by Kate Speck
“It is acceptable, Mr. Bingley.” Elizabeth answered with a twinkle in her eye. “Jane will need to meet your sisters eventually, sir, and I would not mind being in their presence once again. May I ask,” she looked at Bingley, “do they know of Mr. Darcy’s courtship with me?”
Bingley laughed, “Yes, they certainly do. I told Caroline of it last week and it was the best day of my life.” He paused and looked at Jane. “I mean to say, so far. Best day of my life so far.” He chuckled, seeing Jane smile. “She was red but silent and excused herself to her rooms and I did not see her for two full days. I had heard several items were broken but it was most peaceful to have her out of my sight.”
The group happily conversed and returned to Gardiner House where they joined Georgiana playing with George and Charlotte again. Little George was determined to marry Miss Darcy and Charlotte was busy placing flowers in her hair to make her a beautiful bride.
~*~
“Miss Bennet, I mean, Miss Eliza,” Caroline Bingley lifted her nose in the air and looked down at the woman who had taken away all of Mr. Darcy’s attentions. “I heard you were injured but you appear to have recovered.”
She is disappointed that I am well! Elizabeth was amused. This is interesting. I know she always thought herself above me but it seems Mr. Bingley’s description of her deepest wish to marry William was indeed accurate!
“I am still recovering but doing well. Thank you for your concern, Miss Bingley. Good to see you again, Mrs. Hurst.” Elizabeth greeted the guests. “This is my sister, Jane Bennet. You are likely aware of the reason for Mr. Bingley’s frequent calls to Gracechurch Street. He finds the air quite pleasant around here.”
Miss Bingley huffed, “How do you do, Miss Bennet. This is a quaint little home. Your uncle must be doing well, even if he is only a solicitor.”
Bingley coughed, “Sister, remember what we discussed before arriving?” He was discomfited to hear his crass sister speak so. “Mr. Gardiner is a very intelligent gentleman and he is a favourite of Mr. Darcy’s.”
“Oh, yes! Mr. Darcy has the best judgment and knows everyone worth knowing. Although I do wonder,” she looked down at Elizabeth again, “at his latest choice, I trust him implicitly, but of course he cannot be expected to know everything.” Caroline smirked. “Where are Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner? I thought they would be here to greet us.”
Elizabeth hid her amusement, “They were waiting with bated breath for your call but alas, urgent business called away my uncle to the office. He should be returning any moment now. My aunt was requested on short notice to assist Lady Suffolk to make a decision for the ball on Wednesday and of course she wished to be of service to the countess.” She saw Caroline Bingley’s face burn with such notice.
Then, the door opened and Mr. Gardiner entered. He bowed and greeted the callers.
“Charles,” Miss Bingley pronounced a few minutes later, “why do you not go and speak with Mr. Gardiner about gentlemanly things while us ladies get to know each other better?” She asked with a false smile. “I wish to know all about the lovely Bennet sisters. In fact, I would not mind one bit to take a turn about the room with Miss Eliza while Louisa gets to know Miss Bennet.”
Bingley, believing that his sister was being earnest in wishing to develop a friendship with the Bennets, left the room with Mr. Gardiner to speak in the study.
“Miss Eliza,” Caroline started as soon as Mrs. Hurst was in deep conversation with Jane Bennet on the opposite side of the room, “you ought to know that I am not to be trifled with. My character has ever been celebrated for its sincerity and frankness and I will tell you now that a report of a most alarming nature reached me and I am unafraid to speak my mind. I have been told by a trustworthy source that you are not only dowerless and have a sister who was thoroughly compromised before becoming engaged, but that you had also been sullied by the same gentleman but he chose your prettier elder sister instead. Too bad he died before the wedding, since you are now both ruined, and I will take much pleasure in unveiling it all to Charles and everyone else I know. I had only wanted to meet your sister and look her in the eyes before I exposed her transgressions. I can see clearly that she is capable of hiding her emotions and she must be after my brother’s fortune.”
Elizabeth could not speak due to her indignation and attempted to pull her arm away from the crude woman, but Caroline wrapped her left arm around her and squeezed the injured shoulder while she whispered in Elizabeth’s ear.
