Pride Prejudice and Perjury

Fairfield Gardens

Chapter 2 ~ Fairfield Gardens

Charles Bingley had kindly offered his carriage to transport Kitty home to Longbourn and return to London with her older sister. In the short time afforded Elizabeth to question Kitty concerning arrangements at the Bingley residence at Fairfield Gardens, she learned that Mr. Darcy and his sister were in town and dined there often; and that the hospitality was returned with frequent invitations to Mr. Darcy's residence at Grosvenor Square. Caroline Bingley, who had been staying at Fairfield Gardens, had that very morning removed herself to the Hursts'. To avoid being in the same house as me, thought Elizabeth, and not without a sense of relief. But how would she endure being once more in Mr. Darcy's company?

As it transpired, Elizabeth had nothing to fear, for Mr. Darcy had evidently determined to avoid her. On the day following her arrival in town, Elizabeth was sitting with Jane in the morning room when the servant entered with a message for his mistress. “My goodness, how very peculiar,” said Jane.

The message was from Miss Darcy, expressing her deep regret that she and her brother would not be able to keep a long-standing engagement to dine with them that day, on account of some urgent business which had unexpectedly arisen.

“Such as my arrival,” said Elizabeth.

“Nonsense, Lizzy,” replied Jane. “Why should it have anything to do with you? It is most uncharacteristic of Mr. Darcy to cancel an engagement at such short notice; something very serious must have arisen that demands his immediate attention.”

“And would prevent Miss Darcy, also, from dining with us? I think not.”

“I am certain that you are wrong, Lizzy. Our mother was so eager to have you come to town that Kitty's departure and your arrival all occurred exceedingly quickly; no one but ourselves can even be aware of it. Mr. Darcy cannot yet know that you are in town.”

“Caroline Bingley knows,” replied her sister; “she must have communicated the news to Grosvenor Square.”

“Lizzy, you are making not the least bit of sense. Why should Mr. Darcy wish to avoid you? It is very nearly a year since you refused his offer of marriage in Kent. Surely you cannot believe that he still bears you so great a resentment that he would avoid dining with his closest friend. And remember – he came with Charles to wait on us at Longbourn upon their return into Hertfordshire, and accepted our mother's dinner invitation. If I recall correctly, he was entirely polite and civil towards you at Longbourn. Has something occurred since then which could have caused him to wish to avoid your company?”

Elizabeth decided that the time had come to confess the whole of her history with Mr. Darcy, both in Kent and in Derbyshire. Elizabeth concealed nothing, nor did she scruple to hide the details of the part Mr. Darcy had played in attempting to separate his friend from Jane, or how he had colluded with Bingley's sisters to conceal from him her presence in town the previous winter.

Jane sat silently shaking her head, occasionally gasping with surprise as her sister opened her heart to her. When she was finished, Jane said, “In light of what Mr. Darcy has done for our sister, Lydia, I cannot remain angry with him for his efforts in endeavouring to keep Charles and myself apart. Yet how strange it is that he was entirely powerless to overcome his feelings for you – and in fact paid you his addresses in Kent – when the very same objections he enumerated to you, compelled him to do everything in his power to prevent Charles from marrying me.

“And from what you now tell me of what transpired in Derbyshire, it seems that even your ruthless rejection of his suit in Kent was forgiven – that he was on the point of paying you his addresses a second time. It seems certain that his reason for riding to Lambton on your final morning there was to do just that; and had you not, on that very morning, received my letters with the awful news concerning Lydia, he would again have asked you to marry him.”

“Yes,” agreed Elizabeth, “it does seem probable. I have thought it over a great deal, and for a gentleman to come calling upon a lady staying at a public inn strikes me as peculiar, unless there be some particular purpose – to introduce his sister and have her issue an invitation to dine, for example – as was the case two days earlier. Furthermore, if it were merely a social call, his sister, whose acquaintance with myself he was at pains to forward, would have accompanied him.”

“However,” added Jane, “if his intention was to pay you his addresses, Mr. Darcy would have come alone; and had he found you in the company of others, he would doubtless have proposed a walk or some similar device in order to detach you from them and provide an opportunity for a tête-à-tête.”

“Yes. When I consider that we were, in fact, engaged to dine at Pemberley later that very same day, where there would be ample opportunity to converse – albeit not privately – the idea that he should come in the morning simply to pay a social call does not answer.”

