Page 42 of The Shades of Pemberley

“Then she will learn disappointment,” said Elizabeth. “For I do not mean to give you up.”

“Nor I you,” averred Darcy. “There cannot be another woman your equal, and certainly not Miss Bingley, of all people. If she is civil, she may use a connection to me—assuming Bingley’s interest in Jane is as sincere as I suspect—to make a good marriage.”

“It may be best if you attempt to communicate that to her as subtly as you can.”

“Elizabeth is not incorrect, William,” said Mrs. Darcy when he returned to Netherfield. “You cannot state it without disguise, of course, but there are benefits to your acquaintance with her brother.”

“Should the opportunity present itself,” said Darcy, “I shall do so.”

The rest of the morning, Darcy retired to his study to finish a few tasks still awaiting his attention, wishing to dispense with any lingering concerns before Bingley’s visit and his upcoming wedding.

While they were all of low importance, matters he might have pushed to the side, such activity distracted Darcy, giving him a welcome occupation while he waited for his friend’s arrival.

It had always been thus, for he was not an idle man.

At length, Darcy rejoined his mother and Georgiana as the time for the Bennets’ arrival was upon them.

Georgiana’s cheerful greeting proved she was eager for the company of her friends and pleased to be free of lessons for the morning; Mrs. Younge, seated nearby, was her usual taciturn self, but she did not appear displeased.

Since she had proposed the Ramsgate scheme the last time and Darcy put her in her place, she had been most circumspect in his company.

Darcy had no choice but to confess to a certain measure of distaste for the woman, for she did not endear herself to others with her behavior.

According to Georgiana’s testimony, she was an acceptable companion and educator, so Darcy would not act to remove her based on personal animus.

When the Bennets arrived, Darcy had no eyes for anyone other than Elizabeth, a curiosity considering Mrs. Bennet accosted him at once. The way Elizabeth regarded him suggested mirth and curiosity about how he would handle her. Darcy allowed a grin at her, then turned to her mother.

“William! What is this I hear about you wishing to change the date of your wedding again ?”

Mrs. Bennet’s daughters were in stitches at their mother’s outburst, and Darcy could not but acknowledge it had been predictable. Not wishing to offend her, he turned his attention to soothing her nerves at once.

“Hello, Mother Bennet,” said he, catching up her hand and bowing over it, stopping her rant before she could release it. “Let us sit down and talk for a moment, and I shall explain my thoughts.”

The way Elizabeth regarded him, he knew she was diverted by the way Darcy had handled her mother, so much that she waved a hand in a shooing motion as if telling him to get on with it.

Darcy obliged, leading Mrs. Bennet to a nearby sofa and then beckoning Elizabeth to sit next to him, which she did without hesitation.

The other ladies found their places, the youngest Bennets next to Georgiana, and Darcy turned the conversation to the matter at hand.

“Tell me, Mrs. Bennet,” said he when she turned her attention on him, “do you suppose that Mr. Collins knows our wedding date?”

A frown settled over the matron’s face. “Yes, I suppose he does, for we spoke of it in his presence.”

“As I suspected,” replied Darcy with a nod. “If Collins knows it, then he will have told Lady Catherine.”

Mrs. Bennet’s eyes widened as if she had not considered it. “Do you suppose she will act to disrupt your wedding?”

“The truth is, Mrs. Bennet,” said Darcy, “that I cannot predict her ladyship’s actions, for she has been most irrational since the moment I made her acquaintance. What rational woman pushes an engagement on a man she does not know to take the place of one of dubious legitimacy?”

It appeared Darcy had given her something to consider, for she fell silent for a moment, her gaze moving between Elizabeth and Darcy. “Then you wish to change the date—”

“To prevent her from interfering,” agreed Darcy. “If we move it forward and she comes to Hertfordshire, she will find that we are already married.”

“She cannot change it anyway,” said Mrs. Bennet.

“That is true. Yet I would not have Elizabeth’s wedding interrupted by a woman intent upon objecting to our union. Mr. Smith will not listen to her, but it would be a disruption nonetheless.”

As Mrs. Bennet nodded, an interruption arrived in the form of the housekeeper, Mrs. Nichols, entering with visitors trailing her. It was Bingley and his sister, and though Darcy hoped to finish the conversation before their arrival, they had come a little earlier than he hoped.

