“Have you considered asking Mr. Bingley to allow you to hire back some help? Or at least a cook?”
“I did not need to. He told me at Easter I had free rein to hire household staff as I saw fit, but surely you know there are no cooks to be found in Meryton!”
Angela looked to Katherine, “You should hire Katherine. It is a good job and,” she said turning to Miss Carter, “You know Mr. Bingley. He is a good man.”
Mrs. Butler looked confused. “Katherine, you are very bright. I am sure I can teach you much, but I have no ability to teach something that I myself cannot do.”
Angela cut in, “Katherine’s mother taught me everything I know. She knows all the same recipes I do, she has been helping me in the kitchen at the Thomases, and she needs a new beginning.”
Mrs. Butler stared at Katherine in disbelief, “Is that true?”
Katherine shook her head. “I cannot impose. I do not mean to beg for charity.”
“Can you cook?” Mrs. Butler asked again, sounding quite desperate.
“Yes, but I am sure there are many more qualified…”
“There are not. I have looked. Please, I beg you. Even if just for a year… then I can give you references if you do not like it here, but Katherine, I need you.”
Katherine’s mind opened up to the possibilities this could lead to. With references, she could start a new life in a town where no one knew of her past. She loved to cook, and Mrs. Butler truly seemed to need her. She could be helpful, and she remembered, throwing herself into her work had helped her forget her woes after her father’s passing. “Yes, I will do it.”
∞∞∞
Charles and Darcy sat in the parlor. Both felt nervous at the prospect of what lay before them, but only Charles had the courage to unmask his feelings. “I suppose it can no longer be avoided. If I delay any longer, all hope will be lost.” The doubt and fear of rejection he had been feeling since that night in Pemberley had only grown over time. Every day he told himself he would see her, and every day it became even harder to do.
Darcy had not pushed Bingley to visit Miss Bennet because he was not be sure how Elizabeth would react to his presence. It seemed she was warming up to him in Lambton, but like a fool, he had run off and left her crying. He had been so determined to help the situation, he had failed to help her wounded soul. She could not know why he had left so urgently. Could she forgive him for his behavior?
The gentlemen were not to receive declarations of love, nor any small flirtations, during this afternoon’s visit. Mrs. Bennet took command of the floor while Elizabeth stay focused on her work and Jane snuck shy glances at the visitor causing her to blush the prettiest shade of pink. But they did receive a dinner invitation for Tuesday night, and Darcy provided Bingley with assurances that Miss Bennet’s blush, which followed every occasional glance, should provide him with all the encouragement required.
Having made no mention himself of his admiration for Miss Elizabeth, Darcy received no such assurances and found this initial visit provided him only with anxiety and doubts. His uncertainty regarding her good opinion was heightened after the dinner party on Tuesday. Once again, Miss Bennet’s admiration for Bingley was made obvious to the careful observer, yet Darcy struggled to speak or even approach Miss Elizabeth. When the gentlemen entered the drawing-room, he spotted Elizabeth pouring coffee at a table. But, as if planned, all the other women in the room flocked to her side. He was able to exchange the barest of niceties when he returned to have his cup filled. But the brief interaction ended when she turned away and again entered into the confidence of her female friends.
Darcy had to acknowledge Mrs. Bennet had not improved her opinion of him in the slightest. Clearly, Miss Elizabeth had not been singing his praises. He was beginning to question if he had misjudged their encounter at Derbyshire. Perhaps she had not warmed to him at all and it was merely wishful thinking and folly that led him to believe otherwise. He needed to get away and think. He had done as his friend had asked. He had observed Miss Bennet and had confirmed that her heart seemed unchanged. Now he could return to London where he could objectively consider their encounters at Pemberley without being so near her as to become distracted.
Darcy had only been in London for three days when he happened to encounter the Gardiners playing with their four children in Hyde Park. Both parties were very surprised but undeniably pleased by the unexpected encounter.
“If you are not otherwise engaged,” Mrs. Gardiner asked, “Would you do us the honor of joining us for dinner, Mr. Darcy? I have long been hoping to reciprocate the generous hospitality you showed us during our recent visit to Lambton.”
“I could not think of a lovelier way to spend an evening,” he replied.
And so, dinner was set for seven, and as always, Darcy arrived with the precision of an Emery pocket watch. Mrs. Gardiner’s table could not be rivaled: the duck was roasted to perfection, the glaze of the bacon wrapped asparagus like none he had ever tasted, and the fruit with syllabub was divine. The conversation was light and of no importance until Mrs. Gardiner brought up a letter she had received that very day.
“Mr. Darcy, I received a letter today that suggests Mr. Bingley has left Pemberley and returned to his estate in Hertfordshire.”
“Indeed, he did. I myself accompanied him until three days ago.”
“Then you must have heard of his engagement to my niece, Jane?”
Mr. Darcy was not surprised at the news but was taken aback to discover Mrs. Gardiner had already received word. “Actually, this engagement must have occurred after my departure.”