“I quite agree,” replied Jane. “His purpose, almost certainly, was to pay you his addresses a second time. And do you know how you should have answered him?”

“Indeed I do. I was beginning to suspect it to be his intention, ever since our first meeting at Pemberley, when his behaviour was so altered, and he spoke of his desire to introduce his sister to my acquaintance. I was determined not to be surprised a second time.”

“You would have accepted him, I think?”

“Yes, I believe I would,” replied Elizabeth, giving a long, heartfelt sigh.

“Do you think he subsequently changed his mind on account of Lydia's elopement with Wickham?” asked Jane.

“At first I was certain that Lydia's disgrace must end all my hopes. How could so proud a man associate himself with such a family? However, when later the elopement was mitigated by marriage – though Mr. Darcy was familiar with all the details – I thought perhaps his dignity might be assuaged. But then there was the connection with George Wickham – how could I have expected Mr. Darcy to join himself with a family so intimately connected with a man he must detest and revile to the very depths of his soul?”

“But Lizzy, surely all the trouble and expense Mr. Darcy undertook to bring about the marriage cannot have been solely out of concern for Lydia, or even his professed guilt at having failed to inform the world of Mr. Wickham's black character. From what you now tell me of our Aunt Gardiner's letter to you, relating all the details concerning what Mr. Darcy has done for our sister – and of her conviction that in fact it was all done for you – I find I must concur with our aunt. Notwithstanding the history of Lydia and Wickham, he must still wish to marry you!”

“I will confess that at one time I did believe that regardless of everything, his affection for me had survived. Yet on the two occasions that he came to Longbourn with Bingley I was greatly vexed by his reserved behaviour; he hardly spoke, and seemed so grave and aloof. I wished to believe that his apparent coldness was on account of his uneasiness in the company – our mother took every opportunity of making him feel unwelcome.

“If his purpose in accompanying Bingley into Hertfordshire, and then joining him in visiting and dining with us at Longbourn, was on account of what he felt for me – which I consider most probable – then perhaps the very strength of those feelings caused him embarrassment, and gave the false impression of indifference. I may tell you that my own giddy emotions had just that effect upon me.

“On both occasions I had great difficulty settling it in my mind what were his true feelings for me; my surmises swung constantly, and wildly, from one extreme to the other.

“You may recall that soon after the dinner at Longbourn, Mr. Darcy departed Hertfordshire for London, with the stated intention of returning within ten days. I resolved that if he did not keep his undertaking then I would know how to understand it; I would relinquish every expectation, every wish for his constancy – and as you know, he did not return.”

“I wonder why?” pondered Jane. “What you have said thus far convinces me that despite everything, Mr. Darcy wishes to marry you. I must tell you that he behaves with the utmost courtesy and kindness towards me; it is more than simply good manners or gallantry; I believe he truly respects and likes me. He has evidently overcome all the objections that formerly prompted him to separate Charles from myself; so he must likewise have overcome the same objections regarding you. Something must have happened to make him change his opinion of you. Whatever can it be?”

“The interference of his meddling aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, I suspect,” said Elizabeth harshly, before proceeding to reveal the substance of her conversation with Lady Catherine at Longbourn. Jane was shocked at the confrontational nature of the meeting; however, her alarm at Elizabeth's outspoken defiance before so great a lady was tempered by a sense of admiration at her sister's courage.

“And having failed to prevail upon you, Lady Catherine immediately proceeded to London, and there endeavoured to persuade her nephew?”

“Yes,” replied Elizabeth. “And evidently, she succeeded. She is a clever woman, who knows her nephew, and how to appeal to his pride and his notions of family dignity. She will have enumerated each and every one of our connections who are so far below his own; made much of the shameful circumstances of Lydia's elopement with the lowly son of his late father's steward; and will, doubtless, have delivered a flaming representation of my own character and behaviour.”

“Are you quite certain that she was successful in prevailing upon her nephew? If he were truly in love with you, would he have been swayed by such arguments?”

“Oh yes, Jane, his every action – or lack of action – speaks of it: his failure to return into Hertfordshire and his continued absence from the neighbourhood. He came neither to congratulate his friend after your engagement was announced, nor to lend his support during the season of courtship. I can only wonder at the generosity of your husband in forgiving Mr. Darcy such indifference and discourtesy.”

