Darcy and the Accomplished Woman

by Linda Phelps

  “Caroline!” said Louisa. “I have never heard you do such a thing, nor do I expect I ever shall.”

  “That, my dear Louisa, is not the purpose of the comment, as you very well know. Read on, if you please.”

  If you could see her drawings, you would be astonished at their beauty. I have two of them hanging in my chamber even now, with hopes of more to come.

  We proceed in intimacy. It is as if she were my sister, which, as I mentioned before, is the greatest wish of Louisa and me. We have only to wait for our brother to declare himself to Georgiana, which event I anticipate for the near future. He is quite distracted by her, and since he stays with Darcy, he is almost constantly in her company.

  Have I mentioned the elegance of her appearance? She dresses exquisitely and has a certain air and manner of walking which sets her apart from the ordinary run of young women. Then, the tone of her voice is as lovely as music (she sings amazingly well). Her address and expressions are so graceful that no one wonders that our brother is so entirely entranced by her.

  Louisa and I wait anxiously for the news that we can rightly call Georgiana “sister”.

  Do mention me to your sisters and Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and all the other neighbours we knew in Netherfield. I think it unlikely that we will ever return, so our friendship can only proceed through letters.

  I hope that when next I write, I can impart to you tidings of the event which will secure the happiness of so many.

  “I congratulate you, Caroline,” said Louisa. “If she were of a mind to foster hope that our brother will come to her, she can do so no longer.”

  “Perhaps Longbourn is wet with her tears,” said Caroline, laughing, “and if so, it is what she deserves for endeavoring to become our sister.”

  Pleased with themselves, the sisters called for the carriage and set off to increase their intimacy with Georgiana Darcy.

  Upon their return, said Louisa, “I am concerned with Charles. Despite the fact that he has before him a personage displaying female perfection, he treats her as if she were a child, when in fact she is almost sixteen years of age.”

  “He is waiting for her to become older,” said Caroline. “You know how considerate he is. Georgiana has not yet finished her studies. I trust that once she has, he will address her.”

  “Caroline,” said Louisa, “sometimes I think you cannot see what is directly before your eyes. Charles is not more than polite to the girl. Do you see any of the signs of attachment he displayed when in company with Susan Elliot or Sophia Barnstock?”

  “That is because their manners are more open than Georgiana’s,” said Caroline. “Perhaps Georgiana is not so forthcoming as they are in conversation, but in time she will be. Charles is able to put anyone in a state of ease.”

  “Sister,” said Louisa, “are you blind? Darcy himself has seen to it that they have ample time to become acquainted, even intimate. Charles admires her, but he is not falling in love with her.”

  “He is hiding his feelings for now,” said Caroline.

  “Speak sensibly. Do you see in his actions a tenth of the affection he gave to Jane Bennet?”

  “He has not yet completely forgotten Jane Bennet,” said Caroline, “but in time he will. It has only been a matter of weeks.”

  “I hope you’re right,” said Louisa.

  Darcy’s Journal (London)

  I am somewhat concerned about Georgiana. She does not seem happy. She is too quiet. Can she be thinking of Wickham? There is no question of his ability to be agreeable to women. Elizabeth and the other younger Bennet sisters quickly came to think well of him. They would be wise to consider him with a skeptic’s eye.

  A few days after Christmas Caroline entered the breakfast room. “Fortune does not favor us.” She handed Louisa a letter, just arrived by the morning post.

  “From Jane Bennet,” said Louisa. “What can she write that is of interest to us?”

  “Only that she is in London, staying with a merchant uncle and his wife!” cried Caroline. “How is that possible? I was certain we should be safe from her attentions.”

  Louisa examined the letter. “It is sent from Cheapside!” said she. “I never thought to see any such address at this house unless it was from a warehouse clerk. Let us hope our friends do not learn of this communication.”

  “One would think that Jane Bennet would have a better understanding of the proprieties. London society is by no means so informal as country society. I am amazed she had the effrontery to write at all.”

