Chapter 7
Her maid, Amelie Jardine, woke Jane early in the morning, just as the sky had begun to lighten.
She explained that Caroline had woken Bingley after midnight and demanded that they leave at sunrise that morning without any explanation other than that she was excited to get started on ordering supplies for the estate.
Jane was mortified even further when she declared that all of the servants were aware of what had taken place the evening before and that her husband was likely being informed by his man even now.
She prayed that it would not reach the ears of the gossips in London.
She was certain that the Darcy servants could be trusted to keep things quiet for the sake of the family name, but if Caroline did what she normally did and told all of her supposed friends of her anger, likely intimating that Elizabeth had caused her husband to break with her, there would be no stopping the truth from coming out.
Was there even a whisper against their mistress, all of Pemberley’s might would be released on the gossips.
She allowed herself one small sigh of frustration and assisted her maid by doing her own hair while Jardine worked to pack her clothes.
Jane hurried down to the breakfast room, assuming that Elizabeth and Darcy would already be out and about on the estate.
But having been informed by their personal servants that the Bingleys were to leave that morning, both Darcys and a yawning Georgiana were awaiting their guests at the table.
Elizabeth rose and threw her arms about her sister.
“I am so sorry, Lizzy!” Jane whispered, fighting tears. “I cannot believe that Caroline would be so— Oh! I cannot even say it aloud!”
“You can hardly be blamed for your harlot of a sister-in-law,” Elizabeth snarled quietly, not wishing Georgiana to overhear.
“I would have tossed her from the house this morning regardless, but I am most unhappy with your husband that he is once again putting his sister first. If it would not hurt you further, I would give him a piece of my mind.”
“Please do not, Lizzy. You must understand, he is in a difficult place, caught between his wife and her family and his sister. He has been in charge of her wellbeing for so long that it is instinctive for him to see to her needs.”
“And yet he has a moral responsibility to care for you now. His lack of consideration is maddening!” she replied. “But enough of that! Sit down and eat something so that you will be prepared for the rigors ahead.”
Jane agreed, relieved to leave the subject behind.
She gathered a plate from the sideboard and settled in beside Elizabeth to daintily pick at the breakfast offerings.
Darcy seemed to watch the doorway as he nursed his cup of steaming tea.
Eventually, a bleary-eyed Bingley trudged into the room and flopped into a seat opposite Jane, signaling for a footman to fetch him his breakfast.
“I do not know how you wake so early, Darcy,” he complained into a cup of coffee. “It is unnatural to be up before the birds.”
“This is early even for us, Bingley,” Darcy replied, his tone not in the least bit pleased.
Bingley blinked away the cobwebs and set about cajoling his friend into better humor but Darcy was having none of it.
“You cannot sweep this under the rug, Bingley!” Darcy finally bellowed, bringing a tense silence down upon the table.
“Your sister is a menace and if you insist upon bringing her with you to Pemberley, there will be no further invitations for either of you; Jane of course is always welcome. From now on, the Bingley carriage will be stopped at the Lodge and if Miss Bingley is inside, will be turned away at the gate!”
“I am sorry,” Bingley whimpered. “I do not know what got into her head. But you must acknowledge that she feels completely duped and led on.”
“Must I? In what way did I ever invite her advances? By treating her politely? By refusing to have her hang about my neck like a limpet? By forcing her to show proper respect to my wife?” Darcy cried in outrage.
“You did nothing purposefully, of course!” Bingley hurried to assure him. “It is only that you are a handsome fellow and—” Darcy’s glare, which had not seen use in many months until this visit had him trailing off.
“I want your word that you will no longer allow your sister to attach herself to your invitations, Bingley.”
Bingley nodded energetically, his head nearly toppling from his shoulders.
“And I also want your assurances that your sister will not spread some twisted version of events to make my wife look badly.”
Bingley gulped, well aware that Caroline had already written several vitriol laced letters which were even now sitting in the salver waiting to go out.
Little did he know that Darcy had left instructions that any mail from Miss Bingley was to be burned rather than mailed.
