Other Mr. Darcy

by Monica Fairview

  Lydia, realizing that nobody was paying her the least attention, pulled herself up from Jane’s arms and threw herself onto an armchair, gazing from one person to the other with big tragic eyes.

  “You cannot imagine what has happened,” she announced loudly, then bent her head to examine her fingernails.

  “Do tell us, Lydia,” said Jane, who was always kind. Lydia needed little more encouragement than that.

  “Oh, pray tell, Lydia,” said Eliza, sitting close to Jane on the sofa.

  “It’s that horrid, horrid Wickham!” said Lydia. “Oh, I don’t know how I will endure it.” She hid her face in her hands. “If it had not been for the kindness of Captain Trewson and Mrs Miles, I am sure I would have drowned myself in the river. For it is not to be borne. He has run off with a young lady from Newcastle, a Mrs Greene. Have you ever heard such a stupid name? I’m sure I haven’t. And he left me a note saying I should not expect him back. Oh, Lizzy, what shall I do?”

  Caroline flinched in shock, though she should not have been surprised at Wickham’s behaviour. She had warned Eliza Bennet about him on several occasions before Lydia married him, though Eliza had paid no heed to her at the time. Wickham was insolent and infamous, and had done Darcy a very bad turn, though Caroline was not privy to the details. Then Lydia had eloped with him, quite scandalously, and now she was suffering the consequences.

  Robert Darcy was the first to respond. He was the most inclined to pity her, for he knew nothing about Wickham, nor of the circumstances of Lydia’s marriage. “What a terrible blow, Mrs Wickham!” he said. “But I am sure it is all a misunderstanding and will be sorted out. In any case, it is indeed very fortunate that you were discovered by the captain and Mrs Miles, and that they brought you here to be with your sisters.” He smiled at Mrs Miles.

  Lydia, feeling slighted, and recognizing that further tears would have no effect, rose restlessly to look out of the window, though it had grown quite dark outside. Jane went and took her by the hand, and they left the room together with Eliza, presumably to talk in the privacy of the bedchamber.

  Lydia’s problem soon receded to the background. Refreshments were brought in, and the Trewsons became the centre of all attention. They answered the multitude of questions aimed at them with unaffected cordiality, and it was discovered that Captain Trewson, in addition to his striking good looks, had at his command a multitude of entertaining tales and anecdotes. Mrs Miles was good-natured, and possessed pleasing manners. She commanded attention, but she did not put herself forward, which did much to redeem her from the ruffled sensibilities of the ladies who were eclipsed by her. The brother and sister retired early, pleading tiredness after a long journey.

  All in all everyone was in agreement that the two arrivals were a delightful addition to the company.

  ***

  The next morning Caroline woke up to a commotion at the front of the house. There was much ado, with shouting and clanging and a great deal of coming and going. She wondered if Mrs Miles and her brother were leaving. She had not said good-bye, so, donning a shawl quickly, she opened the window and leaned out.

  The scene that met her eyes was one of utter chaos. Baggage and boxes were strewn across the driveway, and footmen hurried backwards and forwards to the shrill orders of a voice she was soon able to recognize. She drew back from the window and resolved to spend the day in bed.

  But the door to her room opened, and Louisa came in, catching her just as she dived under the covers.

  “You must come down,” said Louisa in a harassed voice. “You cannot leave me to deal with Mrs Bennet. She has not been here longer than ten minutes, and already the house is in disarray.”

  “Leave me alone,” said Caroline. “I wish to sleep.”

  “I hope you do not intend to tell her of your engagement. She will spread the news before you know it, and by the time the announcement appears in the newspaper, the information will be quite stale. ”

  Caroline sat up suddenly as reality crashed back down on her. “Louisa, I do not wish a soul to know about the engagement. You must not write to anyone. Mr Robert Darcy has not yet informed his family of it, and it would be too bad if we announced it without at least informing his mother.”

  “I wish you had told me that before, as I have already written to several of my friends,” said Louisa. “I had Mr Darcy frank the letters and send them out. I’m afraid the news is already circulating. I do not know how you meant to keep it a secret when you proclaimed it to all and sundry at the house party.”

