Chapter 24 #2
“Because King’s Bench will be much harder on him,” Maddie replied evenly.
“After what he did to Veronica and so many others, it is no less than he deserves. No one is going to pay the warden, so Wicky, as he is called, will not have the possibility of receiving more comfortable quarters and better food. He will receive no quarter from anyone.”
“Why Wicky?” Fanny enquired.
“According to Adam, it is what the group of boys began to call him once he began trying to cause trouble for them. Evidently the seducer dislikes that form of his name,” Maddie shared.
“Will you see Lizzy’s insulter when you are in London?” Bennet asked.
“As he is one of my investors, yes, I will,” Gardiner replied. “We need to have a discussion and his future with me depends on his answers.” Bennet’s questioning look did not cause Gardiner to expound on what he had said.
Across the drawing room, Elizabeth remembered the letter from Miss Bingley that Aunt Maddie had.
“Colonel Fitzwilliam, as you are one of Miss Darcy’s guardians, I must impart something to you.
I ask you to remain calm, however.” She saw the questioning look, but still received a nod.
“The day the Bingleys and Hursts departed, Miss Bingley sent a note to my sister. It was filled with prevarications to try and discourage Jane from pursuing Mr Bingley. It said…” Elizabeth described what Miss Bingley wrote.
“Aunt Maddie has already told us none of it is true with regards to Miss Darcy.”
As hard as it was, Fitzwilliam fought to maintain his equanimity. How dare that shrew use Anna’s name in her lies. “If she were a man, I would call her out,” he said in a clipped tone. “Excuse me briefly, ladies.” He stood and caught Gardiner’s eye.
They met in front of the windows, their backs to the room. Fitzwilliam related what Miss Elizabeth had said.
“She was accurate in her telling. My wife has the letter, and this is what we intend to do with it…” Gardiner, in quiet tones, told Fitzwilliam about the plan to put the supercilious sisters in their place.
Knowing that the Bingley sisters would feel the consequences of their actions, Fitzwilliam returned to his seat as did Gardiner.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Charles, why have we not seen Mr Darcy since we have been back among the civilised crowd in London?” Mrs Hurst demanded while her younger sister nodded her agreement.
“The day we left Hertfordshire Darcy told me he was returning to London for business, so I am sure that is what is keeping him away,” Bingley stated.
“I am certain my Mr Darcy wants to see his friends to enjoy a break from his boring old business,” Miss Bingley asserted.
“Louisa and I will accompany you to call on him at Darcy House on the morrow. You will see how pleased he is to receive us.” What she did not add was that it was time to execute their planned compromise of Mr Darcy.
Beside wanting to force Caroline on him, the Bingley sisters were desperate to see Mr Darcy because there had been a dearth of invitations since their return to Town.
They were sure they would be able to wheedle some invitations with Mr Darcy’s aid, especially once he and Caroline were affianced.
He had been very useful in the past. Since they returned to London, however, and the fact that Miss Bingley was not engaged to Mr Darcy like she and Louisa had told all of their friends she would be, no invites had been forthcoming.
Additionally, their friends were not at home to them.
It was one of the motivations to entrap him now.
“If Darcy is busy, he will not welcome a visit from all of us. Allow me to go on my own, and I will see the lay of the land,” Bingley suggested.
“Pish posh! Caro and I are his good friends as well, and he will welcome a visit from the woman to whom he intends to offer his hand,” Mrs Hurst asserted. “We will call on Darcy House during calling hours in the morning.” They could not compromise him if they were not in his company.
Bingley shrugged his shoulders and said nothing in rebuttal.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Mr Bingley, Mrs Hurst, and Miss Bingley are at the front door, Mr Darcy. I told them you are not at home to callers and the two ladies insisted that did not apply to them,” Killion told his master.
Darcy shook his head, not even the knocker being down deterred the two social climbing fortune hunters.
He almost fell back on his old behaviour and told Killion to show them in, but he stopped himself.
“They may be disappointed, but that will have no effect on me. I am not at home. Please tell Mr Bingley I will be at White’s at four this afternoon and would appreciate seeing him then. ”
The butler bowed and exited the study, pulling the door closed behind him. He descended to the ground floor and nodded to the footman to open the door for him.
“Mr Darcy will hear how you treated his particular friends,” Miss Bingley screeched when the door opened.
The three siblings did not notice the disgusted looks they were receiving from a few of Grosvenor Square’s residents who were out and about. They were too absorbed by trying to gain access to Darcy House to think about how their performance would be perceived by others.
“My master is not at home to callers,” Killion said evenly.
“But we are his particular friends!” Mrs Hurst exclaimed. “Did you tell him who is calling?”
“My apologies, but as I said, he is not at home to callers. Mr Bingley, the master did leave a message that he will see you at White’s at four this afternoon,” Killion intoned.
The butler stepped back and Thompson, the Darcy’s largest footman pushed the door closed before a hand, parasol, or foot could be inserted.
Bingley had not expected Darcy to refuse them entry, even with the knocker down.
In the past, Darcy had always accommodated his sisters, his statements about never offering for Caroline, and not giving into a compromise, notwithstanding.
He began to worry, did this mean Darcy was about to cut their acquaintance?
Had he misread his friend’s tolerance of his sisters’ antics?
He would be concerned until he saw Darcy at White’s in a few hours.
“This is not acceptable!” Miss Bingley screeched as she stamped her foot on the top step.
“Charles, use your cane and strike the door. I will have that butler sacked. I am sure Mr Darcy did not refuse me entry into his house!” She needed to effect the compromise!
This was not how things were supposed to go.
Mrs Hurst was about to agree with her sister and insist their brother bang on the door, because it was imperative for them to be in Mr Darcy’s company.
It was then she turned around and saw the six people watching them from the green.
There was no mistaking the disdain dripping from their looks as they shook their heads in disgust. She was sure there was more than one titled person in the group.
“Caro, we must go, this is just a misunderstanding.” She said the last with more volume for the benefit of the watchers.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see it had had no effect.
Now how were they to compromise Mr Darcy?
“Why must we leave, I do not…OW! Why did you pinch me?” Miss Bingley shrieked in her most shrill voice.
“Caro look!” Mrs Hurst hissed.
Miss Bingley followed her sister’s eyes and saw those watching them. She lifted her nose and held her arm out to her brother to escort her to the coach.
It was not soon enough before they were on their way.
Neither of the siblings still named Bingley had looked one floor up to the windows of Mr Darcy’s study.
Much to their chagrin they would have seen that he had been watching the whole performance and noted his neighbours’ reactions to the fishwife-like behaviour.
Mrs Hurst, however, briefly glimpsed Mr Darcy at a window just before she entered the coach.
Darcy knew that he needed to have a long overdue conversation with Bingley.