4. NEW FRIENDS AND OLD FOES
The visitors were afforded another perfect summer day on their second visit to Pemberley. Elizabeth and the Gardiners were welcomed most cordially by Mr. and Miss Darcy. It was only a short time later when Mr. Darcy, Mr. Gardiner, Mr. Bingley and Mr. Hurst departed for Darcy's favorite trout fishing spot on the estate. The gentlemen enjoyed a morning of sport, with Darcy and Mr. Gardiner having the opportunity to become better acquainted. Mr. Gardiner entertained him with stories of Elizabeth's childhood. Both men were successful in their catches, as was Mr. Hurst. Charles Bingley with his usual exuberance and chatty ways did not catch anything and had to be rescued from almost falling into the stream during one of his casts.
Elizabeth, knowing that the 'superior sisters,' as she had dubbed Mr. Bingley's sisters during their stay in Hertfordshire, were also in residence, did not have high expectations for the morning spent without the gentlemen; she was not disappointed. Fortunately, the Bingley ladies were not early risers, allowing Miss Darcy, Elizabeth, Mrs. Gardiner, and Mrs. Annesley to enjoy breakfast together and two hours of pleasant conversation before making their appearance. Elizabeth had been delighted by the opportunity to get to know Miss Darcy better. Mrs. Gardiner and Mrs. Annesley had observed with pleasure as Elizabeth's confidence and easy manners drew the shy Miss Darcy from her shell. Their relationship had progressed to they point they were on a first name basis. They were laughing like old friends when Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst entered the room, stopping short as they noticed the unwelcome additions to the party.
Caroline's lip curled into a sneer as she noted the friendliness between the two ladies. "Miss Eliza, perhaps you are not aware of it, but you are here far too early for proper visiting hours. Of course, coming from such a provincial village as Meryton, and with relations in trade, I imagine you could not be expected to know how things are done in polite society." She looked at her sister, and they tittered rudely.
The Bingley sisters were shocked when Georgiana spoke up, "The ladies are here at my invitation, Miss Bingley. They will be joining us for the entire day." Caroline and Louisa looked aghast at Miss Darcy's pronouncement.
"What?" screeched Caroline. Elizabeth looked down to hide her smile at Miss Bingley's obvious dismay.
"Indeed," continued Georgiana, innocently, "William and I are quite pleased with our new friends. I look forward to getting to know Elizabeth better.
"And, I you, Georgiana," came Elizabeth's smiling reply.
Caroline fumed. She had never been asked to call Georgiana by her given name.
"Also, Mrs. Gardiner grew up in Lambton and has been telling me stories of her encounters with my parents."
"Miss Darcy, you are so young, I feel I must caution you," Caroline began in a condescending tone, "you must be careful with new acquaintances. With your status and connections, you will frequently be the target of unscrupulous individuals who will say anything to get close to you. You must be very cautious when making new acquaintances." Miss Bingley fixed Mrs. Gardiner with a superior look.
Helen Gardiner had competently taken the measure of Caroline Bingley. "Indeed, Miss Darcy, you will meet all kinds of individuals, from all walks of life, that will attempt to manipulate you for their own purposes. However, I believe you are intelligent enough to know the difference, particularly with Mrs. Annesley to guide you." Mrs. Annesley exchanged a knowing glance with Mrs. Gardiner.
Georgiana's smile showed she was quite pleased with the compliment. She had always been a bit intimidated by Caroline Bingley. She found her constant compliments insincere and did not enjoy the way Caroline was continually trying to encourage her to look down on all those around her. Georgiana was a kind and loving young lady, and she often found Caroline's officiousness intrusive. Mrs. Annesley and Mrs. Gardiner both had to lower their heads to prevent their smiles from being observed by the obviously outraged Miss Bingley.
The gentlemen returned to a room filled with tension. However, Darcy was pleased to note that Georgiana was seated on a sofa beside Elizabeth and flanked by Mrs. Gardiner and Mrs. Annesley. Across from her sat the superior sisters, both wearing decidedly aggrieved expressions. He was delighted to hear Georgiana's tinkling laugh mixed with the rich, warm sound of Elizabeth's melodious one.
