The Companion Read online

As the attention of her companions was riveted on Mrs. Gardiner, and Jane Bennet, though she listened politely, did not seem nearly so invested in the conversation, Anne spoke in a soft voice to Miss Bennet, hoping to understand her better.

  “Have you enjoyed your time in London, Miss Bennet?” asked Anne.

  There was the slightest pause before Miss Bennet spoke, and a hint of a shadow seemed to pass over her face. “I have. My aunt and uncle are welcoming, and I enjoy staying with them.”

  “You stay often?”

  “Usually at least once every year,” replied Miss Bennet. “Lizzy usually stays with them for some time too, though we are not often in London together.”

  “They seem like they are very fashionable people,” said Anne, turning to regard Mrs. Gardiner. “If I was not already aware of Mr. Gardiner’s business, I might have thought him to be a gentleman.”

  “He was educated at Oxford, and he took note of the manners of those gentlemen with whom he attended school. My uncle is also very intelligent and was able to make many friendships which, I believe, have survived to this day.”

  “And your aunt? By her account she was the daughter of a parson.”

  “Yes,” replied Miss Bennet. “Aunt Gardiner’s father was the third son of a gentleman himself. I believe they are close to their relations and are often in company with their friends. As for Uncle, he is descended from a gentleman as well, though his connections are much further distant. I believe there are some Gardiners who are landowners, but my aunt and uncle have no real connection with them.”

  “Then that explains it.” Anne paused, pondering what she could say to further draw Miss Bennet out. “Have you had an opportunity to partake of any of the events of the season, or any of the cultural attractions, London has to offer?”

  “Yes, we have. I appreciate the theater, and we have gone since I have been in London. Aunt and uncle also have many friends, and we are often in company with them.” Miss Bennet snuck a sidelong glance at her aunt. “They do not move in the same circles as Mr. Darcy, so we have never met him here, but my relations’ circle of friends is quite agreeable.”

  “And do you have any beaux?” asked Anne. “I assume a woman with your natural beauty must have the interest of many gentlemen.”

  It seemed like Anne had hit upon the problem, for Miss Bennet turned ever so slightly red, though she quickly regained her composure. “I have no admirer, Miss de Bourgh, though there are some younger gentlemen of my aunt and uncle’s acquaintance to whom I am known.”

  There was no further need to press, so Anne directed her comments to another subject and enjoyed a sensible discussion with Miss Bennet. In the other woman, she was pleased to discover intelligence, but reticence—Jane Bennet did not possess her sister’s fire or cutting wit, but she was just as Elizabeth had described. Anne thought the most pertinent word which could be used to describe her was “angelic.”

  But behind that angelic demeanor existed a woman whose feelings had been wounded, and given some of her understated responses, Anne thought it likely that it was at the hands of a man. The matter was truly none of her concern—Anne was well aware of it. But she also remembered Elizabeth mentioning something of Mr. Bingley and her eldest sister, which led her to believe Mr. Bingley was the man in question, and as Mr. Bingley and Darcy were the closest of friends and had been together in Hertfordshire where they had met Miss Bennet, Anne did not doubt that Darcy was involved.

  Regardless, she meant to obtain some answers, and she knew Miss Bennet would not be induced to be explicit. Elizabeth, on the other hand, possessed a healthy sense of righteous indignation when the situation demanded it. Anne, therefore, had no doubt her friend would possess an opinion concerning her sister’s heartbreak. Thus, it was Elizabeth to whom she would apply for more information.

  While the ladies were ensconced in the music room, Darcy leaned back and sipped his port in the company of Mr. Gardiner. Although the man’s conversation was engaging and covered such topics as Darcy found interesting, he became aware his mind was wandering.

  Mr. Gardiner’s realization of Darcy’s reluctance to meet him and the reasons why had, quite honestly, shamed Darcy. He had been taught by his parents to judge his fellow man by the content of their characters—in fact, it was those teachings which had largely been responsible for Darcy’s acceptance of Bingley’s close friendship.

