by P A Hill
“You must tell be about Rosings and of Charlotte. I hope she is happy.”
“Later Jane we will talk of many things, but first I believe there is good news for you. Mr. Bingley will soon return to Netherfield.”
Elizabeth watched as Jane began to cry as she tried to catch her breath, for this was the best news she had heard for months and it came as a surprise.
“Please forgive me, Lizzy, but I never expected this. Mr. Bingley never answered any of my letters and never got back in touch with me when I went to visit his sisters in town during January. Since then I have been certain he was no longer interested in me. Perhaps he is not interested. Maybe he is just coming to do some hunting. Is he coming with his sisters?”
“No, he is returning with Colonel Fitzwilliam, who is Mr. Darcy's cousin. I met him at Rosings and he is a very amicable man. He said Mr. Darcy has business in town.”
“How was Mr. Darcy and did he have much to say? Neither of us received any news from Mr. Bingley or Mr. Darcy. What did he have to say about departing Netherfield the day after the ball?”
“He said little about that but you will have to ask these questions of Mr. Bingley. Perhaps he never sent you any letters or maybe they were intercepted and never sent, and perhaps your letters were kept from him. We will find out what this is about.”
“Lizzy, you never seemed to be worried when the friends left Netherfield. Did it not bother you that Mr. Darcy never wrote to you?”
“It was no problem for me. We did not have a relationship like you and Mr. Bingley and I never wrote to him when he returned to town. You know I did not like him when he was at Netherfield.”
“You say you did not like him those months ago, but has your opinion of him changed since then?”
“At Rosings I saw him in a different light and I am beginning to understand him better. My opinion of him has changed for the positive.”
“Lizzy, did you miss him when he left, and were you happy when you first saw him at Rosings?”
“Yes, I did miss his company when he left Netherfield, but the main reason was that when I was near him I was usually near you and his friend. I did miss our little conversations and some of the things we did as two couples. Still, I hope he visits Netherfield soon. Jane, when I first came upon him at Rosings I noticed that he had lost much weight and his dark eyes looked tired as though he had things weighing heavy on his mind. He looked as if he had a difficult time sleeping but he acted excited to see me and even smiled at me several times and indeed he and I spent much time in each other’s company.”
“He smiled at you! Lizzy, this is so unlike him but perhaps he missed your good company if he smiled at you other times as well.”
Elizabeth had escaped her sister without telling of Darcy's proposal and without telling a fib. She had enjoyed most of her walks with him and he had been kind to her and civil too as he inquired as to her family's health. Darcy had been a good listener around her and managed to keep his countenance in check better than she during his proposal.
After dinner Elizabeth left to speak with her father. Elizabeth was her father’s favorite and he considered her to be more intelligent than the others and fancied that his second daughter and he were much alike.
“Come in Lizzy,” he said after Elizabeth knocked on his door. “We are all very glad to see you back home Lizzy, and now I shall have some sanity at Longbourn. I do hope your visit to see Mrs. Collins and the others was worth the agony you put your old papa through in this latest adventure of yours.”
“My visit went very well and I can say I met with Mr. Darcy and told him of Jane’s and my displeasure that they quit Netherfield the day after the ball last November. Apparently he took notice and told his friend and now Mr. Bingley will return to Netherfield.”
“Than you have done a commendable job, Lizzy, and I suspect we will learn much more once Jane and Mr. Bingley meet. He is not returning just to hunt, is he?”
“No papa, he is returning with Mr. Darcy’s older cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam. He will be here but a short time but wanted to see Hertfordshire. Mr. Darcy is busy in town on business.”
“I do not know about all of this, Lizzy. Mr. Bingley broke your sister’s heart when he left and there was no word of explanation from him or his friend for why they left the way they did. Let us wait and see what he has to say. At least you will not have to be bothered by Mr. Darcy. I assume he is unchanged from what we knew of him earlier.”
“In essentials he is much the same man, but I have learned more about him when I was at Rosings and I believe for the most part that I may have misjudged his character.”
