Chapter 16
As Darcy had predicted, by the end of the following day they had the incriminating letter Miss Bingley had written to Jane.
Darcy called his mother into his study and they read it together in silence.
As he read, Darcy could not help but feel ashamed of trying to separate Miss Bennet from his friend, since Bingley’s sister had had the same idea, using his own sister’s name to achieve the goal.
His blood boiled. “I will go immediately and tell that… woman what she can expect from us from now on.”
“You will do no such thing. I will, as promised, deal with Miss Bingley myself. We cannot have you, a bachelor, going to berate a single lady; in her house no less. She is resourceful in her machinations, although not very smart, but she could use your own wrath against you and God forbid, entrap you into marriage.”
Darcy shivered, “oh… I see. Indeed, God forbid! Very well, Mother I will leave this in your capable hands.”
“But once I am done with Miss Bingley, her life in town is finished. All my friends and acquaintances will learn of this and she will find herself a pariah in London.”
“Poor lady,” Darcy said with a chuckle, “you will make her rue the day in which she decided to use us for her nefarious purposes.”
“Indeed, she shall in due course discover that Lady Anne of Pemberley and of Darcy House is by no means a lady to be trifled with and that, when occasion demands it, her ladyship is capable of summoning the formidable spirit of Lady Catherine de Bourgh of Rosings Park with remarkable effect.”
Darcy laughed, “Indeed, poor Miss Bingley,” and he kissed his mother’s forehead, lovingly.
The following day, armed with the infamous letter, Lady Anne waited for the correct calling hour and then made her way to Mr Bingley’s town house, where his sisters and Mr Hurst lived when in London for the season.
She was wearing a dark red velvet dress and an elaborate hair coiffure with small diamonds that enhanced her high cheekbones and made her look even more regal than her customary ensemble.
Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst preened when her ladyship entered,
“Good morning, your ladyship” Mrs Hurst simpered “what a pleasure receiving you in our house.”
“Lady Anne,” Miss Bingley dropped to a most elegant curtsy. “We have not seen any of you since we returned to Town. How are Miss Darcy and Mr Darcy? I hope you will attend Lady Kavanagh’s ball where we can catch up on our news?”
Lady Anne smiled, “how is Mr Bingley?”
Both sisters sighed,
“He is not in Town currently, my lady. Unfortunately, he has seen fit to return to that dreadful little town in Hertfordshire. He is back at his estate near Meryton.” Miss Bingley said it with so much grief in her voice as if she was informing the world of her brother’s passing.
“And you chose to remain here rather than support him?” Her voice took on a hard timbre.
The two sisters looked at each other slightly alarmed, “well,” Miss Bingley stuttered, “with the season starting, we hope he will come back soon to join us.”
“I see.” Lady Anne retrieved something from her reticule, “but my reason for this visit is to congratulate you, Miss Bingley.”
Miss Bingley frowned, “Oh? Congratulate me about what, my lady?”
“It has come to my attention that you are now writing fiction.”
Miss Bingley smiled condescendingly, “Oh, my lady, somebody is jesting with you for I am no writer.”
“I disagree, for I have it in good authority that you are.” She then opened the letter and nonchalantly started to read it aloud.
Miss Bingley paled and looked as if she might swoon while Mrs Hurst looked at the door desperately, as if she might make a mad dash out of the room.
Lady Anne finished the letter and smiled, “there! If you do not call this fiction, what would you call it, Miss Bingley?”
“My Lady… I… we… he… it was…”
“You certainly do not seem as capable with the spoken word as you are with the written, Miss Bingley, for in this letter there was no stuttering. You knew exactly what you wanted to say and you did it with an amazing efficiency. You certainly did not mince words.”
“How did you get that letter?” Miss Bingley finally managed to string some words together.
“It does not matter how I came to be in possession of this document. The material point is, I can sue you for slander and harassment of a minor. Are you aware that Georgiana is barely sixteen years old and fully under my protection and guardianship? Therefore, for her to have been accused of entering into an engagement without my consent is a crime committed against her. I can have you arrested along with your whole family,” the lady waved her hand in the direction of Mrs Hurst, “including your innocent brother and your sister, your most avid supporter.”
