“I have heard all about everything you said. ‘I rather wonder at your knowing any accomplished women,’ you said. You said, ‘Mr. Darcy has no defect. He owns it himself.’”
“These were all jests,” said Elizabeth. “They were not… there was nosparring.”
“But you hated him, because he had rejected you at the ball, had ridiculed you. You hated him enough that you turned down his marriage proposal, and—”
“Stop it, Jane,” said Elizabeth, who could not bear to hear recriminations from elsewhere that sounded like the recriminations she gave herself.
“I am sorry,” said Jane, shaking her head. “It does not matter, anyway, because I am not going to argue with you about it. The fact remains that you are sometimes thoughtless, that you do not always think things through before you act. And that I can see how you could have gotten yourself into some kind of wretched situation like this, even though you would not have meant to do so.”
Elizabeth realized that her sister did not, in fact, believe her.
She also realized that she and Jane had been separated for the better part of eight months. Jane had been in London, hoping in vain for the attention of Mr. Bingley, being rejected by Caroline, and living with that sort of disappointment. What had that done to Jane, in the end? How had it colored her opinion of others? Had she lost some of her optimism, some of her belief in the goodness of everyone?
They had been together only for a few weeks in May before Elizabeth had gone off to Brighton and then Jane had gone with the Gardiners. If Jane’s essential personality had changed, Elizabeth might not have seen it.
“We shall go tomorrow to speak to Caroline,” said Jane. “And you are my beloved sister, and I shall make sure that we find some solution for you, something that spares your reputation and the family’s. And I trust that Charles will find a way to quiet Caroline if necessary.”
CHAPTER FOUR
“AS IT HAPPENS, it may be fortuitous,” Caroline said the next morning.
It was very early in the morning, on the road near Netherfield. The sun had only recently risen, and the bright rays turned the sky orange in the east. It was still warm in the morning, early September, but the world had not yet been overtaken with an autumnal chill.
Jane and Elizabeth regarded the other woman, who had a bright expression on her face, almost cheery.
“What do you mean?” said Jane. “Fortuitous in that you can end this association between myself and your brother? For let us not pretend any longer, Miss Bingley. I have known since last spring that you do not hold me in high regard.”
“Oh, Jane,” said Caroline. She smiled. “I may call you Jane, mayn’t I? For we are to be sisters.”
“Are we?” said Jane pointedly.
“Let us walk,” said Caroline, gesturing for them to follow her.
They walked, the sunrise at their backs, the warmth on their necks, on their shoulders.
“It is not your fault that your entire family is embarrassing, Jane,” said Caroline, laughing. “I have said it since the beginning, that you are a very sweet girl, but that everyone else amongst the Bennets is maddeningly improper. I have facedarguments from certain gentlemen not to include you in that statement, Eliza, but I suppose we have our answer now, do we not? You are the least proper of them all.”
Elizabeth said nothing. She wished that there was someone here to defend her, but she would not defend herself. She would wait to see what it was that Caroline was about. What was fortuitous? Why would she say that?
Caroline continued speaking. “As for the marriage itself, no, I do not wish to derail it anymore. It hardly matters. The letter, though, it did give me an idea. About Louisa.”
“About Mrs. Hurst?” said Elizabeth.
“Mr. Hurst was in an unfortunate accident some time ago when he fell from a horse. His leg was injured, and that healed, but there was damage elsewhere, and he has decided it is down to that damage as to why he cannot father a child on Louisa,” said Caroline. “When I read your letter about this Mrs. Jacoby, who was in a similar situation, I thought, ‘What a novel idea, getting someone else to have a babe for you.’” She turned to smile at Elizabeth. “And here you are, in just the right state for such an endeavor.” She looked at Jane. “And your aunt has already procured a cottage for our use in Lambton. What a perfect location.”
Elizabeth understood. Lambton was close to Pemberley. Caroline still had her sights set on Mr. Darcy. “You’ll wish to be there with me and your sister. And you’ll call on Miss Darcy, I suppose. You did go on and on about how much you admired her.”
“There are a number of advantageous elements to the proposition,” said Caroline, nodding at Elizabeth. “I’m sure your aunt will agree? And I’m sure she’ll be pleased and relieved not to have to travel so far to give birth to her babe. It will just be me, and you, and Louisa.”
Elizabeth could not think of a worse way to spend the time she was growing heavy with child than to spend it with Caroline Bingley and her sister. Caroline certainly hated her, as Jane had said, and Louisa held no real love for her either. She did not wish to give her child to Louisa Hurst either.
She almost burst out with all of this, but then she thought of what her sister had said to her last night, that she was impulsive, that she did not think things through, that she did not think enough of how her actions might damage others. She said nothing at all, instead.
“This is why you asked us to come here?” said Jane. “Truly?”
Caroline turned to look at Jane. “You must not think I am some ogre, Jane, trying to destroy you at every turn.”
“This is so very perfect,” said Jane. “This is wondrous. It is the best thing that could happen for Lizzy.”