“Oh dear. I apologize. I do hope I did not speak out of turn. I just received a letter today from Mrs. Bennet. I assumed that meant the engagement must have come about last week.”
Mr. Gardiner chuckled. “You have been married to me for more than ten years, my dear, and you still do not know my sister.” Internally, he congratulated himself for being such a good and kind husband to have shielded his wife so well. “I imagine she sent that letter express within an hour of hearing the news herself.”
Mrs. Gardiner’s guilt was clearly displayed, so Darcy hurriedly assured her, “I am very pleased at hearing the news and not at all surprised. My friend has long hoped for this happy course of events, and I am sure they will bring each other much happiness.”
“Did you happen to visit Longbourn yourself during your stay, Mr. Darcy?” Mrs. Gardiner asked casting a knowing look at her husband.
“I did. Your sister sets an excellent table.”
“I do hope she was not too overbearing,” Mr. Gardiner offered, “My sister takes great delight in matchmaking. Oh, how she made me cringe when I was a teenager.”
Mr. Darcy blushed slightly. “I believe her efforts in that area were focused on Mr. Bingley. I escaped unscathed.” Darcy could not help but notice the look of surprise that passed between husband and wife, and he felt some small encouragement. He hoped they too had noticed a spark between Elizabeth and himself during their visit to Pemberley. But Mr. Gardiner was very different from his sister, and Darcy would receive no further information on this topic that evening.
Chapter 33
Bang. Bang. Bang. Charlotte nearly jumped out of her seat. The sound of a fist hitting her front door could scarcely be described as a knock. Bang. Bang. Bang. She hurried to answer the impatient visitor. Bang. Bang…
Charlotte threw open the door. “Lady Catherine. What a pleasant surprise.” Not even the best trained ear could pick up on the sarcasm Charlotte felt. She had become exceptionally well trained at hiding her internal thoughts.
“What is this?” Lady Catherine demanded to know. She was waving a piece of paper frantically.
“It appears to be a piece of paper,” Charlotte offered.
Lady Catherine huffed and pushed her way into the house. “Collins! Mr. Collins?” she yelled.
Mr. Collins came stumbling down the stairs. He buttoned his waistcoat as he hurried to meet his patron. He could n
ot say what was wrong, but he knew by the tone that whatever it was, it must be important.
As soon as Mr. Collins feet were visible from Lady Catherine’s vantage point in the foyer, she spoke, “Mr. Collins, I have just received a letter from Mrs. Annesley. It seems your cousin has seduced my nephew. Now he wishes to marry her! What have you to say?”
Mr. Collins was speechless. The last thing he had heard about his cousins was that Miss Lydia had caused a scandal by eloping with an officer, and Miss Bennet was engaged to Mr. Bingley. “Mr. Bingley is your nephew?” he asked, trying to make sense of what Lady Catherine was getting at.
“No! Stop being ridiculous! I have received news that my nephew, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, has either asked or intends to ask that terrible little impertinent cousin of yours for her hand. Which is it?”
“Do you mean Miss Elizabeth?” Collins asked still trying to piece together what was happening.
“Yes! Now which is it? Has he proposed or has he not?”
The look on Mr. Collins face made it entirely clear he had no useful knowledge on this topic. Come to think of it, he really had no useful knowledge on any topic. Lady Catherine stormed out of the rectory. If she wanted answers, she was going to need to go to the source.
As soon as she left, Mr. Collins went to his desk. He needed to send a letter off to Longbourn.
∞∞∞
Lady Catherine looked out the window as her coach slowed. She was horrified. Perhaps she had misremembered the name of the estate. Why the home in front of her was more of an oversized cottage than an estate. Surely no woman who interested her nephew could live here. She spotted a servant girl walking down the lane leading away from the home. She rolled down her window. “You there! Can you tell me if this is the home of Miss Elizabeth Bennet?”
Mary Bennet looked at the lady inside the coach. She seemed entirely out of place. The woman was dressed as if she should have been half her age and was heading to a ball. Her dress was made from a lovely silk and had the most striking embroidery on it. One could not find fault in the quality or cut of the dress, but just the same, one might struggle to formulate a compliment if looking at the ensemble on its current model. By far the most breathtaking feature of her attire was the jeweled broach. Again, it was impressive and undeniably expensive, but it was not entirely appropriate.
“Yes,” Mary replied. “You have reached Longbourn. Miss Elizabeth does live here.”
“Well, go fetch her then!” Lady Catherine
Mary stood in stunned silence. Before responding to this overdressed stranger, she first directed her comments to the footman who rode adjacent to the driver. “Perhaps you can be so kind as to open this lady’s door, so she might join me and my sisters indoors.” Mary then turned her attention to Lady Catherine and said, “Welcome to Longbourn. My family is in the dining room. If you would allow me, I will escort you there.” Mary thought, I must strive to be polite for God loves a cheerful giver.
Lady Catherine’s visit was brief and very unrewarding. Miss Elizabeth Bennet was even more insolent than she remembered. It was of some value to learn that no engagement existed, but this was hardly sufficient consolation to quiet the anger she felt. That infuriating girl would not agree to refrain from accepting any such offer in the future! If she refused to see reason, she would appeal to her nephew.
