Abigail Reynolds - What Would Mr. Darcy Do?

Elizabeth had to laugh at this picture. “Dear Jane, you cannot have us all so clear of conscience, I am afraid. That Mr. Darcy and I were both in distress I will grant you, and it might possibly excuse our initial encounter, but the second must simply be put down to bad behavior on both of our parts. And I do not believe the Gardiners were overly distressed about the outcome; they came out of the entire episode thinking so highly of Mr. Darcy that they are now his greatest advocates.”

“But Lizzy, how distressed you must have been about all of this! Whatever will you do when you see him again?”

“I believe that a wide range of options are possible. Being civil seems a possibility, though hiding or running away in a panic might be more appropriate. Or, if all else fails, I could always behave badly again.”

An earnest entreaty to be serious had the desired effect, and the next hour was spent in conversation.

*   *   *

It did not take long for Elizabeth’s natural high spirits to begin to reassert themselves after this event, and she soon seemed restored to her usual teasing, cheerful self. She was able to reply to Miss Darcy with a newsy account of Jane and Bingley’s happiness. If sometimes she seemed to be taking longer walks than usual, or on occasion a shadow seemed to pass behind her eyes, no one but Jane seemed to notice. If from time to time she put her hand over her pocket where a particular handkerchief lay, no one could attach a meaning to it. By the time Georgiana’s next letter arrived, Elizabeth felt prepared to read it with a tolerable degree of composure, if not necessarily the degree of inward calm she would prefer.

Dear Miss Bennet,

It is always a pleasure to hear from you, but I must admit the arrival of your letters is becoming quite a source of entertainment in itself. My brother thinks I do not notice how he watches for the post now, but how could I miss the way he hovers in an agony of suspense over me when I read your letters until I finally take pity on him and allow him to read for himself, and then he spends no less than half an hour admiring your letter, for it cannot possibly take him so long to read it! It is a shock to see Fitzwilliam act in such a distracted way, he is usually so dignified. If I had your courage, I should tease him about it, but as it is, I can only hope you do not keep him in suspense for too long, as I wonder how he will survive it!—I hope you do not mind my teasing you a little on this matter; you are far less intimidating than my brother can be, and I must tease someone!—I am so pleased for Mr. Bingley and your sister; Fitzwilliam says they have been in love for a long time so I know they deserve all of their happiness. Of course we shall be there for the wedding! I am so looking forward to meeting your family, especially your sisters. I hope they will like me! Please do tell me more about them; I feel that I am getting to know them already!

Yours etc.,

Georgiana Darcy

Elizabeth had to re-read this letter several times before she could take in its contents. She could hardly believe Miss Darcy’s description of her brother, yet it was inconceivable that the shy, quiet girl would invent such a story. It was delightful to see Georgiana begin to express herself with more confidence, but could it be true that Mr. Darcy still held so active an interest in her, and made no effort to disguise it? Her heart hammered at the thought.

She thought long and carefully before crafting her reply.

Dear Miss Darcy,

I am impressed at the progress you are making in your ability to tease if you can already even consider teasing your brother! But I will be happy to give you further instruction in how to proceed, since Mr. Darcy is certainly in need of a great deal of teasing. If your brother is again watching you as you read this, be sure to give an occasional gasp, and to say “Oh, no” from time to time, or perhaps “she couldn’t possibly!” Then, when he asks you what is the matter, explain that you could not possibly tell him, since the letter is full of secrets that I have begged you to hold in confidence. Then, if he keeps asking, you may tell him that he may perhaps read the last few sentences, but only if he promises not to look at the rest of it. You may, of course, choose to elaborate on these ideas if you feel inspired!

Elizabeth continued the letter with news of the household, then impulsively added an invitation to Georgiana to visit at her home for a week or two before the wedding if she wished to discover what it was really like to have so many sisters.

She was very pleased with this letter, feeling it struck a delicate balance between acknowledging Georgiana’s points without putting any overemphasis on Mr. Darcy’s behavior.

