Thinking of true love, she wondered about Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth. Here, too, was a romance that should have been quickly resolved, if the gentleman involved had any sense. She couldn’t imagine what had kept them apart for this long, as perfect as they were for one another. Well, in truth, she could imagine one thing, for she’d heard rumors concerning Miss Elizabeth and Mr. Wickham, and talk abounded of how Mr. Darcy felt about the man.
Her curiosity aroused, Caroline was pleased when Miss Elizabeth visited following day. To test the water, and possibly encourage to two to recognize their stumbling block, Caroline made an oblique reference to Mr. Wickham. Miss Elizabeth countered it smoothly enough, but there was some underlying tension between her and Mr. Darcy that Caroline couldn’t unravel.
Caroline wished to know more, but not badly enough to further alienate Miss Elizabeth. Her days of playing at being a shallow snob were nearly over, and she nurtured some hope of reconciling with Miss Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, especially if they should marry. It wasn’t until Darcy left to escort Miss Elizabeth to her carriage that Caroline found a chance to gain more information.
Crossing the room to Georgiana, Caroline said some insulting things about Miss Elizabeth, to see how Miss Darcy reacted. As she did so, she reflected that she would need to adapt new strategies for eliciting information, or she would become the terribly rude person she’d spent years portraying. Perhaps, at long last, she could attempt actual friendships, and be allowed to simply ask her confidants their true feelings.
As the time for such lack of subterfuge was not yet upon her, Caroline listened with interest to Georgiana’s reaction. It was revealing. She didn’t defend Miss Elizabeth, as was to be expected from someone as timid as Georgiana Darcy, but she obviously didn’t agree with the attacks. Since Caroline doubted Georgiana had formed any original ideas about Miss Elizabeth yet, she concluded Mr. Darcy had said good things about Elizabeth.
Caroline then repeated her depreciation of Elizabeth to Mr. Darcy and was pleased to find that Mr. Darcy still loved her. Caroline wondered if there was any way to hurry him into proposing. It had distressed her to gather, during their journey to Pemberley, that Charles still held hope of her wedding his closest friend. She didn’t want the disappointment of that heaped upon the shock of Robert, when the time came. It would be best for her, and almost certainly best for them, if Miss Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy would agree to marry each other soon.
It was a struggle to keep her thoughts from turning bitter again. Why was it that these people, who were clearly in love with each other and were free to marry wherever they chose, instead spent their time on clipped words and estranged glances? It was monstrously unfair that she should be forced to watch others constantly throwing love away while she spent all of her time striving for it.
Excusing herself, Caroline returned to her room. She was growing too weary for the pretense of enjoying company. It had been so difficult, with letters coming only once a month. One month, Robert had written that the man he cared for had died. He’d received a pound from the heir, the man’s grandson, and she’d spent a whole month wondering if he would find new work. One pound was a generous amount of money to give a servant who’d worked there for only a few months, but not enough to keep Robert in London for long.
His next letter had assuaged her fears. The man’s grandson had hired him as a clerk in his business. Robert had found housing, a place where he shared a room with others in similar circumstances. It wasn’t much, but it was enough. Always just enough, for Robert to stay near, for her to hear from him. Caroline was tired of just enough. She wanted more.
***
The next day, as Caroline sat pretending to read a book, she looked out the window to see Mr. Darcy coming back from a ride. Usually, he walked his horse for the last part of a ride, but he came at a canter. Curious, Caroline went to the parlor where the guests usually met. Mr. Hurst and Charles were talking in a corner and Louisa was trying to engage Georgiana and her companion in conversation. Caroline joined them. After a few brief comments to Georgiana, the other three women held a polite discourse about almost nothing. This suited Caroline, for her interest in Mr. Darcy’s haste was rapidly being overshadowed by her growing malaise with society and she didn’t feel up to substantive conversation. Especially not with Louisa. Half an hour later, Mr. Darcy came into the room.
