Free His Uncle's Favorite by Lory Lilian Page A

are the other good things?”
    “There were many good things, but the most important…Mr. Darcy mentioned to me that he will inform Mr. Bingley of our presence in Town. What do you think of that?”
    “Of Mr. Darcy?”
    “Aunt, please do not tease me! Do you think he will keep his word? Should we expect Mr. Bingley to call soon?”
    “Lizzy, please take a seat and let us talk calmly, child. Neither good nor bad anticipation are desirable regarding Mr. Bingley or Mr. Darcy. I am inclined to believe Mr. Darcy will keep his word, but I am not confident that, in doing so, all the problems suddenly will be solved. Besides, from my knowledge, Mr. Bingley has been out of town for the last few days. That is why Lady Selina and I did not call at his house yesterday,” concluded Mrs. Gardiner to an incredulous and silent Elizabeth.
    ***
    It was almost midday when the first visitors to Gracechurch Street were announced. The joyful appearance of Lady Selina, together with a shy, blushing Miss Darcy brought equal pleasure and disappointment to Elizabeth. Yet, she admitted, it would have been strange for Mr. Bingley to appear at the door so quickly, so she decidedly welcomed the guests and called for tea and refreshments.
    “Such cold weather,” exclaimed Lady Selina, taking off her gloves.
    “I am not fond of cold weather, either,” admitted Jane with a smile.
    “It is cold indeed, but the snow is wonderful,” replied Elizabeth. “I confess I rather love winter. I was tempted to play with my cousins in the snow this morning.”
    “Really? Well, Georgiana actually did play with my boys in the snow earlier, and I thought that was singular,” laughed Lady Selina while Miss Darcy averted her eyes in embarrassment, incredulous that her cousin had revealed her secret.
    “Not singular at all, Miss Darcy. Please let me know next time you intend to have an outing, and I will join you,” Elizabeth offered, and her laughter stole a smile from her guest.
    “May I dare ask where you have been so early in this weather?” inquired Mrs. Gardiner.
    “I went to my modiste to assess the progress of my ball gown, and it suddenly crossed my mind that neither Miss Bennet nor Miss Elizabeth likely has a proper dress for such an event. So I made an appointment for you later today, and she promised she will have your dresses ready in time for the ball.”
    Elizabeth and Jane looked at each other while Mrs. Gardiner only replied, “Thank you, Selina, you are very considerate as always.”
    “Good! By the way, Georgiana paid a visit to Mr. Bingley earlier; did I mention that?”
    “No, you did not,” their hostess said while her nieces remained speechless. “You found Mr. Bingley in good health, I hope?”
    “My brother and I took our daily walk, and he asked me to join him in calling on Mr. Bingley. My brother loves snow, too. At Pemberley, we used to play in the snow all the time when I was a child. Even now, he is so kind as to keep me company as much as his time allows. I always enjoy walking with him,” Miss Darcy said, a smile warming her expression.
    For a moment, Elizabeth struggled to imagine the proper Mr. Darcy playing in the snow and then abandoned the daunting task and asked whether Mr. Bingley was well.
    “I could not say. Unfortunately, he has been out of town for the last few days. My brother asked Mrs. Stewart, the housekeeper, of his whereabouts.”
    “Do you know whether Mr. Bingley will soon return?” Jane’s question took everybody by surprise, even herself, as she proved by the redness that spread over her cheeks and neck.
    Miss Darcy seemed to understand her uneasiness and comforted her with another smile.
    “Mrs. Stewart seemed unaware of Mr. Bingley’s location. However, my brother had some business to discuss with him, and I trust he will find his direction soon enough.”
    Lady Selina agreed. “Darcy always finds things that are of interest; since we were young, I cannot remember an instance when he wanted