Chapter 32: Never give up
Miss Bingley waited at Hyde park in anticipation. She has some nerve to blackmail me. How did she get so much courage? I will show her who I am and shut her mouth forever. She waited for a few minutes near the marble fountain and saw no sign of Dorothy. Where is that beggar?
She saw a handsome man walk towards her. He smiled at her, and she did not want to entertain him. She tried to walk away, but she heard him call address her.
"Good morning, Miss Bingley."
"I do not know you. How do you know my name?"
"Well, we will get to know each other very soon. Thank you for coming to meet your friend."
She stared at him in shock. Who is this rascal?
"Please do not look worried. Let us try to look as if we are having a normal conversation."
"I do not know who you are. I am leaving."
"Do not be hasty. You cannot leave unless we finish this business. I know everything. Your maid Dorothy told me everything that happened in Hertfordshire."
She stared at him in astonishment. Oh! God!
"Whatever she told you is utter falsehood. I do not have to explain anything to you."
"Is that so? But the facts explain everything that happened on the night of the Netherfield ball. A maid helped somebody orchestrate a compromise, and she ran away fearing the wrath of her mistress because she made a mistake."
"Nobody will believe you."
"Oh! Is that so? I can try my luck. I can go to your brother right now and tell him the story. Or maybe tell my good old friend Darcy?"
"Do you know Mr Darcy?" Miss Bingley asked, unable to comprehend the reality of her situation.
"Oh yes! We grew up together. I am sure he will believe me."
"What is your name?"
"I am George Wickham."
Miss Bingley did not know what to do. I need to buy time. "If he is such a close friend, why did you contact me?"
"Well, I thought I could help a beautiful woman like you avoid a scandal. Dorothy is under my protection now. Do not think you can find her in town and threaten her. I sent her away. She is not in town, but she will be here if I want her to be."
"What do you want?" Miss Bingley asked with irritation.
"Very simple, Miss Bingley. I need money."
"How much?"
"I need a thousand pounds now. I am sure you have a fat dowry."
"I cannot give you that much. Be reasonable."
"I am reasonable. Do you think you can risk the story getting out? Imagine the consequences. The society will shun you."
Miss Bingley frowned.
"I need time. I will meet you here this weekend. I will give you how much ever I can. Can you promise me secrecy after that?"
"I will." He smiled rakishly. I cannot trust him.
She left him with rage. How did I ever get into this situation?
How did I ever get into this situation? Elizabeth thought as she stood next to Mr Rogers. She had left the breakfast parlour in a dilemma.
I do not want to obey his orders. She thought. But inwardly, she wanted to take up the challenge. Maybe I can go and tell Mr Rogers that I do not intend to train. She walked to the stables hoping that her husband was not present. She was relieved that he was nowhere near the stables.
Mr Rogers smiled and greeted her.
"Good morning, Mrs Darcy!"
"Good morning, Mr Rogers." She was well acquainted with his family through her tenant visits.
"I am happy to assist you. How long has it been since you were on a horse?"
Not long, your master gave me a ride of a lifetime yesterday.
"It has been very long. I have a lot of apprehensions about riding. I do not think I can overcome them in a day."
"You do not have to overcome all those in a day. Mr Darcy told me not to pressurize you in any way."
How nice of him.
"I do not want to waste your time, sir. I don't think I would be able to sit on the horse." She said, looking at the mare.
"You do not have to."
"What do you mean?" She asked, puzzled.
"Mrs Darcy, I have taught a lot of people to ride. I know some who had a fall and never wanted to get on a horse again. The fear, as you say, cannot be overcome in a day."
"Then how do I ride again?"
"You first change the perception you have about the animal. You must be able to look at a horse without fear. Only then I would train you."
Elizabeth felt relieved to hear his strategy.
"How do I learn to do that?"
"You spend time with her. Her name is Locket."
Elizabeth smiled upon hearing the name.
"You are just going to walk along with me now. You can hold the reins if you are comfortable." He said, looking very confident.
Elizabeth found the task less intimidating. She walked along with him, and the horse trotted along. They walked in the fields. On the way back, she took the reins from Mr Rogers. The horse did not seem to mind. And she was pleasantly surprised at her courage.
By the time they reached the stables, she was walking much closer to the horse than before. She spent some time in the stables watching Mr Rogers with the other horses. She thanked him and left afterward.
It is not as bad as it seems. Let me see how it goes tomorrow.
Darcy was happy to learn from Mr Rogers that his wife had shown up. He was guilty to have triggered her so.
He made sure not to ask her anything about it until she spoke to him about the topic. In the evening, Elizabeth found Darcy in the library.
"I was looking for you." She said, eyeing the book in his hand.
"What do you need me for?" He asked, unable to hide his admiration for her beauty in the light of the candles.
She sat opposite him.
"I need to discuss something." It must be about her riding.
"How many letters did she write to me?" She asked him bluntly.
Darcy looked at her perplexed.
"I thought any sort of disguise was your abhorrence, sir. But you seem to be a contradiction, from your words."
"How did you… How did you know?"
"Charlotte wrote to me. Lady Catherine has been vocal about her feelings and actions to everybody in Kent."
Darcy could see that she was not angry, but she looked pained.
"Elizabeth, I am sorry. I did it for your good. She has written some letters to both of us."
"Did you read the ones directed to me?"
"I opened the first one. The letter was abusive and mere nonsense. I did not want you to read any of it. You do not deserve that." He said guiltily.