∞∞∞
“Aunt Catherine?” Darcy blinked to confirm he was not asleep. He had been sitting, or rather lounging, on an exceptionally plush couch in his library. He had unknowingly fallen asleep on this piece of furniture before, and his aunt’s arrival was unexpected and unannounced.
“I am vexed at you, Darcy. You have forced me to ride all the way to London. I do not know what tomfoolery you have been up to, but wild rumors about you abound. That obstinate Miss Elizabeth Bennet refuses to settle the matter once and for all, so I now find myself here.” She tapped her cane sharply on the ground to make sure she had his full attention. “Confirm for me that you have no intention and will never consider proposing to the terrible little country…” Lady Catherine’s face grew red as she considered a few choice words.
Before she could complete her sentence, Darcy asked, “Do you mean Miss Elizabeth?”
Lady Catherine lifted her chin to answer his question in the affirmative. She waited for her nephew’s assurances and apologies.
Instead, he continued asking questions, “Do you mean to say you have been to Longbourn and spoken to Elizabeth Bennet?”
“I have already explained this. Of course, I have! But that is unimportant. Just tell me these ridiculous rumors are vicious lies, and I will be on my way.”
“When you spoke to Miss Elizabeth, you say she refused to settle the matter. What precisely do you mean? What exactly did she say?”
Lady Catherine sighed. It had been a very long day, and she had made a simple request. She could not see why he was insisting on dragging this conversation out. “I indulge you too much, Darcy. She first refused to promise me she would never enter into such an engagement with you. She then insisted she would ignore duty, honor, and gratitude acting only in a manner that would bring her most happiness! Even if there were a shred of truth in these rumors, even if you felt the smallest of interest in the girl, surely this type of abhorrent behavior would be sufficient to demonstrate why you could never consider marrying her.”
Darcy looked at his pocket watch. He had just enough time to get to Netherfield before nightfall. “Aunt Catherine, I just realized there is somewhere I must be. I do not wish to cut this discussion short, but this cannot wait.” He strode out the door, completely unaware that his aunt continued to call out to him in a tone bordering a yell.
Chapter 34
The next morning, Bingley descended the stairs of Netherfield to discover his good friend pacing the halls in a frantic manner. “Trouble sleeping, Darcy?”
“To have trouble sleeping one must first seek sleep. I neither wished nor tried to sleep.” Bingley shrugged and walked toward the breakfast parlor. He had been so delighted with Mrs. Carter’s dishes. Every day she presented new creations that seemed even more delicious than the last. He had fallen asleep anticipating this morning’s meal and now it was time. “Bingley? Where are you going?”
Bingley blinked. Was it not obvious? “To the breakfast parlor, of course.”
“Have you not wasted enough of the morning?” Darcy asked sharply.
Bingley withdrew his pocket watch and examined it. “It is not yet noon!”
Darcy called for David who promptly returned with both men’s long coats. Darcy took both and walked over handing one to Bingley. The movement left Bingley no doubt that this morning he would need to forgo Mrs. Carter’s masterpiece. Still, he felt he must make one final attempt. “Do you not need time to assemble your thoughts?”
“Bingley, I have been pondering how to improve this proposal since Easter, I hardly need more time.”
Bingley’s eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open. “Do you mean to say this will not be your first proposal to Miss Elizabeth?”
Darcy rolled his eyes and asked, “When did you find out?”
“What do you mean?”
“Come Bingley, you are perhaps the least convincing actor I have ever seen. When did you find out that I proposed at Rosings Park?”
Bingley said sheepishly, “Jane accidentally informed me last week. But I was sworn to secrecy, and she was mortified to have let it slip.”
“It is of no matter. Soon the world shall know I wish to spend the rest of my life with her.”
Bingley raised an eyebrow. He was surprised by his friend’s bravado. Once he had experienced defeat, Darcy was not one to assume the next attempt would yield success. But he wisely said nothing, put on his coat, and joined his friend on the walk to the stables.
When the gentlemen arrived at Longbourn, Bingley immediately suggested a stroll. The idea was widely accepted, but when their party passed by Lucas Lodge, Jane took note that Kitty left the part
y to seek the company of Maria Lucas. “Oh, dear. Charles, do you think we should join Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth? I am sure it must be awkward for both being forced into each other’s company without Kitty present.”
“I think it best we give them some privacy.”
“But you recall what transpired when they were last left alone, do you not?”
Bingley looked hard at Jane. “If I tell you something, can you promise to keep it secret?” Jane nodded. “And if you are later to hear the news from another source, will you be able to convince the source that you are surprised? Even if the person you are acting for knows you as well as you know yourself?”
Jane smiled. “Yes, I think so.” Jane knew perfectly well she could easily hide such things for she had done so from Lizzy on numerous occasions. But if she were to spend a lifetime with Charles Bingley, it would be better if she did not admit to her complete mastery of this skill.
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