“Without telling them who the landlord is, we warned Mr Bingley and his family that if they did not vacate of their own volition, they would have to experience the ignominy of being evicted,” Richard related. “Even though our former friend did not take the warnings we issued regarding his sister and any attempted entrapment to heart, he realised we were serious about this. Hence, he and his family are busy vacating Netherfield Park as we speak. We decided that discretion was the better part of valour this morning, so we went for a ride.”
“What of Aunt Catherine?” Elizabeth enquired.
“Neither Mr Bingley nor his younger sister would risk life or limb to bother our aunt,” Darcy said, not even trying to hide a faint smile.
“Is she very intimidating? I did not find her so,” Elizabeth stated.
“Normally, Aunt Catherine is like you saw her last night, but when she needs to be, as Miss Bingley discovered to her chagrin, she can be very forthright and forceful,” Richard reported.
“It seems they will depart Netherfield Park just in time. Longbourn has some guest suites, but not that many,” Elizabeth opined. “Enough about those people.” Elizabeth took the cloth from her pocket and shared the warm baked items with her cousins. Then she offered her arm to Miss Darcy. “Come, as we are cousins, we need to get to know one another. You did not meet me before I was removed from the Wendells’ estate, did you?”
“No, I was born in March 1797, three years after you were taken from Willowmere,” Georgiana revealed.
Darcy watched as Ellie and Giana spoke. He had seen her at the assembly, but here, now as the light of the newday’s sun got brighter, he could see just how beautiful Ellie was. He could not imagine what this kind of upheaval to his life would have made him feel had it happened to him. From what he could see, other than fainting, it seemed like Ellie was strong enough not to be overset by everything she had already previously endured and recently discovered…so far. Would her equanimity stand up to meeting her mother, father, and brother?
He could not explain it yet, but he felt very protective of his newly rediscovered cousin.
It did not take many minutes before the young ladies were addressing one another by their familiar names. When Giana asked what name Elizabeth preferred, she said that for now Lizzy or even Elizabeth would do until she became used to her original name again, although she did not object to being called Ellie. Elizabeth wondered if her forgetting so much of her past was connected to her propensity not to remember her dreams.
“Will Aunt Catherine join us to break our fasts?” Elizabeth asked once the sun was above the horizon as the four cousins began to make their way back to the path and down the hill. She had remembered that those from Netherfield Park had been invited to break their fasts with the Bennets, so she realised that although she intended to stop at the dower house, she would not be able to have the meal with Grandmama Beth. Hopefully Grandmama would drive her phaeton to the manor house to join them.
“Yes, she and Mrs Annesley, Giana’s companion, will arrive at Longbourn before half after nine,” Richard replied.
With the groom and footman following, the four rode back towards the house. When Elizabeth said she wanted to stop at the dower house, her cousins decided to join her.
On arriving, the phaeton was in front of the house, the pony hitched and ready. Of course, Grandmama had beenpresent during the disclosure the previous night so she would join the family this morning.
“Lizzy! I did not expect to have such an escort with me,” Beth exclaimed, with a smile, when she saw the riders in front of her house.
“We are on our way back from Oakham Mount,” Elizabeth explained.
“Allow Simon to lead your horse back, and you can ride back in the phaeton with me,” Beth suggested. Then she noticed the young girl she had not met.
Seeing where Grandmama was looking, Elizabeth introduced Giana to her.
Darcy dismounted and looked at Ellie for permission to assist her from her saddle before the footman was able to reach her. She gave a little nod with pinked cheeks. He reached up and placed his hands on her slender waist, lifting Ellie down as if she weighed nothing.
For her part, Elizabeth had thought William handsome from the instant she saw him at the assembly. At first, she had begun to ignite her prejudices against him for the standoffish way he had behaved, thinking him proud and above his company. Once she began to become more familiar with him, she also came to understand that, more than anything else, he was shy; an endearing quality.
As he assisted her down from Aphrodite as if she were weightless, she placed her hands on his shoulders and was somewhat surprised at how muscular they were. She could feel her cheeks burn with heat and could only hope William had not noticed.
It was impossible to miss Ellie’s becoming blush. With her beauty and light, pleasing figure, he noticed everything about her. He was pleased that she reacted to him in that way, but he wanted to discover if she was as intelligent as he thought she was, and not just another pretty, empty headedwoman like so many in theTon.
Even if the initial attraction he felt to Ellie grew into something deeper, and she was interested in him, there was a long road to travel before he could consider anything beyond friendship.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“You have cost me six months’ worth of lease payments. Even though we have not yet been officially evicted, rather, we are leaving before that occurs, it is the same thing,” Bingley whinged. His coach with the Hursts and his younger sister within had just departed the manor house. None of his former friends had been there to see him off—Bingley had half hoped they would reconcile with him before he left. They had only seen Lady Catherine and Miss Darcy’s companion, and neither woman had said a word to them.
“This is all your fault!” Miss Bingley screeched. “If you had not been such a milksop, you would have forced Mr Darcy to marry me.”
“I am not sure which of you two are more delusional,” Hurst derided. “Your brother was fully aware that neither Fitzwilliam nor Darcy would gratify a compromise. In addition, he had been informed more than once that he would lose their friendship if he was enough of a simpleton to support you. Besides, the fact that both men and their aunt were in the bedchamber tells you that they were aware of your idiotic plan and were determined to thwart it.”
“Who asked you! Have some more food and drink and go…” Whatever Caroline Bingley was about to say was lost when her sister’s hand connected with her cheek.
It was no tap but a full slap, with the power of Louisa Hurst’s weight behind it. “You will not disrespect my husband again,” she hissed. “If you think that Lady Catherine’s words about your and Charles’s ruin were empty threats, then you are deluding yourself. She wrote letters to her friends which havealready been sent to London. Also, she will speak to her sister-in-law, the Countess of Matlock, about you later today.”
Caroline Bingley sat silently with her mouth open in shock, her hand on her red, stinging cheek. She could not believe Louisa had stood up to her in this fashion. What Louisa said about Lady Matlock pierced her consciousness. “If the Countess of Matlock is coming, we need to return so she can make things right,” she insisted. “Charles, stop this coach now!”
