Chapter Three #2
Even Elizabeth appeared surprised by that declaration. Darcy certainly was. He’d never seen Mr. Bennet assert sense over his household before. Strained silence descended on the parlor. Even the youngest Lucas children stared at Mr. Bennet with wide eyes.
“Now, if Mr. Bingley and I may make use of your office, Sir William, we will discuss the terms for his marriage to Jane.”
“Certainly,” Sir William said bemusedly.
Darcy was left to drink tea with Sir William, Lady Lucas, and Mrs. Bennet, whose expression could be deemed nothing other than a pout.
Nor could Darcy alleviate the boredom of Sir William’s prattle with a lovely view any longer, for Elizabeth left his line of sight to assist Miss Bennet in bundling up her few possessions.
When the time came to leave, Darcy felt decidedly awkward on the ride back to Netherfield.
Across from him on the forward facing bench of Bingley’s carriage, the newly betrothed couple spent the ride angled to face one another as much as the seat allowed, holding hands and gazing into each other’s eyes.
Darcy did his best to look away, even if they sat immediately across from him.
The two didn’t speak except to answer direct questions, which Darcy quickly gave up on, though he did learn that the marriage would take place as soon as the banns were read.
After conveying that information, Bingley and Miss Bennet simply stared at each other for the duration of the ride.
In a breach of decorum, Darcy alighted first when they arrived.
Long strides took him across the drive and up the steps, where the door opened with alacrity.
Darcy strode in, boots loud on the marble floor.
Miss Bingley and the Hursts, who appeared to be only then leaving the breakfast parlor, turned to him questioningly.
“Mr. Darcy,” Miss Bingley greeted, gliding over. “We missed you at breakfast. Did you dine with Charles? He said he would breakfast quite early.”
“He did. I did.”
Miss Bingley frowned. “And then you went for a ride?”
“Charles,” Mrs. Hurst said in surprise, looking past Darcy. “Miss Bennet?”
“Louisa, Caroline, Hurst,” Bingley cried cheerfully as he and Miss Bennet strode across the entrance hall. “Miss Bennet and I are to be married.”
Darcy watched surprise flash across both ladies’ faces, though not Hurst’s, but Bingley’s sisters quickly schooled their expressions into convivial looks.
Miss Bingley stepped forward and held out her hands to Miss Bennet. “Why, what happy news. Congratulations.”
Bingley frowned at his younger sister, but Miss Bingley’s false affableness didn’t waver. The Hursts offered their best wishes, in a dull shadow of the jubilation that had met the same announcement at Lucas Lodge.
Strain showing around eyes and mouth, Miss Bingley halfheartedly asked, “How did this happy event come to pass?”
Miss Bennet, so radiant she must not notice the lack of enthusiasm Bingley’s sisters displayed, asked softly, “You heard about the fire?”
“Oh yes,” Mrs. Hurst said. “The staff told us.”
“Dreadful business,” Mr. Hurst added with more emotion than yet shown by him, his wife, or Bingley’s sister.
Nodding, Miss Bennet said, “Mr. Bingley came to Lucas Lodge to check that we were all well, and we went for a walk, and,” she looked up at Bingley, “you were so understanding and kind, and so generous in offering to let my family stay here.”
“The Bennet family is coming here?” Miss Bingley asked in unhidden horror.
“No,” Darcy reassured her before she could further insult her future sister. “Mr. Bennet only permitted Miss Bennet to accompany us. He has a cottage on his property where the remainder of the family will stay.”
“Not that they aren’t welcome,” Bingley said firmly.
Miss Bingley issued a little grimace and a nod.
Bingley turned to Miss Bennet. “Come, let us select a room for you.” He cast his sister a hard look.
“Oh, yes, any room you like can be made ready immediately,” Miss Bingley said quickly. “I’ll be up in a moment.”
“Thank you, Miss Bingley,” Miss Bennet said with her usual innocent sincerity.
“It is my pleasure,” Miss Bingley replied.
Appearing appeased, Bingley offered Miss Bennet his arm. His sisters, Hurst and Darcy turned to watch the two ascend the staircase.
As soon as they disappeared into the upper hall, Miss Bingley turned to Darcy and hissed, “How could you permit this?”