  “Now, Caroline, will you not admit that we displayed a sort of friendship for her? How is she to know we are not eager to continue? You have certainly written her of your grief at not being able to see her. ‘Dearest friend.’ Is that not how you have addressed her?”

  “And when we stayed at Netherfield, she was my dearest friend. Still I cannot think of another girl who would take me so much at my word. Why has she come to London if not to pursue our brother?”

  “Perhaps she seeks relief from the false sympathies she receives. The neighbourhood will believe her abandoned by the man she loved. They will smile to her face and discuss her constantly when she is not before them.”

  Caroline looked away. Yes, Jane was likely to be suffering in that fashion, as Caroline had suffered when George Longstreet spoke for Anne Constable. For a moment she felt sympathy for the girl. Then her spirits rallied. “If one will live the life of a country villager, one must expect to be the topic of the neighbourhood gossip. They have so few other sources of amusement. But now we must decide what to do. She wishes to call upon us. She invites us to call upon her.”

  “That is a problem easily taken care of,” said Louisa, throwing the letter onto the fire. “We never received a letter, did we? She must have addressed it incorrectly.”

  “Or it was lost in transit. We certainly did not know of her presence in town.”

  “More importantly,” said Louisa, “how do we keep Charles from discovering that she is here? If he comes to know of it, I fear much of our work will be undone.”

  “We must speak with Darcy,” said Caroline. “He will know the answer.”

  “And we have been absent from dear Georgiana for almost a day.”

  “Come, sister,” said Caroline. “We must be away at once.”

  “Yes,” said Louisa, “but I see your admirer approaching on his horse. Shall we wait?”

  “Wait for William Longstreet?” said Caroline. “He would not expect us to do so.”

  The sisters entered their coach and encouraged their driver to leave with all possible speed, but he was unable to evade William Longstreet. “Ladies,” said he, upon riding up to them, “a very good day to you. Do you mean to call upon Mr. Darcy and his sister?”

  “Yes,” said Caroline. “We have been acquainting ourselves with dear Georgiana. Perhaps you are bound on a similar errand.”

  “That was not my intent, but I will be ruled by your suggestion.” He touched the brim of his hat and turned his horse in the direction of Darcy’s door.

  “How does he know where I will be?” said Caroline. “Does he hide in the hedges watching for us to leave the house?”

  “If Darcy does not speak soon, you would do well enough to welcome William Longstreet,” said Louisa, but upon seeing the angry face this remark produced, she fell silent.

  “At least there will be someone present who can bear his share of the conversation,” said Caroline. “Georgiana does not yet recognize such an obligation.”

  “Nor can Mr. Darcy be expected to give us his share,” said Louisa.

  “He is a quiet man,” said Caroline. “He does not speak unless he has something of worth to say.”

  “Yes, he is very unlike Mr. Longstreet,” said Louisa, although sometimes I wonder which style I prefer.”

  “I prefer Mr. Darcy’s” said Caroline. “Who would not?”

  William Longstreet did seem to have an uncanny sense of where Caroline was at any particular minute. If the sister
s went calling, he entered the drawing room scant minutes after they did. If they stayed home, his arrival was invariably announced by the manservant.

  A few days later the sisters were grateful that they had decided to entertain Darcy and Georgiana in their drawing room, rather than call on the Darcys in their own. Had they done the latter, the chances were excellent that Bingley would have been present. Fortunately he was not in the room at the Hurst house when William Longstreet came to call.

  Following the customary inquiries after the health of all, William announced, “I have just met a friend of yours in the linen shop.”

  “And who is that?” asked Louisa. .

  “Miss Bennet,” said he. He had the immediate attention of all except Georgiana, but other than staring at him, no one said a word.

  “Which Miss Bennet,” asked Darcy. “There are several, unfortunately.”

  “Miss Jane Bennet,” said William.

  “Mr. Longstreet, “said Caroline, “I am sure you are mistaken.”

  “You are not acquainted with her,” said Louisa. “How could you recognize her?”

