Miss Bingley Requests

  When she fell asleep, though, it was not Mr Darcy who entered her dreams and quickened her pulse.

  * * *

  On New Year’s Day, Caroline received a call and an invitation from Eleanor, who was planning a grand ball for the evening of January 7th. Many of the finest entertainers would be there: Bettina Squires, a much admired soprano; Daniel Scott Allen, a famous pianist, and because Eleanor was Eleanor, and so her parties always had to be slightly risqué so as to be spoken of with envy by those who had not been invited, a troupe of jugglers and acrobats who were known as much for the living sculptures they made with their bodies as for their ability to juggle with flaming torches.

  ‘Why did you select January 7th?’ Caroline asked her friend. ‘Why not have such a ball on New Year’s Eve?’ She felt somewhat put out, for her family’s New Year’s celebration, held at the Hurst’s home, had involved too much food and too much time spent playing cards. Caroline had not heard a single word from Eleanor during the week between Christmas and New Year, and was certain that her friend had been running from party to entertainment, from dinner to breakfast served at an event that involved people dancing all night. ‘Were you,’ she continued, ‘too busy with all your other invitations to have this ball on New Year’s Eve?’

  Eleanor waved a hand vaguely. ‘And why should the eve of January 1st get all the attention? Consider the feelings of all the other dates. How left out they must feel!’

  She laughed and Caroline, still vexed but unable to resist Eleanor when she was at her most charming, smiled in turn. She couldn’t resist repeating her last question. ‘How did you spend New Year’s Eve?’

  Eleanor looked away for a moment, so that the light streaming in the window to one side cast her face in shadow. ‘Oh, it was very dull. I was out of town, if you must know.’ She turned back to Caroline and stuck her lower lip out in a pout. ‘But why speak of a time already past, when it is so much more amusing to discuss what is yet to happen!’ She clapped her hands. ‘Let me tell you about my ball!’

  For a while she regaled Caroline with details of the food her cook would prepare, the musicians she’d hired for the dancing, the décor and lighting she planned to use to create the proper atmosphere, and the people who would be in attendance.

  Despite her bad mood, Caroline was impressed. ‘You have surpassed yourself, dear friend. It will be a most delightful ball.’

  Eleanor smiled, clearly pleased with herself. ‘There is only one thing required for it to be the perfect event.’

  ‘What might that be?’ Caroline was genuinely curious, for she could not think of a single detail that Eleanor had not already perfected.

  ‘It lies in your power, my dear.’ Eleanor took both Caroline’s hands in hers.

  ‘Anything,’ Caroline said. ‘You know that I would do anything for you, because you have given me so much with no thought of recompense.’

  ‘What nonsense you speak,’ Eleanor said lightly. ‘You are my friend, it pleases me to please you. I ask nothing more, and wonder now if I should feel insulted that you would even mention such a thing.’

  She made as if to withdraw her hands from Caroline’s, but the latter immediately tightened her grip and said, ‘Please, you must know me well enough to understand I meant no offence. None at all!’

  Eleanor relaxed her hands. ‘Of course. You are such a sweet creature you could never intend harm to anyone. I was merely having a little joke with you.’

  Caroline laughed, as if enjoying the joke, although she still did not understand what had just happened. ‘Please. Tell me what it is I can do for you.’

  ‘For me?’ Eleanor laughed. ‘No, it is for the ball, so that everyone present may secure even greater enjoyment. What I wish is a mere trifle.’

  She paused, and Caroline leaned closer, awaiting the knowledge she required to make her friend happy.

  ‘A trifle,’ Eleanor said again, looking away from Caroline. ‘As you can see, the invitation includes everyone of your family, and Mr and Miss Darcy as well. It would make me very happy if you could persuade the Darcys to attend.’

  ‘Both of them?’ Caroline struggled to hide her surprise. Since returning to town, Mr Darcy had attended only two of Eleanor’s entertainments, and those, he’d said, he’d gone to only because he wished to meet the guest of honour. Caroline had been surprised at that, as the guests he’d been interested in had been an elderly violinist who barely had the strength to hold up his instrument, and the author of one of the books Mr Darcy enjoyed. Caroline had picked it up after that engagement, but found nothing of interest, so it was a mystery to her why Mr Darcy not only wanted to meet the writer, but had spent much of the evening in conversation with him.

