Page 53 of When Elizabeth Said Yes

Darcy paused before he answered. In truth, Pemberley was far grander than Netherfield, far larger too, with vaster grounds. But he did not wish to sound like he was boasting, even though he did not think his friend would be offended by him saying so, for Pemberley was well known as a jewel of the Midlands.

"I think Elizabeth will be pleased with it," he said instead.

And he glanced down at her, laughing with his sister, and thought that she would love Pemberley just as he did. She loved to be outdoors, and there was so much space in the grounds and beyond to walk. He could imagine spending days walking and talking, perhaps taking a picnic, like he had done as a boy, out into the grounds.

"Well, that is good," Mrs Bennet said, "for you know, it will be a wrench to have her so far away from Longbourn."

But you will not be in Longbourn for much longer, Darcy thought, but he did not say the words.

They would surely upset her, and that was the last thing he wanted.

"Elizabeth and I mean to see that you and your daughters are suitably settled once we are wed, ma’am," he said.

"Indeed," Mrs Bennet said. "No more talk of a house in Cheapside, eh?"

"Not if that is not where you wish to be," Darcy said evenly.

"But I wonder if we might have another wedding in the family soon," she said, glancing down the table at Bingley and Miss Jane Bennet.

Although Lydia had been sat between them, it seemed she had agreed to swap places, for Jane was now to the right of Bingley, much to Miss Bingley’s irritation by the look on her face.

"Perhaps," Darcy said.

In fact, he thought it was very likely himself. But he would not speak for his friend, and it was comments like that that had made him think that Jane was not interested in Bingley, and that it was simply her mother pushing her into a good match.

But as Jane and Bingley laughed at the other end of the table, Darcy could see with his own eyes that he had been wrong, and he was glad that he had spoken to his friend and that Elizabeth had made him see sense.

He had no wish to ruin another’s happiness.

Mrs Bennet would undoubtedly be pleased with the match, even if she seemed surprisingly reticent about his and Elizabeth’s upcoming nuptials – despite the fact that he knew full well that she knew he was richer than Bingley.

Well, maybe she wasn’t just about the money, he thought to himself with a wry grin. Perhaps personality did matter, and Bingley’s easy charm was obviously far more appealing to her than his standoffish ways.

But then he couldn’t change himself entirely, could he?

Chapter Thirty

Elizabeth glanced up the table at Darcy, who was talking to her mother. She hoped she was behaving herself, for Elizabeth could not even hear the words being exchanged in order to later apologise for them.

"You will play pianoforte for us tonight, will you not, Miss Darcy?" Miss Bingley said as they tucked into their first course. "I have longed to hear someone proficient again. It is so rare to find a truly accomplished lady. Do you not think so, Miss Bennet?"

Elizabeth considered her response for a moment, cutting a green bean into three small pieces as she did so.

"I think you are rather harsh on our sex, Miss Bingley. I am sure Miss Darcy is extremely accomplished, and I too look forward to hearing her play the piano. But I know other young ladies who can sing or dance or paint. Indeed, I find women work very hard at being accomplished in order to attract the right suitors. I must wonder if most men have to work as hard."

Miss Bingley raised her eyebrows. "Indeed," she said. "Well, I think perhaps you use the word accomplished rather more liberally than I, for I expect a little more than simply being able to sing or paint. Indeed, that is why Miss Darcy here is such a rare jewel."

Between them, beside Miss Elizabeth, Miss Darcy blushed. "Truly," she said, "I feel you exaggerate my gifts. You are very kind, Miss Bingley, but I am sure there are many more young women far more accomplished than I. Why, Miss Bennet here, who is soon to be my dear sister, my brother tells me her knowledge of books is incredible, and that she too plays the piano well. I hope I shall hear you, Miss Bennet."

Elizabeth blinked rapidly. She had not expected to hear such compliments said about her by Mr Darcy. He professed to love her, she supposed, but she had not known he admired anything about her. Her knowledge of books, well, she supposed he had noticed that when they rode together in the carriage back from Hunsford.

But her ability to play the piano? While she certainly did not think she was very good, she had played for them when she had stayed at Netherfield so many months earlier. She had not even thought he had noticed her then.

Had he been paying attention to her even then?

When she realised she had taken too long to answer, and both Miss Darcy and Miss Bingley were staring at her, she quickly cleared her throat.

"I play a little," she said, "and I think my abilities have been over-exaggerated. But, of course, I would be honoured to play later," she said to Miss Darcy.