Page 53 of To Go Against Her Heart
Elizabeth looked at Darcy in surprise, and he took the opportunity to invite her uncle and aunt to tea the next day. Mr. Bingley seemed to be already aware of his intentions. Though surprised, Mr. Gardiner agreed, and Georgiana was elated to hear the same.
The party took leave after some time, and Mr. Bingley struggled to depart from Jane without revealing his true feelings. Her countenance, masked with shock and unease, tortured him.
As for Darcy, he did not want to leave without thanking Elizabeth.
“Thank you for accepting my sister’s invitation. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow,” he said, and she nodded.
Her aunt and uncle observed them keenly, and Mrs. Gardiner could not misjudge Darcy’s attention toward her niece.
Now I realize why she was unsettled when I mentioned him,her aunt thought.
Georgiana held Elizabeth’s hand and bid goodbye, filled with excitement at the prospect of seeing her at their home.
As the carriage left, Jane looked at Elizabeth and raised her eyebrow, demanding an explanation.
“I apologize, Jane. I met Mr. Darcy at the bookstore yesterday, and he informed me that Mr. Bingley was unaware of our presence in town.”
“And why did you not tell me this?” asked Jane in shock.
“I wanted to, but…”
“You did not want to disappoint me again, did you? Is that right?” She interrupted, and Elizabeth nodded.
“But…but I do not understand this; as you suspected, was his sister the sole reason for him being unaware of my visit?”
“It is quite evident that she is the one to blame. I felt sorry for him as he apologized.”
“Lizzy, I have often thought about it, and his visit has also made me think about the same subject again. Could Miss Bingley have been the reason for his leaving Netherfield in haste?”
“I do not doubt it; it is all her work.”
“If at all he had some regard for me, then it was so easy for his sister to manipulate him to make him believe otherwise.”
“You seem displeased with him;whatever the cause of his departure from Hertfordshire was, he would not have made this visit today if he still held the same feeling.”
“I am not angry with him, Lizzy; I am angry with myself. I believed Miss Bingley’s lies about him and Miss Darcy. You mentioned several times that it was untrue, but I did not trust you.”
“Please strive to forget the past, now that Mr. Bingley is entirely aware of his sister’s cruel deceit, he will not permit her to meddle any longer. You have suffered a lot, Jane, and I am certain you will not in the future as everything is resolved.”
“Nothing is resolved yet. If at all we cared for each other, both of us would have never let situations or people play a handin separating us. We both must bear the weight of our actions. Should he still care for me as much as I do, it will not do any good to brush everything that happened aside and continue our acquaintance as before,” she said firmly, much to her sister’s surprise. Elizabeth realized that whatever happened with Mr. Bingley had wounded Jane beyond measure, and it would not be easy for her to trust him again.
***
Meanwhile, Mr. Bingley sat with Darcy in his study, and Georgiana excused herself when they reached the house.
“She hates me, Darcy, and honestly, I do not know if she could feel anything else towards me. I cannot believe I let this happen to the woman I love. All these weeks, she was here while I wandered the town in despair, longing to return to Hertfordshire to see her. I should never have believed my sister nor doubted Miss Bennet’s affection. Whatever doubts I had, I should have discussed them with her. Now everything is too late; how will she ever trust me?”
“You are being too hasty; I do not think she hates you.”
“Did you not see how she reacted upon seeing me? She seemed so uncomfortable being in the same room with me. How can I expect her to even converse with me like before?”
“Has she not always been the same, to plainly say, reserved?”
“She has—but now I understand the difference. The way she behaved with me before was because of her feelings for me; she was simply shy. I was a fool to have doubted her then. But today, she seemed lost in thought, as though guarding her heart, reluctant to let it wander down that same path again. I have lost her trust, Darcy, and it pains me beyond measure.”
“All is not lost; I do not understand why you blame yourself to this extent. Yes, your sister used your doubts to manipulate you, but dwelling on the past is of no use. I wish for you to be present tomorrow, while they are here for tea.”
“I do not wish to put her in discomfort.”
