Page 21 of The Next Mrs Bennet

B oth Bingleys were vastly disappointed when they were shown into a drawing room where only Mr and Mrs Bennet and the older Mrs Bennet awaited them within. Bingley bowed while his sister gave a deep curtsy.

“Lady Rebecca, how kind of you to receive us today…” Miss Bingley began but ceased speaking when the lady raised her hand.

“Miss Bingley, let me be rightly understood. Firstly, as you were informed at the assembly, I go by Mrs Bennet here. Secondly, I did not choose to receive you. You ignored protocol and called without invitation or a call from myself and my daughters first. To me, it seems that your roots as a tradesman’s daughter have made you forget the education you received at the seminary in London. My husband, mother-in-law, and I only allowed you entry to our house so that you hear from my lips that you are not welcome here without an invitation from me. Now you may return to your leased estate.”

Becca rang for Hill and asked him to show the Bingleys out. He was under orders to notify those waiting upstairs once the two uninvited guests had left the house. The younger set were out in the park under the watchful eyes of Brian, John, and some of their men.

When Lady Rebecca…rather, when Mrs Bennet spoke, Bingley’s ears turned purple with embarrassment. He had only himself to blame. He knew it was wrong to importune the Bennets, but he had not stood up to Caroline. How many times had Darce warned him his name would be ruined unless he stood up to his sister and took her in hand? Surely his friend would help mitigate any damage Caroline wrought?

Caroline Bingley stood sputtering, not knowing what to say. When she had envisaged ingratiating herself with the Bennets, this had not been the result for which she had hoped. Before she could think of something to say, the butler and a footman materialised to show them out.

The Bingley coach had been pulled around the circular drive, waiting and ready to return them to Netherfield Park. Bingley turned and saw his sister staring off into the park. “Come, Caroline, we must depart before things get worse,” Bingley stated in sotto voce .

“No, Charles, you and I are going to take a walk in the park first,” Miss Bingley insisted.

She refused to accept defeat. Caroline Maleficent Bingley would not retire from the field just because the Bennet parents told her to leave! As if by providence she saw something in the park that could be the answer to her prayers. As she stood watching those walking, she was struck by inspiration. How dare these country Bennets, regardless of their connections, attempt to deny her? She was not used to brooking disappointment, and she did not intend to begin now. Thankfully, her spineless brother would follow her orders without question.

“B-but we were dismissed from the house,” Bingley whined plaintively.

“The house yes, but we are not in the house now, are we? The park is not the drawing room, is it?” Miss Bingley responded calculatingly as she stared at a group walking in the park, some of whom she recognised. She pulled her brother away from the conveyance and to the corner of the house. “Look! Miss Bennet and the older son are walking in that group of people over there. You will approach Miss Bennet and kiss her while I fall into the son’s arms. We will become part of this family rather than being rejected by them!”

If he was being honest with himself, Bingley would admit that he agreed to his sister’s scheme because he was still upset that Miss Bennet had been so cold to him and showed no interest in him at all. He lied to himself thinking that he was simply complying with Caroline’s orders to keep the peace.

His desire to have Miss Bennet overrode all of the warnings Darcy had delivered. He seemed wilfully blind to Miss Bennet’s obvious disinterest in him, as well as the fact she was being courted by no less than a viscount.

Intent on their mission, the Bingley siblings made their way towards the group walking in the park as surreptitiously as they were able.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

If Andrew thought that alighting from the coach and pushing it would have propelled him towards Longbourn and Jane faster, he would have done so. He had been sorely tempted to ride Prometheus, his stallion, and arrive at the Bennets’ home sooner, but two things had swayed his decision not to do so.

The last thing he wanted when he begged Jane for her hand was to be smelling of sweat and horseflesh. Also, he had given his mother his word he would remain with them in the carriage. As much as he wanted to be with Jane already, he could understand Mother’s desire to spend time with him after she had not seen him for two years.

