An Unlikely Acquaintance

Part 25

"They were walking together!"

Mrs Bennet's voice was muffled behind the closed door of her husband's study but Lizzy could still detect the anguished annoyance in her mother's words. Mr Bennet, by contrast, seemed entirely unflustered by either Jane's walking with Colonel Fitzwilliam or his wife's reaction to it.

"You would prefer he set them to marching, perhaps? Or that Jane instruct him in needlework?"

"I would prefer for them to do nothing of the sort!" Mrs Bennet sounded as if she was on the verge of tears. "What of Mr Bingley?"

Mr Bennet's response to this was so calm and quiet that Lizzy had to creep a little closer to his study to hear it, leaning an ear carefully against the door. She would not be observed, she knew, for her sisters were all together in the parlour, discussing in detail the purchases Lydia and Kitty had made in Meryton and quizzing Jane on the very walk that was causing such an argument between their parents.

"...but he might come back!"

Mr Bennet snorted, offering a more decided response than any words might have done.

"He will come back," Mrs Bennet continued. "This was only ever to be a short excursion to London for the - for the holiday season." She sounded as if she strove to convince herself as plainly as her husband, for it could not have escaped Mrs Bennet's notice - as it had not done Lizzy's - that the festive season was quite concluded and any return to normality would likely have happened by now, were it to happen at all.

"What will he think if he returns home to rumours that Jane has been seen walking with another gentleman?"

"They took a turn about the terrace while I was very much home and very much able to overlook them," Mr Bennet said, irritably. "I wish you would not speak as if Jane were courting scandal when she has never been anything other than entirely upstanding." He paused, and Lizzy could well imagine the withering look he presently fixed upon his wife. "Some might consider her riding over to Netherfield and taking a propitious chill courting scandal but I do not recall you objecting to that, my dear."

Mrs Bennet gasped, before departing in floods of noisy tears and Lizzy had barely a moment to step away from the door before it flew open beneath her.

"Mama?" she croaked, holding her arms open for the despairing Mrs Bennet to collapse into.

"You shall take his side as well, I suppose!" she cried, shrilly, shrugging out of Lizzy's grasp. "I know you are as like as two peas and I shall have no sympathy from either of you!"

"Mama!" Lizzy protested, but there was no persuading her mother of anything and Mrs Bennet retired noisily to her room before one of her headaches set in to oppress her further.

Waiting a moment to be sure that Mrs Bennet's noisy departure had not disturbed the peace and tranquillity of the parlour, Lizzy slipped through the open door to her father's study, a cautious question etched into her features.

"How much did you hear?" Mr Bennet asked, not looking up from the letters he pretended to read.

"Some." Lizzy hopped into an empty chair opposite her father and folded her arms. "Is Colonel Fitzwilliam so very dreadful?"

Mr Bennet lifted his head, then, the ghost of a smile tugging at his thin lips.

"I do not think so. Do you?"

Lizzy considered all she knew of the colonel, which was not much, and shook her head. There was something inherently likeable about him, and the fact that he had won Mr Bennet's friendship - a task not easily undertaken - endeared him still further to her.

What a shame he and his cousin could not be more alike... She bit down hard on her lip, as if that would be enough to silent the thoughts that perpetually plagued her, still, no matter how far away London was nor how long Mr Darcy remained there. It is only because I know that he is Colonel Fitzwilliam's cousin, she told herself. My mind now connects the pair most disconcertingly. If I did not know it, there would be no such concern!

"And does Jane like him?" Lizzy asked, snapping her attention back to the matter at hand.

"You ought to know the answer to that question better than I!" Mr Bennet grew serious, steepling his fingers and peering over them at his daughter with curiosity. "Has she said as much? Has she said anything at all?"

"About Colonel Fitzwilliam?" Lizzy scratched her chin, turning back over the conversations between the sisters. Absent of any teasing on her part, what had been Jane's opinion of their new friend? She was not sure. With Mr Bingley, Jane's affections had been apparent, or at least as apparent as anything ever was with Jane. She was quiet, not given to great passions and even less so to talk about them. But Lizzy understood her well enough to see that Mr Bingley's immediate interest was returned. Colonel Fitzwilliam was quieter, too, but she thought she could sense a partiality from him towards Jane - entirely to be expected, for Jane was so sweet-tempered and pretty Lizzy could not imagine a single man in England not losing his heart to her a little. Jane did colour up whenever Colonel Fitzwilliam was mentioned. That could not only be because of Lizzy's teasing, could it?

"You disapprove?" Mr Bennet looked amused as he watched the shadows play across Lizzy's face.

"Not at all!" With effort, she rearranged her features into a smile. "I merely thought how different things might have been if Mr Bingley had] not been dragged away to London."

"As far as I was aware, he made the journey of his own free will."

Lizzy harrumphed, thinking her father gave rather too much credence to Mr Bingley's own free will. He had gone because he was told to, and he had been told to by the joint forces of Mr Darcy and Miss Bingley, conspiring together to keep him from confessing his true feelings to Jane and securing her hand. That is what happened, Lizzy thought, with a decided nod. I shall not be persuaded otherwise! I know only too well what Mr Darcy thinks of our family. We are not good enough for him, nor his friend!

What might that mean, then, for any possible union with his cousin?

A bitter concern stole over Lizzy's heart as she considered this. Not content with separating Jane from Mr Bingley, would Mr Darcy now seek to do the same with his cousin?

I will not let him! She thought, triumphantly, of the gentle romance already playing out before them between Colonel Fitzwilliam and her sister. It was like something from a novel. To meet, once, at an assembly, then a second time, to rescue Jane from her turned ankle. A third such meeting ought to be all that was needed to secure an affection. And if I must engineer it, I shall, Lizzy thought, her mind already whirring with possibilities. If Jane liked Colonel Fitzwilliam, even a little, then she would have him. They would marry and be happy. And I shall not let anybody come between them - especially not anybody by the name of Darcy.

"Lizzy?" Mr Bennet prompted, gently, when a long moment had passed in silence.

"I am quite sure Jane cares for him, Father, but you know she is very discreet. I shall endeavour to be certain, and then, perhaps -"

"We shall simply let nature take its course," Mr Bennet said, turning back to his letters and shuffling them into a pile before winking at his favourite daughter. "But if nature needs a helping hand...then far be it from me not to offer it."