  Despite his interest in some of Eleanor’s guests, he had refused Georgiana’s requests to accompany him to Eleanor’s house, so that she too, might meet these people who so impressed her brother.

  ‘I am afraid,’ Caroline said haltingly, ‘Mr Darcy is of the opinion that his sister is yet too young to go out much into society.’

  Eleanor stood up, her back rigid. ‘Is this how little you care for me, that you cannot perform this one little favour?’ She turned to face Caroline, who was alarmed to see her friend’s eyes fill with tears. ‘Have I asked so much of you in the past that you are weary of my demands?’

  ‘No!’ Caroline shot to her feet and attempted to put her arms around Eleanor. ‘You have asked nothing, nothing of me. I would do anything for you, you must know that.’

  Eleanor pulled away from the embrace. ‘And yet, despite your pretty words, you refuse me the one thing I ask.’

  ‘I will do it,’ Caroline said desperately. ‘I will explain to Mr Darcy that your ball will be the epitome of propriety, that his sister will be exposed to nothing that could upset her.’

  Eleanor seized Caroline’s hands and danced her around in a circle. ‘Oh, I knew your affection for me was true. I knew I could trust you. How dear a friend you are!’

  Caroline smiled, and allowed herself to be pulled into Eleanor’s arms. Even as she relaxed into the warmth of her friend, she wondered how on earth she could convince Mr Darcy that it would be appropriate for Georgiana to attend this ball. He had, after all, been at some of Eleanor’s other parties and while their unexpectedness and different sort of entertainments were much of the appeal to Caroline and Eleanor’s other friends, she could see why Mr Darcy would disapprove of men who were accompanied by their mistresses, and of some of what went on in the darker corners of the rooms.

  She squared her shoulders; she would find a way. In fact, Eleanor’s making this request was fortuitous, for it would allow Caroline an opportunity to practise showing her love to Mr Darcy. She hugged Eleanor more tightly, and smiled. Killing two birds with one stone was always an efficient use of one’s time.

  * * *

  Three days after Eleanor had made her request, Caroline’s continuing attention to the post paid off. Among the usual pile of envelopes delivered to the Hursts’ house was one whose address had been written by a familiar hand: Jane’s.

  Once she’d reached the privacy of her own chamber, Caroline began to read.

  ‘My dear friend,

  Words cannot express how lonely we are without your presence nearby. The holidays have passed happily enough, though, for our relatives, the Gardiners, who live in town, were here to raise our spirits. I trust that you and your family also spent a merry Christmas, surrounded by the lights and gaiety of town.

  Oh! I have just reread what I wrote, and I see that the above could be taken to insinuate that I am jealous of you, or petulant that you have left us. This is not at all what I meant, but instead of wasting this paper and ink, I shall merely explain that I wish for nothing more than your happiness. I am glad that you are in the place where you are happiest.

  I do have a specific reason for writing, one that I hope will increase your happiness as I know it will increase my own. We can soon be reunited, for my Aunt and Uncle Gardiner invited me to acc
ompany them to their home on Gracechurch Street, and there I shall reside for some weeks. I so look forward to seeing you, dear friend.’

  The letter rambled on for several more lines, something about Charlotte Lucas’s wedding to Mr Collins. This last would likely have afforded Caroline much amusement, but her mind swirled with a medley of fears.

  Jane, in town! Once she was here, she was likely to expect a call from Caroline, and to make calls here to Grosvenor Street. More than that, she would expect that Caroline would pass on the news of her presence in the city to Charles.

  Caroline went to her dressing table and checked her appearance, and was relieved to see that she had suffered no obvious effects from the shock of that letter. Turning her face from side to side, she decided she looked very well indeed. Well enough to speak to Mr Darcy. The letter had arrived at the right time, in a sense, for she had had no opportunity to show her affection to Mr Darcy or to convince him to attend Eleanor’s party with Georgiana. He and Charles had been otherwise engaged ever since Eleanor’s visit, away on business during the day, meeting friends at their club during the evenings. Tonight, however, everyone was to gather at Grosvenor Street. Tonight, she could put her plan into motion.

