Through the Window 2

by Mary Jane Ballew

  Richard thought about what Elizabeth and Jane had said to him about Caroline, and considered the change he himself had witnessed in her. “Allow me to ask you this; before this conversation you had with her, did you feel in any way that she was attempting to trick or deceive you into marrying her?”

  Owen thought about it and shook his head, “No, honestly, I would say she behaved completely contrary to how you described her with Darcy. In fact, she disagreed with me on more than one occasion. She even went so far as to tell me I was wrong on a topic we were discussing.”

  Richard smiled, “Then I believe you should read the letter, brother,” he encouraged him. “It is possible that Miss Bingley regrets what she said, and wishes to make amends. If you want my advice, read her letter and then determine your course of action,” he said as he stood up and walked over to the door. “And Owen, if you should decide after reading the letter that you would like another opportunity to meet with the lady, she is to attend a concert of the Royal Philharmonic Society this evening with her brother and sister at eight o’clock, at the Argyll Rooms,” he said before leaving.

  Owen sighed as he thought about Caroline Bingley. She was a very beautiful young woman, and he thought her very intelligent. By her own account, she was not an overly romantic woman. In fact, she was at times rather reserved and did her best to keep others at a distance. Owen still felt there was more to Caroline’s unwillingness to give of herself than he had discovered. A part of him still wondered if she could be playing him for a fool. It was possible that she could have been scheming to gain his attention this entire time she spent with him. He picked up the letter and opened it carefully. After reading it through, he leaned back in his chair and pondered what he should do next. He pulled out his watch and opened it, revealing a picture inside of his beloved Emily. He ran his thumb gently across the picture. While it was true there was a part of his heart that would forever remain with Emily; he could not deny the growing fondness he held for Caroline. There was something about her, something in the way she was with him; it was like she understood his loss and wanted to help ease the pain he felt. He was unsure how, but he was certain Miss Bingley understood his sorrow and loss in a way no other had. It was a bond they shared of a broken heart, and yet, he had held on to the hope that perhaps together, their hearts might yet mend. As he carefully placed his watch back in his pocket, he was determined not to give up so easily on her. She had admitted to being wrong and confessed her regret over her actions. She was not attempting to trick him with what she wrote; in fact, he realized quite the opposite had happened. She had opened herself up to him, and in doing so, had captured a little more of his heart.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Caroline stood near the front of the theater with Jane and Louisa. “I believe the concert should be very good this evening. It has been recommended to me by several of my dearest friends,” Louisa remarked.

  “Colonel Fitzwilliam accompanied Miss Bennet and Miss Darcy as well as Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy only last evening,” Caroline commented. “They all agreed the performance was excellent. I believe Elizabeth said it was highly enjoyable.”

  “Charles and I are both very eager to hear it this evening,” Jane told her. “We had hoped to come and see it with my sister Mary before she and Mr. Godwin married. However, things did not work out exactly as we planned.”

  Louisa feigned a smile, “Oh yes, I had heard about Mrs. Wickham and the unexpected birth of her child,” she said somewhat dryly. “I can only imagine how very shocking it must have been for you, Jane.”

  Jane did her best to smile, “We were surprised at my nephew coming so soon, that is true. However, when we take into consideration the difficulty my sister had with the birth of her son, we were all just very thankful that they are both well,” she explained.

  “Yes, I did hear that the child’s birth was somewhat harrowing,” Louisa remarked. “It is possible that all the traveling so soon before the birth was unwise. I have heard it said that many of the ladies in London who come from a higher rank and privilege take to their beds and do very little in the last weeks of their confinement just to keep such issues from arising.”

  “I am not so very sure it would have made a difference,” Jane told her. “Besides, I hardly think Lydia remaining in her bed would have changed anything. The doctor did tell my aunt that the child coming as he did does happen from time to time and that we were very fortunate not to lose them both.”

  Louisa took in a deep breath and rolled her eyes, “Yes, I am sure you were all very relieved to have someone so capable helping with the birth,” she said somewhat dismissively. “Although, I still say the arrival of her child so soon after her marriage must have come as quite the shock to your family. I am sure Mr. Darcy must have had some thoughts on the matter.”

  Caroline could hear the disdain in her sister’s voice and was determined not to let it guide her own actions this time. “I believe that Jane, as well as the Bennets, feel only relief that the events of that day transpired as they did and Mrs. Wickham and her son are both well, Louisa.”

  Jane smiled, “Yes indeed, we were very thankful that both Lydia and her son came through,” she said just as Charles came back to join them.

  “My dear Jane, look whom I have found,” he commented. “Mr. Fitzwilliam has come to the concert this evening, and he has invited us to join him in his private box. Do you have any objection to doing so?”

  Jane looked over at Mr. Fitzwilliam and smiled, “It is very good to see you again, sir,” she said. “It is remarkably kind of you to invite us to join you. I wonder though, are you here alone this evening?”

