Chapter 11

Drawing Room

Pemberley

After clearing her throat loudly, Louisa Hurst asked once more. “Is something the matter?”

Charles Bingley sucked in a deep breath, blew it out, and turned to Darcy. “Friend, would you be so kind as to allow us some privacy?”

Darcy nodded and began inching his way toward the door. “Yes, of course…”

“Mr. Darcy!” Caroline cried out. “Pray do not leave. You are part of this discussion as well, after all. You agreed with us that Miss Bennet ... that Mrs. Russell did not truly admire my brother but was only seeking her own financial security.”

“I did say that,” Darcy said, his head bowed, “but obviously I was wrong.”

“Because Eliza Bennet said that her sister loved Charles? Nonsense! She would say that, of course! They are all fortune hunters, the Bennets!”

Darcy straightened his back and glowered at the younger woman. “I disagree thoroughly, as Miss Bennet is an completely honest woman. If she says that her sister loved your brother, I am confident that she speaks truth. I was entirely mistaken in the matter. Now, I think it would best if I depart for the Music Room, so you can speak to one another. But before I do, let me say one thing. I have no intention of asking your party to leave Pemberley. Indeed, I would prefer that you stay. But make no mistake, I will ask you to leave before I ask Miss Bennet to leave. She was defending her sister’s honor, and you are bluntly at fault in this matter, Miss Bingley.”

Caroline’s mouth hung agape, while the master of Pemberley turned and strode hastily out of the door, shutting it behind him, and Louisa aimed bewildered eyes at her brother. “Charles, whatever is happening?”

“Jane Bennet loved me,” her brother replied, wandering over to the window to stare sadly outside. “But when I left her behind, she found another man, and now she is married to him.”

“Jane is married!?” Louisa exclaimed. “How wonderful!”

Charles spun around so fast that his neck twinged.

“It is not wonderful,” he snarled, taking a few steps closer to his elder sister. “If I had known that she cared deeply for me, I would have offered for her. And now I have lost all hope of wedding the best woman in the world for me.”

“Brother,” Louisa said in a placating tone. “There are many other fine young ladies in London who are both wealthier and, more importantly, better connected that Jane. I do beg you…”

“Did you know that the former Miss Bennet was in Town earlier this year?” Charles interrupted.

Mrs. Hurst cast an alarmed look at her sister, and then said, “Well, yes, I mean…”

“And you deliberately did not tell me, even though I was, after Darcy left for Pemberley, living at Hurst House.”

“Well, Charles, Caroline and I were in agreement that…”

“Hurst?” Charles interjected, turning toward his brother-in-law, who froze in the very act of pouring brandy into a goblet.

“Yes?”

“Did you know that Miss Bennet called at Hurst House?”

Mr. Hurst put down both bottle and glass and stood tall. “I did not. Indeed, Louisa would not have told me as she knew my view of the matter.”

“Which was?” Bingley asked harshly.

“Which was that the former Jane Bennet is a handsome and kindly creature, and that you and she would have been happy together.”

Bingley was inclined to be angry that his brother had never said such a thing before, but it was hard to maintain his fury in the face of his own disappointment. He was the one who had abandoned Miss Bennet in Meryton. He was the compliant man who had not had the strength of will to depend on his own observations regarding his love’s feelings concerning him, and instead he had given into the arguments of his sisters and closest friend.

“Caroline,” he snapped, spinning around again and causing his younger sister to flinch. “If you wish to stay at Pemberley, I suggest that you behave with absolute courtesy toward Miss Bennet. She is here as guest to Darcy’s own cousins, and be sure of this, I will encourage Darcy to send you away if you continue to cause problems.”

Caroline had been pink with outrage, but this threat caused her to turn pale. “Surely, Brother, he would not demand that I leave. I have been friendly with the Darcys for years, and Eliza Bennet was entirely unknown to them until recently!”

“The Fitzwilliams have been Darcy’s cousins from birth,” Bingley said drily, “and they wish for Miss Bennet to stay here as Mrs. Fitzwilliam’s friend. Moreover, if Darcy asks my opinion, I may well request that he throw you all from this house. I am absolutely furious with you both for hiding that the former Miss Bennet was in Town earlier this year. As a further insult, Caroline, you lied to my face about your visit to Cheapside to visit Miss Bennet.”

Caroline was a tall woman, and she actually rose to her tiptoes and said, “Brother, if you do such a thing, I will never forgive you! Louisa and I had your…”

“Given how much I support you financially, Caroline, I suggest that you close your mouth,” Bingley interrupted with such ferocity that both of his sisters noticeably cringed. Mr. Hurst, on the other hand, merely nodded and took a drink from his now full glass.

