Fitzwilliam was left chuckling to himself. “It is safe to come out now, William!” he called.
A very amused Darcy stepped from behind the study door, his face still suffused with mirth. “I hope you enjoyed yourself, Richard!”
“I did, rather.” Smilingly, he pulled his gloves from his pockets and slowly began to tug them on.
“That bit about the Indian princess was a stroke of genius.”
Richard guffawed loudly. “Yes, it was, if I do say so myself. Imagine you with a mail-order bride like some Colonist! You would have to build her her own house. You’d be too terrified to talk to her! Then again, if she spoke Hindi, maybe you would fare better.”
Darcy chuckled. “No, thank you! I have enough women in my life to keep my hands full.” He frowned and sighed heavily. “I am exceedingly troubled by Miss Bingley’s actions. I shall have to speak to Charles.”
“I heard enough of it,” Bingley hopped off the bottom stair and approached. “I was just coming down the stairs when I heard her speaking to you, and I shamelessly eavesdropped on the entire conversation. I should have stopped it, I know, but I wanted to find out if she was sensible to correction. I am sorry to learn the opposite. I just stopped her on the landing and requested that she pack her bags this instant. I am sending her back to London this very afternoon.”
Extending his hand to Fitzwilliam, he said, “I am very sorry, Colonel, for my sister’s behaviour. And to you, Darcy,” he turned to his old friend. “I must apologize. Caroline will not trouble you again.”
Darcy heaved a long breath. “It is of no consequence, Bingley. She can change nothing, but I admit, it will be a relief to have her out of our hair for a time.” Bingley nodded his full assent.
“Well, gents,” Fitzwilliam donned his hat with a flourish. “The carriage awaits, and duty and honour call me away. You will send me a wedding invitation, will you not, William? And you, Bingley,” he reached to shake the other’s hand, “I thank you for your hospitality. My very best wishes for your felicity. You both have found rare gems, I daresay.”
“I know not how to thank you, Richard.” Darcy took his hand next, gazing sincerely into his cousin’s eyes.
“Oh, I wager there will be many a broken heart after news of your engagement gets out. I’ve been waiting for that, you know, and you have tried my patience to the maximum, I tell you! I intend to scour the balls this spring and find myself a rich young debutante to comfort. An earl’s son still fetches a respectable price on the open market.” He winked jauntily and turned to the door, leaving his companions chortling in his wake.
“Colonel, I have a brilliant idea!” Bingley called as Fitzwilliam reached the door. “My sister has a dowry of twenty thousand. I would be most obliged if you would take her off my hands. I would even set you up with your own residence in Town! It is not a bad offer, and you and she get along so well, you know.” Bingley sounded as if he were only half joking.
Fitzwilliam paused long enough to fire a scandalized glare over his shoulder. “Bingley, I hope toretirefrom combat, not plunge forever into the fray. Good day, gentlemen.” He jerked the door open himself and scurried to the waiting carriage as if he were afraid Bingley might think to ask him to take Caroline as a passenger.
“Well, Darcy?” Bingley turned to his companion. “We ought to be off as well. You promised Miss Elizabeth we would arrive by ten.” He paused, making a face. “Perhaps you ought to go on your own, as I will have to make some arrangements for Caroline.”
Darcy nodded in resignation. He would have preferred Bingley’s company, but if doing without it for the morning meant that Caroline Bingley would not be waiting like a spider in her lair when he returned, it was worth it. “Perhaps you will give me a few moments of your time before I leave.”
“Certainly. In my study?”
“Yes, I already had some documents out.”
“I say, you have been getting a little ahead of things, have you not? I presume you are still on the subject of Miss Elizabeth’s present concerns?”
“Yes, and no.” They gained the study door, and Darcy rang for the butler. “Would you please have Nancy and Sarah come to the study? Then if you please, I would like you to wait just outside with the door open.”
“I beg your pardon, sirs, but Nancy is no longer employed here.”
Darcy straightened. “Excuse me? Did you know of this, Bingley?”
Bingley shook his head, mystified. “I have no idea what you are talking about. I have dismissed no one. Is Nancy not the maid assigned to Georgiana?”
“If you please, sir, Nancy was dismissed by Miss Bingley yesterday.”
Bingley stiffened, setting his mouth into a grim line. “Dawson, please send for Nancy, wherever she may be. My sister has no authority here any longer. Nancy is to be reinstated as of this moment, and I will add an extra week’s pay for her trouble.”
The butler bowed stiffly and went out, a most unprofessional look of satisfaction lighting his features. Bingley shook his head in awe and turned to his friend. “What is this all about, Darcy?”
Darcy picked up his pen, pointing with it to a few papers on the desk. “I had a rather revealing conversation with one your maids—Sarah, it was—yesterday morning. I inadvertently frightened the wits out of her, I’m afraid.” He related the details of the pre-dawn conversation with the young maid to Bingley’s amazed ears.
“The scoundrel!” Bingley spat. “I did not know Benson was so low. What do you propose?”
“Nothing, as yet. I have made inquiries. That is all so far. I am considering a way to provide a suitable dowry for Nancy to allow her to settle respectably. As for the other family—you have no vacant farms at present. Neither have I. I wish to know more of the circumstances to see if a good fit can be found.”
He dropped his pen, draping his arm over the back of a chair. “This concern of Miss Elizabeth’s may, in fact, turn out for the best. I hope to gather information from all parties concerned today and will apprise you of my findings.”
