Page 14 of Obligation and Redemption
“Mr. Bingley, please do not look so distressed. Lizzy is as fine a girl as one could find. I have always been partial to Lydia, as she amuses me so, but Lizzy is as loyal as they come, and she has a good head on her shoulders. I would imagine that she would have been married by now, if she did not scare all the young men away with her impertinent remarks. I believe that she intimidates them, and they do not want to look unlearned in front of her. Your friend may just like a wife who knows her mind.”
“Yes, well, I must be going now. Please give my respects to Mr. Philips.” Bingley bowed and headed towards Caroline’s destination. He saw her coming out of the baker’s shop, eyes wide and in distress. She approached him in agitation .
“Charles, you will not believe what I have just heard. It is outrageous!” She grabbed his arm and began leading him quickly to the carriage as she whispered looking around to make sure no one was eavesdropping.
“Apparently, there is a rumour, no doubt spread by the Bennets, that Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth spent the entirety of the day of the storm alone together, and that she is expecting a proposal of marriage. How could anyone believe such a tale? He would never offer for someone so utterly beneath him, regardless of how he spent his day. We must do something to stop this slander. To think that Mr. Darcy would align himself to such a woman, such a family!”
“I have heard a similar report. We must get home to warn Darcy and to come up with a plan to counteract the damage. Although I would disagree with you on the suitability of the family, I know Darcy probably would not.” The two quickly made their way back to the carriage and departed for Netherfield.
Bingley dreaded the pending conversation with his friend.
His worst fears were to be realised. Although Caroline believed that Darcy would not offer for Miss Elizabeth based on these rumours, he was quite certain that Darcy would.
His friend had always been the model of probity and would never leave a woman or her family in disgrace if he had somehow been involved.
While in the carriage, he admonished Caroline to act as if nothing had occurred out of the ordinary while in front of the servants.
As soon as Bingley and Caroline arrived at Netherfield, he went to Darcy’s room while his sister sought out Mrs. Hurst.
Bingley knocked on his friend’s door and upon receiving a call to enter, he opened it quietly. The room was dark with the windows closed, as bright light tended to worsen Darcy’s headache. “Bingley, have you already been into town? You were not gone long.”
Bingley closed the door behind him and hesitantly crossed the room, pulling up the chair next to the bed. “I felt a need to return as quickly as I could. You see, I heard enough while in town to make me realise that we have a potential problem before us.”
“Tell me.”
After a deep breath, Bingley continued. “After Caroline left to ensure our food orders were as she had intended, I went down the main street. I had not gone far when Mrs. Philips called out to me. We exchanged pleasantries, but then she began telling me about how Miss Elizabeth was ill and unable to come into town after being out in the storm,” he paused a moment, then continued, “with you.”
With controlled fury, Darcy began speaking, “Damn! How could this have happened? The Bennets planned this all along, I know. They are a disgraceful lot. What am I to do?” His breathing became heavy, as he reached up to his temple to rub the pain away. “What else did this woman say?”
“That was the confusing part. She said that you and Miss Elizabeth had spent the day together in some folly on the Longbourn estate, after she had saved you. Then again, Mr. Bennet did say they would tell the family she was found on the opposite side of the estate from Netherfield – but alone. Anyway, she spoke as if she meant to warn me about what people were saying.”
“And from where had she gotten her information? ”
“From Mrs. Bennet. You see Mrs. Philips and Mrs. Bennet are sisters.”
“Blast! That woman is the most uncouth, avaricious harpy with whom I have ever had the misfortune to meet. She no doubt could not wait to share everything she knew, so that she could ensnare a rich man for her conniving daughter.”
Although Bingley did not share the same sentiments about the Bennets as his friend, he could not help but see the truth in his assertions that Mrs. Bennet was spreading rumours with the hope of forcing a marriage to the wealthy visitor.
Bingley had supposed her to be rather eccentric, but not rapacious. “Darcy, what would you have me do?”
