by Leenie Brown
“Your brother is correct,” Darcy added. “Meeting the prominent gentlemen in the area is an important part of the evaluation process.”
“And one should do it with a proper attitude,” Bingley added, still using his stern voice.
“You are not seriously thinking of remaining here long, are you?” Caroline asked.
“I signed papers for a year,” Bingley replied. “I will be staying; whether you do or not is completely up to you. I shall house you as long as you can tolerate it, but an establishment can be set up for you if Hurst will not take you.”
Caroline gasped. Her displeasure with being in Hertfordshire had grown last evening upon hearing her brother’s effusive praise of Miss Bennet. Today, she seemed determined to sway her brother’s opinion through Darcy. However, Darcy was not planning to be a willing party to her scheme.
“It is best to see the area in all seasons,” Darcy agreed.
“You cannot mean to stay here as well?” Caroline cried.
Darcy shook head. “I am sure I will need to return to town for my sister, and eventually, I will need to make a journey to Pemberley. However, I will attempt to see this place for at least a portion of time during each of the seasons.” And, if at all possible, he would spend a great deal of time in the area so that he could see Miss Elizabeth if her family proved to be acceptable, which brought him back to his current anxiety. He hoped with all that was within him that her father and brother were gentlemen with whom he might form a friendship.
“Are you well?” Caroline asked him.
He startled from his contemplations. “Why do you ask?”
“Your face fell just then as if something was troubling you.”
“I was just thinking about all that I have to do,” he prevaricated. It was not that at all. If he were to answer her honestly, he would have to admit that his desires as they pertained to Miss Elizabeth and her family were startling to him each time they overtook him – which had been many times since that meeting yesterday.
“We could invite Georgiana to join us,” Caroline cooed. “That would surely give your mind some ease, and Louisa and I, some acceptable companionship.”
“I am of half a mind to send you back to London on the first coach I find,” Bingley snapped. “You know I do not wish to marry Georgiana any more than Darcy wishes to marry you.”
Caroline sucked in a sharp breath at his words.
“Oh, do not look at me so,” Bingley continued. “Darcy knows full-well that you have set your cap at him, and yet he has not made a move to secure your affections.”
“Charles,” Louisa scolded. “You are too harsh.”
Bingley turned toward his older sister. “She,” he pointed at Caroline, “will not give this area or my decision an ounce of respect. She is set against it and determined to colour the whole experience with her displeasure. She has not even met Miss Bennet, with whom she might be able to form a friendship, yet she has dismissed the notion. I am not too harsh.”
“You are a trifle sharp,” Darcy interjected.
Bingley whirled to face him.
“I am not saying that what you said was incorrect. I have no desire to marry your sister. However, it might not have been said at the most appropriate time.” He gave Caroline a small smile. “You are a beautiful, accomplished young woman. There is no deficit in you that causes me to reject you.” He sighed. “I just do not believe we would suit, and…”
He shifted uneasily. He did not reveal much of his inner thoughts aloud very often, and when he did, it was never to Caroline Bingley. He sometimes shared them with Bingley and Richard, but beyond that, even his sister was not privy to many of his closely guarded views.
“I wish to marry for love.” There he had said it. “I do not love you. Not in that way, at least. You are a friend and the sister of a friend, but, I apologize if this is too blunt, that is all. And no, I do not see that changing.”
He placed a hand on her arm as he saw the tears gathering in her eyes. “Believe me, there is no deficiency in you. My affections are just not engaged.”
She lifted her chin. “I understand.” She turned to her brother. “I will return to greet your guests, but I find I must get some air. Louisa!”
Mrs. Hurst rose quickly from her spot on the sofa near her husband and escorted her sister out of the room.
“I shall be returning to London before the season,” Hurst said from behind the paper he was reading. “I shall take Caroline with me.” He lowered the paper for a moment and looked at Darcy. “That was well done, sir. Neither she nor her sister has listened one jot to my opinion on the subject of her being the mistress of Pemberley. They shall have to give it some credence now.”
