A Father's Sins: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Page 19

  “Richard! You shall wake the house.” Darcy reprimanded him.

  “Hush, please, both of you. Your voices are deep and loud and we do not want to discourage Miss Bingley from coming into the library. This is just too, too fun.”

  “Georgie!” Both men exclaimed at the same time.

  “Oh, come on you two. This is better than what the gothic novels, that I am not supposed to read, contain. Now, hush!” she whispered. Like a general on a campaign, she positioned them where she felt best; her and the Colonel sitting in the high-backed chairs with their backs to the library door, where they would be invisible to anyone entering, and Darcy standing at the fireplace. The three cousins had just gotten into position when the door handle moved for the third time since Darcy had entered the room. The door slowly opened and the flicker of a candle approached.

  Spying Darcy, she assumed they were alone. “Mr. Darcy, were you unable to sleep? Is there anything that I could do to see to your comfort? Might I, perhaps, get you something warm to drink from the kitchen?”

  “I thank you, Miss Bingley, however, it is inappropriate for us to be in the room together so late at night. I shall retire immediately to my room.” He started to move past her to the door.

  “No!” Caroline Bingley was not going to allow her last opportunity to pass without accomplishing her goal. Quickly, she placed the candle on a table and undid the belt on her robe, pulling the front open and sliding it off onto the floor. Darcy quickly turned his back to her when he realized her intentions.

  “Miss Bingley!” He was horrified and amused at the same time. Realizing how affronted she would be if she only was aware of his feelings, he steeled himself not to chuckle. This was not working out well for Miss Caroline Bingley. There were two witnesses that she was unaware of being in the room, and her own housekeeper had kindly and effectively warned him in advance. “Please, dress yourself. As much as I would dislike seeing you in such a state, I am confident that my cousin and sister would dislike it even more. Now, dress yourself.” He repeated when he heard no sound of movement, nor any rustling of fabric.

  “Mr. Darcy, what have your cousin or sister to do with us? You are a reasonable man. Surely, you know how deep my love is for you and how I long to be your wife. Our marriage would unite our families and you, then, could call your best friend brother. There are so many advantages for us to wed. Please, Mr. Darcy,…” she paused before she could say another word as the noise of the turning of the library door handle sounded once again. This time, it was not a hesitant turning, but one of force. Mrs. Hurst charged into the room.

  “Ah, ha!” she exclaimed. “Mr. Darcy, you have compromised my sister and will have to wed.” The only thing in her vision was Mr. Darcy and Miss Bingley, both standing with their backs to her. She could clearly see her sister’s form, silhouetted in the firelight. Had Mr. Darcy but turned around, he could have seen the same.

  Suddenly, from the chairs to the right of Mr. Darcy, came laughter. At this, Caroline Bingley was moved to action and she quickly recovered her robe and wrapped it around herself, not even taking time to put her arms in the sleeves. Colonel Fitzwilliam and Georgiana rose from their chairs and faced the Bingley sisters at the same time that Darcy turned to confront them.

  “Miss Bingley, Mrs. Hurst, what is the meaning of this?” Darcy asked, though he knew the answer. He had to admire Miss Bingley for her attempts at an explanation as her own sister spit and sputtered at seeing Georgiana and the Colonel.

  “Oh, Mr. Darcy, I was unaware you were here. I had been dreaming of reading a book from this very library and must have walked in my sleep. However did I end up here?” She blinked her eyes rapidly as if she were just awakening from a deep sleep.

  At this, the Colonel and Georgiana only laughed louder. Georgiana was overcome by such a fit of mirth that tears poured from her eyes and she ended up tipping over onto her cousin, Richard. It was obvious that Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst completely missed the comic aspect of this spectacle. Realizing that he would get no help from his relatives, Darcy walked around Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst to open the library door and yell for a footman. When the man responded, he asked him to retrieve Mr. Bingley and Mr. Hurst directly and escort them to the library. Bingley would have to deal with his sister as Mr. Hurst would have to deal with his wife.

