Chapter 11

R ichard whistled in amazement when Bennet revealed the extent of his and his wife's wealth and joint properties. He could only imagine how Bingley would react if he was aware the Bennets' true income was about the same as William's and they were the owners of Netherfield Park. The Bennet's financial assets dwarfed Bingley's.

Richard's father had been an acquaintance of Sir Phineas Morris and he had known there was a daughter, but she was older than he and Andrew and he had never met her before. He should have remembered that the late baronet had owned Netherfield Park. When Bennet had shared that his three daughters had dowries—Richard had been amazed each one was in the area of Anna's thirty thousand pounds—he had told Richard he was only sharing the information with him as he and his wife had noted the interest in Mary when it was believed she had no dowry to speak of. Bennet was also aware with an estate with an income of above seven thousand pounds, had Fitzwilliam known the truth beforehand, it would not have been a deciding factor.

"You understand why we keep our financial position from being published in the wider community and you are one of a small handful of people outside of the family who are aware of the truth, do you not?" Bennet verified.

"I do," Richard confirmed, "and I will not speak out of turn and share what I know with anyone else, including my cousin," Richard vowed.

Bennet nodded his thanks and then changed the subject. " I am sure I know the answer, but I must ask you what your intentions regarding Mary are?" Bennet enquired. "One would have to be awake with their eyes closed to not notice your interest in our youngest daughter."

"My intentions are completely honourable," Richard asserted unwaveringly. "I want for us to get to know one another better before I request a formal courtship, but it will not be long before I feel it is time to make an official declaration. Before meeting Miss Mary, I had never met a woman who excites a fraction of the interest I have for her."

"If we get to that point and Mary accepts you, Cilla and I will welcome you as another son."

"Thank you, Bennet, that is gratifying to hear." Now it was Richard's turn to incline his head in thanks. ‘ If only William knew how wrong he is about the Bennets, Richard thought to himself. ‘ Had he moved past his improper pride, he would have called on Longbourn to beg Miss Elizabeth's pardon and he would have been aware of the truth. '

Richard saw Bennet watching him with a grin on his face. He gave a sheepish smile in return; he had been lost in his thoughts and almost forgot he was seated in Bennet's study. He could not wait until he travelled to London to see his parents in order to inform them, he had found the woman he would marry—if she accepted him.

"On a separate subject, if you are willing, I think it will be good for you to be here on Friday when Collins arrives," Bennet proposed. "Biggs, Johns, and some of the new guards will return with their families on the morrow. I think my cousin will enjoy meeting them."

"It will be so. I too am pleased the men will be in place before the buffoon arrives. In my estimation Collins is somewhat of a coward so he will be easily intimidated," Richard revealed.

"It fits with what I know of his late father who was a bully of the first order. It no doubt accounts for the son's propensity to sycophantism. I fear it will not be an easy task to make him see the truth, but I am grateful Philips and his son will be present as well."

Not long after, the men joined the ladies in the drawing room. Mary was reading a letter she had received from her twin. "Henry says he is keen to arrive on Friday to help end Mr. Collins's delusions. He sends love and misses all of us," Mary reported. It was then she looked up and saw Mr. Fitzwilliam watching her with a warm smile on his face. "I hope you will meet Henry and Tommy while they are home."

"Indeed, I will as I will be present when Mr. Collins arrives on Friday," Richard averred.

Mary blushed with pleasure. She felt growing tender feelings for Richard Fitzwilliam and at times had not been sure if they were returned. When she saw the way he looked at her now, there was no mistaking his message which caused Mary to feel warm all over.

Cilla ordered tea and refreshments and once the beverages and treats had been enjoyed, Richard farewelled the Bennets and rode back to Netherfield Park.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

"We have missed you greatly Mr. Fitzwilliam," Miss Bingley simpered when he joined the rest of the residents of Netherfield Park in the drawing room. "When you did not return with your cousin, I was concerned you were not well, but I am most pleased to see that is not the case."

"If you had asked my cousin, he would have been able to explain I was assisting with the aftereffects of the actions of a man we used to know," Richard responded gruffly. Unlike Darcy he would not wait two to three years to kill Miss Bingley's delusion that he would ever take her as a wife.

