Memory: Volume 3, How Far We Have Come, A Tale of Pride and Prejudice (Memory: A Tale of Pride and Prejudice) (25 page)

“Bingley is an adult, Darcy.  He has been complimented by plenty of women, and can handle the attention easily.  He is not you.”  Hurst smiled.  “I have seen him in countless ballrooms, and as the years have passed, he has become comfortable in discourse amongst the women within.”

“I suppose that I might be projecting my personal discomfort onto him.  Still, he should be rescued from the fawning fathers.”

Lucas laughed.  “Well as much as I would like to see Bingley safely married off for my personal satisfaction, I can only agree with you.”  Clearing his throat, he spoke up.  “Bingley, I was wondering how you did with your bet on de Bourgh?”

An enormous smile lit his face, and he happily broke away from the interrogation of the fathers.  “I picked ten, how far off was I?”

“Ten!”  De Bourgh cried.  “After arriving home at four?  Sir I would hardly have called on Miss Mary then.”

“Fitzwilliam chose dawn . . .” Bingley offered and the others groaned.  “Oh . . . the other bet . . .knee?”

“That is right!”  Lucas spun around.  “Well?”

“What sort of bet is that?  De Bourgh cried.  “That does not work amongst a group?”

“Well there was more to it than the knee part.”  Darcy said with a smile as he took a sip of port.  “We each added an extra bit.”

“Good Lord.”  De Bourgh closed his eyes.  “Well?”

“This is fascinating.”  Mr. Martin turned in his chair and leaned eagerly forward.  “Well?”

“Knee, kiss on hand.”  Lucas offered and looked around at the groaning men.  “What?  I did that!”

“Dull, dull, dull.”  Bingley smiled.  “Knee, kiss on lips.”

“Ahhhh.”   The men nodded and Bingley bowed a bit. 

“I
did
kiss her lips after I stood.”  Lucas muttered.

Bingley rolled his eyes.  “Darcy?”

“No knee, definite kiss.”  He chuckled when de Bourgh turned to him.  “Just because I chastise you for what you did, does not mean that I would not have done it myself.”

“What of the others?”  De Bourgh asked tiredly.

“Layton said there would be a piece of jewellery, Lord Matlock thought an embrace, and Singleton thought you might be the type for swinging her around.”  Again the men laughed. 

“Swinging her around.”  De Bourgh snorted.  “What am I?  A circus performer?”

“Well, who won, then?”  Lucas prodded him. 

“Darcy.”  De Bourgh gestured to him.  “Again.” 

“YOUR FATHER SEEMS to be well-acquainted with Mr. Bingley.”  Emily spoke to Abbey.  “Or is it just that he seems to get on easily with any he meets?”

“Mr. Bingley’s family are old acquaintances of ours, and I met Mr. Bingley when visiting Pemberley this winter.”

“Pemberley?”  Mrs. Simkins asked.

“My husband’s estate in Derbyshire, Mrs. Simkins.”  Elizabeth said tightly.

“Oh yes, of course.”  Mrs. Simkins blushed, and looked at Abbey.  “You were a guest of the Darcys’?” 

“Yes, Mrs. Simkins.”  Elizabeth interceded.  “Miss Martin and her cousins from my home county visited with us and we were glad to have the opportunity to see them.  That was when Mrs. Hurst discovered that Miss Martin attended the same school as she.”

“I see.”  She glanced at Abbey.  “And . . .do you spend much time with your cousins?”

“I go to visit my aunt for several months in autumn; I will be going again in September.”  She smiled at Elizabeth.  “And you said that Mr. Bingley will definitely take Netherfield.”

“Yes, he will.”  She nodded.  “I believe that he will accompany my husband and Captain de Bourgh when they ride to Longbourn in a few days, to get Mr. Darcy’s opinion of the estate firsthand.”

“Netherfield?”  Mrs. Simkins glanced at Jill.  “Near Meryton?”

“Yes, do you know it?  Our father owns Longbourn, which is adjacent to it.” 

“How odd.”  Mrs. Simkins smiled.  “My husband and I attended a dinner at Netherfield a few years ago.  Captain Carver’s family was staying there at the time.  I was a school friend of Mrs. Carver and enjoyed seeing her while she lived in the area.”

“I remember Mrs. Carver from church.  I wonder if Peter knows him.”  Mary mused.

“Captain Carver, then you know the Stewarts?  Lord and Lady Moreland?”  Elizabeth smiled.  “We are good friends with Mr. Daniel Stewart.”

“Oh, we do not know Lord and Lady Moreland, but yes, I remember meeting Mr. Stewart.  Well, it is a small world!  Our estate is in Evanston, Lyden Hall?”

