A Hasty Decision

by Wynne Mabry

  “You cannot be certain of that, Lizzy.”

  “I can. I have my reasons. You must not ask me to explain them, but I know that I cannot marry anybody else.”

  In her distress, she did not pay much attention to her choice of words, but Jane understood that this meant her sister was in love with somebody whom she could not marry. Colonel Fitzwilliam immediately came to mind. She had seen how well he and Elizabeth got along, and she was aware that his finances were insufficient for him to marry without regard for fortune. It was an unfortunate situation, and she could only hope that he might find some position which would eventually make the match affordable.

  “I shall not ask you,” she said, “but perhaps we can hope that the situation will eventually resolve itself.”

  This only caused her sister to cry more, so she said nothing else. She did not even mention her suspicions to her husband later. They were very open with each other, but Jane did not want him to be disappointed in the colonel for thinking only of money. He had never known what it was like to be concerned about finances, so he might not make sufficient allowances, and they were such good friends that she wanted nothing to come between them.

  Mr. Bingley did not require much explanation anyway. He was sorry that Elizabeth had rejected such an agreeable man, but this proved to him that he had been right to let her know that she was always welcome in his home no matter what.

  A Line is Crossed

  The next time that Elizabeth and Colonel Bryce met in company, there was a little hesitation on each side, but their friendship withstood the test. Nobody observing their interaction could have guessed that there was any awkwardness between them. When she and the Bingleys dined with Mr. Darcy the evening before going away to spend a couple of weeks at Netherfield, he was still under the impression that she would soon be engaged.

  Although he felt some pain at the prospect of her upcoming marriage, he also saw it as a good thing. Aside from valuing her happiness, he anticipated that her wedding would help him to put all his feelings to rest.

  He and Anne were soon to go away as well, and he was thinking that this must be the time to decide what was to happen with his marriage. The matter of the annulment must be settled one way or another, and very soon. There could be no more prevarication. He was either going to end his marriage or determine if it could be improved. He was dubious about that, but he intended to have a conversation with Anne about trying to begin anew after they returned from spending Easter at Rosings.

  He might suggest some things they could do together, and perhaps he could encourage her to take up other pursuits in addition to drawing. She did seem to like that activity, and not just because her teacher was a great gossip. Perhaps she would like to try music next. That might provide an opportunity for her relationship with Georgiana to be improved as well. A common interest might bring them a little closer.

  It would be nice if she could spend much less time with Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst, but that was even more unlikely to happen than the improbable notions that he was allowing himself to entertain. Unfortunately, she valued their company too well.

  These ideas were clearly unrealistic, but something had to be done. If it was not an amicable arrangement, then perhaps it would have to be a laying down of the law. He did not want to be that sort of husband, but he did not want a miserable household either.

  Anticipating that a difficult time was ahead, Mr. Darcy felt particularly sad while seeing his friends off the next morning. Even though it was only for a couple of weeks, he was going to miss their cheerful company, which had greatly helped him to keep up his spirits in the past months.

  He had been invited to join them at Netherfield, and it had been very tempting to accept, but he had decided that it was better to go with his wife to Rosings. Not wanting his sister to suffer with him though, he had given his consent for her to go away with the Bingleys, so he was now waving goodbye to Georgiana and Mrs. Annesley as well.

  His own bags were packed and waiting by the door, next to Anne’s and Mrs. Jenkinson’s luggage. He had left them still eating breakfast, and now he went to see if they were finished.

  Anne was alone in the room and half-heartedly picking at a little food left on her plate. She looked up and said, “I hope you will not regret sending Georgiana away to be with such disreputable people. You will only have yourself to blame if she decides to copy Lydia Wickham’s example and run away with some penniless ne’er-do-well.”

  This struck uncomfortably close to home, but Mr. Darcy was able to say with confidence, “Georgiana would not copy such an example. Anyway, Mrs. Wickham is not even in Hertfordshire.”

  “Her sisters are, and they will be just the same. I would not put it past Miss Bennet to encourage Georgiana in an elopement, and then you will see how wrong you were about her.”

  “I am sure I will not. Her sister’s unfortunate choices are no reflection on her character.”

  “They were raised by the same parents. No doubt they are more alike than you realise.”

  “They are nothing alike. I know Miss Bennet well enough to be confident of that.”

  “I am beginning to wonder exactly how well you know her. You seem to have an excessively good opinion of her. You always jump to her defence very quickly, and the two of you spend a great deal of time together. Could it be that you have formed an illicit connection with her?”

  “Of course I have not,” he said angrily. “She is not the sort of person to participate in such an arrangement, and neither am I.”

  “I think you give her too much credit. I am sure she has the same lack of morals as her sister.”

  “You are quite wrong about that, and you have no reason to malign your husband either. You ought to understand my principles better. I would never take a mistress.”

  “Such a vulgar word,” she cried. “I do not want to hear it spoken in my home.”

  “You are the one who raised a vulgar subject. And I do not think there is much difference between saying mistress or illicit connection.”

  “There is a great deal of difference. One can be used if necessary, and the other should never be spoken in polite company.”

