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“I would like you to stand up with me at my wedding.”
“I would be honoured Bingley. What is the scheduled date?”
“The Friday after Twelfth Night, the 10th.”
“I will be here. What can you tell me about your fiancé? Three months from strangers to engaged is not totally unusual but is still faster than normal.”
“Without belabouring the issues of Michaelmas, I did not socialise for most of October, concentrating on the estate. It was Charlotte who went to her father and suggested that there should be contact again. We were in each other’s company and it was such an odd thing. Suddenly she was all I could think about, and she was such a help on the estate. Now chaperoning was a challenge so it was more through discussion, but she lived through her father moving from trade out to an estate. She has literally lived through what I am hoping to achieve.”
Bingley shrugged.
“She makes me happy, and never more than when I can make her smile. Those smiles are for me and they mean so much. I asked to court her within weeks, and yet it was not even a month later before I was back asking for her hand. I know it is fashionable to sneer at a love match but we have made one. Perhaps because we were not looking for it in the first place. It snuck up on us. That is why there is not a long drawn out engagement.”
Darcy pulled Bingley to his feet and shook his hand.
“I am pleased for you my friend. It sounds like you have found the perfect companion. I only wish I could be so lucky. Now that you will have a wife here it does not sound like you will wish, or need, me to return.”
“No, the Steward has been very helpful and now I will have the benefit of Charlotte’s wisdom.”
“Will you consider buying this place?”
“Based on the projections, I should make a modest profit over the year of the lease. I am not dead set against buying the place, but I am conscious of the proximity of Charlotte’s family. We will discuss it, and if I had to guess then I would expect we will find a similar sized estate but at least in a different county. If we make a good go of this place then we might consider an estate that needs a lot of work. I have never been afraid of hard work and I might like to get a bargain. That is all to come.”
They took the opportunity to sample the brandy.
“What of you Darcy? I presume you will return to London in the morning?”
“Yes.”
“Have you seen my sister, either of them in fact?”
“No Bingley. I have not been out in society very much. I spent a lot of time thinking on my boorish behaviour and did not want to impose such manners on society. Yes, yes, I know that is overstating it more than a bit, but I was out of sorts.”
He paused.
“Despite the knocker being down, your sister did attempt to visit but I was not at home to anyone. She returned three days later but since then appears to have taken the hint.”
Bingley winced. He had hoped that his sister had given up her pointless attempts to gain the attention of Darcy.
“Talking of which, I presume they will be here for the wedding?”
Bingley nodded.
“I will overnight in St. Alban’s then and ride up the rest of the way on the morning of the ceremony.”
“You will not even stay here for one night?”
Darcy shook his head.
“I am sorry Bingley but as well as attempting to reclaim the title of gentleman, I am also working on being honest with people. Part of my ill-humour that night, no excuse mind, was that I did not wish to be alone with your sister. If I had been allowed to remain but you had taken Miss Bingley to the Assembly then none of this would have happened. I do not wish to hear her denigrate the neighbourhood, the families of gentry, your fiancé, her family, the wedding arrangements. I am prepared to bet you £50 that there will be nothing that she finds acceptable.
“Such negativity becomes very wearing. I do not wish to be exposed to it. I will take a room at the Inn here in Meryton for the day so that I can change but it is better that I keep my distance from Miss Bingley.”
Bingley had winced at least twice during that recitation, but also noted there was no heat to Darcy’s words. Caroline was not to be physically given the cut but it was clear that Darcy was prepared to act in such a manner. And Darcy’s comment about Caroline complaining about Charlotte made him angry in a way that was new to him.
Suddenly he saw no need for a large dinner for both families. The Hursts and Caroline could arrive on the Thursday, and would depart on the Friday after the wedding breakfast. There was no point in a wedding trip in January and their wedding night was not going to have guests in the house!