“I do not know it.”  Elizabeth smiled, then noted Abbey’s dismay. “But then nobody knows Longbourn.  Small estates are not well known outside of their immediate neighbourhood.” 

“And Lyden Hall
is
small.”  Emily acknowledged and ignored her mother’s sharp look.  “But my brother is happy to have it.”

“Just as my husband is happy to have our small estate.”  Jane nodded.  “Pride is not limited by acreage, or even location.”  She smiled at Abbey who seemed to be shrinking. 

“Yes.”  She bit her lip and looked at Jill.  “You are ten miles from Meryton?”

“I would say closer to eight, but yes, quite a distance.”  Jill smiled and shrugged. “Perhaps we will meet when we are both in the neighbourhood?”

“Perhaps.”  Abbey stood and walked over to the pianoforte.  “Perhaps.” 

“Miss Martin.”  Elizabeth followed her and spoke quietly.  “Mr. Bingley has no estate, either.  He is leasing Netherfield, after all.”  Abbey looked up from the instrument to see Elizabeth’s kind smile.  “You see around you a roomful of the typical women who approach him regularly.  What you must decide is if you wish to be like them, or if you will instead be yourself.”

“Would he like that?” 

“Would you like to win a man under false pretences and then have to spend the rest of your life pretending to be something you are not?  I certainly would not.  I would want a man to like me, warts and all.”  The door to the drawing room opened and the first man through was Darcy.  “And he does.” 

Abbey watched Elizabeth meet Darcy and how he smiled and rested his hand on her back, then looked at Jill, comfortably speaking with a group of women in a corner of the room.  She noticed that Bingley was watching Jill, and taking her courage in her hands, she stepped over to him. 

“Mr. Bingley?”  He immediately turned to her and smiled broadly.  “Do you tire of being chased by the ladies?”

Bingley startled and began to laugh.  “Now that is a loaded question, Miss Martin.  As Miss Emily said so aptly earlier this evening, what is your point?” 

“I was just trying to understand your character.”  She smiled and he waited.  “I was wondering if my first impressions were correct.”

“And?” He smiled.

“I hope so.”  Abbey looked into his warm green eyes and smiled.

“One day I would like to hear the true story of your first impressions, without the filter of my friend or your father doing the interpretation.”  He tilted his head.  “Is that possible?”

She shook her head.  “I would have to know you better.”

“So you are chasing me?”  He grinned.

“No.”  She smiled.  “A lady never runs.”

Chapter 8

“I
am with you, Darcy.  I am not enamoured of London.  It is a city full of interesting sights and activities, but give me nature, that is where I am at home.”  De Bourgh took a deep breath of clean country air.  “I have seen enough of the world; I am pleased with my little patch of earth.”

“Not so little.”  Bingley noted.

“In the grand scheme of things it is but a single blade of grass in a meadow.”  Darcy smiled and kicked his horse, speeding up a little.  “I wonder if you will become as we once you have a taste of owning your own property.”

“Who knows?”  Shrugging, Bingley caught up with him.  “I am counting the weeks now until I get to have that taste.”

De Bourgh raised his chin.  “Weary of London already?  Why the Season has just hit its stride!  Are you not enjoying all the ladies smiling your way?” 

“I would not be a man if I did not like to receive the admiration of the ladies.”  Bingley smiled when De Bourgh snorted.  “I am glad to return any smile that comes my way, but I am . . . I suppose that I am not particularly seeking attention.”  Bingley chuckled to see Darcy’s brow rise.  “I cannot help it if I am handsome and amiable.”  Both of his companions groaned.

“Have you met any more young ladies in the past few days?”  De Bourgh winked at Darcy.  “I was impressed with you at the Hursts.  Let’s see, Miss Martin, Miss Simkins . . .”

Bingley spoke quickly, “Miss Simkins did not fawn over me; she was simply being polite and tolerating her sister.” 

“Her sister who was pushing her.”  De Bourgh laughed and caught Darcy’s thoughtful expression.

“Maybe so, but the point is that Miss Simkins was not, which I would find undeniably refreshing were I still unmarried.”  Darcy noted.  “She is recovering from heartbreak.  That suitor of hers clearly did not love her or he would have stayed by her through her sister’s troubles.”

“Sad, but true.”  Bingley nodded and looked ahead.  “She is lovely.”  Darcy and de Bourgh looked at each other behind his back.  “Miss Martin was trying hard to fit in,” he continued on, “she was strained a bit in the overwhelming atmosphere, I think.”

“Does that put you off?” 

“No.”  Bingley gave him an incredulous look.  “No, not at all, she did rally nicely at the end when we spoke alone for a few moments, before all the ladies began their performances.  She reminds me of myself not so many years ago, well even not so many months ago.” 

