Men of Consequence

by Francine Rainey

  “She has done it to herself, Bingley,” Hurst said.

  “I know, but I must decide what to do with her. If Caroline were innocent, I would endure Darcy’s wrath, but as you say, she has done this to herself, and I will not lose the Darcys over her vicious behavior. Which brings me to my next question, are you willing to lose the Darcys?”

  Hurst shook his head. “No, but for Louisa’s sake, if Caroline showed any remorse, I might have stayed away from society long enough for things to be patched up, but she is as arrogant and as daft as ever. I have told Louisa that I will not lose valuable connections for one who behaves abhorrently.”

  “It is as I thought. And you, Louisa?” Charles asked.

  Louisa looked up with watery eyes, “Is it certain that she will lose Darcy? I mean, she was deceived, too, and, and Eliza is a simple country girl; I am sure she can be made to see it our way…”

  “Are you serious!” Bingley exploded, and Louisa gasped. “I cannot believe that you would make excuses for her! Was Caroline coerced? Did she know for certain that what she participated in was true? Did she have any right to interfere in Darcy’s life! No! Of course, not. But she did not care who she hurt if she got what she wanted. And you ask if she has lost Darcy?” Bingley shook his head. “Darcy is the finest gentleman, with the finest manners that I know, but when he told us of Caroline’s actions, he looked as if he would punch the wall. Caroline could have ruined his happiness. She could have helped to chain him to a lie for the rest of his life. And you ask if she has lost Darcy? Well, let me tell you, Sister, she has. Darcy despises her.” Bingley rose and paced. “And for you to disparage Elizabeth as a simple country girl while you dare to defend, Caroline. Caroline is treacherous!” Bingley stopped and shook his head.

  Louisa looked up with tears in her eyes, “She is my sister,” Louisa wrung her hands.

  Hurst answered, “And I am your husband, and our children will have to take their place in society one day. Do you want that diminished? Would you make them pay for Caroline’s wickedness?” Louisa unconsciously placed a hand on her stomach.

  “Louisa,” Bingley interrupted, “are you with child?”

  Louisa shook her head. Bingley blew out a frustrated breath and ran his hand down his face, “I wish you joy, and I apologize if I was harsh just now.”

  “You did not know. I am well,” Louisa said.

  Hurst sighed, “Louisa, we are not cruel. Caroline has had time and time again to change; she has not. She shall not.”

  Louisa closed her eyes and nodded, “I know. You are right.”

  “Very well,” Bingley nodded, then he handed Louisa an invitation to Darcy’s engagement dinner. “The Countess will host. Now, shall we bring Caroline down?”

  “Darling.”

  Elizabeth looked up at the sound. “Fitzwilliam!” she sprang from her chair and rushed into the arms of a beaming Darcy. “I did not expect you this early,” she murmured against his chest.

  Darcy stroked her back, closed his eyes, and savored the contact. “I finished my business early. I worked through the night, Darcy thought. “I could not stay away. I had to be with you, to hold. I have missed you desperately,” Darcy said, although he had just ridden into town with her and dined with her as well.

  “Fitzwilliam,” Elizabeth said softly, looking up at him with shining eyes. Darcy leaned forward and caressed her lips for just a moment, but even that small bit of sweetness caused him to moan. He raised his head and looked at her with that brilliant blue gaze. She was breathing harshly, her lips soft, and her eyes shining, but they were in the Bingley drawing room, so Darcy rested his forehead upon her for a moment, then he dropped his arms, and they walked to the sofa.

  Darcy held her hand, sitting closer than he should have. “My Aunt Sarah is looking forward to meeting you, so is the entire family.”

  That night they would dine with the Fitzwilliams before the larger engagement dinner the countess would host the next week. Darcy was to pick Elizabeth up that evening, but he could not willingly stay away from her that long. As they sat, Elizabeth sighed so softly that anyone else would have thought it normal breathing, but he knew, of course, he knew.

  Darcy drew circles in her hand, “What troubles you, my love?”