Darcy wanted to enquire what had kept his cousin in Meryton for hours after he had returned to Bingley's leased estate. This was not the time or place; he would speak to Richard when they had privacy.

"While you were away, my brother decided to hold a ball in ten days, Friday coming a sennight, to show the locals our sophisticated level of society." Miss Bingley cooed. "I am sure you will enjoy dancing with at least one lady." She batted her eyelids at him hoping to garner a request for one or more of the important sets.

Richard looked at his cousin. Had William not pointed out ten days would be hard on the staff and servants to organise everything in time. All Richard could do was shake his head. "I know of several women I would find pleasure in dancing with, especially the Longbourn ladies." Richard paused. "I am confused Miss Bingley."

"How may I assist you, Mr. Fitzwilliam, you know I will do anything you need," Miss Bingley trilled.

"Remind me to what level of society the son and daughter of a tradesman belong?" he asked innocently, causing Bingley and his youngest sister to look decidedly angry. As he was the son of an earl, neither said anything in censure to him, as much as they would have liked to do so. Both Bingleys turned different shades of red while the Hursts smiled behind their hands.

"I-I meant in relation to those in the neighbourhood who are below us," Miss Bingley clarified with a very pinched look on her countenance.

"Do you mean the landed gentry here abouts? I am afraid I must correct your error. Regardless of your wealth, you are not higher than those who are from the gentry, especially not a family like the Bennets who I understand have owned Longbourn for close to three hundred years." Richard looked at the two Bingleys, daring them to contradict him. They did not. "One last thing I will point out to you." Here Richard looked directly at his cousin. "Not everything you hear as gossip is true, and more often than not, it is usually as far from the truth as possible."

Once he had excused himself, Richard walked towards the library. He was followed almost immediately by his cousin who roughly pushed the door closed.

"How could you be so rude to our hosts?" Darcy growled as he advanced to where Richard was seated. "It is not done, and you know that! You contravened every rule of polite society!"

Although he was two inches shorter than his cousin, Richard was far stronger. Under normal circumstances he would ignore William's hypocrisy, but not now. He stood and met Darcy with a scowl on his face. "Do you think I should lead Miss Bingley on for two to three years like you did? Is that the gentlemanly thing to do?" Richard barked.

It was easy to see he had angered his cousin and Darcy was well aware if it became physical, Richard would thrash him. He stepped back and assumed a non-threatening posture. "I never gave her any encouragement," Darcy claimed.

"In the absence of active discouragement, a woman who has set her cap at you will only see it as a positive sign. You, who dislikes the mores of so-called high society, dare to stand here and attempt to use that to censure me? Of the two of us, I am not the one who deserves to be reproached in this neighbourhood!"

"What do you mean?" Darcy asked suspiciously.

Realising he had come close to breaking his word to Bennet, Richard thought quickly. "There has been talk of your behaviour at the assembly." There was no missing the way Darcy blanched.

Surely Richard had not been told of his ill-advised slight to force Bingley to cease importuning him? "What behaviour?" Darcy asked nervously.

"You know there is a war the English army is fighting in Europe, do you not?" Richard asked seemingly incongruously. Darcy nodded and was about to protest when Richard continued. "Knowing that, why did you dance with no ladies other than those in your own party? I have discovered the ladies voluntarily sat out three sets each at that ball, thereby enabling all who desired to do so, to have an opportunity to dance because the ladies outnumbered the men? Not only did you not dance, but I heard tell that when Sir William was introducing Bingley to the local gentry, you stalked off and refused to be introduced." Richard allowed his words to sink in.

Darcy heard his words in his head and with the new information Richard had just imparted, they sounded much more churlish than they had at first. Miss Elizabeth had not been slighted by other men; she had elected to sit the set out. He was well aware the gentlemanly thing to do would be to apologise, even at this late date, but he felt it would be humiliating and no Darcy knowingly humiliated himself.

"How was I to know the ladies chose to sit out certain sets?"

