“I hope you are right. I just want everything to go as we planned, and however much you might like looking into Miss Bennet’s lovely countenance, I do not like the Bennets. Especially Miss Eliza.”
Bingley offered her a sympathetic smile, but there was enough impatience behind it that it made Caroline begin to believe she was fretting for no good reason. After spending three years dreaming of and planning for marriage to Mr Darcy, she just wanted the situation resolved once and for all. Then she would ensure they were married as soon as possible, and she could go about ordering her life to her liking, from redecorating Mr Darcy’s town house to convincing Georgiana she longed to marry Bingley. At present, she felt as though that future, and her happiness, was slipping away from her.
“Is this because Darcy talked to Miss Elizabeth at the Stuarts’ party last night?”
“And at the Longs’ the day he returned from town, and do not forget he danced with her at the assembly! Every time we see that family, he spends more time with her or her father than he does withme! Ever since we came to Hertfordshire, I can barely get him to say five words together to me at the best of times, but he has no trouble speaking to her for hours. He and I used to have such easy, entertaining conversations. At least, I always thought they were agreeable and showed how well we would do as husband and wife. I do not understand what has happened.” She felt tears in her eyes and blinked to stop more from forming. While it was true her initial interest in Mr Darcy was because of his position in life, she had grown to genuinely like him, despite his—at times—overly reticent manner. He had been positively sombre in the weeks before they left town, but she had been certain she could charm him into a better mood once they were at Netherfield. Instead, he had turned to another lady! Why couldshenot be the one to make him smile and laugh?
Her brother moved from his chair to sit beside her. Draping an arm across her shoulders, he kissed her forehead. When he spoke, his voice was soothing.
“You take it too hard. I do not know what he and Miss Elizabeth were saying to each other—and before you ask, yes, I shall try to get it out of him—but Darcy would never develop a real interest in someone like her. If her father was not a gentleman, I would say he was more likely to take her as a mistress than a wife.”
She gasped. “Charles, that is a terrible thing to say!”
He shrugged. “I only meant to make you laugh. Darcy is not that sort of gentleman, as you well know. I promise you, everything I have learnt about Darcy these last few years assures me he would never view a woman like Miss Elizabeth as a possible wife, any more than I would her sister. Beyond their poverty, they have no connexions.”
“Certainly none that will do us any good. They have one uncle in trade, and the other is an attorney in Meryton.” Her upper lip curled in distaste, not so much at the Bennets’ situation in life, but at having to acknowledge that her family had no right to think meanly of men like Mrs Bennet’s brothers. The difference was that the Bennets saw no shame in being connected to those in the lower orders, while Caroline, her sister, and brother were desperate to escape their own unfortunate background. In that light, the last thing they needed was to associate with people like their new neighbours.
“Well, as I said, do not worry about me spending a moment here or there with Miss Bennet.”
“Have you learnt anything we might use to convince Mr Darcy he should avoid that family,herin particular?”
Bingley shook his head. “Miss Bennet speaks of her parents and sisters readily, but I have yet to discern anything useful to your cause. There might be something related to the cousin, Mr Collins, but about him, she will not say much other than they are glad he came to Longbourn as a child, and they pray he soon secures a living. I feel terrible deceiving Miss Bennet. She takes my curiosity to be innocent.” He frowned.
“It is just as well she is confined to the country. Her naivety would do her no favours amongst theton.”
“She is sweet and generous, but do not mistake her. I believe Miss Bennet would do well in society beyond that in Meryton. Rest assured, I wouldneverset aside everything we have planned—especially notfor a lady like her. She has certain attractions, but her position in life is a barrier, even if I had not already selected the girl I shall marry. I have not forgotten the promise I made to our father.”