Miss Bingley's nose was put further out of joint because of the seating arrangement at the midday meal. Elizabeth was seated next to Mr. Darcy with Georgiana on her other side while Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner sat on Darcy's other side. Caroline was placed at the end of the table as far from Darcy as possible. As only Charles sat between Caroline and Miss Darcy, she frequently leaned forward attempting to gain Georgiana's attention. Miss Bingley's frustration grew with this completely unsuccessful endeavor as Georgiana was totally absorbed in her conversation with Elizabeth and her brother, though Miss Darcy occasionally turned to include Mr. Bingley.
By the end of the meal, Caroline was beyond angry—never a good thing, as she frequently spoke without thinking when in this state. Caroline did not wait for assistance to get out of her chair. She jumped up, rushed to Darcy, and latched onto his arm before he could assist Elizabeth to rise.
"Mr. Darcy, you have been so busy since we arrived that we have hardly seen you. We require your attention for a bit this afternoon."
"Of course, Miss Bingley, I would not wish to be seen as a poor host," said Darcy as he attempted to disentangle himself from her grasping hands. Caroline Bingley continued to cling to him as she began walking towards the drawing room. She dragged Darcy along, not noticing the disappointed look he gave to Elizabeth. Bingley helped both Georgiana and Elizabeth to rise from their chairs and with a lady on each arm, he followed after Darcy and his sister.
Arriving in the sitting room, Caroline pulled Darcy down beside her on the loveseat—sitting much too close for Darcy's comfort. Fortunately, she released his arm, allowing Darcy to politely stand for the entrance of the other ladies. Before Caroline could reattach herself to him, Darcy moved to stand before the fireplace, resting one arm along the mantle. From this position, he could easily stare at Elizabeth unobserved by Miss Bingley. Mrs. Hurst, nose in the air, dragged her husband forward so that they might precede the Gardiners from the room. Mrs. Gardiner looked at her husband and rolled her eyes, a slight smile gracing her face.
Miss Bingley immediately began to monopolize the conversation, speaking of events they had previously attended in London and of people that the others would not have met. Darcy and Georgiana frequently tried to turn the conversation to more general topics, but with little success. Miss Bingley would just speak over anyone who attempted to change the conversation. Eventually, she spoke of a ball held by the new Earl of Westborough. Though Caroline had not been in attendance, she repeated the gossip from the papers as though she had been there.
"Was this the event held at the close of the season?" asked Mrs. Gardiner politely.
"Indeed it was. It was the premier event of the season," was Caroline's condescending reply.
"I do not recall seeing you at the event, do you, my love?" Mrs. Gardiner asked innocently.
"You were in attendance at the event of an Earl?" asked Caroline incredulously.
"Indeed, we were. The Earl and my husband were dear friends at school. The Earl and Countess always include us in their events, as do several of our other acquaintances."
Caroline's face turned an unattractive shade of green as she attempted to find a way to refute the Gardiner's claims.
However, Mrs. Gardiner was not quite finished. "You have roots in trade, Miss Bingley; you must be aware that the world is changing. Otherwise, you would not find yourself so readily accepted within the ton." Caroline's face had gone from green to white to red. She was not pleased to have been shown up in this manner.
Caroline mumbled, "If you would please excuse me, I feel a headache coming on and believe I shall retire until time for tea." She rose from her seat and practically ran from the room.
Darcy was delighted with the conversation. Mrs. Gardiner had handled Caroline Bingley's pretentions in a graceful and well-mannered fashion. Darcy had been impressed with the Gardiners from the moment he met them, but he was surprised to learn that they mingled with the ton. "I hope I shall have the pleasure of meeting you at events in the future, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner."
Elizabeth was surprised at his words, but again it emphasized that he had changed since last they met. Had he done this for her? It seemed Mr. Darcy had attended to all of the things of which she had previously accused him.
