by Jann Rowland
“It must be wonderful for you to have returned to your family home,” said Miss Bingley, ignoring Miss Elizabeth’s previous words. “But settling in must be difficult after so long an absence. Are you quite comfortable in your home?”
“I have been back for almost six weeks complete, Miss Bingley,” replied Miss Elizabeth. “I am quite well settled, I thank you.”
“I must own that we were all surprised to meet you,” continued Miss Bingley, who appeared to have not heard a single word that Miss Elizabeth had spoken. “The first time we heard of a mysterious missing Bennet sister was when dear Jane dined with us in September. I was astonished, as I had only met your younger sisters and had heard nothing of you.”
“It is not at all mysterious, Miss Bingley, nor have I been ‘missing.’ It is not uncommon for children to live with relations, particularly when there is some benefit in education or circumstances to be had.”
Miss Bingley smiled, but even from his seat, Darcy could tell that the expression was in no way reflected in her eyes, which were as hard and dark as coal. “Miss Eliza, you must understand how it appears from our perspective, particularly since we have not lived in the area for long and could not have known your family before.
“First, there was nothing said of you by any of your family; then, to my surprise, dear Jane mentioned the fact that she had another sister during dinner; and finally, if you will forgive me for being so bold, I received the distinct impression from her words that it had been many years since she had seen you. How do you account for this seeming distance?”
Darcy was about to rise from his seat to intervene, but then he noted, upon looking at Miss Elizabeth, that while her color was a little higher than usual, she gazed at Miss Bingley with an expression which was censorious but not intimidated in the least.
“I know not where you might have received such an impression, Miss Bingley, but I assure you that I am as close to my sister as I ever was.”
“Yes, that does seem to be the case.” Miss Bingley’s saccharine smile became even more overtly—and falsely—solicitous. “But what of the rest of your family? Your dear mother has at times appeared overly . . . critical of you.”
“What child can go through life without occasional reprimands from a parent?” said Elizabeth rhetorically. And though Darcy could see that outwardly she remained as calm as she ever was, he fancied he knew her well enough to recognize that only her innate good manners were preventing her from giving Miss Bingley a well-deserved dressing-down.
“I suppose,” said Miss Bingley in a doubtful tone. “I cannot empathize with you, as I always enjoyed the best of relationships with my mother.”
A snort from Hurst drew Darcy’s attention, and he turned to the man, noting the glare which Darcy could tell was directed at his sister-in-law.
“Caroline despised her mother,” said Hurst in a low tone meant only for Darcy. “Caroline disliked her low origins and her attempts to bring her children up in a way which would credit the family. The fact that Caroline has become the shrew she is today is a testament that the woman failed, though I would certainly not place the blame on her.”
Darcy gazed at Hurst with unfeigned astonishment.
Hurst only raised an eyebrow at him. “Come now, Darcy. Considering how observant you are, I would have thought that you were aware of my opinion of my dear sister. It is one which closely resembles your own, I believe.”
“It quite escaped my notice,” said Darcy at last.
“You thought I was nothing more than a drunk, interested in only my meal and my spirits, did you?” Hurst chuckled at his own words. “I am all of that, I assure you. But I was a little livelier before we met.” He directed a surreptitious glance at Miss Bingley, who was still interrogating Miss Elizabeth, though Mrs. Hurst had now joined them. “I thought the woman I was marrying was more than simply an adjunct of her younger sister. My life would be much more pleasurable if Caroline was not a part of it.”
“Surely it is not that bad.”
“Perhaps not. Louisa has recently begun to develop more of a backbone when it comes to her sister, and I must own that I have encouraged it. But Caroline is still the leader and Louisa the follower, and for now, I bide my time until that dynamic changes.”
There was nothing Darcy could say to that, though he understood Hurst’s feelings quite well indeed. “So your tendency to keep to yourself and sleep in the drawing room . . . This is all brought on by Miss Bingley?”
“Oh, not all of it,” said Hurst with a snort. “I am a rather indolent fellow, after all. But yes, I find it much easier to avoid Caroline altogether. And I am not always sleeping, you know.”
