“Mr Edward Gardiner is the Bennet family’s ‘Cheapside’ relative that you so freely denigrated to one and all. He has more wealth than the Bingleys could ever even imagine amassing. Do you want to know what family owns fifty percent of Gardiner and Associates? Who the young ladies are with the dowries of two hundred and fifty thousand pounds each, the same young ladies who own five percenteachof Gardiner and Associates? Two of these same young ladies’ own estates that are each larger than Pemberley in size and income. In fact, your brother leased a house from one of the young ladies without ever knowing her name. And you mentioned Grosvenor Square? The house the family owns is opposite Darcy House on the square and but a few doors away from Matlock House.
“One of the ladies is the goddaughter of the Duke and Duchess of Bedford and another is the goddaughter of Lord and Lady Jersey. The rest of the girls are accepted as nieces by both. Do you want to guess what family and young ladies that I am referring to? The ladies who are in fact the wealthiest young ladies in the Kingdom outside of the Royal Family, and may be even wealthier than them when you factor in their shares of the company.” Darcy pressed his point.
Both of the now-proven inferior sisters looked like they were about to cast up their accounts and Bingley looked like he had been run over by a speeding carriage. It took Miss Bingley some minutes to recover some of her equanimity.
“W-w-why did they not tell anyone? Why did they give me the Gracechurch Street address and not Portman Square? Who owns Netherfield Park?” She sputtered.
“The very lady that you made unfounded and false accusations against: Miss Elizabeth Bennet. From what I now understand, the portion of Netherfield Park that was leased out is only about ten percent of the actual size of the estate. Do you not remember, Bingley, when we rode the estate, we saw the well-kept neighbouring lands with similar tenant cottages to what we saw at Netherfield Park? And when we asked what estate it all belonged to, we could never get an answer? Also, your lease was handled by the solicitor with no mention of the landlord, or in this case thelandlady’s name was evident.” Darcy was filled with renewed pride at all Elizabeth stood for and the way she held herself.
“I remember.” Bingley replied, still very stunned and confused.
“As to your other questions, Miss Bingley? Unlike others who choose to flaunt their perceived position and wealth,” Darcy looked at both sisters very pointedly, “the Bennets wanted people to like them for who they were, not what they own or their position in society. Before you ask, Mrs Bennet and the younger two were not aware. From what I was told, this was done as none of the three ladies are good at keeping secrets. The reason that you were given the Gracechurch Street address and not Portman Square is because Miss Bennet listened to Miss Elizabeth’s recommendation to be cautious. Thanks to your veiled, and unveiled ,comments that were both derogatory and unkind to Miss Elizabeth and their family; caused her to suspect you did the same to Jane behind her back, and so she perceived that you and your sister were not true friends. With that suspicion, they did not want you to have an idea of the true state of their extreme wealth so you would play them false.” Darcy locked eyes with Bingley so he could see the results of not stopping the comments of his sisters long ago, even before they met the Bennets it was an issue.
“B-b-but Longbourn is entailed to that bumbling parson.” Louisa stammered, still trying to determine how everything was the opposite of what they believed.
“Yes, Mrs Hurst it is. But only the small estate itself. As with most entails, the beneficiary has no claim to income earned prior to inheriting and certainly not to land purchased that is not listed as part of the entail. By the way, I almost forgot, the ‘tradesman’ that both of you so liked to denigrate owns the estate of Dovedale, which is only a little smaller than Pemberley, so the only true family of a tradesman that I know are all sitting in this room.” As Darcy stated this fact both of Bingley’s sisters blanched and did not know where to look, but certainly were not willing to look at him.
“Bingley, if you would indulge me, can we go into Hurst’s study please? I have a private matter to discuss with you.” Darcy bowed to his friend.
“Surely, Darce. Please follow me.” Bingley led the way.
Once they were both seated, Darcy made his confession to Bingley, and in it he told him everything. How he, the least qualified man to make such a judgement, had grasped at the one thing that he could to separate Bingley from Miss Bennet as he needed to put as much distance between himself and Miss Elizabeth as he could. As hard as it was, he confessed his role in keeping Bingley ignorant of Miss Bennet being in town, how she had come to call on his sisters, and that his sisters had only returned the call weeks later to cut the acquaintance and tell Miss Bennet that Bingley knew that she was in Town and ‘too busy’ to see her.
Darcy revealed all to his friend including how first his cousin Richard and then his Fitzwilliam family had taken him to task. But none of that was what it would be hardest to admit or explain.