  Elizabeth glanced up, surprised by his awareness. He watched her so intently that it took Elizabeth’s breath away, this evidence of his love. Suddenly overwhelmed with her love for him, she lowered her head. “I just want to be a credit to you, Fitzwilliam. I know that I am impertinent and opinionated, and you could have had your pick of heiresses, and I am no heiress, and I …”

  “Shh, sweetheart,” Darcy lifted her chin. When their gazes met, Darcy said. “Darling, you are my pick. You are what I want, so desperately.” Darcy inhaled and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were full of longing and love, and Elizabeth was incapable of looking away. “You are more than I ever dreamed possible.” He trailed a finger down her cheek and stared at her soft, full lips, his voice sultry. “And you are certainly more than I deserve after the abominable way I once thought and behaved. Darling, I have met every debutante since I was eight and ten. And they bored me. I despaired of finding love, of feeling this connection, this bliss. I thought it was an illusion, or if not, it was certainly elusive. I had abandoned hope, until I met you, and looked into your eyes, and beheld your smile, and caught a glimpse of your beautiful soul.” Darcy looked at her so tenderly that she had to blink back tears. “I could not find another to compare with you if I spent every day of my life and all that money I have,” Darcy said, and then forgetting propriety, right there in Bingley’s drawing room, Darcy drew his love into his arms, and kissed her until she had no more concerns.

  Meanwhile, at the Hurst’s townhouse, Caroline had been summoned from her room.

  “Ma’am, Mr. Bingley is requesting your presence.”

  Caroline snickered and preened; I knew he would come. Perhaps I should make him wait. She lifted her head like a queen; however, so desperate was she to get back into Darcy’s good graces that she could not follow through. Instead, she sprung from her chair calling a command to her maid. “Pack my trunks! I will be leaving with Mr. Bingley.”

  Caroline swept into the study like a duchess, “Charles, it is about time! Did you not receive my letter days ago? And that wife of yours, refusing me the carriage, she is showing her ill-breeding…”

  “Caroline!” Caroline jumped at the volume of Bingley’s voice. Bingley now stood with blazing eyes. “Watch your tongue against my wife! And lose that supercilious attitude. You are in no position to behave so.”

  “Charles! What has gotten into you?” Caroline frowned with a hand to heart. “Why you are behaving like a brute!”

  Bingley clenched his jaw and shook his head, “Caroline, you amaze me. Have you any idea of the position you are in? You are, for all intents, socially ruined!”

  Caroline gasped, and Bingley nodded. “Yes, I have spoken to Darcy and to Louisa and Hurst. I know what you did, Caroline. It was cruel and vicious, not to mention stupid and pretentious!” Bingley laughed mirthlessly and shook his head, “How you dared to try and control Darcy’s life! Someone totally unrelated to you, someone who has only ever welcomed you because he is my friend.”

  Caroline lifted her chin, “You are mistaken, the Darcys are my intimate friends. And once I speak to Darcy, this will all be cleared up. I was as much a victim as he.”

  Charles shook his head again, “You are delusional, Sister.”

  “Do not speak to me in that manner! I was trying to raise our family’s consequence after you and Louisa nearly ruined this family with your barely respectable and low-born…”

  “NOT ANOTHER WORD!” Bingley yelled. His breathing harsh and his face twisted. “You live off our hospitality, and yet you would disparage us? Go get the letters.”

  Caroline sat wide eyed. She had never seen Bingley so angry. “What letters?” she asked.

&nbs
p; “Do not toy with me. You know very well what letters. I will see for myself what you have done, then I will decide what to do with you.”

  “What do you mean, ‘What to do with me?’”

  “The letters, Caroline.”

  “No,” she said, lifting her chin.

  “Very well. Your dowry will be released to you on the morrow. I will have a maid pack your things from my home.”

  “You cannot be serious!”

  “Deadly,” Bingley answered.

  Caroline and Bingley stared at one another until Caroline looked at Louisa. “Very well,” she said, “I will just stay with Louisa.”

  “No. You will not,” Hurst spoke.

  Caroline stared at Louisa, who looked away. Caroline then scowled at Hurst, who held her gaze and raised his brow. She huffed and turned again to Bingley, who looked at her with hard eyes. She sighed, “Very well, I will retrieve the letters.”