“Charles has a very forgiving nature, and he was far too happy at that time to be upset at anyone or anything. I do believe that his attentions were so occupied with myself that he thought of very little else,” said Jane with a smile. “And Mr. Darcy did come back to Hertfordshire – albeit very briefly – for the wedding, to stand up with Charles.”

“His visit was brief indeed: he arrived barely in time for the ceremony at the church, and left immediately the service was over – not even staying for the wedding breakfast. What extraordinary behaviour for a groomsman!”

“I do not know what excuses Mr. Darcy made,” said Jane. “Charles was certainly astounded at the time; the departure was entirely unexpected. Charles had understood that his friend would remain at Netherfield Park for several days, at the very least.”

“I can tell you exactly when Mr. Darcy changed his plans. It was at the end of the wedding ceremony in the church at Longbourn. As I was turning to follow you and Charles from the church, Mr. Darcy was likewise turning. Until that moment he had managed to avoid me. We found ourselves facing each other across the aisle and our eyes briefly met. The blood rushed to his face, which was fixed in a resolute mask of haughty disdain. Though it lasted but a moment, before he turned his face from me – I am still unable to banish that awful look of cold revulsion from my mind,” said Elizabeth, slumping back in her chair, tears seeping from her closed eyes, as she struggled for breath.

Jane was immediately on her knees before her sister, taking Elizabeth's hands in her own, attempting to console her. She finally appreciated the true depth of her sister's attachment to Mr. Darcy, and how grievously she had suffered for it – and continued to suffer.

“Oh Lizzy, how entirely horrible it must have been for you. However have you been able to endure it all? And without me to console you? I feel so guilty for having neglected you in all the excitement of my marriage. And then I departed for London, leaving you to bear it all alone, while I was here in town, so joyful and happy.”

Elizabeth forced herself to smile. “My dear Jane, you are too kind! You must not blame yourself for being happy when you were entirely ignorant of what I was feeling. And you did not leave me – it was our mamma's doing. She prevented me from coming to town with you because she wished to find me a husband. In any case, it would have been unbearable to have been here in London at that time – with Mr. Darcy – even though he would have avoided me as it appears he is now resolved upon.”

“And now you shall have to bear it,” said Jane sympathetically. “I know! The weather is becoming warmer. I shall consult with Charles to see if we can bring forward our wedding tour. That way, we shall be removed from London and Mr. Darcy. I dare say that it will save a good deal of embarrassment all round.”

“No, Jane, I forbid it! You must not alter the arrangements for the wedding tour on my account. It is by no means warm enough, yet, to set out – there will still be many days that are too cold for comfortable travel. I say this as much for myself as for you and Charles. I am so looking forward to our tour of the Lakes – what a shame it would be if the weather were inclement and spoiled our sightseeing.”

“I fear you will not be happy here in town, Lizzy, and it grieves me.”

“Do not grieve for me, dear Jane; I am resolved to be entirely contented. It is several months since I last saw Mr. Darcy, and I am now reconciled to the loss of his regard. I do not mean to spend my entire life lamenting him. He is the good friend of your husband, and as I hope to be often in your company, it is inevitable that we must sometimes meet. I am determined to bear such occasions with equanimity and good grace; and I expect nothing less from a man of Mr. Darcy's breeding.”

“Of course, you are quite right, Lizzy. If this cancellation is on your account, as I am now convinced it must be, I am sure Mr. Darcy will think better of it the next time, and behave more sensibly. It would be very sad if your presence at Fairfield Gardens made it awkward for Charles and Mr. Darcy to meet – or for his sister, Georgiana, and myself; for I have become most fond of her.”

***

Observing Elizabeth closely, Jane could readily discern that though her sister smiled and tried bravely to conceal her pain, that confidence and liveliness she so admired in her was absent. Intent upon distracting her, she proposed that they sample some of the amusements of London. Elizabeth was not greatly interested in the fashionable shops of The Strand, Pall Mall, or Bond Street; but she was eager to visit the Temple of the Muses, a book emporium in Finsbury Square, which she had heard stocked a prodigious number of titles at most reasonable prices.

***

After perusing the shelves at length, Jane and Elizabeth seated themselves in one of the lounges provided for customers to scrutinise potential purchases. Elizabeth was inspecting a volume of poetry when Jane, who had been surreptitiously surveying the fashions of the many young ladies present, suddenly rose to her feet and waved to an acquaintance.

