“Nobody?” Lydia interrupted, “Not even you?”
There was a protracted silence. Lizzie could not look her sister in the eye, and Lydia was almost swooning with the staggering implication she had unearthed. It was inconceivable that Elizabeth didn’t know the truth.
“Doesn’t Mr. Darcy trust you?” she blurted out. Elizabeth gave her a savage glare.
“Did you feel good, Lydia, when you were telling me your awful story? No? I am sure you felt almost as miserable and pathetic as you were last night, when all of it happened to you. Why would I ask my husband to relive the most painful day of his life? There is no benefit to me in it. My love for Miss Darcy will be unchanged whether I know the truth or not. I have no reason to cause such pain to the man I love, for the sake of my own curiosity.”
“But you mustwonder!”
“That is enough. I must talk to my husband, Lydia. Is there anything else you need to tell me about last night before I go?”
Mute, Lydia shook her head. Elizabeth nodded at her as she stood up. It was nowhere near a sisterly smile, but it was as close as either of them ever managed after an argument.
Half an hour later, unaware that anything untoward had happened, Bingley was summoned to the study. He followed the servant curiously, wondering at such a formality. He was accustomed to wandering around the estate when Miss Bennet was too busy to see him and today had been both lonely and unsatisfying. Perhaps there was a head cold going around, for both Miss Bennet and Mrs. Darcy had spent most of the day in solitude.
Mrs. Darcy was in the study when he arrived. Bingley gave her a relieved smile when he bowed and made a pretty speech about her health. When he straightened up, she looked bewildered. Beside her, Darcy had not even looked around. He was staring into the fire, holding the mantelpiece with one hand. Now that he was looking closely, Bingley could see that his friend’sknuckles were blue and white even in the golden summer sunlight, so tightly was he gripping the ledge.
“What has happened?” Bingley asked. “Darcy, turn around. It’s hard to talk to the back of your head. Has something happened?”
“You tell him.” Darcy rumbled, not looking around. Elizabeth flinched, then drew a deep breath and began.
The story was short, stilted, and utterly abhorrent. By the end of it, Bingley had his head in his hands.
“Oh, Georgie.” he groaned, twisting his fingernails into his hair. “My poor little…”
“She isn’t your anything.” Darcy snapped, finally looking around. “You only have a claim to one woman here, Bingley - that damnable sister of yours. What do you propose to do about this?”
“Before you answer,” Elizabeth interrupted softly, with a glance at her husband, “You must know that Miss Bingley will not be allowed to return to the house. She will not even make it as far as the driveway before she is turned away. There will be no excuses or apologies, no mediation or… or attempts to be cordial. I know that it is your nature to forgive, Mr. Bingley, but your sister has… her behaviour towards Georgiana was…”
“No, I shall not defend her.” Bingley said softly, “I am so ashamed.”
“We did not ask you here to shame you, sir. But we have banished your sister from our home, and we owe you an explanation.”
“Banishment is not punishment enough.” Darcy interrupted again, “Bingley, you must do something. For years, every time she has overstepped, you have moved the line. This is a beast ofyour own making, and the time has come to muzzle it. I cannot; you must.”
Bingley nodded and sighed, “I need a drink.” he said without thinking, and then groaned aloud, “Oh Darcy, I apologise. I only meant…”
“If I was inclined to be upset by honesty, Bingley, I should not have invited you through the door. It is a rather unavoidable trait of yours.” Darcy retorted, and then let out a harsh laugh, “I need a drink, too. Elizabeth, ring for some tea. Perhaps if we ask Mrs. Reynolds nicely enough she will let the leaves stew.”
Elizabeth did so, and for a while they sat in silence. The few ideas they had for Miss Bingley were discussed briefly, considered or discarded, and then drowned in mouthfuls of over-sweetened tea. Bingley agreed that banishment was a good initial step - indeed, he insisted that it would be far more effective than Darcy imagined. Caroline, he explained, had been obsessed with the estate for years and had been ecstatic to finally have an invitation. Casting her out would be a savage and very satisfying blow.
As to her spite and cruelty towards Miss Darcy, they needed to be subtle. They could not expose Miss Bingley without also revealing Georgiana’s delicate condition to the world, but nor could they let her treatment go unnoticed. Bingley offered to reduce his sister’s allowance significantly, and to forbid her from using any of the family properties save for their house in London.
Bingley did not say how Caroline would fare there, stuck in London when the season was over, with barely enough money to maintain a fashionable wardrobe and no brother to act as chaperone. No speculation on that point was necessary. They all knew how furious Caroline would be.
“She will not go down without a fight.” Bingley warned, “She may very well reveal what she saw here. Miss Lydia did say as much. I am sorry, Darcy.”
“No. The fault is mine.” Darcy replied evenly. “Had I set more guards, or been more vigilant, then perhaps she would not have found Georgiana - but eventually, the story was bound to come out. We must take ownership of it, I think, before Miss Bingley can turn it against us.”
“What do you mean?” Elizabeth asked, already fearing the worst. Her husband confirmed it, with a look that allowed no argument:
“Georgiana must be seen. We should show the world that she is here, safe and loved.”
“You want her to go to the ball.” Elizabeth finished in a low voice, “Darcy…”
“Ask her.” Darcy said, “Explain that we know what happened - and why. If she sees that it will make Miss Bingley furious then she may well agree.”
“Georgie always was a vengeful little thing.” Bingley agreed, “She once put a spider in my tea because I ate the last biscuit.”