“I accompanied your brother to prevent him from proposing,” Darcy said in a low voice. He shrugged. “He was determined.”
“There must be something we can do to prevent the union,” Mrs. Hurst murmured.
Darcy shook his head. “I cannot see a way.”
“But the family,” Miss Bingley bemoaned. “To call those wild girls sisters is unbearable. With their house, they were almost respectable, but now they will live in a cottage? It will take them years to rebuild, if they can at all.”
“It’s not their fault they must live in a cottage,” Mr. Hurst said reasonably.
“We’ll go to London tomorrow,” Mrs. Hurst said. “Then she’ll be forced to leave.”
“Or stay here and be hopelessly compromised,” Darcy said. “Or worse, invite her mother to chaperone. Either way, departing will not stop the marriage.”
“When is this travesty to take place?” Mrs. Hurst asked stiffly.
“Hardly a travesty,” Mr. Hurst murmured.
“I wasn’t privy to Bingley’s discussion of the details with Mr. Bennet,” Darcy said, addressing Mrs. Hurst, “but your brother informed me they will wed as soon as the banns can be read.”
“Oh, but how can we show our displeasure?” Miss Bingley whined. “She’s so far beneath him. She brings nothing to the union but her horrible family and relations in trade.”
Darcy gave Miss Bingley a pitying look. She’d every reason to hope her brother would marry in a way that elevated her chances of finding a wealthy, well connected husband, not hindered them.
“I don’t believe you want to express disapproval.
You want to welcome your new sister. I suspect she will forgive you if you don’t, but Bingley might not. ”
Miss Bingley frowned but nodded.
Mrs. Hurst put a hand on her sister’s arm. “If there’s really nothing to be done, Caroline, we must make the best of things.”
Miss Bingley sighed.
“She’s a charming young woman,” Mr. Hurst stated. “Easy to live with. A lot to be said for that.”
“Well, that may be, but I’m not going to put up with her whole family.” Miss Bingley’s gaze narrowed. “Miss Bennet is a sweet girl, but the rest are awful. I will have to do something to put them in their place.”
Darcy didn’t care for the sound of that.
Mrs. Hurst patted Miss Bingley’s arm again. “We will be kind to Miss Bennet, and she will be happy with us as sisters. The rest will sort itself out in time.”
“Sound advice,” Mr. Hurst said with a nod. “Anyone up for cards?”
Miss Bingley turned to Darcy, transformed back to her usual convivial self by an entreating look. “Mr. Darcy? Cards? You own us some entertainment. You’ve been out all morning.”
Darcy shook his head. “Perhaps later. I have several letters to write.”
Her smile appearing more like gritted teeth, Miss Bingley nodded. “We’ll be in the south parlor when you’re through.”
Darcy returned her nod, adding one for her sister and Hurst, then retreated to his room to collect his writing implements, which he took to the library rather than the parlor in which the others convened.
He wrote first to his aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, fulfilling his promise to Mr. Bennet to inform her of Mr. Collins’ untimely demise.
The next letter was to his home, Pemberley, fulfilling a second promise to Mr. Bennet.
Upon receipt of the letter, Darcy’s steward would arrange for the trip of the carpenter and his three sons.
Darcy added a short note to his sister Georgiana to that letter, not wishing to neglect her.
As he penned a third missive, this one a reply in his ongoing correspondence with his cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, Darcy realized that Mr. Bennet’s insistence on moving into Goldfinch Cottage was eminently sensible.
He could undoubtedly expect a certain amount of assistance from his neighbors, but that assistance would eventually run dry.
By not residing with any of them, Mr. Bennet ensured that instead of receiving weeks of free room and board, the Bennets would receive more material gain in the form of functional donations.
Impressed with Mr. Bennet’s foresight, Darcy penned a short note to him as well, saying he’d set in motion arrangements for the carpenters to come, and that he had written Lady Catherine.
All that done, he stowed his writing implements and made ready for an afternoon likely filled with cards and a lavish tea.
He recalled Elizabeth, sewing a worn dress so she would have something decent to wear.
Her sisters all wore better clothing, and now Miss Bennet would surely be provided for by Bingley. It didn’t seem fair.