Pemberley and some curious discoveries.

Chapter 33: Pemberley Surprises

Derbyshire, Pemberley and the Peaks, Tuesday the eleventh August. Seventh day

"Who?"

Elizabeth couldn't help but show her surprise.

"Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley," answered Mrs. Reynolds. "They arrived yesterday morning while you were out picnicking..."

A light blush came to Elizabeth's cheeks. Nobody had said anything but she was sure everybody looked at her -at them, to say the truth- with glinting eyes and those little half smiles people use when knowing something droll but refusing to speak about it.

"And they weren't with their brother when he departed?"

"They saw each other in the morning," explained Mrs. Reynolds. "They had a few arguments and I do believe they weren't in the best of moods when their brother departed. I suppose they had already said goodbye..."

Elizabeth could only nod.

She really hoped that with their own domestic problems the two sisters hadn't grasped what happened between her and Fitzwilliam.

She knew she would hate even the slightest sign of Caroline's superior -and knowing- smile.

Could she strike back, if such an occurrence happened? Even before the wedding?

She sighed and shot a small smile towards Mrs. Reynolds.

"I suppose it would be unseemly to ignore their request?"

That brought a smile on Mrs. Reynolds lips.

"It would certainly, but we could organize a speedy picnic and I could pretend having not found you..."

Elizabeth shook her head.
No she would do no such thing. She was perhaps not yet Mrs. Darcy but she had already all the responsibilities of the Mistress of Pemberley. Not accepting the sisters' call would be rude. And foolish...

"No, I do fear you caught me just before the picnic, Mrs. Reynolds. We will have to postpone it..."

Mrs. Reynolds' smile became more motherly and Elizabeth could read that she was also proud with her.

It gave her the courage she needed to ask the question.

"Mrs. Reynolds, before introducing thoses dear family friends I would like to ask you a question."

"A question, Miss? What about?"

Elizabeth couldn't help but blush a fiery crimson.

"About yesterday's picnic... I would like to know if within the staff there are..."

She hesitated unable to find the right words.

"Rumors?" helped Mrs. Reynolds...

Elizabeth nodded frantically with her head.

"No, Miss Elizabeth," answered Mrs. Reynolds. "There are no rumors..."

The way she said it crushed Elizabeth's first relief.

"What else, then?"

"Certainties, Miss."

Seeing Elizabeth's reaction she immediately came nearer and took the young woman's hand.

"Please don't be misled, Miss Elizabeth. There's no one on the Estate who does not applaud with both hands what just happened between the Master and you. We know the Master and we know how he can be when insistent. He always got what he wanted from his mother and, even if it took longer, from his father." She smiled at Elizabeth.

"You couldn't humanly resist him more than a few days. Not with those loving eyes imploring you and those adventurous hands catching you..."

Elizabeth shook her head.

"They will believe me wanton and interested..."

Mrs. Could not help but laugh. It was unseemly to laugh at a remark of the next Mistress of Pemberley but it was really too funny. How was it that the most perfect ones always believed themselves wanton?

"No need to fear anything the like. We knew you were the right one the day we saw him encountering you in the gardens. Never ever had the Master changed his clothes so speedily and with such impatience. Never again had it happened since. The word flew from room to room within seconds and the whole staff was looking at you from all the windows of the House. We saw him hesitate, turn around you, pace back and forth, hold his hands frantically behind his back... There was not a single soul in the House who had the least doubt that we were, if the Master found in himself the courage to ask, looking at our new Mistress."

She looked Elizabeth directly in the eyes.

"We all know the young Master perfectly well. We saw him grow up. We know all his habits, we feel his every mood. And this very day, we all knew he was not in his habitual mindset. He was clumsy, hesitant, shy..." She smiled again. "Why would he be so 'young' if not because he was in love? And the young Lady at his side was everything we ever wished for. Reserved and shy, polite and friendly, well bred and full of life. She had already shown that she was a kind soul and that she was able to see the members of the staff..."

Elizabeth looked at Mrs. Reynolds with surprise in her eyes.

"Yes, Miss Elizabeth, to be able to see us. You weren't here for more than five minutes that you had smiled to all the maids, said 'thank you' to all the footman who opened the doors for you and curtsied to me in response of my welcome." Her smile disappeared and her eyes strayed to the door. "The sisters have never curtsied in response of my welcome. For them I'm a part of the furniture and the maids and footmen are just accommodations coming with the house. Like the plumbing or the stairs... Not so with with you. You knew that nothing comes from alone. That there are people behind a good running house. And you had learned to acknowledge these people. We were quite impressed to see that our Master has been able to see all the qualities you were carrying with you."

Her smile came back.

