Page 53 of The Sole Love

“Are you well?”

“Now I am,” she said, taking his hand as they went together to welcome Mr Bingley.

“What do we do now?” she whispered before they entered the parlour.

“What do you mean, what do we do? We send him to Matlock, and at last we shall be rid of everyone for an hour or so,” Darcy said, somewhat annoyed by all the commotion that kept him from being alone with his future wife.

But when they entered the parlour, all his annoyance vanished at the sight of poor Mr Bingley, whose face was drawn with worry. He rushed towards them, embraced Darcy, and bowed awkwardly to Elizabeth, evidently embarrassed.

“Miss Elizabeth,” he stammered, “I am very glad to see you again.”

But Elizabeth was not certain that he truly was. She wondered whether he was uncomfortable because he no longer felt anything for Jane or, on the contrary, because he was ashamed of the way he had behaved in November. She decided, however, to make no more assumptions and let matters unfold in their own time.

“Congratulations!” Bingley then said, bowing to her again. “On your marriage,” he continued when no one answered, but Darcy laughed and clapped him on the shoulder.

“Come, you are among friends here. There is no reason to be so nervous.”

Elizabeth nodded, offering him a smile she hoped was warm, though she was not certain she had succeeded. If he still loved Jane, she had all the time in the world to forgive him. For now, she only needed them to meet and at least discover what the future held for them. A marriage or a letter to David Haskett’s father.

“Everyone is at Matlock. Get into your carriage and follow us.”

“And Miss Bennet?”

“Miss Bennet too,” Elizabeth answered dryly, despite her decision to be more benevolent, while Darcy smiled as he followed her.

And that was all.

Some of the magic of their journey had disappeared, but what mattered was that Darcy was beside her, and she could enjoy the day, the sunshine, and his arm around her, holding her close as he handled the horse with ease. Beside him she felt safe, whatever might happen, and suddenly nothing else mattered.

Chapter 22

They entered the drawing room at Matlock to find the whole family gathered around Lady Matlock, who sat like a queen in a chair that actually resembled a throne.

Their entrance caused an enormous stir, almost to the point of incivility. Fortunately, Colonel Fitzwilliam hurried to his mother and probably explained in a few words what was unfolding. Extremely delighted to be part of such a scene, she began to smile and observe the two protagonists herself: Mr Bingley, who appeared overwhelmed by emotion, while Jane’s feelings seemed more indifferent than welcoming. She barely smiled when the poor man bowed to her, terribly affected in his eagerness to see her.

“Miss Bennet,” he said with such uncertainty, yet such obvious joy at seeing her, that Elizabeth felt an urge to give him a little push towards Jane. Darcy, who was watching her, probably guessed her intention, for he smiled and nodded, approving her mischievous thought.

“Mr Bingley,” Jane answered, looking at him only for an instant, almost to the point of incivility.

Neither Elizabeth nor the others could tell whether she was being honest or merely trying to punish the sinner. However, the afternoon became brighter for the Bennets and the Gardiners at the sight of the young man, while Lady Matlock thoroughly enjoyed being part of such an indiscreet scene. They all hoped that, now they were finally together, Jane and Bingley would rediscover their feelings. For the present, Mr Bennet’s letter to Mr Haskett would not be sent, and the whole family hoped it would never be necessary.

For the first time in days, Mr Bennet smiled and invited Mr Gardiner for a walk. He needed some time to breathe, far from the rest of the family and even from the two principal characters in a play whose ending he could not foresee. At least now he had some hope that it might be a happy one. He asked Lady Matlock’s permission, and she encouraged them to walk to a nearby cascade, the principal attraction of her park.

“I wish you a lovely afternoon,” Mr Bennet said, and Mrs Bennet hoped that her husband was becoming more pleasant towards her. Unfortunately, he meant it for everyone else; he did not give her a single glance before leaving. Disappointed, she asked permission to retire and rest.

The expression on her face made Jane’s heart tremble. She feared the worst for her mother, even though Elizabeth had assured her it was nothing serious. She wanted to follow her when Mrs Bennet stopped and said, “Mr Bingley, please convince my daughter that a walk after such a ride is necessary.”

It was precisely what Bingley wanted.

“Oh, Miss Bennet, please do me the honour,” he said.

Between his plea and her mother’s insistent gaze, Jane agreed to step outside. She pretended not to see Mr Bingley’s offered arm and walked morosely through the great glazed doors into the park, waiting for the others to join her. But no movement followed in the drawing room; assistance gave way to smiles and whispers. Lydia wondered whether they would be engaged by the end of the walk, while the others merely nodded, wishing the long, sad story to end.

∞∞∞

Despite the general anticipation, Jane was far from wanting to listen to Mr Bingley.

“I am sorry,” he mumbled for at least the third time.