Chapter 36

Study

Netherfield Hall

Eleven O'clock in the Morning

Quills scratched across paper spread over the sturdy oak desk; Bingley on one side with his estate books and a deeply furrowed brow, Darcy on the other with the ledgers, checking sums. The dusky-blue curtains had been drawn back to let in an abundance of sunlight, the small fire crackling in the grate intended more for heat than for illumination.

Darcy lowered the leather-bound book in his hands to gaze out the window in the direction of Longbourn. The distraction of work was a welcome one, as it helped keep him from dwelling too much on the time remaining before his wedding – it would be soon, but still not nearly soon enough. He would have preferred to be at Longbourn to while away the hours, but Georgiana would be arriving shortly, and he must be at Netherfield to greet his dear sister.

Bingley made a faintly frustrated sound and looked up. "Darcy, will you take a look at this?"

Darcy obligingly put aside his ledger to move around the desk and bend over, peering at the columns that were giving Bingley trouble. The two men worked for a few minutes until the door opened to interrupt their concentration.

Bingley's butler entered the room and said, "A carriage has arrived, sirs, with Mr. and Mrs. Hurst, Miss Bingley, Miss Darcy, and Mrs. Annesley."

Both men set down their papers with enthusiasm and hurried out the door.

The vestibule was a flurry of skirts and pelisses and bonnets, maids taking the ladies' traveling clothes, and a footman with Richard's coat hung carefully on his sturdy arm. The new arrivals turned at the footsteps in the hall, and Georgiana, lovely and demure in pink, lit up at the sight of her brother. Darcy rushed the last few steps and moved to hug his sister, glad to have her safely arrived, before moving to shake Richard's hand. The colonel's eyes were bright with triumph above a lurking grin, and Darcy nodded once in satisfaction of his own – Richard had taken care of the scoundrel Wickham for good.

"I am certain you all wish to refresh yourselves," Bingley said courteously. "Miss Darcy, Mrs. Annesley, my housekeeper will conduct you upstairs. Darcy, would you be willing to show the colonel to the bedchamber next to yours? Sisters, I would like to speak with you."

This provoked a look of surprise on the faces of Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley, and Mrs. Hurst said, "Indeed, Brother, we also need to refresh ourselves after our journey."

"Very well," Bingley said without a smile. "Shall we meet in my office in an hour?"

The sisters exchanged quick glances, and Caroline said, "Of course."

/

Bingley's Study

Noon

Steam curled up from the fragrant tea that Caroline was pouring into three gold-rimmed cups. A plate of scones, flecked with dried berries, sat on the tray in the middle of the table. Louisa watched her younger sister add a dollop of cream to one cup before accepting it and leaning back against the plush cushions of her chair, relaxing in the warmth from the fire. Caroline poured her brother's cup next and settled gracefully down with her own, taking a demure sip.

"What is it you want, Charles?" Louisa demanded querulously. "It is a long drive from Pemberley, and I am desirous of a nap."

Bingley narrowed his eyes and said, "Before you rest, I need to speak with both of you about whether you are welcome in this house. Darcy told me that you concealed Miss Bennet's presence in London earlier this year and that you, Caroline, were rude to her. That is unacceptable to me. If you insist on treating the Bennets poorly, you are not permitted to stay in my house. Do you understand?"

Louisa scowled ferociously and opened her mouth, but Caroline spoke first. "Charles, I understand completely, and indeed, I have come to regret my actions. I realized while at Pemberley that I was putting people down because I wished to feel better about myself and my role in society. I was cruel to Miss Bennet, who is a most charming young woman, and I would like to apologize to her."

Bingley, who had been bracing himself for a tantrum, found himself staring at his younger sister incredulously. Caroline was not the sort of woman who genuinely apologized for anything, but her expression seemed entirely genuine.

"You wish to apologize?" he repeated in astonishment.

"Very much," Caroline replied.

