Men of Consequence

by Francine Rainey

  The dining room hummed with soft chatter and laughter and silver and porcelain clatter. The butler entered and handed a note to Bingley. Bingley looked up, a slight frown marring his congenial features. He read the note and rose quickly from his chair, excusing himself to his dinner companions. Only Lady Matlock and those nearest to Charles noticed the disturbance, the others continued in their conversations.

  Charles walked rapidly down the corridor, his brow in a deep crease. The butler escorted Charles to a small room off the entrance of the house. When Charles stepped in, his eyes bulged, Caroline stood pacing, dressed as if she dined with the Queen. Charles halted, “Caroline! What is the matter? What are you doing here? Has there been an accident?” Charles asked frowning, his eyes scanned Caroline then darted around the room searching for other clues.

  “Yes, there has been an accident, a tragedy of sorts.”

  “Where? Are you harmed? Where are the servants?”

  “No, I am not harmed and the servants or just fine.”

  Bingley threw up his hands, his brow in a deep crease, “What happened?”

  Caroline huffed and then straightened her shoulders, “The tragedy is that I have been left out of this gathering. And because of the treacherous behavior of another, and the treasonous behavior of my own family, I am being punished unjustly.”

  Bingley’s eyes bulged and then closed tightly in mortification. When he opened them again, Caroline stood tall, her chin thrust forward, and her arms crossed. Bingley shook his head and blew out a harsh breath. “Are you mad, Caroline?” He asked softly, staring at her in befuddlement.

  Caroline did not move. “The Countess has barred you from her presence with the threat of a cut direct, and here you are, having come uninvited to her home!” Bingley became more animated as the shock wore off.

  “I will not allow you to ruin me socially, Charles! I am here to clear my name, and since you refused to take me to Darcy when you were in Hertfordshire, I will do it here, for I will not lower myself to stay with our classless relations! Now, will you announce me to Darcy and Lady Matlock, or shall I do it myself?”

  “Caroline, you are mad! No one is ruining you socially; you are doing it all yourself! Can you not see how, how, idiotic, and, and,” Charles cast about for the appropriate word, “how destructive, it is to invite yourself to an engagement dinner in the house of a countess from which you have been banned!” By the time Charles finished, he was close to yelling, only the knowledge that he was in the home of another kept him from it.

  “Very well, I see that I shall have to do this myself.” Caroline straightened her arms and began walking to the door.

  Charles walked backward, facing her as he tried to reason with her again, “If you go out that door, I will have you thrown into the carriage,” Bingley warned.

  “Then I shall scream until Lady Matlock comes into the corridor and sees your heinous treatment of your own flesh and blood.”

  Bingley shook his head, “Think about this, Caroline, if you do this, do you not think that you will force the countess to keep her word, even if she had not been inclined to before? Many of the most influential persons of the ton are in that room. If the Countess cuts you, you will be ruined and living with our relations will be permanent, for London shall be closed to you! Do you really want to do this?”

  Caroline paused, her eyes blinking rapidly. Bingley watched her, and his shoulders lost some of their tension. He exhaled as Caroline’s face softened. “Good. I can make excuses for why you came, and since you did not approach the Countess, it should be well.” Charles turned to walk Caroline out. Just as he reached the door, Caroline spoke.

  “No,” Caroline said, and Charles whipped around with a scowl. “No, that low-born Eliza Bennet, with the stench of pigs and poverty clinging to her, even if she is decked in silks, gets to be introduced to and rub shoulders with the quality. That should be me! But because of you and Louisa, my own flesh and blood, traitors both of you! Because of you, I am treated like scum, and I am banished like the riffraff. No, I shall not stand for it!” With every word, Caroline’s face grew redder, and her voice grew louder until she was shouting and shaking from fury.

  “Caroline!” Bingley grabbed her arm, “Calm yourself! And lower your voice before you are heard!”

  Caroline pulled away, but Bingley held firm. “They should hear. They must hear; it is the only way this is made right, and I can retain my rightful place in society. Now, let go of me.”

  “Caroline, come. I am taking you to the carriage.”