“Darcy!” exclaimed Bingley, stepping forward to grasp Darcy’s hand in greeting. Darcy noted his eyes strayed to Miss Bennet more than once. “How excellent it is to see you, my friend. I hope you have recovered from your travels.”

“I returned several days ago, Bingley,” said Darcy.

“Of course, you did!” was Mr. Bingley’s enthusiastic response. “And Pemberley? Was it all you expected it would be?”

“It is an excellent property,” replied Darcy, noting Miss Bingley moving toward them. “I cannot imagine anyone would not approve.”

“Oh, to be certain, Mr. Darcy,” said Miss Bingley.

The woman stepped around her brother and caught hold of his arm, flashing him a brilliant smile and a fluttering of her eyelashes.

“How pleased I am that you offered an invitation to my brother and me at this time, Mr. Darcy. I hope we will become the best of friends.”

“William,” said Elizabeth, stepping into the breach as Darcy’s thoughts darkened.

In one smooth motion, Darcy extricated his arm from Miss Bingley’s talons, then allowed Elizabeth to take his outstretched arm.

Miss Bingley could not miss the way they stood united facing her, and though her smile turned brittle, she did not lose the use of her sense.

For Darcy’s part, he was not pleased with her, but Elizabeth, who had as much right to be offended, maintained a pleasant demeanor when faced with the interloper.

“I do not believe we have met, William,” said Elizabeth. “Perhaps you or Mr. Bingley will do the honors.”

Bingley appeared to realize that his sister had overstepped, for his glance at her spoke volumes, and Miss Bingley, though she did not appear embarrassed, understood his censure at once.

“That is an excellent notion, Miss Elizabeth,” said he.

Turning to his sister, he gestured and said: “This is my sister, Caroline Bingley. Caroline, please allow me to introduce you to Miss Elizabeth Bennet, Darcy’s betrothed. Also, this is Darcy’s mother, Victoria Darcy, Mrs. Margaret Bennet, and Misses Jane, Mary, Catherine, and Lydia Bennet.”

“And this,” said Darcy, beckoning to Georgiana, “is my friend, Charles Bingley. Bingley, Miss Bingley, this is Miss Georgiana Darcy, my cousin and soon to be my ward.”

As those newly acquainted voiced their greetings, Darcy noted how Miss Bingley turned a look of calculation on Georgiana, as if she suspected his cousin was the pathway to reach Darcy himself.

“How pleased I am to make the acquaintance of your... friends,” said Miss Bingley, greeting them all with a proper curtsey.

“You appear to have made good time, Bingley,” said Darcy. “I had not expected you for another thirty minutes.”

“We left a little early, though that must shock you, given my lackadaisical attention to such things,” laughed Bingley. “As circumstances cut our visit short last time, I found myself impatient to be in your company again.”

“I am pleased you came, Bingley. As you are to be my groomsman, I would not wish to consider marrying without your presence.”

As Darcy was looking for it, he caught the slight darkening of Miss Bingley’s expression, though to a casual observer, it was nigh imperceptible.

The company sat together for a few moments, and if Miss Bingley spoke little, she appeared contemplative, perhaps wondering about how to go about taking Elizabeth’s place.

After a time, Mrs. Darcy called for the housekeeper to show them to their rooms.

“I am certain you wish to refresh yourselves from your journey.”

The Bingley siblings agreed and allowed Mrs. Nichols to lead them from the room; it did not escape Darcy’s attention how Bingley walked beside his sister and spoke to her, no doubt imparting a little guidance.

Or perhaps a demand that she behave herself.

Either way, Darcy appreciated his friend’s efforts, though he felt that Miss Bingley was nigh ungovernable.

When they were gone, Darcy turned back to the rest of the company and arched an eyebrow.

“That was most amusing, Mr. Darcy,” said Elizabeth, the first to voice the thoughts of the company. “The way Miss Bingley grasped your arm, I thought she was a bird of prey and you a falconer.”

“Has she behaved in such a way before?” asked Lydia.

“No, this is the first time.” Darcy shrugged. “Before, I was naught but a gentleman of the second circles, whereas I now boast connections to an earl. Miss Bingley had other men in her sights then.”

“You may wish to lock your door at night,” said Elizabeth. “You do not wish to be accosted by certain... apparitions in the dead of night.”

