Angry People Are Not Always Wise
Persuaded as Miss Bingley was that Darcy admired Elizabeth, this was not the best method of recommending herself; but angry people are not always wise; and in seeing him at last look somewhat nettled, she had all the success she expected. He was resolutely silent however; and, from a determination of making him speak she continued,
"I remember, when we first knew her in Hertfordshire, how amazed we all were to find that she was a reputed beauty; and I particularly recollect your saying one night, after they had been dining at Netherfield, 'She a beauty! - I should as soon call her mother a wit.' But afterwards she seemed to improve on you, and I believe you thought her rather pretty at one time."
"Yes," replied Darcy, who could contain himself no longer, "but that was only when I first knew her, for it is many months since I have considered her as one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance."
He then went away, and Miss Bingley was left to all the satisfaction of having forced him to say what gave no one any pain but herself.
Caroline excused herself and went to her room to scream and yell and stamp her feet. All of her well-orchestrated plans were falling apart. Her brother was not at all interested in Georgiana especially after the appearance of Miss Eliza Bennet reminded him of her lovely sister Jane. It was clear Mr. Darcy's attention was completely taken up by Miss Eliza as well. It had also become obvious that she had somehow severely offended her good friend Georgiana and could hardly get her to converse. And who does Georgiana turn to – Elizabeth Bennet! Caroline couldn't hate her more. She therefore convinced her sister and Mr. Hurst to return to London the next day.
….oOo….
Two months later Caroline heard that Georgiana had returned to London and decided to brave a visit to her "dear friend". A chaise and four pulled up to Darcy House just as Caroline was arriving. She did not recognize the livery but witnessed a very finely dressed older lady emerge with an angry look on her face. She stepped briskly to the door scowling at Caroline as she approached behind her. "And just WHO are you?" the lady rudely asked Caroline. She was taken aback, "I am Caroline Bingley, a friend of Miss Darcy, come to pay her a morning visit." The elder woman turned away rudely without even so much as a by your leave. Caroline just blinked and stepped back awaiting her turn to enter the house.
The butler immediately recognized Lady Catherine de Bourgh. He took her coat and hat and ushered her into the formal drawing room. He then greeted Miss Bingley and escorted her to the music room to await Miss Darcy before hurrying off to inform the master that his formidable Aunt had arrived.
As she waited for the arrival of her friend, Caroline thought over what she hoped to accomplish with this visit. One of her motives was to see if there was any more talk of Miss Elizabeth Bennet. She was not disappointed on that head but the information came from a different quarter than she expected.
Through the closed doors that separated the music room from the drawing room, Caroline could easily hear Lady Catherine's raised voice as she remonstrated with her nephew. She was very upset.
"You are to marry your cousin Anne! It has been intended since her birth! It is about time you fulfilled your obligation to your family!", Lady Catherine was saying.
Caroline had not heard of this other rival and made a mental note to ask Georgiana about her cousin later.
"Aunt," Darcy said in a calm but firm voice, "we have been through this many times, I am NOT going to marry Anne, even she agrees."
Well that is a relief, Caroline thought to herself, one less woman to worry about.
"The two of you cannot make that decision. It is to be made by your family!" Lady Catherine pronounced.
Uh oh! Caroline was not known at all to his family and the contempt with which she was greeted on her way to the front door was not very promising.
"The decision of who I will marry will be made by me and me alone!" Darcy replied forcefully.
Caroline was not sure if this was good or bad. At least she could continue to use her wiles on Mr. Darcy and try to sway his opinion in her favor.
"But THAT girl is of low birth!" her Ladyship went on. "And that scandal with her youngest sister - are the shades of Pemberley to be thus polluted?"
Were they talking about… ? No! It could not be!
"Her father is a gentleman. Her elder sister is to marry my good friend Bingley," Darcy stated.
*GASP!* Jane Bennet – now to be her sister-in-law! And Mr. Darcy seemed to be a party to this! What was going on here?
"Her mother's family is in trade," Lady Catherine spat, "which is fine for Bingley as his fortune had been acquired by trade as well. They are of equal footing, you are not."
Upon hearing this Caroline's face turned ashen as she realized that if she had been successful in her pursuit of Mr. Darcy she would have faced this woman's wrath as well.
"I just came from Hertfordshire where I spoke to that obstinate, headstrong girl," his Aunt said.
