Chapter IX #2
“Do not finish that sentence, Caroline,” growled Mr. Bingley.
“There is no amending your behavior. With that truth in mind, I find we can no longer impose upon my friend. As such, we will prepare our effects and depart from Pemberley in two days. I suggest you leave the room before I decide it would be better to leave on the morrow.”
Left with no other choice, Miss Bingley gathered the tatters of her dignity and stalked from the room, with not even a glance for anyone present.
Mr. Bingley, for whom such stern behavior was not at all natural, watched her go, remaining impassive.
When her footsteps grew distant and indistinct, he nodded once to himself and turned to Elizabeth.
“You have my compliments, Miss Bennet,” he said, a lighter tone chasing his anger away. “There are few who could endure my sister with equanimity when she is in a temper, yet I declare you have conducted yourself with distinction.
“Not at all, Mr. Bingley,” said Elizabeth, though she could still own to lingering anger at Miss Bingley’s presumption. “Though I will not pretend that her assertions did not offend me, I was in no danger of losing my temper.”
“Which speaks well to your character, I am sure,” replied Mr. Bingley. “If I am not dredging up unpleasant memories, will you not share the gist of her comments?”
“I suspect, Mr. Bingley, that you already understand them.” Elizabeth, determined not to allow her offense to rise again, tried for an even tone. “In short, I am a conniving woman intent upon rising from my position, and have therefore set my sights upon a wealthy man.”
Mr. Bingley winced, but he offered a curt nod. “Only one of those points is true, in my estimation, and it is not about you. I shall say nothing of the hypocrisy, for you understand it as well as I do myself. Let me pledge to you that I shall not allow my sister to impose upon you again.”
“Thank you for that, Mr. Bingley,” replied Elizabeth warmly.
“Perhaps we should depart tomorrow,” mused Mr. Bingley. “If Darcy does not mean to welcome you to Pemberley again, I shall eat my hat.”
“Then you had best develop a taste for it, Mr. Bingley,” replied Elizabeth, laughing. “Before he left her here, he charged me with asking my relations if we have any plans.”
“We do not,” replied Mrs. Gardiner, fixing Elizabeth with a secret smile. “Should Mr. Darcy wish it, I believe we may spend the entire day at Pemberley.”
Mrs. Gardiner then turned a soft smile on Mr. Bingley. “Do not depart early on our account, Mr. Bingley. With her chastening today, I suspect Miss Bingley will say little should we appear tomorrow.”
“Ah, but you do not know all,” said Mr. Bingley, his irrepressible grin returned to his face.
“When we depart from Pemberley, I mean to see my family to the north, then I shall return to Netherfield. In November, I made a grievous error to leave and not return—I mean to correct that lack of judgment at the earliest opportunity.”
“My sister will welcome you, and I suspect Jane will too,” said Mr. Gardiner. “You should know my brother may wish to have some reassurance of your intentions.”
“Trust me, Mr. Gardiner,” said Mr. Bingley, “I am willing to hear whatever he wishes to say and abide by any strictures he deems necessary, so long as he does not oppose my suit altogether.”
“Papa will never do that,” assured Elizabeth. “To him, our futures are what we choose to make of them.”
“Then I have some hope,” said Mr. Bingley.
The gentleman approached and took Elizabeth’s hands in his own. “Thank you, Miss Bennet, for speaking to me with such clarity. Hope is a virtue I had not possessed only a few days ago; now I am filled with so much that I am about to burst from it!”
“I am happy for you, sir,” said Elizabeth. “And I am happy for my sister. Though it has taken longer than perhaps it should have, I have no doubt you will make each other happy.”
“With that, I cannot agree more.”
Mr. Bingley nodded and stepped back. “Now, I shall leave you. I must inform my friend and ensure my sister understands what behavior I expect of her.”
When he made his farewells, Mr. Bingley departed, leaving three bemused relations. Mr. Gardiner, never one to allow poor behavior, offered the first comment.
