2. Chapter 2

Wow, thank you to all of you who left feedback! Your comments make me indescribably happy! Since I'd already written Chapter 2, I'm putting it up, but don't expect that I'll be able to update this quickly normally. So, without further ado...

II.

Elizabeth had been back to Jane's room not ten minutes before Mr. Bingley and his sisters came up to sit with Jane briefly before being summoned for coffee. Mr. Bingley, propriety preventing him to stay once his sisters left, seemed unhappy to be separated from Jane, but Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley seemed to bear the trial of being apart quite well.

During her time alone with Jane, while undergoing the usual tasks of caring for one who is ill, Lizzy contemplated what she had overheard earlier. Of Mr. Bingley's character, she felt more assured and his kind compliments of herself and her favourite sister only enhanced her opinion of him. However, his failure to respond to Mr. Darcy's assertion that their family's low connections would interfere with their marital prospects did not bode well.

And Mr. Darcy! Oh, what to think of him and what she had heard? Although Elizabeth's initial reaction to Mr. Darcy's assessment of her family's situation was naturally anger, she attempted to maintain her composure for Jane's sake; it would not do for her to fret and then worry dear Jane. A small portion of her mind admitted the truth of Mr. Darcy's words, but the greater portion, which desired love and happiness for herself and Jane in their marriages, did not wish to acknowledge his observation and instead argued that it was his abominable pride that caused him to judge so harshly. After all, his statements left no room for compassion or attachment!

Occasionally during this contemplation, she would be reminded of Mr. Darcy's supposed admiration of her eyes, but she endeavoured to push this thought from her mind for the time being. That matter complicated the situation far too much for her taste! It was much simpler to believe that Mr. Darcy was a simple man: arrogant with his self-importance, perpetually above his company, and rude to all but a select few who served his purposes. This did not leave room for admiration of herself, particularly after his prior slight and so she dismissed it as some sort of private joke between himself and Miss Bingley. For now, Jane's health and happiness were her primary concerns. As such, Elizabeth committed herself to further study of Mr. Bingley's actions and feelings toward Jane. She would not allow him to mislead her affections; he should either pursue her virtuously with the intent of making an offer or not at all.

Some time later, once Jane was finally able to sleep continuously and seemed peaceful, Elizabeth felt it was right rather than pleasant that she should join the rest of the party downstairs. On entering the drawing-room she found the whole party at loo, and was immediately invited to join them; but suspecting them to be playing high she declined it, and making her sister the excuse, said she would amuse herself for the short time she could stay below with a book.

Mr. Hurst looked at her with astonishment, but this did not bother Elizabeth. "Do you prefer reading to cards?" said he; "that is rather singular."

Before she could respond, Miss Bingley cut in with a manner one must assume was intended to be witty and teasing, even if that was not the result, "Miss Eliza Bennet despises cards. She is a great reader, and has no pleasure in anything else."

Elizabeth was insulted and likewise did not care for the overly familiar shortening of her name, particularly by such a woman, but chose to be civil: "I deserve neither such praise nor such censure. I am not a great reader, and I have pleasure in many things." Hmph, poor 'country manners' indeed, she thought, let Miss Bingley make some nasty remark now!

"In nursing your sister I am sure you have pleasure," said Mr. Bingley warmly; "and I hope it will be soon increased by seeing her quite well." Elizabeth observed his smile appeared quite genuine; she thanked him from her heart and returned his smile with equal affection. She then walked toward the table where a few books were lying. He immediately offered to fetch her others – all that his library afforded.

"And I wish my collection were larger for your benefit and my own credit; but I am an idle fellow, and though I have not many, I have more than I ever looked into."

Elizabeth assured him that she could suit herself perfectly with those in the room. After all, she thought but did not say, I have no intention of staying long.

"I am astonished," said Miss Bingley, "that my father should have left so small a collection of books." Then turning her attentions, as usual, to Mr. Darcy, simpered, "What a delightful library you have at Pemberley, Mr. Darcy!"

"It ought to be good," he replied, with rather more emotion than Elizabeth had usually seen, but still quite sedate compared to most, "it has been the work of many generations." Ah, she observed wryly, he is proud of his library. Strangely though, she found that in this instance she could not find fault in this; even if she did feel that Mr. Darcy was overly liberal with that particular emotion, having pride in his family's efforts to increase their knowledge and library seemed fitting and appropriate to her.

"And then you have added so much to it yourself, you are always buying books." Miss Bingley must have believed this tone would be appealing, but Elizabeth found her overt fawning rather amusing.

"I cannot comprehend the neglect of a family library in such days as these." Elizabeth was unsurprised to hear Mr. Darcy's arrogant sentiment, but wondered that Mr. Bingley did not take offence to this remark. However, as before, she continued to look through the table of books and feigned interest in them rather than the fascinating character display before her.

