Page 100 of A Most Beloved Sister
“Other than the fact that you told Darcy about my hating him.”
The solemn tone in his voice caused her to look at him sharply. Only the slightest twitch at the corner of his lips gave him away. She burst into laughter.
“Don’t try to tell me that you’re upset at my betrayal! Had I not said anything, he would never have made restitution.”
He sobered. “I owe you and him a debt of gratitude. It was more than I deserved, to be honest. When he and I parted, I was already on a path of idleness and—to be honest—a bit of resentment for my friend’s wealth. Had I remained at Pemberley, being given so much by my godfather, who knows where I would have ended up now?”
“Well, no matter the reason, I am glad it has all turned out well for you, and I hope it shall continue to do so.”
The conversation came to an end as they approached the barracks just outside of Meryton. He looked down at her. “Thank you for your company, Miss Bennet. Please allow me to express my condolences for your Mrs. Bingley’s decline. I understand from your younger sister that her health is somewhat fragile.”
“Thank you, Major. It is most appreciated—both the conversation and the sentiments.”
He bowed over her hand, then retreated into the residence. Elizabeth made her way through the streets of Meryton and toward Netherfield, her heart both lightened and weighed down at once by the events of the day.
How I wish Darcy were here.
Chapter 27
The last week of February was one of great anticipation for the people of Meryton, largely due to an assembly that was to be held in the public rooms in the village.
“You should go, Lizzy,” Charles said at dinner the night before the assembly was to be held.
The two of them, as well as Louisa and Hurst, were supping in the informal dining room. The Hursts immediately echoed the proposition, urging Elizabeth to join her family and friends in the gaiety.
“It doesn’t feel right to leave Jane and Louisa with things in such an unsteady state.”
“Nonsense,” Louisa said firmly. “I still have a month—perhaps more—until my lying in. Jane is sleeping comfortably by this time each evening, and while she is in decline, she isn’t quite on her deathbed yet.”
Elizabeth flinched and looked at Charles, who grimaced at his sister’s indelicate turn of phrase.
“Lou,” Hurst said, touching her arm, “that was a bit harsh.”
“I am sorry,” Louisa said, her eyes instantly filling with tears that streamed down her cheeks.
“Oh, Louisa,” Elizabeth said, “it’s quite all right.”
The mother-to-be dabbed at her eyes with a napkin. “What a watering pot I’ve become. Being with child has me angry, then callous, and then weeping—all in the space of a minute!”
Everyone at the table laughed, and Elizabeth noticed a footman do his best to suppress a twitch of his lips. “In your condition, Louisa, you can expect to be forgiven everything.”
“In that case, then, I will press my advantage and absolutely insist you attend the assembly tomorrow night.”
When Elizabeth opened her mouth to protest, Louisa raised a hand. “No, Elizabeth! You have sacrificed so much for your two sisters at Netherfield. You deserve one night to make merry. I insist!”
This last was punctuated by Louisa slamming her fist on the table with such force that a bit of wine splashed out of Bingley’s glass and onto the tablecloth.
“Very well,” Elizabeth conceded, “but only to preserve the poor table linens and the maids who have to clean them!
∞∞∞
The following afternoon, Elizabeth found herself being ushered out of the house for a walk before it was time to prepare for the assembly. “You know how irritable you become when you don’t get enough time in the fresh air,” Bingley said cheerfully. “We can’t have you frightening some poor young lad with your scowls.”
Laughing at his antics, Elizabeth obligingly went out to the gardens and towards the maze underneath the windows of the guest wing of the house. She wandered through the hedges, taking each turn from years of practice until she reached the center. After sitting on a bench near a budding rosebush, she looked up at the fountain with a marble statue in the center.
“I’ve always found those to be a bit ugly.”
Elizabeth smiled and turned to look at Jamie. “I much prefer the natural landscape myself, but the Greeks did have a talent for stonework that would last centuries.”
