Page 31 of Her Whole Heart
“Then your brother is a fool,” Elizabeth said before raising a hand to her mouth.
“Lizzy,” Jane hissed while Amelia barked out a surprised laugh.
Elizabeth could feel the hot blush in her cheeks. “I should apologise, but I fear I cannot."
“You are right,” Miss Loughty said. “Heisa fool. We played together when we were young, and he was always so goodto me. But when he returned from school, he was different. Now he spends his time with other men, and when we are out, he is embarrassed by me.” She paused, seeming to realise that they were not judging her. Her trepidation transformed into a thoughtful, mild sort of defiance. “And do you know, I begin to be embarrassed byhim. Gossip and on-dits are all he cares for. One would think he was vying to be a patroness of Almack’s.”
“Clearly he is jealous of his more erudite sister." Elizabeth arched an eyebrow. "For how can the seeking out of gossip compare with the skill required to speak seventeen languages?”
“I do not speak seventeen languages, Miss Elizabeth,” Miss Loughty said, and this time she was the one laughing. “I am only fluent in seven.”
“Oh yes,” Elizabeth proclaimed. “Onlyseven. Such a paltry number!”
Jane smiled. “However will you manage?”
“I thought speaking French and Italian was an accomplishment!” Amelia shook her head.
“It is,” Jane assured their younger friend. “It is not that we are deficient, it is that Miss Loughty is a polyglot.”
“Might I ask . . .” Miss Loughty’s voice trailed away.
Elizabeth hoped Miss Loughty was not upset with her teasing. “Yes?”
“I should like it very much if you would call me Diana.” She glanced at Jane and Amelia. “All of you.”
Relief made her giddy. “Of course. You should call me Elizabeth, then.” She glanced at the others, who nodded and offered Diana their Christian names.
When they concluded their visit, they were a very cheerful group. They promised Diana that they would all meet again in a few days at tea with Miss Torrington.
When Diana was gone, Jane smiled at Elizabeth, and she smiled back. They were finding their way.
Elizabeth liked Mr. Bingley. He seemed to have taken her at her word and had slowed his pursuit of Jane from a sprint to an amble, which showed he was not too proud to listen, and she thought him both gentle and a reasonably intelligent man. It was promising.
But this call was boring her to tears.
As Jane and Mr. Bingley spoke about the weather, the state of the roads, the estate bordering Longbourn’s land that had been empty these past several years, and how Jane adored bluebells, Elizabeth reminded herself that she and her sister were attracted to very different sorts of men. And a good thing too, for she would not like to be in competition with Jane. That would be an exercise in futility.
Even so, this conversation was enough to send Elizabeth to sleep right there in her chair. To avoid that mortification, she focused very hard on the shawl she was embroidering as a gift for Amelia. Her friend was visiting her uncle, Simon Howard. He and his wife had a new infant in the house, and Amelia was wild to meet her newest cousin.
Her sister and Mr. Bingley began to discuss horses, and at least here they had hit upon something of interest. Jane enjoyed riding more than Elizabeth did, though they had both taken lessons. Perhaps it was because Elizabeth was smaller than Jane, and therefore mounting and dismounting seemed a more hazardous exercise. In any case, this was more interesting than the weather.
“I have a fine Irish hunter,” Mr. Bingley was saying. “I intend to begin searching for an estate after the season is over, and I could not resist purchasing him.”
Elizabeth thought that this was perhaps a habit with Mr. Bingley, putting the cart before the horse as it were. But Jane did not seem to mind.
“Where did you purchase him?” she inquired.
“Darcy mentioned a small operation near his aunt’s estate in Kent he and his cousin have frequented in the past.” Here, Mr. Bingley blushed a bit. “He did think I was precipitous in purchasing the mount when I had no place to stable him. It is very expensive to do so in town, so I have paid a friend in the country to keep him for me.”
Elizabeth smiled to herself. It appeared there was something she and Mr. Darcy could agree upon after all. How shocking. Then she noticed she had made her stitch incorrectly and sighed as she worked it back out again.
“I do not have a horse of my own,” Jane said quietly. “My father thinks it an indulgence to keep horses only for riding, and I dare say he is right. But our neighbours have a beautiful pair of Arabians, and they were kind enough to allow us to ride them.”
“Do you ride too, Miss Elizabeth?” Mr. Bingley asked amiably.
“I do know how, Mr. Bingley.” Elizabeth smiled at her sister. “But as Jane knows, I prefer my own two feet.”
“It is only because the horses were too large for you,” Jane said firmly. “You have an excellent seat.”
