Page 48 of To Go Against Her Heart
At last, she understood that nothing could be done for her sister now unless Mr. Bingley were to visit her at their uncle’sresidence—and to Elizabeth, it was bitterly apparent that her so-called good intentions only plunged Jane into deeper misery.
***
The same day, Mr. Bingley sat with Darcy and Richard, showing no interest in their conversation. In truth, he was unaware of Jane’s presence in town, as his sister had concealed the information from him.
“I assume the property is well cared for in your absence, Mr. Bingley,” Richard asked.
“Ah! Yes, it is. I trust the steward, and your cousin has met him and will agree with my decision to leave matters in his hands.”
“So, am I to understand that you have no intention of returning there soon?”
“Well…I have not thought about it yet,” Mr. Bingley replied, feeling uncomfortable treading on the subject.
He took leave, promising to meet Darcy as planned the next day.
“Mr. Bingley sure does look distraught; Never before have I witnessed the gentleman in such a state of distraction,” Richard remarked upon his leave.
“He has his reasons, and I do not wish to discuss his private affairs with you.”
“Well, you could discuss your affairs with me as you don’t seem to differ much from him in your current state of disconnect from the world. I can understand that he is heartbroken, and I am wondering if it is the same with you. Tell me, Darcy, is it because of Miss Elizabeth?”
“That is enough! If you are deprived of amusement these days, I would suggest you hunt for it elsewhere. I am in no mood to let my personal life serve the purpose.”
“I see. You have just confirmed my suspicion. You are quite affected by her; nothing else would drive you this angry.”
Darcy winced inwardly, not wanting to continue the conversation with his cousin. The past weeks had been nothing but torture as he was forced to attend several parties along with Georgiana. The Harringtons and Kingstons had become regular attendees at all the parties hosted by the Matlocks. Darcy could see that Georgiana had finally become accustomed to dealing with acquaintances who favored her only for her wealth. However, he couldn’t shake his suspicions about Mr. Harrington—something was undeniably off about him. According to Darcy, the man made every effort to fit into the circle he had married into, by being overly attentive to his wife and flaunting his pride in his social standing and wealth. But Darcy learnt from reliable sources that he was deeply entangled in his father’s debts, and his marriage had practically saved him. Apart from everything, what bothered Darcy was the man’s interest in Hertfordshire. Darcy could not determine the cause, but there was something in his manner that roused his suspicion.
He had a conversation with his aunt some weeks ago, which made him more interested in the matter.
“I understand Georgiana has been spending much time with Mrs. Kingston and her sister during my absence.”
“She does. They call on her often, and if she accompanies them outside, I assure you I have always been with her.”
“I see that she is comfortable in their company now.”
“She is, but I cannot assure you that she considers them her friends. Honestly, Fitzwilliam, I am quite disappointed in society these days. Young women are often pressured into forming friendships that prioritize status over genuine connections. Pardon me, I do not have anything against the ladies, but as I have often seen, they do not seem to be genuinely attached to her. I must tell you, for a long time, I knew Mr. Kingston was courting Miss Harrington, but it was a surprise for his sister to marry into the same family as well.”
“I understand you were not acquainted with the Harringtons before.”
“I knew his mother, but not very closely. They had struggled with debt for years, but now they seem well off. His marriage to the Kingston family has worked to their advantage.”
Darcy’s opinion of Mr. Harrington worsened after the conversation with his aunt. He heaved a sigh when he thought about Georgiana’s situation and felt distressed to understand that she may never have the possibility of finding a genuine friendship as he had found with Mr. Bingley. His heart ached to realize that Georgiana would never be able to meet Elizabeth or get to know her. He could sense that his friend was very much in love with Jane and felt sorry for his current state of distress, but his own thoughts were constantly about Elizabeth and her well-being. Darcy assumed that his departure gave her the much-needed peace she required, although his heart whispered that her struggle could not be overcome easily. Sometimes, he wondered what it would feel like to be a woman, to feel so deceived, so ill-used in love. He hated to understand that both Georgiana and Elizabeth underwent the same torture, and he was unable to help them in any way.
He knew he ought to end his stay in town soon, yet he could not bring himself to plan his journey to Derbyshire. The faint hope of seeing her again still lingered in the corner of his heart, and he could not allow it to be diminished. Every night, he slept with the same hope: that somehow fate would resolve all his troubles and that one day she would find a way to give him a place in her heart.
***
Weeks passed and Elizabeth and Jane hardly left the Gardiner house during their stay there, though their aunt pressed them to accompany her shopping or to the theater. Both were distressed in their own way, and the guilt of raising false hope for her sistertormented Elizabeth beyond measure. For many weeks, Jane had anticipated the possibility of Miss Bingley returning her call, but, affirming all the doubts in the matter, a letter arrived, and Elizabeth, for the first time, gave up hope after reading it.
Dear Miss Bennet,
I write this letter sincerely hoping that you are in good health, as I saw you some weeks ago. I had every intention of writing earlier but pray forgive me; I was most agreeably engaged. Almost every day, we have been occupied with our engagements with the Darcy family, and I cannot tell you how delighted we are to see our brother in happy spirits.
He extends his wishes to your family and all our acquaintances in Hertfordshire.
I understand you planned to leave town after some weeks, and I hope you are finding the visit to your liking. I am also aware that you prefer Longbourn and your country for comfort.
I wish you well, Miss Bennet, and I promise to correspond with you even after your return. Our family is looking forward to our brother settling down soon, and I know you can understand how delighted Louisa and I are to have a sister in the house finally.