  Caroline’s breathing slowed, and then she turned to Bingley her face as hard as granite, “I will do as I see fit. You would not understand for you are as dumb as a sheep and just as easily led. That is why that simpleton Jane Bennet ensnared you with nothing more than a smile and buxom décolletage. Now, let go of me.”

  Bingley’s face hardened into disgust, and he stepped closer to her. “I should leave you to your own destruction, Caroline for what you just said about my wife. But for the sake of our parents, I am going to do you this one last courtesy before I wash my hands from you forever for the despicable way in which you behave and the despicable, ungrateful attitude you have toward those who have been nothing but kind to you!”

  “Kind? Kind? You think you are kind? To exile me to that backwater no man’s land and keep me from taking my place in society that is kind? To subject me to that inferior society and ruin my prospects that is kind? You and the Hursts have been nothing but cruel!”

  Bingley inhaled and closed his eyes. “I am sorry you feel that way. We have tried to reason with you, but now, I will trade no more words with you, Caroline. You are leaving.” Bingley took her arm and started for the door.

  “In what?” Caroline laughed. “The carriage has been left at the inn.”

  Bingley halted and stared at her, “Then how did you get here?”

  “The Folsoms.”

  Bingley turned his head and closed his eyes before turning to face her again, “Very well, I will have my carriage brought round.” Bingley walked toward the door.

  “You may do as you please, but I will not leave until I have had a chance to explain to Darcy. Once Darcy knows the truth, Lady Matlock will have no reason to be angry.”

  Bingley shook his head. “Stay here, Caroline,” Bingley warned. Bingley requested from the footman that his carriage be readied and that Hurst be informed and asked to come.

  Always attuned to her guests, Lady Matlock noticed the defection of Bingley, but when Hurst also left, she needed to know why. She signaled discretely to the butler who informed her Caroline’s presence. Lady Matlock’s eyes narrowed, but she maintained her calm for the sake of her guests. She would deal with Caroline later.

  When Hurst entered the room, Bingley explained that he needed to escort Caroline home and Bingley requested that Hurst inform Jane. Hurst agreed, then looked at Caroline who stood with her arms folded, shook his head and left.

  As Bingley and a fuming Caroline left the room for the waiting carriage, Lady Matlock walked out of the dining room leading the ladies to the drawing room for the separation of the sexes. Caroline, who had turned a shade of purple at having been thwarted yet again, turned at the sound of the ladies’ chatter.

  “Lady Matlock!” Caroline exclaimed and wrenched her arm from Bingley’s grip before he had the opportunity to tighten it. “Lady Matlock!

  Lady Matlock stopped and stiffened. “Miss Bingley,” she turned to Caroline, her face hard and her voice icy, “why are you here?”

  Caroline’s eyes darted around, “I am here for the engagement celebration of my dear friend Mr. Darcy.”

  “Did you receive an invitation, Miss Bingley?”

  “Well, no, but an invitation was received by the Hurst where I reside. Naturally, I assumed that…”

  “Miss Bingley, I am very aware of who I invited, and you were decidedly not on the list. And more importantly, I warned you not to approach m
e, did I not?”

  “Yes, but that was a misunderstanding, your ladyship. But you could not mean to punish me when I was a victim just as Darcy was. I, too, was deceived by that, that woman into believing that the boy belonged to Darcy. You must see it was not my fault. I was only trying to help Darcy avoid being ensnared by that social-climbing, Eli… You must understand.”

  During Caroline’s speech, the crowd had gasped and began to whisper, “What boy? Darcy has a son? Of what does she speak?” Elizabeth listened to the crowd and shook her head slowly at Caroline’s obtuseness. Louisa sagged against the wall, understanding that her sister was now socially ruined.

  Lady’s Fitzwilliam’s eyes narrowed, and she stepped closer to Caroline. “Miss Bingley, how dare you slander my nephew’s good name! But since you have, I will now clear it!” She turned to the ladies, joined now by the gentlemen who had been drawn to the raised voices in the corridor. “Miss Bingley participated in a despicable ruse with another to pawn another man’s offspring off as belonging to my nephew, Mr. Darcy, to blackmail him.” The crowd gasped. Louisa closed her eyes as Jane looked at Charles, who shook his head. “Then, when I expressly warned her not to speak such lies about my nephew, nor to come near me, she has barged into my home uninvited. I will not condone such base behavior and ill-breeding. Caroline Bingley is not fit to be among proper society, and the Fitzwilliams will no longer know her.”

