Summer at
Pemberley
a Jane Austen fan fiction
by Lucy
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Too potent a
force
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Elizabeth sealed her correspondence to Longbourn, leaned
back in her chair and looked out the window with a sigh of contentment. The
good weather had returned and she felt herself overflowing with energy. She had
not indulged in a long walk in many days and thought the moment propitious. The
majority of the party had been inclined to enjoy the good weather by indulging
in an extensive ride across Pemberley's lands. Only Mrs. Ashton, Miss Bingley
and herself, none being particularly avid horsewomen, had rejected the scheme.
She had therefore spent a quiet morning composing a long delayed response to
her father's last letter. She reported to her father the events and amusements
of their summer party with her customary candor: The successive days of rain
had failed to dampen the general enthusiasm and the party could not have proven
more compatible; even Lord Chiltern, with his amusing and irreverent stories,
was an affable, if not wholly trusted, addition. She had been pleased to see
Georgiana more expansive than was her wont and Miss Bingley less overbearing
than she had anticipated; likewise, she felt her own acquaintance with her
husband's friends of long standing increasing easily and naturally. She could
not recall a summer which had been spent more enjoyably, unless she were to
return to the carefree wildness of girlhood.
Indeed, Elizabeth could not but be pleased with her new
life. She found herself now part of a circle which, while in every manner
superior to that which she had known, felt as well as though it had always been
her own. This sense of place was due, unquestionably, to the devotion of her
husband, and indeed she felt eight months insufficient to discover all within
his character and heart worthy of admiration and adoration; daily she felt privileged
to call him 'husband'. That she knew with certainty that she brought him equal
felicity was a source of great satisfaction. It all would still, nevertheless,
register as unreal, this deep and stirring happiness; for, withal her
enthusiasm for amusement and laughter she was, at core, a skeptic who had never
believed in such manifold happiness, having rarely seen its full manifestation
in her environs. And yet, it was hers now.
She rose from her chair and walked to the open window.
"Ah, my dearest Mr. Darcy," she whispered to herself, as she placed
her hand upon her abdomen and smiled furtively. "If I am not very much
mistaken, I shall soon give you news of your heart's desire and we will have
only to add to our felicity."
Such happy reflections were interrupted when Mrs. Ashton
knocked at her sitting room door. "Do I disturb you, Mrs. Darcy? You
seemed quite lost in contemplation."
"No, not at all," Elizabeth replied with a slight
blush. "I was thinking it a lovely morning for a walk. Would you care to
join me? I should imagine the others shall not return for some time yet."
"We are of like mind. I came to request your company
in the garden."
Parasols collected, the two ladies walked toward the
cutting gardens, where the canopied walk offered a pleasant protection from the
warming sun. After a time spent in observation of the gardens, Mrs. Ashton
inquired whether she might speak of Miss Darcy.
"Of Miss Darcy?" Elizabeth inquired uneasily.
"Yes." Mrs. Ashton's voice had a mellow, rich
timbre that Elizabeth found soothing and immensely agreeable. With an
indication from her hostess that she might, Mrs. Ashton continued. "As you
are certainly aware Miss Darcy has been gracious enough to attend to Mr. Ashton
and I quite diligently since our arrival and we are delighted to discover her
such a very graceful young lady. We had been rarely in her company prior to
this visit. But it is her musical ability which has excited our particular interest."
"She is very proficient and practices most
constantly."
"Mr. Ashton and I are of the belief that she is more
than proficient, indeed that she is uniquely talented. In a few years time she
will quite exceed my own skill, as well as that of most, if she is given ample
opportunity."
"I am afraid I do not understand your implication,
Mrs. Ashton. Mr. Darcy has never spared expense or attentions in regards to
Miss Darcy's London masters or her instruments."
"Please do not misapprehend my meaning or my intent.
She would not be as proficient as she is today if not for the obvious support
and encouragement she has received. However, I believe she requires more
exposure than just an excellent London master to truly achieve her potential. I
do not speak now of technical proficiency, but of musical understanding."
