Chapter 4
As soon as Miss Elizabeth was out of sight a furious Darcy made haste to detangle the acquisitive Miss Bingley from his arm. He proceeded deeper into the room to take his customary spot in front of the window, turning his back on the irksome woman to collect himself. With great fortitude he held the position and his tongue, as he fought for control of his outrage.
Meanwhile, Miss Bingley had retaken her seat on the couch after Mr Darcy had moved away and was straining her neck to observe the man from this uncomfortable angle. Caroline could tell by the set of his jaw and the slow clenching and unclenching of his right hand that her future intended was distressed. What Fitzwilliam had to be disturbed about she could not fathom, since she had been the one to deal with that Miss Eliza. She was exasperated and determined to give him only a few more moments to collect his thoughts. If he did not speak to her soon she would address him herself.
Fitzwilliam was struggling with the realization that he was going to have to tread lightly with his best friend's sister, since she was after all just that. What could he possibly say to Miss Bingley that would be strong enough to end her unfounded speculation that he would ever offer for her. He cared not a whit whether he angered the obtuse woman, but was concerned about causing a breach with his friend. Darcy was so distracted by this quandary, that he was startled when her discordant voice broke the silence of his contemplation.
"Mr Darcy, I need to speak to you immediately about a matter of that is weighing heavily upon my mind. Could you please come away from the window and have a seat?" Caroline smiled slyly and patted the spot next to her on the couch, leaving no doubt that she wanted him to sit beside her.
Darcy released a heavy sigh, turned away from the window, strolled towards the couch, and deliberately took a seat in the chair across from the insistent woman instead. The disgruntled look on her face made it clear that his choice had vexed her greatly. Did Miss Bingley truly know so little of him, after all the years of their acquaintance, to believe that he would put himself in a position to be compromised by her? It was time to see what she considered so urgent, so he could move on to voice his own concerns.
"I have complied with your request Miss Bingley, so you currently have my undivided attention. How may I be of service?" Darcy could not imagine what she had found to complain about this time. The shrew had done nothing but find fault since they had arrived, so he steeled himself expecting more of the same. Donning his mask of indifference, he waited reluctantly for her to proceed.
"You must help me convince Charles to give up Netherfield and remove back to town. This whole ridiculous undertaking has been a debacle and my brother is too enamored with being a country gentleman to see it. If you were to advise him to relinquish his lease, I am sure that he would comply. Charles always values your counsel much more than mine, since I am merely his sister and cannot speak as eloquently on the appropriate way to live the life of a true gentleman of his station as you can. Can I count on your assistance sir?" Caroline smiled in anticipation of the gentleman's favorable response and was already woolgathering about giving orders to pack.
Charles' man was too like his master and was prone to take his time about an endeavor, not to mention the gossip Jenny had provided that Hayden had taken not only to country life, but also to a young shopgirl in Meryton. Fortunately Caroline's good-natured brother was happy to largely leave the ordering of servants to his sister, and setting the distracted and dilatory servant straight would have to be her first step. Darcy's voice in an unexpectedly stringent tone interrupted her musings.
"Miss Bingley, your father charged your brother with the task of purchasing an estate and thus moving your family into the ranks of the landed gentry. Both you and your sister gave him an extensive list of essential requirements that must be met by any property he might consider acquiring. Between your stipulation that it be close to town and the required annual return of five thousand a year to match his income to date, his options were very limited. We went over Netherfield's books on our first day in residence and found that its minimum income consistently reaches at least that amount. This property would be an exceptional acquisition, so I see no reason to convince your brother to abandon it. Charles has done a marvelous job locating this estate, since land is at a premium in the area, with its placement so close to London. You should be expressing your gratitude to your brother for his persistence and diligence to fulfill your father's wishes, instead of trying to manipulate him and undermine his confidence." Although he showed no outward sign of it, Darcy was appalled at Miss Bingley selfish attitude and lack of understanding. Charles needed to sit down with both his sisters and explain all of this to them in great detail. It appeared that Caroline's statement the other evening after dinner was to be believed, and she had no understanding of their financial situation in even the meanest terms which a lady should know.
