A Ride with Mr. Darcy by Anne-Marie Grace

Author:Anne-Marie Grace [Grace, Anne-Marie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Anne-Marie Grace

Chapter 11

Elizabeth

Elizabeth and Jane sat together in the garden, enjoying the sunshine after days of clouds and rain. Ostensibly, Jane was embroidering handkerchiefs while Elizabeth read, but in truth, both girls sat with their faces upturned, like flowers taking in the warm rays.

“They’re coming!” Kitty’s shrill, excited voice broke through the calm. Elizabeth was so content in her positioning that it took her a moment to understand Kitty’s words.

“What?” She asked sleepily, turning slowly to face her younger sister.

“They’re coming!” Kitty said again, flitting back and forth, her hands tightening and loosening in her excited agitation.

“Yes,” Jane said patiently. “But who are you talking about?”

“Mr. Bingley!” Kitty exclaimed. Elizabeth heard Jane’s sharp intake of breath.

“Mr…Bingley?” Jane said slowly.

“Kitty, are you quite sure?” Elizabeth asked, her languid attitude now forfeited.

“Quite!” A new voice entered the conversation and Elizabeth looked past Kitty to discover Lydia hurrying toward them as well. “And he isn’t alone!”

“Mr…Bingley,” Jane said again, as if not quite sure what else to say.

“And,” Lydia said, drawing herself up in front of her elder sisters. “You shall never guess who else is with him.” Lydia smiled mischievously, clearly enjoying the thrall she held over Jane and Elizabeth.

Elizabeth pursed her lips together, feeling annoyed at Lydia’s insistence upon drama.

“Well, if Mr. Bingley is calling,” Elizabeth said, standing slowly. “I’m sure it is his sister who accompanies him.”

“Yes, Caroline, of course,” Jane agreed, standing as well. Elizabeth reached out to steady Jane, for the other woman looked as if she might faint. Her cheeks had gone pale and she seemed unsteady upon her feet.

“Ugh, no,” Kitty said, her face taking on a distasteful look at the mention of Caroline Bingley. “Not that odious woman.”

“Kitty!” Elizabeth admonished. “You have no reason to speak that way about someone. Caroline Bingley was perfectly polite to us whenever we had occasion to meet.”

Privately, however, Elizabeth more than agreed. For whatever good things the woman had to say to their faces, her words when the Bennets were out of earshot were undoubtedly unkind. And her behaviour toward Jane in London… unforgivable. But Lydia did not need to know that.

“Then who comes with Mr. Bingley?” Jane asked, some colour returning to her face, no doubt in relief that at least Miss Bingley would not be joining them.

“It’s that one who came with him to Netherfield the last time,” Kitty said, frustrating Lydia’s hold upon the conversation. “Mr. Derby? Mr. Mancy? The ill-tempered one who always looked as if he were in pain. The one who so took care of our Lizzy in Derbyshire.”

“Mr. Darcy?” Elizabeth felt the blood drain from her own face and knew she must now look as pale as Jane. “No, he could not possibly be here. Are you certain?”

“It is the same man as before,” Kitty confirmed, rolling her eyes.

“Though, since he does not wear regimentals, you can hardly expect us to have learned his name,” Lydia said with a giggle.

“But what do you mean they are coming?” Jane asked, still not quite certain what was happening.

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