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know when he would return, but that it might be several weeks. So any advice on what I should do would be most greatly appreciated!
    I must tell you how very much I enjoyed meeting you. You are everything Fitzwilliam led me to expect, and I look forward to having the chance to get to know you much better.—Please do write soon.
    Yours, etc.
    Georgiana Darcy
    It was well that Elizabeth had formed no expectations of the letter, as its contents were quite unforeseen, and excited a contrariety of emotions. That Bingley had no true business at Netherfield was hardly a surprise, though she was glad to have it confirmed. But it was clear Miss Darcy thought her relationship to Mr. Darcy was much closer than it in fact was. What had her brother been telling her, that Miss Darcy would approach Elizabeth so much as a family member? And had he spoken of her to his sister enough for her to have expectations, even before she came to Pemberley? Her thoughts whirled with all that Miss Darcy had let slip unknowingly.
    It was then necessary to fend off the inquisitiveness of her family regarding her letter. She chose to say only that Miss Darcy was a sweet girl, and that they had agreed to correspond after meeting briefly in Derbyshire, though this explanation drew questioning glances from Mrs. Gardiner.
    Elizabeth’s curiosity regarding Miss Darcy’s concerns would not rest; she resolved to write back to her that very same day, and was able to send her response with the next post. She was not overly surprised, then, to receive another letter as soon as could be expected, only a day after her father’s discouraged return from London.
    Mr. Bennet took the occasion of the arrival of Georgiana’s second letter to Elizabeth to tease her about her conquest of the Darcys. “Mr. Gardiner could not say enough good about Mr. Darcy while I was in London, though I certainly do not know what he could have seen in him. He went so far as to suggest that Mr. Darcy might be partial to you, Lizzy! But I assured him that he was imagining things, given your pointed dislike of the man and his perfect indifference to you.”
    Elizabeth, who was by this time tolerably well acquainted with her own feelings about Darcy, forced herself to smile. “Well, he does improve upon acquaintance. My uncle was no doubt struck by his condescension in allowing his sister to correspond with me.”—among other things, she added to herself. She blessed Mr. Gardiner’s discretion regarding the episode at the inn. She felt quite unready to discuss that with her family.
    Miss Darcy’s letter contained thanks for Elizabeth’s good advice; Georgiana had, as advised, spoken with Mrs. Reynolds about finding a woman of good repute in Lambton to be her temporary companion, and was much relieved by this. She reported that Mr. Darcy remained in London, and that Miss Bingley grew daily more vexed with his absence. There were no references this time to Mr. Darcy holding Elizabeth in special regard, a fact which caused Elizabeth more distress than she cared to admit. She wrote back a cheery note—far more cheery than she felt, given the circumstances—detailing life at home with her sisters and the visits of Mr. Bingley and his obvious partiality to Jane—though Elizabeth cautioned her not to breathe a word of that to Miss Bingley.
    The next day’s post brought a letter from Mr. Gardiner with the happy news that Lydia and Wickham had been found, and that preparations were underway for their wedding. The relief this brought to the household was great. The violence of Mrs. Bennet’s transports of joy was enough to make Elizabeth seek refuge in her own room, where she might think with freedom.
    Although she rejoiced at Lydia’s recovery from shame, Elizabeth found herself in an unusual lowness of spirits. Hard as it had been to bear the dread of Lydia’s infamy, it was the more difficult when she thought of her last meeting with Darcy. The more she considered it, the more she saw