“She loved me, may even love me still! I must go to her.” Bingley proclaimed.
“You can try, my friend, but I am afraid it may be too late, though not because her affections are engaged elsewhere. I must tell you of the one piece of information Miss Elizabeth told me that I did not share with everyone as it will give you pain. I have these couple days tried to determine the best way to tell you.”
“Miss Elizabeth said, and the more I think on it I have to agree, that if you could be persuaded to drop the connection so fast that you were either not truly in love with her sister, or lacked the character and resolution to make decisions about your life on your own.” Darcy took a slow breath.
“B-b-but…” Bingley stammered.
“Let me finish, Bingley. She said that she would advise her sister against attaching her heart to one who lacks the ability to trust his own judgement and not follow his heart, regardless of what others say or think. She said that if she could not convince her sister thusly, she would beseech her father to withhold his blessing and consent. The Bennets want their daughters to marry for love, and only for love.”
“I pray that you can forgive my interference and the disguise of the fact that Miss Bennet was in Town. I will understand if you cannot. But you need to ask yourself why you did not stick to your desires, and why you were so easily convinced to give her up. No matter what was said or done by me or anyone else, that is a question that you need to answer for yourself, and no one but you can do such.”
“You have to know that from this day forward, if we still remain friends, you will be the only one of your family permitted entry to any of my homes. I intend to confront your sister now on her lies about Georgie, and then all connection between myself and your sisters will be dissolved. I know that Miss Bingley has long desired to be mistress of Pemberley, but that will never happen. I am telling you now that even if she attempts a compromise, I will never offer for her. If either of your sisters approach me in public after I leave this house today, they will receive the cut direct from me. If I hear that they are using my name to gain access to theTon, I will take severe action!” Darcy stated as kindly but firmly as one could when delivering such a speech.
As much as Bingley wanted to apportion blame to one and all, he had to admit that he was the one who decided to listen to his family and friend. No one had bound him to a chair or clapped him in irons; he could have easily returned to Hertfordshire at any time. Darcy was correct, he had hard questions about himself that only he could answer. Then again, was it not easier to follow others and not be responsible for his own decisions? His resolution lasted seconds before he dismissed it.
“As angry as I am that you lied to me, I have to consider that the greatest fault may lie with me. It is possible that I will go see Miss Bennet to apologise first for my behaviour and then that of my sisters. I will know how to proceed by what she says. Let us go speak to my sisters.” Bingley stood.
Darcy took it as a positive sign that Bingley would consider the major role that he played in what happened. ‘Perhaps some good will come out of this and Bingley will finally grow, becoming his own man, and make his own decisions, rather than let others make them for him. Then again, it is possible he will not. For far too long he has allowed his sisters to manipulate and control him.’
Upon their return to the drawing room, they found the sisters furiously debating the truth of what they had heard, with the shrew trying to rationalise things so she could ignore that which did not fit into her way of thinking. They stopped the argument when Darcy and Bingley walked into the room.
“Before I leave, I must ask you something in particular, Miss Bingley.” Darcy only stepped in the room by a couple feet.
“I am at your disposal, Mr Darcy. Should we go to the study for privacy?” Miss Bingley asked. Darcy realised what question she was imagining he was going to ask, which was the very question he had just told Bingley he would never ever ask her.
“No, Miss Bingley, here is just fine. My question, Miss Bingley, the only question I have for you is to ask who gave you permission to attach my sister’s name to that of your brother when you wrote to Miss Bennet upon our departure from Netherfield?” Darcy stared at her with a look that was not only unwavering, it was unrelenting.
“Uhm, well, see, Louisa…” Miss Bingley was clearly scrambling for an answer and support.
“How could you, Caroline? You know that I see Miss Darcy as nothing more than a younger sister. She will not even be out for a number years yet. This is beyond the pale, even for you.” Bingley glared at her.
“Your brother is absolutely correct. For me, this was the last straw,” Darcy stated without looking away from her and Miss Bingley paled even further. “I have only endured your grasping, social-climbing and harridan-like ways out of respect for my friendship with your brother. Even if they were not so wealthy, how could you ever think that you were above the Bennets? My behaviour was abhorrent because I allowed you to spew your vitriol to and about the Bennets while in my presence. You are the daughter of a tradesman, Miss Bingley; the Bennets, all five, are daughters of a gentlemen, and a landed one at that. Did they not teach you at that school of yours that it is not money that determines social order?” He could see that Miss Bingley wanted to say something so he carried on, unwilling to hear whatever lie she would come up with.