"Pray explain, Mrs. Ashton. What are you
suggesting?"
"I am requesting rather than suggesting, Mrs. Darcy. I
would like to know if, when you have all returned to Town in the autumn, I
might have the honor of inviting Miss Darcy to one of our musical
evenings?" Elizabeth looked at Mrs. Ashton inquisitively. "When we
are in town Mr. Ashton and I host a musical evening most every Thursday. It is
an evening dedicated solely to the discussion and performance of music and
those invited are all of particularly strong inclination and skill."
"You seem hesitant to make this request. May I inquire
why?"
"Certainly. Firstly, I understand that Miss Darcy has not
made her debut, and so I do not know if you allow her to make such evening
calls. Perhaps of more significance, it is commonly held that Mr. Darcy
exercises great caution in his care of Miss Darcy and there are some who attend
these evenings who might be considered unacceptable acquaintances for his
sister."
"I cannot imagine that he would find fault with any
evening in your home."
"I thank you for the compliment, but indeed as it is
an evening dedicated to music there are some who attend who are in fact
musicians by trade, performers who by rights are not at all at the level of
Miss Darcy's notice."
"I see."
"They are all, I assure you, of the utmost
respectability. I believe she would benefit greatly from such evenings. She has
not just technical proficiency, but she senses the music profoundly and
understands it with a depth and instinct I have rarely seen. She can learn much
from others who have more years of knowledge, more practice and more discerning
comprehension."
"May I ask if you have discussed this with Miss
Darcy?"
"That I should wish to invite her, no; I would not
venture such a liberty. But I have described the evenings to her and she
appeared quite interested."
"Mrs. Ashton, coming from one so particularly
proficient, I certainly appreciate your concern regarding Miss Darcy's musical
development. I will happily discuss your kind invitation with Mr. Darcy.
However, I do not presume to interfere in his guardianship of his sister and
whether she will be permitted to attend such evenings will be entirely Mr.
Darcy's decision and his alone."
Mrs. Ashton nodded her head in acknowledgment, before
responding mildly; "I am pleased I have not shocked you by revealing that
we entertain musicians and performers."
"Why should I be shocked? I have never believed that a
person's situation in life can be shocking or degrading, only their conduct and
character can be such and neither has anything at all to do with
situation."
Mrs. Ashton smiled at Elizabeth's response. "May I be
so bold, Mrs. Darcy, as to forecast that you and I shall, with time, become
great friends? The more I speak with you the more I find to admire. Mr. Darcy
is a fortunate man in his choice of wife."
Elizabeth blushed prettily. "Mrs. Ashton," she
responded archly, "I believe the world at large comprehends all the good
fortune to be on my side."
"Perhaps. But I find the world at large generally
deficient in discernment."
Their walk had them now approaching the pathway that led round
to the stables. From here emerged the party of riders, fatigued and slightly muddied,
to be sure, but in high spirits. Mrs. Thorney--generally indolent when indoors,
was incongruently energetic when pursuing outdoor activities--led the group.
She had been bored and impatient during the four days of rain but now that she
could ride again, her best disposition was opened. She was an indisputably
handsome woman, marvelously well formed and with a perfection of complexion and
features not to be gainsaid; she had a mane of wavy, dark blond hair, and
large, round green eyes that dominated her face.
"Derbyshire truly is beautiful country. I feel quite
invigorated after so many days of rain. Can you imagine what it must be like to
reside in one of those sun-drenched countries on the Mediterranean? Someday you
must take me John. Rain is quite oppressive, but the return of sun and dry
weather has quite replenished me," Mrs. Thorney intoned, letting her deep
alto voice trail behind her and catch her companions as they followed her.
"Mr. Darcy, I must compliment your stable. My horse was strong and quick,
but tractable and modest."
