Consequence of Jealousy: A Pride and Prejudice Variation

by Aubrey Anderson

  A marriage.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Louisa sat patiently, as she surveyed her sister. At present, Caroline was throwing a temper tantrum worthy of a three-year-old who had not learned the word “no”.

  “Really Caroline,” she started reasonably, “it is not necessary for you to rage about. You need to learn the art of discretion, no matter where we are. Sit down!” she said firmly.

  Rolling her eyes, Caroline did as her sister bid, although she would not admit it that her elder sister was right. Glancing around, Caroline scowled at her surroundings. She had never liked going to Hurst’s townhouse, for she felt it lacked the elegant adornment that was abundant in the Bingley townhouse, of that she had made sure. It would be just like Louisa to marry the most miserly man in London! If Caroline had been in her position, and most assuredly, she would not have been, then she would have gotten Hurst to cut open the purse strings the moment they were wed.

  “Truly, Louisa, you must realize how horrid and bare this room truly is.” she drawled carelessly, “I do believe Mother would be shocked that you live in such a state.”

  Louisa rolled her eyes. “Mother did not live in a home where every ornament, furniture, or painting had been passed down from several generations. Mind your tongue, Caroline.”

  Caroline gave her sister a smirk, pleased that she had been able to find a weak spot. Alas, down to the business at hand.

  “Do not allow me to be distracted, Louisa! If it were not for the audacity of those Bennet chits, I would not even be here, no matter that you refused to come to the townhouse.” Caroline finished irritably, not exactly pleased that Louisa had refused her demand to come to the Bingley townhouse to discuss the letter she had received from the eldest Bennet chit.

  “I have other obligations, Caroline. I cannot drop everything and leave when you summon me, and I would not even if I could.”

  “I do not wish to discuss your marriage,” Caroline sneered, “we need to discuss something far more important! Those Bennet chits have followed us to London, and now expect us to call! This is Miss Eliza’s doing, I am sure of it.”

  Louisa shrugged. “Miss Elizabeth is shopping for her wedding clothes, no doubt. We are acquaintances. It would be rude to not inform us that they were in town, Caroline. You cannot expect any other behaviour. Now,” Louisa continued on, aware that her words had caused even more discord to her sister, “it is obvious that Miss Bennet joined her sister in London, beyond helping her shop for wedding clothes,” she ignored Caroline’s start at her words, “but I believe we should simply allow it to take its course.”

  Caroline jumped to her feet.

  “Have you gone mad, Louisa!” she shrieked. “To be associated with those people! It is bad enough that Mr. Darcy was tricked into marrying such a backwards, country girl, but you wish our brother to be ensnared as well! They have gotten away with it once, and now they shall do it again! How long do you believe it to be, before all of London shall be hearing of a compromise between Charles and Miss Bennet?”

  “For God’s sake, Caroline!” Louisa hissed, “Control yourself! I am merely suggesting that we allow Charles to fall out of love with her, as he always does with a pretty face.” Of course, she did not believe that Charles would fall out of love with the lady, not while she had so close a connection to Mr. Darcy, through her sister. But Caroline did not need to know that.

  Caroline was steadfast.

  “And how exactly do you believe we shall achieve that, with the Bennets scampering about London as though they belong here! They wish to call! I shall not be able to tolerate it, Louisa, I swear I shall not!”

  Louisa resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “If Charles is as in love with Georgiana Darcy as you believe he is, then he shall not be tempted by Miss Bennet’s pretty face. Until then, Caroline, you shall have to endure the presence of Miss Bennet and her sisters for the duration. Now,” she continued on, in a business-like tone, “Miss Elizabeth also wrote to me, and I informed her that we would be returning their call tomorrow morning---”

  “What on earth possessed you to agree on such a course of action, Louisa?” Caroline whined, although she would not term it as such. “I could hardly keep my countenance during their call!”

  “Even though I am aware that you do not like it, you cannot afford to cut Miss Elizabeth or her relatives, as well you know, Caroline.” Louisa reminded her sister primly. “Not if you wish to remain in Mr. Darcy’s good graces. You know as well as I that the Darcy name connected with our own opens several more doors.”

