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A widening of the eyes.
The letter, a single sheet in elegant, flowing script, was placed carefully on the table. Mrs. Bennet could not contain herself and made to snatch the letter up. She was beaten by Elliot who had realised immediately that something was amiss. Jack was paler than Elliot had ever seen him, and his hands were shaking ever so slightly. Elliot quickly read through the beginning of the letter, saw that it was from Caroline Bingley, and the words ‘departure’ and tried to quickly read the rest. Alas, he got no further before Mrs. Bennet demanded to see it.
“Mama, please wait but a moment,” Elliot said but Jack interrupted before she could respond.
“He did say, did he not. That the moment he decided to leave it would be done within five minutes?”
“I do not think we were meant to take him literally,” Elliot replied.
“Clearly we should have,” Jack replied. “He was true to his word.”
“Leave? Who is leaving?” Mrs. Bennet demanded, red spots now on both of her cheeks as the suspense was entirely too much for her.
“Mr. Bingley returns to London,” Jack said, standing up and making his way from the room. “It seems his stay in Netherfield was destined to be a short one.”
It was Mrs. Bennet’s turn to gasp, and she succeeded in snatching the letter now and reading through it quickly. “Impossible!” she declared. “For him to leave. For them all to leave! This is not possible!”
Jack did not hear her. He was out of the room already. Elliot took the letter back from their mama—ignoring her cries of outrage as she had not managed to finish it— and quickly followed his brother up the stairs and to their room.
“Jack?”
Jack was stood next to the window that looked out onto the river. The fading, sunshine made his hair look like gold. He turned and gestured to the letter. “It is from Caroline Bingley.”
“I know,” Elliot said.
“The whole party have left Netherfield and are on their way to town,” Jack continued as if Elliot and not spoken. “And without any intention of coming back again.”
“It says that they are following Mr. Bingley who has already left,” Elliot said. “That they are intending to dine in town with the Hursts.”
“Read the next part aloud,” Jack demanded.
Elliot could do nothing else but comply. “I do not pretend to regret anything I shall leave in Hertfordshire, except your society, my dearest friend,” he read. “But we will hope, at some future period, to enjoy many returns of that delightful intercourse we have known, and in the meanwhile may lessen the pain of separation by a very frequent and most unreserved correspondence. I depend on you for that.”
Elliot frowned as he finished. He could hear Caroline Bingley’s voice in those words including her dismissive tone. He distrusted the words entirely but could see nothing in them to lament. He would be glad to see the back of Caroline Bingley and her sister for a little while.
“It is unlucky,” Elliot said slowly. “That you should not be able to see your friends before they leave the country. But may we not hope that the period of future happiness to which Miss Bingley looks forward to may arrive earlier than she is aware? Mr. Bingley will surely not be detained in London by them.”
“Give me the letter please,” Jack said, and when Elliot passed it across continued, “Caroline decidedly says that none of the party will return into Hertfordshire this autumn or winter. I will read it to you.”
“Jack…”
“Listen, Elliot,” he insisted. “Please. She says here that when her brother left them yesterday, he imagined that the business which took him to London might be concluded in three or four days. But now that Charles is in London, he is in no hurry to leave again. Many of their acquaintances are already there.” Jack frowned. “She wishes I were among them but knows that will not happen.” His frown deepened. “She wishes me a season abounding in the gaieties of Christmas, and that my beaux will be so numerous as to prevent me from feeling the loss of their company. It is evident by this,” he concluded. “That he will not come back before the spring.”
And if he did not come back…then Darcy…Elliot swallowed against the sudden racing of his heart. Now was not the time to be considering Darcy! Instead, he gestured to the letter, thoughts back on his brother. “It is only evident that Miss Bingley does not mean that he should.”
“Why would you think so?” Jack demanded.
“I—”
“He is his own master,” Jack continued. “People do not realise it because he is so amiable and easy, but Charles Bingley does nothing that he does not particularly wish to do. And look here, I will read you the passage which particularly hurts me. I will have no reserves from you.”
Jack moved across the room and over to where Elliot waited.
“See here,” he said, pointing to the bottom half of the page. “She says Mr. Darcy is impatient to see his sister and they are equally as eager.” He shook his head and read the next words aloud. “I really do not think Georgiana Darcy has her equal for beauty, elegance, and accomplishments. The affection she inspires in Louisa and myself is heightened into something still more interesting, from the hope we dare entertain of her being hereafter our sister.”
“Mr. Bingley’s desire…”
“He does not have a desire for any particular mate,” Jack said quickly. “Not male or female or anything else. He chooses his friends and partners only based on their character and the ease with which he feels for them.”