  “Miss Bingley was so kind as to introduce us at the ball you gave at your country home, said Longstreet. “I danced two dances with her. I am not mistaken. It was most certainly she.”

  Darcy spoke to the sisters. “Had you no intelligence regarding her presence in London?”

  “None,” said Louisa.

  ‘That is peculiar,” said William Longstreet. “Miss Bennet related to me that she had informed you of her arrival in London by letter several days ago. Did you not receive such a letter from her?”

  Both men watched their faces as they answered. “No,” said Louisa. I am astonished that we did not. Perhaps it was lost.”

  “Or misdirected,” said Caroline.

  Georgiana watched this conversation with more than usual interest. “May I know who this Jane Bennet is?” she asked.

  William Longstreet was the first to answer. “She is a young woman who was neighbour to the Bingleys when they kept to the country. Miss Caroline Bingley introduced her to me as ‘my dearest friend’”.

  Darcy sighed. “I think Miss Bennet may have overstated the intimacy of their connection,”

  “Or perhaps Miss Bingley did,” said William.” In any case, she spoke of her desire to see you ladies, but because you had not responded to her letter, she was afraid she would impose if she came to call. I assured her that she need not worry on that account. I recommended that she come to you soon.” There was no mistaking the look of satisfaction on his face. He was enjoying their discomfiture.

  “Is she not the woman who stayed at your house after having been caught in rain while riding a horse? My brother wrote of her. She has a sister named Elizabeth. Is that not so?”

  Caroline and Louisa looked at her in astonishment. They had not suspected that Georgiana would know that Jane Bennet existed.

  “Shall I see her?” asked Georgiana. “Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst are so good to me. I would like to know one who is a dear friend of both.”

  “I must say no, Georgiana,” said Darcy. “If I remember correctly, there is a Bennet uncle living in the warehouse district. I am sure that is where she is staying. Since I will not allow you to call in that neighbourhood, it is better if you never see her at all.”

  “That is unfortunate,” said William. “When I met Miss Bennet this morning, I was struck again by her appearance and demeanor. To my mind Miss Darcy could not have a better friend.

  “Georgiana has the pleasure of regarding fine appearances and demeanor each time she meets with Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst and the friends to whom they introduce her. In any case, I will not allow my sister to become acquainted with Miss Bennet,” said Darcy.

  Longstreet looked at him, somewhat astonished. Georgiana become silent and stayed so until the visit came to an end.

  Once Darcy’s sister had been safely deposited in her own home, Darcy returned, The sisters were not surprised by his reappearance.

  “Have you actually not received a note from Jane Bennet?” asked he.

  “We had the note,” said Louisa, “but we burned it. We had hoped that when she did not hear from us she would take a hint and leave us alone.”

  “Thanks to Mr. Longstreet,” said Caroline, “we can now expect her to appear at our door.”

  “We cannot have that,” said Darcy. “Your brother must not discover that she is presently in town. He would feel an obligation to call on her, and who knows what might become of that?”

  “We must convince her that she is not wanted in this part of town,” said Caroline. “If she calls, we will be cool to her.”

  “We shall have our coats and bonnets at the ready, so that if she appears, we can claim we were just leaving.”

  “If she calls,” said Darcy, “you are required to call on her, but if it is done properly, you will not be troubled with her again.”

  “That is too bad,” said Louisa. “She really is a sweet girl.”

  “But I think you do not want her as a sister,” said Darcy.

  “No,” said Caroline. “She is certainly not so sweet as that.”

  Darcy’s Journal (London)

  `It appears that Jane Bennet has managed to come to London this winter. No doubt she is hopeful of resurrecting her relationship with Bingley. I cannot fault her for this, for he is vastly superior to any young man she might meet in Hertfordshire. However, I am convinced any interest she has in him is one of practicality. Her parents have doubtless convinced her that he is the most eligible man she will ever meet. Certainly the entire family would benefit from Bingley’s income, so I cannot fault the parents either. Still, it would be better for all concerned if she returned to Longbourn and forgot such ambitions before her heart becomes involved.

