“You are really a buffoon,” Hurst commented. “Did you not hear when Fitzwilliam told you not to insult hiscousinagain when you called her a peasant? Louisa and I spoke to him and Darcy. Thatpeasantis Lady Matlock’s beloved, long-lost niece, who just happens to be her goddaughter. Further, Lady Matlock is close to every patroness of Almack’s, duchesses, countesses, and many more. What do you think she will do to your reputation? Not only did you publicly insult her much-loved niece, but you attempted to compromise her nephew into an unwanted marriage. She sees him as a third son.”
“Once we arrive at Hurst House, pack your belongings and leave London. You two will never be welcome in polite society again,” Mrs Hurst suggested.
Suddenly the weight of his misjudgement and failure hit Bingley. “This is irrevocable, is it not?”
The Hursts both nodded.
“You cannot be serious, Charles; youhave tofix this. Iwill notleave society; I will not!” Miss Bingley shrieked.
“Well then, Caroline, I will release your dowry to you, and you will be on your own,” Bingley said with a sigh. “I will be returning to Scarborough in order to take up management of our father’s business. It is clear to me that being a member of the landed gentry is not for me.”
“TRADE! You cannot go into trade; I will not allow it!” Miss Bingley demanded.
“As I said, you may remain in London with your dowry. I will see my solicitor before I depart and make it so,” Bingley replied.
“Then I will live at Hurst House…” Miss Bingley did not finish her sentence.
“No, you will not be living with us. You are ruined, and we will not have you taint us with your presence,” Mrs Hurst interjected firmly. “If you are such a great lummox as to remain in Town, it will be at your own establishment. Before the day is up, your name will be known as one who has ruined herself. How pleasant do you imagine living in London will be for you?”
Miss Bingley collapsed back against the squabs. The enormity of her errors finally began to penetrate her consciousness. If she was being honest with herself, she had to admit that deep down she knew Messrs Fitzwilliam and Darcy could not be worked on to marry her. She accepted that it could be that the only option was to go with Charles and become a member of a family in trade once again.
About an hour out of Meryton, the Bingley conveyance passed a convoy of fine carriages, some of them with coats of arms emblazoned on their doors, travelling in the opposite direction.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The closer the coaches came to their destination, the more impatient Cilla became. She told herself that she had been patient for more than seventeen years waiting and dreaming of this moment. She was very cognisant of what Jane had told her about how Ellie reacted to change, so Cilla knew she could not overwhelm her darling daughter. They would have to move at whatever speed Ellie was comfortable with accepting. For now, seeing her and being in her presence would be a beginning.
Over the last twelve hours, when she thought about theBennets and the fact they had seen her Ellie grow from a little pixie into what Jane described as an intelligent, accomplished woman, she had felt a measure of resentment.
As quickly as those feelings surfaced, she banished them. The Bennets had saved her Ellie’s life. Not only that, according to what Jane and the Gardiners related, Ellie was loved and valued as a full member of the family, not as one who was less than. If she remembered correctly, Jane had even said that the Bennets had dowered Ellie in the same amount as the other three Bennet sisters.
She chastised herself for the uncharitable thoughts, no matter how brief they had been. The Bennets bore no blame; the only one, or ones, to blame was the miscreant who had stolen Ellie from her home in the middle of the night. How she prayed that he, or they, would have to face justice one day.
Cilla’s only regret was that Barney had not returned from his friend’s house yet, but Joseph had sent a second express telling their youngest son not to make for London, but rather to come directly to Hertfordshire.
She was riding in the lead coach with Joseph, David, and Jane. The latter had been telling them about points of interest on the way to Longbourn. Cilla smiled as she thought about Jane and David. She was aware that if David had his druthers, Jane Bennet would soon become Jane Wendell and Cilla’s daughter.
Jane had related how close she and Lizzy, as she called Ellie, had been since the day Ellie had been found. As such, if Ellie could be convinced to come to Willowmere with them, knowing Jane would possibly be close might make that a much easier choice for Ellie. There was no question in Cilla’s mind that even if she wanted to, and she did not, she would never attempt to sever the bond between Ellie and the Bennets. Upon hearing Jane’s voice, Cilla snapped out of her reverie.
“This is Meryton,” Jane said as the lead conveyanceentered the town. “You remember it, do you not, David?”
“I do. We rode through it on the way to view Netherfield Park,” David said.
“From here, it is less than a mile to Longbourn,” Jane related. A few minutes later, the horses pulled the coach onto a road leading out of the town. “Here is the entrance to Longbourn.” Jane pointed at the gateposts ahead.
The coachman guided his team between the gateposts and onto the gravel-covered drive.
As soon as the carriage was drawn to a halt, a footman placed the step and opened the door. Wendell alighted and then reached into the cabin to hand down Cilla. They turned, and before them were people they did not know along with Lady Catherine, Richard, William, and Giana.
As David handed Jane down, his parents’ eyes locked on Ellie.
Tears flowed unbidden from Cilla’s eyes. “My darling Ellie, how beautiful you are,” she sobbed as she opened her arms.
With tears running down her cheeks, Elizabeth stepped into the lady’s arms. She looked so much like an older version of herself. This had to be her birth mother. Elizabeth felt an immediate connection with the lady.
Chapter 15
Life in the militia was not as comfortable for George Wickham as he had thought it would be a few weeks earlier.
