Chapter 18

In the Bingley Carriage

On the Way to Longbourn

Two Days Later

“Mr. Jones visited this morning,” Bingley announced as the carriage turned onto the main road which would take them to Longbourn. “He said that Caroline’s ankle is improving rapidly, and within a few days, she should be able to walk, though slowly and carefully.”

The Darcys, the only other occupants of the carriage, exchanged horrified looks, and then Georgiana said bravely, “That is wonderful news, Mr. Bingley.”

“Yes, my poor sister is very tired of being carried here or there, or stumping around on crutches. Moreover, I think it quite likely that she will be able to attend my wedding to Jane, which is wonderful.”

“Indeed,” Darcy agreed politely. He knew that Bingley was far too happy to care especially about his sisters’ state of mind at the moment. Darcy himself was confident that while Mrs. Hurst had given in to the inevitable reality that Miss Bennet would soon be Mrs. Bingley, Caroline was still hoping and praying that some miracle would occur which would end the engagement.

To Darcy’s mind, it was to the benefit of everyone at Netherfield that Miss Bingley be confined to her room, or to a chair in the drawing room, or her spot at the foot of the table. Ever since the lady had broken her ankle, Darcy had felt as free as a gazelle roaming in a savanna without lions. He was not particularly looking forward to Miss Bingley becoming mobile again, but he was not unkind enough to wish the lady permanently lamed.

In any case, they would be returning to London shortly after the wedding, and Miss Bingley would almost certainly still be hobbling until the New Year.

/

Longbourn

The door opened, and Longbourn’s butler welcomed them in with a bow, while two maids stood nearby, ready to accept winter garments. Bingley hastily removed hat and outer coat, handed them over and hurried down the corridor towards the drawing room, eager to see his love. Darcy and Georgiana exchanged amused glances as they shed their own winter wear, and they followed the butler more decorously into the drawing room. Darcy looked around eagerly, and he felt himself relax at the sight of Miss Elizabeth, curled up on a chair reading a book while Bingley and Miss Bennet stood near the window, speaking softly. Mrs. Bennet was sitting at the wooden desk, her lace cap quivering as she labored over a list.

“Mr. Darcy, Miss Darcy,” the butler announced, and Mrs. Bennet leaped to her feet along with Elizabeth, who was dressed in a simple blue morning dress, a warm paisley shawl wrapped around her shoulders.

“Good morning, Mr. Darcy, Miss Darcy,” Mrs. Bennet exclaimed. “I did not realize that you were here as well.”

“That is my fault,” Bingley said contritely, turning toward the group, though he kept Jane’s hand firmly clasped in his own. “I was so eager to see Jane that I left my friends behind.”

“That is quite all right,” Mrs. Bennet said cheerfully, and Darcy, for the first time, realized how very handsome Mrs. Bennet must have been in her youth. He had looked upon her with disdain since the day they had first met, as she was undeniably vulgar and forward and garrulous. She was less annoying now, and it occurred to him, rather belatedly, that the security of Miss Bennet’s engagement to Bingley had doubtless brought great comfort to a woman who was facing, if not the hedgerows, at least a very circumscribed existence if one of her daughters did not marry well.

“Miss Darcy,” Elizabeth said, drawing his attention, “my two youngest sisters are working on wreaths in the conservatory, and Lydia said that if you were interested in assisting, they would be very glad to have your help.”

“Oh, that would be delightful!” Georgiana said with obvious pleasure. “Do you remember the wreaths at Pemberley, Brother?”

“I do,” he agreed, but found he could not say more, because Elizabeth had drifted closer to him and her dancing eyes and glorious visage made his heart thud quickly in his chest. She was incredible!

“I will take you to the conservatory,” Elizabeth offered and guided Georgiana out the door, leaving the room darker and colder in her wake. Darcy forced himself to focus on Mrs. Bennet, who said, “I do not particularly like wreaths and other greenery for Christmas, Mr. Darcy; the needles fall on the floor and have to be swept up, and it is always such a business clearing them out on the fifth of January. But so long as the young ones enjoy it…”

Darcy was rather taken aback that Mrs. Bennet seemed to be comparing him to herself. He was only eight and twenty, and she must be at least a few years over forty! But then it occurred to him that he had, since the death of his father, been master of a great estate, which had worn him down, and he probably did look and act older than he was.

