Page 18 of Lord Lonbourn's Daughter
“Certainly not!” He may have spoken more harshly than necessary, but she was the second person to suggest such a ridiculous notion, and he had to enquire. “Why would you suppose I held any particular interest in Lady Jane?”
“You danced with her at the Longbourn ball, and you have visited their house frequently, even strolled with her family inHyde Park. You cannot expect such marked attention to go unnoticed.”
“I danced with several ladies at Longbourn’s ball,” he objected.
“True, but his lordship was overheard when he urged you to engage both Lady Elizabeth and Lady Mary for a set, while he did not request that you engage Lady Jane, yet you did… Afterwards, you danced every set to disguise your preference for the one you desired. Everyone knows you take no pleasure in dancing, Mr Darcy.”
“A lady’s mind moves at such rapid speed and draws such conclusions as to leave me baffled. I engaged Lady Jane because I was concerned she might feel slighted if I did not offer her a set since I had danced with her sisters. Besides, her father is a friend of mine, and we are distantly connected. I was simply being polite, Miss Bingley. Neither is it true that I do not enjoy dancing. I have engaged you often enough, have I not? I simply prefer to be well acquainted with my partner, to avoid suffering through a half-hour of tedious conversation.”
“Yes, we have a lot of fun at balls, do we not, Mr Darcy? But what should I do to promote my brother? I must admit that I see little preference for Charles in Lady Jane. She smiles and converses easily enough, but you know he can be a little flippant and quickly falls in and out of love. I am concerned he will not be able to secure her before he moves on to his next angel. She is the first titled lady who has shown any interest in him at all!”
“I would think he should wait to see whether his feelings are of some constancy before he proposes to a lady, but if you want to get your own impression of her feelings, you should pay her a call,” he advised the usually so astute lady.
“Would you come with me?” Miss Bingley enquired.
“No, I have no interest in the lady.”
Miss Bingley smiled knowingly and imposed upon his person by laying her claws on his arm. He had better disabuse her of the notion that his disinterest in Lady Jane suggested he harboured the slightest concern for her. “I have plans to visit Georgiana and return to Pemberley.”
“So soon, and when the Season is at its height?” Miss Bingley whined.
“Yes, well. An estate manager has a lot to occupy his time,” he deflected.
“It is a shame that females are deprived of inheriting when there are no male offspring. I wonder who will inherit the earldom of Longbourn? The same goes for the dukedom of Chesterfield. His Grace has no progeny at all, poor man.”
“I suppose there is a cousin who will inherit, but Lady Jane has her own property in Hertfordshire, where the earl currently resides. As I understand it, the earl prefers it to Longbourn Castle, and it is a handsome estate with fertile soil.”
“That is wonderful news indeed. To see my brother so well settled, as a landowner like yourself, Mr Darcy…”
At that moment, Bingley arrived home in an exceedingly good mood.
“Darcy, she sings like an angel! Lady Jane is like a celestial body descended to earth to brighten our lives.”
“Well, I have not had the pleasure of hearing her sing, so I must take your word for it,” Darcy drawled.
“How may I be of service, Darcy, or is this a social call?” Bingley enquired.
“Social. I found myself without occupation,” Darcy admitted.
He could not bring himself to utter his misgivings, not until he was absolutely certain Bingley had a deeper interest in the lady, though there was nothing lacking in his enthusiasm. Miss Bingley was right; Darcy had seen his friend in love more often than not and rarely for long with the same lady. He would tread carefully, which meant he needed to postpone his trip to Ramsgate for a few days.
This proved to be an easy feat when he arrived home and was greeted by a letter from Georgiana. She was thriving in the company of the loquacious sisters. It was disconcerting as he would have guessed she would be as uncomfortable as he in Lady Lydia’s presence.
She was not. She gushed about sea bathing, which she never would have dared to venture into if Lady Lydia had not shown such boldness in the endeavour. Lady Kitty was praising her watercolours, and she had sent him a sample so that he could judge for himself whether she had improved. It occurred to him that despite all the praise he had heaped upon her, it did not hold as much significance as these young ladies’ endorsements.They have stolen her sense of reason!He must visit Georgiana soon…
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A few days later he had lunch with Bingley at White’s, and the aforementioned fellow badgered him into accompanying him home for a short visit to his sisters. Mrs Louisa Hurst and her husband had just arrived in town, and she would be cross if hedid not call and greet them. He acquiesced for a short visit of the accepted fifteen minutes.
The Hursts’ parlour was full of guests. Miss Bingley had paid a call to Bennet House, which was, at that moment, being reciprocated. Two weeks and six days he had managed to stay away, only to have his plan thwarted by his friend’s sister. All his good work, his self-deprivation—for nothing! She was as lovely as ever; lovelier even than he remembered. Sitting so poised and aloof, sparing him not a single glance beyond a curtsey when he entered, which was directed as much at Bingley as himself. What exquisite torture it was to share a room with this woman.
He took comfort in the fact that she was not promoting him as a candidate for her sister’s affection. On this occasion, she lay that honour solely at Bingley’s feet.
He surreptitiously studied Lady Jane, who was reserved by nature. Perhaps she had no interest in either of them. He was glad he had not addressed the situation with Bingley; he would have made a complete fool of himself. He had made it his study to avoid those weaknesses that exposed one to ridicule—most of the time.
Fifteen minutes had somehow become thirty. His legs would not obey his commands to leave until the ladies rose to return to Bennet House—without him having uttered a single word.
Bingley’s sisters gushed over the eldest sister, while the second eldest was not so charitably described and the youngest overlooked entirely. They seemed confident that Lady Jane favoured their brother. He would never understand the workings of a lady’s mind. He had seen nothing that would support their proclamation but bowed to their superior knowledge of their own sex.