  Caroline groaned. “I wish you had not done that, Louisa. You have been too hasty. I am not even entirely certain Robert Darcy and I will suit.”

  Louisa dismissed her words with a wave of her hand. “You cannot be undecided when the deed is already done.” Louisa eyed her shrewdly. “If you do not intend to continue with this engagement—and I cannot say I blame you for it—you should terminate it immediately. Within a few days. It will cause a great deal of speculation, but it will blow over quickly. After all, there has been nothing official. No marriage settlement has been made and nothing has appeared in the papers. Caroline, you can do far better. If you set your mind to it, I am sure you can capture someone much more appropriate for our station in life. I have been thinking about it, and I am certain Mr Robert Darcy will not do at all. Perhaps you can convince Colonel Fitzwilliam to propose again. You are clever, Caroline, you will think of a way.”

  For once her sister’s words found fertile ground. As if sensing it, Louisa left the room, allowing the seeds she had sown to grow.

  Caroline sank back in her bed and stared upwards. The imperfections on the ceiling’s surface brought to mind the words of Eliza Bennet—Mrs Darcy. She waited for the familiar rancour to rise up to her throat, but no emotion surfaced. She thought of Eliza calmly, without resentment. In fact, she could almost see herself coming to like her.

  Her maid Molly, who, despite leaving Netherfield a day later, had arrived a day earlier than Caroline since she had taken the other road, entered with some hot chocolate. Caroline sipped it slowly, amused at the furore accompanying Mrs Bennet’s arrival.

  The door burst suddenly open and Lydia rushed in. Caroline gasped at her impertinence.

  “You might have asked if you could come in,” she said, coldly.

  But Lydia was immune to disapproval. “La!” she said. “Not when I have come with news. You will never guess who is here. My whole family! Is it not the most fantastical thing? Now we are all gathered here. And Mrs Darcy—I like the sound of that name, don’t you?—has promised us all a house party. And she will be inviting some gentlemen from London. I am so glad Wickham ran away, otherwise I would not have been here, and I would have missed the fun.”

  Caroline wondered if there was any way to get rid of her, short of telling her in no uncertain terms to leave. She finished her chocolate, rose from her bed, picked which garments to wear, and dressed, while Lydia continued to prattle, ruminating on the names of officers who should be invited.

  “I hope you will not think me rude,” said Lydia, suddenly, “but I have remembered someone who really ought to be invited. I must tell Eliza to include him.” With that, she bounced out of the room, leaving a blessed silence behind.

  “What a relief!” said Caroline, as Molly put the finishing touches to her hair. “She never stopped talking once! And yet here I was, a prisoner in my own room, unable to escape, since I was not yet fully dressed!”

  “That young lady can talk the hoofs off a horse,” remarked Molly.

  Caroline laughed. “She certainly talked my ears off.”

  “There’s no harm in her. She’s just a child,” said the maid.

  “I cannot agree with you. She is thoughtless and selfish.”

  Molly shrugged. “My sister was like her, all giddy and full of fancies. Once she was married and the babes began to come, though, she changed her tune.”

  Caroline smiled. “Then perhaps there is hope,” she said and left it at tha
t.

  As soon as she was dressed, Caroline descended to the drawing room to greet the Bennets. The Bennet girls, Kitty and Mary, were busy studying fashion plates with Georgiana. Mr Bennet was already settled in a corner with a newspaper. He got up and bowed when she entered, stating that it was quite a change to see her in Pemberley instead of Netherfield, then returned to his reading.

  “My dear Miss Bingley,” said Mrs Bennet, taking Caroline’s hands in both her own. “We came as quickly as we could when we heard the news. It was very naughty of Jane to leave Meryton without telling us!”

  Caroline struggled to find an excuse for her sister-in-law, for they had left rather abruptly, but Mrs Bennet had already moved on. “What do you think of Pemberley? Is it not grand? I believe it is grander even than Lady de Bourgh’s house, though I have not seen it, but so they tell me, and that is something.” She patted the sofa next to her. “Was it not clever of me to marry off Lizzy to Mr Darcy? Indeed, others have said the same. ‘Sister,’ said Mrs Philips to me the other day. ‘Sister, you should become a matchmaker, for once you have set your mind to securing a marriage, nothing will stop you.’ I cannot claim all the credit for marrying my daughters off, of course. They are all very pretty girls, so it took very little on my part. They have their looks from me, you know, for I was quite pretty myself once. I turned quite a few gentlemen’s heads, did I not Mr Bennet?”