Seeing Mrs. Darcy and Mrs. Ashton on the path ahead of
them, Mrs. Thorney immediately rushed to Elizabeth's side and placed her arm
within her own. "Mrs. Darcy! I am determined! You who love the outdoors as
much as I, you really must reconsider and become a more avid horsewoman. When
you visit Alresford Hall I shall not be able to show you even the half of the
countryside if we are on foot and the park itself is of no consequence."
Mrs. Thorney was such a contradiction that Elizabeth could
not determine whether she admired her or not, and yet at moments like this,
when she was radiant with energy after a vigorous ride, Elizabeth found herself
drawn to her. "Mr. Darcy will certainly be pleased if you can succeed in
changing my opinion in this regard."
"Walk with me into the house and I shall begin the
effort! Mr. Darcy has promised us refreshments." Leading Elizabeth
forward, she suddenly began an extemporaneous detailing of her nature, an
inclination which Elizabeth found rather singular. "You think you should
not learn to ride for Alresford Hall's sake only because I have been so idle
here that you cannot trust my participation. I am really not such a weary
creature by nature as I have certainly appeared to you these last days; rather
I am terribly bored by everything a lady ought to do. I think I should have
been born a man. Do I frighten you with such a conjecture? Of course not, you
do not frighten easily. I am so grateful, given that John and Mr. Darcy do
spend a fair amount of time together, that you are not some insipid creature.
But I think I have told you that already. So yes, I think I ought to have been
born a man. Then I might have been as wild as I liked and I would have never
been found lounging uselessly upon a settee as I am so often to be found now.
Why, I could have gone to savage parts of the world just as Lord Chiltern has
done."
Mrs. Thorney's observation was exceptional enough, but it
attained an additional incongruence being expressed by such a strikingly
handsome woman; Elizabeth had never heard anything so remarkable and knew not
how to respond. She was saved from such a task, however, when Mr. Thorney came
to their side and took possession of his wife's arm.
"Come Anne," Thorney said. "She shall think
you mad."
"If my husband already thinks me mad, why ever should
I be bothered if my friends should think likewise?" she replied
petulantly.
"Be not alarmed, my dear," Elizabeth heard Darcy
whisper into her ear as Thorney escorted his wife indoors. "She is infamous
for making such outrageous proclamations after a vigorous ride." Elizabeth
merely raised an eyebrow in response.
Mrs. Ashton, for her part, having witnessed the singular
exchange, could not help reflecting that Mrs. Darcy's words of only moments ago
were effectively proven--only a person's conduct or character could be
shockingÑand she resolved to make every effort to become better acquainted with
this intelligent and warm woman. It was a friendship which could only be beneficial,
both for its inherent pleasure and for strengthening the amicable ties already
existing between her own husband and Mr. Darcy.
After refreshments the party did not remain long indoors.
They changed out of there riding attire, enjoyed an early meal and were all
again walking about the gardens together and taking pleasure in the return of
the delicious summer weather. Darcy, who wished to speak to Elizabeth in
relative privacy, took her by the arm and led her towards the wisteria-covered
trellis, apart from the others.
"Shall we walk this way? I have something to share
with you. May I first observe, however, that you seem remarkably content
today," Darcy said.
"Oh, I am. And you?"
"Also. Indeed, I do not recall the last time there was
so much good cheer here at Pemberley. You have quite altered it, Elizabeth. We
were a bit of a dour lot before you came, I think now."
"Undoubtedly," she replied archly, to which he
merely smiled indulgently. "I think our first summer party is proving
quite successful," she continued. "Even with the rain and Lord
Chiltern's mysterious and determined presence. All our guests appear quite
satisfied, Miss Bingley included."
There was something particularly joyful in Elizabeth's
disposition, and Darcy sensed an added vivacity in her bearing, causing him to
inquire again regarding her remarkably contented humor. With every intention of
saying nothing at all, Elizabeth found herself replying thus: "No it is
not the success of our little party which has me in such good spirits. You see,
my dearest sir, for all the happiness we have enjoyed I begin to suspect that
we will have another cause for still greater joy."
