Page 54 of The Heroic Mr Darcy's Bad Manners
“I do not believe your reputation has been damaged, madam. Least of all by me,” the colonel replied good-naturedly.
Elizabeth could not help it; she liked the colonel very much. He was, in person and manners, most truly a gentleman. He had not tattled about his brother or tried to exempt himself from blame but had brought the viscount to her home to redeem himself. An admirable trait to be sure. Yet, she could not avoid noticing that he had stolen surreptitious glances at Jane during their entire discussion. Was she witnessing the first sparks of an infatuation?
“Mr Bingley and Miss Bingley,” the butler announced, startling Elizabeth and her companions.Speak of the devil,Elizabeth thought wryly.
Mr Bingley had wasted no time in calling upon Jane after their return to town, though it was strange he had not done so before the festive season. She immediately excused the slight by acknowledging that the visit had been of short duration, and they had attended but one event—at which Mr Bingley had not been present. It was highly unlikely he had known that her sister was in town.
Mr Bingley had brought with him a large bouquet of roses and made for the sofa Elizabeth had recently vacated. He seated himself beside Jane and offered her the flowers. Neither time nor distance appeared to have lessened his admiration. It was easily discernible by how close he chose to seat himself to her sister and how directly they engaged in conversation. Yet, his blunder at the theatre and recent interest in Miss Bergman were not so easy to forget. Could he be making love to all blonde ladies of beauty?
A sigh behind her made Elizabeth turn back to the colonel, who had until then hidden his hands behind his back. When he brought them forwards, she noticed he held on tightly to a lovely little nosegay with a single blooming peony. It must have cost him a fortune because peonies required much heat to be forced into early bloom. Upon noticing her attention on the flower, he offered it to her, but Elizabeth shook her head.
“I thank you, but no. I am in no need of incentives to forgive your wagering blunder. May I suggest that you give it to the lady who loves peonies above all other flowers,” she graciously offered. “My sister Jane.”
“No, I cannot interrupt when Mr Bingley is occupying all her attention,” the colonel said, nodding towards the sofa.
Elizabeth reverted her gaze to her sister, who was flanked by Mr Bingley and his own sister. Jane appeared ill at ease between the sister and brother who were ever so eager to rekindle their friendship.
“Jane, dear? I am sorry to divert you from your friends, but I need you to settle a dispute between myself and the good colonel.”
The colonel’s eyes widened, and Elizabeth thought this was not the moment to become missish because Jane rose with alacrity and was soon at her side.
“How may I be of assistance?” Jane asked.
“The colonel is too abashed to give you the nosegay he brought for fear of it being outdone by Mr Bingley’s generous bouquet. I am trying to convince him that the size of the offering does not matter when presented with your favourite flower.”
Elizabeth disregarded the viscount’s short bark of laughter and looked encouragingly at the colonel. She discerned a faint redness to his cheeks as he offered her sister the posy.
Jane was, as predicted, thrilled about the peony and brought it to her nose before fastening it on her fichu.
“It is absolutely lovely. Thank you, Colonel Fitzwilliam.”
The redness in the colonel’s cheeks sprang out in full bloom. Elizabeth found his bashfulness endearing, as did Jane by her appraising looks.
The viscount brought forward his bouquet and offered it to Elizabeth, who in this instance accepted the bribe in exchange for her forgiveness.
Mr Bingley, prompted by his sister, rose and joined the Matlock brothers.
“Lady Jane, would you allow me to take you on a ride tomorrow?”
Mr Bingley, the viscount, and the colonel were three souls of the same mind and spoke simultaneously of the great merit of such an excursion. Elizabeth had to turn away lest she burst out laughing.A ride in this wintry weather!She met Miss Bingley’s eyes, which sobered her mirth. That lady was scowling but smoothed her expression when she discovered she was being observed.
Jane glanced at her grandmother, who was chaperoning the ladies and their callers.
“Why do you not all go and make a merry party of it,” the older lady suggested.
Elizabeth thought it was a splendid idea. That would allow Jane to compare the gentlemen, though she doubted her sister agreed. It was all too much for Jane, who liked to please everyone she met, yet there was no doubt that at least two gentlemen would be disappointed in the end.
It was decided that they would all go for a ride through the park on the following morning. Including Elizabeth, at Jane’s insistence.
She looked at the clock on the mantelpiece. The allotted fifteen minutes of a social call had long since passed. The gentlemen proved their astuteness and bade their farewells.
“Heavens!” Grandmother Bennet exclaimed as soon as the guests had left. “For a moment I worried they would break into a fight for your attention, Jane. Elizabeth, I trust you to deflect their attention on the morrow should Jane be overcome.”
“I shall,” Elizabeth promised. “You may have no concerns in that regard.” Meaning Mr Bingley in particular.
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The next morning.
