Page 106 of The Widower of Pemberley

Mrs. Gardiner said, “We had thought that the Tuesday would work best for us.”

“Then we shall see you on Tuesday.”

Elizabeth could tell that her husband was in a fine mood.

He glowed in her eyes, and she liked to watch as he moved about the room. She loved the way that he looked, the way that he thought, the way that he talked, and the way that he smelled.

Darcy began a conversation with Mrs. Gardiner about Lambton and the places they both remembered. Elizabeth had several times called on Mrs. Gardiner’s old acquaintances, to pass on greetings from her aunt, and when Darcy asked whether she was interested in visiting the area again, her aunt confessed to liking the idea.

“If you and your husband have the leisure to do so this summer, you would have ample access to Lambton from Pemberley. Bingley means to join us for some weeks, to return the hospitality that he gave me in the past year and which proved to be most significant to my fate.”

“You do?” Jane asked Mr. Bingley in a delighted tone. “You know that I shall be with Elizabeth this summer as well?”

“I did know,” Mr. Bingley said with a touch of colour in his face.

Elizabeth frowned to see how they spoke to each other.

Jane frequently mentioned the gentleman, and the way that she blushed and always paid such close attention when he spoke made Elizabeth suspect that she was in love with him.

It was clear that Mr. Bingley paid a great deal of attention to Jane, too, and that he liked her a great deal. However, Elizabeth had a strong notion, which perhaps might simply be the voice of her mother talking in her head, that said it was impossiblefor a wealthy bachelor to form serious designs upon a blind and scarred woman, no matter how well she looked under the scars.

Elizabeth studied how Mr. Bingley spoke to her sister, and annoyance with him began to build inside her.

It was his nature to be friendly, to be uncomplicated, and to not think about the effect that he might have on another. But surely Mr. Bingley ought to see that his present behaviour must lead in time to heartbreak on Jane’s part?

In the carriage back home, Elizabeth heard much that added to her concern.

Jane talked a great deal about Mr. Bingley, how happy she had been to see how much he liked the Gardiners, and how it had been most kind of him to call that afternoon.

Her sister spoke about Mr. Bingley in a similar way to how Elizabeth thought about Darcy.

When they arrived home, Darcy went with Emily to read a story to her, while Sarah worked upon Elizabeth’s hair to ready her to be seen at the play.

The maid said, “I wish the gentleman had announced it tomethat you would go to the theatre tonight. It will be the first time that everyone in town will see you, and they will then judgeme.”

Elizabeth laughed. “I do hope that they are chiefly thinking about the quality of my lady’s maid when they look at me.”

“Oh, the gentlemen will think about nothing but how beautiful you are.”

Elizabeth blushed to hear that. “You must do something for Jane as well as soon as you have finished with me. I wish her to also look her best.”

“She is in fine colour and spirits. The pockmarks are less prominent every season,” Sarah agreed. “I remember what she looked like as the illness receded. I never could have imagined that one might think her pretty again, but I dare say that she is.”

“Now be kind to my sister. I have always thought that she was as pretty as ever.”

“You have not. You knew that her face was excessively scarred at first,” Sarah said cheerfully. “I thought you and the master hated…what was that long word, dissimulation?”

Elizabeth laughed, defeated by her servant. “Do give her as much attention as you might.”

“You hope she’ll look good for that Mr. Bingley?”

“What do you mean?”

“All the servants at Longbourn talked about how they constantly spend time together. If she were not blind, everyone would be shocked that there was not already an offer of marriage.”

Although Elizabeth did not say it to Sarah, this further strengthened her resolution to tell Darcy that he must have a word with Mr. Bingley about her sister.

It was a happy party in the box at the theatre that evening. The Gardiners, Elizabeth, Jane, Georgiana, Darcy, and Mr. Bingley made up an excellent group, comfortably familiar with each other, and all of them, except for Mr. Bingley, most familiar with Shakespeare.