Chapter XVI

T riumphant at his success, Bingley departed from Longbourn the following morning, returning to London after a leisurely breakfast with his hosts. In Hertfordshire, Bingley had found more than he had bargained for. The estate was lovely and an excellent investment at the price he had negotiated, and Bingley was more than grateful to Darcy and Bennet for having suggested the place to him. It would be an excellent first test of his abilities. The bonus—and what a bonus it was! —Bingley attributed to the eldest daughter of the house where he had stayed the past two nights.

? As the carriage rolled along, Bingley, who had never concerned himself much with the passing scenery when traveling, indulged in a lusty sigh. Never had he witnessed such a blend of sweetness and beauty, such angelic manners and absolute loveliness of character. The moment Bingley had stepped from the carriage and set eyes on her, he had felt the attraction hit him like a galloping horse, and only Darcy's words about keeping himself under good regulation had kept him from losing himself to her charms. The previous night when he had paid all his attention to her, he was not certain he had any success, for he felt the power of her allure, greater than any force he had ever experienced.

? It was still early—their acquaintance a matter of only two days! Yet for all Bingley had admired other ladies before, he knew with an instinct he could not explain that he would never find Miss Bennet's equal, not if he searched the world for the next fifty years without ceasing. He could not think of courtship and marriage yet, but he had determined he would come to know her with the ultimate purpose of discovering if he could persuade her before he had ever left her father's house.

? Upon his return to his house, Bingley learned from his housekeeper that his sisters had gone out on morning visits, which suited his purpose. With his valet's help, Bingley changed from his traveling clothes into a suit more fitting to ordinary daily wear and departed again soon after to visit his banker. There, he discussed the purchase of the Netherfield Park lease, making arrangements to pay the amount of the lease to the owner. Then after a brief discussion of his finances, Bingley went away, pleased to have taken the initial steps on his path to becoming a gentleman.

? It was not until that evening that Bingley was again in his sisters' company. Louisa, as was her wont, welcomed him back with a quiet word and a kiss on his cheek. Caroline also welcomed him, but rather than feel the warmth of her regard, Bingley noted the frank appraisal with which she regarded him as if trying to perceive all his secrets. Caroline had, with their introduction to London society and to Darcy, grown rather Machiavellian, everything in her life weighed against her lust to ascend society's ladder, determined to excise those things she deemed unlikely to assist.

? "I hope the business that took you away is complete to your satisfaction," said Louisa as they sat down to dinner.

? "It is," said Bingley, again feeling the satisfaction well up within his breast. "On that subject, I wish to announce an event of great import to us all."

? "An announcement?" asked Caroline, her interest lending to a hint of demand in her tone. "I was not aware that this business of yours warranted such a declaration."

? "That is because I said nothing of it before I left," said Bingley, giving his sister a pointed look. "Now that the business is complete, I would like to make you aware of what it involved. You see, I went to Hertfordshire at Darcy's recommendation and visited an estate in the area. A friend of his informed him of the property when he was in town.

? "Thus, I am pleased to say that I signed a one-year lease on the property. For the next year at least, I shall be the master of Netherfield Park."

? "That is excellent news, Brother!" said Louisa, clearly happy for him. "It would please our father to know of your attention to his wishes. What can you tell us of your new home?"

? Happily, Bingley allowed his praise of the place to roll from his tongue, telling them everything he remembered, both the rooms and the décor that he knew would most interest his sisters, the distance and position from London, and everything else he had learned. As he might have supposed, the ladies paid more attention to the appointments in the music room and their bedchambers. Neither of his sisters was especially verbose, but Louisa carried the conversation. Caroline appeared to accept his descriptions, asking for clarification several times, but she appeared lost in thought.

? Theirs was an interesting family, Bingley supposed. Louisa, as the eldest, was reticent, though perhaps not so quiet as Miss Bennet. She was also not of a forceful disposition, instead prone to keeping her opinion. Bingley, by contrast, was open and garrulous, never finding a silence he did not wish to fill with conversation, at ease in any company. If he was to speak the truth, he supposed Caroline was far more like her sister than she was to Bingley himself. Bingley's openness led to a delight in company, and while both his sisters shared in this trait, neither was so open about it. Caroline was the most ambitious of the family, her desire to marry well and rise to the pinnacle an accepted fact in London. It was only her rationality and her tendency to quiet that prevented open disgust from those who thought the daughter of a tradesman should not be giving herself airs.

