Evenings with Darcy by Jane Grix

Author:Jane Grix [Grix, Jane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jane Grix
Published: 2019-02-09T02:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

The next two weeks were busy, filled with social activities: a musicale at the earl’s town home, plus three more dinners and another trip to the theatre. Elizabeth felt that Mr. Bingley instigated most of the invitations, but she was uncertain about Mr. Darcy’s intentions. Her aunt seemed to think that he was attracted to her, but Elizabeth could not tell if he was merely arranging events to allow Bingley to be with Jane. Since his comment about wooing, he had been more circumspect. And yet sometimes Darcy looked at her so intently, Elizabeth would have sworn he cared for her. Other times, he was infuriatingly dark and silent.

Odious man.

How was she supposed to know her own heart if she did not know his?

She could not decide if she liked him or not. She could not forget all the things Mr. Wickham had told her.

Mrs. Gardiner did not feel comfortable providing a reciprocal dinner meal for Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy, but she did invite them and their sisters to tea one afternoon.

On February fourteenth, they were all invited to dine at Darcy House again and in the morning, two valentines arrived with small bouquets of flowers. There were white rosebuds for Jane with a printed card that read:

The flowers look brighter

And all on earth seems sweet

My heart is always lighter

My darling, when we meet.

“They must be from Mr. Bingley,” Elizabeth said.

Jane smiled and did not demur. Mrs. Gardiner reread the card and declared that it was a most proper sentiment. “You should wear some of the roses in your hair tonight, Jane.”

For Elizabeth, there was a bouquet of red rosebuds and a handwritten note that read:

Drink to me only with thine eyes,

And I will pledge with mine.

For a moment, after Elizabeth had read the note silently, she held the card against her bosom, not wanting to share it, but Mrs. Gardiner held out her hand and Elizabeth finally gave it to her. Mrs. Gardiner read the lines out loud and said, “It is most romantic, but I do not recognize the lines.”

“They are from a poem by Ben Jonson,” Elizabeth said. “But I cannot remember all the lines.” At that moment, she wished she was back at Longbourn with access to her father’s library. He would know the poem and exactly where to find it among his books.

Mrs. Gardiner tsked her tongue. “How vexing to not know all of it. Should we go to a bookseller today?”

Elizabeth smiled. “No. It does not matter. The sentiment is clear.”

“Indeed,” Mrs. Gardiner said with a sly smile. “Your Mr. Darcy seems a man of hidden passions.”

Elizabeth blushed. “We do not know for certain that it is from Mr. Darcy.”

“Of course not,” her aunt agreed. “He could not be so bold if he had to sign his name. That would not be proper. That is the purpose of valentines – to be able to say something anonymously. But who else knows that you are visiting here? And who else has been inviting you to spend so many evenings together?”

Elizabeth nodded.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.