"Surely you cannot be serious Mr Darcy. This neighborhood is primitive, devoid of all acceptable entertainment, and bereft of even the most common social graces. The inhabitants are backward country folk with inadequate breeding, a deplorable lack of fashion and questionable manners. I am sure that you would never choose to reside in such a place by preference." Miss Bingley was indignant that this man, whom she had counted on for support, had refused her plea. If Caroline was not trying to court his favor she would have already quit the room, but the issue of Miss Jane Bennet still needed to be addressed and in that she was determined to have her own way.
"Madame, you have visited Pemberley, which as you know, is only five miles from Lambton. Although the town is a bit larger than Meryton, the people are much the same. I grew up in such an environment, so your argument does not stand. If you detest it here so much, you should away to town yourself and leave your brother to the business of learning to be the master of his own estate." Darcy could not help but think that her departure would be the best solution for all concerned. Charles did not need her condescending attitude and Darcy knew he would breathe easier with the irritating, spiteful and frequently disgruntled woman out of the house.
Caroline was so disconcerted that she hardly knew how to respond to that, yet onward she plunged."I cannot abandon my brother, to the likes of that young woman, Miss Jane Bennet. Charles requires my protection or that mercenary family of hers will have them married just as soon as the bans can be read. My brother cannot be allowed to waste himself on a country nobody, when he has a chance to marry a lady of quality from the ton, with a proper fortune and connections. That chit's portion is nothing more than a thousand pounds, which Charles would not see a farthing of until the death of her mother. I will not permit such a reprehensible event to occur and neither should you. As Charles's best friend you have an obligation to warn him of the perils of associating with people of their station. In this issue, at least, I trust you will lend your support and discourage any attachment to that woman on his part." Caroline was sure that this ploy would work to solicit Darcy's assistance. She just needed to reinforce the danger of the situation so Mr Darcy would comply and do her bidding. The gentleman was known to be loyal to a fault with those whom he cared about, so of course he would take action to protect his friend from an obvious fortune hunter.
"Miss Bingley your brother is five and twenty, his own master, and the head of the Bingley household. He reached his majority years ago and has no father's opinion to consider in selecting his wife." At this disclosure Darcy could not help the envy that rose within him. Charles had a freedom he never would achieve as long as his father lived. Realizing that he was drifting away from his previous train of thought Darcy refocused on the subject at hand and continued. "It is not my place nor is it yours, to meddle in Charles's affairs." Darcy was astounded and repulsed at the audacity of this creature before him. That Miss Bingley obviously believed that she could manipulate him into presenting her case to his friend was transparent. It was time to end this pretense, for he had come to the end of his patience.
"But Mr Darcy…" Caroline started to insist, but was silenced by the frustrating gentleman's command.
"No madame, that is enough. I will not converse with you on this topic any longer. Now I have a matter of great importance of my own, that I need to address with you." Darcy got up from his chair and stood in front of her. The gentleman wanted nothing more than to get this conversation over with quickly, so he could flee this harridan's company.
"Of course Mr Darcy, I would be pleased to hear anything that you wish to say to me." With her mood rapidly improving, Caroline sat up straight, smoothed out her skirt, donned her most alluring smile, and batted her eyes at him. She was sure that this was what she had been waiting for so long. Mr Darcy was going to offer her his hand.
"When I entered the house, I could not help but overhear your little tête-à-tête with Miss Elizabeth, and I was most displeased with what you were implying. We are not courting nor have I given you any encouragement, whatsoever, that such an arrangement might occur in the future. You have no right to express your possessiveness of me to anyone." Darcy glared at her and let her know the lay of the land, so to speak. He refused to tolerate any of her nonsense.