  And though Darcy had been averse to meeting Mr. Gardiner in part for his profession, the greater part of it had been because of his knowledge that the man was Mrs. Bennet’s sister. By that reasoning, the earl should be a meddling, insufferable snob like Lady Catherine! It was humbling to realize that he had been wrong. And if he had been wrong about that, how wrong was he that he was above Miss Bennet? Could such things matter when it came down to concerns of the heart?

  Clearly, they could not, and Darcy was ashamed of himself, while at the same time being hopeful for the future. If he had gone much longer in this attitude, he might have irrevocably lost any chance of obtaining the love of a good woman. He would not make that mistake again.

  “It seems to me that you have something else on your mind, Mr. Darcy.”

  Embarrassed to be caught out by a man he was hoping to impress, Darcy stammered and searched for a reply. Mr. Gardiner only chuckled.

  “Do not concern yourself, sir. It seems to me like there is some particular reason why you are less than attentive to my conversation. Is it perhaps another member of my family who has drawn your attention?”

  If Darcy had thought he was embarrassed before, it was nothing compared to this. “It seems that I have been far more transparent than I had ever thought I would be.”

  “You forget, Mr. Darcy,” replied Mr. Gardiner, his manner easy, “I have also been a man in love.”

  There was nothing Darcy could do to refute Mr. Gardiner’s words, and he did not even attempt to do so.

  “The question I have is concerning Elizabeth. Are you aware of Elizabeth’s feelings for you?”

  “I understand her opinion was not positive,” replied Darcy slowly. “I believe that it has undergone a material improvement since we have become reacquainted.”

  “It seems to me you have,” replied Mr. Gardiner. “If you would like, I will share a little advice about my niece which I believe you have not yet understood.”

  When Darcy indicated he was happy to have any advice Mr. Gardiner saw fit to dispense, the man continued. “I believe you would benefit by a little more openness, sir. You are, I understand, of a reserved disposition, and that, in itself, is certainly not an evil, as I suspect that Elizabeth is more than lively enough for you both.

  “But though Elizabeth would never expect you to suddenly change your character for her sake, I believe she will need to have some assurance of your regard for her, and that will require you to be a little more demonstrative than you might find comfortable.”

  “Proof of my regard?” asked Darcy, seeking to understand what Mr. Gardiner was telling him.

  “Exactly. My niece, Mr. Darcy, wishes for love in a marriage, and she wishes to be respected for being the intelligent woman she is. Showing her that you care for her, speaking to her of things which display your confidence in her insight by discussing subjects a man might not usually discuss with his wife would go a long way toward informing her of your regard.”

  “Might I ask if you have personal experience in this, Mr. Gardiner?” asked Darcy.

  The other man nodded and raised his glass. “I, too, have an intelligent wife, Mr. Darcy, a woman whom I respect as my equal. Though she has not the business experience and knowledge that I possess, I have often found it useful to discuss problems with her. She may not have the answers, but sometimes simply speaking of it to her, knowing she can understand the problem, is enough to lead me to a solution. At other times, her insights have positively astounded me. Lizzy is as intelligent as her aunt, and though I would never presume to tell you how much of your business y
ou should share with her, I would also not suggest you ignore such a useful resource.

  “Of course,” said Mr. Gardiner after he had drained his glass, “I would not suggest you have such conversations now when you are not even engaged, let alone married. But speaking to her as an equal will show her that such confidences are possible should you succeed in your suit, and that can only help your cause.”

  Mr. Gardiner stood. “Now, shall we rejoin the ladies?”

  “Of course, sir,” replied Darcy. “I believe I shall take your advice in the manner it was intended, and I thank you.”

  “Excellent!” said Mr. Gardiner.

  They left the room and made their way to the music room. Darcy soon joined Miss Bennet where she was sitting close to his sister and Mrs. Gardiner, and for the rest of the evening, he had little attention for any other. That a man such as Mr. Gardiner was willing to give him advice concerning what was an obviously favored niece was something for which Darcy could only give thanks. He intended to use what he had heard to the fullest.