  “Then how is it that you even know the word?”

  She did not answer this.

  “To be completely clear,” he said, “I have no mistress, nor any intention of taking one, but even if I did, I would never insult Miss Bennet by offering her the position. Nor is there the slightest possibility that she would accept such an offer.”

  “I would not be so certain of that. When you consider her sister’s behaviour –”

  “That is enough,” Mr. Darcy shouted, forgetting all about trying to control his temper. This time, she had gone too far. “I will not allow you to say another word against Miss Bennet.”

  “There you go defending her again.”

  “I defend her because you make it necessary. Your suspicions are ridiculous and entirely unjustified.”

  “Caroline thinks they are justified. She told me that you always had a great admiration for Miss Bennet.”

  “I have never denied it. I recall having honestly told you that I admired her spirit.”

  “And also her eyes. And her beauty. You did not tell me that.”

  “It was not of any relevance, but as you insist upon it, then yes, I have also admired Miss Bennet’s beauty. That does not mean that I am having an affair with her though. If that is what Caroline Bingley believes, she has never been more wrong about anything. I have told you the truth, which should be plain to you anyway. How on earth would I have had this supposed affair? Every time I see Miss Bennet, it is in company with others.”

  “You could have arranged other meetings with her. Gentlemen always find ways to do what they want.”

  “I have not arranged any such meetings.”

  “I only have your word for it, and men cannot be counted upon to tell the truth.”

  “Apparently, you have a very low opinion of men in general, and
of me in particular. I am telling the truth, and I have had quite enough of your accusations and insults,” he cried. “You have crossed a line today. I will hear no more of this. Are you ready to leave for Rosings?”

  “We shall be in a moment. Mrs. Jenkinson has just gone to fetch our cloaks and blankets.”

  “Excellent. As soon as she returns, come straight out to the carriage. I am going to speak with the coachman.”

  He went back out front just in time to give new instructions about the luggage, which was about to be loaded. Everything was secure by the time that Anne and Mrs. Jenkinson appeared. He handed them into the carriage and then said to his wife, “I hope you have a good journey. While you are away, I recommend that you spend some time considering whether you really want our marriage to go on in such a dreadful way. If you were to come back with the resolution of making a fresh start on our relationship, I would be quite willing to forget the past and join you in that effort.”

  “What do you mean?” Anne cried. “Are you not coming with us?”

  “No, I am not. I do not wish to be in such disagreeable company.”

  “But what will mother think?”

  “I do not care,” he said, shutting the door and waving the carriage off.

  An Ultimatum Is Delivered

  Mr. Darcy thought about going to Netherfield, but it would be awkward to explain his sudden change of mind. Besides, he thought it better not to keep seeking Elizabeth’s company. It was wrong of him to indulge that preference, and it would add fuel to the fire. A nice, quiet couple of weeks at home would suit him very well. He had lately been neglecting his books in favour of good company. Although that was not really a bad thing, he did want to do some reading.

  After giving instructions for his bags to be unpacked, he went out to purchase some new books. That was an excellent way to settle his mind after such an unpleasant scene. Thank goodness Mrs. Jenkinson had not been present during that argument. She would have nodded in agreement with Anne, as she always did, and glared at him with the firm conviction that he really was an adulterer.

  That argument had been overheard by a servant though. She had been about to enter the room when the raised voices had stopped her. Curiosity being an irresistible temptation, she had remained at the door, listening with as much affront as Mr. Darcy had felt. As the sharing of information was also hard to resist, she told another maid the story right after he had gone out.

  “Imagine thinking that the master would do something so dreadful,” the other maid said indignantly. “He is not that sort of man. There’s many a depraved gentleman in the world, but our Mr. Darcy is not one of them.”

  “The missus is a spiteful woman though. She likes to think badly of everybody except her nasty friends. It is dreadful how she carries on about Miss Elizabeth, and with her being such a nice person. Always thanks me if I open the door to her or take her cloak.”

  “Oh, she is ever so polite. And very respectable. There is no way she would be anybody’s mistress. It is ridiculous.”

  “I would bet Miss Bingley put the idea in Mrs. Darcy’s head. You can see that she does not like Miss Elizabeth either.”

  “She is a troublemaker if ever I saw one. Peas in a pod, her and the missus.”

  “You can see she has a fancy for Mr. Darcy too. If anybody would like to be his mistress, I think she would.”

  “Do you really think?” The maid looked at her fellow servant with great interest.

  “Oh, I do. Before he was married, she used to look at him in such a way. It was obvious that she wanted to be his wife.”

  “She would not have appreciated him any more than the missus does.”

  “No, it was probably just his money she liked. And his fancy relatives.”

  “Mrs. Darcy does not seem to like anything about him. She has no idea how lucky she is to have such a good man.”

  “She is too busy moaning and complaining to have any idea of anything.”

  “I would have liked to see her face when he refused to go with her.”

  “That was the best bit of sense he’s had in a long while.”