The fact that Lady Anne comprehended that such threat was in itself fiction, mattered not. She simply prayed that the vile sisters were ignorant of the futility of it.
Nonetheless, Miss Bingley’s mouth dropped open in a most unladylike manner, “I did not mean any of these things, I simply wanted to put and end to the lady’s machinations against my brother.”
“The only machinations I have ever witnessed were always from your side, Miss Bingley.” Lady Anne now dropped all the appearance of politeness and glared at the young woman.
“You have hunted my son with such efficiency that he took to having his valet sleeping in his bedchamber while we stayed at Netherfield Park. Did you know that?”
Miss Bingley’s stupefied expression took on a haughty mask momentarily, “I never attempted to compromise your son, my lady, his caution was unnecessary.”
“You believe that if it gives you peace, Miss Bingley, but you would have compromised him in a heartbeat, had you only been afforded the opportunity.”
Miss Bingley had no retort.
Mrs Hurst very quietly spoke, “my lady I am certain Caroline is remorseful. It was a stupid joke she played on Miss Bennet, but now Charles will marry her and we can all put this unpleasant notion behind us.”
“Unfortunately, for you ladies it will not be that simple.” She stared the sisters down, “you, both of you are from this day forward no longer welcome into our society. If you attempt to approach any of us, we will not only give you the cut direct but I will also use every ounce of my influence in the Ton to destroy you.”
She stood up and readied herself to depart, “you,” she pointed her finger at Miss Bingley, “with your desire to socially climb the ladder of society, have only managed to lower yourself. I do not know if you realise that the Bennets are higher socially than you. The Miss Bennets were born into gentility, unlike you ladies, who were born into trade and only subsequently elevated into some semblance of society. And only then because of money and the good nature of your brother, that guileless soul whom you meant only to harm in return. You could have only benefited from a connection with them; but now you will become pariahs, excluded from your own brother’s society. ”
She then opened the door to leave but turned one last time, “good day to you ladies, and good luck.”
***
The moment Lady Anne left the house Mrs Hurst said in a panic, “What are we going to do? She will destroy us.”
“I do not know, I have no idea how she got hold of that letter.”
Mrs Hurst burst out angrily, “I remember advising you against using that stupid Darcy girl’s name. You would not listen, you never do, and now we shall all partake in your disgrace.”
“That is rich, Louisa; you were just as eager to disparage the Bennets, and most certainly wanted Charles to marry some other lady from the Ton.” Caroline retorted bitterly.
“If memory does not fail me, I remember you encouraging Miss Goddard to attempt a compromise last year when we were at Lady McVicker’s house party, because she has connections to Lord Stanford.
And very loosely connected, I might add.
But since she has thirty thousand pounds as a dowry you were more than prepared to stoop so low and throw Charles into an unwanted marriage to a shrew. You cared nothing for his heart.”
“Do not dare talk to me about Charles’ heart.” Mrs Hurst shouted angrily, “When was the last time you cared about anybody’s heart? You are a selfish woman who sees nothing but your own interests with no reference to anybody else, connected to you or otherwise.”
“You can talk,” Miss Bingley bit back with disdain, “you ensnared a drunkard and trapped him into marriage, simply because he could offer you a name which was not connected to trade. You did it despite the fact that he does not have two pennies to rub together and lives on the charity of my brother.”
“Our brother, little sister; but fear not, Gerard and I will remove ourselves immediately to his father’s estate in Devonshire and you can fend for yourself.”
“You cannot do that Louisa; I cannot remain in town alone.” Miss Bingley said reaching out for her sister’s hand.
Mrs Hurst took one step back to distance herself, “That is no longer my concern; I shall take my drunkard husband and offend you with our presence no more.”
“You are a viper,” Caroline screamed.
“And you, my dear, are a complete mutton-headed dullard who thought you could outsmart Lady Anne Darcy. Farewell you witless fool.”
After hurling insults at each other to their heart’s content, the sisters separated to their own bedchambers to consider how to move forward from this complete disaster.