Looking up from her book, Elizabeth apprehended Georgiana Darcy approaching them, accompanied by her companion, Mrs. Annesley. “I did not know you were in town!” exclaimed Georgiana in obvious delight. Clearly, her brother had not confided his intelligence of Elizabeth's arrival at Fairfield Gardens in his sister; although, from the embarrassed manner in which she spoke of her regret at Miss Bennet's sudden and unexpected departure from Derbyshire the previous summer, it was evident that she knew something of the scandal involving Lydia which had precipitated it.

Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth felt certain, would not have wished to venture upon that subject with his sister on account of the involvement of Mr. Wickham and her own painful history with that gentleman, in very similar circumstances. However, Caroline Bingley, even had she been aware of the prior incident involving Miss Darcy, would have scrupled not to spare her the least sordid detail of the affair involving Lydia; doubtless embellished with a contemptuous account of the Bennets, their lack of propriety, breeding, and connections.

It was evident from Georgiana's behaviour that any such exertions on the part of Miss Bingley had been wasted. Her affection for Jane was unmistakable, and she appeared equally warmly disposed towards Elizabeth – although there was some measure of confusion, perhaps on account of the expectations that had arisen in her mind in Derbyshire, concerning her brother and Miss Bennet. Georgiana was delighted to learn that Elizabeth would be staying with Jane for some time, and expressed a desire to be often in their company. It was evident that a warm friendship had developed between Georgiana and Jane, for there was none of the shyness Elizabeth had observed in Derbyshire.

Georgiana expressed her regret at the unexpected cancellation of the previous day's dinner engagement. Elizabeth detected some discomfort in her apology, and surmised that she was not privy to her brother's reasons. Jane invited Georgiana to wait on them the following day and she accepted the invitation eagerly. “It will be delightful to be in the company of you and your sister. I am desperate to seek your guidance and advice on how I must behave at Lady Netherby's ball, in two days time, for I am feeling most anxious.”

Jane took Georgiana's hand and smiled. “It will all be well, I am certain; and both Elizabeth and I will be there to support you, my dear. I wrote to her ladyship to inform her that my sister Kitty would not be able to attend, as she returned to Longbourn, but that another of my sisters would come in her place. Lady Netherby replied at once, inviting Elizabeth to attend the ball.”

“And I must tell you, my dear,” confided Elizabeth to Georgiana, “that I, too, am nervous at the prospect; for though I have attended balls at the Assembly Rooms at Meryton, I have never, in my life, attended anything so grand as a London ball – and I believe that Lady Netherby's balls are quite famous. I do believe that the ball Mr. Bingley gave at Netherfield Park is the very pinnacle of my experience.”

“Where you danced with my brother,” replied Georgiana with a shy smile. “He spoke warmly of the grace of your performance, and of the happiness it gave him to dance with you. It surprised me greatly, as I had always believed him to disdain the amusement. Perhaps I shall have the pleasure of seeing him dance with you at Lady Netherby's ball?”

Elizabeth blushed deeply at Georgiana's suggestion. The conversation concerning their dancing together at Netherfield Park was likely made while Elizabeth was in Derbyshire, when Mr. Darcy had behaved with such amiability and generosity – both towards herself and to her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner. It was evident at the time that he wished for Elizabeth and Georgiana to think well of each other, that they should come to love each other as sisters. Elizabeth felt certain that whatever it was that had caused Mr. Darcy to change his mind, and set his heart against her – be it the words of Lady Catherine, or something else entirely, that Georgiana was completely ignorant of the matter.

Wishing to hide her embarrassment, Elizabeth asked, “But why are you nervous about attending Lady Netherby's ball? Is it your very first ball?”

“Yes,” sighed Georgiana, “indeed it is, and if it depended upon my wishes only, I should not go at all. But my brother has hinted that he considers it is time for me to come out into society, and though he would never insist upon it, I know it must give him great pleasure, particularly as Lady Netherby's son, Lord Netherby, is a particular friend of his; he has asked me for the first two dances, to open the ball.”

“Good gracious, it is hardly surprising, then, that you should feel anxious,” said Elizabeth, taking Georgiana's hand in hers and smiling sympathetically. “But I am sure you will carry it off with dignity and poise.” Secretly Elizabeth wondered how she, herself, would manage to sustain those very qualities in the company of Miss Darcy's brother.