"Neglect! I am sure you neglect nothing that can add to the beauties of that noble place. Charles, when you build your house, I wish it may be half as delightful as Pemberley." Elizabeth thought she detected an air of annoyance from Mr. Darcy, but she could not be sure as he was not precisely in her view at the moment.

"I wish it may." Mr. Bingley was quite sincere; apparently he was either oblivious to insults or so used to it from these two that he did not seem affected. Elizabeth could not decide if this was a strength or flaw in his character.

"But I would really advise you to make your purchase in that neighbourhood," Miss Bingley continued, "and take Pemberley for a kind of model. There is not a finer county in England than Derbyshire."

"With all my heart; I will buy Pemberley itself if Darcy will sell it."

"I am talking of possibilities, Charles." The reply was sharp. Indeed, Elizabeth was quite sure that Miss Bingley did not wish for her brother to buy Mr. Darcy's estate - and did she hear Mr. Darcy snort under his breath and then cough to cover it? She looked down at the books on the table to hide her smile.

"Upon my word, Caroline, I should think it more possible to get Pemberley by purchase than by imitation."

Realizing that her interest in the conversation was exceeding her interest in any of the available books, Elizabeth soon gave up the task and instead drew herself near the card-table, ostensibly to observe the game. She stationed herself between Mr. Bingley and his eldest sister, which coincidentally put her in view of Mr. Darcy and Miss Bingley. If any part of her questioned the likelihood of this being intentional instead of coincidence, she dismissed that part directly; Mr. Darcy and Miss Bingley's relationship was only of interest to her as a fascinating study of their characters.

"Is Miss Darcy much grown since the spring?" said Miss Bingley; "will she be as tall as I am?" Elizabeth repressed yet another smile at Miss Bingley's transparent attempt to draw the gentleman's eyes to her long and narrow figure.

"I think she will. She is now about Miss Elizabeth Bennet's height, or rather taller." Elizabeth started slightly at his bringing her into the conversation. She could not help but notice the way Mr. Darcy's eyes had briefly glanced in her direction, which, once again, reminded her of his comment about her eyes. She could not be sure, but it was possible that her cheeks flushed; and if they did, it was certainly only from mortification at the remembrance of her eavesdropping.

It seemed Miss Bingley noticed as well and changed tactics, preferring to compliment Miss Darcy rather than further discussions of Elizabeth. "How I long to see her again! I never met with anybody who delighted me so much. Such a countenance, such manners! And so extremely accomplished for her age! Her performance on the pianoforte is exquisite."

At this exclamation, Mr. Bingley chimed in: "It is amazing to me how young ladies can have patience to be so very accomplished as they all are." Elizabeth now regretted her choice of seat as she could not easily see Mr. Bingley's face. She was beginning to suspect that he was actually attempting to deflect his sister; he was either rather clever or rather stupid and she highly doubted he was stupid.

"All young ladies accomplished! My dear Charles, what do you mean?" Once again, Elizabeth almost laughed aloud as Miss Bingley's batting eyelashes seemed to indicate that she believed her brother was attempting to compliment her and further her attachment with his friend. Elizabeth knew Mr. Bingley would not engage in such arts, particularly when it seemed so clear that his friend did not show any inclination in that quarter.

"Yes, all of them, I think," he continued as though unaware of her plan, "they all paint tables, cover screens, and net purses. I scarcely know anyone who cannot do all this, and I am sure I never heard a young lady spoken of for the first time, without being informed that she was very accomplished."

"Your list of the common extent of accomplishments," said Darcy, "has too much truth. The word is applied to many a woman who deserves it no otherwise than by netting a purse or covering a screen. But I am very far from agreeing with you in your estimation of ladies in general. I cannot boast of knowing more than half-a-dozen, in the whole range of my acquaintance, that are really accomplished."

"Nor I, I am sure," Miss Bingley sniffed, eager to agree with anything he said regardless of her own opinion on the matter.

"Then," observed Elizabeth, almost without intending to voice her thoughts aloud, "you must comprehend a great deal in your idea of an accomplished woman." It seemed that she could not help herself but to explore Mr. Darcy's character further; thus far, she had found him to be most puzzling since just when she would determine that she comprehended him, some detail would cause her to question her findings.

"Yes, I do comprehend a great deal in it." His direct gaze met squarely with her own. Were she to be of a lesser fortitude, Elizabeth might have felt the need to blush and avert her eyes, but as she was not one to be easily intimidated, she gave a small smile at his agreement.