  Louisa hoped that Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth would marry soon, so that Caroline would be forced to consider that their marriage was real, and that Miss Elizabeth would not fade away. Even if she did remain in the background, as Caroline’s latest fantasy involved Mr. Darcy locking away Miss Elizabeth as though she were some mad wife, intent on murdering them all.

  “So you shall have to be on your best behaviour during the visit.”

  “I am not a child Louisa, I understand the way society works.” Caroline snapped. “That does not mean that I do not feel sorry for Mr. Darcy, as anyone would. To be forced into such a family! Miss Eliza and her ilk are lucky that Mr. Darcy is such a gentleman, for a lesser man would have dismissed their machinations for the obvious treachery it was. Insolent upstarts!” Caroline sighed. “I shall not even call them ladies, as that is a polite term for well-bred young women. The Bennet girls have neither manners, beauty, nor charm.”

  Louisa half listened to her sister, while the other part made a mental note to speak to her cook later in the evening. “Indeed, Caroline.” she replied absentmindedly, “Now I have informed Charles of the time we shall call later----”

  At her words, Caroline went hysterical again. Honestly, at this point, she did not know why she tried to reason with her sister. While neither of their parents would have ever admitted it while they were alive, they had allowed their Grandmother Caroline to spoil her namesake rotten. As the eldest, Louisa had been subject to the strictest of rules, starting with her absolute harridan of a nanny, Miss Stone. Louisa remembered very little of her early childhood, that did not revolve around freezing cold baths, stiff clothing that was to be kept wrinkle free, and strict instruction to propriety that was to be adhered to at all times. She had never been allowed to be a child, one that was free to make mistakes without being humiliated for it. By the time Charles and Caroline had outgrown their nursemaid, Miss Stone had been replaced by a cheerier, indulgent nanny, Mrs. Grey--likely by their Grandmother Caroline’s insistence. She could never bear to see Caroline suffer a moment’s indignity or embarrassment.

  Biting the inside of her lip, Louisa mentally shook herself from such thoughts. Their parents and grandparents were dead; Charles was now the head of the family. His gentle, good-naturedness had lent himself very well to the welfare of his sisters. In his eyes, for better or worse, they were equal. That was all Louisa had wanted from the very start.

  “Louisa!” wailed Caroline, and Louisa wished to roll her eyes, for Caroline had not allowed herself to cry genuine tears in her presence in several years.

  “Caroline,” Louisa continued on, firmly speaking over her sister’s faux hysterics, “We shall be returning the call, it is the proper thing to do. For your sake, I shall cut it short as I can,” she added, giving her sister a significant look, “but you shall have to bring it up with Charles, for he insisted on coming as well.”

  “Has has being married to Hurst degenerated your faculties, Louisa?” Of course, when Louisa failed to respond to her tears, Caroline immediately went to the next step of her plan. If she could not make one feel sorry for her, then she followed up with insults. “It is almost as though you wish for those horrid people to be part of our family! Could you bear to see Miss Eliza’s Cheapside relations taking advantage of the Bingley name to gain entrance into society? That hysterical, foolish woman loudly proclaiming that our brother shall invite gentlemen of society to meet her other wild dau
ghters? I cannot bear it, Louisa, and I shall not!”

  Louisa stood.

  “I am going to change, and inform Mr. Hurst that I will be leaving shortly. If you are willing to wait and have gained control of your tongue by then, then I shall be happy to ride with you. Otherwise, I can ring for Smith to have your carriage readied.”

  Caroline rose as well, and smoothed out her fine gown.

  “I shall leave right now, if it is the same to you, Louisa. If you shall not do your duty to this family, then I shall, and I need to go home to change as well. If anything, I shall be able to show these backwards people that they will never be accepted within London society, no matter how well they barely fit within their own little country town.” Yes, she had decided then, that she would wear her finest visiting gown, the one that she had worn the very first time she had heard Mr. Darcy was to be invited over the winter break for a few days, as well as her diamond cameo with matching bracelets.