Charles Bingley had kindly offered his carriage to transport Kitty home to Longbourn and return to London with her older sister. In the short time afforded Elizabeth to question Kitty concerning arrangements at the Bingley residence at Fairfield Gardens, she learned that Mr. Darcy and his sister were in town and dined there often; and that the hospitality was returned with frequent invitations to Mr. Darcy's residence at Grosvenor Square. Caroline Bingley, who had been staying at Fairfield Gardens, had that very morning removed herself to the Hursts'. To avoid being in the same house as me, thought Elizabeth, and not without a sense of relief. But how would she endure being once more in Mr. Darcy's company?

As it transpired, Elizabeth had nothing to fear, for Mr. Darcy had evidently determined to avoid her. On the day following her arrival in town, Elizabeth was sitting with Jane in the morning room when the servant entered with a message for his mistress. “My goodness, how very peculiar,” said Jane.

The message was from Miss Darcy, expressing her deep regret that she and her brother would not be able to keep a long-standing engagement to dine with them that day, on account of some urgent business which had unexpectedly arisen.

“Such as my arrival,” said Elizabeth.

“Nonsense, Lizzy,” replied Jane. “Why should it have anything to do with you? It is most uncharacteristic of Mr. Darcy to cancel an engagement at such short notice; something very serious must have arisen that demands his immediate attention.”

“And would prevent Miss Darcy, also, from dining with us? I think not.”

“I am certain that you are wrong, Lizzy. Our mother was so eager to have you come to town that Kitty's departure and your arrival all occurred exceedingly quickly; no one but ourselves can even be aware of it. Mr. Darcy cannot yet know that you are in town.”

“Caroline Bingley knows,” replied her sister; “she must have communicated the news to Grosvenor Square.”

“Lizzy, you are making not the least bit of sense. Why should Mr. Darcy wish to avoid you? It is very nearly a year since you refused his offer of marriage in Kent. Surely you cannot believe that he still bears you so great a resentment that he would avoid dining with his closest friend. And remember – he came with Charles to wait on us at Longbourn upon their return into Hertfordshire, and accepted our mother's dinner invitation. If I recall correctly, he was entirely polite and civil towards you at Longbourn. Has something occurred since then which could have caused him to wish to avoid your company?”

Elizabeth decided that the time had come to confess the whole of her history with Mr. Darcy, both in Kent and in Derbyshire. Elizabeth concealed nothing, nor did she scruple to hide the details of the part Mr. Darcy had played in attempting to separate his friend from Jane, or how he had colluded with Bingley's sisters to conceal from him her presence in town the previous winter.

Jane sat silently shaking her head, occasionally gasping with surprise as her sister opened her heart to her. When she was finished, Jane said, “In light of what Mr. Darcy has done for our sister, Lydia, I cannot remain angry with him for his efforts in endeavouring to keep Charles and myself apart. Yet how strange it is that he was entirely powerless to overcome his feelings for you – and in fact paid you his addresses in Kent – when the very same objections he enumerated to you, compelled him to do everything in his power to prevent Charles from marrying me.

“And from what you now tell me of what transpired in Derbyshire, it seems that even your ruthless rejection of his suit in Kent was forgiven – that he was on the point of paying you his addresses a second time. It seems certain that his reason for riding to Lambton on your final morning there was to do just that; and had you not, on that very morning, received my letters with the awful news concerning Lydia, he would again have asked you to marry him.”

“Yes,” agreed Elizabeth, “it does seem probable. I have thought it over a great deal, and for a gentleman to come calling upon a lady staying at a public inn strikes me as peculiar, unless there be some particular purpose – to introduce his sister and have her issue an invitation to dine, for example – as was the case two days earlier. Furthermore, if it were merely a social call, his sister, whose acquaintance with myself he was at pains to forward, would have accompanied him.”

“However,” added Jane, “if his intention was to pay you his addresses, Mr. Darcy would have come alone; and had he found you in the company of others, he would doubtless have proposed a walk or some similar device in order to detach you from them and provide an opportunity for a tête-à-tête.”

“Yes. When I consider that we were, in fact, engaged to dine at Pemberley later that very same day, where there would be ample opportunity to converse – albeit not privately – the idea that he should come in the morning simply to pay a social call does not answer.”