"Would anyone care to join me for a turn about the gardens?" Though he addressed the room, he was looking only at Elizabeth. All but Mr. and Mrs. Hurst joined the outing. As usual, Hurst was asleep on a sofa in the corner of the room, and Mrs. Hurst felt it would be wise to check on her sister.
Darcy offered his arm to Elizabeth and led them from the drawing room. As Georgiana was on Mr. Bingley's arm, Mrs. Annesley trailed the group. After half an hour of walking, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner said they would like to retire to rest until tea time. The others continued walking exiting the formal gardens into an area that had a wilder, more natural look to the plants growing there. At the far side of this wilderness, was a gazebo. The group made their way to the shade offered there. When all were seated in the shade, Bingley addressed Elizabeth. "How was Miss Bennet when you departed on your travels? I hope she was well." Elizabeth noted the interest and eagerness in his voice.
"I believe she was in good health, but her spirits were a bit low. To me, they seemed to have been that way for some time." Elizabeth watched him carefully, as she continued. "I believe she was missing some of her friends that were no longer in the neighborhood." She observed Mr. Bingley's ears turn pink, and a smile spread across his face though it dimmed quickly and there was a look of confusion in his eyes.
"Oh, oh," Bingley began to stammer. He clamped his jaw together and took a deep breath. "I have missed the delightful friends I made there, as well, but my sisters did not seem to think our presence would be missed."
"Pleasant company and the companionship of friends is always missed, Mr. Bingley, some acquaintances more than others."
Darcy had the grace to flush with embarrassment during this conversation and decided to try and make amends by contributing.
"I believe that to be very true, Bingley. I had the pleasure of seeing Miss Elizabeth while she visited her cousin Mr. Collins and his bride, the former Charlotte Lucas. I was at Rosings to attend to Lady Catherine's books." It was now Elizabeth's turn to blush in embarrassment. She had been so rude to him at Hunsford and was still mortified by her poor behavior. "In fact, Miss Elizabeth made me aware of the fact that Miss Bennet had been in London all winter. I believe she even called upon your sisters. I am sorry I failed to mention it to you, and I am even more remorseful for interfering at all. I was not close enough to Miss Bennet to see what you saw, and it was unpardonable for me to give an unsolicited opinion."
Bingley was surprised at Darcy's words but much more surprised to learn that Jane had called at his home, and his sister's had not made him aware of that fact.
"You said nothing of your opinion until I asked you, so think nothing of it, Darcy. I know how busy you always are, and we have not seen much of each other since the holidays."
Darcy let out a soft sigh of relief, and though still bothered by his haughty interference, his feelings of guilt were lessened by the look of appreciation and approval on Elizabeth's face. The foursome spent quite some time visiting as they enjoyed the pleasant atmosphere of the gardens.
If Elizabeth and the Gardiners had been impressed with the midday meal, the evening meal was an even more sumptuous event. The group had returned from the garden in time for afternoon tea. Though Miss Bingley joined the other guests, she was unusually silent. With a pained expression, she observed the informal interactions between her brother, the Darcys, and Eliza Bennet and her family. Caroline looked at her sister in annoyance, rolling her eyes, but surprisingly remained silent. She decided she would dress in her finest tonight to highlight the differences between the unimportant country chit and herself. Inevitably, surrounded by the splendor of Pemberley, Darcy could not fail to see how perfectly suited Caroline was to be his wife and the mistress of his homes.
Though careful to be presented at her best, Caroline hurried through her toilet. She was dressed in a new gown of parrot green, with a daringly low decolletage, and overly ornamented with furbelows. Though the color and style were of the latest fashion, being nouveau riche, Miss Bingley's need to belong made her believe that more was better. Unfortunately, she failed to realize that fashionable did not always equate to becoming. The green of her gown made her skin appear sallow, and the decolletage did nothing to enhance her meager charms. Her plan was to arrive first in the drawing room, rather than make her usual dramatic entrance so that she could command Darcy's attentions before the interloper even appeared.
Caroline stood near the windows of the drawing room out of sight of the doorway. When Darcy stepped into the room, he did not notice her. He pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time. As the timepiece clicked closed, Darcy paced towards the fireplace and back again. He stepped into the hallway and glanced at the stairs, then hovered in the doorway.