His mind drifted to the previous afternoon when he and Rich had gone to Hilldale House. Andrew had been deeply indebted to his younger brother. Rich had made sure that the house was in perfect order, and he had seen to it that Prometheus had been ridden every day or two.

By the time they had arrived, thanks to his valet Samuelson’s arrival with the trunks, the staff and servants were aware of his imminent return. Not only that, Samuelson also had the trunks unpacked; everything clean was put away, while the rest had been left for the women who did the laundry three times a week. Rich had returned to Matlock House—with a detour to the jewellers—as soon as he made sure there were no more questions for him.

After a good shave, Andrew had enjoyed a long bath, where he had made sure he was scrubbed from head to toe. Once his man assisted in drying him off, he had dressed in a crisp, pressed jacket, waistcoat, and trousers over a sparkling white shirt, with a white, expertly tied cravat, thanks to Samuelson. Rather than hessians, he had donned a pair of black shoes. As soon as he was ready, he had called for his coach and returned to Grosvenor Square and his family. He had been amazed at how much Giana had grown, and had Richard not explained that everything was worked out with Fitz, he would have wanted to thrash his cousin for almost causing Giana to be lost to them.

To him, the hours and minutes had dragged by slowly, but praise be, the time to depart at first light had arrived.

With the lead coach slowing—the personal servants were in the carriage following—Andrew snapped out of his woolgathering. They had just entered Meryton! Soon they would turn to the east, and then in less than a mile, they would arrive at Longbourn. His wait of two years to see Jane was very nearly at an end.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

“Why on earth are those two in the park and walking towards us?” Henry asked acerbically. He turned to where Biggs was standing unobtrusively and cocked his head towards the two approaching. The huge man nodded and signalled Johns and the other men to be on their guard.

Although vigilant, the guards did not move much closer as the Bingley’s were not considered a physical threat to any of the walkers they were protecting.

It was easy to see that the two approaching the group in the park were unarmed. Had the guards suspected that either of them had a weapon, both would already have been flat on their backs.

“You go directly to Miss Bennet, and I will approach Henry Bennet,” Miss Bingley hissed near her brother’s ear. All he did was nod. She could taste their rise in society as soon as she and Charles compromised their respective Bennet sibling. As she stalked her prey, in her mind’s eye she saw all her dreams being finally realised.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Mr Hill let those waiting in the family sitting room know that the two interlopers had left the house per his instructions from the Master and Mistress.

“So the two Bingleys have departed?” Lady Anna enquired when she led the others back into the drawing room. The three Bennets within nodded. “Well as the bard wrote in Troilus and Cressida , a good riddance. We will not miss those unwanted people.”

“When I descended the stairs, I noticed Bingley’s coach was still in the drive. Did they just exit the house?” Darcy wondered.

“No indeed, they should have been on their way by now,” Bennet declared as he stood. “Is that them? Do I hear the sounds of a conveyance?” Bennet strode towards the door with Darcy, Devonshire, Hartington, and Granville following him.

The ladies moved to the windows, which looked out onto a portion of the park. They could not see anyone from their vantage point.

When the men poured out of the wide front door, they saw the Matlock coach being drawn to a halt under the portico. The Bingley conveyance was further along the drive, waiting but certainly not moving.

“To what do we owe this illustrious welcoming committee?” Matlock jested when he saw the five men. “Were you aware that Andrew has come back to us?”

“No Matlock, as welcome as you all are, and we are more than pleased to see Hilldale again; we are seeking the occupants of that carriage,” Bennet cocked his head to the equipage on the opposite side of the circular drive. “It belongs to the Bingleys who were asked to leave the house not many minutes past.”

“Andy, I am well pleased you are here, but we need to run. I am afraid Miss Bingley has cooked up a scheme to compromise Cousins Jane and Henry.” Darcy inclined his head towards the park.

Andrew, Richard, and Darcy broke into a run towards the park, while the older men followed at a more sedate pace. Lady Elaine and Giana entered the house.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Elizabeth and Rosemarie put themselves between Mr Bingley and his obvious target—Jane. Mary, Felicity, Harriet, and Ellie joined them in short order. Tommy, Will the younger, and Ian all stood in front of Henry. The latter joined them, not wishing to remain behind his brother and cousins.

