An Accident at Pemberley, page 31
"Forgive me. However, due to her faint, Beth does not remember anything of what you attempted. I do not wish for her to ever know. I will accept your apology and make every effort to forgive you, but it will take time. If—or perhaps I should say when—you are next in Mrs. Darcy's company, I will expect you to treat her with the utmost respect and preferably keep your distance and not act overly friendly. It is only because you did not cause her worse harm that I am even speaking to you at present. I will allow you back in our company and homes, but it may take a while before I am willing to make such an invitation."
"I understand, Darcy, and it is no more than I deserve. I am truly sorry."
Darcy nodded as he watched his cousin walk away.
The following morning, in a rented carriage, Viscount Lockhart, Matthew Fitzwilliam, began the long journey north to the family estate, Lockwood, near Matlock. He recognized that this was his last chance. Should he fall back into his bad behaviors, Mathew might lose the remainder of his inheritance, but what would bother him more would be losing the respect and love of his parents. It was with a new sense of determination and purpose that he looked forward to arriving at the family estate.
The Consequences of Bad Behavior:
Part 2 - Miss Bingley
The day after the Netherfield ball
As Elizabeth had to remain in bed for the day, Darcy and Lady Anne broke their fast in her room. A little past noon, Miss Bennet and Miss Kitty arrived to visit their sister. Insisting she and Darcy join their hosts and other family members for lunch, Lady Anne arranged with the housekeeper to deliver trays to the three sisters. They met the Fitzwilliams near the stairs and descended together.
Just before they reached the dining room, Miss Bingley was heard saying, "I do not believe Miss Chamberlayne will be joining us today. Someone mentioned she felt unwell when the ball ended." No one missed her emphasis on the word "miss" and wondered at it.
"Where did you hear that?" asked Bingley.
With an airy wave of her hand, Caroline said, "One of the servants, I think. It is a matter of little importance." The other siblings shared a look at her careless, unfeeling words.
Outside the door, Lady Anne placed a calming hand on her son's arm. At the same time, Richard clamped a hand on his cousin's shoulder to restrain him, whispering, "You must give Bingley time to sort out matters with his sister."
As they entered the dining room, Bingley greeted his guests. After they fixed their plates, each chose a seat at the table as far from Miss Bingley as possible.
Speaking over her brother, Miss Bingley said, "Good afternoon, Mr. Darcy. Did you enjoy the ball? How disappointing we were not able to share a dance as we usually do." She smiled at him as though they shared a secret. Darcy's expression displayed his disgust with the woman, and he did not acknowledge her words.
During the meal, Miss Bingley dominated the conversation. She related all the compliments she had received the previous evening and moved on to begging for news from town. "It is quite boring being buried in the country for such an extended period, particularly in such a provincial area.”
The other diners spoke quietly among themselves, never addressing Miss Bingley. Consequently, when she addressed someone directly, the replies were terse, though she blithely continued as though their behavior was perfectly normal.
As the meal ended, Caroline again spoke to Darcy. "Shall you join me for a turn about the gardens, Mr. Darcy?"
He turned a cold look on her, almost shouting, "No!" before stalking away. Caroline looked after him in surprise.
Before his sister could make matters worse, Bingley jumped in. "Actually, Caroline, I must speak with you about a few matters, if you would spare me a moment of your time."
"Not now, Charles, as I must attend to my hostessing duties."
"You need not worry about us, Miss Bingley. We plan to relax in our sitting rooms for some time. It was a very late evening." Lady Matlock spoke for the family, and those remaining excused themselves and returned upstairs.
Standing, Charles exchanged a look with Louisa before assisting Caroline from her chair. With the Hursts following, he led his family to his study. Charles indicated Caroline was to take a seat before his desk. He took the seat behind it. Hurst helped his wife into the chair next to her sister before pulling up a chair for himself on Caroline's other side.
Knowing his sister thrived on praise, Charles began the conversation on a pleasant note. "The ball was quite a success. You did an excellent job with the arrangements."
