Knowing that Denny was weaving a web for Miss Kitty as they spoke, Wickham supposed there would be no harm done as they would both have to hide what they did from their family members. Then again, if the stupid chits compared stories before they were bedded, and discovered they were the same, that would not do. “Would not Miss Kitty be jealous you are to marry before her? And if so, she may tell our secret, so I do not think it is a good idea. However, if you want to chance our future felicity and tell her…”
“No, no. I will not say a word to her,” Lydia vowed.
“Lydia is there somewhere close by, but private, where we can be together, away from anyone else, so we may express our love for one another?”
She was about to state that she knew of nowhere, when Lydia remembered the hunting cabin near Oakham Mount. She described it to Wickham and gave him directions so he would be able to find it.”
“Will you meet me there at five in the eveningtomorrow? I will finish my duties at four.” Lydia nodded her head excitedly. All the flirting Mama had taught her was working, She was to marry this handsome officer, who had thankfully forgotten about Lizzy. “Remember, you cannot tell a living soul.”
“I swear on my life, I will not tell anyone,” Lydia promised.
Wickham walked Lydia back to the house where they were met by Denny and Kitty, neither of whom looked pleased. “Please convey our farewells to your family, we must away.” Wickham and Denny bowed and then began the walk back to Meryton.
“Well?” Wickham enquired.
“Miss Kitty would not allow me to kiss her, so I could not make the speech you gave me,” Denny said with a pout. “Did things go better for you?”
“They did. The little slut will meet me on the morrow.” Wickham told Denny about the unused hunting cabin. “Work on Miss Kitty, she will come around. Let us go see what state the cabin is in in the morning. I prefer to bed her on a relatively clean sheet.” Wickham leered at the thought of relieving Lydia Bennet of her virtue. If the cabin was serviceable, it would become his preferred location for seductions in the area.
Denny agreed sullenly.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Not many minutes after the two officers departed Longbourn, the Bingley coach, bearing the Hursts and Bingley, arrived at the Bennets’ estate.
When the callers were shown into the drawing room, Fanny got very excited. Now that Mr Collins had run off, it was that much more important that Jane marry Mr Bingley with his five thousand pounds per annum, and likely more. She knew only too well that her husband had done nothing to provide for his daughters once he was gone. That knowledgewas the motivation behind her desire to see her daughters well-disposed in marriage.
Elizabeth did not miss how Mr Hurst seemed to be looking for someone, and she correctly guessed it was her father so they could play chess. After verifying he was indeed seeking her papa, Elizabeth led Mr Hurst to the study. When she knocked and entered with Mr Hurst trailing her, her father looked annoyed at his solitude being disrupted.
“Papa, I told Mr Hurst of your prowess at chess and he would like to challenge you across the board,” Elizabeth related.
As soon as he understood the reason for the interruption, Bennet perked up. “Come in, Mr Hurst, as you can see the chessboard is set up over there.” Bennet pointed to a small table between two armchairs near the one window. “Thank you, Lizzy, you may run along now.”
It hurt to be dismissed in such a curt fashion, but Elizabeth realised that she was welcome when her father did not have something better to do. Yes, she had much to consider. She returned to the drawing room in time to hear her mother make an excited exclamation.
“Of course you may have a private interview with Jane, she will be happy to hear anything you may want to say,” Fanny gushed.
As Jane had no objection to Mr Bingley’s request, she minded not that her mother had replied for her. “Is there a fire in the small parlour?” Jane asked before her mother volunteered to make everyone else remove themselves from the drawing room.
Elizabeth sat down next to Louisa and could not but feel beyond pleased at the glow of pleasure on Jane’s countenance.
Seeing that she could not remember if she had instructed Hill to lay a fire in that grate, Fanny rang for her housekeeper. With Mrs Hill’s confirmation it was so, Jane ledMr Bingley to the parlour.
Even though there was no chaperone seated outside in the hall, with the parlour being opposite from the drawing room, Bingley was not too concerned about propriety. If someone claimed a compromise, so be it, he would not complain. It would only accelerate the process he hoped to begin this day.
The couple sat on the lone settee which faced the fire crackling in the grate. There was an appropriate distance between them. Bingley cleared his throat. His mouth felt dry, he had never before been nervous when he spoke to a lady, but then again, he had never been in love with one previously. “Miss Bennet, I find that you are the only woman for me. I will freely admit that it was your beauty which first attracted my attention, but during that first dance at the assembly it was not hard for me to detect that you are so much more than your outward façade.
“Before I met you, I had thought myself in love a few times, but no sooner was I separated from each of the ladies, my feelings that I thought were real, faded. Since I have met you I understand that what I felt before was simply calf-love. That I know because the love I feel for you is deeper than anything I could imagine. It is strong and constant, and in addition, I respect you more than you will ever know.
“When I was away for almost a sennight, I felt like part of me was missing. Never before have I felt that. How we proceed, if we proceed, is entirely up to you. Do you, Miss Bennet, think you can see a future with me?”
“I most certainly do,” Jane replied emphatically.
Bingley grinned with great pleasure. “That leaves us with two options: a courtship or an engagement.”
“Lizzy and I swore we would only marry for the deepest love and respect, and as that is what I have come to feel for you, Mr Bingley…Charles, I think the former would be superfluous, soif I have a choice, I choose the latter option.”
“I suppose it is too late to go down onto one knee. Jane, will you marry me?”
