoke of his sister's impending wedding. He seemed very cheerful about the event. He even expressed a wish that Elizabeth might someday meet his sister as he was sure they would get on very well.

After dinner, Elizabeth was impatient for the gentlemen to return to the drawing room. It seemed to take an inordinate amount of time, but in reality the men returned to the company of the ladies very quickly. Darcy went to Elizabeth's side while Miss Darcy poured out the coffee and tea.

"I trust my father gave his consent?" she said when he approached her.

"He did," said Darcy with a smile. "He sent a letter for you. I have given it to Mr. Gardiner."

"Thank you."

They had no further opportunity for private conversation during the course of the evening, but both were content in the knowledge that their union had received the proper sanction.

When Elizabeth returned home, Mr. Gardiner gave her the letter Mr. Darcy had brought from her father.

Longbourn, Hertfordshire
February --, 1812

Dear Lizzy,

You will be glad to know I was indeed surprised to receive your suitor in my library today. You were wise to send a letter with him, for I do not think I would have been able to take him seriously without it. Indeed, I had half a mind to come to London and speak to you in person to see for myself whether you were in your right mind. But I knew you must be if you had taken the time to write a letter in which you so ably anticipated all of my possible objections to the match. Since I can see that you are determined to have Mr. Darcy, all that is left for me is to hope you know what you are about. So, I have given your Mr. Darcy my consent. Now, if any of those rich men into whose paths you will inevitably be thrown should wish to ride out to Longbourn seeking the hand of one of your sisters, do tell them I am quite at leisure to welcome them! Give my love to Jane.

Yours etc.,

T. Bennet