“Good. You are all here. Business has called me to town and I must leave immediately. Charles, you and your family are welcome to stay as long as you like. Georgiana, you are hostess. I am sure you will have no difficulty entertaining these guests. Don’t concern yourself over dinner tonight, since the additional guests we were expecting were also called away.”
They all stared at him in surprise.
“How long will you be?” Charles asked.
“I can’t say. Possibly some weeks.” He went to Georgiana, who stood up, and gave her a brief hug. Without another word to the rest of them, Mr. Darcy left. Shrugging, Caroline excused herself. She would rather reread her letters from Robert than spend the time before dinner in vacuous conversation with her sister and Georgiana’s chaperone.
***
Later, a knock on her door startled Caroline into shoving the letters under her pillow. She flipped open a book just as Louisa came into her room. Caroline didn’t bother to protest that she hadn’t asked her sister to enter. Louisa closed the door behind herself and started to pace.
“I hope this business means we won’t be seeing any more of Elizabeth Bennet,” she said. “He probably rescinded his invitation to her on some excuse and left to make that excuse good. With any luck, he can’t stand the sight of her anymore.”
“I don’t see why you care one way or the other,” Caroline said with little genuine interest.
“Charles is his friend. We will see him from time to time. I don’t want her to be his hostess. You would grace Pemberley. She would bring it down.”
“Mr. Darcy has no interest in me,” Caroline replied, wondering how she could avoid another of her sister’s endless speeches.
“Well, there are other men of wealth who would welcome your twenty-three thousand pounds.”
“Perhaps.” As always, Caroline declined to bring up Robert. They were so close now, she couldn’t risk goading her sister into doing anything further to keep them apart. She was intrigued by what Louisa let slip, for she hadn’t been informed that her dowry of twenty thousand pounds had grown into twenty-three thousand. Every penny would count when she married Robert, and Caroline was pleased her sister seemed to be handling her money well. In spite of their differences, it would hurt her to find Louisa was dishonest or cheating her, although she was sure that, if any of her money were taken, Louisa would justify it to herself.
“What is this?” Louisa demanded suddenly, striding toward her. Before Caroline realized what she was about, Louisa had swept aside her pillow, grabbing up a handful of papers.
“Those are none of your concern,” Caroline said, yanking them from her sister’s hand. She quickly gathered up the others, holding them against her chest.
“I recall that handwriting,” Louisa said, her tone hard. “It’s Robert Smith’s. You’re still thinking of that footman? I thought you’d forgotten about him.” She clamped her mouth closed over the end of the sentence, clearly angry.
“Well I haven’t. How could you really think I would?”
“And those are all his letters?” Louisa gestured at the pile of papers Caroline clutched to her chest. “How dare you keep up such a correspondence with that man?”
“I did what we agreed I’d do. We never meet and we exchange one letter a month,” Caroline said, standing. She glared at Louisa.
“Lower your voice. Someone will hear you shouting about this servant of yours.”
“Do not talk about Robert that way!”
Louisa slapped her across the face. Caroline gaped at her sister in astonishment. Her cheek stung, and her lip felt as if it might even be bleeding. She didn’t r
aise a hand to check, keeping them both clutched about Robert’s letters. She was too afraid that if Louisa got her hands on the precious pages, she would throw them into the fire. She and Louisa stared at each other, both breathing hard.
“You hit me,” Caroline finally said, still too stunned to think of much else.
“Because you’re clearly hysterical,” Louisa said, raising her chin. “You are being a fool. I can’t let you bring our family down. I’ll talk to Charles and he’ll send you away somewhere until you see reason.”
“You are breaking our bargain?” Caroline asked.
“I’m doing this for your own good.”
Without another word, Caroline pushed past her and ran downstairs to the parlor. She had to talk to Charles first. She found him playing billiards with Mr. Hurst. “Charles I have to speak to you,” she said.
Louisa came in behind her, somewhat breathless. “I have to talk to you first,” Louisa said. “Let’s go somewhere private.”
Before Charles could agree, Caroline said, “No. We can have it out here. Mr. Hurst has as much right to hear as Charles does.”