Darcy halted their promenade and stared intently at
Elizabeth. Her eyes were brilliant with anticipation and Darcy felt his breath
catch in his breast. "Are you intimating that you? That we?"
Elizabeth's smile widened and she looked at Darcy with an expression of perfect
joy. He stared at her a moment longer, his own face becoming awash with
disbelieving hope. "But you made no suggestion at all when we spoke of
Jane's situation. What is more, not a fortnight ago I inquired of just such an
event and you said nothing at all."
Sheepishly, Elizabeth responded, "A fortnight ago I
was only beginning to suspect."
"And now are you quite sure?"
"I highly suspect."
"Than it shall be!" he quickly affirmed, as he
squeezed her hand where it rested upon his arm. "But you are a teasing
woman by way of a wife."
"Whatever do you mean?" she replied with a laugh.
"How come you to tell me such news while we walk in
the garden accompanied by at least a half dozen people? How am I to properly
demonstrate what joy this gives me when we are thus attended?"
"I am not teasing, my love, only precipitous. For I
had not intended to tell you at all until I was quite sure. I found the impulse
to share my hope greater than my restraint could bear. But do not fear, at this
moment your eyes are quite eloquently demonstrating your joy."
"Teasing, teasing woman!" He replied emotionally.
"We best walk on and discuss something entirely different or I shall make
a spectacle of us both here in our very garden!" He began walking and
speaking at a hurried pace, all the while stealing glances at her lovely,
smiling visage. "Oh, what I would not give to be alone with you at this
instant! Would it be so very singular if we went inside and left our guests?
How can we speak of anything else! But you say it is not certain? It must be!
It must! How long have you suspected? Elizabeth!" he finally declared in a
fervent whisper, as though within the expression of her name all his formidable
feelings could be contained.
Elizabeth laughed happily. "Shall we discuss the success
of our little party? Shall that be a good distraction?"
Her playful comment returned him to the moment and he
responded in a tone that surprised Elizabeth for its anxiety. "It would
indeed. The success of our party may not yet be assured."
"Why ever not?"
"I had wanted to inform youÑoh, but you have quite
happily distracted me-- that another, far less delightful wish, your wish, in
fact, will soon come to pass, my persistent little wife. I received a letter
earlier today informing me that Lady Catherine and her daughter will arrive at
Pemberley tomorrow week and will remain a sennight."
Elizabeth would have rejoiced at the success of his last
exertion, if not for the grimace that set upon his features, so markedly
different from his joy a moment earlier. "Why such displeasure, such
apparent angst?" Darcy did not respond, rather he made a sort of
frustrated sigh. "Mr. Darcy?" Elizabeth inquired uneasily. "Do
you doubt my ability to act as hostess to Lady Catherine?"
"What a ridiculous suggestion Elizabeth. From where
comes such nonsense on your part?" he retorted disbelievingly.
"Then pray, why such consternation on yours?" she
replied, equally put out.
"I have absolute faith in your abilities, Elizabeth,
but I can no longer say the same regarding my faith in my aunt's good
breeding."
Elizabeth blushed at her mistake. "But surely she will
do nothing to injure us. If she has agreed to come it can only be with just
intent. I can believe her many things, but willfully ill-intentioned I cannot."
"There is something you are not aware of." She
looked at him curiously. "I had arranged a surprise visit: the Gardiners
are to come as originally planed."
"Oh!" Elizabeth's tone was tinged with misgiving.
"Pray, do not come to one of your ill-formed
conclusions regarding the motives of my concern. You know full well that I hold
the Gardiners in the highest regard. Indeed your uncle and I, in particular,
are on excellent terms. I have no qualms regarding the Gardiners; it is, again,
Lady Catherine's reaction I can not vouch for."
"Then pray, do not concern yourself unnecessarily. She
will undoubtedly treat them with her customary condescension; however, my aunt
and uncle, I am quite sure, are too sensible to take offense. They are not, after
all, completely ignorant as to the particulars of the situation."
