“Indeed. Georgiana will be excited to meet you, I am sure. And my mother will be as well. If you do not mind, I would like to invite them to come. I am certain that Mr Bingley will welcome them at Netherfield, and they can spend some time getting to know you, Miss Elizabeth.”
“It would be nice to spend some time getting to know them as well.” Elizabeth said. Why was she constantly blushing whenever he spoke to her in front of others?
Chapter 6
Miss Caroline Bingley stomped into the drawing room where her sister was arranging some flowers in a vase. “I cannot believe our brother. He has no notion as to where his guest is, says that Mr Darcy is expected to return by early afternoon, as they are to ride out on the estate. What could possibly keep Mr Darcy away from here for hours; he does not know anyone outside our party.”
Louisa Hurst was quite accustomed to hearing her sister’s ranting. “Perhaps he is making friends with some of the neighbors. He seemed quite pleased last night at the assembly; I have never seen the man so at ease in the company of strangers.”
“That horrible Bennet family, I wish we had never met them. Our brother was so taken with the elder sister and Mr Darcy must have taken pity on her sister. That is the only reason I can think of that Mr Darcy would not only dance with someone outside our party.”
“I was truly amazed that Mr Darcy danced a second time with Miss Elizabeth Bennet, he did not even do so with you or I.” Louisa commented, looking at the flowers and not seeing the deep red shade Caroline’s face became.
Finally, Caroline shouted with fury. “He must have felt sorry for the girl, as our brother danced twice with her sister. That is the only reason I can find that Mr Darcy would behave so unlike himself. I have never seen him behave so strangely. I fear that the girl will take his kindness as a sign that Mr Darcy is interested in her, when he was only taking pity on her.” She then made her way to the window and looked out, glancing in all directions. “Do you think that Mr Darcy has become injured or thrown from his horse? Accidents occur often and with his not being familiar with the neighborhood, perhaps he took a wrong turn. We should have the staff begin a search of the estate to find him.”
Charles Bingley entered the room to hear his sister’s last remarks. “Caroline, I am quite sure that Darcy is well and he will return soon; there is no need to fret over his safety. I believe that he spoke to one of the stable hands about finding someplace called Oakham. I assume that he heard that it was a pleasant spot to visit and has ridden there to see the place for himself.”
“Why did he not tell us of this delightful location? We could have joined him in such a pleasant diversion.” Caroline fumed.
“Sister, you know that Darcy has enjoyed time on his own riding in the country. I will not allow you to overwhelm the dear man by insisting to be at his side every hour of the day. I will see that he has time to relax and enjoy himself while he is here.”
Caroline wished her brother to assist her in capturing Darcy’s hand in marriage. She had tried over and over to make Charles see the benefits that would be had by their entire family, with her as Mrs Darcy, Caroline could see that her parents’ dream of the Bingley’s becoming one of the upper circle of society.
“Charles, I do pray that you are correct and that Mr Darcy is only taking in the view of the neighborhood, though I do fear for his safety. If he has not returned within the next hour, I insist that we have the staff search for him.”
“Search for whom?” Darcy inquired as he entered the room.
“You, old chap. My sister was decided that you had met with an accident and were laying in a ditch, bleeding to death.” Bingley stated with a chuckle.
Giving her brother a scything glare, Caroline turned her attention to Darcy. “I was deeply worried, Mr Darcy. You have been gone from the house for hours and I could not imagine what would keep you away for so long. You are not familiar with the neighborhood or any of the residents here, so you can imagine my fear of you having been thrown from your horse and badly injured.”
“I made my way to Longbourn, which is the home of the Bennet family.” Darcy spoke as he took the proffered glass of brandy which Bingley held out. Walking over to a chair, Darcy took a seat. “I spoke with Mr Bennet last evening at the assembly, and wished to spend some more time in the company of the family.”
“Oh, Mr Darcy, that was so dangerous for you to spend so much time with the likes of such country folk. The ideas that someone of their society may have, of attempting to attach themselves to someone such as yourself.” Caroline stated. “You must be quite careful with these country ladies, they have not been raised with proper manners.”
“I have no fear, Miss Bingley. And I wish to announce that as of this morning, I am officially courting Miss Elizabeth Bennet.” Darcy said, taking another sip of his brandy as he watched Caroline’s reaction.
Having just taken a drink of her tea as Darcy spoke, the news caused her to gag on her tea, spraying it out of her mouth as she coughed for several moments. Once she finally was able to speak again, Caroline was in a tirade. “Mr Darcy, how could this have happened? Did that chit attempt to cause a compromise? Did she force you into this solution for her improper behavior?”
“Miss Bingley, please use more caution when you speak of Miss Elizabeth. As I have stated, I am courting her at the moment, though my ultimate goal is to marry her. She is the woman whom I have dreamed of and have waited for these past few years. I spoke to her brother of my interest last night and Miss Elizabeth this morning. I find Miss Elizabeth to be an amazing young woman and look forward to getting to know her even better. Oh, Bingley, that reminds me, would it be too great an imposition for you if I were to have my mother and sister join us here? If so, I know that Mr Bennet would be able to assist me in finding a place to lease nearby to accommodate my family as they have a chance to know Miss Elizabeth better.”