  Owen nodded his head, “Yes, unfortunately, I am. Both my mother and father were to join me but have decided to remain home this evening, leaving me to come on my own. I have been most keen to hear this performance and did not wish to postpone, so here I am. You would be doing me a great service by joining me this evening.”

  Jane took note of the fact that Mr. Fitzwilliam had glanced over at Caroline several times while speaking with her. “I have no objections to joining you, Mr. Fitzwilliam,” she said. She turned to her sister-in-law and asked. “Caroline, will that be all right with you?”

  Caroline looked up at Mr. Fitzwilliam, “I have no objections to doing so,” she said. She could not help but wonder if he had received her letter. She realized if he had, there would not have been time for him to respond to her in writing before she left for the concert.

  Owen’s smile widened as he bowed his head to her, “Miss Bingley, I am very delighted to see you again,” he commented. “I hope you have been well?”

  Caroline smiled politely, “It is good to see you, Mr. Fitzwilliam,” she commented before she turned to Louisa. “Mr. Fitzwilliam, please allow me to introduce to you my sister; this is Mrs. Louisa Hurst.”

  Owen bowed his head and smiled, “I am delighted to meet you, Mrs. Hurst,” he remarked. “Is Mr. Hurst joining you this evening?”

  Louisa pretended to be disappointed when she answered, “Oh, sadly, he is not. He was planning to join us, but he was feeling unwell at the last moment and had to remain home,” she explained.

  Caroline cleared her throat just a little, “Louisa, Mr. Fitzwilliam is Colonel Fitzwilliam’s older brother. He is Mr. Darcy’s other cousin by way of his aunt and uncle, Lord and Lady Fitzwilliam.”

  Louisa’s eyes opened wider, “Oh yes, of course; I do remember Mr. Darcy mentioning he had two cousins,” she commented. “How very good it is to meet you, Mr. Fitzwilliam. How extraordinary it is that we should have known Mr. Darcy for so long and only just recently become acquainted with you,” she said before turning to her sister. “Is it not extraordinary, Caroline? I wonder where it is you have been hiding, Mr. Fitzwilliam?”

  Before he could respond, Caroline answered for him. “Mr. Fitzwilliam spends time abroad with his mother and father. He is often a way to Scotland to visit family there,” she said.

  Louisa arched her brow,
“Oh Mr. Fitzwilliam, is that where you have been?” she asked him.

  Owen nodded his head, “Yes, Mrs. Hurst, I do spend time in Scotland, but I have never considered it to be hiding away,” he told her as he kept his eyes on Caroline. “I often go there with my mother to visit her family when my father is unable to accompany her. Scotland is very beautiful; the countryside, in particular, has some very magnificent peaks, with grassy hills as far as you can see.”

  “Oh, how very delightful," Louisa enthused. “I believe it must be very nice to be so well traveled. Caroline loves to travel as well, you know.”

  “Is that true, Miss Bingley?” he asked her. “Do you enjoy traveling?”

  Caroline furrowed her brow just a little. She wished she knew if Mr. Fitzwilliam had received her letter or not. She smiled briefly, “I suppose I do not mind traveling,” she told him. “I travel with my brother; however, we have not traveled abroad.”

  “Perhaps one day you shall,” Owen suggested.

  Louisa did not miss the implication, “Yes, perhaps one day you will go to Scotland,” she suggested. “And see just how beautiful it is.”

  Caroline’s eyes opened wider at the boldness in her sister’s suggestion. She blushed just a little from embarrassment. “I wonder, should we make our way to our seats?” she asked, changing the subject. “I believe the concert will be starting soon.”

  Charles nodded his head, “Yes, I believe you are right, Caroline,” he agreed.

  Owen extended his arm to Caroline, “May I have the pleasure of escorting you in, Miss Bingley?” he asked her.

  Caroline placed her hand on his arm, “Thank you, Mr. Fitzwilliam,” she said as they walked into the theater together. Owen reached across and held her hand in place with his other hand. “I have heard this is a very good concert,” he said as he led the way to his private box.

  Once inside, Mr. Fitzwilliam turned to Charles and said, “Please sit here in front with Mrs. Bingley and Mrs. Hurst,” he offered. “I believe you will be able to see better from that vantage point,” he suggested.

  “Where should I sit, Mr. Fitzwilliam?” Caroline asked him. It had not gone unnoticed by her that he still had not let go of her hand on his arm.

  “I was hoping you would not mind sitting back here with me, Miss. Bingley. The seats are a little further back, but since you and I both have the added advantage of being taller than the others, I thought we would do very nice in these seats here,” Owen explained.

  Caroline smiled; she was very tempted to point out to him that both she and Jane were the exact same height, but chose not to. Instead, she responded. “I think that a very wise choice and I have no issue with sitting with you, Mr. Fitzwilliam,” she told him.

  Charles helped Louisa to her seat, followed by Jane. Finally, he sat down himself. He looked around the concert hall and smiled, “I must say, Mr. Fitzwilliam, these are splendid seats,” he told him.

  “I am glad you approve,” Owen commented. He leaned over and whispered so only Caroline could hear, “I hope you approve of them as well, Miss Bingley?” he asked her.