Darcy sighed. He had known that at some point he might have to dash Caroline’s hopes, but he had hoped that some other gentleman would catch her fancy and the issue would take care of itself.
“You wish to marry for love,” Bingley said with a grin.
Darcy nodded. “As you know. However, I do apologize for causing your sister pain.”
“She is the cause of her own pain,” Bingley retorted. “I just hope she can accept your words and begin to look for a husband in earnest.”
“I doubt she is completely daft,” Darcy replied.
“You’d be surprised,” Hurst muttered from behind his paper, causing Bingley to laugh and Darcy to shake his head and grin.
~*~*~
“Mr. Bennet, Mr. William Bennet,” Bingley rose from his seat and greeted the gentlemen as they entered the drawing room half an hour later.
Darcy had finally relaxed enough to sit in a chair and participate in a discussion about the fields they had seen on their morning ride. Now, however, as the gentlemen he had eagerly anticipated entered the room, his nerves once again rose to an uncomfortable pitch. He tugged his sleeves straight and fidgeted with the buttons on his waistcoat. At this moment, he would very much like to take Caroline up on her offer to walk around the garden. He doubted, though, that Mr. Bennet and his son would be disposed to accepting such a suggestion, and Bingley, no doubt, would be equally as unwilling a participant since the tea he had ordered was just being brought into the room. Therefore, Darcy would take his seat and endure the discomfort of remaining motionless. He was certain that it would have been better to meet these gentlemen in the field with a gun, a few dogs, and the chance of securing a pheasant dinner. Calls in the drawing rooms were, in his opinion, made the best use of by gentlemen when courting lady.
“I understand my eldest daughters came upon you while riding yesterday,” Mr. Bennet said as soon as he settled onto a settee. “I believe William made all the proper introductions.”
“Indeed, he did,” Bingley assured him. “It was a delightful surprise to meet some of my new neighbours so soon upon my arrival.”
Though Darcy’s eyes were on Mr. Bennet, he could also see that William Bennet was studying him carefully. He shifted his eyes to the young man and made note of the small scowl he wore.
“Have you spent much time in the country?” Mr. Bennet was asking Bingley when Darcy turned his attention back to the conversation.
“I have spent a considerable amount of time at Pemberley, but this is the first time that I will be officially residing somewhere other than in a town. My father’s business was in manufacturing, so we lived in Manchester. In fact, his sister and her husband are still there.”
“My brother Gardiner is in trade,” Mr. Bennet answered with a smile. “He does right well, I can tell you that. He has as fine a home as can be found near Cheapside and warehouses that are never idle.”
Darcy tipped his head to the side, and one eyebrow rose as he contemplated how his relations might react to such ties should he decide to pursue Miss Elizabeth. Lady Catherine would never be satisfied with any choice he made that was not of her own choosing, but Lord Matlock? Well, there were political advantages to having some connections in trade. “What sort of things does he store in his warehouses?”
“Mainly textiles, although he is not opposed to accepting a shipment of spices, tea, or any other good with a healthy profit margin.” The right side of Mr. Bennet’s mouth tipped up, and a sparkle, not unlike the one Darcy had seen in Elizabeth’s eyes, settled into her father’s eyes. “Gardiner inherited most of the intelligence in his family.”
“Indeed?” Darcy’s brows rose.
“He is the most sensible one of the three. Did you meet Mrs. Philips?” Mr. Bennet asked Bingley.
He nodded.
“She is nice but a bit flighty, is she not?”
Bingley shrugged. “I really could not say.”
Mr. Bennet laughed. “Very well, I will not force you to be impolite. I shall take on that task myself. I can tell you, having been married to her sister for these past twenty-three years, that Mrs. Philips is indeed flighty and as good at carrying a tale as the society papers in the Times. My wife is very similar. Gardiner, however, cares not one jot for gossip that cannot benefit his business and has a head for numbers that is matched by few. I assure you he is the most sensible of the three.”