Charles looked hesitantly from sister to sister.
Mr. Hurst cleared his throat. “Louisa, have your say. Then Caroline may speak.”
Everyone turned to him in surprise, for he rarely intervened. Louisa nodded, giving Caroline a smug look. Turning away to hide her anger, and fear, Caroline organized her letters into a neat bundle while her sister spoke. Louisa went on for several minutes. She made Robert seem like a scheming villain who’d nearly seduced Caroline. She painted him in the blackest terms possible. She spoke about the disgrace their family would receive. By the time she was through and Caroline turned back to face them, Charles was clearly horrified.
Caroline stood tall, squaring her shoulders. It didn’t matter what Louisa said. Truth was on Caroline’s side. She told Charles how she and Robert met, how he saw her through the most difficult time in her life, and of their growing love. She spoke about the respect he showed her. She then brought up the issue of Miss Jane Bennet and explained her real reason for wanting to leave Netherfield.
“If you remember, I objected only to her family, and you must admit there are objections to be made toward them, but if they don’t bother you, it really isn’t a problem. I disagree with Mr. Darcy and Louisa. I think she loved you. What’s more, I think she still loved you when she was in London this winter.” Since Louisa refused to honor their bargain, Caroline felt no qualm about keeping her side of it.
“Jane was in London?” Charles asked, casting an angry glance at their sister.
“Oh yes,” Caroline said, inwardly pleased at the depth of his reaction to the news. “Louisa and I concealed it from you. Mr. Darcy knew. I never exactly lied to her, but I misled her by making her think you knew she was in town. She really loved you. I thought you didn’t deserve her, since you never made any effort to return to her. She is a sweet woman,” she added, feeling anew her guilt over misleading Jane.
“You’re right, I don’t deserve her,” Charles said. “I should never have abandoned her.” He indulged in a pained expression before his face turned dreamy, his gaze far away.
Caroline bit back the barrage of replies that sprang to her lips, not wanting to jeopardize her cause. Still, she wished she had the nerve to slap Charles the way Louisa had slapped her. Of course he shouldn’t have abandoned Jane. What was more, he shouldn’t be worrying about himself right now. She had just confessed a love which spanned years, all of her adult life, and her happiness teetered on his opinion. Yet all her idiot brother could think about was himself. She took back any regret she felt for keeping him from Jane. She really had been doing Miss Bennet a favor. Closing her eyes for a moment, Caroline composed herself.
“I don’t know what she thinks of you now. If it were anyone but Miss Bennet, I would say she resents your deserting her and wouldn’t deign to even speak to you, should you dare present yourself.” She enjoyed seeing Charles wince at her words, the pleasure of it almost immediately overshadowed by fresh guilt. Caroline sighed. “But, as Miss Bennet is so generous of heart, and as I believe her love for you was of the truest kind, she may well welcome you back.”
“I should go see her,” Charles said, looking about the room as if he might dash off.
“After so many months?” Louisa asked, stepping between their brother and the doorway. “What will you say to her? I’m sorry I left you thinking we would get married, and never came back to make good on that, but now that my sister has gone crazy I’ve changed my mind and decided to return to you?”
“Obviously not,” Charles said, glaring at Louisa.
“I think all three of you forget there is something we must do first,” Mr. Hurst said, his tone mild. Caroline had all but forgotten he was there. From the looks on Charles’ and Louisa’s faces, they had as well. “We can’t leave Miss Darcy so precipitously. We will stay a few more days, at least. Then I think Charles should go to London and meet Robert.”
“He’s met him dozens of times,” Louisa said. “He was our servant.”
“Yes, the footman, you said?” Charles said, looking confused.
Not anymore, Caroline thought, but she held her tongue. She would let Charles decide what to think of him. She knew how it would be. Charles liked everyone.
