Mrs. Bingley’s Sister (The Austen Novels)

Chapter 20

Darcy and Bingley stayed behind when the ladies withdrew into the drawing room, and the man pulled out a cigar and offered it to his guest.

"Darcy, I do mean it when I say how surprised I am you have come," Bingley said, lighting his cigar as Darcy did the same. "Georgiana is now married, and you are finally a free man, I suppose."

"Indeed,” Darcy answered, “It was difficult managing her coming out without a proper mistress of Pemberley, though. I think much of it would have been easier if I had had a wife."

Bingley gave Darcy something of a surprised look only for a moment before the man cleared his throat and said, "And why have you not gotten a wife? What's to stop Fitzwilliam Darcy, master of Pemberley, 'ten thousand a year' from finding a suitable wife?"

They laughed at Bingley's reference to his mother-in-law, Mrs. Bennet. Bingley shook his head and spoke more seriously.

"I jest, of course," he said, "But I am truly surprised you are not yet married."

Darcy shrugged and hit his cigar before he answered, "I am only two and thirty. You and I both know men have endless time to find a wife."

Bingley nodded, and then they took a few silent moments to puff on their cigars and drink their port, before Darcy finally said, "Enough about me—I see you have been quite busy these past few years."

Bingley grinned and reddened a bit as he said, "Ah, yes, well, as you can see, Jane is still beautiful, still as irresistible as ever—"

"And you have yet another babe on the way," Darcy cut him off with a laugh, "I need no lesson on where babies come from, I assure you."

Bingley barked out a laugh at that, and they moved on to other topics: whist, shooting, London, business, more masculine things that were too boring or uninteresting for the ears of ladies. Darcy laughed inwardly to observe how gentle and romantic Bingley was toward his wife in private life, yet rational and shrewd in his dealings in public life—he had been gradually purchasing other smaller estates and leasing them out, adding immensely to his annual income. Darcy could see that Bingley's joviality and amiability were sometimes taken for empty-headedness, but the man was far from empty-headed. He was no longer making five thousand a year—it had increased to nearly eight thousand a year.

They had talked long enough of business matters, however, and Bingley finished his cigar and his glass of port and stood, saying, "I have left Jane long enough, I suppose. Let us go in, shall we?"

Darcy followed his friend through the door and down the hall into the drawing room where Mrs. Bingley and Elizabeth were. The pitter-patter of small children's feet could be heard. Bingley lit up as he looked at Darcy and said, "You hear that? That's your goddaughter! She is a very wild little thing, I shall say!"

They entered the room and sure enough, there was little Lizzy, grown into a fully-made toddler since the last time Darcy had seen her. Her hair was light and long, her look everything resembling Mrs. Bingley—except, perhaps, the girl's eyes had a brightness in them that reminded Darcy ever so much of Elizabeth's own sparkling eyes.

Bingley scooped the girl up in his arms and threw her in the air, causing her to squeal in delight. The sight of it and the sounds of her laughter made everyone else in the room chuckle, and as Mrs. Bingley and Elizabeth stood to curtsy to Darcy, he bowed quickly and said, "Please, do not stand long on my account, Mrs. Bingley."

He made his way to sit near where the ladies were. The nanny was nearby, walking the toddler Charlie over to his mother.

"He's been a good little boy, ma'am," she said. Darcy looked at him, noting how large and sturdy the child was as he barreled into Mrs. Bingley's arms.

"A rather large little boy," he muttered aloud, not really thinking about it, until he heard Elizabeth reply:

"Indeed."

Darcy looked over and saw that Elizabeth was sitting near, having moved herself from the sofa where she sat with her sister to a chair closer to his. He relaxed a little, feeling more at ease by her friendliness.

"The little girl has grown," he said, glancing over at Bingley, who was still throwing his daughter up in the air, "She is not a babe at all anymore."

Elizabeth smiled and said, "No, she is not. They grow so quickly in the first few years. If one is absent, they shall miss much, you know."

Darcy tilted his head a little, wondering if she was getting at what he thought she was.

"I have indeed been absent, unfortunately," he admitted.

"Well sir, you must remedy that," Elizabeth said, "by coming to see your goddaughter more often."

He smiled cautiously, not wanting to unwittingly reveal the growing level of elation within his chest at the understanding that perhaps Elizabeth did not despise him as she once did.

"Perhaps you are correct on that score," he said, "and I shall endeavor to come and visit the Bingleys more in the future."

She looked at him, but then she blushed and looked down as she said quietly, “I would like that very much, Mr. Darcy.”

Darcy's heart pounded more heavily at her encouraging words, and he opened his mouth to reply—but a small silence overcame the room as little Lizzy was no longer being thrown, instead being led across the room by the nanny over to the pair of godparents.

"Now, Miss Lizzy, mind yourself and be a good little girl," the nanny was saying as she brought the girl over. Darcy glanced at Elizabeth and saw she was smiling broadly at the toddler now, opening her arms to her. The little girl broke away from the nanny and climbed into Elizabeth's lap.