  ***

  Elizabeth had been shocked for the third time in as many days. When they had arrived at Gracechurch Street, Jane had written to Miss Bingley, while Elizabeth had written to Mrs. Hurst. Both letters informed the sisters that they were in London, and hoped to call. While Miss Bingley had not responded to her letter, it was clear to both sisters that she had received it, for Mrs. Hurst had responded straight away the next day with an open invitation to call. Their aunt had thought it best if only the two of them went by themselves, as she had planned to take her children to an exhibit, and Mary had no interest in speaking to either Bingley sister.

  When they had arrived at Mrs. Hurst’s townhouse, it had been to Elizabeth’s simultaneous pleasure and displeasure that Miss Bingley had been shocked to hear herself and Jane being announced. It had been a brief moment, before Miss Bingley had remembered her manners and gave a curtsey. Pleasure, because the following conversation revealed that when she was thrown off balance, Miss Bingley was a terrible liar. However, she had never been able to hide her true motivations from Elizabeth. Her excuse for not replying to Jane’s letter, when Mrs. Hurst had promptly replied to Elizabeth’s, left a lot to be desired. Miss Bingley could barely hide her careless attitude towards them, and that was the displeasure Elizabeth felt. She knew that it was difficult for Jane to believe the very worst in people, and had strived to see the good in everyone. To be so confronted with a lack of care, from a woman who had set out to befriend Jane, was the ultimate betrayal. Mrs. Hurst seemed somewhat embarrassed, although not surprised, and had made sure to make up for the courtesy that her sister lacked at the moment. Privately, Elizabeth wondered how often Mrs. Hurst had to make up for her sister’s deficiencies.

  After their call was finished, Mrs. Hurst had very graciously promised to return their call the next day, and although she had been very kind and not quite as snobbish as she had been in Meryton, Elizabeth could hardly believe her. Louisa Hurst seemed to follow her younger sister’s lead, and so Elizabeth would not have been surprised if they had received a note the next morning, citing some vague emergency, or an outright cut of no visit or word for the entirety of their stay. Luckily, Elizabeth had not shared this sentiment with either Jane or her Aunt Gardiner, and so was not left for a fool when Mrs. Hurst and her party were announced.

  To Elizabeth’s surprise, not only had Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley pay a call, but also a rather excited Mr. Bingley, and a slightly grumpy looking Mr. Hurst. Elizabeth could tell her aunt was also surprised, although she hid it well, but she welcomed their guests into her home, as though they were regular visitors.

  Almost as soon as they had been served tea, than it appeared that Mr. Bingley could not contain himself from directly addressing Jane. Elizabeth watched, with satisfaction, the conversation between Jane and Mr. Bingley. They would be engaged soon, she was sure of it.

  “I am surprised, but very happy to see that you are in town, Miss Bennet.” he addressed her rather formally, although his cheeks were slightly pink. “I could hardly believe it when Louisa told me that you were in town. I had hoped to return back to Netherfield within the next few days. It is very good that you wrote to Louisa. How have you been enjoying your stay so far?”

  As Jane replied, in her usual soft manner, with a blush decorating her cheeks, Elizabeth had been distracted briefly by the arrival of her uncle. And rather, the person whom he seemed to be most familiar with.

  “Mr. Hurst,”, Mr. Gardiner greeted in a rather robust and manner, putting out his hand for the man to shake, “how have you been?”

  To Elizabeth’s surprise, Mr. Hurst, a man of whom she had not heard string more than two words together unless it was to inquire whether or not there would be sport, stood, and shoot her uncle’s hand firmly.