? After dinner, the situation between them changed when Caroline became more assertive as Bingley might have expected—that Darcy was in Hertfordshire was a matter she had not known, and given her interest in him, this would change the calculus of her campaign to provoke his approval.

? "I am curious, Charles," said Caroline, fixing him with frank appraisal. "I did not expect you to sign a lease without even consulting your sisters."

? "The estate is to be Charles's new home, Caroline," said Louisa, a hint of chiding in her tone. "He does not need to apply to us for permission before conducting such business as this."

? "I have no intention of suggesting that Charles needs our permission, Louisa," replied Caroline. "Yet given the magnitude of this decision, I might have thought he would at least mention his purpose, even if we did not view the place with him."

? Caroline shrugged as if it did not signify. "Then again, I suppose if Mr. Darcy has approved of the place, it must be suitable."

? This was the crux of the matter and Bingley knew it. Not for the first time, Bingley appreciated his elder sister's still single status, as it prevented Caroline from claiming the management of his house. If Caroline were the elder sister or if Louisa were already married, Bingley knew Caroline would be much more insistent upon having her way. As it was, Louisa would act as Bingley's hostess when they relocated to Netherfield Park, much as she did in the townhouse, and while Caroline might wish she could claim the position—and would no doubt regret it even more when she understood Darcy was to stay with them—Louisa, as the elder sister, had precedent.

? "I do not apologize for not involving you," said Bingley, feeling nothing of regret. "Louisa is correct—this is my first foray into estate management, and as such, I felt it more important to request my friend's support rather than that of my sisters. You are correct, Caroline—Darcy thought Netherfield was an excellent investment."

? Caroline's eyes were on him in an instant. "Mr. Darcy visited Hertfordshire with you? I was not aware that he had returned to town." Her look darkening, Caroline added: "Now that I think on it, Mr. Darcy has been in Kent far longer than his custom; should he not have returned to London some time ago?"

? "Darcy did not go to Kent," said Bingley, displaying a studied nonchalance. When he and Darcy had talked before his departure, Darcy had suggested this course as one most likely to avoid upsetting his sister. "This year his cousin the viscount visited Rosings Park in his stead. Darcy has been in Hertfordshire since leaving town. That is where he learned of Netherfield."

? "Mr. Darcy is in Hertfordshire?" said Caroline, uncertain what to make of this news. "I was not aware that Mr. Darcy had any acquaintances in that county."

? "Darcy has acquaintances in every corner of England," said Bingley. "The man with whom he is staying at present is a new estate owner, much like I will be when I take possession of the estate. As Darcy has long been acquainted with Mr. Bennet, he agreed to stay there to help him become accustomed to his new position."

? "Mr. Bennet," said Caroline as if testing a treat on her tongue to determine its sweetness. "I do not think I know of any Bennets in society."

? "No, you would not know any in London," replied Bingley. "As I told you, the Bennets are new to their property, having inherited it of late."

? "Is Mr. Bennet a second son?" asked Louisa.

? "No," replied Bingley. "He inherited the estate from a distant relation—a convoluted circumstance to say the least; I would not wish to speak and misrepresent the situation. Mr. Bennet was a parson before his elevation. He has gentlemen in his ancestry."

? "That is quite curious, Brother," said Caroline. "Can you tell us anything else about these people with whom Mr. Darcy is staying?"

? "They are a family of four," replied Bingley, "as Mr. Bennet has three daughters."

? That got Caroline's attention as he knew it would.

? "The ladies are agreeable, and Mr. Bennet is an intelligent, thoughtful sort of man. Miss Darcy is also staying with them at present."

? "Then we shall see her again," said Louisa. "Tell me, Brother—will Mr. Darcy or Georgiana stay with us while we are in Hertfordshire?"

? "Darcy has agreed to stay with us," said Bingley. "But Miss Darcy has expressed a wish to remain with her new friends at Longbourn."

