Chapter Two

Bingley attempted to keep his head resting securely against the back of the cushions of his carriage, only to be flung forward once again. Recent weather had damaged the roads and even with a carriage as well sprung as his, the ride was proving to be uncomfortable. It would be less of a hardship if he had not been so tired and out of sorts. On the road to Pemberley from Netherfield, Bingley had too much time to let his mind wander.

His time at Netherfield with his family had been both amazing and painful. His sister Louisa had come through her ordeal splendidly, according to Aunt Guthrie. Though seeing her afterward, wan and exhausted, he personally wondered what she would have looked like if she had come through poorly. He knew that childbirth was dangerous to both mother and child, so seeing them both well was a relief.

Her husband, Hurst, doted on his wife, doing everything he could to ensure that she was well and recovering from their son's birth. It seemed that their once less than stellar relationship had grown into something more, and Bingley was happy for his sister and the love that she now had in her marriage. Watching them gaze down at their child so tenderly brought a bittersweet ache to his heart.

Bingley's brother-in-law was so very proud of his son. They had named him Felton. Felton? It was not a name that Bingley would have chosen for his nephew, but apparently it was a Hurst family tradition to name the first-born son and heir to the estate Felton. He already had plans to teach the boy a strong right hook before he went off to school. It was the least he could do as a proud uncle.

Life with an infant was a new experience for him, but that did not mean that he wasn't ready to try to help. He had taken many a turn with the crying babe, who was uncertain of the new world that he had been presented with. Snuggling the small lad to his chest, Bingley would walk with him about the house, trying to get him to sleep. Only caring for Felton had left him longing for things that he was uncertain he would be able to have. Bingley found himself realizing just how much he wanted a child of his own—boy or girl, it did not matter—and more than anything, he wanted that child to be Jane Bennet's.

Eventually, his Aunt Guthrie took him aside. "Charles, enough of this gloomy attitude. Why are you moping about when there is so much to celebrate?"

It had been a surprise that he had been so easily read. He had thought he had been doing a tolerable job of hiding his odd sort of envy. Bingley found himself rubbing at the back of his neck in an anxious fashion and saying, "I had hoped I was not so transparent."

Reaching out, Aunt Guthrie brushed a lock of his hair back from his forehead in a motherly fashion. Her voice was soft as she said, "To someone who knows you as well as I do, you are quite transparent. I suspect I know why being around a beautiful new family is so painful for you, but I want to hear your explanation."

Bingley knew there was no avoiding his aunt's question, and there was a strong possibility that she would have some parental words of wisdom that he could benefit from. He could feel his shoulders drooping as he confessed, "Though I do not begrudge my sister"s happiness with her new child, it has brought home just how much I want such things for myself."

Looking at her nephew with raised eyebrows, she said, "I have a feeling that it is not just a wife and child that you want. It is a particular wife whose child you want." Bingley knew that his aunt had been very fond of Miss Bennet when they had met the previous autumn. Somehow, he was not surprised that his aunt was able to decipher where his thoughts lay. "I hear Miss Bennet is in London this season and has become quite the diamond. You know that you could return to her there. Your sister and nephew are not in such desperate need of help that you have to stay."

Shaking his head, he said, "I do not think I could stand another ball where I am forced to witness yet more gentlemen traipse after her."

"You are trying to be noble by allowing her a choice. I can appreciate that, but I am quite confident that your Miss Bennet will not fall for any of the practiced pleasantries found in London ballrooms. She has more sense than that." Tilting her head, Guthrie locked eyes with Bingley before continuing, "I have things well in hand, and your sister and Hurst will need to learn how to manage on their own soon enough. Staying here will only put you further out of sorts. I do believe that it is time for you to go. You do not need to go to London, but you should not stay here."

One did not argue with Bingley's Aunt Guthrie if they had any sense. Netherfield may have technically been his leased property, but she was not the matriarch of his family for nothing. So Bingley had packed up and set off on his way to Pemberley.

Recent marriage aside, surely his friend would welcome a visit. Bingley would make himself useful somehow and keep his eye out for any nearby estates for sale. If he won Miss Bennet's heart, he wanted to settle near her sister. Miss Bennet and Mrs. Darcy were exceedingly close, and he would hate to be the reason to separate them to an unbearable extent.

Thinking of how close the Bennet sisters were made him think of his own siblings, for all he was riding away from them. He had grown much closer to both of his sisters on this last visit. Surprisingly, even his time with Caroline had been a pleasure. It seemed that her time in Scotland with Aunt Guthrie had been just what she needed. It was almost as if he had his old sister back, the one he had known before his parents had sent her to that finishing school. He only hoped that the changes would stick.

