A/N
Chapter 13- Time for dear Caro to be routed. Hope you all enjoy.
Thank you all for your comments/feedback/engagement with story, very much appreciated. Do write in about your views about how Caroline has been tackled ๐
Thank you so much Lisa for your continual help. I do read the chapter after posting and usually find somethings I have missed while previous review. But still there is always something additional that your sharp eyes don't miss, thanks ๐
A Little Magic Chapter 13Admitting his love for Elizabeth and gaining what he considered to be his parents' blessings for their union had given rise to a feeling of elation in Darcy, which only grew when he experienced the full force of Elizabeth's beguiling charm on their way back to Longbourn. The euphoria lasted until he entered his bedchamber and was greeted by Banes. The valet gave him a searching glance as he took his greatcoat from him. "Master William appears very pleased with the outing; I wonder what happened there to put that scheming shrew into a snitch. Her bad-tempered screeching has put everyone into a pother below stairs." The mention of Miss Bingley and her ill-temper brought Darcy back to earth with a thud. He grew sombre as he recollected her decision to reconsider her strategy about compromising him. 'I suppose the fracas back at the castle earlier would only have strengthened her determination,' he mused unhappily.
"Will you be wanting a bath before the dinner, sir?"
Darcy nodded. "A hot bath would be very much appreciated, Banes."
"I will see to it directly." Banes smiled and left the room to make the arrangements, and Darcy's thoughts flew right back to the problem facing him.
'I will have to do something to thwart that woman... The very idea that she could succeed in her reprehensible intentions is insupportable. Shall I tell Bingley about her dastardly plan? But... he will be devastated to discover the truth about her... and... how will I explain if he asks how I came about the intelligence?'
His anxiety increased as he was unable to reach a decision. In an attempt to calm his agitation, he again took out the flower from his waistcoat pocket. When he unwrapped the handkerchief, he was pleased to note that the flower remained as fresh as it had been at the time it had fallen into his hand. For a moment, he thought about putting it in a small glass of water but, somehow, he did not want anyone else to be aware of its presence. Finally, he elected to keep it inside the secret compartment of his writing case. He knew that just like his ability to listen to thoughts, the flower too was a 'gift' that would remain with him for as long as it was supposed to be. A sense of calm descended on him with that realization and he felt sure that somehow things will work out for the best โ just as they had in the last two days.
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It was quite late by the time Darcy joined the others in the drawing-room before dinner that evening. He had deliberately delayed coming down in order to avoid Miss Bingley for as long as possible. When Banes was helping him dress for dinner, he had apologetically advised him to be careful around her and according to Darcy the way to be most careful was to be nowhere near the lady. It would appear that his trusted manservant had heard a snippet of conversation between the personal maids of Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst about a plan being hatched by Miss Bingley. Unfortunately, the women had quieted as soon as they observed him and he had been unable to discover the details.
"I will keep my ears to the ground, Master William, and see if I can find out something more. In the meantime, I believe it would be prudent if I start sleeping in your dressing room for some time to come."
The fact that Banes had addressed him as 'Master William' for the first time since Darcy had left for Cambridge told its own story. The poor man was worried and frankly so was Darcy. Had it not been for Elizabeth he would have left Netherfield on some pretext this very day. But now gaining her heart was more important to him than any other consideration and for that to happen he needed to stay at Netherfield. If he had to tackle Miss Bingley's stratagems to stay here โ then so be it.
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"What happened to you, Darce? I was beginning to think that you had fallen asleep or some such," Bingley said as he offered him a glass of wine.
Darcy smiled as he took the proffered glass. He could hardly tell his friend the truth, therefore, considered it more prudent to agree. "You were quite correct in your assumption, Bingley. While waiting for Banes to arrange a bath for me, I lay down for a moment as I was feeling tired. Next thing I knew Banes was shaking me awake as the water was already getting cold!"
The dinner was announced before Bingley could make any sort of response. As the ladies started to make a move towards the door, Darcy tried to keep Miss Bingley in his line of sight. It was imperative to discover exactly what she was planning.
"... asleep, mayhap his foot is really troubling him again. It is providential that Daisy heard his valet request a cot to be moved to his dressing room... otherwise it would have been extremely embarrassing had I gone to his chamber tonight..."
'I will have to raise Banes' salary for this piece of smart work,' Darcy thought with a satisfied smile.
Just then Mrs Hurst addressed a remark to her sister about the picnic and Miss Bingley once again started a tirade about clumsy countrified girls who were unfit to move in superior company. Darcy tuned out the harangue and turned towards Bingley. "Lord... where the Bennets are concerned, Caro is getting annoyingly like a dog with a bone! She never gives it a rest... If only I could tell her to stop jawing so much..."