“True, I do believe that you were overly eager for quite a while.”  Darcy nodded.  “I am glad that you do not reject out of hand.”

“Reject?  Miss Martin?  She is lovely and very engaging.”  Bingley said sharply.  “Why on earth would I reject that?”

“No idea, Bingley.” 

“You are a good man, Bingley.”  De Bourgh smiled when he looked at him with confusion.  “What of the other ladies there who smiled at you, any of them strike your fancy?”

“No, I knew them all, nothing of note, just like the balls I have attended thus far.”  He smiled and lifted his chin.  “There is Meryton ahead.  Where first gentlemen?”

“Oh please, Longbourn, let us have it over.”  Darcy said grimly.

“You know, a face like that just might put a poor suitor off, Darcy!”  De Bourgh laughed.  “It is a fine thing to scare me with my future in-laws!”

“You have met them already.” 

“Mr. Martin resembles Mrs. Bennet, is that not what Mrs. Darcy said?”  Bingley rubbed his chin thoughtfully.  Again Darcy and de Bourgh looked at each other and riding through the village, they took the road straight through and towards Longbourn.

“THEY HAVE GROWN SO MUCH; I will bring Rosalie over to play with them soon.  I will be taking her to see her Fitzwilliam cousins tomorrow.”  Elizabeth smiled, watching Amy, Paul, and Benjamin Gardiner playing together in the nursery.  “Benjamin looks such a man in his little suit.”

“Yes.”  Mrs. Gardiner sighed.  “And how proud he was to put it on.  We had a little party for him.  I realize that all over London there are children Amy’s age working, but I just hated to see my first baby grow up.”  She smiled wistfully.  “Now he spends a few hours with his father at the warehouse, then home for lessons.”

“He will be a very fine man, one day.”  Elizabeth followed her down the stairs to the front sitting room and sank onto a sofa.  “I suppose that we should begin this adventure.”

“Lizzy if you are not up to it, I will be glad to take Mary shopping another day.”  Mrs. Gardiner sat beside her and took her hand.  “No wedding date is definitely set.”

“It will be today, though.”  She closed her eyes and shifted uncomfortably.  “I am used to my stomach’s upset, and I think that should end in a few more weeks, but my back aches.  I did not feel like this with Rosa until I was much further along.  I have certainly not eaten anything to make me grow larger, and to look at me you would not know I was carrying a child.”

“Your back aches?”  Mrs. Gardiner looked at her worriedly.  “How?”

“It is odd, as if I were about to have my courses.”  Elizabeth shook her head and opened her eyes.  “I suppose every time is different, is it not?”

“Yes, each pregnancy presents its own challenges.”  She smiled reassuringly and squeezed her hand.  “But I do think that we should forego our shopping, just for a day or so.  You do look very tired, dear.”

“That is my own fault, I could not sleep.”  Elizabeth laughed off the aches that kept her awake. “I kept thinking of all the things I should try to accomplish with Fitzwilliam gone for the day, and then fretted over him riding to Hertfordshire and back.  Poor man, he finally just rolled over and held me down, begging me to stop rocking the bed.  He will be so tired he will fall off of his horse!” 

“Now you have something new to fret over.”  Mrs. Gardiner smiled. 

“Peter and Mr. Bingley will prop him up.”  Mary walked into the room and took a seat.  “They will be fine.  And Lizzy, really, there is no hurry to go shopping, I am as fond of it as you.”

“I just thought it would be nice to take care of it while both Fitzwilliam and Peter are occupied.  You know that if Peter was here, you two would wish to be together.”

“Well, we will just send them off to fence, or ride in the park, or . . . Surely Fitzwilliam has business to attend and maybe teach Peter about estate management as he did Robert.  Peter does have navy friends to visit, too.”  Mary smiled.  “I have no fear of him occupying himself one way or another, and I think, maybe, Mrs. de Bourgh will want to join us sometime.”

“Oh, I am sorry, Mary.  I have no mother-in-law to consider.”  Elizabeth sighed.  “I fear that the addled mind aspect of all this is beginning to take effect. What will I forget next?”  She stood, hoping that movement might help her shake off the dull pain and exhaustion.  Walking to the window, she looked out at the sunny day.  “Perhaps a stroll in the park?  I have not walked here for so long!”  She turned with a smile and saw Mary staring at the sofa with a look of horror on her face, and Mrs. Gardiner was sadly looking at Elizabeth’s gown. “What is . . .” Elizabeth gasped when a cramp made her clutch her stomach.  She looked up at her aunt who had stood and was walking forward to take her hand.   Her eyes filled with tears, and she hugged herself protectively.  “Oh no.  Please! No!”