Page 25

THE BINGLEY SCANDALS

F itzwilliam and his father left Darcy’s room shortly after their discussion and made their way down the stairs to the Bingleys’ parlour.

“It is too much, Charles,” Miss Bingley was saying. “I want to have my home back. I cannot cope with having visitors any longer.”

“I am sorry,” Jane softly answered. “I know that we are all a burden. I will look for a little cottage nearby.”

“You will do no such thing, Miss Bennet!” Bingley told her. “Darcy bought this estate so that you would not need to move. Caroline, I know that Mark has moved into your room permanently. If I did not know better… oh, never mind. Our guests are no trouble at all. I think it’s high time that you learnt to get on with them rather than constantly complaining about them!”

Miss Bingley huffed. “They have all but taken over our home!”

“At least we have given them a home to come to! Their father would have thrown them on the street!” Bingley argued.

“I know that! I just… well, I expected that it would have been sorted out by now,” Miss Bingley whined.

“What you mean is that you thought Darcy would have taken them away by now,” Bingley snapped.

“Well… yes!” She admitted. “Although I know Mark would not be going with them.”

“Where is Mark right now?” Bingley asked, suspiciously.

“He’s gone to speak to Mr Phillips and Mr Morris. He had some paperwork that he needed to clear up before….” Miss Bingley stopped talking abruptly. “That is he had business in Meryton.”

The earl nudged Fitzwilliam forward and then stepped into the parlour behind his son. “You will be relieved to know that my wife and I do not intend to add to your plethora of visitors. We will be staying at the local inn and visiting with my son and nephew during the day as they recover,” the earl good-naturedly declared.

Bingley frowned. “That will not do, sir,” he argued. “Despite what my sister might say, it is no difficulty to host your family.”

The earl shook his head. “Thank you for your kindness, Bingley. However, I believe my wife would be more comfortable at the inn. Also, I do not believe that the situation is now necessary for us to be on hand night and day.”

“What do you mean?” Bingley asked confused.

“Fitz finally woke up!” Fitzwilliam informed them.

Bingley almost bounced out of his chair. “That’s wonderful news indeed! Mrs Darcy must be relieved. I must go speak to him.”

The earl blocked the doorway. “We left him and his wife resting. Let them rest for now.”

Bingley sat back down. “Where is the countess?”

“I believe she is getting to know our future daughter-in-law,” the earl laughed. “Miss Catherine has shown loyalty to our family, which is to be admired. Miss Bingley, I understand how stressful being the hostess is, but it sounded horribly like you wanted my extremely unwell nephew out of your home! Be careful, such slights do not end well.”

Miss Bingley glared at the earl mutinously. “I am sure that you understand that while I care that Mr Darcy is unwell, Mrs Darcy’s whole family except for her father have moved into my home and I can’t even begin to hint that their stay is too long!”

“Perhaps then you will be relieved to know that you and I can begin planning to remove ourselves to Longbourn next month,” Mark said, entering the Netherfield parlour.

“Why only next month?” Miss Bingley asked.

“Because my father is to be formally removed from the house and the estate placed under my guardianship until my father’s death,” Mark informed her. “I have also been making enquiries into my legal situation having been born Mark and then growing up Mary.” He grinned a lopsided grin. “Caroline, we are clear!” He stepped around the earl and dropped to the floor in front of Caroline’s seat. “Marry me, my wonderful Caroline! Make me the happiest man in England….” Mark paused. He was unsure of himself.

Miss Bingley beamed and nodded. “I will!”

Mark exuberantly jumped up and pulled Miss Bingley up from her seat before kissing her deeply. Pulling back, he gazed deep into her eyes. “I do not have as much as my brother-in-law, but what I have is yours.” He kissed her again, before releasing her and then sitting down next to her. “Bingley, we need to draw up Caroline’s settlement.”

Bingley’s face lacked its usual expressiveness as he answered, “Congratulations. Whenever you’re ready, we can draw it up.”

Mark nodded, but was reluctant to leave Miss Bingley’s side for the moment. “We need to also decide on when the wedding will be.”

Miss Bingley laid a hand delicately on her stomach. “I do not think we should wait too long.”

Mark looked at her. “Should we tell them?”

Miss Bingley blushed. “They’ll have guessed anyway.”