"Mr Darcy, as I declared earlier I was speaking of Charles' dog's puppies." Miss Bingley was exceedingly disappointed that this was not the address that she had hoped for, and equally displeased that Eliza Bennet, had yet again, been the cause of difficulty between Mr Darcy and herself.
"Disguise of any kind is abhorrent to me, madame, so do not lie. I am well aware of your dislike of animals, Miss Bingley. I observed your avoidance of them first hand when you were at Pemberley. You never went to the stables, so I can only assume you are not fond of horses, and anytime I would allow my favorite hounds in the house, you would either go to the far end of the room or leave it completely. I am not a fool, so do not treat me as one." Darcy knew if he let the conniving woman think she had deceived him now she would never cease her attempts to manipulate him.
"As for a match between us, surely you realize that you and I would never suit. We have nothing in common, so I suggest that you set your sights on someone who is better suited. Unlike your brother, I do have a father living, and he would never approve of you as a candidate for my wife. With that issue being addressed, I will take my leave of you. Tell your brother that I will be in the library working whenever he is ready for us to tour the property." Feeling that he had clearly stated his case to his satisfaction, Darcy walked to the door to take his leave. He turned back to Miss Bingley when she addressed him.
"Of course, Mr Darcy, I will inform Charles as soon as I see him." Caroline was disconcerted that she had been caught out, but was not about to give up. Yes, Mr Darcy did have a father who was living, and perhaps that man was the one she should focus on impressing. She was not about to give up Pemberley just yet.
"Oh, by the way Miss Bingley, if you are going to perjure yourself by creating such an obvious falsehood, you should make sure that you are at least in possession of all of the pertinent facts. It would be difficult to pick a puppy from Charles's hound's litter, because Cally just happens to be male. Have a pleasant day, madame." The gentleman bowed and exited the room quickly, leaving a stunned Miss Bingley with her mouth gaping open in his wake. At such a droll sight, the gentleman could not help the slight smirk that appeared on his face.
WITH THE ASSESSMENT of the estate completed by mid-afternoon, the two best friends took the opportunity to race each other across a fallow pasture, reveling in the speed and power of their mounts. The leisurely inspection that Bingley and Darcy had undertaken earlier had revealed some previously unnoticed drainage problems on the land at the north end of the property. When next it rained, they would have to brave the dirty weather to judge first hand the extent of the problem. If the magnitude of the issue warranted a major outlay to repair and the owner was not willing to foot the expense, then Bingley would have to reevaluate whether Netherfield would suit his purpose.
There were also some fields that revealed to be producing poorly, caused by forced over-planting ordered by the current steward. Through conversations with a few of the tenants, it became evident that the owner was only concerned with Netherfield's income and not with the long term effect such practices would have on the land. This could be countered fairly easily, at little expense by the practice of crop rotation, so the solution was not insurmountable.
When the pond that he was seeking suddenly came into view, Darcy slowly reined Othello to a walk and waited for Bingley to catch up. The gentleman had deliberately set out in this direction, knowing that this was where he would meet Elizabeth on Monday. The border between Longbourn and Netherfield loomed ahead of him, marked clearly by the stile. It seemed to mock him, being a tangible symbol of the class division that separated them. Did he have the strength and courage to jump it? That was a question he could not answer, as of yet. Darcy's earlier discussion with Miss Bingley had thrown into relief the difference between his own situation and Charles' when it came to the Misses Bennett. Increasingly he was forced to admit - if only to himself - that in this matter, he would be happy to trade places with his friend. Darcy sighed in frustration, dismounted, and headed towards the waters edge, leaving Othello behind to graze.
"I say, Darcy, do you always have to ride that beast of yours as if you have the devil himself on your tail? You know that Aster is no match for him and can never keep up." Charles noticed as he spoke that Darcy was too deeply in thought to have noticed Charles' arrival. Following his friends lead, he left his horse behind and joined him.
