“Oh, to be certain, Mr. Darcy,” said Miss Bingley. The woman stepped around her brother and caught hold of his arm, flashing him a brilliant smile and a fluttering of her eyelashes. “How pleased I am that you offered an invitation to my brother andme at this time, Mr. Darcy. I hope we will become the best of friends.”
“William,” said Elizabeth, stepping into the breach as Darcy’s thoughts darkened.
In one smooth motion, Darcy extricated his arm from Miss Bingley’s talons, then allowed Elizabeth to take his outstretched arm. Miss Bingley could not miss the way they stood united facing her, and though her smile turned brittle, she did not lose the use of her sense. For Darcy’s part, he was not pleased with her, but Elizabeth, who had as much right to be offended, maintained a pleasant demeanor when faced with the interloper.
“I do not believe we have met, William,” said Elizabeth. “Perhaps you or Mr. Bingley will do the honors.”
Bingley appeared to realize that his sister had overstepped, for his glance at her spoke volumes, and Miss Bingley, though she did not appear embarrassed, understood his censure at once.
“That is an excellent notion, Miss Elizabeth,” said he.
Turning to his sister, he gestured and said: “This is my sister, Caroline Bingley. Caroline, please allow me to introduce you to Miss Elizabeth Bennet, Darcy’s betrothed. Also, this is Darcy’s mother, Victoria Darcy, Mrs. Margaret Bennet, and Misses Jane, Mary, Catherine, and Lydia Bennet.”
“And this,” said Darcy, beckoning to Georgiana, “is my friend, Charles Bingley. Bingley, Miss Bingley, this is Miss Georgiana Darcy, my cousin and soon to be my ward.”
As those newly acquainted voiced their greetings, Darcy noted how Miss Bingley turned a look of calculation on Georgiana, as if she suspected his cousin was the pathway to reach Darcy himself.
“How pleased I am to make the acquaintance of your... friends,” said Miss Bingley, greeting them all with a proper curtsey.
“You appear to have made good time, Bingley,” said Darcy. “I had not expected you for another thirty minutes.”
“We left a little early, though that must shock you, given my lackadaisical attention to such things,” laughed Bingley. “As circumstances cut our visit short last time, I found myself impatient to be in your company again.”
“I am pleased you came, Bingley. As you are to be my groomsman, I would not wish to consider marrying without your presence.”
As Darcy was looking for it, he caught the slight darkening of Miss Bingley’s expression, though to a casual observer, it was nigh imperceptible. The company sat together for a few moments, and if Miss Bingley spoke little, she appeared contemplative, perhaps wondering about how to go about taking Elizabeth’s place. After a time, Mrs. Darcy called for the housekeeper to show them to their rooms.
“I am certain you wish to refresh yourselves from your journey.”
The Bingley siblings agreed and allowed Mrs. Nichols to lead them from the room; it did not escape Darcy’s attention how Bingley walked beside his sister and spoke to her, no doubt imparting a little guidance. Or perhaps a demand that she behave herself. Either way, Darcy appreciated his friend’s efforts, though he felt that Miss Bingley was nigh ungovernable. When they were gone, Darcy turned back to the rest of the company and arched an eyebrow.
“That was most amusing, Mr. Darcy,” said Elizabeth, the first to voice the thoughts of the company. “The way Miss Bingley grasped your arm, I thought she was a bird of prey and you a falconer.”
“Has she behaved in such a way before?” asked Lydia.
“No, this is the first time.” Darcy shrugged. “Before, I was naught but a gentleman of the second circles, whereas I nowboast connections to an earl. Miss Bingley had other men in her sights then.”
“You may wish to lock your door at night,” said Elizabeth. “You do not wish to be accosted by certain... apparitions in the dead of night.”
“Trust me, Elizabeth,” said Darcy, “I shall not allow my vigilance to wane in the face of the predator.”
Elizabeth laughed at his sally, but Mrs. Bennet sniffed with disdain.
“You have attracted certain unsavory characters to you, William.”
“Trust me, Mother Bennet,” replied Darcy, “if I could rid myself of them, I would without hesitation.”
Mrs. Bennet nodded. “As for this business of moving the date of your wedding, I must give it some thought.”
“Of course. If we are to do it, though, it must be soon.”
A tight nod was her only response. Darcy knew that Mrs. Bennet was not against it as such, but as Elizabeth had said, she was not quick on her feet and could not change on a whim. As Darcy was a man who considered every facet of a problem before deciding, he could understand her. Moving the wedding forward was for the best, and he trusted she would come to that conclusion when she considered it for a time.
Thereafter, Darcy and his mother and cousin visited with the Bennet ladies until it came time for them to depart for Longbourn. The Bingleys did not appear, and Darcy wondered if it was because Miss Bingley wished to wait until the Bennets departed, and Bingley was waiting for her to join him. If she did not already know—unlikely, as Bingley was among the most unguarded men Darcy had ever met—she soon would learn of his fascination with Miss Bennet. Given her ambitions, Darcy suspected she would not wish her brother to marry a country miss, even if she was to become the sister of Mr. Darcy.Whatever the case, Darcy did not mean to involve himself unless he thought it would affect Jane’s peace of mind.
When the Bingleys appeared soon after the departure of the Bennet ladies, it provided confirmation, in Darcy’s mind, that she had delayed until the family departed. Bingley was his usual cheery self, but he noticed his friend was watchful of his sister’s behavior. Miss Bingley, Darcy noted, did not appear to notice it, though Darcy suspected she was not ignorant. She stayed close to Georgiana and Darcy’s mother, speaking to them in friendly terms, though of what they spoke he could not say.
At length, the dinner hour arrived, and Darcy did his duty, escorting Miss Bingley and Mrs. Younge into the dining-room, while Bingley escorted both Mrs. Darcy and Georgiana. The setting was intimate with only six diners, meaning Darcy did not need to endure Miss Bingley’s sole attention as the conversation flowed freely between them all, though Mrs. Younge remained taciturn. The conversation was not scintillating, though there were some moments of interest.