“I know all about your being a mistress to Lord Suffolk; no doubt why you and your peasant family has been included to their ball when I was unable to obtain an invitation. Who else have you opened your legs for? You must have offered quite an inducement for Mr. Darcy to fall for your allurements, Eliza. He, the most eligible bachelor in all of England, will never connect himself with you after he takes what he wants. He will never marry a whore like you.” She hissed. “Run back to your little country village and do not return. Mr. Darcy is mine and I know he wished to court me before you came along. I will hurt you for taking what belongs to me.”
Elizabeth wished to fight back but the pain in her shoulder became intolerable when Caroline began to squeeze harder, and she whimpered before falling down to the floor.
“What is the matter?!” Jane heard her sister’s cry and went running to her. “Is it your shoulder?”
Miss Bingley huffed, “It is nothing, I assure you. She is only learning her place, that is all, Miss Bennet. You and your harlot sister will crawl back to where you came from and leave Mr. Darcy and my brother alone.”
“CAROLINE!”
“MISS BINGLEY!”
Caroline Bingley staggered to see that there was an audience to her last statement, as her brother and both Mr. and Miss Darcy stood staring at her from the door. Mr. Gardiner was also frozen with his mouth agape. She turned quickly to see that her sister was fuming in outrage, having now realised that Caroline must have been responsible for causing pain to Miss Elizabeth.
Caroline immediately came to her own defence. “Well, it is true! It is all the gossip that Mr. Darcy is courting a woman who has been Lord Suffolk’s mistress for years and sister to a soiled woman! Everyone will be laughing at you, Mr. Darcy! Jane Bennet is a ruined woman and they think this is all a farce because you wish to bed Eliza and that the courtship is only a pretence until you tire of her. You must end this madness immediately!” She shouted.
It was Elizabeth who first gathered her wits and slapped the coarse woman as hard as she could.
Darcy stood in front of Elizabeth to face Miss Bingley before the woman could return the hit. “If you touch one hair on her, I will strike you myself. Begone, Miss Bingley. Do not be in my presence again.” He threatened.
“Get out, Caroline!” Mr. Bingley yelled. “Louisa, take her with you immediately. I have never been so angry in all of my life!”
Louisa roughly pulled her sister out of the Gardiner home while Caroline huffed and cursed several words before the front door was slammed shut. Bingley instantly attached himself to Jane Bennet and apologised over and over again while Darcy and Georgiana comforted Elizabeth.
“I cannot believe the gall...” Mr. Gardiner was flabbergasted.
“I am so sorry, sir,” Bingley repeated to Jane’s uncle, “I am going to have her sent to Bedlam for insanity. I am so sorry, Miss Bennet. So very sorry, Miss Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth finally took several breaths. “I need some air. Uncle, I am going to walk to the park. I need to go outside now.”
“Of course.” Mr. Gardiner looked at Darcy. “Go; she will need to vent her spleen.” He turned to Georgiana, “Miss Darcy, Madeline will need to be sent for. If you do not mind, would you stay with Jane and Mr. Bingley while I send a note to my wife?”
“Yes, of course, Mr. Gardiner.” Georgiana answered. “I will comfort Jane. I never knew Miss Bingley could be so cruel.” She wiped her tears.
Elizabeth quickly gathered her pelisse and left the house, and Darcy, e
ven with his long legs, had to hasten his steps to catch up to the angry woman.
~*~
“Elizabeth!” Darcy puffed from behind, “you must calm. You are going to hurt yourself if you keep walking so swiftly.”
“I HAVE NEVER BEEN THUS TREATED!” She shouted. “I wish I had done more than to slap her. If you had not stepped in the way and she attempted to strike me, I would have squeezed the life out of her! How dare she say such things about my sister? Jane is the kindest of souls and to say such things about her… I wish I had scratched her eyes out!”
Darcy could not help but chuckle.
“What is so humorous?!” Elizabeth fumed. “This is no laughing matter! If someone is spreading rumours about Jane and me, it must be discovered who is starting such nonsense and stopped immediately!”
Darcy wrapped her hand around his arm and walked her to a bench to sit down. “I have heard this rumour already and I had not put a single consideration into it, Elizabeth. I find it ridiculous but also amused that you are upset by your sister’s reputation rather than your own. She accused you of being mistress to Lord Suffolk.” He kissed her hand, “I hope there is no truth to that gossip, my dear. I could not fathom an unvirtuous wife as mistress of Pemberley.”