"Please accept my apology, Bingley, if I have offended you by leaving you in my wake. The day has been a difficult one so far and I needed to exhaust some of my frustration in a harmless way. If I was in town, I would have gone to our club to beg a fencing partner and would have worked it off through the clash of steel. Since you do not fence and I know of no one else in the vicinity who does, I chose to ride Othello hard instead." Fitzwilliam could not tell if Bingley was teasing him or not, so decided that honesty was the best course of action. He knew this conversation was going to take some time, so he chose a rock close to the pond and sat down.
"That is quite alright Darcy, and I do understand, but I am glad I do not partake of that particular sport at the moment. Considering the mood you have been in of late, I would not want to cross blades with you. I would be skewered by your foil in an instant and then Caroline would do the same to me with her tongue." Charles sat on the stump across from his friend. Darcy had been unusually preoccupied and out of sorts since they arrived in Hertfordshire. Bingley hoped that perhaps now, that they were alone, he would find out why.
"Speaking of your sister Bingley, my honor as a gentleman requires me to confess that I had to reprimand Miss Bingley this morning. When I returned to the house from my daily outing, I overheard some disparaging remarks she was making to Miss Elizabeth, along with a clearly stated declaration of ownership of me. You know I have never encouraged your sister to expect my address, so under the circumstances, I felt it was necessary to set her straight once and for all. I trust you are not disappointed with my lack of restraint, considering the seriousness of her provocation." Darcy was truly contrite at having to make this admission and hoped that Bingley would understand. If Miss Bingley's ambitions resulted in the end of his friendship with her brother, he would never forgive the harridan.
"Good lord Darcy, of course I am not upset with you. What did Caroline say to finally cause you to lose patience with her proprietorial attitude towards you?" Charles was not really surprised by the events of the morning, since he had known for a long time this day would come. He had tried to tell Caroline that Darcy was not interested in her, but she would not hear a word of it.
"In the most cruel and vulgar terms imaginable, your sister proclaimed that Miss Elizabeth would fail in securing me because I belonged to her. When I confronted her with that statement, she tried to tell me that your dog had whelped a litter of puppies and she was speaking of the one she had chosen." Darcy could not help but smile at the look of disbelief on Bingley's face.
"How could Caroline possibly be ignorant enough to believe either of those fallacies? I have to admit that I am mortified to claim such an unobservant and tenacious creature as my sister. Please forgive me Darcy, for any discomfort that was inflicted on you by her absurd assertion." Bingley looked down in embarrassment. He now dreaded his return to the house and the span of time before dinner when he knew he would have to seek Caroline out and warn her off once again.
"Do not worry about it Bingley, I made my displeasure and disinterest known in the strongest of terms. We all have relations that we would prefer not to acknowledge." Darcy thought of his father and Aunt Catherine with disgust. "You know you might have saved your sister the humiliation of creating such an untruth, if you would call your hound by his proper name, Caliban. Since you chose to give him an undignified moniker like Cally, no wonder Miss Bingley was confused by his gender." Darcy had ribbed his friend about his choice of nickname for the beast since their days at Cambridge.
"Well, how was I to know that such an ugly puppy would grow up to be the fine looking fellow he is today? Besides, Cally rolls off the tongue so easily when I call him to heel and Caliban… well it does not." Bingley was still a bit indignant at his friend's jest, even after years of enduring it. He stood up, picked up a flat stone and tried to skip it across the water. All it did was land with a very satisfying plop.
Darcy could not help but notice that as Bingley arose, he seemed agitated and distracted by something. Darcy could not be sure if it was about his teasing over the dog's name or about his confrontation with Miss Bingley. Maybe talking about a more pleasant subject, like Miss Bennet, would put him in a better frame of mind.
"Bingley, may I ask you a personal question?" Darcy watched as his friend frowned for a moment in thought, then smiled at him once again and returned to reclaim his seat.