? "That is understandable, I suppose," said Caroline, appearing to consider the matter, though her appraising gaze never left him. "She must be eager to stay with ladies her age."

? "The ladies do appear quite taken with her," agreed Bingley, "but the ladies are not her age. Miss Jane Bennet, the eldest, is now two and twenty, while Miss Mary, the youngest, is nineteen. It appears they have become famous friends."

? Well, that set the cat among the pigeons , thought Bingley, as Caroline's eyes widened at that news.

? The only reason Caroline was tolerable at all was because she was well-behaved, her machinations undertaken with calm calculation rather than frenzied insistence—Bingley shuddered to consider what she might be like if she was prone to tantrums or other such misbehavior. The knowledge that Mr. Darcy was staying in a house with three eligible women in residence would alert Caroline's senses to the possibility of danger to her designs. She always had been attentive to any woman to whom Darcy paid even a trifling bit of attention. Seeing Darcy together with Miss Elizabeth when they arrived in Hertfordshire might induce her to put this doomed quest of hers to rest once and for all.

? "They sound lovely, Brother," said Louisa while Caroline was collecting herself.

? Caroline murmured something which might have been an agreement, choosing not to speak. The way she regarded him, however, told Bingley that she was considering how best to extract the information she must now be desperate to acquire.

? Suddenly Bingley did not anticipate the next three weeks, for he knew Caroline's interrogation would weary him long before she gained what she wanted. As yet, Bingley had only a vague notion of Darcy's interest, though he supposed that Darcy showing any interest in a young woman was a sign unto itself. Until Darcy gave him firmer information, however, he meant to protect his friend's privacy. Caroline would not like it, but she would recover. Perhaps she would turn her attention to attracting some other man, one with whom she may have a chance of success.

Mr. Darcy put his suggestion the night before Mr. Bingley's departure to good use, for in the days thereafter, his attentions became more ardent than they had been before. There were still many tasks for the gentlemen to complete on the estate, and Mr. Darcy spent much of each day with Mr. Bennet. The ladies were active, for they drew up plans to refresh other parts of the house including their bedchambers, visited tenants, and used the approaching summer season to further develop the garden in the back of the estate. These were heady days when the Bennet family began to feel as if Longbourn was their home, that they belonged there.

? Whenever they were not engaged in such activities, however, Mr. Darcy was certain to be there by Elizabeth's side. They participated in many of the activities available to them, walking out together, debating their opinions of books, music, art, current events, and any other subject that passed their minds, indulged in chess and other games they could all play, and in short, came to know each other better. As Mr. Darcy had sent for a pair of mares from his stables at his estate, Elizabeth also rode out with him, their expeditions taking them much further than Elizabeth could reach on her feet, even if she had been familiar with the place and lived there all her life.

? "No, Georgiana," said Jane laughing the first time they proposed to ride, "I believe the task of escorting your brother and my sister should fall to you, for you are much more accustomed to riding than Mary or me."

? "Perhaps it is best that I take on the responsibility," jested Mr. Bennet. "Then again, Darcy has me in the saddle so much that I relish my time not spent on a horse."

? They all laughed at his sally. "Then I shall go with them today," declared Miss Darcy. "Jane, Mary, you must also agree to ride, for it is a most pleasant activity."

? The girls agreed, and the three departed on their expedition. Thereafter, Jane or Mary accompanied them occasionally, and Georgiana sometimes rode with one of the Bennet sisters. Elizabeth, however, with her deepening relationship with Mr. Darcy, almost always rode in his company, such that Elizabeth never went out in Georgiana's sole company, leaving that pleasure for her sisters.

? Elizabeth, however, was not the only Bennet sister who had made a conquest. It was apparent a gentleman affected another of their number, not that Mary and Elizabeth had ever doubted Jane's esteem for Mr. Bingley. And this with only a single meeting of two days!

? "Mr. Bingley is an excellent man," said Jane a few days after his departure in response to Elizabeth's tease. "If you will tease me based on two days of acquaintance, how much more should I laugh at you for your obvious infatuation with Mr. Darcy?"