Caroline preened. "Thank you, Charles."
"As I wished to dance with you, I had looked for you after the eighth set but did not see you anywhere in the ballroom. Did a problem take you away?"
"Nothing of significance. Just a minor irritation."
"Someone said they saw you exiting the ballroom with Miss Chamberlayne."
After a slight hesitation, Caroline answered. "Oh, yes. She was feeling faint, so I took her to the balcony and then into the library. I left to find her aunt, but saw Viscount Lockhart entering the room and assumed he would assist her or find his relation."
"You left her alone with a single gentleman when she was not feeling well? Did you give no thought to her reputation?"
"They are practically related. I am sure there could be no question of propriety."
"Would you feel the same had the two people been Mr. Darcy and Miss de Bourgh?"
A look of shock appeared on her face. "Mr. Darcy would never be so careless of his reputation as to risk entrapment in such a way. He often states his aunt's wish will never come true."
"So it would be dangerous for Darcy's reputation, but you did not have the same concern for Miss Chamberlayne's despite knowing the viscount is a bit of a rake? For your sake, I hope Lady Anne and Mr. Darcy see the situation the same way." Bingley fought to contain his anger at her cold, calculated replies.
A look of cunning appeared on Miss Bingley's face. "Perhaps they planned it. Perhaps Miss Chamberlayne is nothing more than an adventuress who wishes to embroil a peer in a scandal and force him to marry her. The young woman must be grasping, indeed, if Mr. Darcy of Pemberley will not satisfy her."
"Enough of your lies, Caroline. Lady Matlock told us she informed you that Darcy had married his cousin only a few days before the ball. You were observed dragging her off the dance floor and you physically assaulted her. Only the viscount's interruption prevented you from doing further harm."
"How can you believe such a thing of your sister, Charles?" Caroline made a show of indignation. "It must be as I said—they arranged to meet. If any harm came to Miss Chamberlayne, it is more likely she failed in her plans to force a compromise and the viscount was obliged to defend himself from her advances. She might have inflicted her own injuries to validate her story."
"Enough, Caroline! Are you delusional or simply devoid of proper feelings?"
"You are very unkind, Charles. I will not stay a moment longer and listen to these insults." Caroline rose from her chair, intending to depart, but Hurst's firm grasp on her arm forestalled her.
Louisa spoke, attempting to placate her sister. "Charles did not mean anything by his words, Caroline. He is simply concerned for your reputation as a hostess. If someone discovered what happened, it would reflect poorly on our family. Please sit down and let us discuss this further. We must at least create a good explanation of the events in case of gossip. Let me get you a glass of wine, or would you prefer sherry?"
Caroline returned to her seat. "Thank you, Louisa, sherry would be fine."
Louisa moved to the cabinet where the decanters sat and reached for a glass. Charles, forcing his voice to sound contrite, attempted to distract his sister. "Forgive me if I misspoke. It was not my intention to insult you." With Charles’ words distracting Caroline, Louisa placed a large dose of laudanum to the glass before quickly adding the sherry.
"Here you are." Louisa held the glass to her sister. "Take several sips to calm your nerves.”
While Caroline did as instructed, Hurst spoke. "Will we ever know the truth of what happened, or will it always be a matter of his word against hers?"
Her voice slightly slurred, Caroline said, "Always take the word of a peer over an insignificant miss."
"Have another drink, Caroline," Hurst encouraged, "then tell us why you believe that. Bingley and I have undoubtedly met several untrustworthy peers at our club.”
After three more sips, Miss Bingley slumped over in her chair. The others in the room exchanged relieved sighs. Charles picked up his sister and carried her to her room. He rang for Caroline’s maid and instructed the girl to sit with her mistress. "Miss Bingley should not be left alone. If she begins to awaken, please hasten to summon Mrs. Hurst."
Returning to the study, Bingley sank into the chair behind his desk. "Well, what do you think?"
