Previously: Elizabeth learns of the Bingleys' Christmas party; Darcy learns more in a visit to the Gardiners
Thursday, May 6, 1819
Office of D & B Mills, The City, London
Upon his return from the Gardiners Mr. Darcy had sent a note around to Bingley House in Kensington requesting a meeting with Sir Charles. The next day Mr. Darcy received a reply from Sir Charles' personal secretary advising that 'Sir Charles Bingley will meet with Mr. Darcy at forty-five minutes past two o'clock in the afternoon on Thursday, the sixth day of May, 1819 at the offices of D & B Mills." And so, at twenty minutes before three o'clock, Mr. Darcy was shown to a seat in the anteroom of D & B Mills.
He wondered how long Sir Charles would make him wait.
Not at all as it turned out. At 2:45 the mantle clock chimed the familiar Cambridge Quarters, the door to the inner office opened, Sir Charles' personal secretary appeared, and he asked Mr. Darcy to enter. Once Mr. Darcy did the secretary left the office, closing the door behind him.
Sir Charles was standing behind his desk.
"Sir Charles" said Mr. Darcy by way of greeting.
"Mr. Darcy." Sir Charles gestured at one of the client chairs. "Please be seated."
The two men sat. Neither man said anything. They just stared at each other.
After what seemed like five minutes, but it was not really that long, Mr. Darcy said "I would like to apologize for …"
"Stop." Sir Charles held up his hand. "Any wounds you may have inflicted against me are long ago scarred over, do not reopen them at this late date."
"But …"
"No."
Mr. Darcy sighed and said "Please … I would like to be invited to your next Christmas house party."
"My Christmas house party?"
"Yes."
Sir Charles shook his head and laughed. "I must say you have surprised me. Of all the reasons why I thought you might want to meet, that is not one." He shook his head again. "No, I'm afraid it would not do to invite you, you would not like it. My last Christmas party was too …" He searched his mind for the right words. "too boisterous … too raucous; entirely too loud for you; and I anticipate that the next one will be even more rambunctious, what with there going to be even more people and the children being all a year older. You would dislike it, nay, you would hate it." He waved his hand in a vague northerly direction. "You would be much better off celebrating a nice, quiet, peaceful Christmas at Pemberley. Believe me, you will be thankful to me for not inviting you." He stood up, clearly in dismissal of Mr. Darcy.
Mr. Darcy did not stand. "Please, I beg of you. The invitation is not for my sake; it is for Elizabeth; she misses her family so. Our children as well; they should know their wider family."
Sir Charles sat down again. He nodded. "If Mrs. Darcy is anything like the Miss Elizabeth Bennet I remember she would've loved the Christmas party. And it is good for cousins to know each other." He looked at Mr. Darcy. "I don't suppose she and the children would come without you?"
Mr. Darcy was affronted. "You know she would not."
"That is too bad." Sir Charles shook his head. "I'm sorry but I must consider the feelings of my other guests."
Mr. Darcy was getting tired of watching Sir Charles shake his head. "What do you mean?"
"I will be blunt. You would be like the proverbial snake at the picnic. You would not take part in any of the games or dancing or other entertainments and you would glower and scowl at those who did. You would drain all the frivolity out of a room. You'd rather judge then have fun."
"No, no … I am not like that." Mr. Darcy sighed. "At least not any more. Elizabeth has changed me." Mr. Darcy felt like a fool saying it but say it he did: "I can be fun."
"I don't know, I just don't know … I know" Sir Charles said, more to himself than to Mr. Darcy, "I'll let the others decide." He took a piece of paper out of his desk drawer, took up his pen and started to write. When he was finished, he spun the page around and pushed it across the desk to Mr. Darcy.
Mr. Darcy looked at the page. There was a list of names, in Bingley's barely legible writing, on it:
Mrs. Bennet
Mrs. Philips
Mrs. Edwards
Lady Edwards
Miss de Bourgh
Mrs. Collins
Mrs. Davidson
Lady Matlock
There was another name written at the bottom, that of Lady Bingley, but it had been crossed out.
Mr. Darcy looked back up at Sir Charles.
"You will personally attend on these ladies, other than Lady Bingley, and ask each of them to send me a letter advising as to whether they have any objections to me inviting you to my upcoming Christmas house party" said Sir Charles. "I will make my decision as to whether to invite you based on any objections they might raise". In case Mr. Darcy was wondering why her name had been crossed out, he added "I can anticipate what Lady Bingley's opinion will be but I would like to hear from the others."
Mr. Darcy started to object but Sir Charles was not having any of it. "This is not a negotiation. These are my terms. I will have my secretary send you the ladies' current addresses." Sir Charles stood up. He rang a small bell on his desk. The office door opened. "Good day, sir."
After Mr. Darcy left Sir Charles thought for a moment and then rang again for his personal secretary. He had better warn the ladies that Mr. Darcy would be visiting them.