Chapter III #3
“I am becoming increasingly certain a society wife will not be in my future as well,” said Bingley at length, “regardless of Caroline’s wishes on the subject.”
The statement caused Darcy to wonder; was Bingley considering a return to Netherfield regardless of his recent absence? Darcy did not think he consciously considered such an action, but he was confident of success should he guide his friend in that direction.
“We shall go to the north for the summer,” said Bingley, changing the subject without a hint of warning as was his wont.
“You have not seen your family for some time, as I recall.”
A nod was Bingley’s response. “We have not.”
“When do you mean to go?” asked Darcy.
“Next week.”
That was a surprise. “Perhaps I should speak of your reluctance to remain in London until the end of the season,” joked Darcy. “The first week of June is when I usually find myself eager to return to Pemberley.”
Bingley showed him a grin. “Yes, well, I have tired of London. Caroline did not appreciate my insistence, but in the end, she agreed. I believe it has as much to do with your recent distance as any desire to go north. Caroline little appreciates York and does not wish to spend much time there.”
“And yet, you still have family there.”
“We do,” replied Bingley. “That is the only reason I can persuade her to go.”
Darcy considered his friend, wondering how he might bring Bingley to his way of thinking.
The knowledge that Bingley was to go north changed his plans, for he now judged it best that Bingley keep to his plans; that would allow Darcy to take stock of the situation, consider how to best reunite his friend with Miss Bennet, and perhaps even discover if she still held a tender regard for him.
There was one way that he could think of that would put the matter into Bingley’s head, yet not send him running to Hertfordshire as soon as he readied his carriage.
“What do you mean to do after that?” asked Darcy.
His friend gave a most Bingley-like shrug. “I have not considered that far in advance. Return to town, I suppose, for Caroline is never so happy as when she is here.”
It was Darcy’s sincere hope that reuniting with Miss Bennet and earning her love would be enough to goad Bingley to come into his own. At present, he ceded too much of his authority to his sister’s whims. Surely having a wife in his life would be enough to stiffen his spine.
“If you are open to a suggestion,” said Darcy, “you have not visited Netherfield since we left in November. As you still have the lease on the estate, perhaps it would be wise to visit again before it expires. At the very least, you might have a month of sport before you must quit it if you do not intend to renew.”
“Are you actually suggesting I return to Netherfield?” asked Bingley, a note of bewilderment in his voice.
“It is entirely your decision, Bingley,” replied Darcy.
“I understand your desire to visit your family; your respect for them is commendable. Most gentlemen, however, spend the summer and most of the autumn at their country estates. If nothing else, you should likely look in on it, if for no other reason than to assure yourself that all is in order when you return it to the owner’s oversight. ”
“I suppose you must be correct, Darcy,” said an absent-minded Bingley. “Given your comments on the unsuitability of . . . the place, I might not have expected you to suggest I return.”
“Bingley,” said Darcy, taking care of what he wished to say next, “you left Netherfield Park for certain reasons espoused by your sisters, and I agreed with some of their reasons.”
“You said Miss Bennet was unsuitable,” accused Bingley, the first time Darcy had heard the woman’s name cross Bingley’s lips in many months.
“If you recall,” said Darcy, “I opined her feelings were not equal to yours. Your sisters spoke of her unsuitability.”
Bingley considered this for a moment then responded with a slow nod. “Yes, I suppose you must be correct, though at the time it seemed you agreed with their assessment.”
It was best to avoid confirming his friend’s suspicion at that moment.
That Darcy had agreed with them did not signify, for he remembered clearly that he had confined his words to his supposed understanding of the state of Miss Bennet’s feelings.
No one, including Bingley, would ever know that Darcy’s desire to avoid the lady’s sister had been as powerful a motivation to assure Bingley of Miss Bennet’s indifference as his conviction acquired on the strength of one night’s observation.
“Do you now repent of the opinion you espoused then?”
“Does my opinion matter?”
Bingley frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Only that you spent more time in Miss Bennet’s company than I, Bingley. I gave you my honest opinion, but I cannot read her mind, any more than you can. You are more qualified to determine the contents of her heart than I am.”
“I suppose you must be correct,” said Bingley as if he had never considered it in that light. Darcy suspected he had not, given Bingley’s modesty and tendency to rely on others’ judgment.
“It is not my intention to support a renewal of your pursuit of Miss Bennet,” said Darcy.
“That is something you must determine on your own. While there is some measure of truth in what your sisters said—Miss Bennet’s situation, fortune, and connections are what they are—what matters is your opinion.
At the end of it all, she is the daughter of a gentleman, and thus must be acceptable if you decide in her favor. ”
“That is true,” said Bingley. The way his countenance lightened, Darcy suspected he was seeing the possibility of re-engaging his pursuit of Miss Bennet.
“For the nonce, however,” said Darcy, “it appears you are bound for York, and I wish you a safe and pleasant journey. I suggest you make no mention of our conversation to your sister until you have decided what you wish to do.”
“That is an excellent suggestion, my friend,” said Bingley, nodding decisively. “Thank you for bringing this possibility to my mind, Darcy, for I had not considered it before.”
Soon thereafter, they separated. While he had not yet confessed his error to his friend, he had made an excellent start in reuniting Bingley with Miss Bennet.
Now he needed to consider a way that he might return to Miss Elizabeth’s company, for he was certain he did not wish to wait until September to see her again.