21. Chapter Twenty-One

"What a lovely day for a turn in the gardens!" said Elizabeth brightly. "The fresh air would do you good, Jane." She well knew that Jane would never resist an opportunity to spend time among the flowers and herb beds of Netherfield's lovely gardens.

"That sounds delightful," Jane replied, rising from her chair.

Caroline Bingley sighed, tossing aside the book she had not been reading. "I suppose we might as well. Heaven knows there is little entertainment to be found in here."

Elizabeth shot a covert glance at Georgiana, who gave an almost imperceptible nod. Their plan was in motion. Mr. Darcy had promised to ensure he and Mr. Bingley would be in the library. Little used as it was, the open windows would mean anyone in the room would clearly overhear conversations in the flower garden immediately outside, and Caroline Bingley would never think anyone might be in there.

As the ladies stepped outside, Jane took a deep breath, closing her eyes contentedly. "You were right, Lizzy. It is so pleasant out here among the flowers."

She leaned down to clip some rosemary, inhaling its aromatic scent. Georgiana drifted away from them deliberately, aware that Caroline would not unleash the full force of her venom in Miss Darcy's presence.

"Foraging for herbs again, Jane?" Caroline remarked in a honeyed tone. "How... quaint. Isuppose such simple pleasures must seem quite novel to those unaccustomed to the finer things in life."

Elizabeth bristled at the thinly veiled insult, but Jane merely smiled and nodded. "Oh yes, I find such joy in the beauty of nature. It is a balm to the soul, don't you think?"

"Really, Jane," Caroline drawled, her voice dripping with disdain. "I know you come from a... shall we say, humble background, but surely you realize that a woman of your new station has more important concerns than playing in the dirt like a common labourer."

Elizabeth's eyes flashed with anger, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. She opened her mouth to deliver a scathing retort, but Jane, ever the peacemaker, laid a gentle hand on her arm.

"Caroline," she said softly, her voice filled with quiet dignity. "I understand that we may have different interests and pursuits, but surely there is room for us both to find joy in our own ways. I would never presume to judge your choices, and I would hope that you could extend me the same courtesy."

"You?" Caroline let out a little laugh. "Judge me? By what measure could you possibly assume to judge me? You, with no education and little pretence to intelligence or accomplishments?"

With every cruel word, Jane shrank further into herself, until Elizabeth had absolutely had enough. Never, in the whole course of her life, had she resorted to violence, but she was so angry that a red mist descended before her eyes. Her arm swung in a wide arc, and her palm cracked against Caroline Bingley's cheek.

Caroline staggered back, her mouth opening and closing with shock, scarlet blooming on her cheek in the imprint of Elizabeth's fingers. "You… you hit me," she said in disbelief.

"Someone should have spanked your bottom long ago," Elizabeth snapped back at her. "Perhaps then you would have learned to behave in a more ladylike manner!"

"Elizabeth," Jane was gaping with horror. "You should not have…"

They were interrupted by the sound of running feet, and a moment later Darcy and Bingley were upon them. Caroline lost no time in pointing at Elizabeth and screeching "She struck me! Brother, I demand she be removed from Netherfield this instant!"

"Caroline," Bingley said, striding straight past his sister to Jane, and gathering his wife in his arms, "shut up before I slap you myself."

Astonished, Caroline stopped mid-screech. She looked from her brother to Mr. Darcy, obviously unsure as to why they were not immediately sympathetic to her plight.

"I am afraid, Miss Bingley," Darcy said in icy tones, "that your brother and I were just in conversation in the library." He pointed to the open windows just a few feet above their heads. "Mr. Bingley was extremely upset to hear you speaking to his wife in such a way."

"I…" Caroline took an uncertain step back. "I… she…"

"Is this why you have been so quiet and sad, since we have returned home from Bath?" Mr. Bingley asked Jane, his tone gentle.

Jane hesitated, looking into his eyes, then slowly, she nodded. "I am sorry," she whispered, twisting her hands together. "I have tried everything…"

"This is not in the slightest your fault, dear angel." Mr. Bingley pressed his lips to Jane's brow, and then he looked over the top of her head at his sister and said "Get out."

"I beg your pardon!" Caroline drew herself up straight and looked down her nose at him.