“It is good that Bingley acted to control his sister. Had he not done so, I would have taken a hand. Miss Bingley would not have enjoyed the experience, given her opinion of me.”
“Yes, yes, that is all well and good,” said Mrs. Gardiner. “I am more interested to hear about Lizzy’s day with Mr. Darcy.”
Had Miss Bingley not confronted her moments before, Elizabeth might have found herself a little abashed. “I have no objection to telling you, but I think I might like to refresh myself.”
“Of course, my dear,” said Mrs. Gardiner, taking her arm and directing her to the nearby wash basin. “But you shall not keep us in suspense.”
“WELL, LIZZY,” SAID Aunt Gardiner, after Elizabeth had related some of what happened that day, “I am more convinced all the time that Mr. Darcy admires you.”
“Admires her,” repeated Mr. Gardiner. “If the man is not prepared to propose to you within a fortnight, I shall join our excellent Bingley in eating my hat.”
“The only question,” said Mrs. Gardiner with a delighted laugh, “is your sentiments. Until we met Mr. Darcy at Pemberley, I had thought your feelings for him consisted entirely of contempt. Now I am not so certain.”
Elizabeth did not know how to respond, so she offered nothing more than a helpless shrug. Her relations watched her for several moments, then exchanged the sort of glance that said everything between couples who understood each other.
“You need not say if you do not wish,” said her aunt.
“No, I have no objection, Aunt,” said Elizabeth. “I do not dispute Mr. Darcy’s interest. Should he offer for me, I do not know how I will answer.”
“Then I urge you to be honest with him, Lizzy.” Aunt Gardiner smiled with affection.
“He can withstand an honest answer, even if that answer only gives him leave to redouble his efforts to earn your good opinion. You would do yourself and him a disservice if you send him away without giving him the time to prove himself.”
“As always,” replied Elizabeth, “your advice is excellent. Before I offer any response, I will ensure that we understand each other.”
Mrs. Gardiner patted her hand. “That is all I can ask. Now, we should depart at once, or we shall be late.”
“MISS BINGLEY WAS WAITING at the inn for Miss Bennet?” demanded Darcy.
“I caught wind of it after my sister left and hastened to Lambton to intercept her.” Bingley’s stony countenance told Darcy he had been unsuccessful. “I arrived in the middle of their argument, but take heart, my friend—Miss Bennet appeared none the worse for wear.”
“Of that, I have no doubt,” replied Darcy, knowing this situation had gone too far. “Miss Bennet is an intrepid lady—though I mean no slight to your sister, Miss Bingley does not possess the means to intimidate her.”
“I do not doubt it, my friend,” replied Bingley. “Caroline is capable, but Miss Bennet has never struck me as a woman who would quail before her supposed superiority.”
“Trust me, Bingley,” said Darcy wryly, “if Miss Bennet can withstand my aunt, Lady Catherine—and I have the evidence of my experience that she can—then your sister could do very little to distress her.”
Bingley nodded but then sighed. “Though I am loath to cede your company, I think we should shorten our visit and go north without further delay.”
“That is unnecessary, Bingley,” said Darcy, though he protested out of friendship rather than conviction. “Once Miss Bennet departs as she will in two days, our visit may proceed as we intended.”
“That is just it, Darcy,” said Bingley, a little ruefully, “when I consider how Caroline will behave even after Miss Bennet departs, I shudder with mortification at the very thought.”
Darcy could not disagree. “She will redouble her efforts.”
“At least,” said Bingley. “The visit will become unendurable for you, and intolerable for me. As such, I believe it would behoove us to leave as soon as we can. If it were not already so late in the day, I would insist we leave tomorrow.”
Bingley turned a sly look on him. “Unless I am mistaken, you intend Miss Bennet and the Gardiners to spend the day at Pemberley, do you not?”
“If they are not already engaged,” said Darcy, chagrined at being so transparent.
“Then you are in luck, my friend,” said Bingley. “Mrs. Gardiner said they are quite at their leisure tomorrow.”