  “This is my wife, Louisa,” the man added brusquely, almost awkwardly holding an arm out to his wife. Mrs. Hurst took it, and smiled at Elizabeth’s uncle in greeting. Elizabeth was intrigued. Although she knew it was not enough to speculate, she had been trapped at Netherfield with nearly everyone in this room. Beyond Mr. Bingley’s charming manner, there had not quite been an effort to include her into their everyday life at Netherfield, which is why she had elected to take up a book. One of the first things she had noticed that unless it was dinner time or later, Mrs. Hurst was either with her sister, or she was alone in the music room. Elizabeth had rarely seen the married couple together in the same room during certain periods, and it was even more rare to see them interact, as after dinner Mr. Hurst had almost always elected to stretch out on one of the sofas and nap quietly. Her uncle greeted the wife of his apparent acquaintance as though he had never met her before, so Elizabeth assumed that they must be involved in some sort of a business deal.

  When they had settled, it was Mr. Hurst who was the next to speak. It was as though he had assumed that there would be questions as to the nature of his acquaintance with their uncle, a man in trade, and he a gentleman, and would have been correct. Although Elizabeth knew that the only person who would insist upon an answer would be Miss Bingley. While in the company of those she deemed to be inferior, Elizabeth realised, Miss Bingley could be quite ill-tempered and short with her manners. It appeared Mr. Hurst knew his sister-in-law well.

  Interestingly enough, Mr. Hurst chose to address Elizabeth herself. “For the past few years, Miss Elizabeth,” he began, his voice naturally gruff and deep, “I have been investing part of our income into various entities that your uncle has advised me upon.”

  Her uncle gave a good-natured laugh, “Do not allow him to fool you, Lizzie. I have learned just as much from Mr. Hurst than he had from me, in the beginning.”

  Elizabeth gave her uncle, and Mr. Hurst a smile in reply, as she chose to sip her tea directly afterwards, lest her smile change from genteel and friendly, to as smug as she felt, while she observed Miss Bingley’s countenance change. The Bingley fortune had been made in trade, a fact that Miss Bingley had done her best to put behind her while she showed off her ladies’ seminary school manner, fine Venetian lace-trimmed gowns, and brilliant jewels that adorned her wrists, throat, and ears. Her elder sister had married an untitled, but old and respectable family--much like Elizabeth’s, excepting for the fact that the Hursts had money, and the Bennets did not. And yet her brother in law actively engaged in trade.

  What was Miss Bingley’s world coming to?

  Miss Bingley’s eyes glittered, and Elizabeth knew that she would not remain silent for long, even if she did not say much. “How interesting, Louisa---”

  “Yes, Caroline,” Mrs. Hurst spoke softly, but anyone who was not a fool could detect the steel undercurrent in her voice, “it is a marvellous coincidence that Mr. Hurst and Miss Elizabeth’s uncle are acquainted through business matters.” She turned to Elizabeth’s uncle, firmly intent on taking control of the conversation, “I must have mistaken your name, sir. Miss Bennet had referred to you and Mrs. Gardiner, of course, early on in our acquaintance, and I had heard your name here and there from Mr. Hurst, but had never made the connection.
We have more connections between us than we first believed, sir.”

  Elizabeth watched in astonishment, as Miss Bingley, undeterred from her sister’s gentle reminder, turned her glittering smile upon Mrs. Hurst and replied sweetly, “Indeed, dear sister. It has been a rather enlightening day. I had not realised that Mr. Hurst was quite so open in his associations, although you would know more about that than I, as I understand.”

  Mrs. Hurst’s gentle smile froze, but she did not turn away from her sister.

  Mr. Bingley seemed stuck between each sister, but what most surprised Elizabeth was Mr. Hurst’s reaction. His fist had slightly clenched, while his other his hand had gently brushed over his wife’s lap. Mrs. Hurst did not move her hand, but Mr. Hurst did not keep it there long. It was obviously in comfort, Elizabeth concluded quickly, but she had never seen the married couple display any sort of affection.

  The clock chimed, signalling the start of a new hour. Elizabeth’s aunt stood.

  “Forgive me, I do not wish to abandon you as my guests, but I need to instruct our nanny on a particular errand to do with the children. Please do forgive me.” With those words, Elizabeth’s aunt left the room, somehow diffusing the slight tension that had built, as she unbalanced their party’s number.