Page 39 of To Go Against Her Heart (Pride and Prejudice Variation)

“Tell me why I should leave, Louisa? I am shocked that you have sided with him in this matter. His infatuation with Jane has made him act wild,” Miss Bingley cried in agony.

“It was never an infatuation; he was and is truly in love with her. As his sisters, we ought to have ensured his happiness, but we ended up ruining it.”

“Pray, do not act as though you fancy that girl. He is intended to marry suitably, and you cannot be ignorant of the insufficiency of her dowry, nor of her mother’s vulgarity. I cannot stand her, nor that ill-bred sister of hers.”

“Honestly, Caroline, you must admit that you liked Jane well enough at the start of our acquaintance. I could never understand the sudden change in your opinion—until now. It was not Jane who provoked your dislike, but her sister. You saw that she had caught Mr. Darcy’s eye, and that is the sole reason for your resentment.

I was blind not to see how much Charles has suffered because of it all. ”

“You have truly become delusional; she has nothing except a pretty face to become Mrs. Bingley. I will not allow it. Oh! I wish those sisters would leave town as I cannot stand them being here.”

“I suggest you abandon your hopes of becoming Mrs. Darcy—that, I believe, is the root of all your troubles. Do not expect me to support you in this. Either you apologize to Jane or prepare to leave town. For once, I wish you would set aside your selfishness and allow Charles to choose his own path,” she said, and with that, left her sister’s chamber.

Miss Bingley stared into the mirror as she prepared for the night and did not understand what devastated her more—to see Jane as Mrs. Bingley or Elizabeth as Mrs. Darcy. She finally realized that if the latter ever happened, she could never survive the heartbreak.

Elizabeth’s face flashed repeatedly through her mind.

However hard she tried, she could not rid herself of the image of Elizabeth at Pemberley—as Mrs. Darcy.

She spent the entire night tossing and turning, and by morning, she had made her decision.

However difficult it might be, she would apologize to Jane—if only to save herself from being forced to leave town.

Miss Bingley knew she must feign sincerity convincingly enough to ensure that her brother believed her without question.

The next morning, Mr. Bingley was extremely surprised by his sister’s change of heart, and it was not easy for him to accept her words.

But Miss Bingley pleaded with him that she had turned a new leaf and was willing to apologize to Jane and do what was necessary to make amends.

Mrs. Hurst and her husband glanced at each other doubtfully.

“Caroline, I still question your sincerity in this matter. If you view this merely as a means to avoid leaving this house, I urge you to reconsider. Should you believe that you may deceive me once more, I assure you the consequences will not be to your liking. I am warning you for the last time,” Mr. Bingley said firmly.

“I will offer my apology with all my heart, and I promise to treat her and her family with the respect they deserve,” she pleaded. “Louisa spoke with me last night and helped me understand my mistake.”

Mr. Bingley turned to look at Mrs. Hurst, who gave a silent nod of agreement.

That same morning, they decided to visit Jane, and as the carriage moved to Cheapside, Miss Bingley struggled to hide her displeasure, knowing her brother was observing her every emotion.

She took a deep breath as she exited the carriage and struggled to compose herself before stepping into Mr. Gardiner’s house.

Mr. Bingley hoped that Jane would welcome him without animosity, as he had not seen her since the time they had dined in his house.

Upon entering the Gardiner home, he felt a pang of concern when the servant informed him that the Gardiners were out; yet he was greatly relieved to hear that Jane and Elizabeth remained at home.

As he had expected, both sisters were shocked to see them. Jane struggled to maintain her calm as she beheld Miss Bingley. Elizabeth graciously invited them into the parlor, endeavoring to spare her sister the agony of acting as the hostess under such a circumstance.

Meanwhile, Jane was perplexed to understand why Miss Bingley had made the effort to come all the way, and from the expression on her face, she saw plainly that she was struggling to appear composed in her presence.

“Miss Bennet, this visit should have happened long before, and it was my mistake to brush aside something done deliberately to hurt you,” Mr. Bingley said the moment he took his seat.

Jane could not understand what he intended to achieve by bringing his sister to meet her, and in Miss Bingley’s demeanor she perceived nothing but mere pretense.

“Miss Bennet… as my brother mentioned, I am truly ashamed of my actions. I did not realize how deeply I had hurt you—someone I have long considered a friend. Had my brother not brought my faults to light, I fear I would have continued, blind and unrepentant. But now, I sit before you to ask your forgiveness, and I trust that your kind heart will find a way to grant it,” she said, doing her utmost to sound sincere.

Jane offered no reply, and Mr. Bingley’s raised brow conveyed to his sister that he expected more.