A very accurate sketch of Eliza Bennet, Caroline snorted. Maybe she and Lady Catherine could get along.
Lady Catherine went on to relate her journey to Longbourn, its motive, and the substance of her conversation with Elizabeth; dwelling emphatically on every expression of the latter which, in her ladyship's apprehension, peculiarly denoted her perverseness and assurance; in the belief that such a relation must assist her endeavours to obtain that promise from her nephew which she had refused to give. But, unluckily for her ladyship, its effect had been exactly contrariwise.
Caroline could easily see Elizabeth Bennet in every description of her Ladyship which Caroline punctuated with sneers and snorts of her own (unbeknownst to Caroline, one particularly loud snort caused Lady Catherine to glance toward the adjoining door). Elizabeth Bennet was obviously not schooled in how to win over someone in Lady Catherine's position. If she was truly interested in Darcy she should have been quite deferential to the dowager. Her lack of decorum would certainly disgust Mr. Darcy. Convinced as she was now that Darcy would agree with his aunt, Caroline felt her hopes rekindle, ever so slightly, and if she ever had the opportunity she would be sure to fawn over her ladyship herself.
"My dear Aunt," began Darcy with just a touch of sarcasm in his voice, "This information you have given me has been most helpful. I now know how I to act. Ah, it is getting late. Thank you for your visit but I must be going as I have somewhere I need to be."
Lady Catherine, assuming she had carried her point, did not object to being ushered to the door.
As soon as she was gone Darcy ordered his carriage and, unbeknownst to anyone else, set off himself for Hertfordshire.
Caroline did not know what to make of this overheard conversation. However, she rallied her spirits and made a valiant effort to have a pleasant visit with Georgiana who had finally arrived and rang for tea. Although Georgiana seemed a bit shy, which really was her usual demeanor, Caroline was thankful that the young girl apparently had forgotten whatever faux pax it was that had offended her at Pemberley and was genuinely glad to see her. It was difficult for Caroline to maintain her countenance for all Georgiana could talk about was how wonderful she found Miss Elizabeth Bennet to be when she visited them at Pemberley. In the end Caroline was pleased to hear that Georgiana would call upon her soon so she could keep up her link to Mr. Darcy whilst her brother was off "shooting" at Netherfield.
….oOo….
When Caroline returned home to her sister's house she found a letter waiting from her brother announcing his engagement to Miss Jane Bennet, confirming her smashed hopes of a match between her brother and Georgiana. She steeled herself to attempt reply.
Miss Bingley's congratulations to her brother, on his approaching marriage, were all that was affectionate and insincere. She wrote even to Jane on the occasion, to express her delight, and repeat all her former professions of regard. Jane was not deceived, but she was affected; and though feeling no reliance on her, could not help writing her a much kinder answer than she knew was deserved.
….oOo….
Miss Georgiana Darcy came to visit a few days later and Caroline in turn visited her again at Darcy House. This time the formidable Lady Catherine de Bourgh arrived about a quarter of an hour into their visit, multiple shades redder than she was the previous week. She had asked for Mr. Darcy but he was still away from home so instead she strode into the Music room to expostulate with Georgiana who had been just on the verge of relating to Caroline the contents of a letter she had lately received from her brother. Totally disregarding Georgiana's guest Lady Catherine proceeded to harangue her poor niece about her brother's recent ill-advised engagement to Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Caroline was in shock, her jaw hit the floor. Poor Georgiana tried to calm her aunt but to no avail. The quiet girl had to listen to her Aunt deride her beloved sister-in-law-to-be and did not know what to say. Caroline couldn't even bring herself to come to her dear friend's defense as she felt much the same as the Aunt. Instead she found herself audibly agreeing with her Ladyship and even chiming in with her own derogatory and defamatory assessment of the lady in question.
Georgiana, not liking what she was hearing and knowing such talk would certainly displease her brother, managed to discreetly slip out of the room. So absorbed were the other two ladies in their angry tirades against Elizabeth Bennet that they didn't even notice the girl's absence let alone how much they had offended her. Mortified by her aunt's complaints and her friend's complicity, Georgiana heretofore resolved to avoid her Ladyship as much as possible and implore her brother to never invite Caroline Bingley to Darcy House or Pemberley again. In this manner Caroline lost Georgiana's friendship as well as any right to visit Pemberley in the future, proving yet again that angry people are not always wise.