~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Caroline Bingley was rather bored. Her brother was moping around as if he had lost something of value with Miss Jane Bennet. Mr Darcy was in Kent visiting that sickly cousin to whom he was supposedly engaged. That could not be because he would marry Caroline one day, soon, she hoped.
As such, she ordered Louisa to accompany her in theopen landau to ride through Hyde Park to see and be seen.
Mrs Hurst would have preferred to remain at Hurst House on Curzon Street, but she knew better than to oppose her younger, far more forceful, sister. Hence, she followed Caroline into the carriage without audible complaint.
Just to make sure that no one was at Darcy House, Miss Bingley ordered the coachman to first drive around Grosvenor Square. Mr Darcy’s House was just as closed up as the last time she had ridden past it. From there they took Grosvenor Street towards Park Lane and the Grosvenor gate into the park.
As they reached the corner of Park Lane and Grosvenor Street, Miss Bingley turned to look longingly at the palatial Holder House. She could not believe what she was seeing. “Louisa, look! That insipid Jane Bennet is being shown into Holder House. Unless she is being offeredcarte blanchby the earl, there is no reason for that nobody to be here,” Miss Bingley insisted.
Had she waited another minute before the coachman moved off, she would have seen the maid alighting after Miss Bennet.
“That may be, but Caroline, you know how powerful the Carringtons are in society, so any gossip you spread about Miss Bennet and them you do at your own peril,” Mrs Hurst warned.
“I will not do that,” Miss Bingley prevaricated. “However, the news will cause our brother to get over her, and when I tell Mr Darcy he will forget all about that chit Eliza and herfineeyes. I cannot believe that as a kept woman she dared to call on us. Thank goodness, no one was aware of the tenuous connection we had.”
During the time they were in the park, Miss Bingley noticed none of those she wanted to see or be seen by as she planned how she would use this juicy gossip to her advantage.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The Carrington parents and their daughters could not have been more pleased that Jamey had requested and been granted a courtship.
Lady Edith was quite certain that she was looking at the next Viscountess Hadlock. Jamey could not have chosen a better lady. If they married, he would owe Priscilla a great debt for running into Miss Bennet in Hyde Park that day.
When Jane returned to Gracechurch Street, she sat down to write to her sister and best friend. There was much to tell Lizzy.
Chapter7
Colonel Fitzwilliam was preoccupied as he walked thinking about his parents’ physician’s report delivered a few days past. The man had said that adding items to assist with nutrition would make Miss de Bourgh a little stronger, but it would not change the inevitable, which was her going home to God to be reunited with her father once again. Evidently, the damage wrought by the scarlet fever had been too severe on her body, which was now, in his words, fighting a losing battle. Those were terms Fitzwilliam could understand. His help had given Anne some more time but no more than that.
Also, Anna had chosen to remain at Matlock House with her companion and a host of staff and servants. The poor dear was entirely intimidated by Lady Catherine. When the worst happened, Anna would have to come to Rosings Park to be with the family. However, Fitzwilliam was confident his aunt would have much more to think about than importuning Anna about practicing on the pianoforte.
William was going over the estate accounts with Father and Andrew, which had precluded him from walking out as he seemed to want to do most mornings. Fitzwilliam absentmindedly headed for the groves.
Refusing to be diverted by Mr Darcy spoiling her solitary time in nature, Elizabeth had walked out as she normally did. As much as she looked forward to her walk, hopefullysansMr Darcy, Elizabeth was also in anticipation of dinner at Rosings Park this evening. She was looking forward to seeing that her ideas about the noble Fitzwilliams were correct.
She could not but smile when she remembered the almost unending effusions emanating from her cousin when he received the note from Lady Catherine regarding the dinner upcoming. He had been in a state of melancholy because he had been denied thehonourof being in his patroness’s company since the earl, the countess, and the viscount arrived. The invitation changed all of that in an instant. Saying that Mr Collins had begun to sing paeans of praise would have been an understatement.
Seeing a male form ahead of her, Elizabeth almost huffed with exasperation that Mr Darcy was disturbing her walk again. Thankfully, she looked up and saw that rather than Mr Darcy it was his affable and entertaining cousin.
“Good morning, Miss Bennet,” Fitzwilliam greeted as he bowed.
“And to you, Colonel,” Elizabeth returned gaily with a curtsy. This was much better than the dishonourable Mr Darcy appearing. “We are all in anticipation of meeting your parents and brother at dinner. I trust all is well with them?” She chose not to mention her surprise they would condescend to be introduced to those so far below them as it would have been rather rude.
“Thank you for asking, my parents and brother are well, as you will see for yourself when you and the rest of the residents at the Parsonage come to Rosings Park this evening.” Fitzwilliam would have mentioned Anne’s situation, except it had been decided not to speak of it outside of their family circle.
Although Elizabeth was not sorry Mr Darcy was nowhere to be seen, she wondered how it was that Colonel Fitzwilliam was on a path in the groves. “I have never noticed you walk this way before. Is today a special occasion?”
“It is my habit, while Darcy and I are here, to make a tourof the park,” Fitzwilliam replied. As he had not paid attention to where he was walking, he decided to give her a plausible reason. “Today was as good as any for my tour, and I walked this way as I intended to end it with a call on those residing in the Parsonage.” He paused and then asked, “Are you going much farther?”
“I was to walk to the clearing, where the paths meet, and then take the path through the other grove to return to Mr Collins’s house.”
“Do you object to company as you walk?”
“Not in the least; you are welcome to join me.” To herself she added, ‘And you are much less objectionable company than your insufferable, hateful cousin.’
“Thank you.” Fitzwilliam offered Miss Bennet his arm, which she took.
