Chapter Thirty
One of the maids at Bingley House had a secret.
Dorothy had been charged with cleaning Mr. Bingley’s study after his departure.
This was a task no one wished to take on, as the master was notoriously messy.
Mr. Bingley had left a basket full of paper, destined for the fireplace, as well as crumpled papers on the floor that he had intended for the basket, and more crumpled papers on the desk that had also been intended for the basket, and the overall effect was one of confusion and disarray.
Dorothy had waited a few weeks after his departure before finally making up her mind to get to it. Well, truth be told, it was only after she had been reprimanded by the housekeeper for the third time that she had decided she had waited long enough.
She was on her hands and knees on the floor, picking up pieces of crumpled paper to put into the basket, when a signature caught her eye. Thanks to her father, a country parson, she could read. The note said:
Bingley,
I received your message; I shall see you in a few days at Netherfield. Safe travels.
Darcy
Dorothy sat very still for several minutes, reading the note again and again, digesting its contents. Netherfield…was that not the name of the estate the master was leasing? But he was going there alone, was he not?
Evidently not, she realised. Mr. Darcy, the master’s great good friend and the man Miss Bingley had her eye on, was to meet the master there.
There could be no doubt that if Miss Bingley had known that, all her objections to the dirt of the countryside would have vanished at once, and she would have been as eager as a little puppy to join her brother there!
The image of proud Miss Bingley as a little pup, tongue hanging out, made her chuckle.
The entire staff knew of Miss Bingley’s obsession with Mr. Darcy, and also knew that he would never look twice at her.
This was a very valuable piece of information, Dorothy thought. What could be done with it that would benefit her? She tucked the note into her pocket and decided to give it some thought.