Page 22 of Knowing Mr. Darcy
“If you wish me to read it, then yes, I do. I wish to please you.”
She furrowed her brow, unsure of how to take that. Was it not romantic for a man to wish to please a woman? Why did it therefore make her uncomfortable? She found she had trouble giving Mr. Bingley a direct order, for some reason.
Some princess I should make,she thought.If I were meant to cast my favor from a high tower and tell all the princes in the land that I should marry whosoever found it first, I should be stifled from action by discomfort.
On the other hand, truly, what princess wanted to marry someone on the sole reason that they could find a favor?
It sounded to her like something a man would prize, winning some contest against other men, to win a woman’s hand.
Elizabeth was not sure she wanted to be won.
Well, no, that was ridiculous. Obviously being won was romantic, and she was simply being idiotic about it.
“I don’t wish to force you to do things you don’t want to do, Mr. Bingley,” she said.
He laughed. “But that is what womendoto men, Miss Bennet.”
She grimaced, uncomfortable with that. She only needed to look at her own parents’ relationship to ascertain there was truthfulness to his assertion.
At any rate, when Jane came to her to say that they had finally gotten the carriage, and that they were finally heading home, Elizabeth was relieved. She could not spend another day in bed here.
The carriage ride home proved riveting, for Jane had not told her anything while she was abed. She’d spared Elizabeth any talk of the comings and goings within the house in case it would “upset” her, she said. So, now, withElizabeth feeling better, she could hear the news without upset. Elizabeth was vastly entertained by the idea that Miss Bingley had carried a torch for Mr. Darcy, who was not even remotely interested in her. She chortled in delight as Jane related all the incidents in order.
“And Mr. Darcy?” she asked Jane. “Have you managed to make him fall in love with you, yet?”
“Oh, no,” said Jane with a laugh. “I understand him well, Elizabeth. He cannot marry a woman like me. He knows it. I know it. Even so, he finds me attractive and diverting, and I think he even feels pity for me. There is nothing else there.”
“Well, he’s an idiot, then,” pronounced Elizabeth. “Because any man with a brainshouldbe in love with you.”
Jane rolled her eyes. “You go and say things like that, Lizzy, but you know they are only true to you, not to everybody else.”
Elizabeth wanted to argue that wasn’t true, that Jane didn’t realize what regard she was held in by others, but Jane interrupted her thoughts to inform her there was to be a ball at Netherfield, that Bingley had been somewhat bullied into it by Lydia.
Elizabeth groaned. “Oh, you have been leaving it all out! When Mama was there, what did she say? Was she terrible?”
“I think it can only be a good sign that Mr. Bingley bore it,” said Jane. “He did say something worrying, however.”
“What?”
“He seems like a changeable man is all. He says he devotes himself to things but then changes focus at the drop of a hat. I fear he could do it with you, that is all.”
Elizabeth nodded, taking this observation seriously. “I see. I shall keep that in mind.”
They arrived home to little fanfare, which Elizabeth found confusing, for shouldn’t everyone wish to knew everything that had happened? But instead, the household was in a flurry, because a guest was coming.
It took little inquiry to discover that it was their father’s heir, the man who would inherit Longbourn, a Mr. Collins, apparently. They were even given the letter that their fatherhad read at breakfast to look over.
She and Jane passed it back and forth, reading it through.
Mr. Collins had written of making amends to Mr. Bennet’s daughters, and it took little guessing on their part to determine what he might mean by that. Mr. Collins was coming to their house, to stay a week, in search of a wife.
Elizabeth tried to assure Jane that she needn’t marry this man if she didn’t wish to, but Jane seemed serene about it, already talking about how much better they should all feel if she were to be the mistress of Longbourn.
“Why, if he continues as parson in Kent,” said Jane, “maybe I shall be there with him, even after Papa’s passing. Maybe Mama will be able to stay here as mistress of the house until her death, and then, after that, well, maybe all of us will be married, but if one of us isn’t, it will all be solved. I think it’s quite relieving, if you wish to know the truth.”
“But Mr. Darcy,” said Elizabeth. “What about Mr. Darcy?”
“Mr. Darcy is not going to marry me,” said Jane. “You did not observe us together, Lizzy, and I assure you, I know this to be true.”
