Chapter 26 #2
The ever-perceptive Mrs. Collins was puzzled by the pained expression on the proud master of Pemberley and Rosings. She was aware of the mutual disdain between the gentleman and her best friend while they had been in Hertfordshire. But were they still that antagonistic?
“My friends and former neighbors will stay for two weeks only. I understand Mrs. Darcy’s health may not allow her to entertain visitors.
Lady Jane and Lady Elizabeth are without airs.
They do not expect or desire to be treated as the most exalted ladies in the neighborhood.
Mr. Collins thought otherwise and had planned to approach you for an invitation for his noble cousins to be housed at Rosings, but my amiable friends would not be gainsaid and will stay with us at the parsonage. ”
As if on cue, the former mistress of Rosings asserted with the authority she no longer had, “Of course, the two high-born ladies will stay at Rosings. I am seriously displeased that you dare suggest the daughters of a duke should stay at your house. I equipped the parsonage to be perfectly adequate for a rector and his dependents, but it is completely unsuitable for one of such noble lineage. Mr. Collins, you must always observe the distinction of rank!”
“Of course, your ladyship. My humble… my esteemed cousins will be delighted to stay at your… at the grandest house in the parish. I am descended from the current duke’s great-aunt and am truly delighted that my noble cousins and I are united by blood tracing back to King Charles II.”
The proud lady looked at the parson with contempt. Whatever flowed through his veins, he was but a lowly clergyman with no chance of inheriting a dukedom.
Mrs. Collins asked, “Sir, should I inform my friends they will stay at Rosings?”
Mr. Darcy was torn. There was nothing he would like better than to be under one roof with his love.
He remembered the sweet torment he had experienced when Elizabeth had come to Netherfield Park to care for her sick sister.
He believed it was during those few days that he had first fallen for the vivacious, guileless, compassionate, and incomparably lovely and intelligent woman.
What would happen if they again slept in the same house, the house where his wife and his aunt’s spying staff also resided?
Nonetheless, he could not help himself and simply nodded in acquiescence.
Mr. Collins burst into a face-splitting smile.
He was extremely proud that, through his influence, his ducal cousins would stay at the palatial manor house of Rosings.
During his cousins’ visit, he would ask his patron for permission to take a week off in the summer to visit his cousin, His Grace, Duke of Northampton.
He did not want to appear tardy in showing his prompt obeisance.
But for an accident of birth, he might have been heir-presumptive to a grand dukedom! Perhaps he could ask the Duke to petition for a special remainder to be included in the letters patent so males from the female line could inherit? What a waste for the Dukedom to go extinct!
That afternoon, Mr. Darcy and his cousin sat idly by the fire in the study as they usually did on Sundays.
Mr. Darcy finally spoke. “I have solved the riddle in the Duke’s letter. The friends the Duke suggested I invite to a house party are, or rather, is, Bingley.”
“Oh? Whatever for?” asked the bewildered Colonel.
“His Grace has asked me many questions about Bingley. I deduced from the Duke’s questioning that Miss Bennet—now Lady Jane—harbored disappointed hopes because of Bingley’s abandonment. He left the area without taking leave and was not heard from again.”
“I gave Bingley too much credit. I thought him a gentleman.” The Colonel was incredulous and disdainful.
“Bingley is from trade. He did not have a gentleman’s proper upbringing drilled into him as we did. Some lapses are to be expected. Besides, he is still young—not yet four-and-twenty. However, strictly speaking, I did not take my leave of the Bennets either.”
“Shame on you! You at least had the excuse of being a guest. But you are too easy on Bingley. At that age, you already had the responsibility of caring for hundreds of people!”
“That may be so, but he should not bear the entire blame. I did not believe Miss Bennet would be injured by Bingley’s not returning to Netherfield, as I detected no attachment on her part.
Bingley, on the contrary, was obviously smitten, to a degree that Mrs. Bennet declared to all who would listen that Miss Bennet and Bingley were as good as engaged.
Frankly, I was repulsed by her mercenary behavior. ”
Mr. Darcy stopped suddenly at hearing himself utter the word ‘mercenary.’ Did he have the right to accuse someone else of what he himself had also done?
But my circumstances were different!
Were they, truly, if the goal of the marriage was to enrich oneself or one’s family?
“Once we were back in London, Bingley came and expressed his displeasure. He blamed me for having left Netherfield with no forewarning, as he had intended to return within the week. We discussed his intentions toward Miss Bennet. The gist of the discussion was that his numerous previous romantic entanglements should temper his impulse to offer for Miss Bennet. Bingley agreed to let matters cool off while he traveled to shoot with friends. Then he had to stay away longer because of the unexpected death of his aunt. She left him her entire fortune; his many cousins were unhappy about that and sued him in court. On his very recent return, he discovered that the former Miss Bennet is now essentially out of his reach. However, I have gathered that Lady Jane has affection for him still, which would explain why the Duke hinted at my inviting Bingley here: Lady Jane and Lady Elizabeth will visit Rosings. Meeting away from London and his estate will probably attract far less attention.”
“I was thanking my lucky stars that I would finally get a chance to meet Lady Jane without the impenetrable wall of men around her. Alas, it is not meant to be.”
Mr. Darcy eyed his cousin meaningfully. “If I send the invitation to Bingley tomorrow through the regular post, it will be a few days before he arrives, if he is indeed free to come. You would have a head start if your objective is to woo Lady Jane.”
“Do you think I should?”
“What a question, Richard! Who can answer that but yourself?”
“But you seemed to have no qualms about advising Bingley?”
Mr. Darcy looked surprised by this question.
He was lost in thought for a long moment and sighed deeply.
“I have been thinking about that precise issue. I have not been in the habit of advising Bingley on matters of the heart. Then why did I do it? I have concluded it must be because if Bingley were to give up on pursuing Miss Bennet, I would be able to avoid the call of my siren, which I would have been powerless to resist.”