"We have always been able to talk about anything and everything, so I can not imagine you asking me something that I would refuse to answer." The gentleman sat back and watched Darcy struggle to compose his thoughts, curious about the nature of his inquiry.
"What is your opinion of Miss Jane Bennet? I know that you admire her, but are your intentions of a serious nature?" Darcy watched his friend's face as it slowly changed into a brilliant smile.
"She is the most beautiful angel I have ever seen in all my days and I am very attracted to her, but beyond that I am unsure. Miss Bennet and I have spent little time together in the last few weeks and even though she has been in my home for days now, her health has been poor the majority of the time. Why do you want to know my regard for her Darcy? Are you interested in her as well?" Charles was feeling a bit jealous and threatened by Darcy's query. His friend had never asked him about a woman that he was interested in before. The only reason that Bingley could think of for him doing it now was the possibility of Darcy's own personal regard for her.
"No, not at all Bingley; It is just that I had a conversation with Miss Elizabeth this morning and she inquired about your steadfastness and experience with the ladies. It appears that she is concerned with protecting her sister from disappointed hopes." With the appearance of Bingley's look of shock and indignation, Darcy was concerned that perhaps he had gone to far this time. An obviously affronted Bingley had shot up from his log and was now standing in front of him outraged.
"You know I have never deliberately trifled with a woman's affections Darcy, so I cannot imagine why I would start now." Bingley balled up his fists and tried to rein his ire in. Never in all their years of friendship, had Fitzwilliam questioned his integrity and Charles was most vexed that it was happening now.
"Please pardon me if I have offended you Bingley. Never have I doubted your honor as a gentleman." Darcy was grateful to see his friend's tense posture start to ease and he headed back to the stump. Once Bingley was seated again, he breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed. "All I am asking of you, is to please be circumspect with your attentions to Miss Bennet until you are sure of your inclination towards her. Miss Elizabeth would be quite displeased if her sister was hurt, whether it was intentionally done or not." Darcy did not wish this to be the cause of a breach between him and his friend, but if Miss Elizabeth's assessment of her sister's nature was true, then Bingley needed to be warned to proceed with caution.
"How did you come to have this conversation with Miss Elizabeth in the first place Darcy, since you seem to avoid her company whenever possible?" Charles had regained his composure as soon as he realized the Darcy was not casting aspersions on his character. Now he was more confused by the circumstance than distressed, and intrigued by the possible window into MissJane Bennett's character that he might be able to glean from his friend's conversation with Miss Elizabeth.
"Instead of riding out this morning, Miss Elizabeth and I went for a walk. Remind me to show you the beautiful glen she took me to sometime during my stay. It is truly worth the effort it takes to get there." Darcy chose to ignore Bingley's comment on his treatment of Miss Elizabeth and focused on making light of the whole experience. By the look of him, though, his friend was not going to let it pass that easily.
"I do not understand why you would torment yourself with such an undertaking, since you obviously have little regard for her." Darcy's discomfort was palpable, which increased Charles' bewilderment. His friend rarely showed emotion and Bingley had never seen him display this much in one day, let alone in less than an hour.
"Whatever gave you that impression, Bingley?" Darcy was appalled that Bingley had somehow reached the same conclusion as Miss have his actions misinterpreted by an acquaintance was a situation familiar to Darcy, but to be misunderstood by a dear friend was considerably more worrisome. The dilemma made him restless. He needed to move about, now, so he got up and started to pace.
"I do not know. Could it be the fact that you refused to dance with her at the assembly, that you stare at her constantly with a scowl on your face, or perhaps that you argue and bait her anytime you have a conversation." Charles ticked each item off on his fingers, as he watched Darcy march back and forth. He could not believe he was having to state the obvious to the gentleman. Did Darcy not know his own mind?
