After kissing first her father and then her uncle on the cheek, Jane made her way back to the stillroom.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Darcy arrived at Bingley’s house on Curzon Street a few minutes before two. The butler relieved him of his outerwear and then ushered him into the drawing room where Bingley, his younger sister, and the Hursts were seated.
The Bingleys and Hursts stood and bows and curtsies were exchanged. Darcy did not miss how Miss Bingley patted the seat of the settee next to her in expectation of his sitting there. There was no situation under which he would have sat next to the harpy. As soon as Bingley was seated once again, Darcy made for the wingback chair next to his friend.
Miss Bingley got a pinched look on her face when herintendedignored her invitation and refused to sit next to her. One thing at a time. First, she would achieve her aim—with Mr. Darcy’s aid—of making Charles see there was no future with Jane Bennet. Next, she would secure Mr. Darcy. Either he would offer for her, or he would be compromised. She would win her prize, one way or another.
“Caroline we are all here at your behest,” Bingley stated cooly.
Looking at his friend, Darcy saw an anger simmering below the surface and was very thankful he was not about to do what he had planned to do. He was sure had he proceeded in such a vein, it would have spelled the end of his friendship.
“As I told you, you need to listen to Mr. Darcy,” Miss Bingley said with saccharine sweetness. “You did not want to listen to me, but surely you will heed our very good friend.” She batted her eyelids at Mr. Darcy.
“And here I thought you weremygood friend,” Bingley addressed Darcy curtly. He knew he needed to allow things to play out, but it angered him that Darcy thought him so weak as not to know his own mind.
“It seems your sister is confused,” Darcy stated, “you and I are very good friends. Miss Bingley is no more than the sister of my friend.”
Why was Mr. Darcy saying this? She would fathom that out later, now she needed him to direct her brother for her. “We agreed on Friday morning about the ills of my brother connecting himself with Miss Bennet, did we not?” Miss Bingley trilled.
“On Friday morning past, yes, we did…” Caroline Bingley preened in anticipation of Mr. Darcy doing her work for her. “…however, I have come to realise I was wrong and have no place trying to insert my judgement for that of your brother’s about his future.”
At first, when his friend began to speak, Bingley girded his loins for the coming argument with, and break from, Darcy. He felt vastly relieved it seemed Darcy had changed his opinion.
“You agreed with me!” Miss Bingley screeched. “You promised to help me…my brother.”
“It is unfortunate you are disappointed Miss Bingley, but I am neither the first nor will I be the last man to realise he had begun to embark on a road that was not the correct one. Is it not the mark of a gentleman to correct himself when he sees he has erred?”
Louisa Hurst watched as her sister’s pallor turned a shade of puce as Caroline tried to reign in her fury. She thanked her lucky stars she had woken up before she had followed Caroline into this madness.
“Darce,” Bingley addressed his friend, unlike when he greeted him earlier, with warmth in his voice. “Did you know your sister and I—with your and your family’s approbation mind you—are in an unofficial courtship, one to be formalised while I am in London?”
“WHAT!” Darcy thundered as Caroline Bingley’s pallor turned grey. “Bingley, I thought you wanted to court Miss Jane Bennet. What has my sister to do with anything? I always thought you see her as another sister.”
“And that isexactlyas I see her. Bingley turned towards his ashen younger sister. “It is not me who has made these ridiculous assertions, was it Carodear?”
‘Please tell me you did not use Mr. Darcy’s sister to discourage Miss Bennet,’ Louisa Hurst beseeched silently. ‘Do you not realise if you did, Mr. Darcy and his family will ruin you!’ Then she asked herself a question: ‘If so, how would Charles be aware of what you wrote in your letter?’
“W-what would I-I know about that, I-I have never heard that said,” Miss Bingley prevaricated. “That sounds like a rumour one of those vulgar Bennets would spread.”
“Miss Bingley, did you, or did you not assert Miss Bennet was a fortune hunter only interested in your brother for his money?” Darcy questioned.
“Why yes, indeed I did, it is gratifying to see you agree with me…” Miss Bingley closed her mouth when Darcy raised his hand.
“Neither do I now nor have I ever thought Miss Bennet a fortune hunter—unlike you are,” Darcy responded. “The reason I raise this is, in what world would such a rumour be circulated by someone who, according to you, is bent on capturing your brother for pecuniary advantages? Spreading such a vicious lie would only garner enmity from your brother, and retribution from me.”
“I must agree with Darcy, both of your assertions cannot be true, one contradicts the other,” Bingley added. “And like Darcy said, you Caroline are a social climbing fortune hunter.”
Miss Bingley sat, her mouth opening and closing, no sound escaping. This was not how she had planned things for today.
“You claim you wrote a pleasant letter to Miss Bennet in which you assured her of my regard and I would be returning to Netherfield Park, but you closed the house. Is that what you expect me to believe?” Bingley challenged his younger sister.
“Louisa, tell them…” Miss Bingley tried.
“Leave me out of this mess, Caroline. It is of your making and I want no part in it,” Mrs. Hurst stated.
“Well said Louisa,” Hurst chimed in.
