“If Reginald requires a distraction, then let us send him off to collect Darcy and bring him back to London and back to his senses, if that is at all possible!”
“Excellent plan,” the Earl agreed.
Chapter Forty-Five
Mr. Darcy dropped his letter onto his plate as if it had caught on fire. He stared down at it as grease spots from his buttered toast began to appear on the paper.
“Mr. Darcy?” Miss Bingley’s voice roused him from his shock. “Are you well, sir?”
“Quite well, Miss Bingley,” he said, rescuing the paper from his plate. “Merely rather surprised.”
As quickly as manners allowed, he finished his breakfast and raced up to his room. How in earth? He stared at the fireplace. He had burned his letter up, had he not? He distinctly recalled throwing it into the fire! But quite evidently, it had not made it as far as the fire itself, but had sat on the hearth, doubtless to be picked up by a chambermaid who had quite naturally assumed it had fallen from his desk.
For he had sealed it and even addressed it, as if he would actually send such a piece of – ofmaudlin nonsenseto his far too young and impressionable sister! Oh, Lord! What now?
He sat and immediately dashed off another letter.
Dearest Georgiana,
My sincerest apologies – that letter you received – all that romantic folderol about tingling fingers and what not –was actually destined for the fire and found its way to you entirely by accident.
No, no, I am not in love with anyone, and certainly not with an unimportant country lass with no dowry and no connections whatever. It was late, and I was tired, and I wrote without thinking.
I beg you to ignore that letter completely. You know me better than to believe I would experience such things as racing heartbeats and the like!
Your entirely level-headed brother,
William
Returning downstairs with the letter in hand, he put the letter very carefully, very deliberately, on the salver holding the outgoing mail before returning to the breakfast room, where the Hursts had now joined the Bingleys. Everyone looked up as he entered, sat, and motioned to the footman to refill his cup. “I think I will abstain from visiting the Bennets today,” he said.
Miss Bingley, glad to know that Mr. Darcy was not eager to be in Miss Elizabeth’s company, leaned forward and said, rather eagerly, “Indeed, Mr. Darcy. Perhaps we would all benefit from a brief absence.”
Mr. Bingley said, hesitantly, “Perhaps I should not see either Miss Bennet or Miss Elizabeth again until I have quite made up my mind about the situation. But, Darcy, I count on you to not block my progress with either lady. For we both know you to be a far better prospect than I.”
Mr. Darcy mumbled agreement.
Chapter Forty-Six
The next day saw Kitty and Lydia throwing the grandmother of all fits upon being made to understand that there would be no new gowns or ribbons for Mary’s wedding. Indeed, Mary herself would wear her best gown and would remake a bonnet for her wedding day.
“Did you not understand?” Jane had asked, in a rare display of anger. “There is no money! No! Money! None! Do you understand now?”
Kitty and Lydia had burst into tears and then ran upstairs and slammed their door so hard that the entire house shook.
Not long after, Charlotte Lucas came to call. “You find us rather dispirited today, I am afraid,” Elizabeth told Charlotte, as she handed her friend a teacup. The tea was rather weak, as the leaves were now being used many times before being relegated to sweeping the floor.
“What is wrong?” Charlotte asked. She was tempted to refuse the tea, but did not wish to insult her friends.
“Kitty and Lydia are just now beginning to understand the repercussions of our situation. No, Jane, it is all right; I have already unburdened myself to Charlotte,” she added, as Jane began to raise her brows. “But there is more, Charlotte.”
“Is it about the dinner last night at Netherfield? I am certain Mrs. Hurst served a fine dinner,” Charlotte replied.
“Oh, she did, indeed. But – well, we are a little confused with respect to Mr. Bingley.”
Charlotte smiled. “Say no more; let me guess! Mr. Bingley took one look at Jane and changed his allegiance at once.”
Elizabeth managed to smile. “It feels that way. But Mama is insistent on having him propose to me, not to Jane.”
