Chapter 15 #2
It had taken months of behaving like they expected her to, and much wheedling to get Aunt Hildebrand and Uncle John to agree that Caroline could accompany Charles to London for the season.
They had been reluctant to grant her request because of the complaints from the Hursts, but she had vowed that everything would be different this time.
She did not care that until Charles was five and twenty—in another two years—he was subject to a restrictive allowance. That did not stop Miss Bingley from berating her brother about not leasing a house in Mayfair close to Grosvenor Square, where Darcy and Matlock Houses were located.
Instead, he had rented a terraced house in the Bloomsbury neighbourhood.
A decidedly unfashionable area. He claimed that it was all he could afford and still pay some servants.
Miss Bingley admonished her brother that he needed to gain many invitations to events of the first circles because they could never invite a highborn person back to the hovel he was renting.
Miss Bingley was getting very frustrated. They had been in London for over a month—it was already mid-March—and she had not been invited to Darcy House or Matlock House even once.
Bingley returned from Boodle’s, where he was admitted as his brother-in-law’s guest, to face a furious Caroline.
“Why have you not garnered any invitations?” Miss Bingley hissed. “The only events we have been to are those of the third circles and for tradesmen! I told you that you were supposed to get invitations from Mr Darcy and the Fitzwilliams, did I not?”
“Darcy is not in London yet, and I have no connection to the Fitzwilliams except for through Fitzwilliam, and he is busy with his duties. We would be ruined if I marched up to Matlock House and demanded their attention,” Bingley whinged.
“If you had not upset the Hursts, we would have had more and better invitations. They have far more and better contacts than we do.”
“They do not have connections important to me…us,” Miss Bingley claimed dismissively.
She did not want to believe that her sister’s family had good connections.
How could they? She had seen the small manor house at Winsdale, which she guessed was a small and insignificant estate.
They were obviously not wealthy, which meant they knew no one of consequence.
“And why have you not purchased me more fashionable clothing yet?”
“Caroline, as we are not welcome at Hurst House, I barely have enough money for us to live on, especially as you refuse to allow your allowance to be used for our combined expenses,” Bingley responded.
He dare not tell her that without her he would be welcomed there because that would lead to another tantrum.
He was aware that had he the strength to stand up to Caroline, he would return her to her guardians and not allow her to cause him to expend most of his meagre allowance. It was not worth the explosion such an action would cause.
All Bingley could do was pray that once Darcy arrived in London, he would ease their way into events to which they otherwise would not be invited.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Darcy, Gigi, and her governess had arrived at Darcy House the previous day, the first Thursday in April. Among other correspondence he had waiting for him on his desk were at least a half dozen almost illegible notes from Bingley begging to see him as soon as may be.
There was a note from Richard and Hurst which asked him to meet them at White’s before responding to Bingley. Darcy was not sure how they knew Bingley wrote to him; however, if Richard requested he meet first, that is what he would do.
He scribed a note to Richard telling him what time he would be at the club on the morrow.
The following day, a footman at White’s showed Darcy to a private room where Richard was sitting and Hurst, with a glass of some spirit or other in his hand, was dozing on the settee. It was what Darcy expected of Hurst so he thought no more about it.
“Welcome, William. How was the journey to London?” Fitzwilliam enquired as he nudged Harry to wake him.
Before Darcy could reply, Hurst began to stir with some grunts and groans, and when his eyes opened, they were not focused. “Why did you wake me?” he demanded. He made some more grunt-like sounds.
“You remember, you wanted to see my cousin before he sees Bingley. He is here like his note said,” Fitzwilliam said. “Your travels, William?”
Darcy ignored Hurst. He was a good friend of both Andrew and Richard so he would not cut him like he deserved at times.
“We arrived with no incident. The Killions had Darcy House ready to receive us,” he reported.
The Killions were Darcy House’s butler and housekeeper.
“What is it you two wanted to impart to me?”
“Oh yes, I remember now,” Harold stated as he played the persona Darcy expected.
“You know that my sister-in-law is in London with Bingley, do you not?” He saw Darcy give a curt nod.
