Miss Bingley hesitated—only a heartbeat. Then she lifted her chin. “I lied.”
Darcy did not contradict her, though he knew she blatantly lied. He merely waited.
“And Miss Burrows?” Bingley asked. “You encouraged me.”
“Yes,” Miss Bingley said quickly. “Because she was sensible. Her dowry is modest, and her family needed funds—ours benefited from the association—but they are still respectable. It was prudent.”
“You chose her,” Bingley said faintly.
“I advised you,” Miss Bingley corrected. “As a sister should.”
“And Jane?”
Miss Bingley’s mouth tightened. “Miss Bennet was no one! She held no particular importance in our circles. If she had connections, why did she conceal them?”
“They were cautious.” Darcy hoped Bingley comprehended the apology in his tone.
Miss Bingley whirled on him. “And now everything is ruined!”
“I would have him know the truth,” Darcy replied.
Miss Bingley turned back to her brother. “Jane Bennet isfarbetter placed than we ever imagined. And now—now she is all but untouchable unlessyouact. Darcy will help!”
Bingley pressed a hand to his temple. “I cannot simply discard Miss Burrows.”
At least he is honorable in that sense.Darcy edged towards the door.
“You can. It is only a courtship,” Miss Bingley said, forcing calm. “You must consider what is best.”
“For whom?” he asked.
The lady did not answer at once.
Darcy stepped farther back, already reaching for the door. “I believe my presence is no longer required.”
“Darcy—” Bingley began.
Darcy paused. “Whatever you do, Bingley, do it with your eyes open.”
Miss Bingley rounded on Darcy as he opened the door, her fury finally finding focus. “You have undone everything. You should have told me. I might have prevented—”
“No,” Darcy interrupted. “I accept blame for my part and nothing more.”
He left them then—Miss Bingley pacing, Bingley stunned and silent—aware that the balance of several lives had shifted irrevocably.
Nothing now could be restored to what it had been. Miss Bennet had given her affections to another—to Darcy’s cousin. Guilt plagued him, but he kept his silence, stubbornly refusing to tell Bingley that Miss Bennet was being courted by someone else. As much as he esteemed Bingley, Bramley was family. He would not destroy another’s happiness, least of all a cousin who had searched for love for so long. It was best to let matters fall as they would.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Jones and Weston trailed behind Jane and Elizabeth at a respectful distance. Their presence was steady and unobtrusive, precisely as it ought to be. Their chaperone had other business this morning and had delivered the girls and their protectors to the park with efficient dispatch, reminding them she would return later to collect them. Until then, they were free to stroll the lanes, sheltered by propriety and the open daylight.
The morning was crisp but mild, the earliest signs of spring evident in the budding trees and the softened air. Elizabeth had been enjoying the walk for Jane’s sake, mindful that quiet moments were sometimes the most restorative. Jane’s spirits had improved of late, but Elizabeth knew better than to believe healing occurred without effort.
“Miss Bennet!”
A familiar voice drew their attention as they neared the main thoroughfare where carriages and horses paraded by, drivers reining in their teams as fashionable ladies and gentlemen observed one another from open windows. The cousins paused and turned in tandem.
It was Miss Bingley.