“How could you even question it, William?! Do you really believe me capable of being someone’s mistress?” Elizabeth gasped.
“Certainly not! I trust you, Elizabeth. You are an exemplary woman and very honest.” He caressed her hand, “I care not what rumours might be circulating; it is likely jealous women who could not claw their way into the Darcy fortune who are responsible. No matter what your sister may have done, I will stand by you.”
Elizabeth had been pleased with his declaration until near the end and she furrowed her brows. “Wait, you believe my sister is a ruined woman? You believe she had been compromised then became engaged?”
Darcy coloured, “Well, I… I heard that she had become engaged rather suddenly and was required to marry. That is all. Even if she had been betrothed before, Bingley seems to be willing to marry her and all will be forgotten. They will be happy and we will have our own lives to live.”
Elizabeth stood and paced, “And if I were the one who had been ‘required’ to marry but my fiancé died before we married, would you have accepted me? If and when Mr. Bingley hears that my sister might not be virtuous through defamatory gossips spread by his own sister, do you believe he will remain steadfast?”
“Well, you are chaste and Bingley will do what I say, so it is useless argue about this, Elizabeth. All will be well!” Darcy argued.
“Answer me, William. A poor, dowerless gentlewoman of little means and low connections with a vicious rumour of a prior compromise; would you have courted me? Would you have been immovable in your loyalty and affection?” Elizabeth asked. “What if it is gossiped that both sisters shared the lover? That both were ruined but one was chosen over the other for her beauty?” She wiped her eyes, “What if the younger sister, with little beauty and her wild ways, was thrown aside because her sister was more beautiful; would you have stayed with me?”
Darcy’s heart dropped with the possibility that Elizabeth might be already soiled and that the gossips might be true. He recalled that his Aunt Margaret, Lady Matlock, was the one who had first told him of the rumour. He now stood in front of her while he considered before answering.
“I… The thought of bringing such a wife as mistress of Pemberley has never been considered, but in a case where…” Darcy saw that Elizabeth was storming away from him in anger. “WAIT!” He chased after her and gently grabbed her arm. “Listen to me!”
“No! I will not hear your excuses, Mr. Darcy. Even the taint of a scandal would be beneath your honour and you could not accept it. Miss Bingley was eluding exactly that, William! She said that Jane and I shared a lover and that Jane had been with child.” Elizabeth rapidly wiped her tears, “She said I was a mistress to an earl and threatened to hurt me if I took what was hers. She said you had wished to court her but I took her away from you. Did you? Did you wish to court her?”
Darcy spluttered, “Well, yes, I had considered her…”
Elizabeth shook her arm from him and began to run.
Darcy easily caught up to her and gripped her by the waist this time. “Blast it, woman! Stop walking away from me. I am in love with you!” He pulled her tightly against his body and passionately kissed her lips, as one hand held her waist while the other caressed her neck. He felt her arms wrap around his body and increased the pressure against her lips.
He finally tore his mouth from hers after a minute and spoke breathlessly, “I love you, most ardently. If you have a past, I will accept it. I care nothing for your wealth or connections. I care not if you are a companion or a barmaid. I love you and you belong with me.” Darcy looked into her eyes. “You have bewitched me, body and soul, and I will not allow you to push me away. Do not mistake my hesitancy to speak as my love diminishing, Elizabeth. I wished to answer you truthfully and I am not as quick as you.”
Elizabeth breathed deeply several times to recover from the fervent kiss and declaration. “I am sorry, William. I thought… I was certain you would find fault in me and quit this courtship.”
“Until you command me away and end it, I will court you for as long as I breathe.” Darcy softly kissed her lips again.
“Well then, Mr. Darcy, I believe you are stuck with me a little while longer.” Elizabeth smiled as she tenderly caressed his cheek. “Let us return to the house so we can sort all this out. We must do all that we can to ensure Miss Bingley does not spread this about and find out where these gossips originated.”
“Yes, madam, as you wish.” Darcy returned her smile. “Miss Bingley means nothing to me, Elizabeth. I considered courting her for all of thirty seconds before I despised her. We will do everything we can to dissolve the gossips.”