“We have at least four more sleeping chambers, Darcy, if I count correctly. Is that not right, Caroline?”
“The rooms are not fit for such persons as Lady Anne Darcy; she is the daughter of the late Earl of Matlock and sister to the current one. I believe it would be wiser to have them meet her at a later time, perhaps in Town.”
“Nonsense, Miss Bingley. My mother will be quite comfortable here at Netherfield.” Darcy stated. He knew that Caroline Bingley would be his most difficult obstacle while he remained at Netherfield. Being as she was her brother’s hostess, she had control over the running of the house; Darcy would be at her mercy when it came to his staying there with his family. “I believe that Mr Bennet stated that they have several guest rooms at Longbourn, perhaps it would be easier all around for my mother and sister to be able to spend time with Miss Elizabeth.”
“That will not be necessary, Mr Darcy. I will have the staff here do their best to improve on the rooms and prepare them for your family.” Caroline stated as she attempted to determine ways to put an end to this courtship and make herself the more suitable choice in the eyes of the Darcy family.
“My thanks, Miss Bingley; I will send a letter to my mother this afternoon. She and Georgiana could possibly arrive by the end of the week.” Darcy placed his glass on the table and made his way from the room. Just before reaching the door of the drawing room, he turned around towards Bingley. “If you will give me an hour, I will refresh myself and be ready to join you on the tour of the property.”
“Very good, Darcy, I will see you in an hour.” Bingley smiled as his friend left the room, a liveliness in his step. After Darcy was up the stairs, Bingley laughed. “I do not believe I have ever seen Darcy quite so pleased with life. Miss Elizabeth is just the ticket for him from the looks of things.”
“Charles, I am shocked at you. You should be finding a way to protect your friend from this foolishness. Obviously Miss Elizabeth Bennet has caused a scandalous compromise which the family insists on having covered up with Mr Darcy’s promise to marry her. Did you not hear him say that he is only courting her, not t
hat they are engaged already? No, Brother, Mr Darcy is trapped by this Bennet family and it is our duty to aid him in finding his freedom from such a horrid match.”
“Caroline that will be enough of that talk. The Bennet family is respectable and very well liked. I will not have you besmirching them. If Darcy has chosen Miss Elizabeth to marry, then I am certain that he finds her to be perfect for him.”
“You cannot be so foolish, Charles.” Caroline gave her brother a look of disbelief. “The only reason a gentleman of Mr Darcy’s position takes a wife of a country nobody is if there was a compromising situation.”
Bingley shook his head. “It is time you came to terms with the fact that Darcy has never wished to marry you. He has told you time and time again, and the only reason he agreed to come here with us is that I told him you would behave yourself and not attempt to force yourself on him. If you cannot do so, then perhaps I should send you to Aunt Lorraine.”
“I will not travel to Scarborough, so you can remove that thought from your mind. You need me to stay here as your hostess.”
“Louisa, if I were to send Caroline to our aunt’s home, would you be willing to serve as my hostess while we are here?” Bingley inquired of his elder sister.
Looking between her siblings, Louisa was conflicted. She was close to her sister, though she did not wish to upset her brother. As she and her husband were at the mercy of her brother for a place to live. Mr Hurst’s family despised Caroline and refused to allow Louisa and her husband to stay at their estate due to Caroline always traveling with them. Perhaps it was time for her to stand her ground with her overbearing sister. “Charles, I would be more than willing to do so for you. Caroline, I am afraid I will have to abide by what our brother decides on this matter. Mr Darcy has made his feelings on this matter quite clear. He will never marry you and it is time for you to find a husband and settle into your own home, instead of living with any of us.”
Having thought her sister would support her on the matter, her desertion was felt as if Louisa had smacked her in the face. “How dare you, Louisa? I have supported you in your decision to marry Mr Hurst, as well as other issues. How dare you turn your back on me now?”
“Yes, you supported my choice to marry Gilbert, though you have caused a great deal of turmoil in our marriage. His parents refuse to allow us to live with them for you would wish to join us and they despise you. You are hateful and do not care who you injure with your spite. It is time that you accept the truth. You will never be Mrs Darcy, for Mr Darcy only tolerates you because of his friendship with Charles. And you must refrain from using Mr Darcy’s name to gain access to functions in society.”
“The invitations are due to people who find me to be a pleasant addition to their parties. They do not invite me due to our friendship with Mr Darcy.” Caroline nearly spat the words out.
“Well, they had better not be inviting you because of a misperceived connection with me or my family.” Darcy stated as he entered the drawing room. “I have told friends of mine when they have inquired as to our relationship that you were not to be invited as a kindness to me. Your brother I will be allowed to use our friendship to gain entry to gatherings as he is the dearest friend I have. I have tolerated you for years for his sake. Now that I have found Miss Elizabeth, I will not allow you to use me in such a manner which would cause her pain. There is no connection between us, Miss Bingley. You are my friend’s sister, nothing more.”