“Bingley,” that gentleman said, “I will ensure that my wife does not cause additional troubles in this matter. I regret what has come to pass, and I wish to apologize on behalf of myself and my wife and assure you that I do not desire any kind of breach in the family. Now, might I suggest that we all separate for a time to allow our tempers to cool? It is hard to speak sensibly or wisely when inflamed.”

Bingley stared at Hurst for a full minute and then sighed deeply. “You are correct, undoubtedly. I need to clear my head. But before I leave, do not think I will relent on this matter of Miss Bennet. I treated her elder sister very poorly, and I will not allow you to be sarcastic and unpleasant to her. I have every intention of acting swiftly and harshly if you disobey me in this situation.”

This was, he decided, an excellent exit line, and he marched out of the room.

/

Elizabeth Bedchamber

Pemberley

Elizabeth collapsed into the chair drawn up beneath the largest window in the room and stared out at the sweeping vista beyond. The beauty of the landscape, with its graceful trees and sloping lawns and glittering waterworks, was entirely lost on her.

Her mind was still filled with turmoil, her spirit uneasy within her, and her hands were restless with her agitation. She clasped them in her lap to keep them still, the conversation – the confrontation – from a few minutes earlier replaying in her mind over and over. She had been very rude to Mr. Bingley and Miss Bingley, as well as to Mr. Darcy, in whose house she had initiated such contretemps.

Except she had not been the one to initiate it, had she? She had merely defended her beloved Jane. Miss Bingley had been the one to introduce the topic with her cruel comments. Elizabeth could not bring herself to be ashamed of defending her sister, who had done no wrong, no matter how discourteous it might be considered. She thought of Jane, dejected and heartbroken and abandoned, and her heart burned within her. No, she was not ashamed. She was proud to have defended her dear, sweet sister, who deserved every kindness and every good blessing. For Caroline Bingley – that social-climbing, cold- hearted harpy – to accuse Jane of being a fortune hunter. It could not be borne.

Elizabeth was not surprised that Miss Bingley had hidden Jane’s presence in town from Mr. Bingley. She was the type of woman who would happily manipulate those around her to get what she wanted. Mr. Bingley could, therefore, be forgiven for failing to call on Jane while in London. She would not excuse his actions in Hertfordshire, however; he had paid Jane far too much attention to leave her without even a word of farewell.

Equally inexcusable were Miss Bingley’s lies about her visit to the Gardiner household. Deception by omission was one thing; to stand and speak blatant falsehoods in front of her brother and their acquaintances – it was the height of hubris, and it made Elizabeth hot all over again to think of it. It saddened her, too, that Jane had been so badly betrayed by a friend to whom she had extended the sincerest affection, but clearly from Jane’s recent correspondence, she had learned some valuable lessons from these interactions.

There was a tap on the door and Elizabeth turned and called, with some trepidation, “Come in.”

The door opened, and Anne Fitzwilliam stepped in. Elizabeth stood up and said, “Oh, Anne, I do apologize. I ought not to have…”

“Nonsense, my dear,” Anne interrupted, hurrying forward and holding out her hands toward her friend. “You could do nothing else when Miss Bingley accused your sister of being a fortune hunter.”

Elizabeth sighed and asked, “So, you know all about it?”

“I do, as Darcy joined us in the Music Room a few minutes ago. Bingley is currently having it out with his sisters, it seems.”

Elizabeth winced. “I truly am distressed that I have caused such turmoil, though as you said, I could hardly keep silent under such provocation.”

“I am glad you came to her defense,” Anne said, and Elizabeth noted once again how very different her friend was as a married woman, separated from her termagant of a mother. “Richard tells me that your elder sister is a kindly lady, and in no way did she deserve to be treated so falsely.”

Elizabeth turned and walked over to the window and looked out over the trout stream before turning back.

“That is it exactly,” she said, her fists clenched. “Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst singled her out for special attention back in Hertfordshire and then cast my sister aside when they realized their brother was strongly attracted to her.”

Anne nodded, her expression grave, and said, “I am sorry. She is happy now?”

“She is,” Elizabeth said, blowing out her breath and smiling. “I think my new brother, Mr. Russell, is a far better husband for my dear sister. Jane is such an angel that she needs a strong man as husband. But Anne, ought I to leave? I have made things terribly uncomfortable.”

“Nonsense, my dear. I need you here, and if anyone is to leave, it will be the Bingleys. Please, do not even think of going away.”

“Thank you, Anne.”