"Do you plan to stand in the entrance all evening, Mr. Darcy?"
Darcy started and turned slowly towards the sound of the voice that always put his nerves on edge. "Good evening, Miss Bingley, how surprising to find you here so early."
Darcy remained in the doorway, looking down to adjust his cuffs in an attempt to avoid being alone with her, while surreptitiously watching for the reappearance of a footman to chaperone them. He breathed a sigh of relief upon finally hearing footsteps in the hall.
Miss Bingley took a step toward him. "It appeared to be the only way I might find an opportunity for conversation with you, sir. Will you not join me, Mr. Darcy?" She lowered her eyes and fluttered her lashes as she gave him what she thought to be a seductive smile. Darcy repressed a shudder and suddenly felt a kinship with the fox at a fox hunt. Miss Bingley's look was far more predatory than seductive.
Darcy folded his arms behind his back to prevent her from clutching them as she usually did. With his arms in this position, he was able to beckon to the footman, without Miss Bingley's notice. The servant hastened to the doorway, remaining out of sight of the other occupant of the room. All of the staff at both Darcy House and Pemberley knew that the master was never to be left alone when Miss Bingley was present. They all knew she had set her sights on the master. Consequently, this was a duty the servants took very seriously, for none of them wished to gain Caroline Bingley for a mistress.
By the time Darcy moved further into the room, Caroline had seated herself on a small sofa; but he did not take the seat beside her that she indicated. He moved to stand before the fireplace where he could observe the door to watch for Elizabeth's arrival. Miss Bingley forced herself to continue smiling in spite of the frustration she felt with his behavior. Her annoyance increased, however, as she noticed the footman take up a position to the side of the doorway facing the staircase.
Pasting a smile on her face, Caroline addressed her host. "I am sorry I was not able to join you earlier for your walk in the gardens. The grounds of Pemberley are some of the grandest it has ever been my pleasure to visit."
Darcy acknowledged her words with a dip of his head but did not speak. Caroline tried again. "You did not tell me how you came to have additional guests. I understood it was to be our usual small family party during this visit." Caroline stared at him awaiting his answer.
"As none of my relatives are present, with the exception of my sister, it cannot be considered a family party, Miss Bingley," said Darcy repressively. "I had thought it would be only your family but was pleased to encounter Miss Bennet and her relations as they toured the area. I was grateful for the opportunity to return some of the hospitality which was shown to me in Hertfordshire."
"Did you feel it absolutely necessary to invite those of a society so decidedly beneath our own into your home to repay the meager hospitality—if it could even be called such—which we experienced last fall?"
"I believe we received the very best hospitality the neighborhood had to offer. Mrs. Bennet set a particularly good table, and it is incumbent that I offer my best in return." His impassioned words were filled with polite dignity in spite of his quiet voice.
"Oh, Mr. Darcy, how you do like to tease." Caroline tittered. "I am sure the residents of such an insignificant village would be completely overwhelmed by a full display of the hospitality that Pemberley has to offer. I am confident it is not necessary to put yourself out in such a way."
"You may run your future home as you see fit, Miss Bingley, but Pemberley shall always offer its assistance and hospitality to all those who depend on up it and those the Darcy family chooses to host."
"What if your wife is not of the same opinion, sir? After all, the hospitality of your home falls under her purview."
"I cannot imagine choosing to marry anyone who would not graciously offer the hospitality for which Pemberley is renown."
Caroline felt great affront at his words. "Mr. Darcy, I have visited Pemberley several times over the last few years, I am unaware of this reputation of hospitality to which you refer, as most of our visits pass very quietly."
"Your lack of awareness, Miss Bingley, does not mean it does not exist. My late mother was beloved by the tenants and villagers who depend on upon Pemberley for much of their prosperity. Many of the traditions she began have been maintained, but they have lacked the thoughtful touch of a mistress. The woman I marry will wholeheartedly wish to continue with my mother's legacy and charitable works, in the same caring and gracious manner."