“I promise you; I am here before you as a changed woman, understanding that it is difficult to earn your friendship and trust again, but please give me a chance,” she pleaded.

“Had I known the purpose of your visit, I would have set your mind at ease sooner. I hold no ill will toward you and do not dwell on the past. Please, do not trouble yourself with unnecessary thoughts,” Jane said gently.

Mr. Bingley once again conveyed his apologies, making Jane extremely uncomfortable, and Elizabeth felt suffocated by the whole ordeal and sincerely wished her aunt and uncle were present at home.

“Shall I call for some tea?” she asked, trying to break the awkwardness, and Mr. Bingley politely declined.

“We have troubled you enough with our unexpected visit and must be taking leave,” he said and stood.

Miss Bingley surprised everyone by holding Jane’s hand and expressing her sincere desire to continue their friendship.

As they walked out, Mr. Bingley paused for a second and looked at Jane.

“I would wish to call upon you while you remain here, unless you would prefer otherwise. I request you to speak plainly regarding your feelings in this matter,” he said.

“Of course, I shall be happy to receive you,” Jane said, finally feeling relieved that despite everything she had done to distance him from her, he was unwilling to give up on her. She smiled at him reassuringly, and at that moment, Mr. Bingley knew that he still had hope.

Elizabeth and Jane heaved a sigh of relief as the carriage departed, then hurried indoors. Just as Jane was about to head for the stairs, Elizabeth caught her hand and stopped her.

“Do you believe her words?” she asked.

“No!” Jane replied without doubt, much to Elizabeth’s astonishment.

***

The same day, a letter arrived from Longbourn, and it was from their father. Elizabeth knew that he was impatient for them to return, and the letter conveyed the exact details.

“Is your father pressing for you to return, Lizzy?” her aunt asked.

“Indeed he is, and I do miss him exceedingly.”

“Do you wish to leave then? I was hoping you could stay for a few more weeks,” her aunt pressed. Elizabeth looked at Jane and could very well sense that she was not willing to leave soon. Their uncle urged them to stay and promised to write to Mr. Bennet on their behalf.

The Gardiners were also equally surprised to learn about Miss Bingley’s unexpected visit that morning. Elizabeth explained the nature of her apology and openly acknowledged to her aunt that it sounded forceful and fake.

“It seems quite evident that Miss Bingley made the effort for her brother’s sake. Whatever her true sentiments could be it is hardly worth discussing, Lizzy. We must be glad that there are no more obstacles between Jane and Mr. Bingley now,” her aunt said to her in private.

“You do not know Miss Bingley as I do. There is no rational explanation for her behavior today unless she had some ulterior motive. Her pride would never allow her to apologize to anyone, least of all to Jane. I worry she may still cause trouble in the future. Honestly, I expected Jane to believe her, but I can see she shares my doubts.”

“Well, we may only trust that she will refrain from meddling in their affairs.”

“I sincerely doubt it, but I do see that Mr. Bingley has finally understood how easy it was for her to manipulate him, and from the past experience, he should know better than to trust his sister completely.”

That night, Jane and Elizabeth lay awake for a long time, discussing Miss Bingley and the nature of her apology.

“I do not wish to dwell any longer on her intentions, Lizzy. I am grateful that Mr. Bingley has not given up on me. It pained me to hear him apologize once more, and I cannot help but wonder what difficulties he endured to bring her here.”

“I believe Mr. Bingley has finally understood that he must earn your trust again. Perhaps tomorrow it shall be my turn to play chaperone for the two of you,” she said, and Jane smiled.

***

The next morning, however, Georgiana arrived visibly excited. She brought news that her aunt, Lady Matlock, intended to invite Elizabeth and Jane to accompany her to a ball at the end of the week.

“She wants you to be her guests for the ball hosted at Mr. Ashford’s. You should receive the invitation from Mrs. Ashford soon; will you be able to attend it?” she asked with excitement.

“Well, this is a surprise indeed, and we are honored,” Elizabeth said, looking at her aunt and Jane. Mrs. Gardiner smiled and nodded in agreement.

“I will have a word with their uncle, Miss Darcy, but I assure you they would be delighted to accompany your aunt, and I thank you for the invitation,” Mrs. Gardiner said.

Georgiana left with excitement, and the moment she returned home, she could see her brother waiting impatiently for her.

“What happened? Did she accept the invitation?”

“Yes, Mrs. Gardiner assured me that they would be able to join us,” she replied, beaming with happiness. Darcy felt just as excited as Georgiana and eagerly looked forward to the ball. In his heart, he no longer wished to hesitate—he was ready to express his feelings to Elizabeth.

He doubted her no longer and was determined that she should not return to Hertfordshire without him finally taking the step he had long contemplated—declaring his love and seeking her hand.