“Mr Darcy, please know that I am only thinking of your good name and the good name of your mother and sister. How will it look when your dear sister cannot find a good match because people do not wish to associate with your family due to your marrying someone of inferior birth?”
“There is nothing inferior about Miss Elizabeth. Her family has been generations of gentlemen; she has been raised as a gentlewoman. This is far superior to your own status in society, as you are the daughter of a tradesman. So do not even begin to speak ill of her background if you do not wish to be judged on your own.” Darcy then turned to his friend. “Are you ready to make our journey around the estate?”
“I am.” Bingley stated and followed after his friend as they left the house.
“Louisa, how could you turn against me so? You wish to see Mr Darcy married to some country trollop rather than me?”
Shaking her head, Mrs Hurst knew that there was no convincing her sister of the truth. “I am going to take a nap before the men return from their ride. I will see you later, Caroline.” Louisa then made her way up the stairs and to her room.
Caroline was furious with both of her siblings and Darcy as well. She walked to the window and looked out in the direction Longbourn was located. “I will find a way to eliminate Miss Eliza Bennet from all of our lives. Mr Darcy will be grateful after I save him from such a disastrous connection.”
Chapter 7
Anne Darcy received a letter from her son while she was enjoying breakfast with her beloved daughter, Georgiana. She opened it quickly, for she missed him and prayed he was enjoying his holiday from Pemberley.
Dearest Mother and Georgiana,
My hopes are that you are both well and in good spirit. I miss you greatly and look forward to our reunion soon.
I write to you to extend an invitation to join me here at Netherfield Park. Charles Bingley has graciously opened the invitation for you to stay here at the house he has leased. I believe you will find great pleasure in staying here, for I have the most important reason to have you here.
Mother, for the past few years, as you well know, I have been looking at all the eligible young ladies in search of someone who would be my perfect match. I have finally found her. Her name is Miss Elizabeth Bennet, a gentlewoman from an estate next to Netherfield. Her parents are both deceased, and her elder brother is the Master of Longbourn now. She has one elder sister, who has garnered Bingley’s attention.
Remember the dreams of which I have told you? The ones that brought forth my goal for the perfect wife for me; the moment I saw Miss Elizabeth, I knew it was she. Her voice, her face, her hair, and most importantly, her personality, all of these combine in the most delightful way. I cannot wait for you to meet her, I pray that you will find her just as charming as I do and that you will give us your blessing. I have entered into an official courtship with the intention of marrying her. The solicitors are in the process of writing up the contracts at this very moment.
Please say you will come here, Mother. I cannot wait to see your face when you meet Miss Elizabeth.
With love from your devoted son,
William
Lady Anne Darcy was amazed at her son’s behavior. Had he been in an accident and injured his head? What could have caused him to behave so rashly? Had this young lady used some sort of allurement to make him forget all else?
Before she stood up from the table, Lady Anne turned her attention to her daughter. “Georgiana, we are to travel to Mr Bingley’s estate to join William in his holiday from Pemberley. We will need to leave tomorrow morning.”
Georgiana was thrilled with the idea. “Mamma, it will be so much fun to see the estate. I will be a good girl, I promise. I will practice all the lessons that Mrs Howard has been teaching me on proper behavior.”
Smiling at her daughter, Lady Anne nodded her head. “I am certain that you will behave as a proper young lady, dear one. Now, I will write William and tell him of our plans.”
Not only did Lady Anne write to her son, but she also sent a message to her brother, Lord Matlock, who was at his estate. She did not tell him of her son’s desire for her and Georgiana to meet Miss Elizabeth Bennet, for she knew that her brother would not approve, as this young lady was obviously not from the top circle of society.
As Lady Anne rarely left her home due to being of a frail nature, and Lord Matlock was to visit Pemberley in a month’s time, she knew she must tell her brother that she was planning to travel to Hertfordshire. Deciding to be vague for the time being, she only told her brother th
at she was traveling to meet with William, as he felt that the holiday there would be beneficial to her well-being.
The entire situation was confusing to Lady Anne, as she had never known her son to have any preference to any lady, especially when she had seen his behavior at the functions in Derbyshire. He rarely ever danced, and only then with family members; his normal behavior in large gatherings was to keep to the back of the room and his mask of indifference in place.
Concern for her son was the priority in her mind. Concern that her son had been taken advantage of by some fortune hunter who would use him and then move on, leaving her son devastated. Once she had arrived in Hertfordshire, she would have a private meeting with this Miss Bennet, before even speaking with her son. With this in mind, Lady Anne decided that she would travel to Longbourn before making her way to Netherfield, so she could determine the sort of lady this Elizabeth Bennet truly was.
Could her son, so reserved and shy, have truly found the young lady he had dreamed of for the past few years? Could such a person actually exist? From the description that he had given to his mother, it was difficult to believe such a lady could actually encompass all the attributes. She would soon find out, and if this young lady was indeed a fortune hunter using her William poorly, Lady Anne would use every possible means at her disposal to end this relationship.
If Only In His Dreams Page 5