Elizabeth looked at him. She saw the guilt on his face.
"I do not care about her words. My only worry is Emma. Charlotte writes that she wants to take Emma away from us."
"What nonsense. Emma is under our protection. She is safe with us."
"What if Lady Catherine takes her away?"
"She won't."
"But, legally, she can. Am I right?"
"Anne gave me the guardianship for Emma. Lady Catherine can try to cause trouble by stating that Emma is the legal heir of Rosings. But it would not be possible."
Elizabeth looked doubtful. In a short period, she had grown attached to the child very much.
"Elizabeth, what is bothering you? Please do not let Lady Catherine bother you. I will not allow any of her actions to affect you or Emma."
There was no reply from her. She stared at the fireplace.
"Can we adopt Emma?" She asked without a second thought.
Darcy was shocked beyond measure. He looked at her, unable to process her question.
"Mr Darcy, it is quite evident that we will continue with our marriage this way till the end. Without children of our own, why can't we adopt Emma? Nobody can take her away from us then." She said with a quivering voice.
Her words made him realise the ramifications of his hasty decisions. He wanted to tell her that his feelings and assumptions about her had changed. But he did not know how to mouth those words. It was becoming clear to him that she did not want anything more in their relationship.
"Elizabeth, that is not required. I haven't thought about it."
"Then, please do think. I cannot rest easy until we do something about this." She stood up and left him.
Darcy watched with a heavy heart as she left him. How did I even have the heart to accuse a woman like you?
He paced the library in deep thought. He had received a lot of letters from Lady Catherine full of spite towards Elizabeth. He was even more enraged to find some directed to her. As much as he hated the concealment, he wanted to keep them away from his wife.
I must make sure that Lady Catherine does not have any serious intentions in this matter. In her room, Elizabeth was restless. She was so tired of denying her feelings for him. How long can I live this way? She wondered.
Miss Bingley spent a restless night after she met with Wickham. How did Dorothy befriend him? She had no one in town except her mother. If I can find her, I can offer her money and send her far away. But what will I do with Mr Wickham?
The next day, he found her brother alone in the breakfast parlour. She wanted to ask him if he knew anything about Wickham.
"I hope Mr and Mrs Darcy are well." She asked, trying to sound casual.
"Oh! Yes! There are."
"And Georgiana?"
"She is well. She is delighted with Elizabeth." Miss Bingley frowned.
"Do you know anybody called Wickham?"
"Wickham? You mean George Wickham?" Mr Bingley asked in surprise.
"Caroline, why do you ask about him? Do you know him?"
"No, Charles. I don't. I met some friends yesterday, and they mentioned someone named Wickham being a friend of Mr Darcy. I was not aware of any such amongst his acquaintances that is why I asked you." She said trying to look calm.
"He was a friend of Mr Darcy. But they are not on good terms now. Mr Wickham has the worst reputation in Derbyshire. He was Darcy's late stewards' son. They grew up together."
"Oh! I see."
"What is it that he did to gain such a reputation?"
"I do not know the exact details, but he had a habit of leaving debts, and his character was not honorable." Miss Bingley was in deep thought. Mr Darcy may not even believe him, given their history. But I am sure both Darcy and Elizabeth saw Dorothy that night. If he has her, then I have no chance of feigning ignorance.
She spent the morning in deep thought. I cannot ask Louisa for so much money. She will question me. I think I can convince Charles somehow.
She headed to the study to find her brother. I can ask him for a small amount. I am sure it will suffice for the time being. I need to get it before he leaves for Netherfield.
The servant informed her that he was in the garden. She headed to the gardens assuming her brother would be alone. She walked inside the garden and heard the sound of muffled sobs. Who could be crying?
She stopped behind the rose bushes and saw Jane and her brother sitting on the bench. Jane was sobbing, and Mr Bingley had his arm around her.
"Why didn't you tell me before? I am there for you. I understand how you feel."
"She has a heart of gold. Just because she is impertinent, people assume otherwise. She was the reason our family got through the worst phase of our lives. I am unable to help her, Charles."
"Nobody can help a married couple. They should solve things between themselves. What makes you so sure that their marriage is in distress?"
"I could see. I mean, I may not know about Mr Darcy. But I could see the pain in her eyes whenever they were together. Maybe he doesn't believe her still."
"Did Elizabeth say so?"
"No, she just said that there is nothing to worry about. But she is a poor liar. I know that she wants me to be happy in our marriage without worrying about her. Did Mr Darcy say anything?"
"Jane dear, we are best friends, but we are not siblings. We did not discuss anything about our personal lives."
"Do you think he still doubts her about the compromise?"
Mr Bingley sighed.
"I cannot assume anything. But Darcy can be such a stubborn man. He is honest and expects the same from others."
"Elizabeth is honest as well."
"I know, Jane. Let us hope things get resolved by the time we meet them again. If it makes you feel better, we can visit them soon. Darcy and I discussed purchasing properties in Derbyshire. Wouldn't you love to be settled near your dearest sister?"
"That would be lovely." They got up and left hand in hand. Miss Bingley could not believe her ears. So, it is not a fairytale life for them after all. If he still thinks that she is responsible for the compromise, he may detest her beyond measure. Maybe I still have a chance.
Miss Bingley was well versed with the art of manipulating situations to her advantage, and she was sure that she could convince Wickham to finish off what she had started with Dorothy.
If everything goes well, this time. I shall be the mistress of Pemberley!