50 ways to reject a proposal Chapter 5 - CB-D, a pride and prejudice fanfic

Warning – you asked for it… 😊

(Imahappygirlreading - I think you asked for it 😊)

~50~

It was the last week of February when Darcy returned to London. He had promised his aunt, Lady Matlock that he would attend at least some of the season before his annual trip to Rosings.

As soon as he arrived, he sent a note to inform his friend Bingley of his return, in the hope of catching up with him. Darcy had not seen Bingley since shortly after their return from Hertfordshire when he convinced his friend that he had not noticed Miss Bennet displaying any special feeling for his friend. Darcy hoped that Bingley had found another angel to pursue in the meantime.

It was only a few hours later when Darcy received an invitation to dine with Bingley on Saturday.

Being punctual as ever, Darcy arrived at his friend's house in good time and was greeted effusively by Bingley. Yet despite Bingley's show of good cheer, Darcy thought he detected a note of despondency beneath the smile, but he did not get a chance to enquire as Bingley led him into the drawing room where the rest of his family waited.

They had time to exchange a few pleasantries before dinner was announced.

For a small family dinner, where Darcy was the only guest, the meal was lavish. He suspected that Caroline Bingley was still trying to impress him by serving elaborate meals without realising that he preferred simpler fare. But he smiled and politely complimented the cook. While the dishes were not ones he would have chosen, they were exquisitely prepared.

Conversation flowed around the dinner table where Miss Bingley accounted for the lion's share of the discussion, displaying her vast knowledge of current affairs. In other words, she gave Darcy the on-dit on which gentlemen had new mistresses, and which of her rivals had failed to make a favourable impression.

Darcy breathed a sigh of relief when Bingley's sisters withdrew after dinner, leaving the gentlemen to their port and cigars. At last Darcy had a chance to enquire, 'How have you been the last few months?'

'Well enough I suppose,' Bingley answered dispiritedly. 'Caroline keeps introducing me to all her friends. Miss Harrington, her latest favourite, is a nice enough young lady, but she cannot hold a candle to…' He trailed off, not wanting to speak the name of his love.

Seeing his friend so depressed made Darcy uncomfortable as he felt guilty about the situation. 'I am sure that eventually you will find someone of whom both you and your sister will approve.' In an attempt to cheer up Bingley, he changed the subject, and they conversed on a variety of subjects until it was time to join the ladies.

Caroline Bingley smiled brilliantly in welcome when the men entered the drawing room. She immediately rose and went to the side table where refreshments were awaiting them. She fixed a cup of coffee just the way how Darcy liked it and took it to him, putting it on the table next to where he stood.

Once her task as hostess was done, Miss Bingley looked coyly at Darcy and asked, 'Do you know what the date is today?'

Darcy frowned at the non sequitur but readily answered, 'It is the 29th day of February 1812.'

Caroline smiled in a way she considered seductive. 'Indeed. It is also called Ladies' Privilege, when according to the law, ladies are allowed to propose marriage and gentlemen must accept.' Her smile widened and she grasped Darcy's hands as she said, loud enough to be heard by everyone in the room, 'Therefore, Mr Darcy, I would ask you to do me the honour and accept my hand in marriage.'

Darcy snatched back his hands and took a step back in shock. He was peripherally aware that conversation in the room had stopped, and everyone was gaping at them, as he gathered his wits enough to answer, 'Most certainly NOT.'

He retreated further as Caroline approached and demanded, 'But you must. It is the law.'

Darcy's usual polite mask cracked as he sneered, 'It may be the law in Scotland, but it does not apply in England, and last time I checked, London, where we are now, is in England.' Regaining his composure, he gave a mirthless chuckle. 'If you know that law, I am sure that you are aware that even in Scotland that rule is not absolute. A gentleman is free to decline, as long as he pays a forfeit, which I believe is a silk gown.'

Miss Bingley was getting somewhat desperate that her ploy was not working as she had hoped and said, 'But surely, we have been friends for long enough that you have recognised that I would be perfect as the mistress of Pemberley.'

'I am sorry, Miss Bingley, but I know nothing of the kind.' Darcy looked around the room in irritation and saw that Bingley and the others were listening avidly, giving him no choice but to put an end to Caroline's hopes and pretensions. 'Even if that law applied in England, I would rather fill your wardrobe to overflowing with silk gowns from the most expensive modiste in town than to make you the mistress of Pemberley.' Perhaps he was harsher than he needed to be, but he was tired of Caroline's ambitions.

As Darcy stopped a moment to take a deep breath, Caroline, who had turned white as a sheet in mortification, gasped, 'Why?'

Darcy decided that he might as well be hung for a sheep as for a lamb, and therefore said, 'Ever since I have known you, your manners impressed me with the fullest belief of your arrogance, your conceit, and your selfish disdain of the feelings of others. You have a greatly inflated sense of your own worth, thinking that the wealth garnered by your father through trade gives you the right to treat everyone who is not a member of the nobility as if they were beneath you. Yet you forget that in our society, the daughter of a tradesman has no standing compared to members of the gentry.'

He shook his head and said with an expression of distaste, 'You disparage Miss Bennet whose status is the same as mine and yet you fawn over me. I find both the fawning and your propensity for vicious gossip to be disgusting. You claim that you would be the perfect mistress for Pemberley, yet you hate living in the country, and you know nothing about the duties incumbent to that position.'

While Darcy spoke, the other members of their party reacted according to their personality. Louisa Hurst blanched and would not meet anyone's eyes. Hurst sat back in his chair raising his glass in toast with a delighted smirk. Bingley looked like he was torn between mortification for his sister and pleasure to see someone putting her in her place at last.

Caroline stood rooted to the spot and gaped as Darcy's tirade shattered all her dreams. For years she had tried everything in her power to gain the gentleman's attention. She had acted in the manner she had learnt at the seminary from the example of the other students from the first circles. They had acted superior and dismissive of anyone ranked below them. They had acted in that way to her. Caroline had thought that if she mimicked their manners people would take her to be one of them, but based on Darcy's words, she had misjudged. Instead of seeing her as a lady and a potential wife, he considered her an irritating upstart whom he despised. But worse was to come.

'Just because you are an expert at spending money does not qualify you to be anything other than what you are… the spoiled child of a successful tradesman, one who has spent years making a nuisance of herself. Your social climbing ambitions are such as to form a groundwork of disapprobation, on which succeeding events have built an immovable a dislike.' Darcy paused a moment and almost with pity, which seemed worse to Caroline than his earlier disgust, he said, hoping to carry his point at last, 'If you were the last woman on earth and the only choice was between you and your brother, I would rather marry Charles.'

At Darcy's words, Bingley's eyes lit up and a slow smile played about his lips, as he walked over to take his friend's arm and suggested, 'Shall we discuss this in private?'

~50~

OK – don't shoot me. I warned you that I have warped sense of humour… 😉

~50~