"Perhaps you are correct and I am anxious for
nothing."
"Why such secrecy? Why did you not simply inform me
that they had agreed to come after all?"
"I wished it to be a surprise as their arrival is
timed that they might be here on Thursday next."
She looked at him, perplexed. "Thursday next?"
Darcy laughed openly. "I did say once that I find your
complete lack of sentimentality charming, but this is perhaps too much!"
"Pray, enlighten me."
He stopped them in mid path and turned to face her; he took
her hand in his and lifted it to his lips. He did not release it once the kiss
was offered, but encircled it tenderly within his own and nestled it to his
waist. Although they could not be heard, the others in the garden noted their
tender position and they became an object of universal observation. Standing in
front of the wisteria-covered trellis, their expressions earnest and warm,
their hands joined, they were perhaps too engaged to consider they looked the
very portrait of distracted lovers.
"One year ago, precisely next Thursday, I walked
around from the stables in a very foul mood only to find a most delightful
apparition in my garden. I think it only right to make some celebration of that
fortuitous day. It seemed to me that could not be done without the Gardiners in
company and so I have prevailed upon them to come to us, if even for just a
short visit. I have a surprise for you and I wished the Gardiners to be a part
of it as well. You will undoubtedly find this all a bit mawkish on my part, but
I felt that the day must be marked." He paused, an expression of
seriousness infusing his face as he increased the pressure on her gathered
hands. He was overcome with emotion as he reflected on what could have been and
what was now to be. When he spoke, quietly, intimately, his voice was rich with
ardor. "I shall be eternally grateful to the Gardiners, Elizabeth, for
bringing you into Derbyshire. After all I had said and done, I do not believe
that I should have ever found the courage to seek you out myself."
"You have never told me that before."
"I confess it now: I was quite resigned to remaining a
bachelor, to loving you faithfully, if hopelessly, in the secrecy of my heart.
And now, you are my precious wife and we are to be, that is we may very well
beÉ" He stopped in mid phrase, his voice immovable in his throat.
"Then indeed we must be immensely grateful!"
Elizabeth's tone was playful, but the expression of her countenance was quite
earnest: she was verily glowing with love and Darcy was so moved--by her
expression, by her earlier disclosure--that there, in the middle of the garden,
with more than one pair of eyes upon them, he nearly kissed her. He bent his
face toward Elizabeth's as she heedlessly raised her own to meet his, and with
eyes arrested and lips slightly parted, they paused and lingered, hovering a
step away from abandon. They would have been made quite uneasy to know how
revelatory was that halted impulse, more indecorous, even, than had they abided
its compelling force. The forsaken kiss floated between them and exposed such
tenderness, such boundless desire as to proffer a quite inappropriate glimpse
of their intimacy. It was only a moment, a seemingly long, stretched moment
before Darcy collected himself and they began to promenade again, but it had not
been missed by any.
"Oh my!" was Mrs. Ashton's succinct and discreet
response, but farther up the garden path, Sir Patrick, honestly fascinated by
his friend's enthusiasm, was not so circumspect.
"I must say," Sir Patrick offered with a chuckle as
he escorted Miss Bingley around the bed of blue-hyacinths. "Darcy is
remarkably besotted with his wife. Will you keep it a secret Miss Bingley if I
confess that I never expected it of him? I suppose I shall grow accustomed, but
at this time it still most entirely surprises me."
"Your secret need hardly be kept safe, sir. I do not
believe there is a one among Mr. Darcy's many acquaintances who anticipated
witnessing him victim of such a fervent attachment."
"Victim? You believe we ought to pity him?"
"Well, at any rate, we must all be surprised."
"I suppose you are correct." They continued to
walk in silence for a time until Sir Patrick remarked: "I thought I
understood that Darcy was staying at your brother's home when he made the
acquaintance of Mrs. Darcy. Is that so?"
"So it was," she replied with barely disguised
displeasure.
