After Elizabeth said she would, Mrs Gardiner continued. “Let us have done with the subject and return to enjoying our outing.”
“What an excellent notion, my dear aunt. The sun is shining, I shall soon be married to the most excellent of men, one who is wise enough to have a delightful sister and other charming relations to offer me—in addition to the not insignificant gift of his heart and hand!”
She looked over her shoulder at Miss Darcy and Miss Reed and winked. Miss Reed joined Elizabeth and Mrs Gardiner in laughing, and Miss Darcy went so far as to smile and look like she wanted to laugh too.
* * *
Caroline was startled by her brother’s languid air when she entered the drawing room. He sat low in a chair, his legs stretched in front of him, his coat and neckcloth removed. Everything about him suggested he was miserable, and alarm shot through her. Nothing was going well for them of late. Mr Hurst had discovered that she and Louisa were meeting, and his anger was such that Louisa had told Caroline it was better that they avoid each other for the next two or three months at least. People she had considered friends were no longer as welcoming. Mr Darcy might not have spoken against her or Bingley, but word must have got about that they were no longer on speaking terms. Mr Hurst might also have shared his low opinion of them with his friends. Caroline was afraid her brother had yet more bad news.
“What has happened?” She sat across from him.
“I had the pleasure of seeing Miss Elizabeth Bennet today.” He cursed before telling her about the encounter. “I thought she would listen to me, that she would have enough kindness in her for that. Miss Bennet would have.SheI could have convinced to talk to Darcy for me, but not Miss Elizabeth. I just need five minutes to explain to him! Is that asking too much?” He punched the chair’s arm.
“There is not an ounce of goodness in her!” Caroline shook her head. “Perhaps I should not say that. I am sure she hates you for—as she sees it—abandoning her sister.”
For the first time since she entered the room, Bingley looked directly at her. “She and Darcy are engaged.”
Tears pooled in Caroline’s eyes. He reached across to her, clasping her hand briefly.
“I suppose I am not surprised. Did I not see his interest in her, almost since the day they first met? For his sake, I hope he does not regret it.” she said.
“That is good of you. You will find someone else, a gentleman more worthy of you than Darcy ever was.”
She shrugged, and they sat in silence for a while. At the moment, she had no heart for considering potential husbands, but she must rally herself to do just that. Bingley was more fortunate.Hecould put off marriage; Caroline was almost one-and-twenty, and knew that with each passing year, her chances to make the sort of match she wanted would lessen. It galled her that Elizabeth Bennet, whom she had never thought well of, was the cause of her disappointed hopes; that an insignificant country miss had ruined her plans to make a brilliant marriage.
There was little Caroline could do about it; she was wise enough to know that she had lost Mr Darcy forever. However, the thought occurred to her that she might be able to cause a bit of mischief. It might have little effect in the end, but there was no harm in trying to damage Miss Eliza’s smug happiness.
I shall make her question Mr Darcy. He will be angry, perhaps enough that they separate. I know that is unlikely. He is too honourable to withdraw from an engagement, but how I shall laugh if they marry while at odds with each other. Mr Wickham will help me, in a manner of speaking. I do not know the whole of their history, but he and Mr Darcy were intimate friends as children and had a terrible falling out. Mr Darcy was practically furious when someone mentioned his name at that soirée last year. The Hendersons’, was it? That does not signify. A letter to Miss Bennet will do the trick.
“What do you think of leaving town, at least for a few months?” she said aloud. When her brother’s expression asked her to explain, she continued. “I do not think it does us any good to remain. Our dear brother—I feel ill just saying those words—is making his displeasure with Louisa and us plain, and everyone will be talking about Darcy and his marriage. That is bound to make it evident that we are no longer friends, and I suspect we would be fortunate if Mr Darcy did not cut us, should we meet. Even his lack of warmth towards us will be gossiped about. It could ruin our chances of making the sorts of marriages that would have made Papa proud. It might be easier for us to find new acquaintances elsewhere. The Darcys were perfectly suited to our needs, but there are other ladies and gentlemen who will do well enough. We might go to Bath, perhaps, or Brighton. There we can…begin anew.”
Bingley ran his hands over his face. “I suppose you are correct. Very well. I shall make the arrangements.”
CHAPTERFIFTY-SEVEN
Darcy wanted to be with Elizabeth every waking moment. That being impossible, he manufactured occasions for them to meet every day, even if just for an hour. They often went out with his family, and she spent additional time with Georgiana. It gave him immense pleasure to see Elizabeth and his relations befriending each other. He had known they would like her, known she would slip into his life as though an empty spot had been waiting for her and she had, at long last, come to claim it.
Fortunately, the notes from Bingley stopped, and Darcy did not encounter him, his sisters, or Hurst. Several people enquired why they did not see Darcy in company with the Bingleys, but he brushed aside the questions, hoping he would never have to make good his vow to ruin his erstwhile friends in the eyes of society. In a few years, he might be able to treat them with civility, should they happen to be in the same place at the same time, but currently, it was better if his good manners were not tested.
One matter worried him. What would he do when Bingley and his sister set their scheming eyes on other eligible targets? Should he warn the innocent parties involved or was it none of his concern? Would he be viewed as a mean-spirited gossip or thanked for sharing his knowledge and experience? Trusting his future wife’s opinion more than his own, he resolved to discuss it with her.
He was able to raise the issue the day before they returned to Hertfordshire. The weather was fair, which encouraged them to partake of the open air. Georgiana and he were calling at Gracechurch Street, and they walked in a nearby park, accompanied by Mrs Gardiner, her children, and their nurse. His sister delighted in the company of the young Gardiners, leaving Elizabeth and Darcy to stroll ahead of the others. To his surprise, Elizabeth mentioned Bingley before he could. She told him about speaking to him at a warehouse.
“The effrontery! To approach you at all was bad enough, but—”
“Yes, Darcy, I agree.”
Her voice was calm and soothing, and he took several deep breaths to cool his agitation. “He ought to have known better.”
“Again, I agree. Now, will you stop grumbling long enough for me to tell you what I said?” He gave a curt nod, and she continued. “I was as clear as I could be in a public setting that his and his sister’s behaviour was disgusting, and I would never accept that their motivations were just. I believe he was quite shocked. I do not say I convinced him to leave us alone, but it might give him pause.”
“I doubt it will, but a reminder that I shall not hesitate to spread the truth about his family will. I intended to talk to you about them. An issue has been worrying me, and I require your opinion.” Wanting to be done with the subject, he told her, using as few words as possible.
She nibbled on her lip and looked into the distance, only speaking after a long pause.
“I do not think we should keep quiet. It did not occur to me, but could you or Jane stand aside and watch them injure an innocent person the way they did you? I could not. When weighed against the harm of keeping silent, the discomforts of talking about our experiences are not ones we would find so difficult to bear. Imagine how disastrous knowing them could have been for us and how glad we would have been if only someone could have warned us!”
Hurst might have. Darcy had never liked the man and would refuse to acknowledge him henceforth.