  Unaware of this approval of his decision, Mr. Darcy was finding comfort in choosing his reading material. He returned home with a large stack of books that would hopefully help him to push his troubles to the back of his mind for the moment, although they would have to be faced when Anne returned. The rest of the day passed very pleasantly.

  The next morning, he was happily settled into his favourite chair with a new volume when his peace was interrupted by a loud and very unwelcome voice. Sighing, Mr. Darcy put down his book and prepared himself for an onslaught. In a moment, his aunt burst into the room and slammed the door shut.

  He doubted that a closed door would afford much privacy. is aunt’s voice was not exactly quiet. Still, his servants must already have overheard plenty in the past year. It was rather late to be worrying about privacy anyway.

  “I know it all,” Lady Catherine said in accusative tone. “Anne has told me about your mistress. I was shocked to hear of it, although not very surprised, considering what sort of family Miss Bennet comes from.”

  “Miss Bennet is perfectly respectable, but more to the point, she is not my mistress. I have already told Anne so, and I find it tedious to have to repeat myself.”

  “I will not be put off by lies. Mrs. Jenkinson assures me that it is true. You spend all your time with Miss Bennet.”

  “Mrs. Jenkinson has very little idea of how I spend my time, but I have not disputed the fact that I see Miss Bennet very often. She is a friend of mine and Georgiana’s, and she happens to live across the street with my closest friend. We are often in each other’s homes and frequently at the same entertainments, but that is the full extent of our association. There is nothing improper between us.”

  “Then why is it that you do not go to Anne’s bed. Yes, I know of that too. She says the last time was just before Miss Bennet arrived in town.”

  “Did she also tell you the nature of my visits to her bed?”

  “Of course not,” Lady Catherine said. “There is no reason for you to be vulgar.”

  “There is nothing vulgar to relate. My visits to her chamber have consisted of sitting on the end of her bed and talking with her. I stopped bothering because I was tired of her pettiness.”

  “Anne is not petty. But that is not the point. You cannot really mean that you only talk?”

  “That is exactly what I mean. Our marriage has never been consummated. Anne does not wish it.”

  “That is not possible.”

  “You can ask her yourself if you like. Or ask Mrs. Jenkinson, who slept in her chamber for months in order to protect her from me.”

  “That stupid woman! So this is why there are no children yet. I shall have words with her as soon as I get back to Rosings.”

  “You need not bother. She does not sleep there anymore, but Anne is still terrified of me. I have made an effort to calm her nerves, but she panics if I go near her. I have spoken to the bishop about an annulment.”

  “No,” she shouted. “I will not allow that to happen. There will be no annulment.”

  “Yes, there will. Her incapacity for intimacy is a valid reason.”

  “You will not be able to prove it. I shall talk with Anne myself and make her understand her duty. And you will do your duty by her. You will also give up your mistress. I want your word that you will.”

  “I can only give you my word that I have no mistress.”

  “I do not believe you.”

  “Belief is irrelevant. There is absolutely nothing to support your accusation. The next time you want to harangue somebody, you might try to check your facts first.”

  “Do not prevaricate. I came here to get your promise that you will give up Miss Bennet altogether.”

  “I will not make any such promise.”

  “So you do admit that it is true.”

  “No. I am saying that the only way in which I could give her up is
as the friend that she is, and I would never agree to do so. I am not inclined to deprive myself of good company, or to insult her and the Bingleys just because you wish it.”

  “You seem to care more about your friends than your wife.”

  “I care more about strangers than my wife,” Mr. Darcy recklessly said.

  “I am dismayed by this recent impertinence in your manner. It seems that you have been excessively influenced by Miss Bennet.”

  “No. I have been influenced by a tedious, disagreeable, and shrewish wife.”

  “How dare you say such insulting things! I am very disappointed in you, Darcy. This is not how you were raised to behave.”

  “No, it is not. This is how I behave when provoked by unreasonable and insulting accusations.”

  “I will not tolerate any more of this behaviour. You will come back Rosings with me at once and do your duty by Anne. I insist upon it.”

  “You can insist all you like, but I am not leaving my home. I am quite comfortable here, and I do not want to go to Rosings.”

  “Then I shall bring Anne back home. I expect you to be more civil when we arrive, and to treat her with the regard due to your wife. I intend to see to it myself. And you will father a child. There will be no more talk of annulments and no more illicit meetings with Miss Bennet.”

  She stormed out of the room as noisily as she had entered. After the door had been slammed for a second time, Mr. Darcy was left to contemplate the possibility of his wife’s return. Had his aunt actually meant that she would be fetching Anne immediately? She had not been clear on that point. She might have only meant that she was bringing Anne home at the end of her planned visit.

  But it had sounded as though Lady Catherine was speaking of immediate action. Perhaps this very day. Mr. Darcy considered the feasibility of that. She had obviously left Rosings at a very early hour since it was not yet midday. The journey was a bit less than four hours each way. There was enough time for her to go there and back again. That would make for an uncomfortable day, but his aunt was quite capable of putting an obsession ahead of her comfort. Just in case, he went to inform his staff that there might be others for dinner and that a room should be prepared in readiness for a guest.