Page 49 of Mr. Darcy and the Mysterious "Miss B"
Mrs Bennet, who had been staring at Elizabeth as though she had sprouted a second head, suddenly leaped to her feet.
“Free to choose? My dear, brilliant girl!” She clapped her hands together. “This is magnificent! Absolutely magnificent!”
“Mama!” Jane looked shocked. “You cannot approve of such deception. Lizzy could be ruined.”
“Deception? My dear Jane, this is strategy. Elizabeth has found a way to save you from an unwanted marriage whilstsecuring herself the finest gentleman in England.” Mrs Bennet’s eyes gleamed with possibility. “Ten thousand a year! And such connections!”
“It is temporary,” Elizabeth said. “A few months at most, then we shall discover we do not suit.”
Mrs Bennet waved a dismissive hand. “Pish! Mark my words, this pretence will become reality before the summer is out. You will be thrown into Mr Darcy’s company for months, attending parties together, playing at courtship…” she turned to Jane with triumph. “And you, my dear, will be free to marry Mr Bingley!”
Jane’s face crumpled. “Mr Bingley wants nothing to do with me, Mama. He left Netherfield believing me to me interested only in his money. He will have no interest in seeing me.”
“Ah, but that is where you are wrong,” Elizabeth said, her spirits lifting. “Mr Darcy has agreed to speak with Mr Bingley, to convince him that his concerns about your feelings were unfounded. That you adored him as much as he did you.”
“But what if he has moved on? Found another?”
“He has not,” Elizabeth said. “Lydia and Georgiana have renewed their friendship and she has spent time with her. Georgiana reports that Mr Bingley is utterly miserable.”
Jane frowned. “How does Georgiana know?”
“The Bingleys and Hursts are staying at Darcy House due to an unfortunate fire at their home. So, Georgiana sees Mr Bingley daily and assures Lydia he is quite miserable and speaks of you at times. You see? There is hope.”
“Hope indeed!” Mrs Bennet exclaimed.
“But if Mr Bingley believed it…” Jane’s voice broke. “If he thought I cared nothing for him…”
“Then Mr Darcy will convince him otherwise,” Elizabeth said with more confidence than she felt. “He owes you that much.”
Mrs Bennet, who had been watching this exchange with growing excitement, bounced in her seat. “Oh, this is even better than I hoped! Both my eldest daughters settled with the finest gentlemen in the county!”
“Mama,” Elizabeth said sharply, “you must understand—this engagement is false. I have no intention of actually marrying Mr Darcy.”
“Of course you don’t, dear,” Mrs Bennet said in a tone that suggested she believed nothing of the sort. “But consider what you gain even if it remains pretence. You will move in the highest circles, meet the most eligible gentlemen, establish connections that could benefit you for life.”
“I do not need connections. I need to save Jane from James Morton.”
“And you shall! But Lizzy, truly—you could not do better than Mr Darcy. Such a fine estate, such a noble bearing…”
“I would never marry him,” Elizabeth said flatly. “We do not suit in the slightest.”
Mrs Bennet smiled knowingly but said nothing more.
A knock at the door interrupted them. Mrs Gardiner appeared in the doorway, her face gave nothing away.
“Forgive the interruption, but Mr Morton has called. Shall I show him in?”
Queasiness swept over her. “Yes. It is time we spoke with him.”
“Uncle Morton is here?” Jane asked.
“Yes, I asked him to come because I wanted to discuss with him what I planned. He must expect a visit from Mr Darcy and he cannot be caught off guard. But now that you are both here, I would like us to speak to him together. I had hoped to convince him James is not who he sees.”
“Ah, Uncle Morton is an amiable man but gullible. He will not listen,” Mrs Bennet said.
“Then we must make him listen,” Elizabeth insisted. Before either could protest, Mrs Gardiner escorted him into the room.
Uncle Morton entered with his usual gentle manner, though Elizabeth thought he looked more frail than usual. His kind eyes moved from face to face, taking in the assembled ladies with obvious confusion.