  Caroline and Louisa were deciding whether to stay in or go out when the manservant announced, “Miss Jane Bennet”. The girl entered, smiling with pleasure at seeing her friends again.

  “Jane!” cried Louisa. “What a delightful surprise. Why did you not tell us you were in London?”

  “But I did,” said Miss Bennet. “I wrote you a letter some time ago. I have been here a fortnight.”

  “We had no letter,” said Caroline. “But we are happy to see you. How are you parents and sisters? Do they continue in good health?”

  “All is well. Charlotte Lucas has married our cousin, Mr. Collins, and moved to Hemsford, which leaves us quite bereft. She has been our friend since we were children. But otherwise all is as you left it.”

  “I am delighted to know that,” said Caroline.

  “And Mr. Bingley, is he well?” asked Jane.

  “Quite well,” said Louisa. “He stays with Mr. Darcy. There he has the added pleasure of being in company with Mr. Darcy’s sister, Georgiana. We have mentioned her to you, have we not?”

  “Oh, yes. I should be happy to meet her some time. She sounds a remarkable young woman.”

  “Yes,” said Louisa, “she is certainly that. We have been astonished at how much she has improved since we last saw her. She is an extremely accomplished young lady.”

  “However,” said Caroline, “she is rather quiet. She does not meet strangers easily.”

  “Jane, dearest,” said Louisa, “I fear we must leave now. We have an appointment we must keep. Look, our coats and bonnets are here, just waiting for us to don them.”

  “So I see,” said Jane. She wrote on a scrap of paper. “Here is my uncle’s address. I will wait eagerly for you to call there. I think you will like my aunt, Mrs. Gardiner. She is a favourite with all of us.”

  “You may expect us someday soon,” said Caroline. “But now, we must leave.”

  “Of course,” said Jane. “My uncle’s carriage is just outside the door. I will leave first so there will be room for yours.” She placed her bonnet back on her head. “It has given me great happiness to see you, if only for a few minutes.”

  “Until we meet again,” said Louisa, and saw
the manservant shut the door firmly on her dear friend.

  Miss Bingley’s Journal (London)

  It is done. Louisa reminded me that we must return Jane Bennet’s call, but we waited a fortnight to be about it. I expect the silly girl stayed home day after day waiting for us.

  The house proved to be more pleasing than we had anticipated. The furniture was of a sort I had not expected to see in such a place. The aunt actually had an appearance of gentility. This family, Gardiner, I believe, could be mistaken for gentry, other than the shopkeepers they are.

  Once in the house we made it clear that we were stopping by only because we happened to be in the area. My manner was very cold toward Jane; as an example I covered my mouth with my hand more than once, so she would think I was hiding a yawn. We have, of course, not written her since we saw her. I made a brief apology for not having called sooner, but I’m sure anyone could tell I was not sincere.

  “And have you seen our brother?” asked Louisa, all innocence. “Has he been here to call?”

  “I have not had that pleasure,” said Miss Jane Bennet.

  We have carried out our plans successfully!

  We left after only a few minutes, and gave no encouragement for her to call upon us, nor did we indicate in any way that we intended to see her again in her uncle’s house. She would be a great simpleton if she did not understand that our friendship is over.

  Now we must find a way to further dear Georgiana’s intimacy with Charles.

  I am certain he realizes that in terms of accomplishments and fortune, Georgiana is far superior to any country girl with whom he once had a flirtation. Perhaps he does not make an effort to win her affection because she is so young.

  Finding herself alone with Bingley one morning Georgiana chose to see if he could provide answers to some of some of the questions that interested her. “Mr. Bingley,” said she, “who is Elizabeth?”

  “Elizabeth? I know no Elizabeth,” said Bingley. He smiled at her with his customary brotherly tolerance.

  “I believe Elizabeth was a neighbour of yours when you stayed at your house in Hertfordshire,” said Georgiana.