The Beginning of Hope

Part 9

Darcy had never known a social call pass simultaneously so quickly and so slowly, and he, like Charles, seemed disappointed to hear conversations draw towards a close. It was Caroline who remarked with brightness, after what might have been a moment or an hour,

"Oh, look! There is a break in the weather at last!"

"So there is." Mr Hurst nodded, clapping his hands as if to signify the change in topic and conversation as a whole. "Well, ladies, you must excuse me. I think I shall take a circuit of the gardens. Would you care to join me, my dear?"

Mrs Hurst seemed poised to refuse, but something in her sister's eye made her rethink the impulse, and with a reluctant sigh she acquiesced to her husband's suggestion, standing to accept the hand he offered and allowing him to lead her from the room.

"Yes, you must not allow us to outstay our welcome," Jane said, after slightly too long a pause. Caroline looked satisfied that this comment had come from her quarter without needing to be made by her, but before either Elizabeth or Jane could stand, Charles interposed with his response.

"Nonsense! You are our guests and we are quite delighted to have you. We ought to apologise that the rain, in ceasing, no longer affords you an excuse to remain." He looked hopefully at Jane. "I suppose you must return home...?"

"I think -" Jane glanced at Elizabeth, evidently wishing to pass over the decision, and even Darcy found himself curious as to what Elizabeth's answer would be.

If anyone had told him a few days ago that he would succeed in not only spending the best part of an afternoon in close company with Elizabeth Bennet, and that he would have enjoyed it, he would have thought them mad or lying, yet he was stunned to realise it was the truth. He had forgotten, in the years he had spent striving to erase the memory of Elizabeth from his memory, just what it was that had made him fall in love with her, to begin with. Her mind remained unchanged, still whip-smart and quick, jumping easily from topic to topic, her laughing eyes always ensuring he stayed on his game. He was so used to people - young ladies, particularly - seeking to be agreeable that it was quite a relief to be around someone who did not temper her opinions or otherwise seek to ingratiate herself with him.

"We had better not delay too long," Elizabeth said, and Darcy dared to hope he traced a note of disappointment in her voice, too. He glanced at her only momentarily, though, and could not tell from the blank set of her features whether this was merely wishful thinking. Perhaps she had not enjoyed their interaction as much as he had. Perhaps it had meant nothing at all to her. He was not sure which of these two possibilities he would most prefer to be true.

"Yes, Eliza, you do not wish to be caught out if the weather changes again."

Caroline offered this with a conciliatory smile, but Darcy could not be the only one to miss the note of triumph in her voice. It sounded as if she rather relished the thought of the two Bennet sisters getting rained on before they made it safely back to Longbourn. But, no. Darcy berated himself for this. It was too much to assume Caroline might wish harm to her friends.

A peculiar smile settled briefly on Elizabeth's face as if she, too, shared Darcy's opinion. A moment later, though, the smile was gone. She got to her feet, bidding farewell to Caroline as she passed, and urging Jane towards the door.

"Come along, Jane. Miss Bingley is right. We do not wish to come to some misfortune on the journey home."

"Perhaps we ought to accompany you!" Mr Bingley blurted, and Darcy was sitting so close to Caroline that even he could not miss the strangled sigh she let out at her brother's display of chivalry.

"You are very kind," Jane began, a pink tinge colouring her cheeks.

"Quite too kind!" Elizabeth said, cheerfully. "And were we faced with travel of more than three miles or without our carriage, we should certainly take it upon ourselves to accept. As it is, we do not wish to put you to trouble."

With one final farewell, the ladies were gone, and Darcy sank back into the chair he had not been entirely cognizant of leaving, feeling every ounce of the disappointment that was wrought across Charles' face although, he fancied, hiding it a little better.

"Thank goodness that is over with!"

Caroline had intended to whisper this, fitting her comment only for Mr Darcy's ears, but she picked a moment of silence in which to utter her words, so they had no trouble reaching her brother's ears.

"Caroline! What do you mean?"

She glanced at Darcy seeking some support. He leaned back in his chair, pretending not to notice. He had his reasons for preferring not to associate with Elizabeth Bennet - reasons which seemed altogether foolish now that he had proved it could indeed be done and the world would continue to turn. Caroline's judgment came from a place of pure prejudice and he was ill-disposed to lend weight to that. Let her fumble her own way out of the trouble she seemed intent on finding for herself.

"Oh, nothing, Charles," Caroline choked out, forcing a smile onto her face. "Merely that it has been quite long enough without our inviting Jane and Eliza to call here, and I am glad we have finally managed to do so."

She held her breath until, with a vague nod, Bingley accepted this explanation.

"Quite so, quite so." He smiled. "Such charming neighbours. We shall have to have them to dine again, sometime, shan't we? Don't you think so, Darcy?"

Darcy nodded, thinking privately that he would not be so quick to oppose association with the family at Longbourn after all. How quickly his feelings could be changed. They are not changed, he reminded himself. Happily acquiescing to friendship is not the same as opening one's heart to ridicule again. He might be willing to consider friendship with Elizabeth Bennet and her family by virtue of neighbourliness, but his feelings for her went no further than that. And they never shall, for I know now what she is truly like. I shall not be so quick to let down my guard around her a second time...