  At the mention of his name, Mr Bennet sat up enquiringly.

  “I was saying to Miss Bingley that I was quite pretty myself, once,” said Mrs Bennet. “Would you not agree, Mr Bennet?”

  “I must agree, for there could have been no other reason for me to marry you, otherwise,” he said, and returned to his reading.

  Mrs Bennet appeared quite satisfied with his reply. “Oh, Mr Bennet! You must not tease so! People will think you serious. There, you see,” she continued, turning back to Caroline, “as I was telling you, they have their looks from me. But you cannot trust everything to looks, you know. Careful planning is often necessary, and I flatter myself I am successful at it.”

  “You were not successful in Lydia’s case, Mama,” said Kitty, with the tactlessness of the young. “For her marriage has proved a disaster. He has run off with a married woman and is never coming back.”

  Mrs Bennet’s eyes rounded, and her mouth turned into a perfect O. She cast a nervous look at Caroline. “What silly nonsense you are talking, Kitty! I do not know how you think of such things,” she admonished.

  “It is not silly nonsense,” said Kitty, sullenly. “Lydia told me so herself.”

  Mrs Bennet stood up in a hurry and excused herself. “I must speak to Lydia immediately. Oh, if that is true, I do not know what will happen to me. I can already feel a spasm coming on! It cannot be true!” She hurried from the room, clutching a handkerchief to her mouth.

  Caroline, considering that she had greeted the Bennets as politeness dictated, made her excuses and headed for the breakfast room. Mrs Miles and Mr Trewson were there, partaking of light refreshments.

  “I am glad to see you still here,” said Caroline, pleasantly surprised. “I had thought you gone by now.”

  “We have been prevailed upon to stay a few days,” said Captain Trewson. “And though we have business in Town, I for one could not quite resist such agreeable company.”

  The room was bright and sunny, and Caroline could think of no pleasure greater than to watch two such graceful creatures. They sat at one end of the table, and she chose a seat next to them. However, they got up just then to serve themselves at the side table, and when they sat down again they chose the other end.

  Robert Darcy came in and made to sit next to Mrs Miles, but she gave him her seat.

  “We were just leaving, Mr Robert,” she said.

  Caroline thought it odd that they were leaving just moments after they had filled their plates. But Robert Darcy, who had sat on the far end of the table, merely wished them an enjoyable morning, and moved his plate next to hers.

  “No point in shouting across the table,” he said in a friendly manner.

  “I can see that I am only second choice, however. Had Mrs Miles not left, you would not have been so concerned about shouting across the table.”

  He chuckled. “You are entirely too sharp, Miss Bingley. But surely you cannot blame me for my interest. Is she not exquisite?”

  “She is very beautiful,” said Caroline.

  “I now see the evils of being engaged. How am I to attract her attention when I am already promised to someone else?”

  “If you wish me to release you, just say the word,” she said, thinking of her sister’s advice. “Perhaps the sooner, the better.”

  “Oh, you need not worry. I have no serious designs on Mrs Miles. If matters develop, we will contrive something.” He rose, wiping his mouth on a napkin. “I am sorry to leave you so soon, but I promised to take Mrs Wickham off Cousin Eliza’s hands. Georgiana and Jane are trying to organize the party with Eliza, but Mrs Wickham will not give them a moment to think. I will take her riding.”

  “Poor Mr Robert,” said Caroline.

  “Oh, I shall do well enough. She is just young and spirited.” He bowed. “So are we in agreement?”

  She could only think he meant the engagement. “Yes,” she said.

  It was now Mr Darcy’s turn to come to the breakfast room. He passed Mr Robert in the doorway and went to the sideboard to inspect the food.

  “I hope everything is to your satisfaction, Miss Bingley.”

