“I will not join the other residents for dinner; I would rather take a tray here with you,” Elizabeth said. She asked the maid to inform cook they would require two trays for dinner. Elizabeth never went below stairs that evening, sending a message to Mr. Bingley she was spending the time with her sister.
When Bingley shared what Miss Elizabeth had written with the other diners there were wildly varying reactions. Miss Bingley was gleeful that the hoyden would not be able to draw Mr. Darcy’s attention from herself.
Darcy was chagrined and worried that his ungentlemanly conduct had convinced Miss Elizabeth to eschew his company.
Chapter7
During his next visit, Mr. Jones confirmed Jane was well on her way to recovery. When he informed Mr. Bingley she would need a few days more to recover before she should travel home, he welcomed the news; his sister did not, unhappy that two rivals remained in the house.
“You must be exaggerating the seriousness! Surely the Bennets could return to that hovel they call an estate without danger,” Miss Bingley spat out.
“Caroline Charlene Bingley!” Bingley remonstrated. “Mr. Jones, I apologise you had to hear that. Please be assured Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth will be treated with every courtesy while they remain asmyguests.”
Darcy shook his head. If he had not long known he would never want Caroline Bingley as his wife, her utterance now would have convinced him. She had not a clue what it meant to be a hostess. All she cared for were her own selfish desires.
Miss Bingley saw Mr. Darcy’s disgust and interpreted it as she chose; she thought he agreed with her and found it insupportable the two Bennet chits were not leaving immediately.
As soon as Mr. Jones took his leave, Miss Bingley rounded on her brother. “How could you humiliate me so?” Miss Bingley demanded.
“You did that on your own. From this moment you are no longer my hostess. Obviously, you missed all of the lessons about the role of a hostess at that fancy seminary where mother convinced father to send you,” Bingley decided. “Louisa will fill the role.”
“No! You cannot do that to me. Ask Mr. Darcy.Hewill agree with what I said.” Miss Bingley looked at Mr. Darcy beseechingly.
“Quite the contrary, Miss Bingley. I have never seen such poor hospitality shown to a guest before,” Darcy contradicted the shrew. “In fact, I wouldnevertolerate that sort of treatment of anyone under my roof.”
Miss Bingley opened her mouth to respond, but no words sprang forth. She turned and ran out of the drawing room; not many minutes later the slamming of her bedchamber door reverberated through the manor house.
“Please accept my apologies for speaking plainly to your sister, Bingley,” Darcy stated. “Our talk the other day did nothing to change her behaviour; I suspected it would not.”
“You have nothing for which to be pardoned, my friend. Her actions arose from our mother’s indulging and spoiling her youngest—instilling the belief that she could gain whatever she wanted just because she desired it,” Bingley explained.
“That sounds much like my aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. She only hears what fits her preconceived notions and believes everyone must bend to her will,” Darcy related.
“It would be most interesting to see the two of them in the same room, would it not?” Bingley grinned, thinking of the clash of wills which would ensue.
“As long as I am far away when it happens, I would not object,” Darcy returned. “It would lead to an explosion of epic proportions,” he clarified.
Bingley found his older sister and informed her she was now his hostess. Louisa Hurst was nervous as she knew her younger sister would not be happy about the change, but her brother assured her she would have his full support.
To recapture their sense of peace, the two friends went for a long ride after Bingley spoke to Mrs. Hurst.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Lady Matlock had interviewed four potential companions for her daughter, and so far, none of them had been a lady her daughter Tiffany would enjoy as a companion. The matter was not urgent, thanks to her niece’s residence along with her own companion.
In the meantime, until her Ladyship found a solution for her daughter, Mrs. Annesley had agreed to look after both her charge, Miss Georgiana Darcy, and Lady Tiffany Fitzwilliam.
Neither girl was troublesome, so it was no hardship for the lady to look after both of them when they were out in society without the countess or Lady Tiffany’s sister, Lady Marie Fitzwilliam, Viscountess Hilldale, who was married to the first-born Fitzwilliam son, Lord Andrew, Viscount Hilldale.
The second son of the Earl and Countess of Matlock, a little more than two years his brother’s junior and co-guardian of Georgiana, was the Honourable Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam. Richard often accompanied Mrs. Annesley and her charges, as he was on leave from the Dragoons after sustaining a wound—thankfully not serious—while with his regiment on the Peninsula.
Lady Matlock was worried about finding a companion for her daughter, but her most significant concern was for her son, Richard. This time he had taken a bullet through his left thigh, which by some miracle missed the bone in his leg or any major blood vessel.
Lady Matlock had no use for her sister-in-law, Catherine. That woman allowed selfish avarice to rule her; she would attempt anything to deny Richard his inheritance. No matter how much Lady Catherine tried to hide the information, it was known within the family that Anne had never started her courses, and even if she had, she was far too weak to perform the duties of a wife—becoming with child would be a death sentence for her.
Elaine Fitzwilliam was a lioness protecting her cub and Lady Catherine was trying to harm him. As with any lioness, she would never allow that. The upcoming Easter of 1811 would be a shock to Lady Catherine’s system as she would receive unexpected visitors in addition to William and Richard. Lady Elaine smiled as she thought about Lady Catherine’s reign of terror over her fiefdom soon coming to an end.
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