Sighing, Bingley closed his eyes, wondering if it was possible for him to fall asleep while moving over the rutted road. While he had been up some nights offering to walk the poor fretful babe when he had colic, Bingley had not been sleeping well for quite some time before that. Bingley's nights had been haunted by bad dreams. In one particularly unsettling dream, he saw Miss Bennet adorned with a shimmering crown, setting sail with a foreign prince, while leaving him alone and forsaken on the docks.

Rubbing at his forehead, Bingley considered the journey from Hertfordshire to Derbyshire. He knew it would take several days to reach Pemberley, depending on the weather and the condition of the roads. It occurred to him that he had not sent an express to tell his friend of his upcoming arrival, but that was no great issue; he would simply write a letter at whatever inn he stopped at. It would be good to see Darcy, even if watching his happiness with his wife was almost painful. He wanted that kind of love with Miss Bennet. Maybe he could ask for some advice from one or both of them.

For now, his greatest hope was that none of the gentlemen in London would claim Miss Bennet's heart before he could prove himself to her. He fell asleep thinking of his angel and the kind of life he wanted to live with her.

Glancing out the window, Elizabeth asked, "Is that a carriage?"

Looking up from his ledger, Darcy craned his neck to get a glimpse. Eyebrows drawing together in confusion, Darcy put his papers down and walked to the window. There appeared to be a carriage on the drive. Turning to Elizabeth, who was sitting by the window using the light to work on a little gown for one of the expectant tenant mothers, he said, "I thought your family would be arriving tomorrow?"

"I thought so too." Putting her work down and carefully tucking it away into her sewing basket, she stood. "Perhaps something about their plans changed? I will speak with Mrs. Reynolds about refreshments and fresh water in their rooms." Walking toward the doorway, she was stopped when Darcy called out to her.

"My dear, you could simply ring for her. You do not have to go searching her out. Pemberley is a much bigger place to search through than Longbourn."

Screwing up her face, Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders and went to the bellpull. The task completed, she walked to Darcy and leaned into his side, looking out the window with him. "I know that very well." Reaching up on her tiptoes, she kissed his cheek, her eyes dancing at the fire that flared in his eyes. "It is a good thing I was such an excellent walker before I arrived here, Wills, otherwise you might find me taking up residence on one of the many landings of the many staircases."

Darcy might have responded to Elizabeth's teasing manner with the more substantial kiss he wanted if it weren't for the throat clearing at the doorway. Closing his eyes for a moment, Darcy blew out a breath. More than one staff member had come upon him kissing Elizabeth; at least this time he had not yet done so. It did not, however, help his frustration. Looking at the maid, whose cheeks had developed a slight blush, Darcy tried to focus back on the matter at hand. There had been a reason for which they had summoned the girl…wasn't there?

Elizabeth did not move an inch. Still leaning into him, she addressed the staff while Darcy was still trying to remove his attention from her lips. "Joan, there is a carriage approaching. I think it might be my family coming from London. I would like to make sure refreshments are provided in half an hour. The family rooms they will be staying in have already been prepared, but I would like to make sure there is fresh water for them to use." Pausing, Elizabeth tilted her head before continuing, "That is, of course, if it is my mother and sisters. It could very well be someone else, but I would like to see to their comfort either way."

It reassured Darcy when Mrs. Reynolds had said the staff, for the most part, were happy to see that the master and mistress were indeed thrilled in their new marriage. Apparently, it boded well for the future of Pemberley. Darcy had never considered how the staff might feel working under an unhappy couple. It would certainly not help the servants if the lord and lady of the house existed in stony silence or, worse yet, heated arguments.

Once they were alone again, Darcy looked down into Elizabeth"s shining expression and asked, "Shall we head out to greet them, my love?"

Elizabeth grinned infectiously and said, "Yes, let's."

Swooping down, Darcy allowed himself one brief kiss before offering her his arm and escorting her to the front steps where they could greet their guests. As they stood at the top of the steps waiting for the carriage to finish its journey, Elizabeth turned to look at him, a hint of concern in her expression. "What has you worried, Lizziebet?"

Pursing her lips, she furrowed her brow as she asked, "I know my family had intended to stay in London much longer. You are not upset that they are coming back early, are you? I would never want you to be disappointed or concerned that I do not devote enough attention to you." Reaching up, Elizabeth smoothed his waistcoat and straightened his cravat, which had become slightly askew.

Catching her hands, he held them to his chest over his heart. "I may not love your mother and sisters as much as you do, but I am more than simply fond of them. They are my mother and sisters, and I am glad to see to their wellbeing and happiness. If they are not suited to London, I cannot find fault in it. I am not overly fond of the city myself." Pulling her right hand to his mouth, he kissed her palm. "Were you upset when Georgianna did not want to go with them to London and chose to stay at Pemberley with us?"

Shaking her head, Elizabeth was quick to reassure Darcy. "No, of course not. Georgie is lovely company, and I enjoy spending time with her when you are busy with estate business."

