“We hope to find a husband for her.”
“He will have to accept Wickham’s child as his own,” Mr. Bingley mused.
“Yes; and be willing to say that he eloped with her to Gretna Green. Then we plan to pay the newspaper to print a retraction, saying that she eloped with this new husband of hers, and they are very sorry for the misinformation, and so on.”
“Will the newspapers do so?”
“You forget my aunt and uncle.”
Mr. Bingley considered this. Yes, the Earl and Countess of Matlock could certainly have that retraction printed in short order if a new husband could be produced. All that was lacking was the new husband –
He raised his head and stared at Mr. Darcy. “I will do it.”
“What?”
“I will marry your sister.”
“Bingley, you are a good friend, but I cannot ask this of you.”
“You are not asking; I am offering.”
“But why?”
Mr. Bingley shrugged. “I like your sister, Darcy. Always have. Pretty little thing, goes about singing and laughing. And she plays the piano better than anyone I have ever heard. Always thought her above my touch, of course.”
Mr. Darcy stared at him. “But – Miss Bennet?”
“Lost to the Colonel, you know. I have installed Caroline in a townhouse and Miss Darcy need have nothing whatever to do with her.”
“Do you not wish to marry someone you love?”
“Do you think I could not love your sister?”
Mr. Darcy fell silent. This would solve all his problems, of course, but surely it was not fair to Bingley. “May I think about it?” he said, at last.
“By all means. And speak to – hang it, I do not know what to call her. I can hardly call her Mrs. Wickham! Miss Darcy, I suppose. She may not wish to marry me.”
Mr. Darcy was in no humour to give his sister a choice, but he said he would do so. “If you change your mind, Bingley…”
“I shall not.”
As he left Darcy House, Mr. Bingley considered what had prompted him to volunteer himself for such an odd marriage! What he had said to Darcy was true – he did like Miss Darcy, very much. It had never occurred to him that he might be considered worthy of marrying Miss Darcy, so he had never thought of her in that way. She was kind, gentle, soft-spoken; she was, in fact, the very opposite of Caroline. He would never need Dunstan’s tonic again.
By marrying Miss Darcy, he would not only gain a lovely wife, but he would also gain Darcy as a brother. And he would be related to an Earl and a Countess by marriage. He did not much care about such connections himself, but he could not help chuckling as he imagined Caroline’s face upon hearing the news.
Chapter Fifty-Two
Mr. Darcy wasted no time making his way to Matlock House. He had seen his sister only twice since the day he had discovered her pregnancy. He knew he should give Georgiana more of his attention, but he simply could not trust himself to hold in his rage. This time, though, he had a mission.
Mr. Darcy waited impatiently to be announced and then strode into the drawing room. Only his aunt was there. “Aunt,” he greeted her, bowing politely.
“I am glad to see you,” she said.
“And I, you. I have news.”
“Yes?”
“Mr. Bingley is willing to marry Georgiana.”