“We will be delighted to help you clean up in January, Mrs. Bennet,” Bingley said jovially, and Jane Bennet chimed in, “Indeed we will, Mamma. I promise.”

The conversation continued for a few minutes when, to Darcy’s relief, Elizabeth appeared again and said, “The young ladies are toiling away happily in the conservatory. Now Mr. Darcy, would you care to play another game of chess?”

“I would be delighted.”

/

The Conservatory

Georgiana followed Elizabeth through the conservatory door, glancing around. It was a far smaller space than the greenhouse at Pemberley, and the massive arched windows took up nearly the entirety of three of the walls, letting in an abundance of light. It smelled of dirt and leaves, a few potted plants sitting around in the warmth, with several decorative benches between the windows. A larger table stood in the very middle of the room, heaped high with greenery and ribbons and wire and surrounded by several people. A maid stood with her back towards the door, while Kitty and Lydia were in profile and the housekeeper stood opposite the door. All of them looked up as she entered, and the young Misses Bennet both beamed with pleasure.

“Miss Darcy!” Lydia cried gaily. “Come and join us!” She lifted one gloved hand and beckoned. “We are making wreaths for Christmas Eve.”

Georgiana drifted closer, examining the vines and leaves and boughs heaped upon the oak table. Rosemary’s distinctive fragrance rose above the pile, with fir and laurel and pine, brown cones nestled in the heap of boughs, and glowing red holly berries and yellow-white berries of the mistletoe retrieved by a stable boy the previous day.

Kitty shifted over as Elizabeth departed the room, and Georgiana took her place and began learning how to make the wreaths. It felt rather odd to be partaking of such work here, since she and her brother were only day-callers to Longbourn. If anything, she should be helping to decorate Netherfield, but then, the Bennets would likely come to help with that just as they had organized and largely undertaken the task of providing boxes for the Netherfield tenants and servants.

At any rate, it was proving to be great fun, and Georgiana relaxed as she wound together greenery and ribbons in artfully decorative arrangements. The conversation flowed around her, carried on mainly by Lydia with occasional complacent responses from Mrs. Hill.

The door opened after some thirty minutes, and a servant entered and whispered to the housekeeper who said, “I have some tasks to fulfill and need Grace’s assistance. Do you think you can continue without us?”

“Yes, of course,” Lydia said with what Georgiana had learned was her typical confidence. She was not so certain of her own skills in making wreaths, but presumably the Bennet ladies could help her if she grew confused.

The two servants departed hastily, and Lydia, carefully twisting a laurel vine through the wreath she was working on, said, “Miss Darcy?”

“Yes?”

“Is your brother engaged to be married?”

Georgiana gaped at this blunt question, and Kitty, obviously horrified, said, “Lydia! You ought not to ask that!”

Lydia sighed and said, “I do not see why not! There is nothing wrong with being engaged, and if everyone knows that Mr. Darcy is engaged to his cousin, the mothers of the area will leave him alone!”

Georgiana had, by now, recovered sufficiently to close her mouth, and she said, after a moment of cogitation, “My brother is not engaged to our Cousin Anne, no.”

The Bennet girls exchanged glances, with Lydia looking smug, and Georgiana continued, “Where ever did you hear that rumor?”

Lydia turned back to her work and explained, “Our cousin, Mr. Collins, who is heir to Longbourn, is the rector at Hunsford, and Lady Catherine de Bourgh is his patroness.”

“That poor man,” Georgiana blurted and immediately turned bright red. Really, these Bennet ladies were rubbing off on her far too much; she was usually very careful when she spoke aloud.

The Bennet girls chuckled, and Kitty reached out affectionately to touch Georgiana’s arm. “We did gather that Lady Catherine is a … challenging lady, but you need not feel too sorry for our cousin. He venerates Lady Catherine with deep and abiding respect, and by all appearances, he is very happy to work under the auspices of her guidance.”

Georgiana still felt ashamed at her outburst but said, “I am glad he is happy. Lady Catherine frankly frightens me, and I am thankful that my brother has no desire to marry my Cousin Anne.”

“I am glad too,” Lydia said with a grin.

This, not surprisingly, unnerved her guest, who said, “I do hope, erm, you are rather young, Miss Lydia…”

“Oh, not me! Mr. Darcy is far too old and serious for me, and besides, I am not intelligent enough for your brother, who is obviously very clever. No, I was hoping that he will marry my sister Elizabeth.”