“I quite agree,” replied Jane. “His purpose, almost certainly, was to pay you his addresses a second time. And do you know how you should have answered him?”

“Indeed I do. I was beginning to suspect it to be his intention, ever since our first meeting at Pemberley, when his behaviour was so altered, and he spoke of his desire to introduce his sister to my acquaintance. I was determined not to be surprised a second time.”

“You would have accepted him, I think?”

“Yes, I believe I would,” replied Elizabeth, giving a long, heartfelt sigh.

“Do you think he subsequently changed his mind on account of Lydia's elopement with Wickham?” asked Jane.

“At first I was certain that Lydia's disgrace must end all my hopes. How could so proud a man associate himself with such a family? However, when later the elopement was mitigated by marriage – though Mr. Darcy was familiar with all the details – I thought perhaps his dignity might be assuaged. But then there was the connection with George Wickham – how could I have expected Mr. Darcy to join himself with a family so intimately connected with a man he must detest and revile to the very depths of his soul?”

“But Lizzy, surely all the trouble and expense Mr. Darcy undertook to bring about the marriage cannot have been solely out of concern for Lydia, or even his professed guilt at having failed to inform the world of Mr. Wickham's black character. From what you now tell me of our Aunt Gardiner's letter to you, relating all the details concerning what Mr. Darcy has done for our sister – and of her conviction that in fact it was all done for you – I find I must concur with our aunt. Notwithstanding the history of Lydia and Wickham, he must still wish to marry you!”

“I will confess that at one time I did believe that regardless of everything, his affection for me had survived. Yet on the two occasions that he came to Longbourn with Bingley I was greatly vexed by his reserved behaviour; he hardly spoke, and seemed so grave and aloof. I wished to believe that his apparent coldness was on account of his uneasiness in the company – our mother took every opportunity of making him feel unwelcome.

“If his purpose in accompanying Bingley into Hertfordshire, and then joining him in visiting and dining with us at Longbourn, was on account of what he felt for me – which I consider most probable – then perhaps the very strength of those feelings caused him embarrassment, and gave the false impression of indifference. I may tell you that my own giddy emotions had just that effect upon me.

“On both occasions I had great difficulty settling it in my mind what were his true feelings for me; my surmises swung constantly, and wildly, from one extreme to the other.

“You may recall that soon after the dinner at Longbourn, Mr. Darcy departed Hertfordshire for London, with the stated intention of returning within ten days. I resolved that if he did not keep his undertaking then I would know how to understand it; I would relinquish every expectation, every wish for his constancy – and as you know, he did not return.”

“I wonder why?” pondered Jane. “What you have said thus far convinces me that despite everything, Mr. Darcy wishes to marry you. I must tell you that he behaves with the utmost courtesy and kindness towards me; it is more than simply good manners or gallantry; I believe he truly respects and likes me. He has evidently overcome all the objections that formerly prompted him to separate Charles from myself; so he must likewise have overcome the same objections regarding you. Something must have happened to make him change his opinion of you. Whatever can it be?”

“The interference of his meddling aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, I suspect,” said Elizabeth harshly, before proceeding to reveal the substance of her conversation with Lady Catherine at Longbourn. Jane was shocked at the confrontational nature of the meeting; however, her alarm at Elizabeth's outspoken defiance before so great a lady was tempered by a sense of admiration at her sister's courage.

“And having failed to prevail upon you, Lady Catherine immediately proceeded to London, and there endeavoured to persuade her nephew?”

“Yes,” replied Elizabeth. “And evidently, she succeeded. She is a clever woman, who knows her nephew, and how to appeal to his pride and his notions of family dignity. She will have enumerated each and every one of our connections who are so far below his own; made much of the shameful circumstances of Lydia's elopement with the lowly son of his late father's steward; and will, doubtless, have delivered a flaming representation of my own character and behaviour.”

“Are you quite certain that she was successful in prevailing upon her nephew? If he were truly in love with you, would he have been swayed by such arguments?”

“Oh yes, Jane, his every action – or lack of action – speaks of it: his failure to return into Hertfordshire and his continued absence from the neighbourhood. He came neither to congratulate his friend after your engagement was announced, nor to lend his support during the season of courtship. I can only wonder at the generosity of your husband in forgiving Mr. Darcy such indifference and discourtesy.”

