CHAPTER NINETEEN
CAROLINE WAS POSITIVELYscandalized. “Youarein there. Bessie said you were, that you’d been seen going in and that you had not come out, and I said that you would not do such a thing in your grandmother’s bedchamber of all places.”
Mr. Darcy grimaced. Odd how he had not contemplated that until now. He shut the door behind himself. “Not here, and not so loud. I won’t have you waking her.” He walked off down the hallway.
Caroline scurried after him. “Well, what are you about, then? I suppose she is your mistress now, and there is no getting around that, but may we tell this to people when we leave? What should we say about our time here? And may we not go now? You don’t think to keep us here, do you? I daresay it might be a relief for you, to see us go?”
He kept walking. “I don’t have time for you, Miss Bingley. I am taking Elizabeth to Scotland. We shall leave as soon as possible.”
“Scotland?” Caroline’s voice was very high-pitched. “But you cannot be serious. You cannot marry her now.”
He stopped and fixed her with a gaze. “That thing you told me, I wish to be certain you will never repeat that.”
“What are you speaking of?”
“That thing about Mr. Wickham,” said Mr. Darcy. “All of it. You will swear to me that you will never breathe a word of such a thing to anyone else.”
“Oh,” she said.
“Not only for my sake and for the future Mrs. Darcy’s sake, but most especially for the sake of the child.Mychild. I shall not have anyone saying anything that will cast doubt on my child’s parentage, do you understand?”
Caroline shook her head. “Well, it won’t matter, Mr. Darcy. Everyone knows where you have been all summer, and that you were in London and then you came directly back to Pemberley in late July, and that you have been here ever since. And everyone knows Miss Bennet was in Brighton. So, for that child to be yours would have taken some kind of miracle, I think. And it won’t matter what I say, people will talk. And anyone who knows Miss Bennet will know that she was associated with Mr. Wickham in Meryton—”
“She was not associated with him,” said Mr. Darcy.
“She was indeed. When I was back there for my brother’s wedding, everyone talked of it, how she followed the regiment to Brighton, and they all said they thought Mr. Wickham would have asked for her hand in the springtime. That was how much they were associated.”
He sighed heavily. “And you are saying this to me, because of what?”
“Well, by her own admission, Mr. Darcy, she would not tell anyone about it being Mr. Wickham because she knew no one would believe her ridiculous story that he drugged her and forced himself on her. She knew it was a ludicrous story, but she told it anyway.”
“Or,” he countered, “it was true, and she knew it didn’t sound true. No one makes up a ludicrous story, Miss Bingley,and thinks to pass it off as truth. Everyone realizes it will not be believed. If a person is going to lie, they make up a good story.”
She thought that through and furrowed her brow, seemingly confused. “I suppose,” she said finally. “Anyway, he was rumored to be engaged to a woman name Miss King at one point, as I understand. Miss Bennet was rumored to have been heartbroken at the news.”
He did not care about this. He had suspicions, anyway, because of the vehemence with with she had defended Mr. Wickham on a few occasions, but most especially during his proposal. She must have had some attachment to him at some point, but it did not matter, not anymore.
The man was dead, and he would not be jealous of a dead man.
Besides, Elizabeth clearly hated him now. He would not be drawn into this. He refused to do so. Anyway, if it came down to it, Mr. Darcy himself had loved Wickham once. Wickham was charming and pleasant and they had been companions on a number of occasions. Darcy knew that Georgiana had looked up to Wickham like an elder brother, that she had never expected to be ravaged by him. Darcy knew Wickham could play a role.
“You don’t really believe that she did not want it, do you?” said Caroline.
“Of course I do,” he said.
“Well, Mr. Darcy, this is precisely why you should not be thinking of marrying her,” said Caroline. “You are blinded by your desire. You must allow me to tell you everything I know.”
“You don’t still think that there’s some chance you can worm your way into my affections, do you, Miss Bingley?” He was crueler about it than he perhaps should have been, but she rather deserved it, he had to say. And to think, Elizabeth said Caroline was worried about his retribution. Why continue to provoke him, then, with this sort of talk?
“I am only thinking of you, sir. Marrying this woman will be a scandal. You will weather it, of course, but there will be talk. People will be horrified. It will not look good for you or your family.”
“So, what do you think I should do?” He raised his eyebrows at her.
“Well, I don’t know,” she said. “But she is already your mistress, I suppose there’s little reason to make her anything else, is there?”
“And what? Marry you?” He sneered it.
She licked her lips. “Well, I suppose you hate me.”