"This is your opinion of my regard for her? Did you ever consider that there might be another reason for my actions? You have seen me amongst the ladies of society, Bingley. Do I stare at them, argue and bait them or even converse with them at all?" The heir to Pemberley was at his wits end with his obtuse companion. He thought for sure that at least Bingley would understand what he was going through.
"Well, no you do not, unless you are forced to out of self preservation." Charles knitted his brow in frustration, trying to figure out what his friend was alluding to. Suddenly the truth that had been staring him in the face the whole time dawned on him. "Oh merciful father in heaven, you are enamored with Miss Elizabeth. Have you finally fallen in love, my friend?" Charles was overjoyed with the prospect. Darcy had been alone ever since his mother died and Charles wanted nothing more for his friend then his happiness.
"No Bingley, I am not in love yet, but I do have an ever growing admiration and respect for the lady. She is the most amazing and intriguing creature that I have ever met, and I have long held the belief that she is by far the handsomest woman of my acquaintance." Darcy stopped moving and turned toward Bingley with a smile on his face.
"Well, good for you my friend. It is about bloody time that someone breached that wall that encases your heart. Miss Elizabeth is obviously your intellectual equal, since half of the time, I have not a clue what you two are talking about. She has clearly displayed a kind and compassionate heart with the excellent care she has given her sister, and she is obviously fiercely loyal to those that she loves." As Charles listed Miss Elizabeth's attributes one by one it became clear to him that she was Darcy's perfect match. Now he just needed to get his friend to listen to reason. "I do have one observation to impart though. If you think that your behavior constitutes flirting and courting, I believe you need to try another approach, because you are failing miserably with this one. By the way you treat her, the poor woman probably believes that you abhor her and look at her only to find fault." Bingley laughed as he teased his friend, but he hoped that Darcy would see the truth hidden in his jest.
"Do you not understand Bingley, that I am very conflicted and at a loss as to what to do about this situation?" Darcy was not in the mood for Bingley's levity. Could Charles not see the seriousness of his plight?
"What is there to understand, Darcy? You woo her, you court her and then you marry… Oh, this dubiety is about your father is it not? He would never approve of her, would he?" It dawned on Bingley, as an afterthought, exactly what the problem was with this match. He had met the elder Mr Darcy on numerous occasions and knew he was greatly concerned with duty and maintaining the family's position within the ton.
"No, he would not." Darcy had spent all of his life having his father drum duty and family honor into his head. If he presented the patriarch with a penniless country gentleman's daughter with connections in trade as his choice for the future Mistress of Pemberley, the elder Mr. Darcy's ire would be felt all the way to Cheapside and beyond.
"What are you going to do, Darcy?" Charles regretted that his own father was dead, but at the moment he was glad that his choice of wife needed the approval of no one. Poor Darcy was in such a state that he had now added running his fingers through his hair to his agitated pacing. Charles could not help but pity the man.
"Avoid her, distance myself from her, or leave here and go back to London to escape her." With each solution that Darcy voiced he grew more and more despondent. "I do not know what to do Bingley. What I do recognize is that trying to stay away from Miss Elizabeth is like trying to keep a moth away from a flame. It is just not working. I promised myself, just yesterday morning, that I would disregard her presence, no matter what she did to draw my attention and then found myself walking out with her today. What if I am lost to her and can never get past this powerful attraction?" If the ever increasing pain in his chest at the thought of losing her was any indication, he would have to reevaluate his earlier statement to Bingley. He may well be in love with Miss Elizabeth already, if not from the very first moment he witnessed that spark of intelligence in her fine eyes.
"Have you considered going against your fathers wishes and thinking about your own felicity for a change?" Charles knew he was broaching a dangerous notion to Darcy, but he had to make sure that his friend had explored all of his available options.
"Oh yes, every time I hear Miss Elizabeth's infectious laughter or see the captivating twinkle of amusement in her eyes. Admittedly, I have thought about little else." Darcy was embarrassed by this confession, since he had not intended to share this with anyone. No matter whether he condoned his fathers beliefs or not, Darcy still owed him his loyalty.