  * * *

  ‘Mr Darcy,’ Caroline said to Louisa the next evening, as they left the gentlemen, ‘will discover that no woman can make him as good a wife as I. If he doesn’t propose, it will be due to his own stupidity, for it certainly won’t occur because of any lack of effort on my part.’

  Louisa, overseeing the servant who had just wheeled in the tea cart, said, ‘And he is not a stupid man.’

  ‘No.’ Caroline arranged herself so as to present the perfect image to anyone entering the drawing room. She chose a settee set at an angle to the door, and sat at a slight angle on the cushions, to best present her elegant posture. Beside her, her gown was artfully arranged to cover much of the settee, so that another person wishing to join her on it would be forced to sit in the smaller area at its other end.

  ‘You did obtain Mr Hurst’s cooperation?’ she asked Louisa, who was still fiddling with the tea things.

  ‘There is no need to worry, Caroline, all will ensue as you planned.’

  Caroline looked about the room, moving her head carefully so as to not ruin so much as a single carefully arranged curl on her head. She and Louisa had had several of the chairs removed, while others were arranged around the table for cards. Caroline and Louisa had decided that the game would be played by the two Hursts, Charles, and Georgiana, leaving Mr Darcy with nowhere to sit other than on the settee with Caroline. Mr Hurst was not a gentleman skilled in keeping secrets, but his participation had been necessary for the plan to succeed. And if Mr Darcy did learn at some point in the future of how much effort Caroline had exerted on his behalf, surely he would be flattered. Perhaps she could even tell him herself, sometime, with great humour, of course, but also showing him how much she loved him.

  Her exertions had begun when he and Georgiana had first arrived at Grosvenor Street, earlier that day. Caroline herself had personally taken Mr Darcy’s coat and hat. True, this had involved something of a tug of war, because he expected the servants to take his things, but she prevailed in the end.

  Then, over dinner, where of course she sat next to him, she had entertained him with tales of what she had learned about ongoing life in Hertfordshire, and speculations about the Collins’ marriage and the possible offspring who might result from such a union. She could tell he appreciated her wit and incisive views of the lives of those people they’d known but, thankfully, no longer had to see socially.

  She had refrained from mentioning any of the Bennets, not wanting to upset Charles, even though she knew he had completely recovered from his foolish infatuation. And there was no reason to mention Miss Elizabeth, not when the other inhabitants of the area provided such fodder for amusement.

  She had also ensured that Mr Darcy received the fullest bowl of soup, the very choicest cut of lamb, the freshest-looking boiled potatoes. At one point, as the footman lifted a slice of fish, Caroline had been forced to ‘accidentally’ bump his elbow, so that the slice fell to the floor, and she herself pointed out the one she thought suitable for Mr Darcy. The footman apologised profusely, and Caroline knew Mr Darcy had been impressed by how graciously she accepted his apology.

  Now, as she completed her preparations for when he entered the room, she felt confident her pleas to allow Georgiana to accompany them when they went to Eleanor’s soirée would succeed. Surely, now that he realised how much she could do for him, he would grant her this small favour. Plus, her efforts to show him how much she had to offer had only just begun.

  Georgiana, who had gone to the retiring room a few minutes earlier, returned to the drawing room. She approached Caroline, clearly intending to join her on the settee, as there was nowhere else to sit, but Louisa quickly requested her help in setting out the tea things and so the space beside Caroline remained empty.

  By the time the gentlemen finally appeared, Caroline had readjusted every fold in her gown several times, and her neck hurt from holding her head at the angle she and Louisa had decided, that morning, provided the most advantageous view of her features from the room’s door.

  All for naught, as it turned out, for as he entered, Mr Darcy was looking back over his shoulder, laughing at something Charles, who was just behind him, had said. Fortunately, Mr Hurst played his role to perfection, moving straight to the card table, and calling to Charles and Georgiana to join him.