  Caroline gasped, and her eyes bulged. “No! I did nothing wrong!” Caroline pleaded. “I was deceived by that woman! I only meant to keep Darcy from being trapped by that lowborn Eliza Bennet! She will ruin him! I needed him to see that I am the better bred! I am the better choice!”

  “Not another word against my betrothed!” Darcy’s booming voice echoed throughout the corridor as he came to stand beside Elizabeth. “My wife is superior to you in every way. You are treacherous, conniving, and grasping. Your cruel, supercilious, and scheming nature disgusts me! You are the last woman in the world I could ever have been prevailed upon to marry. Because of your continually treacherous behavior, the Darcys will no longer recognize you.”

  “Oh, my,” Lady Carlisle exclaimed, “is it really true? Did she attempt to deceive Darcy into claiming another man’s son?” Lady Matlock nodded. “Well,” Lady Carlisle continued, “to have had someone so ill-bred and treacherous in our midst is akin to dining with a scorpion. Why none of us are safe. I shall not know her, either.”

  “Absolutely, abhorrent, I shall not know her either.” One by one, all the leading matrons of the ton denounced Caroline.

  By this time, Caroline was as white as milk and gasping for breath. “No, please,” she grabbed Lady Matlock’s arm. Lady Matlock turned to her sharply then nodded to the footmen who came and pulled a clinging Caroline away. Caroline, still reaching out to Lady Matlock, looked at all the disgusted faces staring back at her and fainted. She had to be carried to the carriage: her worst nightmare had come true.

  Bingley with a teary-eyed Jane by his side, a weeping Louisa, and a disgusted Hurst, apologized to his hosts, “Lady Matlock and Lord Matlock, I cannot apologize enough for Caroline’s behavior. Would that I could have prevented it.” Bingley’s face was downcast, and he shook his head. “And Darcy and Elizabeth, please accept my regrets that your party was ruined.”

  “Bingley,” Darcy came forward and extended his hand, “you are not responsible for another’s actions. You and Jane are some of the most upstanding people I know, and I am grateful for your friendship and look forward to many years of continued goodwill. I include the Hursts in that pledge as well.” Hurst exhaled and nodded.

  “Yes,” Lord Matlock spoke, “you and your wife and your brother and sister here will always be welcomed.”

  The Bingley’s and the Hursts thanked them and left to accompany Caroline.

  As they all gathered into Bingley’s carriage with an insensible Caroline sagged like a sack of turnips in the corner, no one spoke. The ugliness of the scene had been difficult to watch, and the implications to Caroline’s life were difficult to contemplate.

  In the meantime, back in the Fitzwilliam home, the guests gathered in the drawing room all exclaiming over Caroline’s shocking behavior and the harm they could have suffered by having one such as she in their midst. The ladies all exclaimed that they never really trusted her, while the men opined the loss of a comely lady with a healthy dowry.

  During it all, Lord Matlock looked at Elizabeth, who stood calmly speaking to others and smiling. He rose. “If I may,” he said, gaining the attention of the room, “I wish joy to my nephew Darcy, a more honorable gentleman I do not know, and I commend him for his choice of bride, Miss Elizabeth Bennet is a jewel, and we welcome her to our family.”

  The night ended with everyone exclaiming over Elizabeth’s grace and beauty and how wise Darcy had been to choose Elizabeth over Caroline. Caroline would surely have gone mad had she known that her behavior had solidified Elizabeth’s acceptance into the very realm Caroline had coveted all her life.

  Chapter Forty-two

  It was his wedding day. After the debacle with Caroline, they had returned to Hertfordshire and Mrs. Bennet had crammed their remaining days with dinners and teas and had paraded the couple to every neighborhood soiree imaginable. The only time they had found to be alone was when they slipped away for walks and stolen kisses or early morning meetings at Oakham Mount for intimate conversations. Darcy endured all else, but he lived for those moments with Elizabeth, face-to-face, soul-to-soul, and heart-to-heart with his beloved.