“He sounds an interesting sort of chap,” Bingley commented.
“That he is. My eldest daughters are favourites of him and his wife, while my youngest are favourites of Mrs. Philips. I know of what I speak when comparing sensibilities.”
Darcy was not altogether sure he enjoyed hearing a gentleman speak so of his family on so short an acquaintance.
“It is best if you know the particulars before you are subjected to my wife’s schemes.”
Ah. That made sense.
“Is she a matchmaker?” Darcy asked.
“Only if a gentleman meets her qualifications,” Mr. Bennet said with a chuckle, “and if her sister’s intelligence is accurate, I believe both of you have enough qualifications to your names to be worthy of her daughters.”
A fortune hunter? Darcy had met enough of those in his seasons.
“Do not look so frightened, Mr. Darcy. I assure you, you will not be trapped in some unscrupulous scheme. Mrs. Bennet’s daughters are to be prized, which is something on which I do not disagree with my wife. But unlike my wife, whose main goal is to see her daughters well-settled without a worry for their financial care – and who can blame a mother for wishing such for her children – my desires for them extend to their emotional well being.”
“My sisters will not marry without love and respect,” William inserted with a curiously pointed look for Darcy. He had seemed a very pleasant sort of fellow yesterday. Darcy was uncertain what had transpired between then and now to cause him to be so skeptical.
“I wish the same for my sister,” Darcy replied. “My cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, and I are her guardians now that my parents are no longer with us,” he added.
“How old is she?” William asked.
“Not yet sixteen.”
“The same age as my Lydia,” Mr. Bennet said. “It can be a trying age. I should know since I have endured it four times already. I wish you well with your task, sir.”
“Thank you. I hope to succeed with it.”
Mr. Bennet tipped his head. “You sound unsure of yourself.”
“I have had a setback as of late,” Darcy replied.
“I hope it was nothing too serious.”
Darcy blew out a breath. “The trouble was discovered in time.”
“Does she travel with you?” William asked.
Darcy shook his head. “My aunt thought it best for her to remain in town and continue her lessons.”
“Lady Matlock?”
“You know of my connections?” Darcy replied to William. The fact that William knew Darcy was related to Lord Matlock and still looked at him with suspicion rather than just promoting his sister spoke well of the man to Darcy. It seemed William was adamantly truthful about his sisters not marrying for anything other than love and respect.
“Several of them,” William replied.
There was a lifting of one brow that accompanied a pointed look which spoke of the young man knowing something that Darcy should realize was not a recommendation of his character.
“I should be interested to hear all you know at some point.” Darcy rose as Caroline and Louisa entered the room with Hurst and were introduced. He chuckled to himself as he realized he would no longer be the object of the younger Bennet’s scrutiny. Caroline would have that pleasure.
“We do not wish to overstay our welcome,” Mr. Bennet said after a few minutes of small talk with the ladies. “I will extend an invitation to you all to call on us at Longbourn, but I will do it with the warning that my wife will attempt to discover your favorite dishes and will insist that you join us for dinner.”
Again, the right corner of his mouth tipped up, and his eyes twinkled. “She wished for me to make the invitation myself, but she will get far more pleasure extending it to you herself, so I refused her pleas. I will, however, inform you that she is the best hostess in the area, and our cook is excellent. You will not be disappointed, should you choose to accept her offer.”
He handed his teacup to Bingley and pushed up from the settee. “William and I will look forward to seeing you in the future as well. In fact, William will be riding out tomorrow morning. I suspect you are the sort who enjoys an early morning ride as much as he does.”
“Indeed, we do,” Bingley agreed eagerly.
“He will be riding alone,” Mr. Bennet cautioned with a grin.
“As will we,” Bingley replied, “although if I am with Darcy, and he is with me, we are not truly alone, are we?”
Mr. Bennet joined Bingley in a hearty laugh.
