Page 14 of Miss Bingley’s Return

“It is an invitation, Lizzy, and one she promised before we came to London. There is no need to examine it until we have more context.”

“That is proper, Jane,” agreed Mrs. Gardiner. “Just remember that the timing of this invitation is far too precise to be accidental.”

The observation lingered with them both, though they did not speak of it again. Elizabeth had suspected something amiss from the moment Miss Bingley appeared unbidden in Longbourn’s sitting-room. Now, she could see that Jane had begun to wonder about it herself.

Darcy had no thought of refusing Miss Bingley’s invitation to her evening soiree. What he could not determine was what she wanted from him.

Only two months before, they had joined in persuading Bingley from returning to Netherfield. Now, Miss Bennet was in London by Miss Bingley’s invitation, Miss Elizabeth had accompanied her sister, and Darcy found himself in a curious position. What was Miss Bingley’s game? If she meant to push Miss Bennet and her brother together, did she have a role she meant Darcy to play?

That last thought provoked an exasperated shake of Darcy’s head. Darcy had no appreciation for disguise of any sort, and Miss Bingley was a woman for whom concealment was second nature. The reason for her change of heart was unknown to him. Miss Bingley could push her brother toward Miss Bennet as much as she liked, but if she expected Darcy to lie on her behalf, she had misread his character.

There were already several in attendance by the time Darcy walked into the room the evening of Miss Bingley’s event, though the Bennet sisters had not yet arrived. Servants circulated the room, offering refreshments, candles flickered in their sconces, the fire in the hearth radiating cheery warmth. As Darcy was friendly with most of those in the room, he joined their conversations easily. The cheeriest greeting was, of course, that offered by Bingley.

“My friend,” said Bingley, clasping his hand, “thank you for joining us this evening.”

Bingley glanced about, noted that his sister was nowhere near, and leaned in. “I know Caroline can be exhausting sometimes.”

“Not at all, Bingley,” replied Darcy. After fixing his friend with a searching look, he added: “It is a momentous evening and curious, do you not think?”

Frowning, Bingley said: “To what do you refer, Darcy? It is an evening party much like any other. There is nothing of significance to which I am privy.”

Either his friend was dissembling, or there was another explanation. True to Bingley’s garrulous nature, his friend was soon chatting about a party he had attended the previous week, and as Darcy was in the habit of letting his friend talk and making only minimal response, it left Darcy free to observe the room. What struck him was that other than himself, Miss Bingley had curated attendance to intimate friends, but those who were not higher in consequence. The question remaining in his mind was what she meant to accomplish and why she had accepted Miss Bennet after previously rejecting her.

It was because Bingley tended to dominate conversation that Darcy saw his reaction to the Bennet sisters when they stepped into the room. He had been relating some anecdote that he found amusing, given his laughter, when he paused, his eyes bulging out, as the pair of young ladies stepped into the room. That confirmed Darcy’s conjecture that his sister had not informed him of the ladies’ attendance, or even their presence in London.

“Jane! Eliza!” exclaimed Miss Bingley, approaching them at once. “How wonderful it is to see you! Come, I shall introduce you.”

Bingley, never slow of thought, watched them for a few moments, then he turned to Darcy, his shock turning to accusation.

“You knew that Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth were to attend tonight.”

“I suspected,” said Darcy.

Suspicious, Bingley stared at him. “Please explain.”

“There is nothing mysterious about it, Bingley,” said Darcy as if it mattered little. “A few days ago, I was on Bond Street when I happened upon the Miss Bennets.”

“Darcy,” said Bingley, holding to his patience by the fingertips, “there is something you are not telling me.”

“I am not trying to hide anything, Bingley,” replied Darcy. “The Miss Bennets mentioned meeting your sister. It was no great stretch to suppose that Miss Bingley would invite them.”

While Bingley mulled this over, Darcy considered what he had said. Of course, he knew more of the situation: that Miss Bingley had suggested they come to London, had made a journey to Hertfordshire to persuade them. As Darcy was unaware of her motivation, he did not think it proper to tell Bingley that. Let Bingley approach his sister and learn the truth. This was not disguise—it was prudence.

Like Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth understood the moment they stepped into the room that Mr. Bingley had known nothing of their attendance. The reason for his sister’s omission was a question for which she had no answer, so she pushed that to the side for the moment. As Miss Bingley greeted them and began taking them around the room, offering introductions to her friends, Elizabeth watched Mr. Bingley.

“Jane and Eliza are friends from Hertfordshire,” said Miss Bingley more than once. “Their father is the proprietor of an estate bordering Charles’s property.”

Most of those present were welcoming, but their questions, though asked with an air of polite interest, were probing. Miss Baker was calm yet pleasant, Mr. Harrington friendly, though his eyes lingered on Jane, while Mr. and Mrs. Davidson were restrained and friendly. There were several others, but Elizabeth forgot names after a few moments. Some, Elizabeth suspected, were interested in genuine friendship, but she sensed a few looked on them with a more predatory or defensive eye. Then, before Elizabeth thought either were ready, they stood before Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy.

“Miss Bennet,” said Mr. Bingley, “how wonderful it is to see you.”

“Mr. Bingley,” said Jane, curtseying in greeting. “We have been in London for some days now.”

“And you knew about their coming?” asked Mr. Bingley of his sister.

“I did,” confessed Miss Bingley without hesitation. “Perhaps I erred, but I thought Miss Bennet’s arrival tonight would be a wonderful surprise for you.”

The way Mr. Bingley regarded her, Elizabeth did not think he believed her. But he was a well-bred man—he declined to pursue the subject and turned back to Jane, meeting her in conversation.