  Miss Bingley, in a huff, turned to leave the room and her sister followed her. Darcy was not going to let this go without them being held accountable for what they had attempted. He closed the door and stood in front of it, his expression one of firm determination. They would not be leaving the room until the men in their family could deal with them.

  It was not long before a tousled Bingley entered into the fray. At seeing the occupants of the room he stopped, stunned. “Are you aware that it is midnight and we should all be in bed?” He caught sight of his sister trying to right her robe. “Caroline, why are you here only half dressed?”

  “Charles, apparently I was sleepwalking?” She immediately tried to justify her actions and appearance.

  “Hmmm, and you grabbed your robe on your way out of your room?” he asked, as if puzzled. In a moment, the sleep cleared from his eyes and he honed in on his next oldest sister. “Caroline, it is clear that you decided to act on your desperation to become Darcy’s wife and your attempts failed.” Turning to his eldest sister, Mrs. Hurst, he next speared her with his gaze. “And, Louisa, it appears that you are complicit in this detestable plot.” His disgust was evident in the tone of his voice. “I want you both packed up and gone in the morning. Further, you will find alternate lodgings, Caroline, when you are in town. Whether Hursts invite you to theirs is for you three to decide for yourselves. I am inclined to send you to Aunt Agnes. Her strict adherence to all things moral and proper may be just what you need.”

  Caroline Bingley spit and sputtered. “But, Charles, she is mean. Her finishing school is one of the strictest in all of England, and I am already ‘finished’. There is nothing more she can do with me.”

  Colonel Fitzwilliam whispered to Georgiana, “Now, that is a whole bucketful of truth.”

  Mr. Bingley had long known the ridiculousness of his sisters and wondered if he was at all like them. That thought was concerning to him. It had been his habit to go through life with few cares. He liked to tease Darcy about his seriousness, always being concerned with business and having little in the way of fun. Taking a stand against Lady Catherine had been the action of a mature gentleman, and Bingley realized that that was exactly what he wanted to become.

  “I am leaving with Darcy at first light tomorrow and will meet with my lawyer as soon as I can get an appointment to transfer the funds our father left in trust for you to Hurst.” By then, Bingley’s confidence and his voice had risen in volume. “Out! Both of you get out!” He stretched out his arm and pointed his finger to the library door.

  Mrs. Louisa Hurst bowed her head and left the room, her husband, who had just entered, following close behind. Caroline Bingley, who until this time had easily controlled the decisions of her little brother, lingered, her nose raised in disdain. “You cannot do this, Charles. Father left my care in your hands.”

  “Caroline, do not put me to the test. How dare you embarrass me in front of my friends, whom I greatly esteem. You will leave this room right now and leave Netherfield Park in the morning. Orders shall be given to the staff. If you choose not to go at the appointed time, I will have them throw you out. Am I clear?”

  Caroline Bingley had never seen her brother like this. With a huff, she quit the room. Darcy and the Colonel had never seen Bingley like this either. Colonel Fitzwilliam walked across the room and clapped Bingley across the shoulders. “I am proud of you, Bingley. I believe you have become a man this past week and I am proud to call you my friend.”

  Bingley’s natural buoyancy returned and he smiled to those remaining in the library. “I am rather proud of myself as well.”

  Georgiana, stunned by the events of this evening, gave a
brief ‘good night’ to the men and left to go upstairs to her room. She had much to think on before morning. Georgiana, too, had been proud of Mr. Bingley. It was good to see him taking such a stand. This bode well for his future happiness. She had been embarrassed at Miss Bingley’s conduct and attitude and she was relieved that Miss Caroline Bingley would not be Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy, Mistress of Pemberley.

  Back in the library, the men filled their glasses to the rim with Bingley’s best brandy. Colonel Fitzwilliam held his glass up high. “To the close escape of an unwanted betrothal. Here! Here!” All three men drank.