? "I have known Mr. Darcy now for more than a month, Jane," said Elizabeth. "Much longer, if you count our acquaintance in Nottingham. You are claiming a tender regard for a man you have known but two days!"

? "Jane always was the most romantic of us," said Mary, smirking at her sister. "Perhaps there is something to the poets' claims of instant love between two suited individuals."

? "I did not claim a tender regard." Jane had always been difficult to provoke to embarrassment, and she was proving her serenity in the current situation—or she was to those who did not know her well. "I esteem Mr. Bingley considering the short length of our acquaintance. Mr. Bingley's cheery manners are impeccable, I will say, and I consider him to be a good man. Though he is all of that, I do not wish to proclaim anything further, for I cannot know the future."

? "Dearest Jane," said Elizabeth, her heart brimming with affection for her elder sister, "that much praise from you is tantamount to a declaration of undying devotion from anyone else. If Mr. Bingley pays even half as much attention to you when he comes again as he did in the short time he was here, I shall be very well pleased."

? Jane nodded and smiled showing a measure of shy contentment, which was far more testament to her early interest in Mr. Bingley than any number of words would have accomplished. That was when the last member of their party interjected her opinion.

? "This is all well and good," said Georgiana, "but it is hopeless, you know. All Jane's infatuation will avail her nothing, for Mr. Bingley shall be my husband."

? Elizabeth could see the jesting in Georgiana's statement and responded in kind. "What is this perversity? Do you mean to dash my sister's heart to pieces?"

? "Not at all," replied Georgiana, her manner smug. "My intentions notwithstanding, there is little that Jane can do, for an authority no less than the man's sister herself has declared it to be so. Guard your heart, Jane, for your fascination will only lead to despair."

? "A pox on you!" exclaimed Elizabeth. "Had I a pair of gloves, you would feel them on your insolent cheeks as I challenge you to a duel for the right of my sister's claim! Now what do you say?"

? What Georgiana might say was lost in her giggles, which soon proved infectious to all the other ladies. "Well, I cannot go against such a connection as this!" said Jane. "I shall yield the field, though it breaks my heart to do so."

? "What is this of Miss Bingley?" asked Elizabeth. She regarded her friend and said: "Though I suppose it is the younger Miss Bingley to whom you refer?"

? "It is," said Georgiana, wiping the tears from her eyes. "For you see, Miss Caroline has made no secret of her wish that I marry her brother."

? "At such a tender age as yours?" asked Mary, her skepticism easy for all to see.

? "Oh, Caroline is proper and would not push me to marry before I come out. That is two years distant, and she knows my situation. Understanding, however, does not equate to waiting until I come of age before making her sentiments known."

? "I suppose her purpose is to secure a connection to higher society?" asked Elizabeth.

? "Lizzy," cautioned Jane. "We have not made the Miss Bingleys' acquaintance; it would be best if you did not brand them as the worst of women before you judge them for yourself."

? "Elizabeth is not incorrect," said Georgiana. She sighed and offered them a half smile. "I will own that I disapprove of Miss Caroline in general, for she has always seemed to harbor a hidden agenda, one that does not take her brother's happiness into account. For all this, I suspect her ambitions are greater than this."

? "What do you mean?" asked Mary.

? "Only that Miss Bingley seems to believe that accomplishing one marriage between our families will make it easier to accomplish a second."

? Elizabeth understood Georgiana's meaning at once, though she could not quite fathom Miss Bingley's logic. Her sisters were in a similar state, given their mystified looks, which Mary did not hesitate to voice.

? "That is... astounding logic, Georgiana, though I cannot quite follow it. How do you suppose a connection between you and Mr. Bingley will influence Mr. Darcy to offer for Miss Caroline?"

? "I never claimed it made sense," replied Georgiana. "Yet Miss Bingley has alluded to it more than once, and she's not shy about bringing it up at every opportunity."

? "What is Miss Bingley's age?" asked Elizabeth.

? "I am not quite certain," confessed Georgiana. "I suspect she is about Jane's age, but I have never heard how old she is."