"It will be necessary for you to choose carefully," came the sly voice of Miss Bingley. "Her background and education will need to be impeccable." Caroline preened, and Darcy realized she was speaking of herself. Caroline was convinced she would be able to change his opinion about socializing with those of lower social standing once they were married.
Seeing Darcy straighten and look in her direction, Caroline sat taller and turned to more fully face her host. She knew he would come to his senses if only he had the opportunity to be alone with her. Caroline saw his expression soften, and a look of love come into his eyes and expected a declaration to be immediately forthcoming. At his next words, Caroline's dreams came crashing down around her.
"Good evening, Miss Elizabeth," Darcy moved to bow over her hand. "You look very lovely this evening." Elizabeth wore a gown of pale yellow silk; its neckline and hem embroidered with light green vines and small white flowers. Its simple elegance showed her good taste, and it becomingly clung to her voluptuous figure.
"Thank you, Mr. Darcy, and good evening to you, too." Elizabeth gave him an impish smile.
Before Darcy could lead Elizabeth to a seat they were joined by the Georgiana and the Gardiners. Bingley followed closely after the Gardiners, and the Hursts appeared but a short time later. The group had barely settle themselves for conversation when the butler announced that dinner was served.
Darcy had ignored Caroline since the moment of Eliza Bennet's arrival in the room. After observing his expressions, she was forced to realize he had probably been speaking of that nobody throughout their conversation. Caroline needed a way to make sense of this, so she rationalized that Darcy was not the man she thought him to be if he could accept such a lowly individual as Eliza Bennet as his wife.
Caroline, spoke little throughout the meal, confining her comments to her sister. She continued to plan and rationalize as she eats. She did not need the Darcy name. Caroline was an attractive, properly educated, well-dowered young lady, and Darcy was a fool not to see it. She would show Darcy. When Caroline found her match, the Darcy's would find themselves excluded from her invitations. She would ensure that Eliza Bennet never enjoyed her position as Mrs. Darcy—the position which Caroline had worked to attain for more than three years.
The gentlemen did not separate from the ladies at the conclusion of the meal. Everyone adjourned to the music room where Georgiana, Elizabeth, and Mrs. Hurst entertained the company. The evening ended by ten as the Gardiners had to return to the inn in Lambton. When Darcy requested their carriage prepared, he also ordered two armed outriders to accompany then.
Darcy and Georgiana escorted their guests to the door. Georgiana expressed the hope that she would see Elizabeth again before they departed the area and requested Elizabeth write to her after her return to Longbourn. While his sister was speaking with Elizabeth, Darcy expressed his hope to the Gardiners that they might meet again before their departure from the area. As Georgiana moved to farewell the Gardiners, Darcy gently touched Elizabeth's elbow moving a few steps away from the others.
"Miss Elizabeth, I cannot tell you what a pleasure it was to have you join us here at Pemberley for the day. I hope that you enjoyed yourself."
"Oh, yes, Mr. Darcy. As surprised as I find myself to be saying this, I must agree with Miss Bingley. Pemberley is quite the most magnificent estate of all those I have seen. You have a reason to be proud. You handle the multitude of responsibilities that rest upon your shoulders with fairness and compassion. You have raised a remarkable young woman. It has been a great pleasure to meet Miss Darcy, and I look forward to corresponding with her."
"I am certain she will only become more remarkable for knowing you." Elizabeth could be in no doubt of his meaning, for his eyes spoke much more than his words.
"Come, Lizzy, we must depart," said Mr. Gardiner.
Darcy offered his arm to Elizabeth and moved in the direction of the door. Georgiana again said her farewells and stepped back. Darcy, with Elizabeth still on his arm, followed the Gardiners through the entry. He took the opportunity to hand Elizabeth into the carriage. Never breaking eye contact, he kissed her hand briefly before he stepped back, giving it one final squeeze before releasing it. Mr. Gardiner assisted his wife in and stepped up after her. He rapped on the roof with his walking stick, and the carriage moved down Pemberley's drive. Darcy remained watching it until he could no longer see the carriage lights.