  Chapter XX

  Elizabeth’s reunion with her family had been everything she had hoped it would be, leaving her happy and contented the next day. Jane and her aunt had got on famously with Anne and Georgiana, her aunt sharing anecdotes of the young girl’s late mother. Mr. Darcy had seemed to esteem Uncle Gardiner, directing a great deal of his attention thither for most of the evening. There was nothing more for which she could have asked.

  The following day, they were once again caught up in their pursuits, and Elizabeth found herself lighter than she had been in some time. They were to visit the Gardiner townhouse on the morrow—Aunt Gardiner had been adamant that her children wished to see Elizabeth, who was a favorite, as soon as possible, and as they were dear children, Elizabeth was quite happy to oblige.

  But whatever Elizabeth had expected, she had never thought her friend would take such an interest in her dearest sister. As the morning wore on, Elizabeth noted that Anne was watching her, and unless she missed her guess, she thought Anne had some subject of which she wished to speak. After Georgiana was gathered by Mrs. Annesley to attend to her studies, Elizabeth expected Anne to speak almost as soon as her cousin had left the room. She was not mistaken.

  “Now, Elizabeth,” said Anne, in a forthright manner which was eerily reminiscent of her mother, “I wished to speak to you about last night, for I noted something quite strange.”

  “Oh?” asked Elizabeth, careful to keep her tone noncommittal.

  “Your sister seemed ill at ease. It seemed to me like there was something troubling her.”

  “I am quite surprised to hear you say that, Anne. You only met her last night!”

  “That is true,” said Anne, brushing off Elizabeth’s protestation. “But I am certain I am correct. Your sister is one who does not display her feelings for all to see, but when one converses with her, if one is observant, it is clear her equilibrium has been disrupted. In fact, were I to guess, I would say it is because of a man.”

  “Anne, I do not know that we should be speaking of this subject.”

  “Elizabeth,” replied Anne, and she directed a serious look at Elizabeth which made Elizabeth feel like a small child being told to mind her manners, “I do not mean to pry or insert my opinion into matters which are not my concern. I only mean to help.”

  With a sigh, Elizabeth smiled at her friend—there was no reason not to tell Anne of what had happened between Jane and Mr. Bingley. Anne was not the kind of person to refer to the matter in company and further disturb Jane’s feelings.

  “Unfortunately,” said Elizabeth, “I do not think there is anything that can be done to assist.” Elizabeth sighed. “It is as you surmise—Jane has suffered a disappointment. I had hoped that she would be much improved by the time we returned from Kent, but she is still affected, which shows how attached to him she was.”

  “Then this is not a recent disappointment?”

  “No. It stems from autumn of last year.”

  Anne frowned, and Elizabeth wondered at the ferocity of it. “Was that not when Darcy visited Hertfordshire? Surely you do not suggest that Jane developed a tender regard for my cousin.”

  Her words were spoken in such an incredulous tone that Elizabeth could not help but laugh, though she supposed there truly was nothing humorous in the situation. “No, Anne, Jane does not love Mr. Darcy, and for that I suppose we can all be grateful.”

  They laughed together, though Anne directed a cross look at Elizabeth. In the end, however, she seemed to push aside whatever thought was on her mind in favor of the subject at hand.

  “If it is not some sort of grand secret, can you share it with me?”

  “I suppose it would do no harm,” replied Elizabeth with a sigh. “You see, though Jane does not love Mr. Darcy, her attachment was formed when your cousin and his friends—the Bingleys—were staying in Hertfordshire last autumn.”

  “Tell me.”

  “It is Mr. Bingley to whom Jane is attached. When he came to Hertfordshire, his regard for her was clear for all to see—everyone in the neighborhood thought an engagement would be forthcoming. He danced twice with her at the assembly, whenever they were in company he was no more than five feet from her side, and I personally know of several instances at the ball he and his sister hosted where he could be accused of incivility because his attention was so fixed on Jane.” Elizabeth laughed. “Is not incivility a veritable hallmark of love?”