  Darcy sat back down in one of the chairs. The happy mood of a few minutes past was pressed down by the longing he felt for the one woman that he would be pleased to be his betrothed. He wondered if Elizabeth had made it to London. He wondered if she had already booked passage on an outbound ship. He wondered if he would ever see her again.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Netherfield Park, Hertfordshire

  Light was barely visible in the eastern sky when the men readied for their ride to London. Lord Matlock had risen early to see the men off. Earlier, Colonel Fitzwilliam had gone into his father’s room and told him and his mother of the events in the library the night before. Inside the house, Georgiana and Lady Matlock were also awake, overseeing the rest of the packing for the journey. They would follow as soon as all was made ready.

  The horses were brought from the stables and Darcy was anxious to be heading south. London was but twenty miles distant and he hoped and prayed that Elizabeth had made the journey well. Bingley was giving last minute instructions to his staff about the closing up of the estate and directions for his sister, if she chose to disobey.

  Georgiana, dressed in her traveling clothes, stepped outside the door and walked down the steps to greet the day and her family. “William,” she caught his attention just as he was prepared to mount. “You will find her, will you not?” Darcy could hear the fear and worry in her voice.

  He smiled in reassurance. “Yes, sister, I will find her. In London, in America, in the Orient, I will find her.” Darcy meant every word. He would not stop until he could make her his own. He looked down at Georgiana. “Stand tall, Miss Darcy.” Her smile was instantaneous and it warmed his heart.

  “Travel safely, William.” Georgiana said to her brother. To her cousin she added, “Please, Richard, make sure he does not overtax himself or his arm. We need him to remain well.”

  “All will be well, Poppet.” He looked down on his cousin and smiled. Suddenly, his bearing changed and the smile left his face. His military rank showed in his visage. “Mount up!”

  All four men responded. They were an impressive sight. The Fitzwilliam brothers and Darcy had grown up around horses and spent much of their youth riding and competing against one another, forever racing to see who was the fastest. Bingley, who had been raised in a northern city, had little opportunity for equine exposure until he met Darcy at Cambridge. Darcy had taken it upon himself to educate Bingley on the finer points of good horseflesh and equestrian skills, as befitting a gentleman. His efforts had been rewarded by Bingley sitting a horse well.

  “Gentlemen,” Lord Matlock had come outside to see them off. He looked directly at his nephew. “Darcy, you will find her, son.”

  Before Darcy could respond, his cousin Henry spoke up. “Do not worry Father, we well know our mission. Travel safely and take care of our ladies.” With one last farewell to Lord Matlock and Georgiana, they were off.

  Her uncle wrapped his arm around Georgiana and drew her to him. The air was brisk and damp, but it did not look like the weather would turn to rain. However, that could change rapidly. It was England at the end of November. Lord Matlock just hoped it would hold off until the men could make it to London. “Come on, Poppet, let us break our fast and load up.” They went inside.

  Before they could make it into the hall, they looked back at the riders. Bingley had stopped and was looking back at them. He felt it would be the last time he would see Netherfield Park. Bingley had no regrets that his first foray into estate ownership was so quickly over. He had decided last night, after the fiasco with his sister, to give up the lease as soon as he could find someone willing to purchase it from him. It had not been a failure, for he had learned much about management of a property. And, he had learned much about himself. Though but three and twenty years of age, he had realized he had to be more discerning about his desires and emotions and determined not to allow himself to become enamored of a pretty face and a calm disposition so quickly. With a final sigh, he turned his horse and raced to catch the others.

  Coaching Inn, County Middlesex, 10 miles from London

  Elizabeth woke to the sounds of activity below stairs. She quickly washed and dressed, being careful not to wake Mrs. Bellows. Sticking her head outside the door, she inquired of a maid whether she knew if the carriage had been fixed from the night before. “I am sorry, Miss. I do not know. But, if you would not mind a short wait, I shall find out from the innkeeper. Please, wait inside your room and I will return with tea and some toast to break your fast. It is crowded and rowdy downstairs. No place for a lady.”

