For the time they traversed Derbyshire, Miss Bingley said not a word about Pemberley or the name Darcy. She refused to meet her niece in protest of her high-handed brother-in-law.
She lasted less than a sennight at Hurst House before she was evicted and sent back to the Bingleys in Scarborough.
At her demand that he accompany her, Bingley departed with his sister.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
By the start of the season of 1808, Caroline Bingley had convinced her brother to rent a house in London because for some reason, the Hursts would not allow her back at their house on Curzon Street.
Besides, what had she done which was so bad? Was it just because she had attempted to countermand the orders given by Mrs Hurst and Louisa when they had refused to take her tasteful advice on redecorating? Surely as the most fashionable one in the family, it was her right to do so? She had also rebuffed any attempt Louisa made for Caroline to spend time with the two Hurst brats. She had never asked to be an aunt. How couldLouisa and her drunken sot of a husband take umbrage at her for calling their offspring brats?
How offensive of Louisa and Mrs Hurst to spend so much time with the two brats. The attention should have been on herself. It had been especially galling that her brother-in-law had refused to release some of Charles’s money so Caroline could acquire a new wardrobe. The fact it was not the first time he had refused had not stopped her pushing Charles to make the request.
On her return to Scarborough, her aunt and uncle had rung a peal over her head and she had—falsely—promised to never repeat the behaviour others felt was objectionable.
It had taken months of behaving like they expected her to, and much wheedling to get Aunt Hildebrand and Uncle John to agree that Caroline could accompany Charles to London for the season. They had been reluctant to grant her request because of the complaints from the Hursts, but she had vowed that everything would be different this time.
She did not care that until Charles was five and twenty—in another two years—he was subject to a restrictive allowance. That did not stop Miss Bingley from berating her brother about not leasing a house in Mayfair close to Grosvenor Square, where Darcy and Matlock Houses were located.
Instead, he had rented a terraced house in the Bloomsbury neighbourhood. A decidedly unfashionable area. He claimed that it was all he could afford and still pay some servants. Miss Bingley admonished her brother that he needed to gain many invitations to events of the first circles because they could never invite a highborn person back to the hovel he was renting.
Miss Bingley was getting very frustrated. They had been in London for over a month—it was already mid-March—and she had not been invited to Darcy House or Matlock House even once.
Bingley returned from Boodle’s, where he was admitted as his brother-in-law’s guest, to face a furious Caroline.
“Why have you not garnered any invitations?” Miss Bingley hissed. “The only events we have been to are those of the third circles and for tradesmen! I told you that you were supposed to get invitations from Mr Darcy and the Fitzwilliams, did I not?”
“Darcy is not in London yet, and I have no connection to the Fitzwilliams except for through Fitzwilliam, and he is busy with his duties. We would be ruined if I marched up to Matlock House and demanded their attention,” Bingley whinged. “If you had not upset the Hursts, we would have had more and better invitations. They have far more and better contacts than we do.”
“They do not have connections important to me…us,” Miss Bingley claimed dismissively. She did not want to believe that her sister’s family had good connections. How could they? She had seen the small manor house at Winsdale, which she guessed was a small and insignificant estate. They were obviously not wealthy, which meant they knew no one of consequence. “And why have you not purchased me more fashionable clothing yet?”
“Caroline, as we are not welcome at Hurst House, I barely have enough money for us to live on, especially as you refuse to allow your allowance to be used for our combined expenses,” Bingley responded. He dare not tell her that without her he would be welcomed there because that would lead to another tantrum.
He was aware that had he the strength to stand up to Caroline, he would return her to her guardians and not allow her to cause him to expend most of his meagre allowance. It was not worth the explosion such an action would cause.
All Bingley could do was pray that once Darcy arrived in London, he would ease their way into events to which they otherwise would not be invited.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Darcy, Gigi, and her governess had arrived at Darcy House the previous day, the first Thursday in April. Among other correspondence he had waiting for him on his desk were at least a half dozen almost illegible notes from Bingley begging to see him as soon as may be.
There was a note from Richard and Hurst which asked him to meet them at White’s before responding to Bingley. Darcy was not sure how they knew Bingley wrote to him; however, if Richard requested he meet first, that is what he would do.
He scribed a note to Richard telling him what time he would be at the club on the morrow.
The following day, a footman at White’s showed Darcy to a private room where Richard was sitting and Hurst, with a glass of some spirit or other in his hand, was dozing on the settee. It was what Darcy expected of Hurst so he thought no more about it.
“Welcome, William. How was the journey to London?” Fitzwilliam enquired as he nudged Harry towakehim.
Before Darcy could reply, Hurst began to stir with some grunts and groans, and when his eyes opened, they were notfocused. “Why did you wake me?” he demanded. He made some more grunt-like sounds.
“You remember, you wanted to see my cousin before he sees Bingley. He is here like his note said,” Fitzwilliam said. “Your travels, William?”
Darcy ignored Hurst. He was a good friend of both Andrew and Richard so he would not cut him like he deserved at times. “We arrived with no incident. The Killions had Darcy House ready to receive us,” he reported. The Killions were Darcy House’s butler and housekeeper. “What is it you two wanted to impart to me?”
“Oh yes, I remember now,” Harold stated as he played the persona Darcy expected. “You know that my sister-in-law is in London with Bingley, do you not?” He saw Darcy give a curt nod. “Because my mother will not host Caroline as a guest at Hurst House since her performance during her last stay, she had poor Bingley lease a house in Bloomsbury. She has been haranguing him to take her to Darcy House to see you and to have you secure invitations for her to events of the first circles. In addition, she has been heard to say that if she needs to execute a compromise to gain that which she desires, she will do so.”
“Surely Bingley exerts more control over her, even though she is not his ward,” Darcy enquired incredulously.