A sly smile came across Hurst’s face. “At one point, I was hopeful that you would solve my problem and take Caroline off my hands.”
Darcy suspected that his eyes were fairly bulging out of his head at the mere suggestion. He had never considered Miss Bingley as the successor to his dear mother, and he never would. Though his family would applaud him for having no designs on the daughter of a tradeswoman, Darcy was not a typical man of his set. His parents had enjoyed a loving relationship which had almost undoubtedly led in part to his father’s early demise once his mother had passed on. Though the chances for heartbreak were much greater with a love match, he had determined long ago that he would accept nothing less. And Caroline Bingley would never meet his requirements for that very reason.
“I knew within moments of seeing you both in company that it would never happen, of course,” said Hurst. “It was clear to me, even if she is blind of it to this day, that you tolerated her only because of your friendship with Bingley.”
“You could have informed me of your true character ere now,” said Darcy. But he was only slightly piqued at Hurst’s revelations. More than that, he was amused—Hurst was indeed too indolent for Darcy’s tastes, but he suspected that the man was of a sardonic bent, which Darcy would find amusing, provided it was not shown too frequently.
“And how would that provide amusement for me?” asked Hurst.
Darcy was forced to chuckle. “How, indeed?”
“Now, I suspect that my sister is becoming much more impertinent with her questions, little though you can imagine it, given the way she began. You had best go and rescue your Miss Elizabeth before she has cause to reprimand Caroline severely.”
Looking up, Darcy could see that Hurst’s prediction was indeed being borne out, and he rose to go to Miss Elizabeth. But before he could walk away, Hurst spoke again, though in a very quiet tone which Darcy could only just make out.
“Darcy, a word of advice, if you will. You had best mute your admiration for Miss Elizabeth as well as your attentions toward her unless you actually intend to do something about it. Caroline has noticed, and I expect this is what has caused her to unsheathe her claws.”
With a nod, Hurst leaned back against the couch and closed his eyes. Darcy could only stare at the man before turning and making his way to Miss Elizabeth’s side.
“I thank you for the offer, Miss Bingley,” said Miss Elizabeth at that moment. “I can assure you that if I ever require your assistance, I shall ask.”
“Ah, Mr. Darcy!” said Miss Bingley with a smile. “I have offered to introduce Miss Eliza to our friends in town when next we are there. She would be such a . . . sensation, do you not think?”
Her tone led Darcy to understand that she expected that Elizabeth would not be accepted by his circle. Whether she would be accepted by Miss Bingley’s circle was of no concern to Darcy, as he did not like the women with whom Miss Bingley socialized.
“I dare say she would be indeed,” said Darcy. “But come, Miss Elizabeth—I believe that your sister was trying to catch your eye a moment ago. Shall we?”
Smiling, Miss Elizabeth put her hand on his arm. But before they could move away, she directed one final parting comment at Miss Bingley.
“I thank you for this illuminating conversation, Miss Bingley. I dare say we shall have m
any more such opportunities to speak in the future.”
A significant glance at her sister and Mr. Bingley left no doubt as to her meaning, but Elizabeth and Darcy turned away from Miss Bingley before the woman could form a response.
Feeling admiration for her courage and tenacity, Darcy escorted Miss Elizabeth to her sister, and the four of them fell into conversation as easily as if they had been acquainted for years.
In the back of his mind, however, Darcy was replaying his conversation with Hurst. He was attracted to Miss Elizabeth, and he found himself becoming increasingly loath to conceal it. But had he seen enough of her to leave him confident of proceeding? As a sober and serious man, Darcy was deliberate in his decision-making, which could be both a blessing and a curse. The thought of Miss Elizabeth’s reaction to seeing him upon her arrival that afternoon filled him with a sense of peace, as he now knew that she was not indifferent to him.
With that in mind, what was holding him back? Was that not what a courtship was for? To see if his interest was enough to proceed to marriage? Perhaps it was time to make that next step, but Darcy was disposed to be extra careful. This would be one of the most important decisions of his life, after all, and he wanted to be certain before he moved forward.
