“It is none of your business, Caroline,” he told her, sternly.
“But you were gone for two entire days. There must have been a reason!” she insisted.
It occurred to Mr. Bingley, then, that Caroline could become an unwitting ally in the Bennets’ campaign. “If you must know, Caroline, I traveled to Brighton to visit with Miss Lydia Bennet.”
“Lydia Bennet? But whatever for? I understand she did not even attend her mother’s funeral!”
“That is very true, Caroline, and it is because she was too ill to get up from her bed. Mr. Bennet was ready to go by post to see how his youngest fared, but I offered to go in his stead.”
Caroline stared at him. “I cannot imagine Miss Lydia received any comfort from seeing you, rather than her father.”
“No, but I bore many letters from her family as well as her favourite muffins from Mrs. Hill, and that brought her comfort.” He would have to remember to tell these details to the Bennets.
“All this is in service of wooing the lovely Miss Bennet, I take it?” Mr. Hurst put in, unexpectedly.
“Yes, exactly. She was not at all pleased with me for deserting her as I did last winter, and it will require considerable effort to earn her favour.”
Caroline made a sound that could only be described as disbelieving, but Mr. Bingley chose to ignore it. Instead, he stared at her hard. “I take it you have not yet paid a condolence call to the Bennets, Caroline.”
“No.”
“But you claimed to be Miss Bennet’s friend, did you not? And did she not visit you in London?” Mr. Bingley persisted.
“Oh! I do not recall; do you, Louisa?” Caroline’s eyes opened wide and she then turned to Louisa.
Mr. Bingley watched his two sisters communicate silently, and decided to cut it short. “There is no point in lying, ladies; Miss Elizabeth told me that Miss Bennet visited you in London and, after some weeks, you returned the call. I note that you did not mention either visit to me.”
“Now, Charles,” Caroline said. “You know that we were trying to protect you from her.”
“I do not recall asking you to protect me.”
“We were only trying to –“
“Just stop, Caroline. Stop. It is enough. And I expect you both to visit the Bennets this week to express your sorrow for Mrs. Bennet’s passing.”
Both Caroline and Louisa took the hint and remained silent for the remainder of the meal.
***
The next day, as soon as it was polite to do so, Mr. Bingley went to Longbourn. He was welcomed warmly by Mrs. Hill and led into the drawing room.
“Oh, Mr. Bingley, you have returned. Was your visit – um, successful?” Elizabeth asked at once.
“It was.” He smiled at her.
“I shall get Papa,” she said, and rose at once.
Mr. Bennet joined his daughters in the drawing room a minute later. “Well, Mr. Bingley? No need to keep us in suspense, I think.”
“No need at all,” Mr. Bingley replied promptly. “The Forsters are both eager to cooperate; in fact, Mrs. Forster penned this letter for you to show around. Oh, actually, I have two letters here. One is the letter that Miss Lydia left for Mrs. Forster; the other is the letter that I just described.” He took both letters from his coat pocket and handed them to Mr. Bennet.
“Have you read them?” Mr. Bennet asked.
“I read the one that Miss Lydia wrote, but only because Mrs. Forster insisted that I do so. I have not read the other; it is, as you see, addressed to you.”
Mr. Bennet nodded his thanks and first opened the letter that Lydia had written.
“Papa?” Jane said.
