Hypothetically Married by Renata McMann & Summer Hanford

Author:Renata McMann & Summer Hanford [McMann, Renata & Hanford, Summer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-04-29T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

The Hursts and Miss Bingley did eventually return, prompting Mr. Bingley to rent the box beside Mr. Darcy’s for an opera, so they could attend en masse. Each box held eight, putting Miss Bingley in the box with Elizabeth’s usual companions, seated between Mr. Darcy and Mr. Searle, with Jane on the other side of Mr. Searle. If she wanted to be charitable to Miss Bingley, Elizabeth might have thought the seating was arranged to give Jane a chance at attracting Mr. Searle, but Elizabeth was not in a charitable mood with regards to Miss Bingley. She was certain Miss Bingley either wanted to present Mr. Searle as a possible rival to Mr. Darcy or wanted to separate Jane from her brother.

Miss Darcy almost aggressively headed for the box away from Miss Bingley’s seating arrangements. The frown on Miss Bingley’s face suggested to Elizabeth that Miss Darcy was supposed to sit next to Mr. Bingley. Undoubtedly, Kitty would have been relegated to the other box.

Elizabeth was left seated in Mr. Bingley’s rented box, between Miss Darcy and Mr. Hurst, Mrs. Hurst beyond him. Behind them were Mrs. Annesley, Mrs. Searle, Uncle Phillips and Lady Catherine.

Though she’d observed Miss Bingley’s machinations, Elizabeth had permitted them to succeed. Not to avoid Mr. Darcy, to whom she’d grown quite accustomed, but on behalf of Miss Darcy. She recalled the young woman’s reaction to the idea of spending time with Miss Bingley. As demure as she was, Miss Darcy couldn’t help but prefer to avoid Bingley’s sister. Elizabeth was in no way demure, yet even she found the woman trying.

She also noticed that Miss Darcy arranged to be seated on the end of the front row, with Elizabeth beside her and Mrs. Annesley behind her. Elizabeth didn’t mind being employed as a buffer. It showed Miss Darcy was coming to feel at ease with her. She did doubt the precaution was required, as Mr. Hurst, from what little she recalled of him, would almost certainly go to sleep the moment the performance began.

In that Elizabeth was mistaken, for Mr. Hurst proceeded to go to sleep the moment they were all settled into their seats, not waiting for the performance. Beyond the Hursts, from Mr. Darcy’s box, Elizabeth heard laughter. Leaning forward, she could make out just enough to see Miss Bingley leaning toward Mr. Darcy. Her back was to Elizabeth, but she undoubtedly displayed her assets to their fullest. Elizabeth could see Mr. Darcy looked only at her face.

Elizabeth leaned back, not wishing his gaze to travel past Miss Bingley’s feather-adorned coiffure and find her watching. She didn’t want Mr. Darcy to think she cared if he flirted with Miss Bingley, because she did not. Even if he’d turned out to be more reticent than haughty, reserved than proud, she still suspected him of splitting up Jane and Mr. Bingley, and he had still said she wasn’t handsome enough to tempt him even to dance.

While he showed no inclination to repeat the one crime, she still had the luxury of knowing he didn’t find her attractive.

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