In the back of his mind, however, he knew that he was already certain. He was enamored of Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and his feelings would only become that much stronger the longer he revolved in orbit about her.
“Caroline!” hissed Louisa.
The fact that Caroline simply huffed and glared at her sent Louisa into further heights of fury. Her sister had always been blind about certain things, and Mr. Darcy happened to be the one thing about which she was most mistaken. Caroline was almost delusional, Louisa thought, and she risked being ostracized from society herself if she did not desist.
Louisa took her sister by the arm and led her to a nearby sofa which was out of earshot of the Bennet sisters and Mr. Hurst, whom Louisa suspected was not nearly as insensible as he tried to portray.
“You should be extremely careful about what you say to Miss Elizabeth, Caroline,” said Louisa once they had seated themselves on the sofa.
Her sister’s only response was an unpleasant sneer. “And why should I be? She is nothing more than a country bumpkin, even if she has lived with her tradesman uncle in London these past years.”
The scathing contempt in Caroline’s voice was easy to detect, but then again, it nearly always was. Louisa resisted the urge to roll her eyes. How Caroline could believe Miss Elizabeth to be unintelligent was beyond her.
“I am not certain whether you and I are speaking of the same woman, Caroline,” said Louisa with exaggerated patience, “but you are a simpleton if you truly believe that.”
Caroline’s eyes narrowed, but she did not speak. Louisa had so rarely spoken to her in such a manner that she was likely nearly insensible with rage.
“You must give up this fascination. Mr. Darcy has never paid you any notice, and furthermore, he is aware of everything which happens with Miss Elizabeth. You run the risk of angering him.”
“Eliza Bennet could never hold his interest for long,” snapped Caroline. “If he is interested in her, then his interest will wane as soon as I expose her secret.”
This time, Louisa could not refrain from rolling her eyes. “Whatever this ‘secret’ is, you had best forget it. Perhaps you did not notice, but when Mr. Darcy approached you and Miss Elizabeth, he was fixed upon your conversation rather than my husband’s.”
“Obviously, he was paying attention to me.”
Louisa shook her head. “Do what you will, Caroline, but tread softly. You shall proceed without my sanction and without my assistance. I will not risk turning Mr. Darcy against my husband. I would never hear the end of it were his friendship to be withdrawn.”
“Fine!” spat Caroline. “Just know that you shall not be invited to be my guest once I become mistress of Pemberley!”
Standing, Caroline fixed her sights upon the two couples animatedly conversing on the other side of the room. “Now, I shall go and ensure that Mr. Darcy escorts me to dinner. You will see that I am right.”
And with that, she stalked off. It was no surprise, therefore, that when Mr. Darcy did actually escort Caroline to the dinner table, he had Miss Elizabeth on the other arm. And once he had seated Caroline in her chair at the head of the table, he left her and proceeded with Miss Elizabeth to sit next to Charles.
Louisa did not need any great insight into Caroline’s character to see the rage burned into her features. Louisa only hoped that Caroline managed to restrain herself and not put a strain on Charles’s friendship with the gentleman.
Chapter XIII
The night after Elizabeth and Jane had dined at Netherfield, an event of a slightly different nature occurred, though Elizabeth supposed that it was more of an announcement than an actual event. But though it did not truly concern Elizabeth, she thought it interesting for the reactions it provoked in her family. In herself, it resurrected a hint of the old guilt which still made its presence known on occasion, though Elizabeth was able to shrug it off.
It started as a typical evening meal in the company of her family. Elizabeth was by now so accustomed to the way that such meals usually proceeded that she tended to fall into her own thoughts almost as soon as she had served herself from the platters on the table. Generally, if anyone spoke—and conversation was always abundant at the Bennet table—their words were not directed at her, or if they were, she could usually ignore them with little effort.
On this night, however, they had only just sat down to their meal when Mr. Bennet cleared his throat and called for the attention of his family.
“You had best prepare for a visitor, Mrs. Bennet, as we shall be entertaining one on the morrow,” said Mr. Bennet, his voice gruff and his tone short.
