no doubt as to his inclinations on the matter.
“Well spoken, Mr. Darcy!” cried Mr. Monkhouse. “I also would not wish for a wife who must be treated as a child! “
“And it is very good for you that you do not!” his wife said with good humour, “else you should be sadly disappointed.”
“And I shall be sadly disappointed if we cannot continue this fine discussion! Gentlemen, Mrs. Monkhouse, would you do us the honour of joining us for dinner?” Mr. Gardiner said heartily.
63
Abigail Reynolds
elizabeth drew in a sharp breath and closed her eyes, not wishing to see the look that would cross Darcy’s face at the very idea of dining in such company. she opened them to look only at the floor as she heard his demurral, stating that they could not possibly impose on such short notice.
“Well, we shall not press you to stay if you must be away,” said Mrs.
Gardiner civilly, “but there would be no imposition; unexpected guests are a common enough occurrence here that our cook has the sense to anticipate the likelihood.”
With a silent prayer that her aunt would not unknowingly humiliate her further with another invitation which must be abhorrent to a man of such pride, elizabeth looked to Jane, whose happy smile almost made up for her own discomfort.
“Bingley, what do you say? Bingley!” said Darcy, raising his voice slightly when unable to initially attract his friend’s attention.
“yes?” responded Bingley, tearing his eyes from Jane with a clear effort.
“Mrs. Gardiner has invited us to stay to dinner.” Darcy’s tone was neutral.
Bingley’s face lit up with a radiant smile. “I should be delighted to join you, Mrs. Gardiner, unless Darcy is engaged elsewhere.”
“no, I have no fixed engagements,” said Darcy. elizabeth looked up at him in surprise, and he gave her a slight smile of apology. It was obvious that she would prefer him not stay; indeed, he knew that he should have made his excuses, but when pressed he could not convince himself to leave her presence. God knows when I shall see her again—not until Bingley’s wedding, no doubt, if that event should come to pass, he thought. He did not know whether to hope for or dread such an occurrence; if Bingley turned his eyes elsewhere than Miss Bennet, Darcy could hardly expect to see elizabeth again, but to be thrown into her company on occasion because of the connection to Bingley would carry not only the exquisitely painful pleasure of seeing her, but the eventual torture of watching her someday fall in love and marry another man—no, that was not an outcome he could desire. At least it appeared that he need not worry about the stripling beside her, judging by her spirited response to his assertions. He did not think he could bear to discover that she was favouring another man just yet.
He was pleasantly surprised to discover that he enjoyed the company at dinner. Being seated between elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner was no doubt 64
By FoRce oF InstInct
responsible for a good deal of his pleasure, especially as the former seemed to be in good spirits and ready to tease, even if she did avoid his eyes on occasion. It was enough to be near her, to hear her voice, to catch a whiff of her fragrance drifting past him. He knew that he would never have more than that, and was willing to brave the dreams that were sure to haunt him once again in order to be allowed to pretend for a brief while that all was as it had been between them. It helped that the conversation was stimulating; he could see why elizabeth enjoyed visiting her aunt and uncle so much, and helped explain her surprising lack of provinciality that he had noted in Hertfordshire. He could find it in himself to regret that the Gardiners and Monkhouses were not of a social stratum to permit continued intercourse.
elizabeth had abandoned any effort to determine what Mr. Darcy was thinking after his startling acceptance of the invitation to dine at her uncle’s house. There
“Well spoken, Mr. Darcy!” cried Mr. Monkhouse. “I also would not wish for a wife who must be treated as a child! “
“And it is very good for you that you do not!” his wife said with good humour, “else you should be sadly disappointed.”
“And I shall be sadly disappointed if we cannot continue this fine discussion! Gentlemen, Mrs. Monkhouse, would you do us the honour of joining us for dinner?” Mr. Gardiner said heartily.
63
Abigail Reynolds
elizabeth drew in a sharp breath and closed her eyes, not wishing to see the look that would cross Darcy’s face at the very idea of dining in such company. she opened them to look only at the floor as she heard his demurral, stating that they could not possibly impose on such short notice.
“Well, we shall not press you to stay if you must be away,” said Mrs.
Gardiner civilly, “but there would be no imposition; unexpected guests are a common enough occurrence here that our cook has the sense to anticipate the likelihood.”
With a silent prayer that her aunt would not unknowingly humiliate her further with another invitation which must be abhorrent to a man of such pride, elizabeth looked to Jane, whose happy smile almost made up for her own discomfort.
“Bingley, what do you say? Bingley!” said Darcy, raising his voice slightly when unable to initially attract his friend’s attention.
“yes?” responded Bingley, tearing his eyes from Jane with a clear effort.
“Mrs. Gardiner has invited us to stay to dinner.” Darcy’s tone was neutral.
Bingley’s face lit up with a radiant smile. “I should be delighted to join you, Mrs. Gardiner, unless Darcy is engaged elsewhere.”
“no, I have no fixed engagements,” said Darcy. elizabeth looked up at him in surprise, and he gave her a slight smile of apology. It was obvious that she would prefer him not stay; indeed, he knew that he should have made his excuses, but when pressed he could not convince himself to leave her presence. God knows when I shall see her again—not until Bingley’s wedding, no doubt, if that event should come to pass, he thought. He did not know whether to hope for or dread such an occurrence; if Bingley turned his eyes elsewhere than Miss Bennet, Darcy could hardly expect to see elizabeth again, but to be thrown into her company on occasion because of the connection to Bingley would carry not only the exquisitely painful pleasure of seeing her, but the eventual torture of watching her someday fall in love and marry another man—no, that was not an outcome he could desire. At least it appeared that he need not worry about the stripling beside her, judging by her spirited response to his assertions. He did not think he could bear to discover that she was favouring another man just yet.
He was pleasantly surprised to discover that he enjoyed the company at dinner. Being seated between elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner was no doubt 64
By FoRce oF InstInct
responsible for a good deal of his pleasure, especially as the former seemed to be in good spirits and ready to tease, even if she did avoid his eyes on occasion. It was enough to be near her, to hear her voice, to catch a whiff of her fragrance drifting past him. He knew that he would never have more than that, and was willing to brave the dreams that were sure to haunt him once again in order to be allowed to pretend for a brief while that all was as it had been between them. It helped that the conversation was stimulating; he could see why elizabeth enjoyed visiting her aunt and uncle so much, and helped explain her surprising lack of provinciality that he had noted in Hertfordshire. He could find it in himself to regret that the Gardiners and Monkhouses were not of a social stratum to permit continued intercourse.
elizabeth had abandoned any effort to determine what Mr. Darcy was thinking after his startling acceptance of the invitation to dine at her uncle’s house. There
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