  Caroline quickly snatched up a book she had brought just for this moment, and so her head was bent studiously when Mr Darcy, after spending some moments walking about the room, presumably looking for somewhere to sit, joined her on the settee.

  It took a little effort for him to sit without messing up her gown, but he did accomplish this feat, something observed by Caroline out of the side of her eyes as she continued to look at her book. After some moments of silence, Caroline put down the book, closed her eyes and sighed, as if in rapture from what she’d just read.

  Opening them, she said with surprise, ‘Why, Mr Darcy! I had not realised the gentlemen had joined us. As I’m sure you know, reading can be so involving that one does not notice a single thing going on in the room where one sits. Why, it’s a good thing there hasn’t been a flood, for I’m sure I would not have noticed until the water was up to my neck!’

  He regarded her for a moment. ‘I do indeed know how easy it is to lose oneself in a book.’ He took one out of his pocket and opened it.

  ‘Georgiana,’ Caroline said, ‘also loves to read, does she not?’

  ‘She does.’

  ‘I am so pleased to hear that.’ Caroline shifted slightly on the settee, moving back from the front edge, on which she’d been perched, and also closer to Mr Darcy. ‘One can learn so much from books.’

  Mr Darcy shifted, also, possibly trying to move away from her so as not to crowd her, a gentlemanly thing to do. His efforts were unsuccessful, as Caroline knew they would be, for directly on his other side was the settee’s arm. She smiled. Her plans had been perfectly designed.

  He apparently took her smile to mean she was happy about the educational value of books, for he said, ‘I was not aware that you were so interested in the improvement of Georgiana’s mind.’

  Good. He is becoming more and more aware of my qualities. ‘I adore Georgiana. Why, I have long thought of her as my own sister.’

  He raised a brow. ‘Indeed.’ He turned his attention to his book.

  ‘While books are of inestimable value,’ she said quickly, ‘no education can be complete without experiencing the world.’

  He turned again to face her. ‘I agree.’

  ‘And yet,’ Caroline said, and was unable to keep a slight tremor out of her voice. Now came the most difficult part of her plan. ‘Georgiana has been very much sheltered.’ She held up a hand as Mr Darcy began to speak. ‘I understand why, of course I do. She is yet very young, and
she has required time to learn and practice the womanly arts.’

  He again started to say something, and she rushed on. ‘Her musical education alone has taken much of her time, for I know how conscientious she has been about her piano practice. And the time has truly been well spent, for she is a most accomplished young lady.’

  His book now lay forgotten on his lap. Truly, she thought, his eyes are now fully opened.

  ‘She is,’ he said slowly. ‘And I am well aware of your admiration and affection for her. I am glad of it, for lacking the presence of a mother, and having no sister of her own, her relationships with women are a great comfort to me.’

  ‘Dear Mr Darcy,’ she said daringly, laying a hand on his sleeve. ‘You have been both brother and father to her. And she is a glowing testament to your efforts on her behalf.’

  He flicked his eyes down to where her hand rested, most of it on his cuff, but her little finger rested against the skin on the back of his hand. Just think, she wanted to say, what a wonderful father you will be to our children. Something like that, though, no one in her right mind would dare to say. Well, maybe Eleanor, who seemed to thrive on being outrageous. But while she could be excused, and even admired for her audacity, Caroline had to be more circumspect.

  ‘I was thinking,’ Caroline said carelessly, as if what she thought did not matter in the slightest, ‘that she might benefit from joining me at Lady Amesbury’s evening of entertainment.’

  ‘Certainly not,’ he said, so quickly it was as if he had known what she was about to say and had begun his protest before she finished speaking.

  ‘Please hear me out,’ she said, thinking that if Elizabeth Bennet could dare to contradict him, she certainly could. ‘There will be two musicians of the finest quality present. Just think of how much she would love to listen to a musician who is even more accomplished than her piano teacher. And the soprano—perhaps Miss Darcy will be inspired to learn to sing. I am certain she would have a lovely singing voice.’