“Mr. Bennet!” screeched his wife. “How can you wait to inform me of such a thing? I must have more time to prepare for a visitor!”
“A single night should be more than sufficient to have our spare bedchamber refreshed with new linens.”
“But the menu must altered, entertainments devised . . . It is more than just preparing a single chamber, Mr. Bennet.”
“Before you decide to welcome our visitor with open arms, Mrs. Bennet, do you not wish to know exactly whom we will be welcoming?”
There was an edge to his voice which Elizabeth had heard on occasion, and she did not like it in the slightest. Mr. Bennet truly sounded as if he held his wife in contempt. Elizabeth presumed that he had married her with his eyes wide open, so why should he now treat her as if she was the cause of all his misery?
Mrs. Bennet stifled back a retort, likely knowing that he would merely say something equally rude and likely even somewhat humiliating. She gave him an expectant look and said: “I have no objection to hearing his name, Mr. Bennet.”
“I am happy to hear it, Mrs. Bennet, given how often you have vilified the gentleman, even though you have never met him. He is Mr. Collins, my cousin and heir to Longbourn.”
Mrs. Bennet’s eyes grew wide, and for a moment, Elizabeth felt certain that her mother would faint. Unfortunately, it was not to be, as after directing a glance of utter poison at Elizabeth, she fairly screamed:
“How could you invite that odious man here, Mr. Bennet? How can you countenance him approaching any nearer than fifty miles of this estate? That he should pass through the door with his greedy eyes falling upon all of our possessions is more than I can bear!”
“And yet he will arrive on the morrow,” said Mr. Bennet. “You should also know, Mrs. Bennet, that Mr. Collins wrote me a letter in which he requested the opportunity to heal the breach in the family. So before you brand him as the worst of men for committing the capital sin of inheriting Longbourn, you may wish to hear him speak for himself.”
Mrs. Bennet rounded on Elizabeth. “This is all your fault! Had you behaved as you ought, this could never have happened!”
&n
bsp; Though the accusation stung, even after all these years, Elizabeth was almost inured to her mother’s diatribes and accusations, and as a result, she found it no trial to ignore her. There was no sense in arguing with the woman, as she would never see sense anyway.
Mrs. Bennet quickly turned back to Mr. Bennet, saying: “No, this is no good at all, Mr. Bennet. You must write an express to Mr. Collins at once, telling him that he is not welcome at Longbourn and will not be as long as you live!”
“I shall do no such thing,” said Mr. Bennet coolly. “The invitation has been dispatched and accepted, and Mr. Collins shall arrive before dinner tomorrow evening.”
When Mrs. Bennet appeared about to descend into paroxysms yet again, her husband glared at her contemptuously and said: “Mrs. Bennet, I suggest you accept the matter and welcome Mr. Collins as generously as you are able. He shall be our guest for a few days, and nothing you say can change that fact.
“I might remind you that once I am dead, you will be entirely dependent upon my cousin’s mercy. You know that your sister has not the means to keep you, and as for your brother . . .” Mr. Bennet paused and looked over at Elizabeth. “Well, let us just say that Mr. Gardiner might not be so generous with his assistance in light of the events of recent years.”
Rising, Mr. Bennet made to quit the dining room. But before he did, he turned and looked at Mrs. Bennet, who was regarding him with fear. His own expression was fixed and unreadable, but to Elizabeth, who thought she knew his ways well enough to understand him to a degree, it almost appeared as if he looked on his wife with hatred.
“There is another thing you may wish to consider, Mrs. Bennet. I am more than a decade your senior. The time of your removal to the hedgerows may be upon you sooner than you would have thought possible. Think on that when you consider how you will receive my heir on the morrow.”
And with that, the man was gone, the door closing quietly behind him.
For a moment, there was no sound at all in the dining room, as the occupants were too shocked to speak. Of course, such a fortunate circumstance could not continue for long, as soon Mrs. Bennet began to speak of how ill-used she was and how cruel it was of Mr. Bennet to betray her so.