Chapter 12
Darcy
How could he? I am going to kill him!
Elizabeth and Darcy had walked to the top of Oakham Mount, and she had told him about Bingley’s attack.
She explained that she thought of Bingley’s attempt to embrace and kiss her as an attack, so that was the word she would use for it.
But, she said, she swore the Hursts and Jane to silence on the matter, because she did not want people saying that she was soiled or used—especially since Bingley had not even managed to kiss her, let alone accomplish anything else.
“So that means,” Elizabeth said, “you are not allowed to go to Netherfield and yell accusations at Mr Bingley, because that would create a dramatic story that will be repeated far and wide, to our detriment.”
“May I kill him?” Darcy asked, only partly joking.
“No. I neglected to say, no duels!”
“Very well. I will take Rogers with me under orders to ensure that I do not yell accusations at, nor kill, the miscreant.”
“Thank you.” Elizabeth closed her eyes and leant against his chest. When she started speaking again, her voice was very soft.
“William, I know how you feel about me; I know that I should not need reassurance. That said, this—this shock has caused me a great deal of disquiet. I hate to ask it of you, but please tell me—you do believe me when I say that I gave Mr Bingley no encouragement whatsoever, do you not?”
“Of course I believe you. You are the soul of loyalty, and although you are friendly and warm to all, nobody has ever accused you of coquetry.” Darcy informed her that, in his note of warning about Bingley, Hurst had specifically said that she had done nothing forward or flirtatious.
“We all saw that you thought of Bingley as a prospective future brother.”
“Now that I know what Bingley is capable of, I am very, very glad to say that he will never be my brother.”
“I feel extremely upset that I was ever friends with the fellow. And that I brought him into your home county—and, worse, into your sister’s life! I am bereft at the thought of it.”
“You tried to help a child who had lost his mother, as you had yours, and who was being bullied. You continued to help him when he was a young man and he lost his father, as you had yours. All of the ways you have helped him are a testament to your character; that he is capable of dastardly behaviour does not put a pall on your reputation, only his.”
“I wish I did not have to leave right now—believe me, I thought I would spend my first hours with you indulging in pleasant enterprises, but I feel as if I must confront Bingley first. Here is a promise of things to come,” Darcy said.
He tenderly held her, watching her eyes carefully to make certain that she was not remembering the attack of the evening before.
He cupped her face, studied her eyes once more, and found that they were filled with joy and love, not pain.
He kissed her, and his kiss was searing rather than gentle, possessive and needful and passionate.
Still, Darcy eventually exercised enough restraint to break off the kiss.
“May I leave Georgiana in your care while I speak with Bingley?” he asked.
“Of course you may!”
Darcy and Elizabeth hurried down the hill; although they were reluctant to part, they were eager to have the confrontation over and done with as swiftly as possible. To that end, Darcy and Rogers immediately set off for Netherfield.
When Carter opened the door to him, the usually imperturbable butler allowed an expression of relief to flit across his face before donning his mask of formality and reserve.
He showed Darcy and Rogers into the study. Bingley looked up from some papers he was reading, his face pale and drawn. Darcy and Rogers sat on chairs facing the desk, and after Darcy introduced Rogers as a friend, he wondered how to begin the confrontation. But Bingley spoke first:
“I am glad you are back, Darcy. I wish to apologise to you and of course to Elizabeth. I suppose I misinterpreted her actions and expressions. It was innocently done, however. My thought was that this is the way rich people comport themselves. But apparently it is not at all what Elizabeth had in mind, nor you.”
Darcy’s eyes widened in incredulity. “You misinterpreted Elizabeth? It was innocently done? Apparently Elizabeth and I did not have in mind you kissing my wife?”
“As I said, I am sorry for all the misunderstandings. Please forgive me.”
Darcy narrowed his eyes. “What is it you thought Elizabeth was trying to communicate?”
“Well, the way she smiled at me, the way she looked at me, the little touches on my arm and hand—you can see why I thought she wanted me.”
“So you thought she would break with me and marry you?”
Darcy noticed that Bingley seemed to relax a bit. The younger man laughed a little and shook his head decisively. “Of course not, Darcy. No woman would ever leave you for me.”
Having heard many times that his face tended to be inscrutable, that it was often difficult to detect what he was feeling, Darcy felt quite grateful if his emotions were not obvious; they certainly were not pretty.