/

Longbourn

Two Hours After Noon

Longbourn buzzed like a beehive stirred with a stick, with the lady of the house at the heart of it all. She bustled swiftly through hallways and rooms, dividing her attention almost equally between her long-suffering housekeeper and cook. Preparations for the wedding breakfast were in full bloom, kitchen maids scuttling around to fulfill orders handed down by their superior, and Mrs. Hill likewise directing her underlings in dusting and decoration. Mrs. Bennet oversaw it all, changing her mind about flower arrangements a dozen times and keeping Mary and Kitty hopping as she instructed them in various small and sometimes contradictory tasks.

Mr. Bennet had taken refuge in his library, and Elizabeth was cloistered upstairs in her bedroom with Jane, her soothing, sensible presence deeply appreciated. Lydia's good taste was brought to bear on Elizabeth's best dress. There had been no time to order a new one, but Elizabeth would not have been inclined to do so anyway, despite her mother's histrionics. The three sisters had gathered all the spare bits of ribbon and lace they could find and now bent over the dress laid out on the bed, plying needle and thread.

A knock at the bedroom door interrupted them, and all three looked up, Jane and Elizabeth straightening. A maid stepped into the room and curtseyed. "Excuse me, misses, madam. A party has just arrived, including Mr. Darcy and Miss Darcy."

"Oh!" Elizabeth's eyes lit with pleasure. "Please tell them I will be down in just a few minutes."

Elizabeth hastily tidied her hair and shook out her skirt of wrinkles and then hurried downstairs to the drawing room. Her beloved Fitzwilliam was indeed within, and her eyes, naturally enough, went to him first. A moment later, she noted the presence of both Georgiana Darcy and Richard Fitzwilliam, and a moment after that was startled to observe both Mr. and Miss Bingley, the latter in a riding habit, standing off to one side!

"Fitzwilliam!" she exclaimed, "I see that Miss Darcy has safely arrived!"

"Please do call me Georgiana," the girl said quietly, her cheeks tinted crimson. Elizabeth remembered, once again, that Miss Darcy was incredibly shy.

"And you must call me Elizabeth! I am so very glad you will be here for the wedding. Colonel Fitzwilliam, I am very pleased to see you."

"I am gratified to see you also, Miss Bennet. I am confident that you and my cousin will suit very well."

"We will," Elizabeth agreed, turning an adoring look on her husband to be.

When she looked back, she was startled to see that Caroline Bingley had advanced to take her place next to Colonel Fitzwilliam, and the lady's lips were stretched into what appeared to be a genuine smile.

"Miss Elizabeth, please accept my congratulations. I am certain you and Mr. Darcy will be happy together."

"Thank you," Elizabeth replied, successfully concealing her surprise. There had been no sarcasm in Miss Bingley's voice, and her eyes did not glitter with malice. A moment later, Elizabeth received an additional shock when the lady turned to look at Colonel Fitzwilliam, and the military man produced an approving smile.

Was it possible that the colonel was interested in Miss Bingley?

"Please," she said hastily to cover up her confusion, "will you not all sit down while I call for tea?"

Twenty minutes later, Jane entered the room and was equally startled to observe her old enemy seated by a window, a cup of tea in her hand, with her brother at her side. The lady looked up as she walked in, and they exchanged glances, and both of them flushed.

After a moment of hesitation, Miss Bingley stood up and advanced on Jane, who found herself paralyzed by indecision. Should she retreat? Sit down? Snarl?

"Miss Bennet," Miss Bingley said hastily, "I realize you have every reason to think ill of me, and I entirely deserve your anger. I was rude and uncivil and wrong to separate you from my brother in such a way. I do not expect you to forgive me, but I wish to take this opportunity to apologize profusely for my prior behavior."

Jane's mouth had fallen open slightly throughout this remarkable discourse, and she forced her lips closed while she contemplated the lady in front of her. Caroline Bingley looked genuinely contrite, and Mr. Bingley, who had, she realized, followed his sister, heaved a sigh of obvious relief.

