Page 40 of Eavesdroppers Never Hear
“Of course,” she replied cautiously. It seemed the man had something to say, and she only hoped he would get it out before breakfast was stone-cold.
“I must apologise if my words last night gave offence. None was meant.”
Elizabeth looked to the man who seemed to be just short of swooning.
“You are forgiven. No harm was done, and Mr Darcy is a generous man who has been gossiped about far more than you can imagine. That said, may I offer some unsolicited advice?”
“Certainly,” he said nervously.
“This is a touch hypocritical since gossip is the coin of the realm in this house… but, as a newly minted gentleman you may find it useful to… talk less and listen more. Your occupation requires you to hear your parishioners, and you can hardly do that if they do not have the freedom to speak.”
The man looked like he would have preferred a beating to the kindly meant advice, but he nodded in acceptance and scurried away.
Elizabeth doubted the lesson would have the slightest effect, but he might grow up one day.
Once he was gone, Elizabeth went back to thinking about the only gentleman who truly belonged in her mind.
~~~~~
Breakfast proceeded apace as it generally did with a raucous and noisy table. Elizabeth’s mother and sisters had mostly reverted to form as expected, and the hypocrisy of her lectureto her cousin bothered her more and more. Understanding and sympathising with her mother helped a great deal, but there was still far more silliness at the table than she would have preferred—especially with respect to the officers. According to her two youngest sisters, said officers had every conceivable advantage, including a propensity to pay them attention, which they considered both their due and a sign of intelligence in the gentlemen.
Elizabeth wondered at just how silly her sisters were being with the officers, then wondered why neither of her parents seemed willing or able to check them. Long experience had taught her the futility of attempting to rein them in, so she decided to stop worrying about what she could not change.
Before they finished, she rapped the table to get everyone’s attention, then looked particularly at Kitty and Lydia to ensure their compliance while raising her voice.
“I cannot stress enough that my courtship with Mr Darcy is aprivatematter! I had not planned to share it with the family until next week. As far as the rest of Meryton is concerned, it is still private! None of you are to breathe a word about it… to anyone… especially our aunt or any other gossip. Do I make myself clear?”
“La, Lizzy,” Lydia said. “What do you care if everyone knows you are engaged to a handsome and rich man, no matter how dreary and disagreeable he is. If I were engaged to him, I would shout it from the rooftops.”
“A courtship and an engagement are two entirely different things, Lydia. The latter does not always follow the former, and gossip is the fastest way to put it off.”
“You worry too much… and besides that, I would bet I will be the first to be married.”
Elizabeth shook her head at her sister’s wilful stupidity but saw little point in trying to correct her least clever sister when her own father was openly laughing.
“I certainly hope you will not be. You are far too young to be married. You do realise that married women rarely go to balls and dances, no?”
“Mrs Forster does!” Lydia asserted with a whoop of triumph.
Elizabeth just shook her head. “I will not argue with such silliness… but neither will I allow you to speak out of turn. If a single word of my very private courtship gets out, I will assume it was from the two of you, and neither of you will ever borrow a bonnet or any money again—and you can forget about visiting town or Pemberley!”
The two youngest tried to look serious while promising to hold their tongues. Elizabeth had little faith in the scheme, but she had done what she could.
Kitty asked, “Will Mr Darcy be calling today, Lizzy?”
“No, he has gone fox hunting at Willowbrook.”
Lydia loudly asserted, “When a beau falls in love with me, he will call every day!”
Elizabeth resisted the desire to thump her sister on the head—not through any charitable feelings, but mostly because Lydia had long ago learnt to sit out of reach. “He is a gentleman and has obligations. He was engaged to visit the Schutte’s yesterday and hunt today before we were courting. Would you have him renege on his commitments the day after his big speech?”
“I suppose not,” Lydia grumbled with poor grace.
“We will meet some of his relations on Thursday.”
~~~~~
Lydia’s intention of walking to Meryton was not forgotten; every sister except Mary agreed to go with her; and Mr Collins was to attend them, at the request of Mr Bennet, who was mostanxious to get rid of him, and have his library to himself; for thither Mr Collins had followed him after breakfast; and there he would continue, nominally engaged with one of the largest folios in the collection, but really talking to Mr Bennet, with little cessation, of his house and garden at Hunsford.
