Vol 2, Chapter 8
Miss Caroline Bingley was obsessed with the formulation of a plan to coerce the lady she considered biddable and demure, Lady Jane Bennet, to smooth the way for her return to society. In her opinion, the one she needed to be wary of was the next youngest Bennet, Miss Eliza.
That lady had committed the ultimate crime of attracting Mr. Darcy with her fine eyes, something for which Miss Caroline would never forgive her.
While there had been no reply to the letter of apology she had sent Lady Jane, Caroline could not imagine that sweet, pliant Jane Bennet would not read her letter, nor would she doubt the sentiments professed therein.
Knowing that as fact, a plan began to form in her mind.
Miss Caroline was sure the Bennets would be in Town for the remainder of the season, so she would have to go to London.
As much as she did not want to do it, she would ask the solicitor her brother had left in charge of her diminished dowry for help.
If only Charles had not turned tail and run before she had wheedled more funds out of him, or at least gotten him to rent her an establishment in Town.
She would also need to hire a companion so no one could question her respectability.
She now knew the Bennet ladies were clients of Madam Chambourg.
She would have to maintain a vigilant watch of the entrance to the shop so she could come across them by chance, then she could start her campaign to manipulate and control the meek Lady Jane Bennet.
Being so na?ve in the ways of society, she would need guidance, after all.
Miss Caroline believed her plan was infallible, much as she had when she lied to manipulate her brother into making the ill-fated trip to Pemberley before Christmas.
One would think its failure would give her pause, but that, too, required the ability to recognise that they were fallible.
The first step was to visit Mr. Huntington, the solicitor.
She asked her aunt for one of the maids to accompany her, to which Miss Bingley agreed.
The solicitor told her that he had contacts in London who would find her apartments.
He asked Caroline in which location she wished to live and determined the cost. Ignoring her brother’s admonition about spending her principal, she threw caution to the wind and told the man that she wanted to be as close to Mayfair as could be, even in that exclusive neighbourhood if possible.
She also charged the man with finding her a suitable companion, preferably one who had previously worked for other members of the Ton.
Mr. Huntington agreed to have the requested information if not in a sennight, then at most, a fortnight.
Hoping to speed up the process, Caroline Bingley decided she would hie to London in a hired carriage with a lady’s maid she would hire for herself and informed him he could reach her at Grenier’s Hotel until she he had located a place of her own.
She also decided to take the task of advertising for a companion herself.
On her return to her aunt’s house, she found Miss Bingley relaxing in the drawing room.
“Aunt, I have decided to return to society. I have been too long without polite society.” Miss Caroline knew she was insulting her aunt but did not care, as she would not need her again.
“I have many friends in Town and will soon be a darling of society yet again,” she boasted.
“Good luck, Caroline,” Miss Bingley replied, hiding her amusement in her small smile.
The next day, with a new maid in tow, and after having paid twice the going rate to hire a carriage, Caroline Bingley was on her way to London.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Darcy and his sister waited happily to welcome their guests. The three large coaches with the Bedford arms emblazoned on the doors pulled to stop in the internal courtyard at Pemberley. His footmen efficiently placed the steps and opened the doors of the conveyances.
The Duke handed out his Duchess and then the Dowager Duchess down from the lead vehicle. The three Bennet daughters exited the second. Darcy expected the Marquess and the Earl to exit the third, but it was only the latter, the others his governess and tutor.
“Welcome Bennet and to you all,” Darcy intoned as he shook Bennet’s hand. “Did your older son remain at Longfield Meadows?” he asked.
“Tom returned to Oxford the day after Easter. He did not want to miss any more lessons than those he already missed when he left a few days before the start of the Easter break,” Bennet explained.
“How long will you break your journey to Town?” Darcy asked as they climbed the stone stairs to the front doors. He did not miss that his sister was gaily chatting away with the three Bennet sisters like they had not seen each other for months. It warmed his heart to see Gigi so happy.