“I need you to return to Meryton and discover what else is being said. Based on the assertion that I was at some folly with Miss Elizabeth, there may be inadequate truth to the claims to bind me.” Even as he said this, he knew that even a hint of impropriety could damage Miss Elizabeth’s reputation, but he must know all.
“Darcy, Caroline also heard from someone at the baker’s shop that Miss Elizabeth was expecting a proposal from you, as you had spent the entire day alone with her.
I am afraid that the damage cannot be contained as the general population of Meryton is talking about it.
” After a few moments of silence from his friend, he regrettably added, “Mrs. Philips said that Miss Elizabeth herself had told her mother about being with you.”
Darcy glared at his friend, as if he somehow had transformed into this Miss Elizabeth. “I will not be forced into a marriage to her. She has created her own misfortunes; she will have to manage them alone!”
Could Darcy truly refuse to do his duty?
Bingley felt all of the injustice in his friend’s situation; to be forced into matrimony with a woman whom he could not even respect was beyond contemplating.
His friend had always been above reproach in every situation, and to then be connected against his will to a woman so decidedly beneath him was cruelty itself.
Although Bingley thought highly of Miss Bennet, he knew that Darcy’s standards for suitability exceeded his own in every way, and that he would never willingly connect himself to the Bennet family, even though gentry.
But could Darcy leave Miss Elizabeth to ruin?
Surely he was speaking out of turn. “Darcy, before you decide on a course of action, let us consider all of the possibilities.”
“What possibilities could there be? Miss Elizabeth Bennet has gone back on her word and has purposely attempted to put me in an untenable position. I have no doubt that was her design all along when she saw me riding out alone.”
“Darcy, now you are talking nonsense. She could not have planned for your injuries.”
“Regardless, once they occurred, she took matters into her hands in a way that would ensure her own compromise, thereby safeguarding that I would be honour-bound to offer for her.” With exasperation, he continued, “I cannot believe that after all of these years of successfully avoiding scandal that it would be a country nobody who succeeded where no one else could. Of all the ladies who have attempted that feat, I would end up getting caught by the very least suitable!” Bingley did not know what to say, so he just listened.
“And what of Lady Annette? Before coming here, I had decided to publicly court her.”
“Darcy, I am truly sorry.”
“Damn her and her family!” After a few moments of silence, Darcy continued, “Forgive me. My anger got the better of me. If you do not mind, I would like to be alone. My head is throbbing and I know not what to think or say.”
“Do not regard it, my friend. I will return to town and see what else I can hear.” Bingley walked to the door, and with a heavy heart he exited, leaving his friend alone and wishing for a better outcome than seemed to be before him.
MISS BINGLEY HAD RELAYED the story to her sister, Louisa Hurst, upon returning to Netherfield.
She was beside herself with anger at the gall of the local inhabitants of this unholy town.
How dare they think that Mr. Darcy would lower himself to request the hand of a daughter of an impoverished gentleman?
Miss Eliza had no money and no connections and little taste.
Her wardrobe was two years behind the current fashion, and she was altogether forward and above herself.
She displayed no accomplishments worth noting; she could not even play the pianoforte without missing notes.
“I have worked too hard to give Mr. Darcy up to this trollop!” Louisa listened to her tirade, nodding her head to the truth of her words.
“I have to do something to save Mr. Darcy. I feel quite certain that given some time, he would be asking for my hand. This has been the opportunity for him to see me as mistress of a home, and I have mastered the role without a fault. I know that he would want me over Eliza, for she has nothing to recommend herself.”
“Caroline, I agree. She is nothing to you.”
“I have all of the usual accomplishments; I play the pianoforte, sing, and paint. I know Italian and French and I have proven that I can be an admirable hostess in a large country home. I would be doing him a favour intervening to make him have to declare himself to me before he could lower himself to offer for her.”
“But, Caroline, you said that he would never ask for her hand, so there is no need to push him.”