Jane could not lift her eyes from her plate as the tension in the room was so heavy.
Listening to her husband wheedle and whine and cajole rather than owning up to his failure to stand up to his sister made her blush in mortification.
It was what her life had become, completely and utterly under the thumb of her sister-in-law with no way out unless her husband learned to stand his ground.
“I will remind her that the number of invitations she receives is directly correlated to her connections with the Darcy name,” he sighed, not truly committed to the plan but knowing it was what his friend wished to hear.
“There will be no further connection between us, Bingley,” Darcy stated, lowering his voice and softening his tone. “Surely you must see that. She has acted beyond the pale, and I cannot have my family name associated with her any longer.”
“But Darcy! She will be ruined in the Ton if you distance yourself from her!”
“You cannot expect me to forget such a large lapse in judgment, nay in basic decency!” Darcy cried. “Can you imagine how Elizabeth might have felt had she come across the snake in my rooms— It was not a seduction; it was an attack on my marriage! Thank the Lord we share a bed!”
“Well, I—” Bingley began before becoming distracted by what he had said. “Wait, you share a bed every night? Is that allowed? I thought the Ton frowned… eh…”
Darcys livid glare and nod toward Georgiana, who he was ashamed to admit that he himself had forgotten was in the room, had Bingley tapering off with a gurgle.
“In any case, there is no discussion to be had. My decision is final. There will be absolutely no further connection between Miss Bingley and any of us, including my impressionable sister.”
“Oh, but… Georgiana is one of her dearest friends,” Bingley cried, wringing his hands like a matron. “It is too cruel to part them.”
“You think I should allow my sister to associate with Cyprians and loose women?” Darcy growled.
“Surely it was not so bad as that…”
“I assure you that it was,” Darcy replied with a shiver of revulsion.
Georgiana had been looking most put out as her maid had refused to inform her why the house was in an uproar.
Jane patted her hand to comfort her, but Elizabeth had other ideas.
She caught her husband’s eye and they seemed to hold an entire conversation in a single long look which ended with a slight nod from Darcy, which Elizabeth returned with a wink.
Jane felt a now familiar burn of resentment growing as her husband once again began to whine about Caroline’s prospects as the gentlemen left to check on the carriages and confirm the use of Darcy’s workers to begin the work on Ivy Well.
“Miss Bingley came to our room last night uninvited and without proper attire and was shocked to find that she was unwanted,” Elizabeth explained to her young sister-in-law once the door had closed. “That is all that you really need to know, other than what I am sure that you can deduce yourself.”
“Lizzy!” Jane gasped.
“I am only surprised that she did not attempt something before your marriage,” Georgiana declared stoutly. “She has coveted Pemberley’s coffers since Brother met Charles. I used to have nightmares that she would compromise him and that for his friendship with Charles, he would acquiesce.”
“Heaven forbid,” Elizabeth gave a moue of distaste. “I wonder if she has tried before… Charles seems quite sure that he can work William around. Perhaps he has managed it previously.”
“There were rumors in town that Miss Bingley was providing services to my brother in exchange for her invitations. There were several tittered remarks about mending pens, which I had heard mentioned myself,” Georgiana whispered making Elizabeth’s eyes bulge when she continued.
“I assume it is a euphemism, though I cannot figure out for what and when I asked Richard all he would say is that my brother always mends his own and not to worry over it.”
Elizabeth blushed brightly but would not answer the questioning look from Jane. Being more widely read, Jane assumed that it must have been something that her sister came across in her father’s library and left it alone.
“I can guarantee, Georgie, that your brother only included any of the Bingleys in invitations at the behest of his friend and never were they written to include Miss Bingley or Mrs. Hurst, who would attach themselves to the invitations against all good breeding.”
“Caroline was under the impression that their annual trip to Pemberley in the summers was a compliment to her,” Jane observed, biting her lip in mortification.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes and scoffed. “William has only ever invited Bingley to visit. The fact that he continued to allow his sisters to accompany him, despite my husband’s pointed hints that they were not included, was tolerated by him because he felt constrained by good manners and friendship.”