Chapter Six

Darcy

T he morning air was crisp as Darcy and Bingley rode across the frost-kissed hills outside Meryton. Bingley was clearly in high spirits as evidenced by the broad grin adorning his face.

“I am determined, Darcy,” Bingley announced suddenly, his voice buoyant with excitement. “I’m going to propose to speak to Mr Bennet.”

Darcy turned sharply towards his friend, the words landing with the force of a blow. “You mean to propose?”

“Yes!” Bingley laughed, his enthusiasm contagious. “She is everything I could want—gracious, beautiful, kind. And I’m certain she feels the same.”

Darcy remained silent for a moment, weighing his response. “Bingley,” he began carefully, “have you truly considered everything? Her family—”

Bingley waved the concern away, a smile still playing on his lips. “Her family is of no consequence to me. Jane is what matters. Her sweetness makes up for any faults in her relations.”

Darcy sighed, choosing his next words with caution. “Marriage is not just about affection. It’s an alliance between families. Can you see yourself tied to the likes of Mrs Bennet and her younger daughters?” He paused before adding, “Are you certain Miss Bennet’s feelings match your own?”

Bingley hesitated, his expression clouding for the first time. “I believe she cares for me, but… her reserve can be difficult to read.”

Darcy nodded. “You deserve someone whose affections are certain, not assumed. Take time to observe her. A hasty decision could lead to regret.”

Bingley’s usual confidence faltered, and he seemed to sink into thought. “Perhaps you’re correct. But I cannot just abandon the idea.”

“You need not,” Darcy replied. “Simply give it more time.”

By the time they returned to Netherfield, Bingley’s enthusiasm had dimmed, replaced by contemplation. This did not go unnoticed by Caroline Bingley, who quickly extracted the source of her brother’s ill mood from him.

“I meant to propose to Jane,” he said. “But Darcy cautioned me to wait.”

Caroline wasted no time in voicing her disapproval. “Charles, surely you are not serious about Miss Bennet,” she began, her eyes flicking to Darcy for support. “Pretty though she may be, her family is entirely unsuitable. Think of the embarrassment they would cause you.”

Mrs Hurst nodded in agreement, while Bingley, wearied by the morning’s conversation, tried to fend off their arguments. “Her family is not ideal,” he admitted, “but Jane is everything I could want in a wife.”

Caroline leaned closer, her voice softening in mock concern. “But, brother, Miss Bennet has nothing beyond her beauty. The entailment will leave them destitute. You could do so much better.”

Bingley looked to Darcy, who remained silent but met his gaze with a steady, knowing look. Caroline seized the moment. “Think of Miss Darcy, Charles. She would be a far more suitable match, with everything you could wish for in a wife.”

At this, Darcy finally spoke, his voice calm but firm. “Bingley, all we ask is that you consider carefully. There is no need to rush.”

Bingley rose abruptly, his face shadowed with frustration. “I will think on it,” he muttered before leaving the room.

As the door closed behind him, Caroline exchanged a satisfied glance with her sister, while Darcy stared after his friend, a pang of guilt twisting in his chest. The seeds of doubt had been firmly planted. Whether they had done the right thing, Darcy could not be certain—but the course of Bingley’s future, and perhaps his happiness, had been altered.