Chapter Four
Caroline insisted on accompanying her brother to see Robert. Louisa tried to protest, but, surprising Caroline again, Mr. Hurst brushed her protests aside, saying that there was obviously no one more appropriate to introduce Charles to Robert than Caroline. Caroline was relieved to have Mr. Hurst’s support, but it wouldn’t have mattered. She hadn’t seen Robert since the day in the park, and nothing short of bodily restraint could have kept her from him.
Still, she was so nervous as they rode in Charles’ carriage that she had to clench her hands together to keep them from shaking. As they’d decided the rooming house Robert stayed in was an inappropriate place to meet him, they were on their way to his place of business. Caroline wished she’d the chance to see the establishment alone first, or to warn Robert they were coming. What if the place seemed unsuitable? It wouldn’t be Robert’s fault, of course. He had to find work where he could, but it would be counted against him.
The carriage pulled up to a building which made Caroline happier than she had been, though it didn’t stop her shaking. It wasn’t a big building, but it was well kept. They were met at the door and Charles asked to see Mr. Robert Smith, whereupon the clerk told them that Robert was out and would return shortly.
Though she knew it was unreasonable, Caroline wanted to cry at the news. She hadn’t seen Robert in so long, why did minutes more seem such an imposition? Taking a deep breath, she somehow managed to maintain her composure.
“May I see Mr. Wilson, then?” Charles asked.
The clerk disappeared, but reappeared shortly. They were shown into an office where a man not much older than Robert was sitting behind a desk. Greetings and introductions were exchanged, and an offer of refreshments refused. Caroline felt her composure being tested as they were seated. She wanted to demand to know where Robert was and how he was, and if, after so many months, he would still look at her with those serious, loving gray eyes.
Glancing at her before turning to their host, Charles said, “I am not certain how to go about this, but my sister has been secretly engaged to one of your employees. I wanted to meet him and find out what kind of man he is. She will be of age in a few months and can marry where she pleases. It would give me a great deal of pleasure if I approve of her choice. I hope you don’t mind my interrupting your workplace, but you are probably the best source of information.”
“You’re Robert’s fiancée?” Mr. Wilson said. “He said you were beautiful and far above him, but I didn’t expect a lady.”
“You didn’t recognize the name?” Charles asked.
“He wouldn’t give your name. He wouldn’t give any details, saying it might get bac
k to you and he didn’t want you to be compromised. He thought you might change your mind. He was always happy when he received your letters.”
Caroline smiled at that, feeling much of her nervousness leave her. Her letters made him happy? His letters made her happy, too. He sounded like her Robert. Respectful, thoughtful, and ready to protect her.
“How did he come to work here?” Charles asked, glancing at her again.
For once, Caroline couldn’t read her brother’s expression, but his tone was reasonable.
“Robert cared for my grandfather before he died. We needed someone who could do the heavy work of lifting him but could also read to him and write letters for him. Robert did the job so well, I hired him. He is the youngest man in the office, so he runs errands now and then, but he pulls his weight here. If I could expand, I would give him more responsibility.”
At that point, she heard an outer door open and close. Robert came into the office, the stunned look on his face rapidly turning to warmth as he smiled at her. Leaping to her feet, Caroline ignored all the propriety she ever had and ran to his arms.
Charles spent the next several weeks getting to know Robert and Mr. Wilson. To let Robert take time off from work, Charles invested a hundred pounds in Mr. Wilson’s business. The monetary investment more than compensated for Robert’s time off. The investment in time gave Charles and Robert a chance to come to know each other, their relationship rapidly growing into mutual respect.
Charles also insisted that Caroline spend time with Robert. Charles told her that she should get to know Robert better before she married him, so she could be sure of her choice. She smiled at her brother, and nodded, for he was very serious when he took her aside to speak to her about it, but she knew it wasn’t necessary. She already knew Robert. She had for years. Her heart, and his, were unfaltering. Still, it was kind of Charles to be so concerned, and Caroline would never decline to spend time with Robert. Not when they were growing up, not now, and not in the future.
Pride & Prejudice Villains Revisited – Redeemed – Reimagined: A Collection of Six Pride and Prejudice Variation Short Stories Page 8
