Bennet gave a grim nod as the woman digested this bit of information. “Knowing your determination to disrupt his wedding, Darcy decided he would marry Elizabeth at once. They married, we converted the engagement ball to a marriage ball, and they have now departed for their wedding tour before they make their way to London for the season.”
“How dare you!” railed the woman.
“How dareyou!” retorted Bennet. “Lady Catherine, your behavior is beyond the pale; I cannot account for it. Though I have known a peer or two drunk on their importance, I have never seen someone so lost to everything good as you. The world does not revolve around you. Whatever your opinion of me or my family, we have been gentlefolk for generations, and Darcy’s engagement with my daughter was more than a year’s duration. If they had kept to their plans and you objected to his wedding, Darcy would have taken you by the scruff of your neck and deposited you in the dust of the street—thisis only a taste of his disgust for you.”
“I am not accustomed to such language as this!”
“I care little for your offense. Now, Lady Catherine, you will depart my estate at once, and you will never darken my door again. If you wish, you may go to Ramsgate to take up the subject with Darcy, but I warn you that he will treat you more harshly than I have. The earl, by his own admission, is not of a mind to endure you—he was also at Elizabeth and Darcy’s wedding ball. Even one such as you must understand the approval in that gesture. I recommend you abandon your schemes, but itisyour choice.”
Far more quickly than Bennet might have expected, Lady Catherine turned on her heel and marched from the room. Bennet sat at his desk, passing a weary hand over his eyes and massaging his temples. Amusement was all well and good, but Lady Catherine could infuriate by doing nothing more than opening her mouth.
“She is gone, Mr. Bennet,” said Mrs. Hill, stepping into the library with a few of the cakes the cook was so adept at making.
“Forever, with any luck,” replied Bennet. He offered a smile to his longtime servant. “Thank you, Mrs. Hill.”
“Not at all, Mr. Bennet. I shall call you for dinner when it is ready.”
When the door closed behind her, Bennet took a cake and picked up his book again. Though he suspected he would consider the confrontation at length, he longed to forget about it for the moment. The written word had often been his sanctuary on such occasions, and he was eager to lose himself in the words on the page again.
“WELL, CAROLINE? WHATdo you think of Lady Susan’s kindness?”
Caroline started as Bingley had known she would. Though she did not lack the ability for self-reflection, Bingley knewCaroline was also not prone to an excessive tendency to it either. Witnessing her behavior since he returned from Netherfield told Bingley that she had learned something from her experience there, and the meeting at the ball with Lady Susan had further affected her. Bingley thought he knew something of her thoughts, but there were several truths he wished to make clear to her, and this appeared an excellent time to do so.
“She is a fine woman, is she not?”
“As fine a woman as I have ever met,” agreed Bingley.
Caroline regarded him, and after a moment ventured a comment. “Itwasa surprise when she asked for an introduction.”
“Yes, I suppose from your perspective it was.”
“What do you mean?” asked his sister with no little curiosity.
“What do youthinkI mean?” asked Bingley. “You know something of the situation, Caroline; it would be beneficial for you to divine it for yourself, for I cannot think it is a difficult puzzle.”
A blush stained her cheeks. “Might I suppose she heard something of what happened at Netherfield?”
“I know of nothing Darcy said to inform them of the exact sequence of events. Just as you are capable of inferring, so are Lady Susan and her husband.”
Caroline appeared to absorb this, though she did not speak at once, instead preferring to consider her response. Bingley allowed her to work it out in her mind to reach the same conclusion he had.
“Then,” said Caroline, her hesitation resulting in the slow cadence of her words, “I must suppose that Lady Susan knew I was there and that I departed the day after Mr. Darcy married. Given my ambitions, which are... not unknown in society, she must have supposed that I departed when I failed to turn Mr. Darcy to me.”
“That is the gist of it, I must suppose,” agreed Charles. “As Darcy was not disposed to avoid youandyour name came up in conversation, Lady Susan inferred that your connection with Darcy, while not close, is not broken beyond all repair.”
“Because I accepted Mr. Darcy’s marriage and did not voice my displeasure.”
Bingley nodded. “Again, I must suppose you are correct. The question you must answer is why she wished for the introduction, knowing what she does about your ambitions.”
With pursed lips, Caroline considered this question. “Does it have to do with your interest in Miss Bennet?”
“Very good, Caroline. While they were only there for a few days, I did not try to hide my interest in Miss Bennet.”
“Then, as you will be a connection, albeit a distant one, Lady Susan knows an acquaintance is inevitable and acted to put the best possible perspective on it.”
This time, Bingley shook his head. “I do not know that I would put it in such terms as that, Caroline, for the Fitzwilliamsareexcellent people. Rather, I suspect she wished to offer some legitimacy to you; an acquaintance with an earl and his wife will do wonders for you in society.”
“That it will,” murmured Caroline, “for I have seen the effects already.”
