Page 31 of I am Jael (Pride and Prejudice Variation)

Colonel Fitzwilliam lifted his left hand and began ticking off the options on his fingers, “First, gain access to the 10,000 pound inheritance and stay here in London. I know my mother would gladly host you indefinitely. I believe you would enjoy attending parties and the opera, and all of us would treasure more time with you. Two, return to Rosings and take on the mantle of ownership while allowing your mother to stay. Ideally, she would work with you to allow for a smooth transition of power ...”

“That is not a viable option,” Anne interrupted without compunction. “My mother will never permit me to rule as mistress of Rosings so long as she inhabits the mansion.”

“I agree,” the Colonel replied. “The third option is for you to return to Rosings and evict your mother to the Dower House.”

The Earl leaned back in his chair with a soft groan, “That is not an ideal situation. There will be talk and our reputation as a family could well suffer.”

“I must either oust her from Rosings or stay away,” Anne stated with determination. “I will not live under her domination again.”

“Legally, you can force her into the Dower House,” Darcy said slowly. “I wish there were another way, but I agree that she will not give up the reins of power willingly.”

“If you married, there would be less scandal,” the Earl stated.

Anne furrowed her brow, “Why?”

“It would be considered entirely reasonable for your husband to require your mother to leave for the dower house.”

Anne’s lips tightened, “I have no desire to marry.”

The Earl raised startled eyebrows, “Never?”

“I do not know. Perhaps, if my health improves, I would consider it. But I will not marry for the bargaining power of hurling my mother from Rosings. Better to deal with the autocrat I know than to marry a man quickly and find that we do not suit.”

“You need not make any immediate decision, Anne,” Darcy assured his cousin. “Take time to think and pray and seek counsel.”

/

“Caroline? What are you doing here?”

“Charles, is that any way to welcome your sister?” Miss Bingley chided as she handed her hat to a nearby servant.

Bingley exhaled slowly, “Welcome, Caroline. May I ask why you have traveled here to Netherfield?”

Caroline Bingley glanced rapidly around the main hall as she pasted on a worried expression, “I was concerned about dear Jane, of course. You are such a poor correspondent that I felt I could not write and hope you would answer in a timely fashion, so I chose to travel here at once.”

“Worried about Jane?” her brother asked in a puzzled tone as he led his sister into a nearby sitting room. “Why?”

“I had heard that she was quite ill.”

“She is not ill. Who told you that?”

“Louisa told me. She heard it from a friend whose husband heard word from someone else, I believe.”

Bingley frowned at his younger sister. He knew Caroline well enough to realize she must have some ulterior motive for this visit, but he could not imagine what it was.

There was a soft rustle of skirts and Bingley swiveled and bowed slightly to Miss Darcy and her companion, Mrs. Annesley, as they entered the room.

“Good morning,” he said heartily. “I hope this pleasant day finds you well?”

“Thank you, Mr. Bingley,” Georgiana replied. “We are both well. Good morning, Miss Bingley.”

Charles Bingley turned to his sister to see her smiling smugly.

Like a bolt of lightning to his rather dense head, Caroline’s odd behavior became clear.

She had obviously discovered that the Darcys were visiting Netherfield.

Though even so, it was odd. Darcy was pledged to marry Elizabeth tomorrow.

It was not as if his sister had any hope now to become Mrs. Darcy.

“Dear Charles, please do not feel like you have to wait on us,” Caroline gushed. “Miss Darcy and I have not seen one another in months. We have so much to discuss!”

Georgiana’s eyes lit up with amusement as she nodded demurely, “That would be most pleasant, Miss Bingley.”

Charles glanced from his sister to Miss Darcy, slightly baffled, “Very well.”

He strode out of the room and Miss Bingley sat down on a couch, gesturing to Georgiana that she should take the nearby seat.

“Dear Georgiana, it is such a pleasure to see you again. It has been entirely too long!”

“Thank you, Miss Bingley,” Georgiana replied, refusing to use the woman’s Christian name.

They would shortly be related by marriage through the Bennet women, but until then, she would cling to more formal modes of address.

She found Caroline Bingley a most unpleasant creature, with her obsessive social climbing and her ruthless pursuit of Fitzwilliam Darcy. That, of course, was at an end.

“I did not realize that you were expected here at Netherfield,” the girl continued.

“I came rather suddenly, I own. I heard through Louisa that dear Jane is quite ill, and I felt I must come to support my brother in his trial.”

Miss Darcy blinked, “Ill? She is not ill.”

“Charles told me the same thing. That is a relief. It is terrible how unfounded rumors spread.”

“Yes.”

“In any case, where is Jane?”

“I believe she has not left her chamber, Miss Bingley.”

“With guests in the house? Oh, Georgiana, I do apologize. I am afraid that as kind as Jane is, she is but a country woman and she does not understand the requirements of a proper hostess. It is quite appalling you and your brother have been left to shift on your own here. How glad I am that I came! I do hope you will forgive my brother for taking such a wife.”

Georgiana frowned with displeasure, “I assure you that I have taken no offense with Jane. Since tomorrow is to be such a busy day, Mr. Bingley informed us all that Jane would spend the day in bed, resting.”

Miss Bingley looked puzzled as a maid entered the room with a tea tray. She nodded to a nearby table and carefully poured tea for herself and the two other women.

“Why is tomorrow to be a busy day?” she asked, before taking a sip of tea.

Georgiana’s eyes widened in sudden awareness. Darcy had obtained a special license and thus the banns had not been called. Caroline Bingley had no way of knowing!

“Tomorrow is the wedding,” Georgie explained gravely, taking her own sip of tea.

“Oh, a wedding? Whose wedding?”

Miss Darcy lifted innocent eyes to gaze into Caroline’s shrewish face, “My brother’s, of course. Tomorrow morning he is marrying Miss Elizabeth Bennet.”

Caroline Bingley gasped, coughed, and spewed tea onto her expensive gown and the floor.

“What!?”