“Because my mother will not host Caroline as a guest at Hurst House since her performance during her last stay, she had poor Bingley lease a house in Bloomsbury. She has been haranguing him to take her to Darcy House to see you and to have you secure invitations for her to events of the first circles. In addition, she has been heard to say that if she needs to execute a compromise to gain that which she desires, she will do so.”
“Surely Bingley exerts more control over her, even though she is not his ward,” Darcy enquired incredulously.
“William, how long have you known Bingley?” Fitzwilliam questioned.
“When have you ever seen him stand up to anyone? Especially not his harpy of a sister. That he will not gainsay her is evidenced by the fact that after she was evicted from the Hursts’ house with him present, he is using most of his allowance to rent a house for her to play at being the mistress.
Bingley does not have the gumption to stand up to her, and if she attempts a compromise, he will support her for his own peace of mind. ”
Darcy looked to Hurst for confirmation, but he was asleep once again, snoring lightly.
He shook his head. How could the man be in his cups so early in the day?
“I suppose I do not need Hurst’s confirmation to agree with you.
I know it to be true. No matter what Miss Bingley, or for that matter Bingley, demands, I will act like Andrew has after the two attempted entrapments.
I will refuse to honour a compromise engineered against me, and Miss Bingley, or any other who tries, will end up ruined. ”
“At least, you are forewarned. Be aware that even if an invitation is specifically for Bingley alone, the harridan will join him. I suggest you meet him at one of your clubs if you want to see him. If you invite him to Darcy House, know he will not be alone, as Hurst told me that Miss Bingley has been dreaming of the day she crosses the threshold of one of your houses,” Fitzwilliam revealed.
After nodding his head, indicating his understanding, Darcy stood. He would have made a comment about Hurst’s overindulgence but knowing how close the man was to his male cousins, Darcy held his peace. With a quick bow to his cousin, he was away.
Harold waited a minute or so after Darcy left and the door to their private parlour was closed.
“Thank you, Fitzwilliam; you imparted everything that I wanted him to know. I am glad I made the suggestion to your brother that just because someone sinks so low as to entrap him, it does not mean he needs to gratify the person and marry someone he would hate being with.”
“Mother and Father endorsed the advice, regardless of how much they want Andy to marry. By the by, I have not mentioned his interest in Miss Bennet. Did you know he is determined to wait until she is older?”
“Yes, he mentioned that. He told me that if he finds another before she is at least twenty, it was not meant to be. Enough time exercising my persona; it is time to go home to Louisa and my children,” Harold stated happily.
Anytime he thought of his wife and children, he could only smile.
“I will have Louisa write to Aunt Hildebrand so that Caroline will be called back to Scarborough.”
“That would be for the best,” Fitzwilliam agreed.
The friends shook hands and then made their way out of the club, Harold walking unsteadily for effect.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Why is it my Mr Darcy is never at home to us? There have been no invitations from him, and he has not called here either. Are you certain you are conveying my invitations?” Miss Bingley demanded. “You have seen him at his club, have you not?”
“I cannot answer for him and his schedule. I am sure Darcy will invite us soon.” Bingley knew it was not true because Darcy had told him that the day he had met his friend at White’s.
He would rather deal with Caroline as she was than the anger she would unleash if she knew Darcy did not want her at any of his houses.
“You must have done something to anger him! Make sure you repair things. How am I supposed to advance my suit with Mr Darcy like Mamma wanted if I never see him?” Miss Bingley screeched.
Bingley did not reply, knowing that his sister wanted to vent her spleen and did not need a response from him. Why did he bring her to London?
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
A little more than a sennight later a letter arrived from Aunt Hilderbrand demanding Charles bring Caroline back to Scarborough. It was signed by Uncle John as well to emphasise that he too was making the demand.
It caused a huge, expected tantrum to be unleashed by Caroline Bingley.
While he said all he needed to in order to placate and sympathise with his sister, Bingley was secretly very pleased that the order had been issued. It aligned with his wishes; however, he knew he would not have been able to do this on his own.
The next morning, the Bingley carriage departed the house in Bloomsbury. One sibling was furious; the other was hiding his glee.