"Oh! certainly," cried his faithful assistant, clearly wishing to divert Mr. Darcy back to herself, "no one can be really esteemed accomplished who does not greatly surpass what is usually met with. A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word;" at this, Caroline paused momentarily, evaluating Elizabeth, in case, by some cruel fate she appeared to possess these traits, but as she could not be sure either way, she continued on for good measure, "and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but half-deserved." She seemed pleased with her list; there was no possible way Miss Eliza could meet it!

Through her list, Mr. Darcy's eyes did not leave Elizabeth, although she had looked away to Miss Bingley. However, his reply was to Miss Bingley: "All this she must possess," he added, "and to all this she must yet add something more substantial," and here his eyes briefly darted to Miss Elizabeth, before returning to Miss Bingley, "in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading." As Elizabeth was still looking away from the intensity of his gaze, she missed the slight upward twitch of the corners of his mouth when he looked to her.

Elizabeth, had she been more prudent, might have thought it better not to continue her part of the conversation, but it seemed that she was more engaged by Mr. Darcy than she realized. She was quick to respond to his qualifications: "I am no longer surprised at your knowing only six accomplished women. I rather wonder now at your knowing any!"

Her reply surprised him, but the corners of his mouth turned up further still. Like Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy found her to be more captivating than he would have previously anticipated and he admired her bravery and wit. "Are you so severe upon your own sex as to doubt the possibility of all this?"

Elizabeth answered plainly: "I never saw such a woman. I never saw such capacity, and taste, and application, and elegance, as you describe united." So involved in her debate, she had quite forgotten her hostesses, who were now incensed by her response.

Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley both cried out against the injustice of her implied doubt, and were both protesting that they knew many women who answered this description, despite the hypocrisy of such a position.

For different reasons, each of the gentlemen found the ladies' defence of their many accomplished peers to be a topic not worthy of continued discussion: Mr. Bingley was distinctly uncomfortable that someone may be slighted through this topic and he could never abide conflict, Mr. Darcy found himself too singularly focused on Miss Bennet which would not do, and Mr. Hurst expressed his bitter complaints of their inattention to what was going forward in the card game.

As this interruption reminded Elizabeth of the imprudence of engaging Mr. Darcy in further conversation when it was Mr. Bingley's character on which she needed to meditate, Elizabeth soon afterwards left the room to check on her sister. Perhaps unsurprisingly, despite her determination, she still felt unable to settle on any particular opinion of Mr. Darcy. Darcy, for his part, felt the loss of Miss Elizabeth's presence more strongly than he would have cared to admit, but prevented his face from displaying these feelings.

"Elizabeth Bennet," said Miss Bingley, when the door was closed on her, "is one of those young ladies who seek to recommend themselves to the other sex by undervaluing their own; and with many men, I dare say, it succeeds. But, in my opinion, it is a paltry device, a very mean art."

Mr. Darcy, to whom this remark was chiefly addressed, was not fooled and replied in a somewhat snappish tone (since he could perhaps control his features better than his temper), "Undoubtedly, there is a meanness in all the arts which ladies sometimes condescend to employ for captivation. Whatever bears affinity to cunning is despicable."

Miss Bingley was not so entirely satisfied with this reply as to continue the subject. Indeed, she was correct in her discomfort as Mr. Darcy was paradoxically irritated with Miss Bennet for leaving, Miss Bingley for her unjust insult of her, and himself for caring about either of these. He resolved to focus his attentions back on their game and consider his interest in Miss Elizabeth's clever conversation and captivating eyes later.

Elizabeth joined them again only to say that her sister was worse, and that she could not leave her. She watched the reactions carefully. Bingley urged Mr. Jones being sent for immediately; while his sisters, convinced that no country advice could be of any service, recommended an express to town for one of the most eminent physicians. This she would not hear of; but she was not so unwilling to comply with their brother's proposal; and it was settled that Mr. Jones should be sent for early in the morning, if Miss Bennet were not decidedly better. Elizabeth could see that Mr. Bingley was quite concerned. In fact, the poor man could find no better relief to his feelings than by giving his housekeeper directions that every attention might be paid to the sick lady and her sister. Elizabeth thanked him for his kindness and attention. While her worry for Jane was primary, her observation of Mr. Bingley's care and concern for her sister pleased Elizabeth very much. She thought perhaps he would not be so swayed by his social climbing sisters and proud friend.

A/N: Thank you all for reading! I adore reviews – they seriously make my day! – so please take the time to leave a quick one; whether you liked the chapter or not, please let me know. All feedback is wonderful!

Also, to answer the reviewer who asked about how many chapters this will be, I don't actually know, but I'd be surprised if it were less than 15; my initial guess-timates are ranging around 18 but that's based on a very rough outline so it could be more or less. Sorry I can't be more specific, but I hope that answers your question anyway.