Georgiana’s reply came a few days later with an enthusiastic acceptance of the invitation to visit. For once, she barely mentioned her brother, which disappointed Elizabeth until she turned to the second page and saw, underneath Georgiana’s signature, several lines written in a firm hand which she knew well from her many perusals of Mr. Darcy’s letter to her at Hunsford. Her heart beating quickly, she jumped ahead to read the postscript:

My dear Miss Bennet, I certainly hope you had as much enjoyment in crafting your last letter as my sister had in reading it, although I, as the proposed victim, must admit to a certain trepidation if you continue to encourage Georgiana in this manner. Thank you for making her laugh; she still does it too rarely. I look forward to seeing you again next month, even if you and Georgiana have had some days together in advance to plot my downfall—I shall attempt to face it with dignity. As ever, yours, FD

Mrs. Bennet, after many searches, discussions, and negotiations, finally decided that the gowns available in Meryton could not possibly satisfy for a marriage to a man with five thousand a year, and to this purpose she resolved to take Jane to London to visit the dressmakers there. Elizabeth and Kitty were to accompany them; Mary owned that she had rather stay at home, as she had little interest in such frivolities.

Elizabeth was initially pleased to be taking the trip, feeling it might provide her a useful distraction from her thoughts, but after one agonizing day of making the rounds of the dressmakers, she felt she could no longer tolerate the misery of watching her mother’s excitable behavior and Kitty’s sulks, even for Jane’s sake. Hence, the following morning found her pleading a sick headache and making plans to stay at home with her aunt. Once the shopping party had departed, however, Mrs. Gardiner was pleased to notice a substantial improvement in her niece’s health and was gratified to have Elizabeth to herself, since there was a certain subject she wished to broach with her.

“Lizzy, your uncle and I were wondering recently about your Mr. Darcy—do you know how old he was when his father died?”

Elizabeth, most startled by this application, found herself stammering, “I believe it was in the vicinity of five years ago, so he must have been twenty-two or twenty-three, I would imagine. But why do you ask?”

“No reason, my dear, except to settle the question between your uncle and me, but he has the right of it, then; I had thought it was more recent. It is your uncle’s belief that much of Mr. Darcy’s seriousness stems from having been left too young with all the responsibilities of managing a large estate, as well as raising a sister at a delicate age. I argued he has more of a capacity for liveliness than he might be credited for, but perhaps needs the right companion to help him find it.”

“Aunt,” said Elizabeth in some exasperation at this hinting, “why, pray tell, were you discussing Mr. Darcy in the first place?”

“Well, naturally, he does have an obvious interest for us, and also we saw a good deal of him when he was late in London.”

“I have heard nothing of this,” said Elizabeth carefully.

“Really? I would have supposed you to have sources of information… but no matter. Mr. Darcy called on us here shortly after my return from Longbourn, and afterward was our guest on several occasions. I must say that I have been very favorably impressed by him, and he and Mr. Gardiner seem to have established a fine regard for one another. I gather Mr. Darcy solicited his advice on more than one occasion regarding some difficulties he faces in managing a particular situation at Pemberley; thus, it would seem, confirming your uncle’s opinion that his responsibilities are quite large for such a young man.”

Elizabeth had not any idea of how to interpret this intelligence. Mr. Darcy seeking out advice from her uncle in trade? “You seem to take quite a lively interest in Mr. Darcy, aunt.”

“And you do not? Come, my dear, he has made no secret to us of his hopes regarding you, unlike my sly Lizzy who will choose to keep everyone guessing! And when I hear from Jane that you have been somewhat out of spirits this last month, I must wonder what part he plays in that, as well.”

Elizabeth sought to avoid her aunt’s eyes as she pondered what she was willing to say. “I will not attempt to deny that he has been much in my thoughts, nor that I have moments when I wish he was near, but the situation is perhaps more complex than it seems at first glance. I know he does still hold me in some special regard, but he has by no means renewed his addresses, and there are certainly reasons to think he never will do so.”

“Lizzy, how can you doubt it? He is clearly violently in love with you,” said Mrs. Gardiner with a smile.