Caroline Bingley was pleased to see that the one she was aiming for was not hiding behind the other men. Now all she had to do was throw herself into his arms.

Bingley faltered. He knew what Caroline commanded him to do, but he had not bargained on having to push ladies out of the way to achieve his aim. In his concentration, Bingley had not noticed the enormous men moving towards him or the three men running at him from behind.

As soon as she saw who was leading the charge towards her, Jane’s face lit up with absolute pleasure. Elizabeth had also seen the three men rapidly gaining on Mr Bingley. She looked to the guards, shook her head, and looked at Miss Bingley.

Seeing Miss Bennet’s face light up, Bingley assumed she was pleased to see him, and he surged forward intent on kissing her before she changed her mind, the other ladies in his way be damned. He was not far away from his target when Lady Luck smiled on him and the other ladies moved to the side. He was imagining kissing Miss Bennet when he received a sharp blow to his back, which caused him to fall flat, face first, onto the dry, brown grass.

Andrew had reached Bingley first and did what he needed to so the man was brought down to the ground.

Miss Bingley was close to her prey when all of a sudden, a thick arm closed around her waist and lifted her at least a foot clear of the ground. “ Unhand me, you brute !” she screamed. She attempted to kick the man holding her, but a binding was tied around her legs. She began screeching profanities until a gag was unceremoniously stuffed into her mouth. She felt herself being lowered to the ground, and her arms were bound behind her.

Bingley rolled over to determine what had felled him. He looked up into the faces of many angry and disgusted men, not the least of whom was Darcy. One man who was furious beyond anything Bingley saw on the faces of the other men looked behind where he was lying. He saw an enormous man lean over him and lift him to his feet as if he weighed nothing. He remembered seeing the Bennets’ giant footman when he had visited Mr Bennet, and he felt a wave of abject fear traverse his body.

Jane came and stood next to her beloved Andrew. “Had you managed to reach me, do you truly think there would have ever been anything that would have induced me to accept a capricious, shallow, spineless man like yourself? Even had I not been in love with the best man in the world,” Jane turned a beatific smile on Andrew, “who is to propose to me this very day, and who I will accept without delay, you would never have been a choice for me. No, Mr Bingley, it is not your roots in trade, but the fact that you are an empty vessel who sees nothing beyond a woman’s outward facade.”

Hearing what Jane said lightened Andrew’s heart to such an extent he thought he could possibly take flight. It did not reduce the anger he felt for the man who had dared to attempt an entrapment of the lady he loved beyond all reason. “We have not been introduced,” Andrew growled as he put his face inches away from Bingley’s. “But I am Lord Andrew Fitzwilliam, Viscount Hilldale, and soon to bear the best title in the world—Jane’s fiancé. You are very lucky that duels are illegal, or I would call you out without hesitation.”

Bingley would have shrunk back from the furious man if the enormous man holding him had allowed it. He knew he was in a world of trouble, so he looked at Darcy plaintively.

“Do not look to me to save you from yourself,” Darcy barked. “If you had ever grown a backbone and taken your sister in hand rather than placating her, you would not be looking at the total ruin of the Bingley name. The fact you are about to be evicted from Netherfield Park and the money you paid on the lease forfeit will be the least of your problems. Your dishonourable behaviour aimed against two of my cousins has resulted in an irrevocable break between us. My good opinion once lost, is lost forever.”

Darcy’s final declaration was like a hammer blow to Bingley. Then he comprehended what had been said about being evicted. “B-but I-I have d-done n-nothing to the l-landlord,” Bingley stammered.

“You attempted to compromise the landlord’s eldest daughter!” Bennet declared. “Not only are you spineless, but you do not have much intelligence. Why you did not follow Mr and Mrs Hurst’s example and return to London before it was too late, I know not.”

“You know that Louisa and Hurst departed?” Bingley managed.

