Chapter 10
Ten
Jane sat beside her mother, listening as Mrs Gardiner began relating how Elizabeth had encountered Mr Darcy again at Pemberley, and how attentive that gentleman had been ever since—both during their stay near Lambton and throughout the journey back to Hertfordshire.
Mrs Bennet appeared to pay little heed to that part of the account. Instead, she seized upon the smallest detail Mrs Gardiner had mentioned—that Mr Bingley had been a guest at Pemberley as well.
“Mr Bingley?” she cried, interrupting her sister mid-sentence.
“Mr Bingley was at Pemberley! Oh, it does not matter what Mr Darcy may say—Mr Bingley is lost to my dear Jane. Why must that man insist upon marrying Lizzy when he might have had Jane instead? And why must Mr Bingley be sent away to the north when Jane remains at home missing him?”
Jane coloured deeply at this, feeling just as mortified now as she had downstairs when her mother had spoken of Caroline Bingley’s letter before the Darcys.
Nor could she entirely suppress a small, uncomfortable pang at hearing Mr Bingley mentioned so freely.
She had already spent above eight months attempting to forget him, yet such a task was hardly possible when her mother recalled him so frequently.
Yes, she missed him; she had liked him very well indeed.
But he had left and never returned, nor had he visited her once while she was in London.
At times she had tried to persuade herself that his regard could never have been very serious, for surely a stronger attachment would not have been so easily overcome by his sister and his friend.
Yet the thought had never brought her much comfort.
Lately she had begun to wonder whether Miss Bingley might indeed have contrived to keep him away, as Elizabeth had always insisted—though Jane could not forget that Elizabeth had then been very angry with Mr Darcy last winter and into the spring.
What she could not understand was how Elizabeth should now be engaged to Mr Darcy—a man who had scarcely paid her any attention the previous autumn, and whose proposal Elizabeth had refused only that April.
“Mama,” she said gently, though not without effort, “should we not first hear how Lizzy came to be engaged to Mr Darcy? You will have a grand wedding to plan, and you may soon tell all our neighbours about it.”
“But if your father has not yet approved the match! No, Lizzy will not manage to hold Mr Darcy’s attention for long, and he will not marry her. And Mr Bingley will marry that Miss Darcy, and all my daughters will be left to fend for themselves when Mr Bennet dies and leaves us to face Mr Collins!”
Mrs Bennet paused—for even she must occasionally draw breath—and fortunately Mrs Gardiner was able to stem the flow of words.
“My dear sister, you must allow me to finish,” Mrs Gardiner interjected, lightly pressing Mrs Bennet’s hand in an attempt to calm her.
“Let me assure you, Mr Darcy will not leave Lizzy, for he is most determined to marry her. We were unsure of exactly what had transpired here at Longbourn, and I know that, among other things, Mr Darcy has already written to the rector here concerning the obtaining of a common licence.”
Jane watched as her mother blinked at this torrent of information, though whether the word licence conveyed anything of comfort to her was far from certain.
Her aunt continued after only a brief pause.
“Before we quitted Lambton he also sent a messenger to his own rector at Kympton, asking him to apply to the bishop’s office so the licence might be obtained and forwarded here with all possible haste.
The necessary affidavit and bond, I believe, have already been prepared, and the couple may marry as soon as the paperwork arrives. ”
Jane herself listened in growing surprise.
She knew Mr Darcy to be a wealthy and powerful man, yet she had never imagined anyone capable of such determined haste in anything connected with matters of the heart.
That he should already have taken steps to secure the licence—before even knowing what reception he might meet at Longbourn—spoke of a resolution she could not but admire.
It also suggested, she thought with a quiet start, that his regard for Elizabeth must be very sincere indeed. He had come south with her sister intending to marry her, and it seemed they would have done so regardless of what had happened with Lydia.
Jane could not help wondering whether Mr Bingley had ever felt as strongly for her as it appeared Mr Darcy did for Elizabeth.
It was a comparison she could not entirely prevent.
Mrs Bennet stared at her sister in astonishment when she finished, and her words, when she at last found them, startled Jane with both their volume and their rapidity.
“He has obtained a licence already! Well! If Mr Darcy is in such haste to marry Lizzy, we must do what we can to oblige him. Though I declare I do not see how it can be managed properly when we have had no time at all to think of gowns or any of the other preparations for a wedding. Oh! Will he open Netherfield? If he does, we might hold a grand ball there to celebrate the engagement. But if he already has the licence, that must mean they are to marry soon. Still, that is no matter; he will certainly allow us the time needed to plan a proper ceremony, and he can apply for another licence when the time is right.”
“No, Fanny,” Mrs Gardiner interjected. “He obtained the licence because we were unsure what gossip, if any, might already be circulating in Meryton regarding Lydia. It was thought that if Lizzy and Mr Darcy married within a few days of our arrival, we might persuade the gossips that whatever they believed about Lydia was mistaken—and that the news of Lizzy’s wedding would soon make them forget whatever Lydia may have done. ”
“But Lydia has done nothing wrong!” Mrs Bennet cried.
