Page 35 of To Go Against Her Heart
“Whatever you heard from your cousin is not true.”
“I beg your pardon.”
“If he informed you that I am engaged or plan to marry my cousin, Miss de Bourgh, then it is all nothing but falsehood.”
“Mr. Darcy, you do not have…’’
“Please, allow me to explain,” he said, quickly relating that his aunt was the only person who wished for his marriage to Anne.
“It has been many years, and my cousin and I have failed entirely to make her understand that we are under no inclination to marry. Mr. Collins, however, takes every word of Lady Catherine without reasoning, and it pains me to realize how far he has spread this misinformation,” he said, observing thechange in her expression as there was unmistakable relief on her face, which she tried to conceal.
“I understand, but I am not certain why you would bother to explain this to me,” she said with a sense of irritation.
“Because you are my well-wisher; at least I believe so,” he said, and Elizabeth did not know whether to agree or disagree with him. They were interrupted by Miss Bingley, who joined them and inserted herself into the conversation, much to Darcy’s displeasure.
Elizabeth was grateful for her intervention. She could not understand why she felt such relief upon understanding that Darcy was not engaged, nor could she fathom why he chose to explain it to her, rekindling her doubts about his intentions.
The evening ended in happy spirits for everyone who looked forward to the ball, except for one: Mr. Collins, who was troubled about what Darcy had said and felt devastated to understand that his noble patroness was to be disappointed in herexpectationsconcerning her daughter’s marriage.
Chapter 14
“Jane, you are worried for nothing. You cannot doubt Mr. Bingley’s sentiments,” Elizabeth reasoned.
“But why did Miss Bingley mention that he will likely get engaged to Miss Darcy? I cannot understand why she chose to inform me of this after all these days,” Jane cried with despair. It was the same night they returned from Lucas Lodge.
“I have a good idea as to why Miss Bingley did so; she can see her brother falling in love with you, and maybe she is unable to dissuade him. She is artfully trying to do so with you,” Elizabeth tried to calm her sister.
“It is quite clear that she does not favor me as her sister, but she has brought up this topic many times, with confidence. She mentioned that her brother and Miss Darcy favor each other and that Mr. Darcy is delighted with the match.”
Elizabeth wanted to reveal what she knew about Georgiana’s past. She was very certain that the poor girl was in no position to marry, but she wanted to keep her promise to Darcy.
“For all I know, Miss Darcy is just sixteen; I am certain her brother would not be intent on getting her married. Jane, please do not distress yourself. Mr. Bingley is in love with you; I can see it in his eyes. Don’t you find it odd that all of a sudden, Miss Bingley has taken the effort to inform you of this? She is trying her best to stop you both from forming an attachment. Please do not allow his sister to manipulate you,” she reassured Jane.
However, Jane was not convinced and was very much in distress. She could not believe that Mr. Bingley was capable of deceiving anyone, especially her, in such a way. Elizabeth couldsense that her sister was upset and cursed Miss Bingley’s intent to ruin her happiness and peace. She observed Mr. Bingley in the next few days while he called on Jane at Longbourn and could not mistake his sentiments, and she was certain Miss Bingley’s plans would go in vain.
***
A few days before the ball, Elizabeth was surprised to see Darcy accompany Mr. Bingley to Longbourn. She spotted him from her room window and could not understand why he chose to call on them.
He has not done so before. Why is he here today?
Darcy had often seen his friend call upon Jane, and finally, he found the courage to accompany him. The moment he entered Longbourn, he could see Mrs. Bennet’s look of surprise.
“Oh! Mr. Darcy, it is indeed a delightful surprise for you to call on us, sir.”
Darcy did not know what to reply and nodded.
“Why, Mr. Bennet is currently away on some business. I hope you can entertain yourself this morning, and my girls are in the parlor,” she informed and called for tea.
Darcy was disappointed not to see Elizabeth among her sisters, and Mr. Bingley immediately stationed himself beside Jane. However, Jane could not set aside the doubt in her mind, after the story Miss Bingley had fed her, and struggled to converse with him. The rest of the sisters were too stunned by Darcy’s presence to utter a word.
Elizabeth paced in her room upstairs, knowing she had to show up at the parlor.
Why is it so difficult for me to endure his presence? I cannot allow this to happen to me; I cannot allow anyone to affect me in this way.
She decided to meet the guests and resolved to act unaffected. When she entered the parlor, she noticed Darcy’s countenancechange from boredom to surprise. He smiled at her as they greeted each other, and Elizabeth tried her best to conceal the emotions she felt in his presence.
“I hope we are not disturbing your morning, Miss Elizabeth. I was telling your sister that the servants are busy preparing for the ball, and Darcy and I needed a much-needed respite from the hustle and bustle,” said Mr. Bingley.