“Thank you. And William,” Elizabeth gently spoke as they walked toward Gardiner House, “my uncle will find out about our kiss. He has spies everywhere!”
Darcy coloured but laughed, “Oh, but it was worth it, Elizabeth, and I would not mind to do it again.” He kissed her hand affectionately and led her back home.
Chapter 9
Darcy greeted his guests into his home. “Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, Miss Bennet,” he breathed, “Miss Elizabeth,” and he kissed her hand, “You look very beautiful, Elizabeth.”
“Thank you for having us. I am very eager to further my acquaintance with your aunt, William.” Elizabeth smiled. She turned to Georgiana, “It is good to see you again, Georgie! We have not seen each other for a full day and it felt strange to not see you for so long!” She laughed.
Georgiana giggled, “I love seeing you daily and it will be awful when you return to Hertfordshire in two weeks and we will be so far. I know William will miss you more than I but the distance will be keenly felt.”
Elizabeth squeezed her friend’s hand. “Our separation will not be so long. I have been told Mr. Bingley’s lease will be signed next week and he expects to arrive in Netherfield after the new year, whether the house is prepared or not!” She turned to the gentleman, “I hope all is well at home.” She raised her eyebrow to him in a challenge to see what had been done with his malicious sister.
Bingley coloured, “Darcy was gracious to invite me to dine with you all, even though I am not family, to ask for Lady Matlock for assistance in killing the rumours that might have already spread. My sister has been confined to her rooms and all of her correspondences are being monitored. I have also cut off her allowance and threatened to send her off to York in the dead of winter if she does not cease speaking ill of you and your family, Miss Elizabeth. Caroline has had a few suitors calling on her these past weeks and Louisa told me one is particularly interested, so we will have her married off as quickly as possible. She is on the shelf at six and twenty and she will have fewer choices once it becomes public knowledge that Darcy will give her the cut direct.”
“Who is your godmother, Elizabeth? Is she someone I might know? Oh, here are my uncle and aunt now.” Darcy announced when the butler entered with the guests. They all stood to greet the Earl and Countess of Matlock.
Lady Matlock spoke when she entered the drawing room. “Darcy! We apologise for the delay. Richard was called away at the last minute and could not join us. Georgiana, how pretty you look.” She turned to Elizabeth and exclaimed, “Miss Bennell! I did not expect to see you here. I thought this was going to be a family affair,” she turned to Darcy in confusion. Glancing at Jane, she asked her nephew, “Is this Miss Bennet? You had better make the introductions. I see Mr. Bingley is here as well. This is a larger party than I expected.”
Darcy flushed in chagrin with his aunt’s words. “Aunt Margaret, this is Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn in Hertfordshire,” he reached for Elizabeth’s hand and held it. “I am courting Miss Bennet, not Bennell.” He nodded to Jane, “This is Miss Elizabeth’s elder sister, Jane Bennet. Bingley is... he is a good friend of Miss Bennet and has been included in our dinner party because we wished to request your assistance on a sensitive matter.”
“YOU are Miss Bennet? I thought you were Miss Bennell of Herefordshire!” Lady Matlock exclaimed.
“My dear, your memory is quite muddled.” Lord Matlock intervened. “I told you already that the Bennells have been in the north and all of their daughters were married off. After some predicament with a betrothal or something with the eldest, poor Arthur Bennell relocated his entire family to Manchester or Newcastle or some other place up north and they have not been seen for several years!” He laughed. “Your aunt is the worst with names, nephew.”
Lady Matlock gasped, “Wait a moment. You are from Longbourn? Near Meryton? You are Diana’s niece Lizzy!” She announced and grabbed Elizabeth’s hands to observe her closely. “I see the resemblance now and I do not know how I missed it before. You are the spitting image of your aunt in her youth, Miss Elizabeth. I saw you when you were a child and you used to recite poems and sing for us and I thought you so witty and charming. I forgot that Diana’s family name was Bennet when Darcy wrote of his courtship with you and I am so pleased that it is you!” She kissed Elizabeth’s cheeks. She turned to Jane, “You must take after your mother. So very beautiful, Miss Bennet. I am pleased to make your acquaintance.” She beamed.