Page 13 of Searching for Elizabeth
Miss Lucasappearedto ignore the entirely unlikely insinuation that Darcy was lonely; she just nodded her head and said, “I imagine, Mr. Darcy, that it would be easier for you to fill your time if the Netherfield library were better outfitted.”
Darcy laughed, and everyone else literally startled in their seats. Had he never before laughed in their presence? He said, “I believe you are correct, madam. I am ready to indulge in allthe gossip you cantellme. Did you hear about Mrs. Goulding’s maid?”
Miss Lucas laughed and rolled her eyes. She opened her mouth to reply, but Lady Lucas spoke first: “Mr. Darcy, have you heard that my daughter Charlotte is engaged to be married? Mr. Collins and she are betrothed.”
Darcy’s heart felt lighter, because he realized that Elizabeth could no longer be forced to marry the toadying parson. “I had not heard that. I wish you joy, Miss Lucas, and may I say that Mr. Collins is a most fortunate man?”
Darcy allowed the ladies to talk more without his attempts to steer the conversation. He was invited to luncheon, and he noted that he would have time to eat and still get to the planned visit with Miss Mary. Thanking his hostess graciously, he ate sparingly, knowing that the family was not wealthy and had not planned on his visit. When he got up to leave, Miss Lucas looked hesitant but worried.
“Mr. Darcy, do you know how well Miss Elizabeth is doing?”
“No, Miss Lucas. I have not seen your friend since the ball.”
“Oh. You said that you called at Longbourn.”
“She was out. I never saw her.” Darcy hesitated, wondering if she knew about Elizabeth’s banishment. He asked, “Do you have any reason to worry about Miss Elizabeth?”
Miss Lucas blushed, and Darcy guessed that perhaps her concern hinged on the fact that she knew, or guessed, that Mr. Collins had proposed to Elizabeth—and was refused—the same day that he had proposed to her. It would be rather humiliating, he decided.
Get used to being humiliated, some errant part of his brain said; luckily, that part was not connected to his mouth. Darcy was ashamed of the mean thought, but he was quite sure that being Mrs. Collins would be mortifying, at times, quite likely more often than not!
Miss Lucas claimed that she was not worried about Elizabeth in the least, and he bowed and left with one more round of thanks.
Soon he found himself in the Bennets’parlor. He had asked to call on Miss Mary, but he was practically coerced to sit next toMissJane Bennet on a sofa.Leaningforward, he proppedhis elbows on his knees so he could talk more easily with Miss Mary. Darcy asked after everyone’s health but then addressed Miss Mary by name, telling her about the book he was currently reading, Sir Walter Scott’sThe Lady of the Lake. Miss Maryrepliedthat she would like to borrow it when he was done.
Darcy was half amused and half appalled that Miss Bennet and Mrs. Bennet repeatedly interrupted their conversation. He was pretty sure that Elizabeth’s mother was trying to encourage him to bestow his attention onMiss Bennetinstead of Miss Mary, despite the fact that he was baldly demonstrating a preference for the latter. The fact thatMiss Bennetseemed quite content to go along with the scheme confirmed what he had originally thought ofMiss Bennet: her heart was not engaged with Bingley, although she had been happy to go along with her mother’s hopes for the match.
Decidingthat it was time to try to consult with Miss Mary privately, hesaid, “Miss Mary, it is pleasant weather today, especially for November. Might I ask you to show me your family’s gardens?”
Miss Mary shot up immediately and, without asking her mother’s permission, said, “I should love to!” Shetookhis arm and led him out by way of the front entry, where they collected their gloves, outer layers, and headgear.
Darcy was laughing at Miss Mary’s haste, because she herded him out the door before he could put any of his outerwear on. But when he looked down at Miss Mary, he saw tears in her eyes. He quickly put on his great coat, top hat, and gloves, and when she was similarly girded against the brisk air, he led her away from the house, walking far enough for a private talk. There he stopped and turned to her. “Miss Mary, you are upset. Did I….”
“My mother makes me so angry,” Miss Mary interrupted him. “I am sorry, Mr. Darcy, but just yesterday we were laughing that, if you called on me, my mother would be immediately pushing for a wedding, selecting a gown for me, and so forth. But now we know that that is not the case. Instead, she is determinedly pushingJaneat you. I just…. She just…. Oh, I could just scream!”
“I am sorry.” Darcy did not know what to say.
“No, I am sorry. The important thing I need to tell you is that I could not get to Lizzy today. My mother has been…absolutelyrantingat me about needlework and learning to pour out tea and practicing the pianoforte. And really, it is my fault that I did not get to Lizzy, because I woke up so much later than I meant to, so I could not leave before everyone got up. My father is vexed because he now knows that Lizzy did not go to my Aunt Phillips, and he is so certain that she instead went to my aunt and uncle in London….”
Darcy put a finger up, and Mary paused with one eyebrow raised in a questioning way. Darcy laughingly shook his head. “You do remind me of Elizabeth,” he said. “Oh, apologies. I meant Miss Elizabeth.”
Mary’s mouth gaped, and she asked, “I do?”
Darcy nodded. “Very much. There is something about the way you speak, your intelligence and humor, that one-eyebrow-lifted look, some of your expressions, your fierce and protective attitude when you see injustice.”
“But Lizzy is beautiful. I am ugly.”
Darcy said “No!” so loudly that Mary jumped. “Apologies again. First, I agree with you about
MissElizabeth; she is the most beautiful and appealing woman I have ever seen, bar none. That said, however, you are very pretty, too, especially when you smile.”
Mary looked just as shocked as before, but she finally pulled herself together and said. “You lifted a finger, Mr. Darcy. Was there something you wished to ask or say?”
“Yes, thank you,” Darcy replied. “I gather that Miss Elizabeth didnotgo to London, correct?” As usual, Mary just nodded. Darcy said, “However, I wondered if you would mind telling me your relatives’ names and perhaps their direction. I am hoping to help your sister, if I can, and to further get to know her, and, one day, to marry her. It occurs to me that it might be a good idea to know who her beloved aunt and uncle are.”
Instead of hesitating or denying his request for information, Mary promptly said, “Edward and Madeleine Gardiner, 10 Gracechurch Street, London.”
“Thank you,” he said. He repeated the information silently, locking it into his memory