Smiling, Darcy kissed her palm again, this time letting his lips linger before saying, "Exactly. Besides, Pemberley is expansive, and you yourself said that our suite is so large that we could live in it and not come out for a month if we wanted to. If I feel neglected, I shall just steal you away and keep you all to myself." Darcy had been so lost in Elizabeth's emerald eyes that he had not realized the carriage had arrived until he heard the laughter.

Startled, Darcy turned to his friend. "Bingley! I had no notion you were to visit us." Wrapping his arm around Elizabeth's waist as Bingley jogged up the steps, he said, "We saw the carriage and came out to greet our visitors but did not expect to see you."

Bingley shook his head, his eyes twinkling as he laughed. "Yes, and while you waited, you became distracted. You know, Darcy, now that you are married, you can leave off all of that romance foolishness. You already have her; it is not as though she can get away."

Narrowing her eyes, Elizabeth glared at their visitor, though her lips twitching gave her humor away as she said, "If you try to convince my husband to stop with the romance, I will start using you for target practice. I have been trying to come up with a way to practice on a moving object and you just might do."

Darcy looked over at his friend and noticed the fatigue etched on his face. Bingley's eyes seemed to be bruised and puffy, and though he laughed and smiled with them, his normal effervescence was lacking. "Bingley, how is your sister? Your last letter, though ink stained and hard to read, was full of the happy news of a baby boy. I thought you would stay with her for some time."

"Louisa is well and recovering nicely, according to Aunt Guthrie. She said it was time for me to leave. Apparently, the young couple will have to learn to cope without my assistance. Rubbing his hand down his face Bingley continued, "As much as I love little Felton, I will admit that it feels as if I have not slept well for what seems like weeks."

Nodding at his news, Elizabeth gestured Bingley into the house. "Well, you are always welcome at Pemberley. Let us get you inside. I have asked for refreshments to be made ready. We can sit and chat while I have your guest room made up."

Bingley let his body relax into the offered chair with a sigh. He felt every rock and rut that his carriage ran over on the three-day journey to Pemberley. He was more than looking forward to the comfort of his bed this evening.

"I am surprised you did not send word that you were coming." Bingley could read the concern on his old friend's face when Darcy spoke.

"I was going to write to you at the first inn I stopped at but was so tired I completely forgot." Rubbing his gritty eyes, Bingley sat up straighter in his chair and searched the pockets of his rumpled attire. Groaning, he produced a letter and sheepishly handed it to Darcy. "The second night I wrote a note, but it appears I forgot to send it off to you."

Darcy accepted the note with a chuckle. "You always did poorly when you did not get enough sleep. I can remember that time you stayed up late studying for Professor Jinkins's test and you were so inattentive that you tried to throw your test sheet away instead of turning it in."

"I remember that. It is a good thing that old Jinkins liked me and fetched it out of the rubish." Bingley laughed at the memory. "I actually got top marks, but Jinkins advised me to get more sleep before my next test because another professor might not be as generous."

He and Darcy were still laughing over some of their school experiences when Mrs. Darcy came into the room shortly before the tea service arrived. Standing next to the teapot, she asked, "Mr. Bingley, you look like you could do with a restorative cup of tea, if you do not mind my saying so."

Bingley turned his gaze to her and smiled gratefully. "I would love a cup, Mrs. Darcy. Thank you." While she readied his tea, Bingley studied Mrs. Darcy. Most people did not see any familial resemblance between Miss Bennet and Mrs. Darcy, but he could see it clearly.

The two oldest Bennet daughters may have been night and day, dark brown hair versus shining blonde, emerald eyes instead of sapphire ones, but he saw where they were the same. They had the same arch in their brows and their noses had the same pert tip. Their beauty aside, it was what lay beneath that truly made the sisters alike. While some did not see it because Miss Bennet always wore her smile like armor, both sisters were unending kindness wrapped around a core of steel.

Accepting his cup of tea, Bingley took an eager sip, nearly scalding his tongue. It was just this side of too hot. He looked up from his cup of tea just in time to watch Darcy and his wife have a silent conversation with their eyes. It ended with her raised eyebrows and a tilt of her head, while Darcy was grinning wide enough to show off his dimples.

Turning to Bingley, Mrs. Darcy said, "I will leave you two gentlemen to reminisce. I think your usual room should be ready soon, but I will go check on things while you talk." She left the room, but not without glancing over her shoulder at her husband with a grin.

Darcy watched her go before turning back to Bingley and asking, "So why were you studying my Elizabeth so closely?" Stretching out his legs, he crossed them at the ankles before continuing, "I know you do not have designs on my wife, but I am still curious."

Feeling his cheeks heat in a slight blush, Bingley muttered, "You saw that, did you?"