? "If she believes as you suggest," said Elizabeth, considering what she had heard, "then she would need to wait at least two years for you to come out, engage in a courtship with Mr. Bingley, receive a proposal, and then marry. That might take four years or more. Does she suppose that Mr. Darcy will remain unmarried that long?"

? Georgiana shrugged, showing she did not understand Miss Caroline's logic either. "I should say nothing further. I do not care for Miss Caroline much, but she is not devoid of goodness. She is an intelligent woman, one I might esteem under other circumstances. It is unfortunate she is so wrapped up in her eagerness to climb society's ladder."

? "Do not concern yourself, Georgiana," said Jane, smiling at the young girl. "My sisters and I will take Miss Caroline's measure for ourselves rather than branding her as a woman without redeeming qualities."

? "Thank you, Jane," said Georgiana. "My brother and I said more of her than we should have. Perhaps we should speak of something else."

? It was not laudable to induce others to prejudice, and in this, Elizabeth supposed that Georgiana spoke the truth. Thus, Elizabeth determined to be wary of Miss Caroline, while offering her every opportunity to prove her character. That did not stop her from discussing the matter with Mr. Darcy.

? "Georgiana sees more clearly than I might have imagined," said Mr. Darcy when Elizabeth related her assertions to him. "That Miss Caroline wishes Georgiana to marry her brother was obvious, yet I could not say she was sensible to the underlying motivation in Miss Caroline's actions."

? "Tell me, Mr. Darcy," said Elizabeth, deciding it was time to leave the subject behind them, "does she have any chance at realizing her designs?"

? Mr. Darcy snorted. "No chance at all, though she would scoff at such an assertion. I esteem Miss Bingley, though I do not know her well. As for Miss Caroline, I never wished to marry her."

? "What of Mr. Bingley and your sister?" asked Elizabeth. "Before you reply, let me state that I was near to calling Georgiana out for the temerity of suggesting she will marry Mr. Bingley when he is enamored with Jane."

? This time the gentleman responded with a quiet laugh to avoid catching the attention of the others in the room. Elizabeth was uncertain it was a success, for the other ladies were murmuring to one another, and their frequent glances at Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy left nothing to the imagination about the topic they discussed.

? "Please, Miss Elizabeth, do not say such things, for if you were to challenge me, I would join my forefathers in Pemberley's graveyard."

? "Do you have so little faith in your skill?" laughed Elizabeth. "That such a tall, imposing man would be afraid of a diminutive woman such as myself is difficult to credit."

? "It is not my skills I do not trust," replied Mr. Darcy. "The difficulty is my inability to threaten you in the smallest way. Should we meet on the field, I am convinced you would cut me down without delay, for I would not so much as raise my hand against you."

? Elizabeth felt the heat of his regard in those simple, yet playful statements, and she could not help the warmth that suffused her cheeks. Mr. Darcy saw it and seemed delighted by her reaction, even as he returned to his previous comments.

? "As for Georgiana and Bingley, should they develop a mutual attraction for each other sufficient to wish to join in matrimony, I would not stand in their way." Mr. Darcy grinned and added: "My uncle would not appreciate a connection with my friend's family, but I would stand firm.

? "Having said as much, I doubt it will ever come to pass. Bingley, as fine a fellow as he is, considers my sister akin to his own; his regard for my sister will never grow so deep as to make a marriage between them probable. Like you, I saw his interest in your sister, and while I have seen him admire ladies before, I spoke to him most severely before he came to refrain from infatuation while staying here. He is a good man—should he take an interest in your sister, he will make her an excellent husband."

? "Then I shall grant you a reprieve, sir," said Elizabeth. "I wish for Jane's happiness, of course, but I should never dream of pushing her where she does not wish to go. Jane can see to her future—if it is with Mr. Bingley, then I shall congratulate her. He is free to do as he wishes, of course, even if he wishes to make your sister the happiest of women."

? "Thank you, Miss Elizabeth," replied Mr. Darcy. "I shall ensure Georgiana knows she has nothing to fear from you."

? "Not at all, Mr. Darcy," was Elizabeth's reply. "I shall tell her myself."

? The topic exhausted, they moved to other subjects of interest and stayed in each other's company the rest of the evening.