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“I am sorry I will not be able to attend your wedding,” Darcy said regretfully, holding out his hand to Charles Bingley.

Bingley grasped the hand and shook it, “I am sorry too, Darcy, but I know Jane is relieved that you will care for Mr. Collins.I thank you for that. How is he this morning?”

Darcy glanced briefly at his carriage, which was waiting in the lane beside Netherfield Hall. It was still very early and the eastern sky was pink with the glow of the still hidden sun and the horses’ breath made white puffs in the clear air.

“He is calm now,” Darcy said softly. “He is almost childlike in his demeanor, but he is no longer terrified. I have an excellent physician who serves the residents of Pemberley and I am certain can provide good advice and oversight.”

“Thank you for all your assistance here at Netherfield, Darcy. It is most appreciated.”

“It is my pleasure, Bingley. I feel some trepidation over inflicting Lady Catherine on you this morning, but if we are to make Pemberley in three days, we must be well on our way before my aunt rises from her bed. It was kind of you to offer her and her retinue food and shelter after she disrupted your household.”

Charles shrugged, “I would not wish your aunt to be traveling at night in winter, and regarding her disapprobation, I am not at all concerned, Darcy. Lady Catherine cannot harm me, and I have your friendship to sustain my spirits if she should be abusive. Besides, given the eruption in the library yesterday, which regrettably I missed, I daresay it will be better for everyone if Mr. Collins does not meet Lady Catherine for some time.”

Darcy sighed, “That is true enough. She may well be unpleasant, but do not take it to heart. I do have one favor to ask, Bingley. You have heard me speak of Mr. George Wickham?”

“Yes. I do not know details of his behavior toward you, but I know you dislike and despise him.”

“I do. He has recently removed from Meryton and has no doubt racked up debts at the local drinking establishments and shops. Would you send a servant to pay off those debts and collect the receipts? I will pay you back forthwith.”

“Certainly, Darcy.”

***

“Really, Miss Bingey, what kind of table is this? Where are the bath cakes? I require bath cakes every morning; I cannot break my fast without them.”

Caroline Bingley pinched her lips and rose to her feet, “My apologies, Lady Catherine. I will see if there are any bath cakes for your pleasure.”

“Do, girl, do,” Lady Catherine ordered, waving an imperious hand. Miss Bingley, torn between her desire to please the lady and irritation at being lectured, took a few steps toward the door only to halt as her brother walked into the room.

“Charles,” she hissed. “Of all the days to sleep long! Lady Catherine has been wondering where you were.”

“I have,” Lady Catherine agreed, taking a sip of her tea and wrinkling her face in disapproval. Really, what a poorly run household to serve the wrong kind of tea! “You must learn to rise early, Mr. Bingey, if you are to have any hope of successfully running an estate. Though truly I am certain that is entirely beyond your reach. Blood tells, sir, blood tells. You are the son of a man of trade, and at heart, a tradesman you will remain.”

Bingley found this immensely amusing, especially as the clock showed 11 in the morning.The hour was quite late for breakfast.

“We will see, Lady Catherine,” he replied jovially. “In any case, I am very happy here at Netherfield and with Darcy’s help, I have learned much regarding how best to run an estate.”

“Speaking of Darcy, where is he?” the mistress of Rosings demanded irritably. “It certainly shows what happens when a gentleman spends significant time with the lower classes; Darcy used to be a very punctual individual and here it is, almost noon, and he is still lying about in bed! Unconscionable.”

Bingley shook his head as he wandered over to the buffet table and began selecting some cold meats, “Darcy is not here, Lady Catherine. I said farewell to him early this morning as he left for Pemberley with Mr. Collins. I am certain he would have given you his regards before departing, but you had not yet risen.”

“What?!” Caroline Bingley and Catherine de Bourgh cried out in unison.

Bingley tried, and failed, to suppress a smirk, “Darcy is gone.”

***

“Lizzy, Lydia, Kitty, how delightful to see you girls!”

“Good morning, Aunt Phillips,” Elizabeth said affectionately, putting her arms around her aunt. Mrs. Phillips was Mrs. Bennet’s older sister and married to a local solicitor of whom she was very fond. Mrs. Phillips was a vulgar soul, but a kindly one.

“And where is Jane this morning?” Emma Phillips inquired with a wink. “No doubt dreaming of Mr. Bingley? Really, such a fine thing for her, and indeed for all of you! Such a handsome man, so rich and no doubt he has wealthy friends whom he might well introduce to you!”

“Mr. Bingley is well enough,” Lydia said with a toss of her dark head, “but he does not wear a red coat! I wish to marry an officer!”

“Oh my, speaking of officers, have you heard about Mr. Wickham?”

“Mr. Wickham? What about Mr. Wickham? ” Lydia responded, adding dreamily. “He is such a wonderful man. He very much adores my company, you know, and my looks.”

“Well, my dears,” their aunt said, gesturing for them to take their seats in the drawing room, “the news is spreading through Meryton that the man was arrested for treason!”

“Treason?” Elizabeth gasped in disbelief. “Mr. Wickham?”