"Get. Out," Mr. Bingley enunciated clearly. "Pack your bags and leave my house. Today."

"Charles, I am your sister!" Caroline's voice rose again. "Where am I supposed to go?" She was almost shrieking.

"I do not care. You have twenty thousand pounds, Caroline; it is entirely within your control. Take it and begone. I am done with your tantrums and your demands. I have weathered it without objection, for the sake of our family, but I will not subject my wife to your petty cruelties, not for one minute longer."

Elizabeth had never imagined that quietly-spoken, mild-mannered, charming Mr. Bingley could look so fierce. His voice remained calm and even, but his eyes were deadly cold, and she could not doubt that he meant every word he said.

"You will never again spend a single night beneath the same roof as my wife," Bingley said steadily. "If you are not out of this house by nightfall, I will have you removed, and you can sleep in the hedgerow for all I care. Now get out of my sight, before I decide that Miss Elizabeth's suggestion has a great deal of merit, and have you spanked thoroughly before you leave to teach you some manners!"

Caroline stared in stunned silence for a moment, and then her whole face flushed red. She stamped her foot, clenched her fists, and started forward, her mouth opening in a wordless scream before she began to hurl invective at Elizabeth. Some of the words she used, Elizabeth had never even heard before.

Bingley covered Jane's ears, and Mr. Darcy stepped in between Elizabeth and Caroline, grasping the latter's arm firmly.

"Control yourself, Miss Bingley," he said sharply. "Let us go inside and find your sister, and set your maids to packing." He glanced over his shoulder at Bingley, who nodded at him gratefully.

The silence which fell as Mr. Darcy led Caroline away was broken only by Jane's soft sobs against her husband's chest.

"I daresay I should not have slapped her, and I apologise, Mr. Bingley," Elizabeth said, feeling her anger drain away now that Miss Bingley was no longer present. "But when I heard her saying those things to Jane…"

"You were quite right to slap her, Miss Elizabeth, and perfectly correct when you said she should probably have been spanked long ago." Bingley stroked Jane's hair as he spoke. "Caroline has ever been spoiled and wilful, but I never imagined she could be so cruel."

There was little Elizabeth could say. Bingley took a still-crying Jane inside the house, and Elizabeth was left alone in the gardens. She walked quietly for a while, trying to find serenity amid nature, and was somehow not surprised when Mr. Darcy fell into step beside her.

"I imagine you are relieved to escape the hysterics upstairs," Elizabeth said, flashing a quick smile at him.

Darcy grimaced. "I confess I strategically removed myself from the scene once the packing commenced. I thought it best to leave Miss Bingley to her sister."

"I must thank you, for what you did for Jane. It was most kind of you," Elizabeth said.

He inclined his head, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "It was nothing. Your sister deserves all the happiness in the world, and Bingley is lucky to have her."

"As she is lucky to have him," Elizabeth agreed, her gaze drifting back to the path where the couple had disappeared. "I only hope that one day, I might be so fortunate as to find a love like theirs."

The words were out before she could stop them, and she felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment. What must he think of her, to hear her speak so plainly of such things?

But when she dared to meet his eyes once more, she found no judgment there, only a curious intensity that made her heart race. "I have no doubt, Miss Bennet," he said softly, "that you will find a love that surpasses even theirs. For who could know you, and not love you?"

Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat at his words, scarcely daring to believe what she had heard. "Mr. Darcy," she whispered, "what are you saying?"

He took a step closer, his gaze never leaving hers. "I am saying that you are the most remarkable woman I have ever known. Your wit, your intelligence, your fierce loyalty to those you love - all of these things have captivated me from the moment we met. And today, seeing you willing to go to such extraordinary lengths for your sister, even in the face of such unpleasantness... it only confirmed what I have long believed."

He reached out, taking her hand in his, and Elizabeth marvelled at the warmth of his touch. "Miss Bennet - Elizabeth - I have struggled with my feelings for you, fearing that my attentions would not be welcomed, after my ghastly misstep insulting you on our very first meeting. But I can remain silent no longer. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."

For Elizabeth, for a long moment, the entire world seemed to hold its breath. She could hear nothing over the roaring in her ears; her vision narrowed to Darcy's face, no longer proud but intensely vulnerable as he laid bare his heart to her.