"Well? I'm waiting," Louisa said, staring at her sister.
Caroline was frantically trying to hide the letter that she was writing when Louisa came into her room.
"Caroline, I saw enough – there is little point trying to disguise it. I saw what you were writing about Jane Bennet."
Caroline thought about it for a moment, trying to work out what her next move would be.
"Well, she deserves it!" she spat.
"What in heavens do you mean? Has Jane really done those dreadful things?"
"Well, no, but…"
"Caroline, you cannot mean to tell me that you are trying to spread slander about Jane Bennet to stop Charles offering his hand. You know as well as I, that if he were to find out, he would make your life a misery."
"It would be worth it to stop that trollop," she seethed, pointing her hand in the direction of Elizabeth's room.
Louisa looked puzzled for a moment until the penny dropped.
"You think that this will stop Miss. Elizabeth Bennet from marrying Mr. Dar-"
"My Darcy! He is meant for me. He was meant for me!" she wailed, throwing herself on to the bed dramatically.
Louisa who had always been the more levelled headed amongst the two, knew she would have to handle this situation carefully. She sat next her sister, who now had her head pressed into the pillow and was making a bizarre noise between a scream and a grunt.
"Caroline, look at me," Louisa started softly but Caroline did not move. "Caroline," she repeated in a firmer tone. Her sister reluctantly turned her head to look at Louisa. "I know that deep down you have always thought that you would end up as Mistress of Pemberley. To be honest I wished for it myself. However, you must think straight. If Charles and Darcy have got their minds set on the Bennet sisters, no matter how much we wish it otherwise, there is little we can do to stop it. You know as well as I that the Darcy name holds much more status than our own family name. Did you really think that Darcy or brother would not find out about this plan of yours? Just one word from the Matlocks and we would both have a very different life indeed."
"But it is not fair, why those worthless girls?"
"Caroline, as your older and married sister, I can tell you that what a woman looks like can easily be all a man cares about. And face it neither Darcy nor Charles need to marry for a substantial dowry."
"How can this be? Can we not stop it? If I could only get word out within the Ton about the Bennet girls that….that….oh I do not know!"
Realising that her sister was completely obsessed with the idea of ruining the Bennet family name, she was not thinking clearly. Louisa understood that their own circumstances were only as comfortable as they were because of their brother's friendship with Mr. Darcy. If she were to stop this, she would have to distance themselves from Pemberley as soon as possible.
Louisa took a deep breath, "listen to me carefully Caroline – you are not seeing this situation and the ramifications of your actions in a levelheaded manner. This is not the answer, it will do no good whatsoever. I think it is best that we leave in the morning for town. Pray, tell me, am I the only one who knows of your intentions?"
Caroline grimaced slightly, telling Louisa that she was not.
"Who?" she demanded.
"I warned Miss. Bennet earlier today. I said that I would only allow Charles to marry Jane if she distanced herself from Darcy. When I found out that Charles had already set off for Hertfordshire, I realised that I needed to act quick if I were to put a stop to it before our brother proposed."
"I see, I will deal with this. If you trust me, you will make sure you pack and remain in your room until we depart. I will go and speak to Mr. Hurst and arrange our travel." Louisa looked at Caroline and knew that she still had not completely convinced her. "Caroline unless you want to be destitute and cut off from our brother and your allowance, you will do as I have asked."
With a glimpse of resolve, Caroline nodded slightly and turned her face back into the pillow.
Louisa left her sister's room and went to inform her husband of the change of plans. She did not reveal the entire truth behind the suddenness of their departure but used Elizabeth's injury to be enough of an excuse to prevent him from putting up much defense at the idea. Once their travel plans were organized, she knew that she would have to speak to Mr. Darcy.
Having found Mrs. Reynolds, she asked the housekeeper where she could find the master of the house. Unsurprised to hear, she was told that he was still by Miss. Bennet's bedside along with Mrs. Gardiner. Louisa made her way to the guest bedroom and gently knocked on the door. After a moment or too, she heard Darcy's deep voice telling her to enter.
"Mrs. Hurst, what can I do for you?" he enquired.
"Mr. Darcy, I wish to speak with you if I may?"
Darcy looked back up at Elizabeth's face, "Is it very important? I do not want to leave incase Miss. Bennet wakes."
"I am afraid it is urgent; I would not have disturbed you if it were not."
Mrs. Gardiner interrupted, "Mr. Darcy, I will stay with Elizabeth, if there is any change, I will send for you straight away."
"Ok, we will speak in the library." Darcy stood up from the chair where he had been for the last few hours and strode out of the room, Louisa turned and followed him.
Once they were in the Library, Louisa noticed that he had left the door open to prevent both from being accused of any improper behavior. She almost scoffed, she was not the sister he should be wary of.
"Mrs. Hurst what is this about?" he asked abruptly, obviously annoyed that he had left Elizabeth.
"There is something I need to tell you about. It is about Caroline."
"I am not interested in what your sister has done or said."
"I think you will be. It involves Miss. Bennet."
Louisa went on to tell Darcy the whole story, she knew that only total honesty may prevent this mishap from going any further than it needed to. Darcy's face was set firmly, he was not pleased but he allowed her to continue. She explained that she was going to remove her sister from Pemberley in the morning and escort her to London where they would stay for the foreseeable.
"And how can I trust that she will not spread vicious rumours whilst in town?"
"You have my word, that will not happen. I have explained to Caroline that the consequences of her actions would cause her as much suffering as it would the Bennets."
"Very well, please tell her this from myself. If I ever discover that she has done or said anything against Jane and Elizabeth Bennet in the future, she will be sorry. Her life would be nothing. I have the power to destroy her – I will not tolerate her involving herself in my life."
"I understand, thank you for you time." Louisa bowed to Darcy and left the room.
"I will tell your brother when he returns." Darcy said just before he left the room.
Although he suspected that he could trust Louisa, he decided that he would send a letter to his aunt, Lady Matlock, just in case. If anyone had any control of the goings on of the ton, it was her.