Chapter 10 #2
“No, Caroline, I do not see that,” Harold retorted.
“Not only did he write you a letter which contradicts what you just said, but he reiterated his decisions in the will. He was very insistent on this point. I have no power to contradict his wishes. It is time for me to find a drink; I do not need this annoyance right now.”
“What nonsense is this?” Miss Bingley screeched and stamped her foot as her facade of sweetness slipped. “You will do what I want, or I will make your life a living hell!”
“That is enough, Caroline!” Hildebrand Bingley insisted. “You claim you want to rise in society, but yet here you are behaving like a little child having a tantrum. You will be living with me and your Uncle John, and you will behave like a lady, or things will go badly for you. Am I understood?”
Aunt Hildebrand and Uncle John had never tolerated bad behaviour and were not cowed by Caroline.
Her uncle would sooner put her over his knee than give in to a tantrum or whingeing.
This would not do. How could she work on the indolent sot or weak-willed Louisa if she were to live with the Bingleys in Scarborough?
She would have to change tactics to gain what she desired.
To that end, she walked away without a word to her aunt and sought out Louisa.
“Louisa, surely you want me to live with you in London,” Miss Bingley said piteously as she forced some tears from her eyes. “I will be ever so good, and I will be able to attend the school Mamma wanted me to attend.”
“As much as I may want you to live with me, your primary guardianship resides with Uncle John and Aunt Hildebrand. I will speak to our aunt on your behalf. However, unless she agrees and convinces our uncle, there is nothing I can do,” Louisa told her sister sadly.
“Go speak to Aunt Hildebrand; I am sure she will grant you anything you ask,” Miss Bingley stated with syrupy sweetness.
This could not fail. She had manipulated Louisa, and Aunt Hildebrand would never deny Louisa anything she asked. This was one time their aunt’s preference for Louisa would work in Caroline’s favour.
Louisa walked towards her aunt with a smile on her face.
‘Caroline is such a simple creature,’ she thought as she made her way over to Aunt Hildebrand.
‘She thinks she has me wrapped around her finger like Charles is. Thank goodness Papa never gave her guardianship or control of the Bingley fortune to Charles.’
“If Caroline asks, I begged her case to come live with us in London so she may attend that ridiculous seminary she wants to attend, and you refused,” Louisa said when she reached her aunt.
She made sure to keep her back towards Caroline so that her sister could not see her facial expressions as she spoke to Aunt Hildebrand.
“And I, of course, refused to intercede with John on her behalf, did I not?” Hildebrand verified.
Louisa confirmed that was the case with a quick nod, all the while gesticulating with her hands so Caroline would think she was advocating on her behalf.
When enough time had passed to make her performance look convincing, she fixed a sad look on her face and walked back to where Caroline waited for her.
“Well?” Miss Bingley asked expectantly, ignoring the signs of failure before her eyes.
“I am so sorry, Caro; no matter how much I begged on your behalf, our aunt was not moved to intercede with Uncle John. She says it is what Papa wanted, and they will not go against his wishes,” Louisa explained.
“What use are you to me if you cannot do anything I want!” Miss Bingley screeched.
“Caroline! Stop behaving like a little child and go pack. We leave for our house in an hour, and whatever is not packed will be left here,” Hildebrand commanded. “Before you think we will purchase new clothing for you because you did not pack what you need, think again. We will not! Now go.”
As her aunt and uncle were the only two people Caroline feared, she left without another word. She would make sure everything was packed because one thing she was certain of was that Aunt Hildebrand never said anything she did not mean.
“I hope living with you will show her the error of her ways,” Louisa stated as she watched her sister stomp her way out of the room. “However, I fear, at her age, she is too set in her ways to change now.”
“John and I will try to replace your late mother’s inculcation with good sense and decorum, but I think Caroline may be beyond our help,” Hildebrand lamented.
“It is just as well that Harold warned his friends away from coming to condole. Can you imagine how Caroline would have behaved had some of them been here? Especially towards Mr Darcy who, with no encouragement, she has decided, will marry her.”
“Yes, Harold could not countenance his friends being fawned over when she is supposed to be in mourning,” Louisa agreed.
“I think you have the right of it. Caroline will not be able to change; it has become too much a part of her character. I am afraid she cannot see or hear anything that does not fit with that desire of hers.”
“Enough about that recalcitrant child. When do you and Harold plan to return to London?” Hildebrand enquired.
“Unless there is a reason to remain longer, we will leave on Tuesday, the final day of January,” Louisa revealed.
“Harold needs to meet with his father regarding the estate and their investments, although Father Hurst gave us leave to remain here for as long as needed.” Louisa paused.
“I feel bad that you will be left to live with Caroline and her temper tantrums.”
“It will be nothing to us. It will not be long before Caroline discovers that we will not indulge her,” Hildebrand stated.
She looked at her nephew, who looked lost. “My late brother-in-law knew what he was about when he made sure Charles had such limited authority.
Arthur recognised how easily led his son is, and that, at least at this stage of his life, how irresolute and even capricious Charles is.
That is why, even when he reaches his majority, there will be restrictions.
“Arthur told John that as much as he wanted to leave the carriage works to Charles, he could not do so in good conscience. Now that John is in charge, he will make sure to continue his brother’s work and grow the company.
With the thirty percent of the business Charles will own when he is thirty, he will have a good income, not even counting the interest from the fortune he will have one day.
” Hildebrand thought of something which made her look uneasy.
“I mean no disrespect, but with Harold’s indolence and preference for drink… ”
“You need not be concerned, Aunt Hildebrand. He will not do anything without consulting me,” Louisa assured her aunt. She was certain her aunt and Uncle John could be trusted with the truth about Harold, but she could not share that information without Father Hurst's permission.
With Louisa’s assurance, Hildebrand relaxed.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
With Caroline Bingley’s departure from 148 Princess Street, the house was much calmer.
Bingley departed to return to his studies at Cambridge a day after his younger sister left.
He had displayed enough wisdom as to not question his late father’s decisions as laid out in the will.
At this point, he had more than enough money to live on so all of his needs would be met, leaving him nothing to repine—for now.
In the last week he was in Scarborough before their departure to London, Harold designated Mr Potter the agent to lease out the house on Princess Street. When Charles reached the age of five and twenty, the house would be his.
On the final day of January, Louisa and Harold Hurst, along with their personal servants and footmen, began the journey to London.