  After thanking the maid, Elizabeth turned back into the room and noticed that Mrs. Bellows had awakened. Her roommate straightened the bed and crossed into the small dressing room after greeting Elizabeth. Within moments, the tapping on the door signaled the arrival of the maid with information and a small meal.

  “Miss, the carriage has yet to be repaired.” This was not the news that Elizabeth had wanted to hear. “The coachman indicated that it would be later in the morn before it is ready to leave. He also wanted you two ladies to know that he appreciated that you voiced no complaint yesterday with all the mishaps and suggested that by the time the coaches came and went this morning, you may again have his coach to yourselves.”

  “That is good news amidst the bad, is it not?” Elizabeth thanked the maid and closed the door behind her. When Mrs. Bellows returned to the bed chamber, they shared the information and the tea. They then waited in the room until they heard that the coach was ready for them.

  Downstairs, four gentlemen entered the Inn for refreshment and to rest their horses. They had been riding less than an hour and had one hour to go before they hit the outskirts of London. It was decided that they would all proceed to the Gardiner’s residence close to Cheapside. Colonel Fitzwilliam commandeered a corner table while his older brother, Henry, ordered ale from the barmaid. Business was brisk with passengers waiting for the next carriage to depart. Darcy had searched through all the public rooms for Elizabeth, but she was not to be found. This was not surprising to him, as her coach had time to reach the city by nightfall the previous night. In his heart, though, he had hoped for even the sight of her. Shaking off the melancholy, he joined his cousins at the table.

  Longbourn, Hertfordshire

  Mr. Thomas Bennet was ready to depart for London at first light. From past experience, he knew that his brother-in-law, Mr. Philips, would be on time, but Mrs. Bennet and Jane would not. Hill had his master’s luggage loaded onto the carriage, which stood in front of the house. Mrs. Hill, the butler’s wife and housekeeper of Longbourn, was still upstairs in the bed chambers trying to encourage some movement among the women folk. Mrs. Bennet was not to be hurried. A tray containing tea and a repast of bread, fruit, and cheese had already been delivered and eaten, however, Mrs. Bennet could not make up her mind which dresses to pack for the journey. It had been many years since she had been to London, and she was overflowing with excitement.

  For the third time, Mr. Bennet sent Hill to inquire as to the readiness of his wife and daughter. Three times he was told that he would just have to wait.

  It had been difficult to return to Longbourn yesterday without Elizabeth. Her father was determined to win the day. They would have those shares in hand before the day was out; if they could ever manage to leave Longbourn.

  “We are rich!” Mrs. Bennet could not help but
repeat loudly in her shrill voice. “We are rich, Mrs. Hill. No more begging Mr. Bennet for pin money for lace and ribbons for Jane. She will be dressed just as elegantly as those snobby women in town. Just wait until Lady Lucas sees my daughter. No more will she brag about Charlotte’s silk dresses and new slippers from London. Why, we shall have gowns sent directly from Paris! Nothing will be too good for my dear Jane. She will win the hand of Mr. Bingley. Jane could not be so beautiful for nothing!”

  Mrs. Hill wondered that her mistress had forgotten about the war with France. There would certainly not be any trade with Paris; even for Miss Jane. She held her tongue as befit her position and hoped and prayed that Miss Lizzy was well. The angry outburst from the master when he returned yesterday gave reason to suspect that all was not well with the second daughter. Mrs. Bennet’s outpouring of greedy delight with this sudden wealth, which was also heard repeatedly by the servants, was inappropriate and vulgar.

  Mr. Bennet finally climbed the stairs to his wife’s chamber and informed her that the carriage would leave in under fifteen minutes. If she wanted to go to London, she would have to be inside when orders were given to the coachman to depart. “Oh, Mr. Bennet, you do not know how you vex me! My nerves, my nerves!”