  When Caroline returned, she thrust the letters into Bingley’s hand, sat down with a huff, and turned away. Bingley read the letters and sighed, “It is worse than I anticipated; the countess is livid. You had better not cross her.” He shook his head, “We have discussed it, and you have two choices. You could step away from society, stay with our relations until this dies down, then return to see if you can make amends, or, if you decide to stay in town, I will release your dowry, and you may set up your own household, but we will not risk our reputations any longer on your vicious behavior.”

  Caroline clenched her jaw, closed her eyes, and breathed deeply, “Or,” she said frostily, “you can all stop behaving as if this is my fault, take me to Darcy where he shall see that I, too, am a victim, and all will be well!” Caroline looked at each of them in turn.

  “Very well,” Bingley stood, “my solicitor will contact you tomorrow.”

  “What? No! I will not live alone like some washed up spinster!”

  “Then I will contact our cousins and let them know that you are coming for an extended stay.”

  “No! I will not! Can you not see that this is all a misunderstanding? I was deceived by that, that woman just as Mr. Darcy was! It is not my fault! He will understand if you will all just listen, and stop behaving like imbeciles, and take me to him as I requested; this could all be resolved!”

  Bingley ignored her insult, “So, Mrs. Waters deceived you into believing that the boy belonged to Darcy?”

  “Yes! It is what I have been saying all along!”

  “Ah, but did she force you to trick Elizabeth into coming to the park to deceive her?”

  Caroline waved her hand, “Eliza is no matter! What matters is that I did not knowingly deceive Mr. Darcy!”

  “But you did knowingly interfere in his affairs. You did knowingly try and separate him from the woman he loves! If the boy had been Darcy’s, would it have been your right to inform Elizabeth or anyone for that matter? How could you conceive of taking that choice away from Darcy?” Caroline rolled her eyes and turned her head.

  Bingley shook his head, “My solicitor will contact you tomorrow. Louisa, Hurst, I shall be going.”

  Bingley strode to the door, “Wait!” Caroline called. “How long must I be absent,” she snarled the word, “from society for my penance?” she said sarcastically.

  Bingley turned, “What does it matter, Caroline? You will never change.”

  Why should I? Caroline thought. “How long?” she said.

  “A season.”

  Caroline sprung from her seat, “You cannot be serious! Miss a season? If I do, I shall be five and twenty when I return! No!” she shook her head, “no, I will not do it! Do you want to see me ruined? Mother knew that I would raise this family, and if you had promoted me to Darcy even once, I would have already done so, but, no, all you have ever done was hold me back! And now look, Darcy has been trapped by that low-born, country nobody! What is wrong with you people? And you,” she pointed at Louisa, “you have always been jealous of me because I am the prettiest.” Louisa shook her head. Caroline stood there, red in the face, her chest heaving, her eyes bulging. She eyed them one by one. Louisa looked at her with pity, Hurst with disdain, and Charles with anger. She turned her back and breathed deeply. Nothing would say spinster like living alone, and she would avoid that at all costs, but living with her trade-infested relations for such a length of time would also be social ruin. An idea began to form, she sighed and turned, “Very well, I choose our relations. I can be ready in a month.”

  “You will be ready in a week.”

  Caroline stared at Bingley with narrowed eyes, then she turned on her heels and marched from the room.

  Hurst hugged Louisa, who cried softly, then he and Bingley shared a glance, shook their heads, and Bingley left.

  Darcy and Elizabeth arrived at the Fitzwilliams later that evening, and Darcy beamed at Elizabeth as he handed her from the carriage. He could barely suppress his excitement. He wanted to introduce Elizabeth to the world as his love. Elizabeth returned Darcy’s smile brightly. Her time with him had calmed her agitation. Elizabeth had always felt equal to others. Nevertheless, she had worried that his relations would reject her and that the rejection would cause pain to her beloved. And she was desperate to make him proud. However, his elegant words and passionate love had soothed her fears, so Elizabeth stepped from the carriage as herself, calm, curious, and unaffected.

  The Fitzwilliam home rivaled Darcy’s in beauty and elegance. As they ascended the stairs, the door was opened by a distinguished butler, who took their outerwear and led them to the drawing room. As Elizabeth approached, she heard laughter, and she smiled in response. And no one was more beautiful than a smiling, happy, Elizabeth. That is what the family saw when the drawing door was opened.