“Trust me, Elizabeth,” said Darcy, “I shall not allow my vigilance to wane in the face of the predator.”

Elizabeth laughed at his sally, but Mrs. Bennet sniffed with disdain.

“You have attracted certain unsavory characters to you, William.”

“Trust me, Mother Bennet,” replied Darcy, “if I could rid myself of them, I would without hesitation.”

Mrs. Bennet nodded. “As for this business of moving the date of your wedding, I must give it some thought.”

“Of course. If we are to do it, though, it must be soon.”

A tight nod was her only response. Darcy knew that Mrs. Bennet was not against it as such, but as Elizabeth had said, she was not quick on her feet and could not change on a whim.

As Darcy was a man who considered every facet of a problem before deciding, he could understand her.

Moving the wedding forward was for the best, and he trusted she would come to that conclusion when she considered it for a time.

Thereafter, Darcy and his mother and cousin visited with the Bennet ladies until it came time for them to depart for Longbourn.

The Bingleys did not appear, and Darcy wondered if it was because Miss Bingley wished to wait until the Bennets departed, and Bingley was waiting for her to join him.

If she did not already know—unlikely, as Bingley was among the most unguarded men Darcy had ever met—she soon would learn of his fascination with Miss Bennet.

Given her ambitions, Darcy suspected she would not wish her brother to marry a country miss, even if she was to become the sister of Mr. Darcy.

Whatever the case, Darcy did not mean to involve himself unless he thought it would affect Jane’s peace of mind.

When the Bingleys appeared soon after the departure of the Bennet ladies, it provided confirmation, in Darcy’s mind, that she had delayed until the family departed.

Bingley was his usual cheery self, but he noticed his friend was watchful of his sister’s behavior.

Miss Bingley, Darcy noted, did not appear to notice it, though Darcy suspected she was not ignorant.

She stayed close to Georgiana and Darcy’s mother, speaking to them in friendly terms, though of what they spoke he could not say.

At length, the dinner hour arrived, and Darcy did his duty, escorting Miss Bingley and Mrs. Younge into the dining-room, while Bingley escorted both Mrs. Darcy and Georgiana.

The setting was intimate with only six diners, meaning Darcy did not need to endure Miss Bingley’s sole attention as the conversation flowed freely between them all, though Mrs. Younge remained taciturn.

The conversation was not scintillating, though there were some moments of interest.

“Miss Darcy,” said Miss Bingley about halfway through the meal, “I heard Mr. Darcy introduce you as a cousin, but I was not aware he had any close cousins.”

Georgiana, though she shot a look at Darcy, did not hesitate to respond. “We are cousins, though not first cousins. My brother was Jameson Darcy, the former master of Pemberley. William has been so good as to take on my care and become one of my guardians in my brother’s stead.”

“Your brother!” said Miss Bingley, her eyes darting to Darcy.

Though she said nothing of the connection, Darcy was certain she was recalling her encounter with Jameson Darcy the previous season. To Darcy’s eyes, Miss Bingley was considering this connection, perhaps determining to use another approach with him.

“I offer my condolences, though belated,” said Miss Bingley, turning a kind eye on Georgiana. “As Charles and I have lost our parents, I understand your loss.”

“Thank you, Miss Bingley,” said Georgiana. “I miss my brother, but I am pleased to now be part of William’s life.”

Thereafter, they carried on a pleasant conversation in which Miss Bingley learned several pieces of information about Georgiana, including her age, that she had two guardians, and the confirmation of her connection to the Earl of Matlock.

Whether she wished to learn the extent of Georgiana’s dowry, Darcy did not know, for she was circumspect enough not to reference it.

Before long, Darcy wondered if she considered Georgiana a potential match for her brother.

Given Bingley’s interest in Jane Bennet, Darcy did not expect he would remain single long enough for Georgiana to come out.

Darcy supposed he should not suspect the woman of such things, but knowing her character as he did, he did not think his guesses were in error.

When he retired that night, Darcy felt a hint of relief, for if Miss Bingley was still an ambitious woman, he did not suppose she would lose all control of herself and entertain reprehensible acts to force his hand.

With any luck, Mrs. Bennet would agree with him, and he would marry Elizabeth with all haste.

Once he was married, he no longer needed to concern himself with Miss Bingley’s machinations.