  The grin Anne directed at her seemed lukewarm at best. “I cannot claim to have any firsthand knowledge of the matter, but I agree you must be correct. But if his attentions were so marked, what happened?”

  “His . . . his sisters were what happened,” said Elizabeth. She had been about to include Mr. Darcy in her accusation, but she decided at the last moment to avoid mention of him. It would do no good, after all, to attempt to blacken his name to his cousin, and Elizabeth did not wish to engage in such behavior anyway. She suspected that he had some culpability in the matter, but given what she learned of him, she wondered if he had had some other reason for involving himself, if he had, in fact, been involved.

  “His sisters?” asked Anne, her speculative look demanding answers.

  “The day after his ball, Mr. Bingley was obliged to come to town on a matter of business. Before he left, he assured Jane of his swift return, his manner suggesting that it was she who prompted such an eager desire to be in Meryton. But the day after he left, Miss Bingley and her sister closed Netherfield and returned to London, and I have no doubt their primary motivation was to persuade their brother against returning to my sister.

  “Before they left, Miss Bingley sent Jane a letter all but destroying her hopes. She informed Jane that they were bound for London and unlikely to return, and that her brother had no wish to return to Hertfordshire.” Elizabeth paused before continuing, uncertain whether she should share the next bit of Miss Bingley’s scheming, but when she saw Anne’s steady regard, a look which demanded answers, she capitulated. “In her letter, Miss Bingley insinuated that her brother had a particular regard for Georgiana, and that he was eager to be in her company. She also specifically said that she had hopes that Georgiana would eventually be her sister.”

  “Oh?” asked Anne, the dangerous flashing in her eyes suggesting she was not amused. “And what did you think of these assertions?”

  “I have already told you what I thought of her departure.” Elizabeth’s jaw tightened at the memory of Jane’s distress. “The way she did it the day after Mr. Bingley’s departure, the tone of her letter, her obvious disdain for the company and annoyance with her brother’s attentions to my sister told me that it was nothing more than a blatant attempt to persuade him away from her.”

  “And Georgiana? Surely you were not drawn in by her claims in that quarter.”

  “No,” replied Elizabeth, shaking her head. “That claim always reeked of desperation. You see, it is clear to anyone with eyes tha
t Miss Bingley harbors hope with respect to your cousin. I dare say she believes that achieving one marriage between their two families will make it easier to achieve a second.”

  Anne’s huff of disdain clearly elucidated her feelings on that score. “Then she would be incorrect. You know Darcy and I have never been close, but one thing I know of him is that he would never be drawn in by such scheming. I believe he wishes for affection in marriage, and I doubt he has any affection for this woman.”

  A laugh escaped Elizabeth’s lips. “You are correct. I myself witnessed his evident distaste for her on several occasions. I never thought he would align himself with her. I also never gave any credence to Miss Bingley’s assertions of an attachment between Georgiana and her brother, and I give them even less now that I have met her.

  “But you must understand that Jane is not only a modest soul, but she possesses not a cynical bone in her body. She is adept at ascribing the best possible motives to everyone she meets, and she has done so in this instance. She feels that Miss Bingley was attempting, most kindly, to put her on her guard and inform her of her brother’s indifference, and when I gave her another opinion on the matter, she insisted that she could only hope that Miss Bingley had deceived herself. She has been far from her cheerful self these past months.”

  For a few moments, Anne was silent, seemingly contemplating everything Elizabeth had told her. For her part, Elizabeth was feeling oddly drained by her recitation and fell silent along with her. The truth was that she had attempted to push Jane’s heartache to the back of her mind, especially since she had gone to live at Rosings. Speaking of it again was not, in any way, agreeable.

  “You do realize this does not speak well of Mr. Bingley,” said Anne after a moment. “There is a decided want of resolution displayed by a man who allows his sister to convince him in such a way.”

  Elizabeth sighed. “I will own the thought has occurred to me. I have always known that Mr. Bingley was modest, but I had hoped that he would be firm in his admiration of my sister, though his own will not approve.”