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Bingley told me as much.”
    Miss Darcy hesitated a moment, and Elizabeth was certain she understood the reason.
    “Mr. Bingley is a close friend of my brother. He is a very amiable gentleman; it is such a pleasure to listen to his stories.”
    “Do you see Mr. Bingley often?” Elizabeth continued, and Mrs. Gardiner was ready to intervene; however, Miss Darcy’s answer came easily, along with a slight smile.
    “No…I only saw him twice after he arrived in town. The first time was almost a month ago, and he seemed very eager to return to Hertfordshire. For the entire dinner, he shared recollections of his friends from there. He seemed very fond indeed of Netherfield Park,” she concluded, and Elizabeth was once more at a loss for words.
    She turned to her sister, only to see Jane’s eyes moist with tears. Miss Bennet suddenly rose from her seat and hurried to pour herself a cup of tea. Her hands trembled so that she could not hold the cup properly, and Elizabeth went to help her.
    “That was kind of Mr. Bingley,” Lady Selina declared. “I hope he returns soon to his estate.”
    “I am not certain of his future plans,” the girl continued, oblivious to Jane’s distress. “The second time I met him, he seemed quite preoccupied, and we spoke very little. I imagine he had some business that interfered with his plans.”
    “Well, we can only hope his business will be resolved soon in the best possible way,” Lady Selina concluded, and with that, Mrs. Gardiner changed the topic.
    A short glance from her aunt confirmed to Elizabeth that the subject of Mr. Bingley was closed for the evening, and she did not dare disobey. Besides, she needed no further details; their short conversation held shocking revelations.
    Miss Darcy had no romantic interest in Mr. Bingley—anyone could see that—and she even tried, shyly and not very skilfully, to become friendly with both of them. Even more, her words gave rise to hope and proved once more the lack of honesty in Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst. As for those ladies’ much declared intimate friendship with Miss Darcy, Elizabeth was certain it could not be further from the truth.
    I wonder how Mr. Wickham could have been so wrong in his estimation of Miss Darcy’s character… She surely does not seem anything like her brother—quite the contrary.
    “Miss Darcy, I am glad we had the chance to talk,” Elizabeth said, and a smile spread over the girl’s face.
    “As am I, Miss Elizabeth.”
    “You know, my dear Georgiana, Mrs. Gardiner grew up in Lambton.” Lady Selina brought a new subject into the conversation, which changed Miss Darcy’s spirit in a moment.
    “Truly? In Lambton? I was not aware of that! Have we met before, perhaps? And have you been in Derbyshire lately?” she asked, allowing little time for answers between questions.
    “That is indeed surprising, Mrs. Gardiner.” “Did your father possess an estate in the neighbourhood?”
    Elizabeth looked at him for a moment, wondering how long he had been there. A smile twisted her lips as she tried to imagine his expression at hearing Mrs. Gardiner’s revelation about her family. She feared his usual behaviour might distress her aunt, but would he dare be disrespectful to a guest in his uncle’s home?
    Mrs. Gardiner answered with perfect composure and a warm smile.
    “No, sir. My father had a small shop in Lambton.”
    “Oh, I see…”
    As Elizabeth anticipated, Mr. Darcy was surprised, and he remained disconcerted for a moment. She expected him to return to his usual aloofness and leave their company, but he looked at the ladies and finally replied:
    “Lambton is a charming little town.”
    “Yes, it is. And Derbyshire is the most wonderful place in the world.”
    “I shall not argue with you, Mrs. Gardiner; I should be pleased to speak with you more about Derbyshire at any time,” Mr. Darcy concluded. Then with a proper bow to the ladies and a warm smile to his sister, he joined the other