“Charles has a very forgiving nature, and he was far too happy at that time to be upset at anyone or anything. I do believe that his attentions were so occupied with myself that he thought of very little else,” said Jane with a smile. “And Mr. Darcy did come back to Hertfordshire – albeit very briefly – for the wedding, to stand up with Charles.”

“His visit was brief indeed: he arrived barely in time for the ceremony at the church, and left immediately the service was over – not even staying for the wedding breakfast. What extraordinary behaviour for a groomsman!”

“I do not know what excuses Mr. Darcy made,” said Jane. “Charles was certainly astounded at the time; the departure was entirely unexpected. Charles had understood that his friend would remain at Netherfield Park for several days, at the very least.”

“I can tell you exactly when Mr. Darcy changed his plans. It was at the end of the wedding ceremony in the church at Longbourn. As I was turning to follow you and Charles from the church, Mr. Darcy was likewise turning. Until that moment he had managed to avoid me. We found ourselves facing each other across the aisle and our eyes briefly met. The blood rushed to his face, which was fixed in a resolute mask of haughty disdain. Though it lasted but a moment, before he turned his face from me – I am still unable to banish that awful look of cold revulsion from my mind,” said Elizabeth, slumping back in her chair, tears seeping from her closed eyes, as she struggled for breath.

Jane was immediately on her knees before her sister, taking Elizabeth's hands in her own, attempting to console her. She finally appreciated the true depth of her sister's attachment to Mr. Darcy, and how grievously she had suffered for it – and continued to suffer.

“Oh Lizzy, how entirely horrible it must have been for you. However have you been able to endure it all? And without me to console you? I feel so guilty for having neglected you in all the excitement of my marriage. And then I departed for London, leaving you to bear it all alone, while I was here in town, so joyful and happy.”

Elizabeth forced herself to smile. “My dear Jane, you are too kind! You must not blame yourself for being happy when you were entirely ignorant of what I was feeling. And you did not leave me – it was our mamma's doing. She prevented me from coming to town with you because she wished to find me a husband. In any case, it would have been unbearable to have been here in London at that time – with Mr. Darcy – even though he would have avoided me as it appears he is now resolved upon.”

“And now you shall have to bear it,” said Jane sympathetically. “I know! The weather is becoming warmer. I shall consult with Charles to see if we can bring forward our wedding tour. That way, we shall be removed from London and Mr. Darcy. I dare say that it will save a good deal of embarrassment all round.”

“No, Jane, I forbid it! You must not alter the arrangements for the wedding tour on my account. It is by no means warm enough, yet, to set out – there will still be many days that are too cold for comfortable travel. I say this as much for myself as for you and Charles. I am so looking forward to our tour of the Lakes – what a shame it would be if the weather were inclement and spoiled our sightseeing.”

“I fear you will not be happy here in town, Lizzy, and it grieves me.”

“Do not grieve for me, dear Jane; I am resolved to be entirely contented. It is several months since I last saw Mr. Darcy, and I am now reconciled to the loss of his regard. I do not mean to spend my entire life lamenting him. He is the good friend of your husband, and as I hope to be often in your company, it is inevitable that we must sometimes meet. I am determined to bear such occasions with equanimity and good grace; and I expect nothing less from a man of Mr. Darcy's breeding.”

“Of course, you are quite right, Lizzy. If this cancellation is on your account, as I am now convinced it must be, I am sure Mr. Darcy will think better of it the next time, and behave more sensibly. It would be very sad if your presence at Fairfield Gardens made it awkward for Charles and Mr. Darcy to meet – or for his sister, Georgiana, and myself; for I have become most fond of her.”

***

Observing Elizabeth closely, Jane could readily discern that though her sister smiled and tried bravely to conceal her pain, that confidence and liveliness she so admired in her was absent. Intent upon distracting her, she proposed that they sample some of the amusements of London. Elizabeth was not greatly interested in the fashionable shops of The Strand, Pall Mall, or Bond Street; but she was eager to visit the Temple of the Muses, a book emporium in Finsbury Square, which she had heard stocked a prodigious number of titles at most reasonable prices.

***

After perusing the shelves at length, Jane and Elizabeth seated themselves in one of the lounges provided for customers to scrutinise potential purchases. Elizabeth was inspecting a volume of poetry when Jane, who had been surreptitiously surveying the fashions of the many young ladies present, suddenly rose to her feet and waved to an acquaintance.