“Perhaps so—but it is certainly not for want of trying on her part.” Jane was surprised to hear the frustration in her aunt’s normally calm tone.
“I do not know what my husband and Mr Darcy are presently discussing with your husband, but Lydia’s confinement can hardly be the end of the matter.
If your husband does not act, mine certainly will, for we do not intend to allow my youngest niece to endanger the reputation of the entire family.
With Mr Darcy now soon to be a part of it, you may be certain he will insist upon some action being taken as well. ”
Jane could not remember ever hearing her aunt speak with such severity, but she could not deny that Lydia needed to be taken in hand. She was astounded that Lydia had not already begun to kick or wail again, as she had done frequently in the last several days.
“Endanger the family!” Mrs Bennet exclaimed in evident frustration.
“Well, if Lydia has done anything foolish, it is all the more reason for Lizzy to marry Mr Darcy immediately.
Once she is Mrs Darcy of Pemberley, nobody in Meryton will dare say a word against us.
And as Mrs Darcy, Lizzy may take all my girls to London and ensure that they marry very well indeed.
Only imagine it—my daughters moving among the peerage!
Mrs Bennet nearly giggled at the thought, although Jane had to repress a shudder. She could scarcely imagine meeting a peer herself—and still less how her younger sisters might be received by one.
“Mama, I think that it is best that you attempt to rest while my aunt and I go downstairs to discover what is being said or done instead of our simply speculating on matters. I will send Mrs Hill to bring you your tea and will return to you shortly when I have learnt more from my sister.”
“Very well, Jane,” Mrs Bennet agreed. “Tell Lizzy that they must wait at least a fortnight to wed, although a month would be better. Of course, a wedding near Christmas would be delightful, and that would give me plenty of time to ensure that all is in order. Lizzy needs to go to London and visit a modiste to obtain her trousseau; oh, there is so much that needs to be done.”
A knock at the door signalled the arrival of the housekeeper with Mrs Bennet’s tea. Mrs Gardiner had requested it earlier, and asked that a measure of brandy be added to help Mrs Bennet sleep.
It did not take long for the drink to have the desired effect. Mrs Gardiner and Jane left the room a few minutes later, leaving a maid seated beside the sleeping matron.
“How are you, Jane?” Mrs Gardiner asked once they were out in the passage.
“I confess that I do not know what to think,” she admitted.
“So much has happened of late—beginning with Lydia’s behaviour in Brighton and ending with Lizzy’s return engaged to Mr Darcy.
Papa seemed to believe that locking Lydia in her room would be sufficient, and he has forbidden Kitty from leaving the house, but that is the extent of it.
I had hoped Lizzy might soon return so that she might help me bear the burden of it all, yet now I am uncertain what we ought to do. ”
Jane clasped her hands together as she spoke, for the weight of responsibility had rested upon her shoulders for many days—burdens usually borne by Lizzy with greater confidence.
Mrs Gardiner regarded her thoughtfully.
“My dear Jane, you have done very well to keep the household in order these past days, but I cannot help thinking you have been too ready to wait for Lizzy to return. It is not her responsibility—nor entirely yours—to determine what must be done about your sisters, yet I suspect you have expected Lizzy to be the one to act. You are the eldest, and you have always set an excellent example for them. Your parents ought to have done more, certainly, but neither can you expect Lizzy to remedy every difficulty at Longbourn.”
Jane coloured slightly at this gentle reproof.
“I did not mean to place the burden upon her,” she said quietly.
“Yet when matters grew worse, I hardly knew what else to do. I wrote to her in great distress, hoping she might advise us—or at least return home soon. Lizzy has always understood such difficulties far better than I and has borne the burden of our parents far more easily.”
Mrs Gardiner slipped her arm through Jane’s as they began to walk slowly down the passage.
“Lydia’s conduct is very troubling, and it is fortunate the matter was discovered before she succeeded in doing anything truly irreparable. Your father must determine what is to be done next, and I very much hope that when we return downstairs something will already have been decided.”
She gave Jane’s arm a gentle squeeze.
“You are a very considerate sister, but there are moments when one cannot depend upon others—even Lizzy—to manage the difficulty. Your uncle and Mr Darcy are already considering the matter, and I do not doubt they will insist upon some decisive action. It will not be long before Lizzy marries and leaves Longbourn, and you must consider what part you mean to take for yourself.”
Jane hesitated. “But Mr Bingley…”
“…allowed himself to be very easily led,” Mrs Gardiner finished gently.
“I do believe he still feels an attachment to you, and it is possible he may return to Netherfield once he learns of his friend’s marriage.
Yet if he does, will you receive him as though no time has passed without a word?
Will you not, at least, demand an explanation for his prolonged absence? ”
Mrs Gardiner paused a moment before continuing.
“You must decide what you want, Jane. When you came to London with us last winter, you never wished to meet the gentlemen my husband wished to introduce to you. Until now, you have waited patiently—but patience alone will not settle your future. You must decide what you want.”
Jane was silent after this, for the question her aunt had asked could not easily be dismissed.