Chapter 6
Mr. Darcy and Miss Darcy arrived in town at the end of January.
He was more determined than ever to resist the machinations of the mammas and their daughters.
He would find that faithful, beautiful wife of good breeding to marry if it killed him.
If all else failed, Miss Elizabeth Bennet would do.
She was connected to trade, but was otherwise delightful in every way.
Being from the country and not contaminated by the corrupt customs of the ton, she would honor her wedding vows.
A few days later, Mr. Hurst, Mrs. Hurst, and Miss Bingley were announced at his house.
The Bingley ladies usually came with their brother, Charles.
For Hurst to be recruited as their escort, the matter had to be urgent, or their brother had not yet returned from the north.
Bingley had sent him a letter wishing him and Georgiana a happy Christmas.
From what he could gather from the blotchy missive, Bingley would spend Christmas with his ailing aunt in Scarborough. Why were his sisters not with him?
“Mr. Darcy!” Miss Bingley rose from her seat and came over with outstretched arms in greeting.
The master of the house immediately placed his hands behind his back and walked swiftly toward the Hursts. He then said politely, “Mrs. Hurst, Mr. Hurst, Miss Bingley, welcome to my home. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit? I understand Bingley is still away.”
Mr. Hurst snickered knowingly and said, “Darcy. I do as the ladies bid.”
Miss Bingley immediately continued. “Mr. Darcy, I… we are here because we need your help urgently. Do you remember the country nobody who was determined to catch Charles, or rather, Charles’s fortune for herself and her mother?
She followed us to town! She even had the gall to come to our townhouse pretending to see me, but she was obviously after Charles.
Thank goodness Charles is out of the conniving woman’s claws! ”
Mr. Darcy was momentarily stumped. There were too many fortune-hunting ladies—Miss Bingley being one of the most egregious in society. To whom did Miss Bingley refer? Why was it her urgent business to get him involved?
Seeing a frown of confusion on Mr. Darcy’s face, Miss Bingley hissed.
“It is Miss Jane Bennet! She has moved to the city, staying at her tradesman uncle’s house near Cheapside.
From his house, she can see her uncle’s warehouse close by the river.
I asked her about this, and she confirmed it is true—she lives among warehouses! ”
Mr. Darcy did not want to waste time correcting Miss Bingley’s illogical deduction but asked, “Madam, the purpose of your visit still eludes me.”
Mr. Hurst was looking around for any sign of refreshments, and his wife was absentmindedly playing with her bangles. It was clear that Miss Bingley was the only instigator behind whatever scheme she was hoping to rope Mr. Darcy into.
“Oh, Mr. Darcy, Charles said in his letter that he was planning to reopen Netherfield Park when he returned from the north. We must prevent him from doing so, while also not disclosing the whereabouts of Jane Bennet in London. Do we have your assurance that you will keep Charles from reconnecting with the grasping Bennets? Recall you had agreed with me that Miss Bennet cared not a whit for Charles but only for his fortune?”
Mr. Darcy was annoyed that Miss Bingley wished to push him into her scheme.
The ‘we’ she kept mentioning obviously meant him and her, as the Hursts did not appear at all concerned.
However, now that he had witnessed at close quarters the treachery of a marriage without mutual love, he felt even more strongly on the subject.
If Jane Bennet did not return Bingley’s affection and had only mercenary intent, he would help his young friend nip this infatuation in the bud.
Thinking back, he could not deny Miss Bingley’s allegation that Miss Bennet was indifferent to Bingley, although Bingley raised the point that Miss Bennet had never sought his attention.
She could not be a true mercenary, then, could she, if she did not chase after much richer prey?
“Mr. Darcy?” Miss Bingley asked impatiently, looking for a promise from her ally.
“Miss Bingley, I do not wish to be in any scheme to deceive a friend. However, if Bingley does not ask directly, I shall volunteer nothing regarding Miss Bennet. In fact, I do not know where Miss Bennet resides, and I do not wish to know.”
Miss Bingley was relieved. Just then, the butler, Mr. Ford, came into the parlor.