He took his hat from the butler. “It has been a joy to meet you, and I do not say that to most. In fact, if I were to be honest, I try my best to avoid meeting new people – old ones, too.” He winked. “I prefer books.”
He gave his farewells to the Hursts and Caroline and was gone, William following closely behind him.
Darcy looked at the clock. Fifteen minutes almost to the second. It was possible that he might be able to like Mr. Bennet. The man was short on calls and, according to his own account, a lover of books. He released a sigh. Now, if only he could figure out what it was that the younger Bennet held against him.
Chapter 7
Placing her bonnet on the table near the door and beginning to unfasten her pelisse upon returning from her walk the next day, Elizabeth smiled as she saw Jane descending the stairs. For once, she would not have to break her fast alone.
“Did you see William?” Jane asked eagerly.
Elizabeth chuckled. “No. Nor did I see Mr. Bingley or Mr. Darcy.”
Jane sighed. “Do you think they will call on us? Papa told them they may.”
“I was there,” Elizabeth reminded her sister.
Their poor father had been thoroughly questioned by their mother about the house, both Mr. Bingley’s and Mr. Darcy’s clothes, the demeanor of both gentlemen, and the type of china in which the tea was served, as well as about Mr. Bingley’s other guests. Mr. Bennet had borne it as patiently as a gentleman might until he had answered each question twice. Upon the third presentation of a question regarding if the butler seemed pleased to be serving his new master, Mr. Bennet told his wife that she might gather all the information she needed the following day as he was certain that Mr. Bingley would be calling on Longbourn since Mr. Bennet had given him leave to do so.
“But are you not eager to see them again?” Jane wrapped an arm around Elizabeth’s and went with her to the breakfast room.
“Perhaps not so eager as you,” Elizabeth teased.
“Is he not perfect? His features are so animated when he speaks, and his hair is just the most divine mix of sunshine and sunset.”
“Jane!” Elizabeth said with a laugh. “You sound more like Lydia than yourself.”
Jane sighed as she took her seat. “He is just so handsome and amiable.”
Elizabeth could not deny that. Mr. Bingley appeared to be all that a you
ng man should be – handsome, pleasant, and rich. She smiled. Even she sounded a bit like her youngest sister.
“Good morning, Papa,” she said as her father entered to gather his cup of tea and a plate of toast and jam before burying himself in his book room for a morning of reading in relative silence.
“Good morning, Lizzy, Jane.” He poured his tea into his cup and looked up at Jane with a smirk. “Has William returned from his ride?”
“No, and Elizabeth did not see him,” Jane replied in a very sincere and concerned tone.
Mr. Bennet drew out his watch, looked at it, glanced at the clock on the mantle, and with a shrug, returned the watch to his pocket. “It is only early yet. However, when he does return, I wish to speak with him first.”
Jane pulled a lip between her teeth and nodded while her father chuckled.
“I shall not keep him long. I only wish to know something about a field.” He placed a second piece of toast, smeared with jam, on his plate and prepared to exit the room. “I would expect him in no more than an hour. I know how he likes to eat his breakfast before the sun is too high in the sky.”
An hour later, Jane paced from the window to her seat in the sitting room, sat for a moment, and then paced back to the window. “It has been an hour,” she said to Elizabeth. “He should be here by now.”
“He is likely just enjoying himself. He does not have other gentlemen to ride with every day,” Elizabeth replied.
“Oh, but he will be hungry,” Mrs. Bennet added. “I always tell him to take an apple or a biscuit with him, but he refuses. And now he shall faint of hunger, and Longbourn will be without an heir. I am certain I could never be at ease seeing Longbourn given to some stranger.”
“Mama, he shall not perish from hunger after one day,” Elizabeth said.
“One never knows,” Mrs. Bennet argued. “He will be weak, and if he should perchance get his feet wet, he will not be strong enough to fight off the illness that will arise and then after an excruciating period of fever during which we shall attempt to make him at ease — but it will be impossible — he shall gasp his last and leave us to another.”
