Chapter Thirty-six
“No, sprite. I cannot agree to you attending the ball. You are not out, and the younger Miss Bennets will not attend. You will be out in two years. That is soon enough.”
Gigi looked pleadingly at her brother who had been uncertain.
Bingley had made a good argument that his own sisters were allowed to attend dances with the family at Miss Darcy’s age, and they danced only with close family and friends.
It had made their come outs easier. “I will bend to Richard’s opinion.
He has a younger sister too, and as your co-guardian, he has the right to overrule me once in a while. ”
Lizzy and Jane, who had come for tea, nodded approvingly.
“I know! Why do you not spend the night at Longbourn like you did the night of the assembly! Mrs. Greaves can play dance music; you girls can dress up this time and have a ball of your own! We can have cook make you all a special dinner and have cakes! You can come early and help us dress, and you girls can do each other’s hair.
It will be quite fun!” Lizzy smiled enthusiastically and winked at William so Gigi could not see.
“Now that sounds like a wonderful idea!” Richard boomed and noticed the fake smile on Bingley’s face.
Charles was trying very hard to maintain his cheery facade.
If Miss Georgiana would not be at the ball, that left him with the elder Miss Darcy.
She was less refined of the two, but more beautiful he supposed.
Generally, he preferred blondes, but she would do.
“I had intended to ask Miss Georgiana to dance the supper dance, but might you reserve that dance for me Miss Darcy?”
“You have already reserved the opening set with me Mr. Bingley. Did you wish to switch dances? Maybe you should open the ball with your hostess.”
‘Damn.’ He thought to himself. ‘It would have been best if she had agreed to two sets.’ “Capitol idea! I should have thought of that myself! Caroline, if your first set still unspoken for?”
“It is. Thank you brother. I will be happy to open the ball with you.” Caroline sighed in relief. She did not know what Charles had planned, but there was something in his eyes she did not like.
Charles tried not to grimace but look as vapid and jovial as always.
Once he was married, he would slowly let the pretense go.
Being firmly tied to the Darcy family would raise his whole family up.
Maybe they could find Caro an earl! A baron at least. He’d buy an estate and stick his wife on it.
Get a couple of children on her and leave her in the country while he continued his life in town.
Miss Darcy was raised in the wilds of America.
Surely, she could run an estate. He could finally get himself a mistress and stop visiting the brothels.
His feigned smile grew into a real one as he thought about how his life would be.
~~~~~
Richard, Theo, John, and Darcy escorted Beth, Lizzy, Mamie, and Jane to Longbourn after tea.
Charlotte met them there, and Mr. Bennet joined them in the garden for a walk.
They all strolled separately to the walled garden except Lizzy and William, who walked toward Oakham Mount.
Mary had not been asked to join them and had felt quite put out.
“So, Miss Darcy will be safe here with my girls during the ball. Do you have any more information on when you think this compromise will happen? You are staying in the same house with him niece. He could easily sneak into your or Miss Darcy’s rooms before that.” Bennet postulated.
“We believe he will want to try during the ball with lots of witnesses. He will think I have no choice but to accept him. Little does he understand me! Ha!”
“This could ruin your reputation and possibly affect your cousins.” Bennet frowned in thought.
“I will not allow it, Mr. Bennet.” Theo said with conviction. “I will make sure your daughters are not included in any tittle tattle.”
Richard huffed. “Not that your reputation is pristine, brother. I am sure the people of Meryton have read of your exploits in the papers.”
Theo flushed. “But your reputation and our parents is pristine. So is Darcy’s. With all of you backing them, the tale tellers will be silenced.”
“Yes, I suppose that’s true, and my girls will all go with Darcy to Pemberley a few days after the ball. The locals will forget any scandal before they return. Someone will do something over Christmastide to cause some kind of new outrage.”
“Not to mention I will leave England in the Spring. Out of sight, out of mind.”
Richard nodded and said, “It is best we let this play out then. He will make a mockery of himself. Darcy will see with his own eyes that his friend is not what he seems. Do the Hursts and Miss Bingley have any idea what is happening?”
“Caroline has suspicions. She has warned me she thinks her brother is up to something. I wish Bingley’s family would not be caught up in his dishonor.
It does not matter so much for the Hursts.
They plan to go to his parent’s estate after the New Year.
Caroline though…she is much changed. He could sink her chances for a good match. ”
“IF she is not part of his plan, and comports herself well the rest of our stay, I will ask mother to help her next season. A few introductions and being invited to mother’s ball. She will need to leave her brother behind though.” Richard and Theo agreed with a look.
“I’m sure that would be a great help. Thank you cousins in law.” Beth smirked as everyone chuckled.
Charlotte laughed out, “Is that even a thing?”
“Well, Lady Matlock is my cousin, so her children would be cousins also, and Beth and Ethan are like my own children, so I would say they are all cousins.” Mamie shocked everyone with that statement.
“We are related? How did we not know?” Theo exclaimed.
Mamie looked a little sheepish. “I asked your mother not to mention to anyone that I was back in England. My first husband, his brother, and I left for America in a bit of a scandal. Nothing too awfully bad. My brother did not help matters. You know him as your Irish cousin.”
“Fitzpatrick?!”
Mamie just nodded as the brothers gawped. She had already told Thomas everything of her past. He drew her closer and glared at the brothers.
“Stand down uncle. I do not know the whole story, but I’m sure my cousins in law will not cause problems for your intended. Right gentlemen?!”
Richard came to himself first, “No, of course not. Actually, we know very little of your story. Mother dislikes Fitzpatrick and told us just a bit of what a terrible brother he was to you. Well…welcome home…cousin!”
Bennet relaxed as Mamie hugged the Fitzwilliam boys.
Mary could not wait any longer and walked into the walled garden while Mamie was getting hugs. “What did I miss? I uh…did not mean to interrupt but wondered if you were ready for tea.” She blushed and looked shyly at the colonel.
Richard stepped forward. “It is so good to see you again Miss Mary. I am sorry we did not enter the house first to greet you. You missed Theo and I finding out that Mrs. Russell is our cousin. She is a first cousin to our mother.”
“Oh! What a small world! So…since you are cousins to the Darcys, and we are cousins to the Darcys, we are all cousins of a sort?”
“Well yes, we are! How extraordinary!”
That shifted the mood considerably. The worry of what Bingley would try was shifted to the background as they group happily went inside for tea and conversation trying to figure out what level of cousins, they were, and how many times removed.
Lizzy and Darcy returned to a very happy family of cousins.