  “Yes, thank you,” said Caroline.

  Instead of helping himself to the food, Mr Darcy took a turn around the room. He appeared to be in some discomfort. He paused to look out of the window. Then he took another turn around the room. Finally, just as Caroline was ready to leave, he strode purposefully towards her.

  “Forgive me, Miss Bingley,” he said, “but I require your attention. I have something of a very private nature to discuss with you.”

  And he closed the door.

  Chapter 11

  Mr Darcy’s footsteps resonated loudly on the marble floor as he came towards her.

  “I have given the matter considerable thought,” he said abruptly, “and I have reached the conclusion that an engagement between you and my cousin would be a mistake.”

  Caroline, who for years had pursued Mr Darcy, could not help but wonder at this sudden statement. For a wild moment, she wondered if he was about to make some kind of declaration, to say his marriage to Elizabeth was a mistake. If he was, she could only think that it had come much too late.

  “I believe,” she said, mildly, quite at a loss, “that it is your cousin who must make that decision.”

  “My interference is well intentioned, I assure you,” said Mr Darcy, still in that abrupt way of his. “I have my cousin’s interest at heart.”

  The idea of a declaration died a quick and final death. She mocked herself for imagining it even for an instant.

  “I do not quite comprehend your meaning, Mr Darcy,” said Caroline, proudly.

  “My cousin is from a different country. He is not accustomed to English ways, and he does not know you. You are forgetting, Miss Bingley, that I know you very well.” He strode to the window, his boots striking the floor vigorously. “It occurs to me that your interest in my cousin is very sudden. You are seeking an advantageous marriage, which is quite understandable in your situation. However, I would not wish my cousin to be hurt in the process. I know you can be quite tenacious when you desire something.”

  She stiffened. Surely she had heard wrong? After all the time he had known her, was that all he could say of her? That she was tenacious? When she had spent so many nights of her life dreaming about him? When she had struggled so hard not to reveal to him the truth about her feelings?

  Anger rose up in her, sharp and bitter. But she controlled it. She was determined not to let him provoke her into saying something unwise. She had learned her lesson well.

  “I have not had time
to be tenacious, Mr Darcy,” she said calmly. “Things have happened much too quickly for that. I appreciate your concern for your cousin, but I do not think it entitles you to address me in this manner. Nor does it give you the right to interfere.”

  “As the head of the Darcy family, it is incumbent on me to understand the nature of this engagement. I have every right to question your plans for my cousin’s future. I do not know how you contrived to bring him to this point, but I am entitled to know.”

  She stared at him in outrage. How could he possibly suggest that she had bullied Mr Robert into marrying her? As if Robert Darcy could be so easily manipulated! As if he suspected his cousin of being a weakling! She was not sure if she was more indignant on her own behalf or on that of Robert Darcy.

  “If you wish to find out, I suggest that you talk to your cousin,” she said, trying her best to be civil. “If you are worried that the marriage will be a disadvantage to him, may I remind you that I have a large sum of money at my disposal?”

  “Do you consider twenty thousand pounds an advantage? When you must surely be aware of how much he is worth? There is not a matron in London who would not wish him for her daughter. He could make an excellent match. And I intend that he will.”

  It was ridiculous for her to be so angry when the engagement was not even real, but it was growing more and more impossible for her to remain silent.

  “Allow me to express my doubts about this matter. You are forgetting that his fortune, such as it is, comes entirely from trade.”

  “Miss Bingley, I believe you forget yourself!” He strode back down the room to where she sat and stared down at her haughtily. “You can hardly be unaware that he is a Darcy,” he said. “I do not wish to speak ill of your family, but you have put me in an impossible situation. You can hardly claim the same social standing. You do not come from an old and revered family.”

  He waited for his words to sink in, then continued remorselessly. “You are very much mistaken when you say I have no right to interfere. I have every right to interfere. The man you are seeking to marry is my cousin. And furthermore, until such a happy event as the birth of a son, Robert is my heir. Pemberley and everything else that I possess will pass over to him, in the event of my death. Even if he did not inherit my property, his own estate is respectable enough to tempt the most fastidious of the London matrons.”