Page 33 of To Go Against Her Heart
“Very well! He has been here for a couple of days, and you still have not had the unfortunate occurrence of meeting him?”
“I did briefly, during my morning walk.”
“Of course you did,” Charlotte replied with a smile. However, Elizabeth was silent. Even to Jane, she had not disclosed Georgiana’s secret, and over the past few days, she kept replaying Darcy’s words.
In her heart, she knew she had greatly misjudged him and could feel his pain when he related the horrifying incident in his past.
“I am certain, until the Netherfield ball, Mr. Wickham will be the talk of the town. I must say, had you not intervened, God knows what he had planned to do here. My father states that a couple of maids from Meryton have reported about him to Colonel Forster as well. They came forward after he left the village; maybe they were afraid to do so while he was still present.”
“I am thankful that Mr. Darcy decided to expose him.”
“I agree. Pray tell me, how is your cousin faring?”
“He is very excited about the prospect of meeting Mr. Darcy. He spoke at length about his generosity and…” She stopped.
“And?”
“And the delightful prospect of his marriage to Miss de Bourgh.”
Charlotte could sense the hesitance in her voice as Elizabeth mentioned Darcy’s marriage, and she was curious to witness her friend’s interaction with Darcy in the coming weeks.
***
“You must stay for the ball. I cannot allow you to leave before that,” Mr. Bingley said to Darcy, expressing his wish for him to attend the ball he had meticulously planned.
“I have no plans to stay, nor am I interested in the amusement it offers.”
“I must insist; you could easily remain another week and attend the ball. If you are concerned about Miss Darcy, she maybe invited to join us here. Shall I write to the colonel and extend the invitation?”
Darcy wavered, uncertain whether to remain and learn Elizabeth’s true sentiments or to return to Georgiana. He was well aware that Wickham would head to town, and the very thought of that made him restless. Yet he was certain that the latter no longer had the power or courage to hurt anyone. Richard had also ensured that his men would constantly monitor Wickham’s activities.
“Darcy, I asked you something,” Mr. Bingley said, seeing that his friend was lost in thought.
“I will stay until the ball,” Darcy said, and Mr. Bingley was delighted.
***
Elizabeth carefully avoided her routine morning walk to the mount and took other trails near Longbourn, as she did not want to meet Darcy there accidentally. Somehow, she felt uncomfortable in his presence and could not understand, despite every resolve of hers, how he managed to draw her into a conversation.
The warmth in his eyes as he looked at her gave her a sense of comfort, something she had missed for a long time. He did not remind her of Mr. Harrington, as he was nothing like him. Mr. Harrington had charmed her right from their first meeting in London, and she never perceived any flaws in him until the moment he stood before her, wanting to break off the engagement. But in Darcy, she saw a proud man with distinct flaws. She understood that the pride and arrogance she had held against Darcy since the Meryton assembly were a disguise to mask his pain. She could not restrain her admiration for his character; the very fact that he respected her words and sought to amend his actions touched her deeply. He occupied her mind so completely that she was hardly able to focus on anything else.
It was evident to Jane that Elizabeth was not in the best of spirits and suspected that it had something to do with Darcy’s arrival. Just like Charlotte, she was eager to see how her sister would react in Darcy’s company, and from Mr. Bingley, she understood that he was to stay until the ball. However, Elizabeth and Darcy met some days later at Lucas Lodge. Sir William had invited his friends for supper, and Elizabeth attended the gathering, knowing very well that Darcy would be present.
Charlotte observed them keenly while they greeted each other, whereas Mr. Collins was thrilled beyond measure to meet Darcy and could not contain his excitement.
“I cannot believe my good fortune, Mr. Darcy. It is indeed a privilege and honor to meet you here. I had assumed this fortunate event would occur only next year when you visit Rosings Park, but I am truly glad that you are in Hertfordshire now,” Mr. Collins blurted in excitement.
“Mr. Collins is my cousin,” Elizabeth explained, suppressing a smile and seeing the shock on Darcy’s face.
He had arrived that evening solely for the opportunity it offered to be in her company, fully aware that there would be talk about Wickham. Yet he was willing to endure it for the chance to converse with her. However, he was stunned to see her walk in on the arm of Mr. Collins; he was completely baffled to understand that they were related.
“I see,” he replied, and Mr. Collins did not waste a moment in renewing the conversation.
“I must assure you, Mr. Darcy, Lady Catherine is well and was in the best spirits when I left Kent many weeks ago. And you must be particularly interested to know about the well-being of your cousin, Miss de Bourgh,” he said.
Darcy immediately noticed Elizabeth’s face darken.
“And yes, it is with great happiness I inform you that Miss de Bourgh is well, although she was a little sick when I left. It is notan uncommon occurrence since you have known her since birth. But other than that, she is in remarkable spirits.”
