“Well do I know it.” Caroline shook her head. “Charles has never carried his infatuations beyond a few weeks. It is most vexing that he persists in this unseemly fascination.”
“Caroline,” replied Louisa, her tone chiding, “it is not ‘unseemly’ regardless of our opinion of the woman in question. Miss Bennetisthe daughter of a gentleman, which makes her suitable.”
Indignation welled up in Caroline’s breast as she looked at her sister with censure. “She is unsuitable to a family of our position, Louisa—youknowthis. If we are to have any chance of rising in society, we cannot have our brother tie himself to a woman of no fortune and little standing.”
Louisa regarded her, pausing for a moment as if considering her words. “That is all well and good, Caroline, but our opinion may not matter. If Charles decides the benefits of rising in society are nothing compared to the benefits he will gain from having Miss Bennet as a wife, I wonder if we can, in good conscience, seek to prevent him from pursuing her.”
“Do not be absurd, Louisa!” snapped Caroline. “Wecannotallow it. It does not matter as Charles is in London and Miss Bennet is in Hertfordshire—there is little chance of their meeting again. We must continue to encourage him until he relinquishes his infatuation.”
Louisa offered a shrug, but Caroline was not paying attention to her sister anymore. The matter with Charles was well in hand so long as they remained in London. Though not knowing Hurst’s whereabouts was annoying, it was not a matter of concern. Eventually, he would return, likely soused from his host’s brandy. As always, Caroline’s thoughts returned to Mr.Darcy, his failure to offer for her in Hertfordshire, when Caroline had thought hosting him would turn into her greatest triumph.
“Perhaps we should visit Georgiana tomorrow,” mused Caroline, though she had not been intending to speak.
“We can, if you wish,” said Louisa, her tone indifferent.
Caroline regarded her sister, but a few moments’ consideration prevented her from commenting. If Caroline were honest with herself, she had noticed a difference in Louisa of late, particularly about her efforts to induce Mr. Darcy to propose to her. It was like Louisa had lost all hope, that the matter had become one of indifference to her.
Though she did not like to confess it, insidious doubt had crept into Caroline’s heart, too, though she was anything but indifferent. The man had known her for three years and had yet to get any serious sign of offering for her, and when they had stayed at Netherfield, he had given more attention to Miss Elizabeth Bennet than to her. What that presaged was something Caroline did not wish to contemplate, even if it suggested a taste that was not so refined as she had always thought.
The important point was her having Mr. Darcy for a husband, and Caroline was not about to accept failure. Her success was far too important for her family’s rise in society to allow Mr. Darcy to slip from her grasp. Charles might wed an heiress, but Caroline did not think he was assertive enough to catch the eye of a woman high enough in society to raise their consequence. Mr. Darcy was the only man of her acquaintance with whom she boasted sufficient intimacy to make a match possible. Thus, inducing him to accept her was the only option.
If Mr. Darcy was reluctant, then Caroline would need to resort to more pointed measures to engage his interest and, more importantly, his honor. The best time to have enacted such plans was when he was staying with them at Netherfield,but Caroline remained confident of success in persuading him. There were always ways to accomplish what she wished; all she needed to do was stay patient and strike when the opportunity arose.
Later that day, another matter of vexation arose when Charles joined them. Knowing her brother as she did, Caroline could always understand his moods, and the face he presented to them was tightly controlled anger.
“Caroline, Louisa,” greeted he in a neutral voice, one Caroline would not have thought him capable of using.
“What is it, Charles?” asked Caroline, wary about this side of her brother she had rarely seen.
“I am leaving town for a time.”
Caroline gaped at him, and Louisa was no better. “Leaving town? Whatever can you mean?”
“Just what I said.” It was little more than a retort in a tone foreign to her brother’s usual cheer. “I received a letter from Hurst this morning suggesting that I join him.”
“Where is he?” demanded Caroline while Louisa said: “You know where my husband is?”
“I do,” said Charles to Louisa. Then he turned to Caroline. “Hurst has asked me not to say where he is. All you need to know is that he is staying with friends, and I will join him there for a few weeks.”
“Then we should all go,” reasoned Caroline.
The look with which Charles fixed her was unfriendly to say the least. “You are not invited, Caroline. I am included in Hurst’s invitation, but it omitted you.”
“That is ridiculous, Charles!” exclaimed Caroline. “What shall Louisa and I do while you and Hurst are staying with friends?”
“You may stay in London. It is where you are happiest, is it not?”
“Except that there is no one in town at this time of year worth visiting,” snapped Caroline, by now becoming cross.
“Then you will have each other’s company, and there is much to do in London, I dare say. Regardless, I am leaving, and you are not invited.”
“When will you return, Brother?” asked Louisa.
“I cannot say. Once our plans become clear, I shall write to inform you. Until then, I bid you good day.”
And with that unceremonious announcement, their brother left the room, leaving two stunned sisters behind. Of greater concern, Caroline discovered from the butler that Charles had departed only moments after he left the sitting-room. He had taken a hired post-chaise, of all things, and though Caroline was grateful he left his carriage for their use, she could not imagine what he was thinking. At least his destination was not Hertfordshire—that would have been an unmitigated disaster!
FITZWILLIAM DARCY WASunaccustomed to receiving letters from those who were mere acquaintances. What Miss Bingley had never understood was that Darcy had never considered anyone in Bingley’s family other than the man himself to be any more than an acquaintance. To receive a letter from a woman who was not his wife or fiancée would have been improper, indeed, yet Darcy would almost have expected a letter from her before receiving one from Gerald Hurst.