“Caroline is expecting,” Mark announced to the room. “The next generation of Bennets is on its way.”

Bingley abruptly stood up and left the room, leaving everyone stunned. This was not his normal behaviour. Fitzwilliam congratulated the couple and then followed Bingley from the room.

Fitzwilliam softly closed the door of the study and turned to Bingley. “What is wrong?”

“You mean other than my sister parading her little bastard?” Bingley nastily responded. “There’s nothing wrong .”

Fitzwilliam crossed his arms and looked at Bingley. “If you think we’ve taken advantage of your kindness then tell us. Between Fitz, Mark, and myself we have enough between us to provide for all the family. We can look at ways to remove the sick from your home.”

Bingley huffed and waved away Fitzwilliam’s concern. “It is not that. I’m happy to be able to host all of you.”

“Then what is wrong?” Fitzwilliam asked.

Bingley sighed. “I will never have the happiness that you all will. I was injured as a child in the mills that my father owned. He never knew.” Bingley swallowed. “I can never have a child.”

“What?” Fitzwilliam gasped.

Bingley turned his eyes on Fitzwilliam. “I don’t even know if it’s possible for me to… perform in the bedroom.”

“What happened?” Fitzwilliam asked.

“You cannot tell anyone about this!” Bingley growled.

Fitzwilliam slumped into a chair and nodded.

“As you know I was quite a rambunctious little urchin as a child. I had gone to the mills with my father, but we got separated. All of our workers were indulgent of me and spoiled me.” Bingley swallowed again. “We had, however, a new foreman that week who didn’t know me. An unpleasant man. He saw me walking the mill while waiting for my father. Thinking I was one of the workers shirking, he roughly told me to run and collect the cotton fluff behind the machines. This I did, it was something that I was good at. However, apparently, I was not good enough and upon emerging just in time from a closing loom the foreman pulled me over and started beating me up. I took his anger and let it wash over me, however, the man managed to injure me in the most delicate of areas on our bodies. So bad was the injury that I was forced to become a eunuch. I laugh and flirt not taking courtship seriously because no woman wants a man who is injured in that way. It never bothered me that I kept that secret — until I met Jane! Then as I’ve watched you, Fitz, and Mark fall in love and father children it’s become more and more painful. Now it’s all that I can think about. If I marry, I am robbing my wife of the chance to have a child. The world is cruel, Fitzwilliam!”

Fitzwilliam shook his head. “I’m sorry, Bingley. You could always adopt a child. There are many orphans out there. The right woman would not worry about your injury. She will stand by you no matter what.”

“Not many of those out there.” Bingley’s sneer made Fitzwilliam grateful that Catherine had stuck by him.

“Yet, Elizabeth and Kitty prove that they exist,” Fitzwilliam persisted.

Bingley slammed his fist onto the desk. “You don’t understand. I can’t take that away from Jane. She has suffered enough already!”

Fitzwilliam shook his head. “Jane is so sick, I doubt that she could have children anyway. The only way to know is to talk to Jane and see what she says.”

Bingley shrugged. “Doesn’t seem to be much point in talking to her.”

Fitzwilliam rolled his eyes. “Bingley, you have the chance of happiness and you are squandering it. You might have all the time in the world to decide, but Jane does not! Just talk to her and see what she has to say. Her answers might just surprise you.”

“And if I can’t perform in bed? What then? She’s lumbered with a life of misery. I cannot do that to her,” Bingley objected.

“And yet you would deny her comfort and companionship during her last days?” Fitzwilliam snapped. “Very well be lonely and miserable, there is no helping you!”

“As I said before you don’t understand,” Bingley grumbled.

“No, I don’t understand! You have a beautiful woman who potentially will take you, flaws and all and you are fixated on a problem you’ve had since childhood. I thought you knew that marriage was much more than simply climbing into bed together! I do not understand why you are selfish enough to deny her companionship and support despite your shortcomings! I don’t understand how you can selfishly ignore the feelings of Jane in this matter!” Fitzwilliam told him. With that Fitzwilliam stood and crossed the study and went to fling open the door, but instead grabbed it as though his life depended on it as pain from his wounds surged through him. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Fitzwilliam angrily made his way back to the parlour, where his mother and Catherine had now joined the party.