'You and me both, Bingley,' an amused Darcy agreed silently, but then an unwelcome thought hit him. 'Bingley is right, Miss Bingley does not give up easily... That means if she cannot enter my bed chamber, then she will most probably try something else.' He threw a quick, uneasy glance at the lady to find her still at her favourite pastime of abusing Elizabeth. Mrs Hurst was trying to soothe her to the best of her abilities, which unfortunately were not very good to begin with.
A relative calm descended on the dining table once they all were seated and the first course of a delicious artichoke soup had been served. However, it was soon disrupted as Miss Bingley seemed to have decided to take out her frustration on the food and its servers. Nothing, absolutely nothing, was satisfactory enough to meet her eclectic standards. The soup was bland, the meat over cooked, and the footmen were too slow and inept to perform their duties.
"Go and get the wine I had requested before dinner. I do hope you will exert whatever little intelligence you are blessed with to correctly read the labels this time!" Miss Bingley sneered at the footman who had come to refill her glass.
With a grimace of distaste at the spectacle Miss Bingley was making of herself, Darcy turned a sympathetic glance towards poor Matthew - the unfortunate soul being currently singed by the dragon's fire.
"What an evil... dishonest... bad-tempered cow! Earlier, she had asked for the very same wine I have in my hands at this moment." Matthew's angry thoughts were not visible on his impassive countenance, as with a perfunctory bow, he left to get the wine which Miss Bingley now wanted.
While Darcy could sympathize with Matthew's feelings, he took serious exception to his words. This was because he had a soft spot for cows, who he believed, were mostly gentle and docile creatures. When he was a small boy, he used to have a favourite cow โ Myrtle. It was the gentlest of all creatures. 'No... no... Matthew, my man, Miss Bingley maybe an ill-bred, evil liar, but she definitely is not a cow...' He glanced at the said lady โ "What an army of useless..." and hurriedly shifted his gaze behind her as the rant stabbed his ears.
'Her cunning would shame even a fox... an irascible fox is more fitting,' he thought with a vicious sort of satisfaction.
Bingley noted the strange expression on his friend's face and in attempt to break the oppressive silence that had descended on the table asked him, "Are you well, Darce? Is something the matter?"
Feeling stumped at being interrupted while calling names to the man's sister, Darcy could only stammer out a vague half-truth, "Er... no... no for some reason I just recalled Myrtle - a cow we used to have at Pemberley long ago..." Darcy came to a halt at the odd glance Bingley threw him before shifting his head to look towards his sister.
"Ah... she really is a bonny cow... is she not? Now I understand why she reminded you of your... Myrtle, was it?" Bingley asked smilingly.
Darcy's mouth dropped open in shock. "You also call her a... cow?" he asked in scandalized tones.
"Well... that is what my governess told me to call her when I was three. What did yours tell you, Darce?" Bingley chuckled as his gaze remained glued to his sister.
It was only by chance that Darcy was prevented from committing a grave faux pas. Miss Bingley shifted in her seat at the very moment he opened his mouth to respond. And it was only then he noticed the porcelain figurine on the mantelpiece behind her that his friend was actually gazing at. The porcelain figurine of a - Jersey cow. Why that strange figurine was occupying pride of place on the mantelpiece and why he had not noticed it earlier were things to be pondered some other time, the most important thing at present was to not to burst out giggling like a young miss at his relief and the absurdity. He cleared his throat and swallowed hard.
"I really cannot remember Bingley, what I do remember, however, is that my governess used to box my ears if I acted too smart for my own good," he said lamely, feeling discomfited by the amused look in Bingley's eyes. It left him with a strange feeling that Bingley was somehow aware of the nature of his thoughts about his sister. His gaze flitted away from Bingley only to be swivel towards Miss Bingley who was staring at them both with an expression of extreme displeasure. She looked away when their gazes met. "Cows! Now they are talking about cows at my dinner table! And whoever heard of giving names to cows for heaven's sake? Myrtle, indeed. Mr Darcy used to be a sensible man with the most sophisticated and intelligent conversation... and... and look at him now... Blabbering nonsense about cows and governesses. It is all because of the time he has spent in the company of that impertinent Bennet chit."
'Poor Elizabeth. In Miss Bingley's books, she is to be blamed for each and every supposed transgression of mine,' Darcy thought in amusement, as his fascinated gaze remained glued to her fist clenched around her spoon.
"I'll have to work to separate him from her at the earliest. So, what if I have to drop my plan for tonight... A... supposedly accidental compromise... say in the library... would anyhow be better than to be found his bed. Charles is traitorous enough to take his side if he should claim innocence... But if it appears an accident, I can always force Charles to compel him..."
