Chapter 11
Charles Bingley was awash in anticipation as he sat in the Darcy carriage that was bearing him, Darcy, and Fitzwilliam to London. As they travelled, he considered one portion of the reply from his father clearly.
…I have no objection if you want to spend time with your new friends in London, I wish you a good time.
Your sister Caroline seemed convinced that as you were invited, so was she. I disabused her of the notion but be forewarned that she is waiting with bated breath to make the acquaintance of your high-born friends…
He did not think that his friends deserved to be put upon by Caroline, his mother, or Louisa, and he could imagine the obsequious fawning that would occur when the inevitable meeting happened as he was obligated to extend a return invitation at some point.
The conveyance came to a halt at Darcy House, and they entered the most impressive town house that young Bingley had ever seen.
They were met by both the Darcy and Fitzwilliam families in the largest drawing room; the only one missing was Andrew who had a long weekend at the end of the month.
Bingley was in awe as he was introduced to the rest of the family.
He had never met a peer of the realm or any titled personages besides the local knight in Meryton.
While he was impressed to meet all, it did not take him long to realise that the petite Lady Elizabeth Fitzwilliam was far more intelligent and educated than he was.
She looked somewhat familiar to him, but he soon put the idea out of his mind after a scan of his memories assured him that this was the first time that they had met.
What he did not consider, it is no wonder why he didn’t, was that she reminded him of Mr Bennet’s late mother whose portrait was hanging at Longbourn.
If he had been more observant, he would have noticed that the cross that the girl wore was the exact replica of the one that late Mrs Bennet wore in the painting.
On seeing her brother Richard, Elizabeth flew into his arms. “Itch, I have missed you so very much,” she said as he lifted her and she planted a kiss on his cheek while wrapping her arms around her brother’s neck.
“I have missed you too, you scallywag,” Richard retorted as he hugged his little sister into himself until she laughed.
“Itch?” Charles Bingley asked.
“When my sister here,” Richard answered as he tickled his sister and was rewarded with girlish giggles, “was younger, she could not say Richard, so I became Itch. And even after she could annunciate my name correctly, my nickname was still used, by more than Lizzy,” he gave a mock glare to his assembled family.
Just then the nursemaid entered the drawing room with Alex holding her hand. As soon as he saw Richard he exclaimed: “Itch, ‘allow Itch!” His outburst caused general laughter in the room as little Alex looked on very proud of himself that he had somehow caused the merriment before him.
William scooped him up. “This young man,” he said to Bingley,” is my brother Alex. Alex this is my friend, master Bingley.”
“Mas’er ‘ing’ ‘allow,” Alex said in greeting earnestly.
Charles executed a bow toward the toddler, “Well met, master Alex.”
After enjoying refreshment, the Fitzwilliam family left to cross the square to their home.
Charles Bingley was shown to a very spacious suite in the guest wing where a man who would act as his valet for the four days while they would be in Town had already unpacked his clothing.
‘Yes,’ he thought, ‘I will have to keep my mother and sisters away from my friends as long as can be.’
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Mrs Carol Fitzpatrick had established herself as a quiet widow who kept to herself and did not give anyone in the area of Packwood cause to give her a second glance.
The longer that she had to act the demure widow of no consequence the more her anger and lust for revenge built inside of her.
She had sent one of her men to Derbyshire to glean some intelligence about the family, and the man had just returned with news that both the Darcys and the Fitzwilliams were in London, and he was not able to determine when they would return to their estates.
As his employer had warned him to be, he had been as careful as he could and had not asked too many questions about the family so as to raise suspicion.
The former Lady Catherine suspected that her relations would be in Town for the little season, and that after the annual Christmas through Twelfth Night was spent at one of the estates, they would return to London for the duration of season.
Summer, the upcoming summer of 1799 is when she would strike, after the members of her former family returned from Town. Mrs Fitzpatrick had a lot of planning to do, for whatever it was that she would bring down on their heads she wanted them to suffer and suffer badly.