Caroline sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. Some would say it was wrong of their father to ask his children to make such a vow, but they had accepted it freely. No one had forced Louisa to marry Mr Hurst, and she never expressed regret for the way she had chosen to live up to their father’s expectations. Caroline and her brother were more fortunate, in that Mr and Miss Darcy were pleasant, reasonable people, and they could anticipate contentment in their marriages, if not more. Caroline did not believe she was in love with Mr Darcy, but once they were engaged, she would allow her sentiments for him to blossom into that tender feeling. After several minutes, Caroline, her composure restored and anxiety about her brother set aside, sat up and regarded him.
“Do you know, I was interrogated about our plans last night? I did not expect it, but some of the women were asking about how we have settled in, if we have the house as we would like it, et cetera, all clearly to tell me it was timeweentertainedthem. I made some excuse, and I suggest we continue to put off having a party of any sort for as long as possible. I simply have no interest in wasting our time or money with such endeavours since you do not intend to settle here permanently.”
“I suppose we shall have to eventually, but there is no need to do more than is absolutely necessary to befriend these people.” Bingley pulled out his watch to check the time. “It is half an hour until breakfast. Afterwards, absent yourself, and I shall talk to Darcy, try to discover his true sentiments for the Bennets and talk you up. Perhaps something will come to mind that I can say to slyly suggest the Bennets are not as good as he appears to believe.”
“What an excellent notion! Then I shall re-join you, and together we shall show him how much he prefers our company to that of anyone else. After all, we are his equals and, God willing, soon we shall be his family. The Bennets—”
“Are nothing to us, beyond a bit of company for the two or three months we are at Netherfield Park. Everything will turn out in our favour. You will see.”
CHAPTERSIXTEEN
Darcy returned from his morning ride invigorated but disappointed. By no means did he expect to encounter Miss Elizabeth every morning. In truth, they had met only twice, the second time having only a few minutes together before they had to return to their respective domiciles for the morning meal. After his realisations the evening before, he longed to see her in a different setting, to see if he still felt the same. The rational part of his mind told him it was far too soon to make any definitive decision about her, that there remained obstacles to address, but his heart wanted to be near her and urged him to leap into action and secure her affections, ignoring everything that told him to wait, including that they had not known each other a month.
It was likely just as well their paths had not crossed. They would see each other soon enough, and that morning, he might have said more than he ought. He wondered whether he could explain to anyone else why he found her so special. As soon as he told Fitzwilliam about Miss Elizabeth, his cousin would demand to know.
It is her laugh, the way her eyes show what she is feeling, her generous smile…
Breakfast passed as it usually did. Darcy did his best to take advantage of the array of dishes Miss Bingley ordered, to show his appreciation for her efforts to see to his comfort, but he felt like the amount of food on the sideboard had not appreciably lessened by the end of the meal. As master of the house, such extravagance every day would not be to Darcy’s liking, but Bingley did not seem bothered by it. He slipped into a daydream, imagining how well Miss Elizabeth would suit him as a wife. She would see to his comfort, know as if by instinct what would make him happy, and he would worship her for it.
The sound of his hostess’s voice pulled him out of his reverie.
“If you will excuse me, gentlemen. I must meet with my housekeeper. I expect we shall be at least an hour, after which I have several other important matters to attend to.”
“Nose to the grindstone, eh? You can find me in my study, should you need anything,” Bingley said.
Brother and sister exchanged a look Darcy did not understand, but if he had to speculate, he supposed there was some minor problem with one of the servants. That sort of thing had arisen many times at Pemberley, where, of course, the number of servants was considerably larger than at Netherfield. Darcy was forever thankful to have as competent a housekeeper as he did in Mrs Reynolds. What would Miss Elizabeth be like as mistress, he wondered? No doubt, she would be kind and gentle in her guidance and fair in her judgments. The servants would love her within a month of her taking up her duties.
Darcy shook himself out of yet another waking dream. He reminded himself again that it was the height of folly to decide in favour of marrying Elizabeth Bennet.
I must treat her as a friend only, and take the next weeks to know her better, as well as her family. Only with greater familiarity shall I know whether a union between us is wise. It takes more than affection to make a happy, successful marriage.He could not allow his emotions to make him forget there were other considerations, including the position of her uncles.