"Lizzy," Mrs. Bingley warned from her spot on the sofa, to which Elizabeth merely laughed and shook her head.

"Jane, she is very well; I wanted her to sit on my lap," she said. Darcy watched as she hugged the little girl and kissed her hair, and then suddenly the little girl took notice of him; she stopped wriggling and looked at him shyly before hiding her face into Elizabeth's bosom. Elizabeth raised her eyebrows at Darcy and said, "Suddenly, she is shy!"

"Lizzy, say hi to your godfather, Mr. Darcy," he heard Bingley say. The little girl merely burrowed her head into Elizabeth further.

Elizabeth laughed and held the little girl, whispering something comforting into her ear that he couldn't quite hear. Suddenly the little girl sat up, looked at Elizabeth, then at Darcy, then back at Elizabeth and laughed. Darcy smiled, curious as to what Elizabeth could have said.

As if reading his mind, Elizabeth said with a laugh, "I comforted the child with the revelation that Mr. Darcy's stern, dour look frightens me as well."

Darcy colored but let out a laugh at himself, and Elizabeth smiled at him briefly but went on to say to the girl, without looking back at him, "But, I shall tell Lizzy here that Mr. Darcy is a kind man, a very good man indeed, and you need not be frightened of him, my dear. You shall not be frightened of big scary Mr. Darcy, because he is secretly a very tender man, and he is your godfather, which means he is like me and your aunt Cathey—we are your godparents, and we all love you very much." The little girl seemed intent on listening to Elizabeth, glancing shyly at Darcy for only a moment before looking back at her aunt.

Darcy couldn't describe the feelings he felt upon hearing Elizabeth's description of his character—the way she looked up at him briefly when she said he was a tender man, how she colored and looked back at the girl rather quickly—he felt an emotion moving inside him; surely this meant she was becoming endeared to him?

She said she would like seeing him more in the future, and now she spoke so warmly of his person, right before him. Her kindness and ease of speaking to him this afternoon and this evening were beginning to make Darcy think that he may indeed have a second chance with the lady—

Suddenly, the butler burst into the room, walking with some alarm toward Bingley, handing him a note. He whispered something in Bingley's ear, and Bingley looked surprised and alarmed, then he said thank you, took the note and walked over to Darcy. Darcy frowned as Bingley handed him a letter.

"Jenkins said it was an express, and the rider came quickly, most exhausted from his journey."

Darcy looked at the letter, addressed to him at Pemberley some many days past. "It must have reached Pemberley after I departed, and was forwarded here."

He tore the letter open; now the noise in the room had come to a halt, everyone having their eyes on Darcy and the urgency of such a note. His eyes widened as he read:

Darcy,

You must come to Rosings at once. Anne has been in ill health for some time, but I had not considered it very serious at all because you know how precarious her health has always been. But this is not so anymore—she is weary and is not going to survive. The apothecary has been here and is able to confirm such a disastrous report. Please come to Rosings as soon as you can, in hopes you may see your cousin once more.

I needn't say it but in my desperation I shall, I so very much wish you had married her, Darcy—perhaps then, there would be an heir to Rosings at this point, if it was always God's will that she pass in this sorry year of 1816. But I shall not vex you long with this.

She was always fond of you, therefore I hope you can arrive soon. I have alerted your cousin the colonel as well.

Lady Catherine de Bourgh

The scrawl was less clean than her usual letters were, so Darcy could tell that this indeed was serious, that Lady Catherine was vexed exceedingly and could barely write the letter. He mentally calculated the days—it must have been nearly a fortnight! Anne may have already died—

He jumped up without realizing it, and he heard Bingley exclaim, "What is it, man? What has happened?"

Darcy looked at Elizabeth and saw she was alarmed, her eyes wide and yearning with concern. How it melted his heart to see such a feeling in her expression, and he almost wanted to go to her—but he pulled his eyes away and looked at Bingley, at Mrs. Bingley, at the butler, at everyone in the room just about, even the children—and he finally looked back at Bingley and said, "It's Miss de Bourgh. She is dying."

The women in the room let out small gasps of shock, and he heard Mrs. Bingley say, "Good heavens."

"Darcy, I don't know what to say," Bingley said, "But it sounds as if you must go to Rosings?"

Darcy nodded. Nothing more was said.

The nanny quickly rounded up the children and made to leave, with Mrs. Bingley following, as she wanted to help settle the children for the night. Bingley turned to the butler and set an order for Darcy's carriage, and to alert Darcy's men, and then he looked solemnly at Darcy and said, "I am so very sorry this has happened, my friend."

"I hate to leave Netherfield when I have just arrived—"

"Do not apologize," Bingley stopped him, "You must see your cousin while there is still time."

Bingley seemed to glance at Elizabeth and then Darcy again, before announcing, "Let me make sure everything is being done to make your departure as speedily as possible. If you'll both excuse me."

He bowed and took his leave, exiting the room and leaving Darcy alone with Elizabeth.