"Thank you, Miss Bingley," Jane said, her expression now carefully blank. "I welcome your apology. That does not mean that I wish to spend time with you, nor have I forgiven you yet, but I do appreciate your words."

"I can ask for nothing more," the lady replied with a bob of her head. A moment later, Colonel Fitzwilliam approached and said, "Mr. Bingley, would you kindly introduce me?"

"Of course. Miss Bennet, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam. Colonel, Miss Jane Bennet."

Jane curtsied and Richard Fitzwilliam bowed, and the two looked upon one another with interest. The colonel, who had heard of the eldest Miss Bennet's great beauty, thought that if anything, she was even lovelier than described.

"I do not wish to make you uncomfortable, Miss Bennet," Miss Bingley said, shifting slightly closer to the colonel, "so I will leave. I merely wanted to express my genuine regret over my poor behavior."

Jane's instinct was to invite her guest to stay longer, but really, she had no desire to converse with Caroline Bingley.

"Thank you," she said simply and observed as Colonel Fitzwilliam held out his arm to Miss Bingley, which she took, and they both departed.

Jane watched them go, and then turned a questioning look on her suitor, who said nervously, "I do hope you are not angry that I allowed Caroline to come. She was quite desirous of apologizing for her behavior in person, and I hoped..."

He trailed off, and Jane said, "I do not mind. In fact, it was satisfying to hear her acknowledge her sins against me. It will make it easier for me to lay aside my anger."

He smiled at her in relief, and she found herself smiling back in response.

/

Caroline released a deep breath as her gray mare trotted down the drive toward the road that led to Meryton and onward to Netherfield. It had not been easy to apologize to Jane Bennet and to be courteous to Elizabeth Bennet, soon to be Elizabeth Darcy, and she was glad to have that ordeal over.

"Are you well, Miss Bingley?"

She turned to look at Colonel Fitzwilliam, who was astride his own bay gelding, and managed a smile. "It was not a pleasant experience, but it was necessary."

"Do you actually regret your actions toward the Bennets?" the colonel asked boldly.

Caroline wrinkled her nose but expressed no surprise at such a blunt question. Colonel Fitzwilliam did not pull verbal punches – with her at any rate – and she had found she did not mind; indeed, she rather liked it.

"I regret my manipulation of Jane Bennet," she said. "She really is a kind and charming woman, and I genuinely admire her. She trusted me, and I betrayed that trust by maneuvering to separate her from Charles."

"And what of Miss Elizabeth?"

"I still do not like her!" Caroline snapped and then, at the understanding smile on her companion's face, felt her cheeks flush pink.

"I am confident she is a good woman," she said more sedately. "I have been envious of her for months, and envy does not bring out my best qualities. She managed to captivate Mr. Darcy apparently without trying, whereas I – well, you know what I did! I pursued and flattered him, and all of it was for naught. Indeed, it only made him dislike me."

"True," the colonel agreed.

Just for once, Caroline thought, it would be nice if Richard Fitzwilliam politely contradicted her when she denigrated herself.

But no, she did not truly wish for that. She had made a thorough fool of herself by chasing Mr. Darcy because the man was too reserved to express his thoughts; far better to have a man who would tell her the truth, no matter how painful.

"Miss Elizabeth is pretty, and clever, and she likes walking long distances, and the country, and she will undoubtedly be a successful mistress of Pemberley," she remarked. "Nonetheless, I resent her for being the catalyst of my own downfall."

"That is an overly gloomy view of the situation," the colonel said gently. "You learned that you and my cousin would never suit, and that is a good thing, is it not?"

"Yes, but my pride still stings at the humiliation of realizing that Mr. Darcy actively dislikes me."

"Does it help to know that I like you very much?"

She could not avoid blushing at these words and said, "Yes, it helps a great deal."