Mr. Bennet listened intently as Elizabeth told of what Darcy had confided about George Wickham and about his warning to her and her family about the man.
“This is very unpleasant news, Lizzy, but is very helpful and timely as well. Your youngest two sisters can think and talk of nothing but the officers and Lydia speaks of nothing but George Wickham. After you have told me these things about him, I will keep close reins on Lydia and Kitty, though Kitty does nothing unless she is following Lydia.”
“I had hoped you would be receptive to this news papa and I promise to keep you informed of what I learn from Jane or the others about why Mr. Bingley has returned and his reasons for leaving last November.”
***
Two days later Mr. Bingley’s coach arrived at Netherfield and Bingley and Colonel Fitzwilliam went inside the great house. That evening after a fine dinner the men retired to the study for some brandy and good conversation.
“Bingley,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said, “this is a lovely home and your staff seem to be very good at maintaining Netherfield. Do you think you will visit Longbourn the morrow?”
“Yes, I do and I hope you come along with me. Miss Elizabeth will be there and the other Bennet sisters as well. Darcy hinted that you may be engaging in some reconnaissance surrounding Miss Bennet and the others.”
“That is so. He wants me to determine if she really hates him and why.”
“I can answer those two questions but I will leave that mission for you to conduct. As for me, I always thought that deep down inside, Miss Elizabeth cares for my friend. Perhaps he wants to determine if this is the case before he makes a fool of himself and proposes.”
“Darcy is much too cautious and would not do such a thing unless he is violently in love with her, but I do believe he cares for her.”
It had been a long day and the colonel went to bed at midnight and Bingley an hour after that. Late the next morning the two friends rode over to Longbourn and Kitty spotted them from the window.
“Look Jane, he is here. Mr. Bingley has come and he has another man with him, but I have not seen him before.”
Mrs. Bennet hurried her daughters into the drawing room and Mrs. Hill next announced the arrival of the two gentlemen. Bows and curtseys were performed but most eyes were on Mr. Bingley and Jane as each appeared exceedingly nervous. Elizabeth spoke with each of the gentlemen and asked the colonel how Mr. Darcy was doing. To Colonel Fitzwilliam, Elizabeth’s question seemed to be sincere and he detected no ill feelings on her part.
“Lizzy,” her mother said, “why ask of Mr. Darcy when his cousin has come? Be polite Lizzy.”
The two gentlemen watched as Elizabeth colored from embarrassment but Colonel Fitzwilliam came to Elizabeth’s aid. “Mrs. Bennet,” he said, “after meeting your lovely daughter at Rosings, I had to visit Netherfield with my friends and later meet your family. Your daughter said you were very pretty and now I can report that all of your daughters share your good looks. My cousin agreed with my assessment and encouraged me to come into Hertfordshire.”
After his kind words Mrs. Bennet thought Colonel Fitzwilliam was the best of men and she looked at Elizabeth and smiled at her compliment. Soon the colonel and Elizabeth caught each other smiling at his innocent fib which livened up the room just in time for tea. After the tea, Jane and Bingley and Elizabeth and Darcy’s cousin went for
a walk in the gardens and Elizabeth and the colonel gave the others much separation to discuss their business in private.
Colonel Fitzwilliam was all proper and respectful and clever as he worked to discover Elizabeth’s feelings, and he knew he was onto something when he saw her eyes light up whenever he discussed things about his younger cousin. Her interest in hearing stories of Darcy and her many questions of him convinced him she did have strong feelings for Darcy. Once he said he was not certain if Darcy would ever return to Netherfield. He watched as this news affected Elizabeth a great deal and he could see her look of hurt and even saw a tear well up. In little time Colonel Fitzwilliam had answered the question that would give his cousin a chance with this extraordinary woman. There was something else that he sensed about Elizabeth and he believed she had some regrets regarding his cousin, and he wondered what they might be.
“Colonel Fitzwilliam, I thank you for your compliment to my mother and to my sisters and me. It is not often that my mother gets compliments and her hearing that I said these things must improve her opinion of me.”