Louisa looked at her husband and her brother but did not speak. After a few minutes of silence, Hurst spoke. "Caroline is uniformly unreasonable and hears only what she wishes to hear. Her temper is quick, and she refuses to take responsibility for her actions. Caroline is not crazy, quite the contrary. She is manipulative, calculating and as ruthless as any man when it comes to getting what she wants. My suggestion would be to take away her abilities to do that. Arrange a marriage for her, and I would not make it one that rewards her for her actions."
The siblings stared at Mr. Hurst as though dumbfounded. Finally, a laugh erupted from Charles. "Hurst, for a man who rarely participates in conversation and appears to be asleep more often than not, you are very astute. The question is, how to find such a match?"
"You must still possess some connections in trade; perhaps one of them needs a wife." Hurst failed to contain a smirk. "Marrying her to a tradesman would force Caroline to accept her heritage, which as you know is something she prefers to forget."
"She must learn such behavior is unsuitable for the society she wishes to join, but I do hope you will not choose someone who will be unkind to or harsh with her, Charles.” Louisa said. “She is still our sister."
"Caroline must learn a lesson, Louisa, not face harm. Well, we have an ultimate solution, but what do we do in the meantime? She cannot stay here with Mr. and Mrs. Darcy. They were planning to remain at Netherfield until our wedding."
"How long will you need to find someone to marry her?"
"I will send a note to Mr. Gardiner. Perhaps he knows of someone who fills our need."
"An excellent idea, Bingley. If you send it immediately, you may possess a name by the end of the day. If you send an express, you may receive a reply as early as tomorrow." Again, Hurst chuckled.
Her expression doubtful, Louisa raised several concerns. "What if Mr. Darcy does not find this solution to be an acceptable recompense for what Caroline did to his wife? Or what if we cannot find anyone willing to marry her?"
"What if we ask Colonel and Lady Matlock to join us?" suggested Hurst. "The colonel understands his cousin better than anyone, and Lady Matlock may have suggestions for quashing any pretentions Caroline has about returning to London after what she did."
Bingley reached for the bell pull. When a footman appeared, he asked him to request that Lady Matlock and Colonel Fitzwilliam join them in the study. "Also, please send in a tea tray.”
Their guests arrived at the same time as the refreshments. The group had moved to the comfortable furniture before the fireplace and Louisa poured tea for everyone. Bingley explained their discussion with Caroline and the decision they had made regarding her behavior. The colonel could not help but chuckle as he listened, though Lady Matlock's reaction was less pleased.
“Now, Lady Matlock, should it be necessary, we would like to request your participation during the discussion with Caroline. At the subject of marriage, I expect my sister to insist she can find herself a husband among the ton. We do not want this forced marriage to in any way appear to be a reward. It is our hope you can suppress her overinflated sense of importance. Caroline must realize this arranged marriage is her only option unless she chooses to live alone or with relations in Scarborough. Also, if she chooses an establishment of her own, or if we can find no one to accept her, she must live frugally to ensure her dowry lasts for her lifetime. She will have no contact or assistance from us. That will change only if she shows honest repentance and remorse." That thought brought a flash of expression to the countess' face.
"That is a situation with which I can help, as I am not without influence. Your sister will understand she is no longer welcome in polite society and risks the direct cut should she appear. Her only choices will be fortune hunters and rakes." Lady Matlock's voice contained steel.
"Mentioning that might not help, Lady Matlock," offered Louisa. "Caroline might willingly accept one if he had a title that elevated her above Mrs. Darcy. Then she would attempt to lord her position over Mrs. Darcy and would not hesitate to damage the lady’s reputation."
Her ladyship's soft laugh mixed with the deeper laughter of the gentleman. "When I am through with her, she will be in no doubt of her position. However, I must ask you not take anything I say to her personally. Mr. Bingley, your pleasant demeanor and congenial manners have hastened your acceptance by society. However, your sister's behavior has had the opposite effect. She is disliked for her haughtiness given her humble origins."
"We would appreciate any support. This will not be an easy interview." A rueful grin accompanied Bingley's words. "Louisa was concerned about Darcy's reaction to our plan, so we hoped, Colonel, you might gauge his feelings about our solution."
