Chapter 19
Mr. Bingley had always been an impulsive man.
Whatever decision he made, he made at the spur of the moment.
Thus, when a friend at the club asked him for his company in Bath for a few days he readily acquiesced.
He had not been able to put Miss Bennet’s face out of his mind, and London appeared rather dull; thus it seemed a perfect opportunity for some distraction.
The butler was informed of his destination, and without further thought he was on the road.
The business in Bath was soon concluded, and within a fortnight Mr. Bingley was travelling back to town.
Unfortunately Darcy’s letter from Hampshire reached London a week after his friend’s departure.
The butler held on to it for a couple of days before sending it to Bath with other correspondence.
It was an unfortunate coincidence that this correspondence reached Bath only after Mr. Bingley had departed.
The servants had no particular interest in the correspondence, nor any loyalty to the former tenant, and thus the letter lay in the house for a whole month until a new tenant arrived.
This conscientious gentleman thought it his duty to send the letters back to London.
Thus, more than a month passed before Bingley finally received Darcy’s letter.
The very day he read Darcy’s carefully written missive about Miss Bennet’s distress at his departure, he made his way to Gracechurch Street.
Jane Bennet was a sweet-tempered lady and had been disillusioned by the behaviour of the Bingley sisters.
She had chided Elizabeth more than once for criticising them, believing the ladies her friends, but her sister had proved correct in her assessment.
Miss Bingley had made it very clear that while Jane was an agreeable acquaintance in the country, they had no inclination to continue the connection in town.
Her heart still ached for Mr. Bingley and his easy manners, but she was slowly considering that any preference she had believed the gentleman to possess for her was a flight of her own fantasy.
Her visit in town had been extended after her uncle Hardwicke’s passing as her father and uncle Gardiner did not wish for her to be stuck in the gloom of Longbourn.
She had thus been feeling guilty, enjoying the various diversions with her aunt and uncle as her sisters were not allowed the same leisure.
“Kitty and Lydia would be ever so disappointed,” she had told her aunt, but the lady had counselled her against any such feelings.
“My dear Jane, as the oldest sister it is your right to have more access to society than the younger girls. Then, I do not even agree that Lydia should be out. The mourning restrictions are hardly unfair.”
Jane had reconciled herself to her aunt’s logic, but one thing that would not leave her in peace was Elizabeth’s predicament.
That she, the eldest, was free to enjoy society, while her younger sister was in Hampshire taking care of their aunt, sat very ill with her.
Jane wished with all her heart to be next to Lizzy and to share her burdens.
In her recent letters from Hampshire, she had felt that Elizabeth was not being completely honest. She had written that Mr. Darcy was the heir to their uncle’s estate, but after that it seemed Lizzy was avoiding any mention of the gentleman.
Her letters were full of the household matters and their young cousin Margaret, but little else.
She knew of Elizabeth’s aversion to the gentleman and wished that her sister would confide in her.
That morning in mid June, Jane was sitting with her embroidery when a letter arrived from Longbourn.
Lydia, at least, was to gain some relief from the tedium of mourning, for her father had allowed her to accompany the Forsters to Brighton in company of their mother.
She rejoiced in the good fortune of her mother and youngest sister.
It was her mother who had written, and though the journey was still a month away, the excitement was palpable even after the mention of multiple strictures Mr. Bennet had put on them.
“I am pleased that your father is not sending Lydia alone and that he has spoken to your mother about decorum and propriety. Though I would have preferred that she not go at all,” Mrs. Gardiner replied, when Jane told her the news.
“I am sure Mama will ensure that Lydia behaves appropriately. She is still young.”
Mrs. Gardiner patted Jane’s arm as she got up to fetch her sewing basket.
She loved Jane dearly and had no wish to criticise her mother in her hearing, but mentally made a note to let her husband know of the matter.
A letter from her brother, reinforcing the same sentiments as her husband, might make Mrs. Bennet much more circumspect in her behaviour.
Jane had just sat down to write her reply to her mother when the knocker rang and a servant entered the front parlour announcing that Mr. Bingley had come to call on Miss Bennet.
She went completely still on hearing his name, scarcely comprehending the situation for several moments.
The servant cleared his throat and asked again.
“Miss Bennet, should I fetch the gentleman in or ask him to visit another time?”
Coming out of her trance, she bade the servant to fetch the gentleman, all the while her hands trembled.
She had been convinced that in a few months she would be able to put the whole of her acquaintance with Mr. Bingley behind her, but this unexpected visit from the gentleman put an end to any such fancy.
As Mr. Bingley walked into the Gardiner’s drawing room, an easy smile on his face, Jane knew that she would always love this gentleman, no matter his shortcomings.
“Miss Bennet, I am sorry I did not call on you before. I was made aware of your presence in town just yesterday.”
“Yesterday,” Jane stammered. “Miss Bingley mentioned that you have been busy, sir. I understand that you have many claims on your time.”
“I assure you that had I been aware of your presence, I would have come much earlier. Darcy sent me a letter from Hampshire a month ago, but it did not reach me until yesterday.”
“Mr. Darcy?” Jane questioned, feeling herself a simpleton for not following the gentleman’s conversation.
“Yes, Darcy is in Hampshire on some business or the other; I confess I forget the details. It seems he met Miss Elizabeth and learnt of your presence in town.”
“Oh! Yes! My aunt Mrs. Hardwicke has been recently widowed and Elizabeth has gone to Hampshire to help her out. Mr. Darcy has inherited the estate owing to an entail.”
“Yes, yes, that was it. I am sorry for your loss, Miss Bennet.”
“Thank you, sir. Uncle Hardwicke was a good man, and far too young to have passed away so soon.”
Mrs. Gardiner entered the parlour, hearing about the visitor and was introduced to the gentleman.
Bingley sat for a full half an hour before taking his leave and promising to call again within a few days.
As the gentleman left, Jane went up to her bedchambers, her emotions in complete disarray.
The thought that Elizabeth might have known of Mr. Darcy’s letter to Bingley would not leave her mind.
Finally, she went to the writing desk and wrote to Elizabeth asking her sister the details and entreating her to be completely honest in her response.
‘My dear Lizzy, I do not wish for you to spare my feelings; rather, I would be obliged if you sent me an honest account of whatever has happened.’