Chapter Twenty-Six

A fter farewelling the Bennets, Mr. Darcy returned to Netherfield in a better frame of mind than he had experienced since discovering Georgiana's absence at Ramsgate. He poked his head into the drawing room, expecting to find his host and hostess there, but it was empty. He then ran upstairs and knocked on the Colonel's door, but there was no response.

He went up to the third floor and looked in the billiard room, and there he found Mr. Bingley, holding a cue and staring moodily at the still-racked balls.

"Have you just started a game, Bingley?"

Mr. Bingley started. "Oh, Darcy, there you are. No, I am just thinking."

"About billiards?"

"No, about myself."

"Oh. In that case, shall I leave you to it?"

"No, I want to talk about it. Tell me, Darcy; am I a weak man?"

Mr. Darcy drew back; this was not the sort of conversation he enjoyed. But Bingley was a good friend and had been for some years now, so he was owed some consideration.

"Why do you ask that, Bingley?" he temporized.

"The Colonel told me that I was."

"Really? He told you that you are a weak man?" Mr. Darcy was surprised.

"Well, not outright, though it was certainly implied. Too weak to control Caroline, in any case. And he says she is far cleverer than I am."

Mr. Darcy looked away.

"Your silence tells me everything I need to know," Mr. Bingley said, bitterly.

"I am sorry, Bingley; I would not upset you for the world."

"I know that. I suppose that is why it was the Colonel who had to tell me the truth about myself."

"If I may say so…" Mr. Darcy trailed off.

"Go on."

"I think it is more about Miss Bingley than it is about you. A loving sister would not use her skills and her knowledge of her brother in order to manipulate him into complying with her wishes."

Mr. Bingley considered that. "So if I had a kinder sister…"

"Yes; then no one would think you weak, for you would have no need to arm yourself against someone who should be your ally, not your enemy."

"You think her my enemy? I know the Colonel thinks she is."

"An enemy of your happiness? Without a doubt. How can she be considered anything else, when she went out of her way to grievously insult the family of the lady you care for? And why is she so opposed to such an alliance? They are not fashionable people, nor are they wealthy or influential, but Miss Bennet's father is a landed gentleman; it could well be argued that she could do better than a tradesman's son.'

Mr. Bingley winced. Mr. Darcy hastened to apologise, but his friend waved it away. "No, no, Darcy, what you say is true. You are a far better friend to me than my own sister."

"And that is precisely the point I was hoping to make. Have you spoken to Mrs. Hurst to garner her opinion?"

"Do you think I should?"

"Do you think you should?" Mr. Darcy countered.

Mr. Bingley thought for a minute, and then squared his shoulders. "Yes."