"In this case, I am afraid I do not know how Darcy will react. Mrs. Darcy is his world, and he is angrier than I can ever recall seeing him. You will need to discuss it with Darcy."
"Though I dread the encounter, I shall do what I must."
"May I add my opinion about William's reaction?" Lady Matlock asked.
"Of course, my lady.”
"He will probably accept your decision. He will not wish to be in Caroline's company again, so having her marry outside society is a wise choice. If Darcy encounters her when she is not in the company of her family, it is safe to say he will cut her."
"Should I discuss the plan with Darcy before we find a husband for my sister or wait until the marriage settlement is signed? As part of her punishment, she must apologize to Mr. and Mrs. Darcy."
"Perhaps waiting until you identify a potential gentleman is best."
"A note has already gone to Mr. Gardiner to determine whether he is aware of someone who would suit our purposes."
"Then I believe you have done all you can for the moment. Let me know if I am needed, Mr. Bingley.”
"Thank you, Lady Matlock, Colonel Fitzwilliam. Also, please accept the apologies of the rest of my family for my sister's contemptible behavior."
Shortly after the departure of the countess and the colonel, the Netherfield Park butler announced a visitor. "Mr. Gardiner, sir."
"Good afternoon, Mr. Bingley. How can I help you today?"
Not knowing if Mr. Gardiner had any knowledge of what had happened to Elizabeth the previous evening, Bingley paused to think about how he would proceed. "Did you and your wife enjoy the ball?"
"Indeed, we did, but I doubt that is what you wished to discuss with me."
"No, it is not. As you know, I learned last evening that my sister, Miss Bingley, did not take well the news of Mr. and Mrs. Darcy's marriage.”
Mr. Gardiner’s scowl confirmed his knowledge of the events.
“Despite being told many times that Darcy had no interest in marrying her, she continued believing he would one day ask for her hand. Wearing him down was Caroline's plan." Both men guffawed. "I digress. Because of the poor way she acted, I must take her in hand and find a husband for her. In her persistent pursuit of Darcy, she has managed to alienate several others who might have been interested in her. We wondered if you know of any respectable tradesman who might need a wife."
"You wish your sister to marry a tradesman." Mr. Gardiner's shock showed on his face. "Pardon me, that was not appropriate. It is simply that she obviously wishes to marry into society’s upper echelons. Also, you are trying to purchase an estate and become a gentleman. It surprises me that you want her to marry down."
"Unfortunately, my sister frequently belittles those of higher standing to puff up her consequence. It has done nothing for her among the ton, but she deludes herself into thinking she is one of them—or should I say, desires to be one of them. She must learn humility and to appreciate the hard work of my father and grandfather, which allowed her the comforts she takes for granted. If you knew of someone who would require her assistance in his business, I think that might be the perfect situation. We do not wish to see her mistreated but we cannot reward her for her years of bad behavior. It might be best that whoever you recommend not be a close friend, as marriage to my sister might ruin your friendship." Again, neither man bothered to hold back a laugh.
While Mr. Gardiner sat deep in thought, Bingley moved to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a drink. Raising the glass in Mr. Gardiner's direction and seeing the gentleman’s nod, Bingley poured another. He handed it to his guest before returning to his seat.
Finally, Mr. Gardiner spoke. "A business associate was telling me of an acquaintance of his. The young man is the son of a friend. Jacob Bailey—that is the young man's name—used a small inheritance to purchase a warehouse and buy as much cotton as he could. Then he developed close relationships with several mill owners. Jacob seeks to create the same kind of relationship with several of the southern landowners. He desires to guarantee a supply for the mills with which he deals. He will act as broker. Jacob has spoken of the need for a wife to allow him to entertain occasionally as he grows his business relationships. As he will be leaving the country soon, he might be willing to marry and use the trip as a honeymoon. Your sister's dowry is substantial, I believe, which will appeal to him. The fact that she is fashionable, well-dressed, and trained for a role in society can only be points in her favor."