"Yes."

Sighing, Bingley took another sip of his tea to fortify himself for the conversation he thought was at hand. "Your wife looks very much like her sister."

Nodding at the explanation, Darcy took a sip of his own teacup but said nothing. Bingley knew his friend's behavior was designed to get him to confess all. It was, in fact, a practice he had seen his own father use. You let the silence continue until your opponent felt the need to cover the silence with their words. He knew Darcy did not see him as an opponent, but it seemed that Darcy, or possibly Mrs. Darcy, wanted to get something out of him.

Well, it was not like he was trying to hide anything. Not really, anyway. "The way she raised her eyebrows just a bit, Miss Bennet does the same when she is concerned about someone. In that moment, I realized I could see a lot of Miss Bennet's traits in her younger sister."

Looking at his friend in a discerning way, Darcy said, "I am surprised that you would want to come here and not go to London for the season."

Shaking his head, Bingley said, "I could not watch her being followed by all the sycophants anymore. I know I encouraged her to spread her wings and enjoy the season, and I want that for her, I do, but it was eating me up." Putting his teacup down on a side table, Bingley began to pace, running his hands through his hair as he did so. "None of them see her for what she is. They only chase after her for her beauty, and it is not fair to her."

"Do you see her for what she is?" Darcy did not move from his chair, but watched his friend sympathetically as he moved around the room.

"How could I not? You know, I think I have spent more time with her than any woman besides my family." Stopping to gaze at the fire, Bingley attempted to assemble his thoughts into a more cogent pattern. "I have seen her stand up for what was important to her. How she stood up to Caroline was magnificent. While she is almost always kind, she never allows that kindness to prevent her from doing what must be done. It does not make her weak either. Though I have seen people in London try to take advantage of her, she has always stood firm."

"It seems as if you know her. Does she know that?" Darcy questioned, his head tilted and eyebrows drawn.

"I am uncertain. You know how all the Bennet ladies suffered at Longbourn. I have not wanted to pressure her into anything that would cause her discomfort." Sitting back down, Bingley leaned forward in his chair, facing Darcy with enthusiasm. "But despite trying not to pressure her, I have had the time to study her, to learn about her. I have come to know how truly beautiful she is."

"I do not think there is a man in England who would disagree with you." Darcy took a sip of his tea before adding, "Though you will forgive me if I prefer my wife's looks to that of her sister."

"We never had similar tastes when it came to women." Bingley rubbed at the back of his neck, smiling ruefully. "While I agree that any man in the world and see her beauty, it is not what I mean when I say that."

Stopping to take his teacup back up, Bingley took a sip. Then, looking at Darcy, he wondered if he was trying to play the devil's advocate. Bingley knew Darcy had become very protective of all the Bennet ladies, even Mrs. Bennet. It was possible that Darcy was testing him, getting him to prove his worth to them both.

"Jane's beauty is in how she loves, the way that she protects those that need it, and her willingness to sacrifice for the good of others. It makes me want to protect her and make sure that there is at least one person who is looking out for her when she is not always looking out for herself." Bingley's words felt as if they had been drawn from his very being, as if he had never said anything so true before that moment.

"Then I approve." Darcy tipped his teacup to Bingley in a salute.

Rolling his eyes, Bingley accepted the approval. Not that he ever truly thought his friend would disapprove of the match. "Thank you, but I do not see what good that does me. She is in London being courted by other men, and I am here."

Darcy's brown eyes seemed to hold a mischievous gleam that was quite rare to see. Quirking his lips in a half smile, he said, "And that is where you would be wrong."

Bingley's grip tightened on his teacup before he carefully put it down with numb fingers. Could his friend be implying what he thought he was implying? "Pardon?"

Smiling rather smugly, Darcy replied, "My sister by marriage is currently on the road from London with the rest of her sisters and mother. They should arrive sometime tomorrow." He waited a moment, and Bingley found himself swallowing convulsively before Darcy added, "In fact, we thought it was them coming up the drive when you showed up just now."

"I cannot believe the coincidence." Jumping back up to pace some more, Bingley's mind started filtering through too many questions and hopes to process. "Do you know why they are returning early? Are they well? Do you think I have a chance at winning her heart? Do you know of any estates up for sale nearby in case I do?"

Standing up, Darcy went to his friend and clasped him on the shoulder, waiting for him to run out of steam before saying, "As far as I know, they are all well, but as for why they left London, I think you will have to ask Jane yourself. You have a better chance of winning her than anyone else I know, and I know of one or two estates that might suit, but you should probably wait until you are further along in the relationship before purchasing anything." Darcy started guiding his friend towards the hall. "Your room should be ready by now. You can wash and rest before we dine tonight. Get a good night's sleep. It will probably be better if you do not look exhausted when you see her tomorrow."