That was a sign that the guests had stayed long enough, and Mr. Darcy could use the butler’s presence to excuse himself for some business to attend to.
For the master of Pemberley, there was always some business that demanded his attention, so it was not necessarily a ploy.
“Mr. and Mrs. Hurst, Miss Bingley, please pardon me for cutting your visit short. I am needed for urgent business. Mr. Ford will call your carriage for you. Good day.” Mr. Darcy bowed and waited for the visitors to precede him out to the hall, where he took his leave.
A footman handed him a note on a salver as soon as the visitors had left.
It was a note asking him to dinner at his uncle’s residence in town that evening, but requesting he come as soon as was convenient for him.
Mr. Ford did have urgent business for the master, after all.
Mr. Darcy changed for dinner and walked to Grosvenor Square.
He wondered why the invitation had come on such short notice.
Mr. Darcy was promptly shown into the Earl’s study at Rockingham House.
“Darcy! I do apologize for sending for you at the last minute.
The beginning of each Parliament is always busy, but this session will be especially chaotic, what with the war fronts on two continents and the Luddite uprisings in the north.
I shall be tied up night and day for the coming weeks.
It does not help that we are short two people in the Lords due to untimely deaths.
Ah, that reminds me. No one in town has seen hide nor hair of the fifth Duke of Northampton since his installation several months ago.
He is a young man not born into our circles.
Perhaps you can befriend him and show him around a bit.
You two will get along, as he is reputed to be a scholar.
Your efforts may gain us an important ally in the Lords.
“I digress. It is difficult to put aside politics when I am immersed in it every minute of the day. But the family needs my attention as well, and this is the only chance I have to talk things over with you.”
“Sir, I am honored to be at your service. This must be something urgent that cannot wait a week.”
“Darcy, no need for formality. I am happy that you join me for a meal.”
Once both gentlemen had taken their seats, the Earl explained.
“I need to talk to you today because I received another express from your Aunt Catherine, the second this week. Anne’s condition has taken a turn for the worse.
Her consumption has become gradually more severe.
Everyone knows that, even Anne, but your aunt refuses to acknowledge the truth.
Last week, Anne coughed up blood several times.
Catherine has been frantic. At her first call for help, I dispatched my own physician to Rosings.
Dr. Seymore’s diagnosis is indeed dire. He expects Anne to live from a few days to a few months.
This is the same verdict from Catherine’s own physician from town, but Dr. Balsam is too scared of your aunt to tell her the truth.
He just told Catherine Anne’s health was deteriorating. ”
Mr. Darcy immediately grew wary. Through the years, Lady Catherine had tried hard to coerce him into marrying Anne, but his uncle was always able to thwart her attempts. This time, however, he had the eerie feeling that the Earl had changed his stance. He remained silent, however.
“I see your knitted brows. If you suspect that I now believe your marrying Anne makes sense, you would be right.”
It took all Mr. Darcy’s willpower and ingrained respect for his uncle to refrain from rolling his eyes.
“Darcy, you are skeptical, but hear me out. I did not agree with Catherine’s scheme to push you to marry Anne because Anne has always been frail, and you need a strong wife to bear children for your family inheritance.
However, the more important reason was that you are head of the Darcy family.
No one should decide for you how to manage your life and family.
By all accounts, you have done an exemplary job growing your family fortune.
Now, however, the Rosings estate is at stake.
You know even better than I, as you audit Rosings’s books every year, that Rosings is quite a grand estate.
Not so prosperous as Pemberley, few are, but it would be considered an enviable addition to anyone’s holdings, including yours and mine.
Anne will not live long—a few months would be a miracle, and only if she does not exert herself in any way.
Consummating the marriage alone would cut her life even shorter, never mind bearing a child—these are the doctors’ prognosis.
So, it would be a marriage in name only.
If Anne does not marry before she expires, Rosings will go to her distant cousin, James de Bourgh, a notorious Francophile—he styled himself Jacques de Bourgh… ”
The Earl put on an exaggerated French accent while pronouncing Mr. de Bourgh’s Frenchified name. Mr. Darcy could not help smiling at the rarely seen jocular side of his usually dignified uncle.