"We had the final confirmation when he made us prepare the bedroom for you..."

Elizabeth looked at her with a frown.

"How so? What's the matter with this particular bedroom?"

Mrs. Reynolds shook her head.

"It has been prepared on his and Georgiana's special request. It was, from the beginning, bound to be the Mistress' bedroom."

Elizabeth had guessed so much. But something in the eyes of Mrs. Reynolds told her that the story was not at its end.

"What else, Mrs. Reynolds?"

The old retainer smothered the laugh that was swelling in her chest. One does not laugh about one's Mistress's glinting eyes.

"Next time you are upstairs, please have a look at your bath. It's not easy to see, but there is another door just opposite to the door which opens on your bedroom..."

The frown increased.

"You mean that he..."

Mrs. Reynolds nodded. She had no real idea what Elizabeth was imagining but there was a safe explanation and she would believe it's that what she was speaking about...

"Yes, he occupies the suite which is just running on from your bath. He could have intruded on your privacy any moment he wanted. As all young man violently in love, he probably planned on it! But I know there was no risk there. He hoped that there would be an overture and that his secret door could finally be used..."

An impish smile came on Elizabeth's lips.

"You mean that I could intrude onto him directly in his bedroom?"

"By passing through his own bathroom, it is a very real possibility. If you really wanted it, I see nothing that could stop you, Miss Elizabeth! But of course nothing of that matter is ever going to happen, isn't it?"

"Of course not..." answered Elizabeth the impish smile a permanent feature of her face. Her eyes looked at the door.

"Thank you, Mrs. Reynolds you were of a great help. Could you please introduced Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley? I'm quite curious to know the reason for this interview."

As always the Bingley sisters entered in the strict age order they had always practiced.

First Mrs. Hurst then Caroline Bingley. The former taking the first farther seat and the later coming nearer to sit near her guest.

"Miss Elizabeth," said Caroline just a second before Mrs. Hurst said the same.

"Miss Bingley, Mrs. Hurst," answered Elizabeth accompanying her greetings with a light bow of her bust.

She had had some reluctance to accept the stance of the Mistress of Pemberley but Mrs Reynolds had been very insistent.

She was receiving as the future Mistress of Pemberley and she had no need to stand up to respond to curtsying callers.

It was quite strange for her to act in that manner.

But Mrs. Reynolds had been very very imperative... Her antipathy for the two sisters having, of course, nothing to do with her insistence.

And so Elizabeth stayed sitting on her seat.

That fact went, of course, not unseen by Caroline who was very attentive to all those little details of the life of Gentry and aristocracy.

"You wanted to see me?"

Elizabeth could not help but being impressed by her own tone. She seemed calm and serene even if inwardly she was boiling.

"Indeed," answered Caroline who would, as usual be the head speaker of the Bingley family. "I wanted to speak to you to cover a few items which could, if not treated soon, add more trouble to our future relations..."

"More trouble?"

Caroline nodded.

"More trouble, Miss Elizabeth..."

Elizabeth was quite satisfied that Caroline had chosen to cease to call her 'Eliza'. She couldn't stand that peculiar nickname and the fact that Miss Bingley had chosen it for her had done nothing to raise its position in her mind.

Caroline took a deep breath and leaned forward.

"I saw you from the beginning as a threat to my future with Fitzwilliam, Miss Elizabeth. And I acted accordingly. Sometimes in a very unseemly way and I would like to apologize."

Elizabeth managed a smile.

"You had a better insight on my encounter with Fitzwilliam then myself. I, for my part, never really believed something could happen between us till last Monday..."

Caroline answered with a smile. A genuine smile. The first Elizabeth had ever seen.

"That's because you had no real idea of how Fitzwilliam Darcy could react in unknown situations. I, for my part, have spend quite a few hours studying him and I knew that he had taken a fancy in you just by the way he tried so hard not to look at you."

She sighed.

"That's were I let my hopes smother my brain," she added.

"At that point of our relations, I should have recognized that he would never come to me as a putative wife. I should have played another game. The game of matchmaker... He would have listened to me, I'm sure of it, and I would, by pushing you into his arms, have increased my standing with both of you.."

Elizabeth couldn't help but let a little shock be seen in her attitude.

Was Caroline Bingley really saying what she feared she just heard?

"I'm not the romantic type of woman you or your sister are. I'm the more pragmatic sort of woman. I want power and I want wealth. In exchange I am willing to give beauty, connections and my perfect knowledge of the ton and its habits. I'm even willing to produce a few heirs to stabilize the family. Love is not and will never be a part of the bargain. I' m not willing to be besotted and to lose my grasp over reality." She smiled an acid smile. "I let these behaviors to those of us who still do believe in happiness..."