Kitty cried out in dismay again, and Georgiana found herself blushing brightly again.

“I am sorry,” Lydia said, suddenly contrite. “I did not mean to make you so uncomfortable.”

Georgiana felt her color fade as she contemplated her friend’s words.

“Of course I cannot speak for my brother,” she finally said, “but I agree that your sister would be a good match for him. She is very bright and is also lively and outgoing. Fitzwilliam and I are both rather quiet people, and Miss Elizabeth exudes cheer. All the same, Fitzwilliam has been pursued for so long, by so many young women, that I confess to being rather doubtful. I fear he will run away, perhaps even physically, if Miss Elizabeth begins to pursue him.”

The Bennet girls snorted at these words, which provoked a look of astonishment from Georgiana, and Kitty said, “You need not worry about that ; I do not believe there is any danger of her pursuing him. The truth is that Elizabeth will only marry Mr. Darcy if she loves him, and I am not even certain if she likes him.”

“I am quite certain she does like him,” Lydia said firmly.

Kitty shrugged and turned a doubtful look on her younger sister. “It has only been a few weeks since Mr. Darcy insulted her at the assembly…”

“And he apologized for that, and she forgave him. You saw how much she enjoyed their chess game…”

“ What did my brother do?” Georgiana demanded, and she colored again as both Bennets turned toward her in surprise.

“He insulted her beauty the day they first met,” Kitty said a moment later.

“I … I am certain you are incorrect! My brother is a fine gentleman and would never denigrate a lady.”

“He said, loudly enough that Elizabeth overheard it, that she was tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt him to dance.”

Georgiana’s color faded away to the point that she was actually pale, and her hands fell into her lap. “I do not believe it!”

“Oh, I daresay he was in a terrible mood that day because Miss Bingley was hanging on him,” Kitty said charitably, and then, at the obvious distress on their guest’s face, continued, “He did apologize, and Elizabeth forgave him. Please do not worry about it. We merely wished to make it clear that our sister will not pursue Mr. Darcy because of his wealth and connections. She, like Jane, will marry only for genuine love and respect.”

Georgiana’s mind was whirling at this information – she adored her brother, and it was hard to believe that he could be guilty of such incivility, but he had been dour and unhappy ever since Ramsgate. Moreover, she knew that Miss Bingley was annoying, and she could imagine her brother speaking carelessly after being forced to deal with his friend’s sister.

It was, however, a shocking idea that any woman would even think of turning down her brother; he was rich, well-connected, handsome, and intelligent. It seemed impossible!

“With all due respect,” she said, “I understand that Longbourn is entailed away from your family, and thus would Miss Elizabeth not marry to secure the fortunes of the family regardless of love and respect?”

Lydia and Kitty huffed in unison, and Lydia said, “She refused Mr. Collins’s offer, and that was before Charles and Jane were engaged. He is the heir to Longbourn and has a good church living, but he is very silly.”

“And he goes on and on and on about how wonderful Lady Catherine is,” Kitty added. “Elizabeth would have gone entirely mad! Indeed, she was upset when her good friend, Charlotte Lucas, accepted Mr. Collins’s offer because Elizabeth thinks so poorly of our cousin.”

“I would never marry a man like Mr. Collins,” Lydia agreed and then wrinkled her nose. “Though it is true that Charlotte is quite plain, and she is seven and twenty and on the shelf. One day she will be mistress of Longbourn. Apparently she thought a stupid husband was better than no husband.”

“But Lizzy is not like that,” Kitty insisted.

Grace, the maid, appeared at this point to help with the wreaths, forcing the end of the conversation. Georgiana found herself thinking furiously as she continued her work. Given her recent conversation about marriage with her brother, it seemed most unlikely that he would stoop to wed a woman who was so poorly connected. But the more Georgiana thought about it, the more she believed that Miss Elizabeth Bennet would make a fine Mrs. Darcy. She was kind, intelligent, and lively, and had never shown, by word or deed, an inclination to flatter or pursue the wealthy master of Pemberley.

Indeed, according to her younger sisters, it was not even certain that Miss Elizabeth would overlook Fitzwilliam’s poor behavior and accept an offer from her brother.

Perhaps she and the younger Bennets could make an attempt at matchmaking?