Every last vestige of amusement that Darcy had been feeling, vanished, leaving behind horror at Miss Bingley's vile ideas. For a moment he almost forgot that those were her thoughts, and involuntarily looked at Bingley to observe his reaction to her words โ but of course no one else had any reaction to make.
Matthew had by now returned with the desired wine and Bingley was signaling him to replenish his glass. Mr and Mrs Hurst were having a low-voiced conversation and, with a faraway look in her eyes, Miss Bingley was still busy with her nefarious plans. "It is fortunate that he often sits alone in the library after dinner... I will ask Daisy to keep an eye on him... It should not be too long before I get an opportunity..." She sighed in satisfaction and the sudden smirk on her face was repellent to Darcy. "Now that Louisa has fallen for my charade of unrequited feelings, the witnesses are also ready to play their part..." Unable to listen anymore, Darcy looked away.
'I will have to talk to Bingley about her... Now that Banes has heard the maids talking, I can always claim knowledge... Only... I don't know how he will take it...' Valiantly fighting a feeling of suffocation, he gulped down his wine, and threw a furious glance at Miss Bingley. 'If only I could tell her that I will never accept a marriage that is forced on me โ never. If she succeeds in her plan then it would be the biggest mistake of her life. I will make sure of that, if it is the last thing I do.' Suddenly, he noticed that he was gripping the glass in his hand hard enough for it crack and hurriedly put it down.
Had he remembered that many of his wishes these days had a mysterious habit of getting fulfilled sooner rather than later, he might have felt less agitated.
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Bingley decided to forgo separation from the ladies after dinner and for a while Darcy was tempted to plead tiredness and retire. But then, a desire to convey at least something about Miss Bingley's plans to his friend, made him stay. 'Hopefully, I will soon get the privacy to talk to Bingley about the matter,' he thought as they all proceeded once more towards the drawing-room.
As usual Hurst requested a round of whist, but everyone else seemed disinclined, and he slumped down on the settee to doze. Not feeling up to hearing any more of other people's musings, Darcy picked up a book from a side table near him.
"Today I received a letter from Sam Lowell," Bingley suddenly addressed Darcy after an uncomfortable silence of few minutes.
"Lowell? What new scandal has hit the metropolis that he could not wait to share with you?" Darcy asked ironically.
Bingley grinned in appreciation. Everyone in their circle knew Sam Lowell's love for gossip, especially his desire to be the first to reveal, far and wide, every juicy bit of rumour that came his way.
"Ah, this one is as interesting as it is hard to believe. It is about your friend Lord Blackwell," Bingley paused for effect and a concerned Darcy frowned at the name. Nathaniel Wainwright, Lord Blackwell was one of the few of his classmates from Cambridge whom Darcy held in affection. "Wainwright... what about him?" he asked in puzzlement. "He is the last person who would offer something to Lowell to gossip about,"
"Well, if the story is to be believed, he seems to be compensating for the staid and boring life he has led till now." Bingley eyes glinted with amusement.
"Do come to the point, Bingley," Darcy retorted shortly.
"It seems last month Wainwright had attended a house party at the Shadworths and somehow managed to get himself discovered in...umm... a compromising situation with one of the daughters of the house."
Darcy found it very hard to believe what he was hearing. Oh, it was difficult to imagine Wainwright willingly creating such a situation, given that much like himself, his friend was not known to dangle after society beauties. However, what had truly shocked him was being offered the opportunity to caution Miss Bingley โ almost immediately after wishing for it.
Misinterpreting his stunned silence, Bingley nodded and continued, "I can understand your disbelief, Darce. Lowell informs me that Wainwright's reputation and the fact that the person who discovered the couple was the mother of the aggrieved young lady, caused a lot of talk. Many were convinced that it was a trap laid for poor Wainwright. Initially he refused to marry the chit, but the pressure brought to fore due to his uncle's friendship with Shadworth and the furor created by Mrs Shadworth ultimately forced his hand. The couple were married a se'nnight ago,"
Darcy's heart twisted for Wainwright. The threat he himself was facing from Miss Bingley made him all the more sensitive to his friend's plight. It also made him eager to inform Miss Bingley of the outcome should she undertake any similar misadventure. He had just opened his mouth to expound his views on the story when Bingley forestalled him with another snippet of information. "But what has set the ton by its ears is not the marriage but what Blackwell did after the marriage." There was an expectant silence as even Mr Hurst leaned forward in his seat to listen better.
"Lowell writes that only two days after the wedding, Blackwell appears to have banished Lady Blackwell to the most decrepit of his estates in Northumberland. Although it is all conjecture on the part of society matrons and I do not believe it for..."
"And why not?" Darcy interrupted him coldly.