“Yes! Either that or he was recruited for a secret mission for the King himself. So either he is a very bad man, or a very brave one. In any case, he is gone from Meryton.”

“Gone?” Kitty inquired piteously. “He was the very best looking of all the officers!”

“He must be on a secret mission,” Lydia insisted. “He is such a charming gentleman, and so handsome!”

“Well, as to that my dears, the word is that he has left debts in all the stores in Meryton! Furthermore, though I should not mention this, there is a rumor that the young barmaid at the Pig and the Poke , the Widow Smyth’s daughter, Sarah — well they do say that Mr. Wickham enticed the girl into his bed, and her young man, Joshua Miller, has thrown her over!”

Elizabeth paled in horror at this, “Surely not, Aunt!”

“That is what they are saying,” Mrs. Phillips said, delight over this juicy piece of gossip contending with her natural concern for the girl.

“I do not believe a word of it!” Lydia said indignantly. “Mr. Wickham with a barmaid? That is ridiculous!”

Elizabeth frowned. The knowledge that Wickham was gone from Meryton was certainly a surprise but these rumors, if true, painted him as a degenerate man.

***

“Have you read the English translations of the works of the French scientist, Antoine Levoisier, the man who identified the element oxygen and studied the role of that element in combustion?”

Darcy jerked awake at these words and passed a hand over his mouth, irritated to discover that he had drooled slightly in his sleep.

“I am sorry, Mr. Collins, what did you say?”

Collins was sitting upright across from him, his blazing eyes fixed on Pemberley’s master.

“Antoine Levoisier,” he said impatiently. “His recognition of oxygen as a chemical element of its own, plus his understanding in its role of combustion, was a major breakthrough in the chemical sciences! Surely you must see that, Mr. Darcy.”

Fitzwilliam Darcy smiled genuinely at the portly man across from him, “Welcome back, Mr. Collins. Welcome back.”

***

“I take no leave of you, Mr. Bingey, and I send no compliments to your insipid sister. I hold your degenerate family entirely to blame for this catastrophe. Darcy has always had aproper understanding of his position in society but you have ruined him forever. To think of my own nephew running off to Pemberley with an insane clergyman. It is a disgrace!”

“I do hope you will have a pleasant journey,” Charles Bingley responded with a courteous smile and bow.

Lady Catherine pursed her lips and allowed herself to be handed into the carriage by one of the footmen who had accompanied her. A few seconds later, the equipage jolted into motion and proceeded out of the Netherfield lane and onto the main road to Meryton.

Bingley heaved a soft sigh of relief, which was shared by his butler, who was standing at the top of the stairs that led to the main entrance of the house. Lady Catherine had irritated all the servants at Netherfield with her endless demands and constant criticism.

He climbed the steps, relishing the cool air of December, before entering Netherfield and walking into the drawing room, where his sister Caroline was standing near a window gazing outside blankly.

“Caroline,” he said without enthusiasm.

“Charles, is Lady Catherine gone?”

“Yes.”

“Did she say anything on her departure about her stay here?”

“She said several things, none of them either encouraging or positive.”

Caroline Bingley looked slightly sick, “Do you suppose she will denigrate my abilities as a hostess to her connections? She is the daughter of an earl!”

Charles shrugged, “I doubt it. Darcy tells me that she rarely leaves Rosings and takes no part in the London social scene.”

His sister’s body relaxed and she nodded, “That is good, at least. I do not blame her for her exasperation over Mr. Darcy’s departure. It is truly ludicrous that he left Netherfield to care for Mr. Collins! It is unconscionable that the Bennets would abandon their tiresome cousin such that Mr. Darcy was forced to take on his care, but that is to be expected from such an uncivilized family.”

Bingley, who had been only partially listening to her whining, turned abruptly at these words and took a menacing step toward her.

“You are speaking of the family of the woman I am going to marry,” he stated angrily. “How dare you?”

Caroline flushed slightly but glared back at him, “I speak only the truth, Charles. It is too late to break your engagement, but you will live to regret your decision to ally yourself with the Bennets, mark my words. Jane is a pleasant enough woman but her parents are dreadful and as for Miss Elizabeth, with her so called fine eyes, she is a shrew!”

Charles stared at her in incredulity which shifted into determination.

“Very well, Caroline,” he said with glacial calm. “Given that you dislike Jane’s family, it is obvious you will not be happy here at Netherfield after my marriage. You and Louisa and Hurst will leave for London within the week.”

His sister blinked in disbelief, “What? I am not leaving!”

“Yes, you are,” Bingley stated, amazed at the deep core of resolve in his spirit. He loved Jane Bennet dearly. He would not permit his gentle angel to be exposed to a constant barrage of disapproval from his witch of a sister.

“Charles! Be reasonable! You cannot cast us out!”

“I can, and I will and I do. Indeed, given that Darcy is no longer here, I see no reason why you would wish to stay in the countryside anyway. You only came in the futile hope of enticing Darcy to offer for you. But mark my words carefully, Caroline, you can either leave within the week, or tomorrow. If you wail and whine, it will be tomorrow. It is entirely your choice.”