Thereafter, Miss Bingley excused herself to return to her rooms and refresh herself from her travels, leaving the rest of the party behind. Bingley shook his head and sat on a nearby sofa, muttering, while Mrs. Hurst appeared unconcerned. It was Hurst who spoke first.
“Mark my words,” rumbled he, “Caroline will be a problem. If she does not attend tonight intending to give as much offense as she can, I shall eat my hat.”
“Then she will find herself returned to London at first light,” said Bingley. “I am not of a mind to accept Caroline’s poor behavior.”
“Then someone should speak to her and ensure she understands,” said Mrs. Hurst. “I shall take that duty on myself.”
Sometime later, after Darcy and Georgiana retreated to the sitting-room attached to his apartment, they sat together, considering the complication that had just presented itself. If Miss Bingley was incensed about her brother’s interest in Miss Bennet, Darcy shuddered to consider what she might do when presented with the evidence of Darcy’s interest in her sister.
“What do you suppose Miss Bingley will do?” asked Georgiana, showing a little trepidation.
Darcy chuckled darkly. “If you are asking if she will lose the use of her reason, I do not think she will. Yet I cannot suppose she has surrendered.”
Georgiana sighed. “I hope you will not blame me if I suggest that I do not care much for Miss Bingley, Brother.”
“Not at all,” replied Darcy. “I care little enough for her myself.”
“WELL, THAT HAS PUTthe fox among the hens.”
To own the truth, Louisa was feeling more than a little serene about the whole affair. Caroline’s appearance was not unexpected, nor was the displeasure she had unleashed when they had returned from Longbourn. Caroline had the capacity, of course, to make trouble, but despite her performance, Louisa thought it was not impossible to reach her sister. It would take patience, careful guidance, and courage, but Caroline would see sense. If she did not, it would redound on her own head.
“What do you mean to do about your sister?” asked Gerald when Louisa did not respond at once. “If you leave her to her own devices, I suspect none of us will like the result.”
“I shall attempt to educate her about the realities of the situation,” replied Louisa. “Once she understands, I do not think she will be unreasonable.”
Gerald snorted with disdain. “When has your sistereverbeen reasonable?”
“She has never had so much incentive to be sensible,” insisted Louisa. “Let us consider this rationally. Charles will marry Jane if she will accept him—I suspect Caroline will accept that sooner than we expect.”
“And Darcy? Do you suppose she will accept his defection, as she will call it, without making a ruckus?”
“That one may even be easier,” replied Louisa. “Unlike Charles, Caroline has no illusions about her ability to influence Mr. Darcy—though she has schemed and plotted, she knows she cannot direct him. She will not like it, and she will deplore Miss Elizabeth, but she will have no choice.”
Louisa turned to glare out the window in moody silence, knowing the path forward was not so easy as she had suggested. “We have discussed this before, but it remains the truth—it is imperative that Caroline allow this obsession of hers to wither and die. Keeping Mr. Darcy’s patronage can be nothing but beneficial for her prospects.”
“The trick is to convince her of that.”
“Leave that to me,” said Louisa.
THAT MRS. BENNET WOULDdescend into a frenzy of preparation for what was, after all, nothing more than a simple assembly did not surprise Elizabeth so much as it amused her. Long acquaintance with her mother informed her that Mrs.Bennet never did anything by half—in Mrs. Bennet’s mind, Jane was near to securing Mr. Bingley, requiring only a small push to render the matter a fait accompli.
“This fussing of yours seems excessive, Mrs. Bennet,” said her husband as he observed Mrs. Bennet adjusting the neckline of Jane’s dress. “Unless I have misjudged young Bingley, Jane has already caught him.”
“One can never be too careful, Mr. Bennet,” replied she, not even glancing back at him. “Until he proposes, he may still confound us.”
“Oh, aye,” said Mr. Bennet, vastly amused. “By all means, Mrs. Bennet, chain him to Jane so that he will not escape.”
To Elizabeth’s mild surprise, her mother ignored her father’s witticism—for that matter, Mr. Bennet appeared disappointed by his wife’s lack of response. Then she turned to Elizabeth.
“Now, Lizzy,” instructed she, “do not carry on tonight as you usually do. Mr. Darcy has been attentive to you—if you exert yourself to act in a proper, demure fashion, I dare say you could capture him in no time.”
Elizabeth exchanged a look with her father and looked away at once, keeping her expression neutral. The notion of Mrs. Bennet, of all people, warning her about proper behavior was farcical. Mrs. Bennet had sterling qualities, but the notion of how to behave in polite society was not one of them.
“Then, shall I expecttwodaughters to return from this assembly engaged?” asked Mr. Bennet, winking at Elizabeth.
“If you did,” retorted Elizabeth, “I might wonder at your perception.”
Mr. Bennet chuckled, shaking his head as he retreated to his library. Over his shoulder he said: “You must tell me all about it when you return home, Lizzy, for I am most eager to hear of your conquest.”
