“She will not thank you for that,” Mr. Darcy murmured.
“No, I fear not.”
Mr. Darcy glanced around the table. Miss Kitty and Miss Lydia were whispering together; Mr. Bennet and Miss Bingley were pointedly ignoring one another; the Hursts were exchanging amused glances. Bingley was staring at his younger sister, clearly trying to convey a message, but his efforts were frustrated by her refusal to look at him. Mrs. Bingley simply looked worried.
As soon as everyone put down their dessert spoons, Mrs. Bingley rose to her feet and led the ladies from the room.
The gentlemen sighed in relief. “Dash it, Bingley, can you not send her back to London?” Mr. Hurst asked, irritably. “You know she will just cause trouble.”
“Your sleeping arrangements have been made, Darcy?” his host enquired, ignoring Mr. Hurst.
“They have, yes.”
“Sleeping arrangements?” Mr. Bennet asked.
“Caroline is not above compromising Darcy here, so he lets his valet sleep in his bed and he takes a smaller room down the hall,” Mr. Hurst answered, disgust plain in his voice.
“You are jesting, surely!” Mr. Bennet protested.
“I wish that he were,” Mr. Darcy responded. “But she would not be the first to try such a trick.”
Mr. Bennet stared at him. “Well, I would not trade places with you for all your wealth,” he observed. “You cannot know friend from foe, can you?”
“Bingley here is a friend,” Mr. Darcy answered quickly. “But, truthfully, I have few friends, as it is difficult to know whom to trust.”
“Darcy, if you are truly uncomfortable, I will have Caroline out of the house as soon as may be,” Mr. Bingley said. “It is not right that you must fear a compromise from my sister.”
“No, Bingley, she is your family, and family is more important than anything,” Mr. Darcy said, sincerely.
Mr. Hurst sighed, loudly, and said, “What a load of nonsense.”
***
The ladies in the Netherfield drawing room were having rather a difficult time of it. Miss Bingley started the fracas by observing, “Surely Mr. Darcy is ready to return to London! I cannot imagine what he is about, remaining in the country for so long.”
Mrs. Bingley replied, “Well, you know he does live in the country, Caroline, as Pemberley is in the very heart of Derbyshire. But he is here to help Charles decide whether or not to purchase Netherfield.”
“But that could have been decided many days ago! Why is he still here?”
And then Mrs. Bennet said, “If you must know, he is courting my daughter Lizzy; that is why he is still here!”
Elizabeth cried out, “Mama, hush!”
Miss Bingley stared at Mrs. Bennet and then began to laugh.
“And what is so very amusing, Miss Bingley?” Mrs. Bennet demanded.
“Why, I assumed you were joking, Mrs. Bennet! Surely Mr. Darcy is not paying court to Miss Eliza!” Her tone was mocking.
Mrs. Hurst murmured, warningly, “Caroline, stop.”
Elizabeth spoke through clenched teeth. “Miss Bingley, you are to call me Miss Bennet, not Miss Eliza.”
“Idobeg your pardon, Miss Bennet.”
Elizabeth, at that moment, reached the end of her patience. “There seems to be a good deal of pardon-begging tonight, Miss Bingley, if you will forgive the observation,” she said.
“I beg your –“