"By allowing yourself to be introduced like Bingley was. Your friend was told why ladies sit out, although he was too busy drooling over Miss Bennet to pay attention. Had you not run off with your tail between your legs, you would have been informed during one of the introductions. What would your parents have said had they seen the selfish disdain you displayed for the feelings of others?"

Darcy had no answer. He needed to be on his own to cogitate for a while. Having faults in his character brought into the light of day was not a very pleasant experience.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

"Charles, I thought you said Mr. Fitzwilliam was interested in me!" Miss Bingley screeched at her brother after the two cousins had left the drawing room.

"T-That is what he t-told me," Bingley dissembled .

"Charles Arthur Bingley!" Mrs. Hurst called out. "How can you sit there and lie to our sister's face?"

Knowing he had no answer, Bingley turned and looked away. "Why would you cause me to humiliate myself in this fashion?" Miss Bingley demanded. "After I wasted almost three years chasing Mr. Darcy, based on your advice not to give up two years earlier mind you, now you steer me towards another man who is no more interested in me as his wife than he is in you fulfilling that role!"

"Caro, I tried to tell you that following Charles in social climbing and fortune hunting would only bring you heartache," Mrs. Hurst told her sister gently. She turned to their brother. "You are older than me and the head of the Bingley family, but it is high time you grew up, Brother."

Bingley hated confrontations as much as he disliked admitting he was wrong, so he stood and stormed out of the room.

"Lulu, I should have listened to you years ago," Miss Bingley lamented as some tears ran down her cheeks. "All that wasted time! How many times did you try to tell me that my happiness would never be found by trying to be that which I am not?"

Louisa pulled her sister to herself and dried her tears. She could not remember the last time Caroline had genuinely cried, and not in an attempt to manipulate. "I need to apologise to you." There was a watery questioning look shot at her by her younger sister. "Harold told me more than two years ago he had overheard a conversation between Mr. Darcy and Charles when they thought he was in his cups and asleep. Our brother was told in no uncertain terms by Mr. Darcy that he would never offer for you, not even if you compromised him."

Miss Bingley pulled away with a hurt look on her face. "Why would you not tell me?"

"Allow me to apologise first. I made assumptions," Mrs. Hurst stated contritely. "I was certain Charles would have told you, and that you had ignored what he said and kept on after Mr. Darcy anyway. At the time I believed you would not hear that which did not fit what you desired, so I said nothing."

At first Miss Bingley opened her mouth to object, and then as she was honest with herself, she could see how Lulu would have thought that, so she sat back and closed her mouth. As she began to see things with fresh eyes, Caroline Bingley realised she had been manipulated by her brother to attain goals he had set for himself in society.

"After the ball, will you and Hurst…wait," Miss Bingley stopped when after the fact she heard something Lulu had said about her husband. "What do you mean your husband was not in his cups or asleep?"

"That Sister, is the way I am able to keep calm when you and Bingley are on about your rise in society and how you are above those you are not," Hurst revealed. "My wine is always watered as are my other drinks, I do not imbibe close to the amount it is thought I do."

"Were Charles and I so bad you needed to hide from us?" Miss Bingley enquired sheepishly.

"I am afraid so," Hurst confirmed.

"After this ball Charles is to hold, would you take me back to London?" Miss Bingley requested. "I find I no longer desire to be around our brother."

Mrs. Hurst looked at her husband who nodded. "Yes, Caro, we will accompany you and you may reside with us at our house in London. We will be joining the Hursts at Winsdale for Christmastide."

"You stated that Mr. Darcy said he would not give in to a compromise, did you not?" Miss Bingley remembered. The Hursts nodded. "Thank goodness I never took our brother's suggestion to heart that I entrap Mr. Darcy. I would have been ruined! "

"I had not thought he would be willing to sacrifice your reputation to advance his aims," Mrs. Hurst shook her head. "I am glad you did not listen to him."

"I could not allow myself to do so," Miss Bingley stated softly. "It is something I would have hated to happen to me so I could not do that to someone else. Even as I was, I do have my standards."

They decided they would be civil to their brother, but no more than that.