At that moment, Darcy felt as if his face had been carved from wood, as if he would never smile again.
He said, “So, you thought Elizabeth wanted you, because she smiled at you and looked at you, and she squeezed your arm when you needed comfort. But you knew Elizabeth would marry me, as planned. So…my question stands; what did you think Elizabeth was trying to communicate?”
“Well, she and Jane both talked to me about how there might be an estate I could buy near Pemberley. Like, I thought the implication was that I could marry Jane and then buy such an estate.”
Darcy nodded.
“So…it seemed as if….” Bingley stopped speaking long enough to send a swift look at Darcy, seemed reassured by his face—his carved-in-wood face—and he continued, “I thought Elizabeth wanted to live near me so we could enjoy one another’s favours, but she would still be mistress of Pemberley.
It is quite common, after all, Darcy. You know how society marriages are. ”
There was so much outrage and disbelief churning through Darcy’s entire body, he felt it might be better to keep the carved-in-wood face rather than ever take a chance by showing his emotions.
Deliberately keeping his voice as calm as possible, he turned to Rogers and said, “I believe I really do have to kill him.”
Rogers just gave his head a single shake and said, “No. Ensuring that the world has one fewer despicable man is not worth your hanging, sir.”
Darcy took a deep breath and said, “Perhaps you are correct.” He stood and took a step around the desk, and Bingley quailed as if he was afraid of being struck. But Darcy’s goal was access to the bell pull.
Carter answered the summons. Looking only at Darcy, not Bingley, he asked, “Yes, sir?”
“Could you please find Mrs Hurst and ask her to come to the study?”
“Of course, sir.”
If Bingley minded Darcy commandeering his servants and summoning his sister, he made no protest.
Mrs Hurst entered the study with a decidedly nervous expression.
“Thank you for coming to confer with us, Mrs Hurst. I wished to ask you if, before last night’s…event…if you had heard Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth speaking of a possible purchase of an estate near Pemberley?”
“Yes. All three of us thought it would be wonderful. Close friends marrying sisters…that’s what we thought would happen…
and my brother’s goal was to purchase an estate somewhere.
So Elizabeth thought, and Jane agreed, maybe they could find an estate to purchase within half a day’s ride from Pemberley. ”
Darcy nodded. “And they wished to live that close because….”
“Well, naturally, they are the closest of sisters, so they would love to live near one another.”
“So they could visit each other often?”
“Yes. They spoke of the possibility of raising children near enough that the cousins would know one another and could play together. Holidays could be spent together. During births and illnesses and such, the sisters could support one another.”
“But all of that has changed now.”
Tears filled Mrs Hurst’s eyes, and she murmured, “Well, of course, now…Elizabeth surely never wishes to see my brother again, and Jane will certainly never agree to marry him.”
“One more question, if I may.” Darcy waited until Mrs Hurst nodded, and then he asked, “Can you please tell us why you consider Miss Elizabeth to be a good friend and a warm and friendly lady?”
Mrs Hurst smiled a little, although her eyes were still full of tears.
“Elizabeth drew me in with her smile—and her eyes, which are always filled with laughter. She has a way of seeming welcoming even if she is the guest, and I should be welcoming her. She—” Mrs Hurst hesitated, searching for words, and finally continued, “she sets you at ease, helps you to laugh at absurdities, and she uses her smile and these little gestures to tell you that she values you as a friend, as a person. Even as a family member—she and I spoke of becoming sisters. When she saw I was feeling guilty about Caroline, she hugged me, and when Charles spoke of how awful he felt about Caroline’s behaviour, she tried to comfort him, too. ”
“Thank you, Mrs Hurst. By the way, I have heard that invitations have been sent for a house party, and that several guests will be arriving in the next few days.”
“Oh. Yes, that is true. I had not thought of it since last night, but it is likely too late to call off the party.”
“I am hoping you will remain and act as hostess?”
“Of course, if you wish. But how…?”
“Your brother will be leaving. That will allow both me and my future bride the comfort of attending.”
“Gerald and I will be happy to stay on. Thank you. I wish you to know—we tried so hard to ensure…we failed, but we tried to keep her safe from my brother.”
“I have no doubt.” Darcy saw the woman out and then returned.