She had been angered greatly when she read about the notice and acceptance that the mongrel had received from the royals which meant complete acceptance by the Ton.
She decided that she was the only sane one in the realm that could see what a degradation the interloper was.
The great name of Fitzwilliam had been irreparably polluted when her fool brother had accepted the founding as a daughter and bestowed their name on her.
What angered her even more was that the girl was accomplished in every way that she was not.
It was not to be born that a mongrel had abilities that the daughter of an Earl lacked.
As she descended further and further into her delusions of grandeur, it became harder for her to keep up the front that she presented to the towns people, so she withdrew, allowing her maid/companion to let it be known that her mistress was taking a period of solitude and reflection when any in the town asked after her.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“How can this be?” Caroline Bingley, who had recently turned thirteen stamped her foot in anger as she vented her spleen to her mother. “Why did my father not understand that I was included in the invitation Charles received!”
“Caro,” Martha tried to placate her irrational daughter, still not ready to acknowledge that her aspirations for social advancement had created the character in her daughter that was on display. “I read the letter from your brother, it clearly stated that he was invited, not any of the rest of us.”
“Well, it was implied!” Caroline huffed.
“Besides, you know that as you are not out,” her mother tried to reason, “that unless your father and myself were invited that you would not be able to go on your own.”
“Well, that insipid Jane Bennet visits Cheapside on her own, and I am a year older than her,” Caroline spat out.
“Miss Bennet is always accompanied and goes to visit relatives; that is not the same thing Caro,” her mother returned.
“I want to go!” Caroline screeched, “I deserve to be in the first circles like you always said, Mama!” Hearing her daughter’s ranting was the first time that Martha Bingley started to realise that she may not have done her daughters any service planting the social climbing desires in their heads from an early age.
Just then the door opened and her husband, once so pliable, entered the parlour and Martha could see that he was none too happy.
“That is ENOUGH, Caroline!” he commanded. “If you do not mend your ways and stop this nonsense then it will not be the seminary you go to next year, but I will send you to a school for wayward girls!”
Caroline Bingley was about to unleash some acerbic retort, but she saw that her father was absolutely serious.
She clamped her mouth closed and reminded herself that she needed to bide her time until she was older and then things would be as she desired.
It almost made her choke to say the words, but she apologised to her ignorant father and promised to mend her ways.
She could not let anything interfere with her going to Miss Pettigrew’s Seminary for Young Ladies.
Her face was pinched like she had sucked on a lemon as she issued it, but she had no choice, for the present at least.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Jane Bennet would have normally been with the Gardiners at this time of the year.
She would stay with them for a few months and return when they and the rest of the family assembled at Longbourn for Christmas each year, but this year she had chosen to remain at home.
Being the innately good person that she was, she was putting the needs of others above her own desires and wanted to be available if she was needed or asked for.
After the devastating loss that the two Long girls had suffered, Jane had been the only one outside of their new parents able to comfort them.
She had started bringing her cousin Franny Phillips, who was now five, with her, and Mariah Lucas would come and spend times with the girls as well.
Jane would take charge and make sure that there would be games played which would distract and please Mandy and Cara.
Bennet and his wife were enormously proud of their oldest daughter who, at her tender age, displayed a caring and empathetic nature so many were missing, especially Caroline Bingley.
When that girl heard about the tragedy, her only comment was “some more poor orphans to be taken care of.” Since she had made that disgusting comment, she had been dropped from any invitations that her parents were proffered as word of her uncaring nature spread like wildfire around the environs of Meryton.
Luckily, Jane was not fooled by the fake solicitude Miss Caroline tried to display when in her company.
There was no doubt in Jane’s mind that the only reason that the youngest Bingley paid her any mind was due her father’s wealth and status, and she was not interested in one that was as false as she saw Miss Caroline being when she was not aware she was being watched.
Jane already understood very well what a social climber looked like.