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Bingley observed his friend. He did not know what to say. There was nothing to say about the terrible news he had received. He knew Darcy would pull through. It was the plight of the two girls bothered him the most, especially poor Lady Anne. Despite both his parents having passed, he had been much older and still had his sisters, even if they were bothersome at times.

Darcy did not spend much time in the room. As soon as he finished his coffee, he excused himself and exited the dining parlour. As his footsteps faded away, Caroline turned to her brother in annoyance.

“Charles,” she said sternly. “Mr Darcy is an earl now. We must address him as such. It is only proper.”

Bingley looked at his sister through squinted eyes and crumpled the paper into his lap.

“Caro,” he said, knowing she hated the name and it would bother her more. “First off, Darcy did not want the title because for him to receive, it meant disaster for his already small family. Whereas we have family members we have never even met. His family is ever shrinking, while ours is expanding with a new cousin added practically every year.”

She was about to reply when he held up his hand and gave her a glare to forestall whatever she had to say.

“Second. When we are in public, I will address him properly as befits his new rank. In private, unless he tells me otherwise, I will continue to use the name I have for all the years I have known him.”

Bingley leaned forward across the table to stare her in the eye. Her brother’s behavior took her aback, as his attitude towards her had never been so forceful.

“I will inform you of this right now, sister. So heed my words carefully. Unless Darcy,” he began emphasizing his name, “declares otherwise. If I hear you call him anything other than Mr Darcy I will have your bags packed and send you away. Come to think of it that might be for the best anyway, as you seem to dislike being here. You should do well to consider that you do yourself no favour in his eyes if you continue down this path. He needs time to digest the implications of losing his cousin with whom he was very close, not to mention his new situation. He does not need friends acting like sycophants. He will have enough of that once he arrives in town.”

Caroline sat back in her chair in mild shock. As far as she could recall, her brother had never asserted himself towards her, nor anyone else for that matter.

“You cannot do that to me. Not with Lady Anne and Georgiana here. It would not be proper.”

“Louisa will take your place. If she decides to go with you, I will send for Aunt Dorcus to run the household and chaperone.”

“You would not,” she practically hissed.

“Dare me, Caro. Defy me in this, and I will send for our aunt immediately whether you stay or not. If you say another word,” he held up one finger, “I will send for her immediately and have her here for church on Sunday and she will be in charge,” Bingley declared as he stood, “and in your rooms you like so much!” He left the room, trying to straighten out the rumpled newssheet. His paper was always a day behind, and he wondered when the news of the Earldom passing to Darcy would become public. No doubt word was already spreading through London. Those men in the corridors of power with eligible daughters would be plotting to gain more with an advantageous marriage alliance. The acquisition of the Earldom most likely put Darcy’s land holdings and income above all but a few in the Kingdom.

Bingley felt sorry for his sister. Her desire for a match with Darcy was evident to all. Though it was not for love but the position in society it would gain, even more so with his elevation to the peerage.