"What do you think the consequences of marrying without your father's consent would be?" Charles knew that Darcy would have to face his deepest fears before he would be free to make an objective decision about his future.
"I do not know, but you can be sure it would be most unpleasant. The worst case scenario, I guess, would be if he chose to disinherit me or perhaps disavow me before society." Darcy had exhausted himself in his fit of pensiveness and strolled back to sit on the rock. All of his potential options in pursuing his affection for Miss Elizabeth would cause suffering to someone else, while avoiding her would injure only himself.
"The loss of Pemberley would be a great sacrifice indeed, but since when have you cared about the good opinion of the ton. You cannot stand most of them and barely tolerate the rest." The loss of Pemberley, Charles realized, would be devastating for Darcy if such a thing were to happen, because it was the only place that his friend truly felt at home.
"That is true. If I had my way, I would stay at Pemberley all the time and avoid town completely. The only things I would miss would be the theatre and my tailor." Darcy had to laugh at the absurdity that the only person he would regret was the one who dressed him.
"Not necessarily in that order, would be my guess; but how would you live? I would offer you a place here with me, but I doubt you would want to live with Caroline. Would Lord and Lady Matlock take you in?" Charles was concerned for Darcy's wellbeing. On the bright side of the situation, if Darcy lost Pemberley, Caroline would finally give up on him.
"Thank you Bingley for your kind offer, but no thank you." Darcy found that Charles was a pleasant enough housemate, but he shuddered at the thought of having to be obligated to Caroline Bingley for his support. "The Matlocks, I am sure, would gladly rescue me if that became necessary, since they rarely agree with father's ideas on anything, but I have no need of their help." Darcy had known for a long time that he took after his Fitzwilliam blood more than the Darcys' and was glad of it.
He continued to expound on his hypothetical options. "I have made some prudent investments on my own, that are doing quite well, so I would not be strapped for funds. Then there is the estate in Scotland that I inherited from my grandmother Darcy, which is about the size of Netherfield. Its income is about half of Pemberley's, but I would not be without a roof over my head." Darcy had only seen Lochnorris once, but it was a beautiful place and he thought that he could be content there easily enough.
"This is all conjecture, of course, since I am in no way sure of the depth of my feelings for the lady." Knowing that he had not made any decision, but happy to have had the opportunity to discuss the feelings that plagued him with a trusted confidante, Darcy got up, slapped Bingley on the back, went to retrieve Othello and led him to the stile to mount. Bingley followed his lead, and after both men were seated, they turned the animals towards the house.
"I appreciate you letting me air my thoughts, Bingley. It has helped me put them in perspective." Darcy kicked his horse and started to pull ahead slowly. Bingley quickly caught up, until they were riding alongside each other.
"It was my pleasure, Darcy, since that is what friends are for, is it not. Keep a stiff upper lip old man. Everything will work out for the best in the end." Charles had to have faith that his statement would come true, for Darcy's sake.
"I truly hope you are correct, Bingley. Shall we race back to the house?" Othello was already prancing, impatiently straining against his reins and Darcy was ready to accommodate him.
"Why not, although you know I will never win." Aster was responding to Othello's challenge as well, by sidestepping and fighting Bingley's control.
"That is what I am counting on my friend. See you back at the stables." Darcy gave Othello a quick kick and his head, leaving Bingley behind in a cloud of dust. Bingley kicked his mount into a gallop and trailed behind as usual. As much as he loved Aster, maybe it was time to find a faster horse.
AN: Thanks to all the wonderful readers who are following this story. The support has been overwhelmingly positive so far. To the guest reviewers that I have had, I want you to know that I appreciate your enlightening responses and regret that I can't thank each one of you personally. Critics and comments are always welcome so please continue to share your thoughts. I do respond to every one.