"Then you must not have been so very surprised."
"Quite the contrary," she responded in a tone of
effected sincerity. "Now you must promise to keep my secret, Sir Patrick."
"It is done."
"Mr. Darcy was not at all taken with her when he first
made her acquaintance. He was quite dismissive, in fact. Now, are you
surprised?"
"Not at all."
Thinking his reply a slight to Mrs. Darcy's charms, Miss
Bingley urged him to continue. "Pray, why not? Such infatuations are not
commonly immediate?"
"It appears to me you have asked two separate
questions and so I shall answer them as such. I will take your second question regarding
infatuations first. I concur that infatuations are generally quite immediate;
what's more, they are commonly not of long duration. I would argue, however,
that Darcy is not at all infatuated with his wife. I have seen too many
gentlemen infatuated to miss the singular signs of dementia."
"That is very cruel, Sir Patrick," Miss Bingley
laughed.
"Not really, I cannot abide a man infatuated. But
Darcy clearly feels something far more significant. In short, love, of a most
profound and absolute nature. And love is never to be scoffed at; it is too
potent a force to take lightly." He looked at her face to see her reaction
and thought he noticed a passing flinch of resentment.
"And my other question?" she replied collectedly.
"Ah yes. Why was he not taken with her when he first
made her acquaintance? That was the question, correct?"
"Correct. I am all curiosity." Her tone was
sarcastic, but Miss Bingley felt as though she had a true opportunity to
finally understand wherein lay the foundation of Darcy's bewitchment.
"You will need to allow me some liberty of
expression."
"Pray, continue. I am not diffident by nature."
"No, I do not imagine you are. Now, as to the rest.
There are, in my estimation, essentially two types of women. The first group
consists of women whose charms and worth can be fully comprehended and
estimated over an afternoon tea; the second group requires intimacy, time and
intercourse. Mrs. Darcy most definitely belongs to the second group."
"I feel I require more specificity."
"Over an afternoon of tea a gentleman can easily pass
judgment on whether a particular lady is unusually handsome or well-figured;
her degree of elegance is obvious, as is her demeanor in the drawing room and
thus her relative merits as a potential hostess, and a general understanding of
her recognized accomplishments is also easily garnered. He can walk away from
the afternoon with an opinion firmly established. However, women in the second
group may not be so summarily judged because their greatest charm, their
greatest worth, irrespective of their relative beauty or accomplishment, is
their character. And I am not limiting said to the common definition, such as
integrity and morality; in my view, character encompasses also the capacity for
feeling, strength of resolve, a sincerity in ones method of living,
independence of mind."
"So you believe that Mr. Darcy was captivated by his
wife's character alone?"
"Oh no!" He laughed. "If I may be very
indiscreet, were she a plain girl she would not now be his wife. He is, as we
were all just a moment ago most surprisingly witness to, besotted in every
manner in which a man can be besotted with a woman. Her more obvious charmsÑher
pretty face and figure, her particularly lovely eyes and her infectious, captivating
playfulnessÑwere, I surmise, insufficient to excite such extraordinary
admiration. However, over time, as he discovered that this pretty young lady
was in fact as well a woman of impressive character and intellect, that she is
forthright and principled, I think then he found himself besotted with
admiration."
"So gentlemen such as Mr. Darcy are tempted primarily
by character? I find this very hard to believe!"
"Any gentleman will be impressed with a lady who is in
possession of both beauty and excellence of character; I should also add
sincerity. Never underestimate the power of sincerity, Miss Bingley. But a
gentleman of Darcy's caliber will never be won only by beauty."
"Beauty, character and sincerity than."
"Yes. Mrs. Darcy, for her part, is indisputably in
possession of all three. To return to where we began, while character and
sincerity can obviously not be determined over an afternoon of tea, I would
even argue that the perception of beauty will, with intimacy, be affected by
the presence of the former two, as much as it will, I should add, from the
absence. So I am not at all surprised that Darcy was not immediately taken with
his wife. That he is now, is, I suppose, all that really matters to either."
