~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Will your cousins and the Colonel’s men be readyto depart in the morning on the morrow?” Bingley asked enthusiastically.
“I take it this means you have a draft settlement to proffer to Mr Bennet?” Darcy assumed.
“Yes I do,” Bingley confirmed. “Are your aunt and uncle allowing Lady Rebecca to join us on our return to Netherfield Park?”
“Indeed,” Darcy averred succinctly.
“I can only imagine how my younger sister would have preened had she still been at the estate when an unmarried viscount was in residence,” Bingley mused. “It may have been enough to pull her attentions from you.”
“Firstly, I would never wish that on Andy, and as hard as it may be to hear, had your younger sister been in residence, he would not have joined us at Netherfield Park. My oldest cousin has far less tolerance than even myself for behaviour like Miss Bingley is apt to exhibit,” Darcy replied.
“When will you notify everyone we depart in the morning?”
“If your head was not so full of your Miss Bennet you would have remembered we are having dinner at Matlock House tonight. The Major and Captain will be joining us, so other than those two big, hulking sergeants, everyone who is travelling with us will be together.”
“May I sit at your desk to write an express to Lulu and Hurst? I would like to let them know I will arrive home a day early. Also, I will tell her to send notes to defer the ball until after the business with Wickham is dealt with.”
“Of course you may. That your sister will notify your fiancée of your arriving home sooner is not a deciding factor in your desire to send an express is it?” All Bingley gave as a reply was a wide grin. “I suggest you make it legible for once, elsewise Mrs Hurst may tell Miss Bennet you are traveling to Timbuktu. Once you have completed your missive, I will sendmy courier to Netherfield Park. That way, it will be there in a few short hours,” Darcy volunteered. He did not comment on Bingley’s decision to defer the ball, he felt that it was a good one.
Not a half hour later, a legible note was wending its way to Hertfordshire safely stored in the Darcy courier’s pouch.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
A Netherfield Park groom delivered a note to Miss Bennet even before the Bennets broke their fasts on Thursday morning. Hill brought it to the shared bedchamber of the two eldest Bennets.
“Well?” Elizabeth enquired expectantly when she saw the way Jane’s face lit up.
“It is from Louisa; she received an express from her brother yester-evening. She felt it was too late to send me a note then. Charles and Mr Darcy, accompanied by Miss Darcy, three of his cousins, and some other men will arrive at Netherfield Park today,” Jane related. “Also, the ball is to be deferred. Louisa writes that she is dispatching cards to all those invited to inform them of the change.”
“We need to send a note to Charlotte and ask her to join us in calling on Louisa at about eleven this morning,” Elizabeth suggested. “I assume the change to the ball is somehow related to Mr Wickham and his perfidy.”
Jane agreed with both of her sisters points, and a note was soon on its way to Lucas Lodge.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
In London, even before sunrise, two Darcy and one Hilldale coaches departed Grosvenor Square and were soon on their way out of the city and on the road which bypassed Meryton to reach Netherfield Park.
Chapter 22
Louisa Hurst met the two eldest Bennet sisters, soon to be her own sisters, and Miss Lucas in the drive. When Nichols had told her only one carriage had been spotted Mrs Hurst had a good idea her note earlier that morning had led to Jane’s desire to call, and it was only right Lizzy should be with her, but why Miss Lucas was present, she could not explain.
She had no objection to her presence as she found Miss Lucas to be an intelligent, kind lady with whom it was easy to converse. Louisa could not but smile when she saw the way Jane was casting about hoping to see her fiancé. “I expect them in the next hour or so,” Mrs Hurst clarified.
Knowing how badly she had behaved towards Mr Darcy, and almost all of it without justification, Elizabeth was relieved he had not arrived yet. It gave her a little reprieve before she would have to begin to eat one of her many humble pies.
Not twenty minutes later, three coaches pulled to a halt in the drive. Mr Nichols could not understand why he had not been made aware the master and his friends had entered the park. That was until he noted the direction from which they came. They had taken the old road, the one running between some of the fields and not through Meryton. The butler could not fathom why they would have used the older, poorly maintained, way which would have added time to the journey. Then again, unless the master chose to elucidate for him, it was not his place to ask.
The three guests were drinking tea with the Hursts inthe drawing room when Bingley led those arriving with him into the room. His face lit up with pleasure at seeing his fiancée present, his desire was, of course, to go to her side, but he knew as host he needed to make introductions.
Although the Hursts had met Miss Darcy, only Hurst recognised the Fitzwilliam brothers. His wife and her guests were unaware who any of the other men were, especially not the two giants who stood behind the rest of the arriving party.
Darcy froze where he stood. Not only was Miss Elizabeth in the drawing room, but she did not run from his presence as had been her reaction so many times before.
Elizabeth read the look as one of his not being sanguine with her presence, but before she could move, her soon to be brother-in-law made the introductions. When Miss Darcy was named, as if she needed further proof ofthatman’s lies, she could tell the young lady was shy, and not at all proud. What she could not understand was how it was Lady Rebecca and Miss Darcy seemed most interested in meeting her. The former sent her a warm smile while the latter managed a shy one. How could that be? Surely Mr Darcy would have excoriated her to his family? She immediately berated herself for once again jumping to a conclusion where Mr Darcy was concerned.
Before anyone else spoke after the introductions, Darcy, seeing Miss Elizabeth was still looking at him, decided he had to take his chance to at long last speak to, and apologise to her. He crossed the room with three quick strides. “Miss Elizabeth, would you grant me permission to speak to you in the parlour opposite. To preserve your reputation, my sister’s companion will join us,” Darcy requested.