“I thought I heard you say these things Miss Elizabeth, but I know that my cousin has spoken of your beauty and that of your sisters and your mother. I am happy to make these compliments for there is much beauty at Longbourn.”
“It seems as if Mr. Bingley thinks so. Jane is so happy to see him again but my father is suspicious of why he and Mr. Darcy left so unkindly those months ago.”
Bingley and Jane walked for over two hours before the men took their leave and returned to Netherfield.
“Well,” said Elizabeth, “did he explain things?”
“Oh Lizzy, he said he just found out that his sisters were keeping my letters away from him and kept his letters from being sent to me. After learning of this he told them and Mr. Hurst to leave his home at once. He also said that the very day he found out about the letters, Mr. Darcy arrived from Rosings and met with him. Darcy told him that he had spoken with you at Rosings and that you had convinced him that his assessment of my feelings for his friend were wrong and he apologized for his interference.”
“Oh my, I do remember speaking of you and Mr. Bingley but this is startling news, and welcomed news too.”
“Lizzy, he said Darcy was very upset and looked despondent. I cannot understand whatever would cause him to feel that way, Lizzy. He is a man who has everything, yet he is unhappy and even told Mr. Bingley that he had a lot to learn about love. Mr. Bingley said he hopes his friend will visit Longbourn soon but his cousin is not certain that he will.”
“I suppose we will learn more about Mr. Darcy later, but what are Mr. Bingley’s plans now that he has returned?”
“He told me he will speak with our father the morrow when he and Colonel Fitzwilliam return. Oh, Lizzy, Mr. Bingley said he has always loved me and was deeply hurt that I did not answer his letters. I am so glad that Caroline and her sister have been exposed for what they are. Perhaps Mr. Darcy may return to Netherfield now that Mr. Bingley’s sisters will be in town. Would you wish to see him again, Lizzy?”
Elizabeth did not reply but her smile told Jane of her wishes.
The next day Bingley and his friend came to Longbourn and Bingley went to speak with Mr. Bennet who was in his library.
“Come in,” was the response that Bingley received to his knock. “Mr. Bingley, you are welcome to join me in my library and I am glad to see that you have returned to Netherfield. Please take a seat and tell me what you would like to discuss this morning.”
“Mr. Bennet, I am here to apologize for leaving the way I did after the ball at Netherfield. I was wrong on many fronts and I need to tell you the entire story.”
Mr. Bingley explained his sisters’ involvement in separating him from Miss Bennet and said he had written many letters to Miss Bennet but none were answered and that his sisters had kept Miss Bennet’s letters as well as his. In the letters that he wrote to Jane he said he wished to visit with her when he came back to Netherfield, but of course he got no reply. Bingley said he sent his sisters away from his home in town.
Bingley had told everything he could think of and was remorseful and asked if Mr. Bennet could forgive him over time for his poor judgement. He said he has grieved each day since he left Netherfield and began to believe that Miss Bennet did not care for him. When he finished speaking he took his letters and Jane’s letters and gave them to Mr. Bennet to peruse if he wished.
“This is all very shocking, Mr. Bingley. I do not need to peruse these letters to believe in you, but why did you not come here directly and see Jane? That was all you had to do and you would have saved her and yourself all this grief. What are your plans now? You certainly cannot think that my daughter would welcome you back with open arms as if nothing happened. Well, what are her feelings?”
“You have not replied,” Mr. Bennet said, as he next went to his door and called for Jane. She soon joined him and Mr. Bingley in the library.
“Jane, Mr. Bingley has shown me all these letters to make his case for not contacting you after leaving Netherfield late last November. I told him I am disappointed in the way that he left and said he should have come here and spoken with you and found out of your feelings for him. Mr. Bingley would not respond to my question of what you felt about his return so I have asked you to tell me. Are you ready to have him back here?”
“Father, I am most happy that my good friend has returned to Netherfield and I wish you and all my family will treat him with respect. He has said he cares for me and I care for him as well and he no doubt has told you of his sisters’ role in separating us.”