"One would suppose," Miss Bingley replied flatly.
"And how have you come to understand her so thoroughly might I inquire?
You seem to have spent a fair amount of time contemplating her yourself. Do you
admire your friend's wife more than you ought?"
"You willfully mistake the matter. Darcy and I are
quite good friends, Miss Bingley, and I had the pleasure of dining in family on
more than one occasion this past season in London. I was not always available
for some of their larger gatherings, but was, as I said, welcomed at their
table on numerous occasions. I had opportunity, therefore, to converse with
Mrs. Darcy in situations more conducive to real understanding than a large
dinner party might offer. As for the rest, I would venture that there are very few
who understand Darcy, the man, particularly well. I believe that I am one of
those who does, and therefore I am perhaps better able to understand the nature
of his attachment."
He let her ponder his assumptions for a time, before
adding, "I could be quite wrong. Perhaps it was all as simple as the sound
of her laughter or the light in her eyes. After all, a man can never know the
secrets of any heart but his own."
Miss Bingley, somehow displeased with this notion, changed
the course of the conversation: "How odd, sir, that you being such a dear
friend of Mr. Darcy and my own brother being so as well, your paths should have
never seemed to intersect before."
"Not true, I have the pleasure of your brother's
acquaintance these few years now. What is perhaps more striking is that you and
I have not before had the pleasure of acquaintance. But then, I am not often to
the theater, for all I adore it, and perhaps not as often as I ought to be in
the drawing rooms of fashionable ladies."
"And why would that be, sir?"
"I am generally in Ireland or at Blackfall Manor half
the year, Miss Bingley, and when in Town often occupied with Parliamentary
business, which naturally includes evening soirees more focused on the business
of politics than most people strictly of fashion would be interested in
bearing. I fear my life does not allow for excessive indulgences."
"And yet you are here now."
"I thought it right to honor my friend's new wife by accepting
their invitation. Commonly I would now be at Blackfall Manor. And I am quite
pleased that I did consent; I cannot recall when I last had such a pleasant
sojourn, Miss Bingley. Perhaps in the future I ought to think the better of
disallowing such indulgences."
"Perhaps you ought," Miss Bingley replied,
uncertain of whether she wished for the hinted continuance of attentions or
not.
They here turned a corner of the garden walk where they
joined the others and their t?te-ˆ-t?te was concluded.
After so many days relegated to the drawing rooms due to
the rain, the party remained out of doors for a goodly time, retreating indoors
again only in time to dress for dinner. The rest of the evening passed
uneventfully. The doors to the music room were opened wide and the sounds of
voices and instruments drifted into the night air, where, in the darkness, a
number of servants sat and enjoyed the performances of the mistress and her
guests. Mr. Ashton requested that Elizabeth sing a duet with himÑa pretty little
Scottish air. As Elizabeth sang in her customarily unaffected and captivating
manner, the corners of Darcy's mouth quivered in an effort to retain the smile
that struggled to have its moment and Sir Patrick found he could not resist the
temptation to tease his friend. Throughout the evening Darcy had been almost
entirely silent, speaking no more than a dozen words, but with a look of such
palpable contentment gracing his mien as to confound conjecture regarding the
cause of such silence.
Sir Patrick approached him and whispered: "Darcy, what
I would not give to know what passes through your mind and gives you such a
singular air of arrogant bliss." Darcy made no reply and simply took a sip
of his port. "It must be the fair performer. You have become so very
predictable, my friend, if not yet quite as tedious as Apollo in pursuit of
Daphne."
Darcy turned and looked at his friend. "Sir Patrick, I
seem to recall you had significantly more wit than this. When did you become
such an absurd, unsophisticated fellow? Mind your own interests and leave me to
my own," he replied haughtily, waving his hand dismissively.
Sir Patrick was profoundly delighted to see that love had
not made his friend too forbearing; such a change would have been perhaps too
much to comprehend.
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