“I will make sure, as will my daughter, Lady Hilldale, that you will never be received in polite society again. Your transgressions are too numerous to name, but you have forgotten your place. You thought yourself above gently bred landowners and were not merely rude; you were as uncouth as a woman of the streets. You are far too high in the instep! Allow me to inform you, Miss Bingley, the Bennets have owned their land for many generations. They are members of the first circles, something you willneverbe. Insulting our friend in his own house was beyond the pale!”
Caroline now realised how wrong she had been, and wished her actions undone, but that horse had left the barn. The Bennets owned Netherfield Park; they were members of the first circles; everything Mr. Bennet had said was true.
As she looked at the Bennet ladies, Caroline finally noticed their dresses and jewellery were of the quality one might expect of those of the first circles. Her brother was merely a Bennet tenant. She felt she might cast up her accounts. She thought it could not grow worse when she heard her brother speak.
“You will return to Netherfield immediately. Your trunks have been packed already. You will be moved to the inn; your maid will act as your chaperone. At first light tomorrow, the footmen I will send to the inn to ensure you cause no further mischief will make sure you are on the post. One of them will accompany you to Scarborough. When you arrive, what is left of your dowry after I deduct funds to replace what you have broken in Mr. Bennet’s house will be released to you, and you will be on your own thereafter.
“Lady Matlock warned you to never show your face in Town again; I suggest you heed her warning,” Bingley stated with a look of cold fury on his face, then he looked towards Jane. He saw steely resolve and approval on Jane’s face, then her barely contained anger for the way Caroline had treated her family. He knew then he had made the right decision.
“But Charles...” Miss Bingley beseeched, white as a ghost. Then she glanced up and saw distaste on Darcy’s face; she could no longer deny he could not abide her presence.
Charles then said, “By the grace of God, those here will not hold the rest of our family responsible for your actions. You would have ruined us all! I am grateful everyone who matters to both Louisa and me knows you alone are the problem. You have done this to yourself even after ample warning; now you must live with the consequences. No matter your plan, no matter had it succeeded, I would never have forced Darcy to marry you. He deserves happiness and Miss Elizabeth is a better match for him than you could ever be.”
After listening to her brother, Miss Bingley realised her plan to compromise Mr. Darcy had died along with her hopes of a life in society.
“By the way, Caroline, the Bennet daughters have more than forty thousand pounds each, so your twenty thousand is nothing to theirs. Their true value, however, is their compassion, love of family, and accomplishments.”
There were audible gasps from Miss Bingley and the neighbours, who until then had believed the story of five-thousand-pound dowries. Bingley looked apologetically at Bennet for revealing the last, but it seemed Bennet would not hold the slip against him.
His speech completed, he turned his back on Caroline and walked toward Jane Bennet, giving his sister the cut direct. Everyone at the assembly followed his example, even Mrs. Hurst.
A footman escorted a chastised and dejected Caroline Bingley from the room. To her detriment, she had learnt nothing from the experience. She continued to blame her downfall on everyone except herself.
After she left, Sir William ask the musicians to resume playing and everyone went back to enjoying the assembly. Jane, Lizzy, and Mary each danced a total of three times with the gentlemen they had opened the assembly with. The faces of their family, friends, and neighbours sported knowing smiles. There was little doubt of the preferences of the gentlemen.
“I could not be happier for soon we will be more than friends; we will be family,” the Countess whispered to Fanny Bennet.
“Elaine, I cannot wait to call Richard, son.” Fanny held the hand of the sister of her heart.
“What about William?” The countess inclined her head in the direction of her nephew, who was dancing with Lizzy. Both could see their mutual attraction. “She is the first young woman to catch his attention. He never dances the first and never has danced more than once with any young lady. He has been careful about not raising expectations until he met our Lizzy.”
“If he is who Lizzy wants and they love, respect, and esteem each other, I will be happy to welcome Mr. Darcy as a son as well.” Fanny smiled sweetly at the couple few could take their eyes from.
“I have known him since birth, and I have never seen the boy besotted before. His entire countenance has brightened. After what almost happened, I never thought I would see him smile again. Oh, I have said too much...” Elaine looked at Darcy in fearful apology.
“Do not worry, Elaine; I know all. He unburdened himself to Thomas; there are no secrets between us. Thomas shared with me and that is as far as it will ever go. Since he spoke to Thomas and was set straight about things beyond his control, I have noticed he has displayed a brighter countenance. As my Lizzy says, he is handsome when he remembers to smile,” Fanny said, beaming at her second eldest, who seemed lost in something Mr. Darcy said to her.
“It is a relief to know he has given over blaming himself for what happened. Your acceptance of Georgie even after you learnt of her folly warms my heart. Reggie and I will be grateful forever to both you and Thomas. Since both their parents passed, we have been more parents than aunt and uncle to the Darcys.” Elaine pressed her hand to her chest, her heart swelling with love and affection.
“That is obvious to anyone who sees you together. It is a pity we only recently met the Darcys. I understand George and Lady Anne were wonderful people. How well Georgiana gets along with my girls! She seems to have formed a strong bond with Kitty, as they are so close in age,” Fanny said. “Please hug them both more. They were stiff as boards when I hugged them the day they arrived.” She winked at Elaine, whose rich laughter rang out and made those who heard it smile.
“I will make it my life’s mission,” the Countess promised. “At least, I will until Lizzy makes it hers,” she teased. This time Fanny’s laugh filled the air. They linked arms, waiting for the final dance to end, knowing that there was more happiness on the horizon for their families.
Chapter 7
A week after the assembly the combined Longbourn and Netherfield Park party was invited to dinner at Lucas Lodge, the home of Sir William and Lady Lucas.
Sir William had been knighted by George III after he gave a speech honouring the King during the Monarch’s visit to Meryton. After his investiture at St. James, Sir William had sold his store, feeling his elevation to knighthood precluded him from being in trade.
He purchased a small estate just outside of Meryton that he renamed Lucas Lodge. Sir William was much enamoured by St James and would recount the tale of his investiture to anyone who would listen. Were they like many of the other self-important, sneering members of theTon, the Darcys, and Fitzwilliams could have found Sir William ridiculous. As they were nothing like that, they listened to his oft told tale about receiving his knighthood with good natured patience.
On this night, Sir William was not his normal verbose self. He was awed by the fact he was entertaining an Earl, a Countess, a Viscount, and Viscountess, and their extended family, which were all of the upper first circles, as well as the Bennets, the Philipses, and a few of the other prominent families from around Meryton like the Longs and the Gouldings.
Sir William had been flabbergasted to learn his friend of many years, Thomas Bennet, was not only extremely wealthy, but he owned far more land than anyone in the area imagined and was also a member of the first circles!
Mr. Spencer Goulding tentatively approached Bennet. “Bennet, your girls have forty thousand each, and in addition to Longbourn you own Bennington Fields that you renamed Bennet Fields, and now I find out you own Netherfield! How did this happen? We all noticed you changed after Tom and James were born, but this is beyond even the scope of the most vivid of imaginings here in Meryton,” Goulding asked in what he hoped was not too embarrassing an amount of awe.
“It is simple. After the birth of my boys, I looked at what I had become and was not at all proud of myself. The day Tom and James were born; I swore an oath before Almighty God that I would change. Based on that oath, I decided I had to do anything and everything I could to protect my family, and I could not do that hidden away in my study lost in a book and drinking port,” Bennet admitted.