She sat back.

"I made a mistake the day I let myself believe that Mr. Darcy and I shared the same view of life. I never even suspected that he was of the same romantic strain than my poor brother. I must confess he played the blasé with consistency and believability. I saw nothing coming and I'm a woman who takes great pleasure in foreseeing things..."

Elizabeth could only shook her head. Why was Caroline telling her those things.

"You wonder why I'm telling you this?"

She let go a little perfectly cold laugh.

"Because I do not want us to be enemies, Miss Elizabeth. I'm, as I said, a pragmatic woman. I wanted Fitzwilliam Darcy and I did everything in my power to get him and, what's more important in your case, to get you out of his life."

Her smile increased.

"Even if Mr. Darcy had no real idea of it, we were rivals! I had to try to eliminate you and to do this I had to push Charles out of your sister's life. I did what I had to do and I regret only that for a time I let my hopes reign over my destiny..."

She shrugged.

"In the end, it came to no avail and I'm sorry about it but as a pragmatic woman I must go on and accept the fact that, in this instance, I lost."

She made a face and her smile was of the unhappy forced sort of smile.

"I'm not happy about it but I'm very concerned about our relations in the future. I would like to stay in Mr. Darcy's esteem and good graces. Even if my brother is very upset with us, I'm sure he would not mind if I was here on your invitation or Mr. Darcy's. He, and Charles was very adamant on that point, would never again take the trouble to, as he said, drag us along. He will provide for us and our needs for as long as we live in one of his houses. The day we go on without its authorization, he will cut our stipend..."

Caroline's eyes became very narrow slits.

"I'm a wealthy woman, Miss Elizabeth, but I'm not that wealthy. I could live a few years on the money my father gave me but I would be desperate to marry quickly and desperate people make errors that cost! And I don't want to be pushed into desperation."

Elizabeth took an long breath.

"And you count on me for that?"

Caroline couldn't help but laugh at so much naiveté.

"Of course I count on you, my dear Elizabeth. Because I know you are a kind and compassionate person. I could be playing on your kindness and your compassion and you would do my bidding. But I chose to be frank. I need you and you need me. And we could both come out much stronger, if we work together, or weaker, if we battle one against the other..."

Elizabeth could only shook her head at so much guile.

"You really believe that..."

"Of course, I do," interrupted Caroline. "And you know exactly why. Look at yourself. Do you really believe you will be able to give to your children everything they need to survive in your new environment?"

She shook her head.

"I don't say you won't be able to learn. I say you'll have a lot to learn and time will be short. You'll need every help you can get. And even if I'm not a very kind or compassionate person, I'm a knowledgeable one. I know everything about London, the fashion, the ton and the Aristocracy. I could be a valuable asset and I'm available!"

She looked at her sister who nodded before going on.

"I don't know what you know about Lady de Bourgh but if there's one thing that is sure, it's the fact that she won't accept lightly your alliance with Fitzwilliam Darcy. She will do what's in her power to make your life a hell. And if your love to Mr. Darcy will probably help you to surmount the ostracism she will put on you and your family, do you really believe your daughters will like the fact that they will be shunned and scorned by their pears?"

Elizabeth, who had thought about that aspect, felt her stomach flinch.

It was a fact that Lady Catherine could very well do what was in her power to put Fitzwilliam and her at the fringe of the society.

She knew they would easily support it. But what of their children? What of their daughters. Would they have to buy a husband?

"I knew you had already thought about it," went on Caroline Bingley. "And here's the bargain: I stay on your lists and you promise me that I'll be invited as often as possible in all the circles you and your husband support and I give you my word that those circles will be be as large as they were for Mr. Darcy in the past."

She smiled her genuine but frightening smile.

"Don't forget it's to my advantage also. Where you go, I go... And, this way, your children will never have to suffer from Lady de Bourgh's slander. I'll counter them as often as possible. And contrary to Lady de Bourgh, I will be on the spot. And I'm known as a scheming person... Your children will always have access to my help and council and, as a result, I can guarantee that they'll have their rightful place in all levels of British society."

Elizabeth glanced at both the Bingley sisters.

They had a point.

More than one in fact.

She looked at Caroline.

"Must we like each other?"

Caroline shook her head.

"I won't," answered she. "But I'm not sure you won't, some time in the future, like me... Being kind and compassionate has its disadvantages..."

"We'll see in the future, then," answered Elizabeth. "In the meantime, you're welcome to stay till the wedding..."

Both sisters smiled their satisfaction.

They had won the last battle of a war they had lost a few weeks ago.

Now, they could go on and safely choose their next battle field.

Next chapter: London Separations