“The staff and servants at Netherfield Park are employed by us. It is our estate. We know all relevant things which occur there,” Bennet returned. He turned to Miss Bingley, who was glaring with hatred as she remained bound and gagged. “Even had you and your brother reached my eldest daughter and son, your compromise would not have been gratified. Before I married my wife, the love of my life, I learnt the hard way what hell it is to live with one who compromises you. Hence, I will never allow any of my children to suffer in that fashion.” Bennet glared at Miss Bingley. “You wanted to meet some of our relatives. Behind me are his Grace, the Duke of Devonshire, the Marquess of Hartington, the Earl of Matlock, and the Earl of Granville. Those who are not my children are offspring of the various family members and their wives, who have no desire to be in your company.”

Devonshire stepped forward. “Mr and Miss Bingley, if I were you, I would leave the Kingdom. Her Grace, along with the wives of the other men here, as well as many of their friends, will make sure you will both be ruined in the length and breadth of the realm. As a duke, I suppose I could have you both transported. Hear me well! If either of you ever attempt anything dishonourable again, that is exactly what I will do. If that occurs, you will serve fourteen years of hard labour,” he threatened.

Bingley knew that had the giant man not been holding him up, he would have collapsed, seeing that his legs felt like jelly. He had not looked at his sister since he had been knocked to the ground. He did so now and saw how ashen she appeared.

Not only would she never be accepted into the first circles, but she was about to be ruined to the extent that she and Charles would have to escape England. How she wished she had never heard of Hertfordshire, the Bennets, or Netherfield Park. She should have kept up her campaign to marry Mr Darcy, even if she had had to compromise him. Now Mr Darcy had abandoned them, just like Louisa and Hurst had. It had been such a good plan; how could everything have gone so very wrong? It was not her fault; it was Charles’s failure! If only he had been more effective in following her orders!

As humiliating as it was, with only the rope around her ankles released, she was roughly marched towards, and placed into, the Bingley coach. The men did not bother to untie her hands or remove the gag. She watched as her brother was pushed inside.

“By this time tomorrow you will have vacated Netherfield Park. If you are late for any reason, you will be arrested for trespassing,” Bennet barked before he stepped back and allowed a footman to close the door. He and the rest of those who had been outside stood and watched as the Bingley conveyance made its way towards the end of the drive.

“Cousin Liam, you moved out of Netherfield Park just this morning, did you not?” Elizabeth verified. When Darcy nodded it was so, she looked at her father. “We should send Brian or John and some of their men to make sure Miss Bingley only packs what is hers and that she does not harass the staff and servants while she moves out.”

“That is a good suggestion,” Bennet agreed. He turned to speak to Johns, who nodded and made for the stables with three other guards.

“What is this Liam business, Fitz?” Richard enquired with a grin.

“Did you ever bother to check if our cousin liked being called Fitz?” Mary asked, arms akimbo. “He does not, so Lizzy suggested Liam based on the fact it is still part of his familiar name, and not one he objects to, and Liam agreed he preferred that name over Fitz.”

The grin was wiped off Richard’s face. “We should have checked with you before naming you Fitz, sorry Cousin,” he stated contritely.

“I think we should return to the house,” Bennet opined.

Andrew whispered something in Jane’s ear. She nodded vigorously. “Bennet, may Jane and I remain outdoors? I have a particular question to ask of her,” Andrew requested.

He did not even need to ask if Jane approved, as Bennet saw the unbridled joy in his eldest’s looks aimed at her suitor. “I approve. Biggs, you will remain where you can see, but not hear them. They have ten minutes. Hilldale, I expect to see you in my study soon.”

The ladies who were in the house had watched all from the study as the windows from that room gave them an unimpeded view. “Why are Andy and Cousin Jane remaining?” Georgiana asked innocently.

“Come, Dear,” Lady Elaine said as she turned her niece away from the window, “all will be revealed soon enough.”

Becca was the last to exit the study. Her heart was full of joy for her eldest.