  Caroline smiled, “I think them perfectly situated,” she told him. After a moment of silence, she could not help her curiosity. She knew it would be imprudent to ask, but she had to be sure he received her letter, “May I ask you a question?” she started by saying.

  Owen turned slightly, “Yes, I received your letter,” he responded, knowing what she thought before she asked the question. “And appreciated the sentiment shared very much.”

  She smiled, feeling somewhat relieved. “I am glad to hear it,” she whispered. “Thank you for understanding.”

  Owen cleared his throat just a little, “Not at all, Miss Bingley,” he answered her.

  Caroline found herself wondering how it was possible that he came to be there on the same evening they had decided to come. “How is it that we ran into you again this evening, Mr. Fitzwilliam?” she asked him. “It is rather extraordinary that we keep bumping into each other.”

  He smiled mischievously, “I told you, Miss Bingley; I was planning on attending this evening’s concert with my mother and father, but they both decided at the last moment not to join me after all. Since I have been looking forward to attending this performance for some time now, I saw no reason that I should not come alone.”

  “I do not suppose it was your brother, Colonel Fitzwilliam, that told you how enjoyable the music is, or perhaps, said that we would be attending this evening?” Caroline asked.

  Owen shrugged his shoulders, “He may have made mention something about it,” he told her. “But truly, I was not listening. I was very astonished that we should be here together,” he said, somewhat teasingly.

  “I am sure you were,” she laughed just a little. “Very well, Mr. Fitzwilliam; if you say it is so, I must take you at your word. I suppose it must be providence or some such thing that keeps our paths crossing then,” she teased him.

  Owen’s tone changed just a little as he grew more serious. “Do you believe in providence, Miss Bingley?” he asked her.

  Caroline shrugged her shoulders, “I cannot say,” she told him. “I have never really given it very much consideration. I suppose I think it a rather romantic notion.”

  “And you do not like romantic notions very much, do you, Miss Bingley?” he asked.

  Caroline furrowed her brow, “I am not sure how to respond to that question,” she told him. She looked at him and laughed nervously, “You have a way about you, Mr. Fitzwilliam, of always asking me things that are very disarming. I am not sure if I think your questions to be impertinent or charming.”

  “I hope the latter,” he teased her, then asked. “Now, you must tell me something, Miss Bingley; why did you answer for me when your sister asked about where I have been keeping myself before now?”

  Caroline suddenly felt herself go flush. She had answered for him because she wanted to protect him from having to answer all the questions she was sure Louisa would ask about his late wife. “I suppose I answered that way because it was what you said before, remember? You told me you were in Scotland when Mr. Darcy married.”

  Owen shook his head, “That is not why you answered for me,” he told her.

  Caroline laughed, “Is it not?” she asked.

  “No, it is not,” he said adamantly. “So, tell me the real reason you responded to your sister for me, instead of allowing me to answer for myself,” he asked her again.

  Caroline shrugged her shoulders, “I suppose I did not want you to be bothered with all the questions I thought my sister might ask of you about Emily.”

  Owen considered what she said, “So you were attempting to protect me then?” he asked her.

  “I will only say that my sister while meaning no harm, can be a bit intrusive with her questions at times,” she explained in a hushed voice. “I thought to spare you any unease if she should ask you about Emily and it brings up some difficulty for you.”

  Owen was touched by her words, “So, I was right in saying you were attempting to protect me,” he commented again.

  Caroline realized he was steering the conversation dangerously close to making her admit to some feelings she was still not ready to fully come to terms with. “I suppose as your friend, I was looking out for you,” she said softly.

  As the light dimmed and the orchestra began to play, Owen whispered very near her ear, “Is that all that you feel for me, Miss Bingley? Am I merely a friend?”

  Caroline chose not to respond as he moved away from her. She considered what he said and her responses to him. She thought about her heart, and what it was she did feel for him. She did care for him very much and had grown very fond of him, but was unsure if she could ever truly lower her guard and allow herself to love him the way he deserved to be loved. As the music played on, she found herself feeling more uneasy. Owen had been through so much in his life already; she did not want to bring him any further heartache. She glanced over in his direction several times only to
see him looking back at her. She thought about that first night they met when she stood alone at the dinner party watching Darcy and Elizabeth. She remembered thinking how someday she would like to have someone look at her the way Darcy looked at Elizabeth. Now here she was, faced with the best man she had ever known looking at her in that very same way, but instead of making her happy, she was filled with dread. What if she did give him her heart completely? Could she really trust him not to be careless with it, she wondered?

  As the music came to an end, and the concert drew to a close, Owen reached over and gently took her arm in his. He helped her to her feet and then guided her through the crowds. He leaned over and said softly, “Miss Bingley, I would very much like to ask that you save me the first and last dance of the evening at my cousin’s coming out ball.”

  Caroline furrowed her brow and laughed a little, “That is a very specific request, Mr. Fitzwilliam,” she responded. “Why do you wish me to save the first and the last dance in particular?”