"Eh?" Bingley asked in puzzlement.
"I am asking why you would not believe the news?"
"Er... because Blackwell is known to be extremely mild mannered, and a gentleman in true sense of the word, he would not be so cruel to his wife..."
"Cruel to his wife? A shameless woman who forced herself on him, causing him humiliation and misery is not someone who deserves any consideration, Bingley. I can very well sympathize with him and applaud him for teaching a well-deserved lesson to the erstwhile Miss Shadworth." A shocked silence greeted Darcy's harsh words.
"Darce, what..." Bingley began uncertainly even as Miss Bingley hurriedly excused herself from the company.
Before Bingley could say anything further Darcy interrupted him, "And let me tell you, if ever I am put in such an unfortunate situation by some conniving female, rest assured that I will try my darndest not to marry the brazen hussy, even if I have to stay all my life in seclusion at Pemberley." As his furious friend paused to draw breath, Bingley was shocked to notice that although Darcy was addressing him, his gaze was trained gimlet like at Caroline! Miss Bingley who had nearly reached the door of the drawing-room stopped abruptly at the cold words.
However, it seemed that Darcy had not finished as yet. "But somehow if my hand is forced like poor Wainwright, then please believe me, our wedding day will be the last time my so-called wife will see me. On the day of that farce, I will make Georgie the heir to Pemberley and my estate in Scotland as my dear wife's permanent home. I just hope that she would have enough conversation to last a lifetime with a single servant," he added grimly.
Miss Bingley once again hurried to the door as a shocked silence greeted Darcy's callous words. Unfortunately, at exactly the same time, Mrs Nicholls and Polly the maid entered the doorway of the drawing-room with the tea. In her hurry to get away, Miss Bingley was not looking where she was going and cannoned right into poor Polly - the result was as expected. In the ensuing silence, once the cacophony of breaking china had subsided, with a furious cry of "You are fired you good for nothing, blind fool!" Miss Bingley shoved the terrified maid to one side and hurried away. The result was once again as expected. Polly cried, Mrs Nicholls tut-tutted, and an angry Matthew immediately came forward to help the two beleaguered women.
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Half an hour later, the drawing-room was back to its pristine condition, Mr and Mrs Hurst had long since retired, and the two friends were together in Bingley's study.
Now that he had conveyed the message to Miss Bingley in no uncertain terms, Darcy was hopeful that it would be sufficient to discourage any misadventure from her. He was no longer certain that he should tell Bingley about her dastardly plan. 'Perhaps I should wait for a day or so. No point in hurting Bingley unnecessarily if Miss Bingley desists after my warning... In the meantime, I will ask Banes to keep his eyes and ears open...'
"Here you go..."
Darcy looked up to see Bingley holding out a glass of port. He took it with a smile of thanks.
"Darce?"
"Yes?"
"What has Caro been up to?"
"Excuse me?" Darcy asked in surprise.
"None of us are blind, my friend. We all saw who you were addressing when you spouted all that nonsense about banishing your imaginary wife to Scotland," Bingley said dryly.
"It was not nonsense. I will do exactly that, if heaven forbid, I am ever forced in such a scenario," came the grim rejoinder.
"Hmm..." Bingley gave him a troubled look then asked hesitantly, "Has Caroline tried some..."
"No," Darcy replied, then added slowly, "Not yet."
"Then how..." Bingley left the question unfinished.
Darcy sighed. "Banes heard the personal maids of Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst discussing a plan being put in place."
Bingley's countenance immediately turned grim. "Louisa is also in the plan?" he asked incredulously.
"From what I have come to understand, she might have agreed to turn up as a witness at the opportune moment... just like Mrs Shadworth," Darcy replied with a humourless smile.
"Oh... Lord... I am so sorry, Darce. Although I have explicitly told Caroline to look elsewhere, she has always harboured ambitions with regards to you... I thought she would realize the futility of it someday soon... But I never imagined that she would ever stoop so low... or that Louisa would be stupid enough to fall in with her plan." Bingley gave Darcy an embarrassed look and apologized once again.
"It is not your fault, Bingley."
"Oh, but it is, Darce. It is. In an attempt to have a peaceful life, I have been too soft with her and ignored many of her transgressions. But no more. This time she has crossed a line that I cannot overlook." He sighed, tossed off his drink, and got up from his seat. "I think it is now time for Caro to take a long look at her life and make some decisions," he added and excused himself.
At the door, he turned to look back at Darcy, "You did say that Louisa agreed to help Caroline?"
Darcy nodded.
"Good. Ideally, I would not want to involve the servants. I will see you tomorrow, Darce." And with a quick nod he was gone.
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A Little Magic
Copyright ยฉ 2022 by S. Neha
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