“Very well, you both must leave me now. I will watch you both and ask that you continue to be careful in these matters of the heart. There is still another thing, Mr. Bingley. Thank you for speaking to me today.”
Both Bingley and Jane walked into the drawing room as Colonel Fitzwilliam knocked on Mr. Bennet’s door.
“Come in please,” was Mr. Bennet’s reply to Colonel Fitzwilliam. “What may I help you with today colonel?”
“Mr. Bennet, I believe it may be more appropriate for me to say that I may be able to help you.”
“I think you had better explain sir.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam then gave Mr. Bennet a brief history lesson of George Wickham and explained his plot to elope with Darcy’s sister, Georgiana, when she was but fifteen years. He told of Wickham’s use of young women and his habit of ringing up large debts and never paying them. By the time he was finished, Mr. Bennet had pulled out his port wine and the two men enjoyed a couple of glasses as Darcy’s cousin continued to answer Mr. Bennet’s questions.
“You have asked me many excellent questions Mr. Bennet. Is there anything else we need to discuss?”
“I only have one more question for you sir. Does your cousin love my Lizzy?”
“He has not said either way, Mr. Bennet.”
“Come now man, you are a military officer, you are trained to read the terrain, are you not?”
“They do not train officers in these matters of the heart but I would bet that he cares deeply for Miss Elizabeth. Mr. Bennet, my cousin is one of the most sought after bachelors in England and in town he has been exposed to many women of beauty and wealth and title, but I have never seen him in love. I told him that he should seek out your daughter to marry if possible and that I believe she would make him a very happy man. Now, Mr. Bennet, I must ask you if you believe that Miss Elizabeth cares for my cousin?”
“When she first met him she acted as if she hated him, but now I believe she has undergone a change of heart. I believe there is hope for those two.”
“Then we shall toast to that outcome Mr. Bennet, if that will make them both happy.”
That night Jane came into Elizabeth’s room and they spoke of their day and Elizabeth asked about Mr. Bingley’s meeting with their father.
“Lizzy, father was not very easy on my friend and mainly was mad that Mr. Bingley did not come to Longbourn and see if
I still had feelings for him. I suppose that would have been the wise move. Anyway, father wished us his best and I suppose soon Mr. Bingley may ask to court me.”
“There is another thing, Jane. Papa had a long talk with Colonel Fitzwilliam and I cannot understand what they talked about.”
“Lizzy, he was probably trying to find out what Napoleon is up to on the continent.”
CHAPTER 6
“Fitzwilliam, my good man,” said Colonel Forster. “I did not know you were in Meryton. Come, let us catch up on some things. It has been ten years at least.”
“Now you are a colonel in the militia and I recently made colonel as well. I am staying with a friend at Netherfield.”
“Oh, then I assume Mr. Bingley has returned. I last was there at a ball he hosted in November and then he returned to town.”
“I did come to Netherfield with him but will only be here a few days, then will return to town. Word has it that you have a new officer, a Lieutenant George Wickham.”
“Yes, he is with us.”
“By your reaction I take it you have concerns.”
“Normally I would not tell stories about my men, Fitzwilliam. What is it you wish to say about him to me? Feel free to gossip if you need to. I shall make an exception in his case.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam told of the Darcy family history with George Wickham and about his attempted elopement with Darcy’s sister of fifteen years and that he and Darcy were the guardians of Miss Darcy. He also told of Wickham’s gaming debts and of his poor credit and excessive spending of other’s money, and his use of his charm to seduce many a young maiden. After saying these things he accused Wickham of schemes to extort money from Mr. Darcy and said that Wickham had not changed his habits.
Colonel Forster made certain they were speaking in private when he next spoke. “Fitzwilliam, Wickham is not cut out for the army. At first all the officers liked him but most have turned on him. Captain Denny is the only officer that appears to like him. Wickham gambles and cheats and does not pay his debts and just recently I have heard from several merchants in Meryton that he owes them money. I did not expect that he would attempt to elope with the young girl. He is shameless.”