  The Fitzwilliams stood, and Georgiana hurried to the door, “Lizzy! We shall be sisters! I am so happy!” Georgiana exclaimed as the taller girl nearly bowled Elizabeth over with her enthusiastic embrace. Elizabeth laughed and patted Georgiana’s back as Georgiana clung to her. Lord and Lady Matlock exchanged surprised glances.

  “I am thrilled, too, Georgiana.” As Georgiana continued to embrace her, Elizabeth said, “Come now, Poppet!”

  “Lizzy!” Georgiana jerked away as Elizabeth intended and both laughed. Darcy stood beside them with the broadest smile his family had ever seen. Joy seemed to ooze from him, and Lord and Lady Matlock exchanged glances once again.

  “Miss Bennet, welcome to our home. I am Lady Sarah Fitzwilliam, Countess of Matlock, and this is my husband, Lord Alfred Fitzwilliam, the fifth Earl of Matlock.”

  Elizabeth performed a deep curtsy, “Lord and Lady Matlock, I am honored to meet you,” she smiled. The Matlocks returned her greeting, and Lady Matlock regarded her intently.

  “And this is my son, Stephen Fitzwilliam, Viscount Hardston and my youngest, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, whom you already know.

  Hardston frowned and huffed as Richard, just to annoy his brother, stepped in front of him, and greeted Elizabeth first. “Miss Bennet,” he kissed her hand. “How wonderful to see you again. You are as lovely as ever, and I declare, you must also be a magician.”

  Elizabeth laughed, “It is a pleasure to see you as well, Colonel, and why must I be a magician?”

  “Because you have made my dour cousin disappear and replaced him with this smiling, cheerful impersonator,” Richard laughed.

  Elizabeth turned from Richard and looked at Darcy with such love that Lady Matlock and Hardston gaped. “He is no impersonator. And I am no magician, for I have not replaced, but discovered the greatest treasure on earth, to my great fortune.” They all watched as Darcy’s beaming smile became soft and was accompanied by a look of adoration that had them all clearing their throats and glancing away, all except for Hardston, who greedily looked upon them, barely suppressing his mirth. Finally, Richard chuckled. The sound broke the entrancement.

  Hardston cleared his throat and sauntered up to Elizabeth. He bowed over Elizabeth’s han
d with a twinkle in his eye. Elizabeth answered with an impertinent eyebrow raise. The two assessed one another, both recognizing the puckishness in the other. Hardston chuckled. “Miss Bennet, what a delight to meet you. You are as lovely as I have been told, and I look forward to getting to know you.” Hardston looked up at Darcy with a smirk. Darcy scowled.

  Elizabeth returned Hardston’s smile and greeting and sat with the family for tea.

  “Miss Elizabeth, tell me of yourself,” Lady Matlock asked.

  “I am from Hertfordshire where my father has an estate, Longbourn. I am the second of five daughters, and I adore my sisters, but especially my eldest sister, Mrs. Bingley.”

  “Yes, the one you walked three miles in the mud to nurse?” Lady Matlock asked.

  Elizabeth’s eyes widened, “Oh, no, not that story!” She looked at Darcy, who shrugged with an embarrassed smile. “And I had hoped to pass myself off with some credit among your relations,” Elizabeth said laughingly to Darcy.

  “Oh, I say it does do you credit, Miss Bennet. It shows a determined and caring nature.”

  “Thank you, your ladyship, but it was no trouble. Jane is all that is lovely.” Elizabeth looked away.

  “I also hear that you help your father with estate matters?”

  “A little, your ladyship. I was inquisitive, so my father taught me to keep the accounts and about crop rotations, and that led me to naturally care for the needs of our tenants. I found that the most enjoyable of all,” Elizabeth answered honestly, understanding that Lady Matlock was attempting to sketch her character.

  For the first time, Lady Matlock smiled warmly at Elizabeth. “Those will be useful in your future role, Miss Bennet. I have also heard that you play pianoforte and sing as well.”

  “Yes, I do, your ladyship. But I must admit that I do not practice as I should, and thus, I am not a proficient like Georgiana.”