Looking up from her book, Elizabeth apprehended Georgiana Darcy approaching them, accompanied by her companion, Mrs. Annesley. “I did not know you were in town!” exclaimed Georgiana in obvious delight. Clearly, her brother had not confided his intelligence of Elizabeth's arrival at Fairfield Gardens in his sister; although, from the embarrassed manner in which she spoke of her regret at Miss Bennet's sudden and unexpected departure from Derbyshire the previous summer, it was evident that she knew something of the scandal involving Lydia which had precipitated it.

Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth felt certain, would not have wished to venture upon that subject with his sister on account of the involvement of Mr. Wickham and her own painful history with that gentleman, in very similar circumstances. However, Caroline Bingley, even had she been aware of the prior incident involving Miss Darcy, would have scrupled not to spare her the least sordid detail of the affair involving Lydia; doubtless embellished with a contemptuous account of the Bennets, their lack of propriety, breeding, and connections.

It was evident from Georgiana's behaviour that any such exertions on the part of Miss Bingley had been wasted. Her affection for Jane was unmistakable, and she appeared equally warmly disposed towards Elizabeth – although there was some measure of confusion, perhaps on account of the expectations that had arisen in her mind in Derbyshire, concerning her brother and Miss Bennet. Georgiana was delighted to learn that Elizabeth would be staying with Jane for some time, and expressed a desire to be often in their company. It was evident that a warm friendship had developed between Georgiana and Jane, for there was none of the shyness Elizabeth had observed in Derbyshire.

Georgiana expressed her regret at the unexpected cancellation of the previous day's dinner engagement. Elizabeth detected some discomfort in her apology, and surmised that she was not privy to her brother's reasons. Jane invited Georgiana to wait on them the following day and she accepted the invitation eagerly. “It will be delightful to be in the company of you and your sister. I am desperate to seek your guidance and advice on how I must behave at Lady Netherby's ball, in two days time, for I am feeling most anxious.”

Jane took Georgiana's hand and smiled. “It will all be well, I am certain; and both Elizabeth and I will be there to support you, my dear. I wrote to her ladyship to inform her that my sister Kitty would not be able to attend, as she returned to Longbourn, but that another of my sisters would come in her place. Lady Netherby replied at once, inviting Elizabeth to attend the ball.”

“And I must tell you, my dear,” confided Elizabeth to Georgiana, “that I, too, am nervous at the prospect; for though I have attended balls at the Assembly Rooms at Meryton, I have never, in my life, attended anything so grand as a London ball – and I believe that Lady Netherby's balls are quite famous. I do believe that the ball Mr. Bingley gave at Netherfield Park is the very pinnacle of my experience.”

“Where you danced with my brother,” replied Georgiana with a shy smile. “He spoke warmly of the grace of your performance, and of the happiness it gave him to dance with you. It surprised me greatly, as I had always believed him to disdain the amusement. Perhaps I shall have the pleasure of seeing him dance with you at Lady Netherby's ball?”

Elizabeth blushed deeply at Georgiana's suggestion. The conversation concerning their dancing together at Netherfield Park was likely made while Elizabeth was in Derbyshire, when Mr. Darcy had behaved with such amiability and generosity – both towards herself and to her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner. It was evident at the time that he wished for Elizabeth and Georgiana to think well of each other, that they should come to love each other as sisters. Elizabeth felt certain that whatever it was that had caused Mr. Darcy to change his mind, and set his heart against her – be it the words of Lady Catherine, or something else entirely, that Georgiana was completely ignorant of the matter.

Wishing to hide her embarrassment, Elizabeth asked, “But why are you nervous about attending Lady Netherby's ball? Is it your very first ball?”

“Yes,” sighed Georgiana, “indeed it is, and if it depended upon my wishes only, I should not go at all. But my brother has hinted that he considers it is time for me to come out into society, and though he would never insist upon it, I know it must give him great pleasure, particularly as Lady Netherby's son, Lord Netherby, is a particular friend of his; he has asked me for the first two dances, to open the ball.”

“Good gracious, it is hardly surprising, then, that you should feel anxious,” said Elizabeth, taking Georgiana's hand in hers and smiling sympathetically. “But I am sure you will carry it off with dignity and poise.” Secretly Elizabeth wondered how she, herself, would manage to sustain those very qualities in the company of Miss Darcy's brother.