“Two nights,” Bennet replied. “As much as I never intended such a life for myself, there is much to be done, and my father-in-law and your uncle are eagerly waiting to introduce me in the House of Lords so I may be inducted into that august body. My wife and daughters will be returning to Longbourn to prepare for the wedding after a short sojourn in Town. Delaying it is not an option, or my daughter may cause a scandal by making for Scotland with your cousin just when we are becoming known.”
“At least you understand the situation well.” Jane smiled at her father.
“And yes, we are to Longbourn after a visit to Madame Chambourg’s,” she added.
She had made her decisions about her wedding gown before the late Duke’s passing, so this stop was expected to be a final fitting, knowing Madame intended to send a seamstress to Longbourn for any last-minute repairs or alterations.
Once all were in the entrance hall, Darcy introduced his housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds, asking her to show everyone to their chambers then have someone show them to the Rose drawing room once they had refreshed themselves.
Mrs. Reynolds curtsied and led the guests up the grand staircase to the family wing.
As they were to be family in a short time and he and Georgiana had been treated as such with the invitation to Longfield Meadows, Darcy had not thought it presumptive.
Elizabeth had been vastly impressed by what she had seen of Pemberley on the drive from the gatehouse.
William’s estate was about two-thirds the size of Longfield Meadows, just as he had described one day when she had asked.
A smile suffused her face when she remembered that she would not tease him about the size of one of his possessions again after her comment in Yorkshire.
The old growth forests had impressed her on the drive to the manor house, which had glowed gold as the midday sun hit the facade made of the signature Derbyshire stone.
The house was well placed on rising ground on the far side of the valley.
As she admired the vista from the carriage while they descended into the valley, she could not think of another estate she had seen where nature had done so much, and the awkward tastes of man had so little counteracted the beauty of mother nature.
Pemberley’s manor house, while somewhat smaller than the manor house on their estate in Yorkshire, was the second largest house she had ever seen.
It was an extremely comfortable home, nothing like Rosings Park had been before Anne and Uncle Gardiner started emptying it of all of the objectionable pieces.
There was no question as to the quality of the furnishings, but it was understated elegance.
One of the things that Elizabeth had appreciated in their new estate, and what was also evident here, was that everything was meant for comfort rather than to show wealth or status.
She had a much healthier appreciation for that after her visit in Kent, before Anne had begun to assert her rights.
As Andrew and Richard had told her those many months ago, William was most comfortable at his estate, and she discovered they had possibly understated the effect.
She was even more impressed with the man she found here.
He was completely at ease and had a kind word to say to all, even if they were the lowest of servants, her parents, or anyone in between.
She would be dissembling to herself if she said she was not beginning to develop tender feelings for William Darcy.
Elizabeth was sure his honour would not allow him to propose a courtship until the three months of mourning were completed.
It was not the same situation Jane and Andrew claimed, as they had been betrothed and had set a wedding date before the late Duke’s passing.
In fact, they had done so before the Duke had entered their lives and changed their entire existence.
After dinner that evening, there was no separation of the sexes.
The servants were used to hearing the little miss play music, as she practised for many hours when in residence, but none had ever heard the sounds that emanated from the music room that night.
There had been a choir of angels followed by one on her own which rose above any other they had heard.
“Thomas, have you noted the way our Lizzy looks at William now?” Priscilla asked as the two climbed into bed that night.
“And the way he looks at her? Yes, Cilla, I am not blind, so I have not missed the looks each gives the other when they believe they are unobserved,” Bennet stated.
“At least we do not need to question whether it is our rank and connections that has attracted William,” Priscilla opined.
“You have the right of it, Love. Darcy is a good man, and if he is Lizzy’s choice, you will hear no objection from me,” Bennet conceded.
“It does not hurt that his library is as magnificent as advertised. Not that I have a dearth of tomes in our own libraries. I own not a library but libraries.” He grinned.