  Richard would stand with him today as they had stood together all their lives. His uncle and aunt, the Earl and Countess of Matlock, and his cousin, Viscount Hardston, had arrived a day ago. The respect they had developed for Elizabeth in London had only grown after the way she had conducted herself with the ranking members of the ton. They fell in love with her as Darcy knew they would, although Darcy often wanted to beat Hardston for his obvious admiration and his outrageous flirtation. Mrs. Bennet, awed by nobility, had taken to correcting her manners, and those of her younger daughters, to Elizabeth’s delight and Darcy’s relief.

  “Are you ready?” Richard asked Darcy as they stood in the vicar’s office.

  “You have no idea,” Darcy answered. Richard laughed.

  “I am happy for you, Cousin. She is a gem; you will have many years of joy. You deserve it.”

  “Thank you, Cousin. I do not deserve her, but I will spend my life trying to please her.”

  The wedding was considered the foremost in the community. The bride exclaimed to be the most beautiful since Jane became Mrs. Bingley; the groom was determined to be the most handsome, and the wedding breakfast the most sumptuous.

  At the wedding breakfast, Georgiana smiled and approached her brother, who was looking lovingly at his bride.

  “Brother and Lizzy! I am so happy for you, and for me, too!” Georgiana embraced them with tears and a beaming smile. “I cannot believe I have a sister! Thank you, Brother! Tis the best gift I have ever received!” Darcy and Elizabeth laughed and returned Georgiana’s embrace.

  “Thank you, my sweet friend. I could not ask for a better sister!” Elizabeth said.

  “Oh, Lizzy, I was so frightened that brother would not return in time!”

  Darcy smiled, “I must thank you, dear Sister, for keeping the bad men away in my absence!”

  Georgiana giggled, then laid her hand on Darcy’s cheek, “Not bad, dear Brother, just not the best.” Darcy smiled and hugged her tightly.

  “You need not have worried, Georgiana; he was never in any danger,” Elizabeth said as she gazed at Darcy. Georgiana giggled to see her brother drop his smile and stare at Elizabeth as if he would devour her.

  “What is going on here?” Hardston interrupted loudly. “I say, Darcy, you are monopolizing all the beautiful ladies today. It is very selfish of you,” he winked at Georgiana, “especially since you will abscond with my beautiful new cousin and deprive me of h
er lovely countenance and tantalizing wit for weeks while you enjoy yourself on your wedding tour,” he bowed and kissed Elizabeth’s hand. “Welcome to the family, Cousin.”

  Elizabeth grinned, “Thank you, my lord.”

  “Call me Hardston.”

  “I thank you, and you must call me…”

  “Mrs. Darcy,” Darcy interrupted with a feigned scowl.

  Hardston chuckled, “Cousin! Why so formal?”

  “So that you will not forget, Hardston,” Darcy leveled him with a pretend scowl.

  Hardston smirked, then clapped Darcy on the shoulder, “You have done well, Darcy. I wish you joy,” Darcy smiled, and the two cousins shook hands.

  “Now come, Georgiana, help me locate Mrs. Darcy’s,” Hardston threw a look at Darcy, “sister. You know the prim one with the lovely eyes and the tight,” Darcy raised his brow in warning, “smile.” Hardston finished. “Her set-downs are positively stimulating.”

  “Hardston,” Darcy warned.

  “What?” Hardston threw up his hands.

  “Do not trifle with her. She is now my sister.”

  “You think she is in danger of me? I daresay, I am the one in need of protection. When she is finished with me, I am sure I shall give up all my worldly possessions and become a clergyman. Do you still have that living at Kymptom, Darcy? I may need it before long.”

  Darcy and Elizabeth smiled and shook their heads.

  “Ah, there she is now,” Hardston smiled at Mary from across the room, his eyes lit with anticipation. “Come, Georgiana,” he said. Mary, who watched him, straightened in her chair and lifted her chin. Elizabeth looked at Mary, she had been labeled as rather plain, but Elizabeth had always thought that Mary was only plain by comparison and by fashion, (or the lack of it). Today, with her hair attractively arranged, and the new pastel blue dress that Jane had insisted she have that revealed her own light and pleasing figure, she looked quite appealing.

  “What is Hardston about?” Darcy interrupted her thoughts.