Page 57

“Excellent Andrew, thank you for that news. Now, how to we start to rehabilitate Darcy’s reputation?”

Richard made his first sally.

“We should make sure he does not own a Bingley carriage.”

“Richard! Be serious.”

“Father, I am being serious. We have to get him to give us a list of places he was seen with Bingley and especially when the sister was included. He needs to break all of these habits. I know he will remain a member of the Club, but he needs to cut back his presence, let the saga fade from prominence. And if he is driving around in a Bingley carriage that will not happen.”

“I see, you do make a valid point. I thought you were just being inappropriately jovial. What else?”

“Darcy ‘s problem is his shyness. He retreats behind this mask of hauteur and it is how most of society see him. He needs to be more outgoing. We have the perfect opportunity, Queen Charlotte’s Ball when Georgiana will make her curtsey. Every young lady in her first season, and more than a few from seasons past, will be there. All four of us will be there to support Georgie, so he can be dragooned into dancing all evening.”

He looked over at his father.

“You and mother should sit him down and remind him not to backslide. He needs to step outside his own preferences to present Georgiana and the entire Darcy family, all two of them, in the best light. He will scowl at the reminders but he has lost the right to be trusted to do the right thing.”

Both the Earl and the Countess, even their eldest to an extent, had noticed the change in Richard. Where before he had been a defender of the man, now Richard was dismissive of Darcy, and especially of his concerns. Just that week Richard had described him as ‘precious’.

--

“Before we discuss your entry into society, there is one outstanding item regarding Caroline Bingley. She was part of a small group of women, there were only eight of them, who together spread word of your supposed disgrace, and made sure that everyone knew that you were residing with your uncle and aunt. They were the collective authors of your second banishment.”

Lawrence would never admit it, especially to the lady herself, but he rather liked Lady Napier. There was nothing inappropriate about this liking, but he admired her resilience. He was conflicted as a lawyer as to whether he should admire her ruthlessness, his professional side was worried about it, the personal side supported her fully.

Caroline Bingley brought the news to London from Meryton. But it was not circulated by her alone. Each of the other seven played a part in damaging Gardiner’s business, and driving Elizabeth onto the streets.

“Drive them out of town. I am not sure what the collective noun for a group of harpies is, so let us call them a gang. Society maids, and mothers, are always afraid of gangs from the rookeries. There we have it, the name for them; a rookery of harpies. If you could pass the word to the newspapers, and their gossip pages, then we should be able to have them all retired to spinster seclusion before the end of the season. I will instruct Harriet and Mr. Jones to deal with the maids and footmen, rehire them until this is dealt with.”

Lawrence was happy to organise several anonymous leaks to the newspapers. This was the kind of vicious gossip that the papers lived for. And the society tabbies would tut-tut at the news while making sure that it was spread far and wide.

“I will get the names of all eight, I have five of the other seven so I will investigate the last two. Once the list is complete I will pass it over to the papers. They need no help from us in doing their worst.”

--

“When I put the knocker up, what will happen? Are there ladies who travel around town checking on such things?”

Harriet risked a smile at the obviously facetious question.

“No, but tradesmen passing through the square will spread the word. It will then pass from a tradesman at the back door of a townhouse, through various servants onto the mistress. And all three groups will spread the news among their peers. This is the Napier townhouse; indeed it is known as Napier House, it has been in the family for more than a century. What I have listed is all fact. But what people do with this news is where it becomes difficult to gauge. Because I do not know. Your late husband had just celebrated his 78th birthday when he passed on, so would be approaching 80 if he was still alive. All his contemporaries, his fellow peers and their wives, they are going to be of a similar age. And there are unlikely to many of them still alive. I doubt that they will want to give you consequence by visiting.

“You know Lady Jersey is over on the northwest corner of the square. And are aware that she has been asking questions, and not very subtle questions, about you.”

“I think I understand that, but you have not answered the most pressing question. Will anyone turn up unannounced at the front door?”

“I doubt it.”

“Then what am I to do?”

Harriet Underwood smiled.

“Go out and enjoy yourself. I will explain, you do not need to make that face at me.”

They laughed, Elizabeth had moments of pouting, which Harriet teased her for.

“You shop. I know that you have no time for the modiste, but they are gossips supreme, they will spread the word, allow people to identify you. Then there is your favourite haunt, the bookshop. We will set up an account with Mr. Hatchard, again this will gradually make you know to the literate. We will sit in tea shops, assiduously not noticing all the gazes upon us. I will ‘Lady Napier’ this, ‘my lady’ that, ‘of course Baroness’ the other. As the weather warms we will do the same at Gunther’s. Exhibitions, new exhibits at museums or galleries, they are all venues for your name to become known. And all through me being nothing more than polite and respectful.”

“You think someone will finally approach me?”