The following morning, everyone awoke early to send the Bingleys and Mr. Darcy off. Although incredibly sad to see her husband go, Mrs. Darcy, being the hostess she was, hid it well.
She had planned a long walk through the gardens to the location of a picnic lunch. Following the lunch, the ladies would go to the music room where Georgiana would play them a piece she had just perfected. While she did not like to play in company, she had it best to practice. She would be out in company and she might be expected to play in front of gentlemen, gentlemen other than her brother and his intimate friends. It was best she get used to performing now, in the comfort of her own home and in the presence of the ladies.
The walk through the gardens was very agreeable. Elizabeth walked arm in arm with Georgiana while Caroline and Lydia walked together. Elizabeth tried to get to Lydia before Caroline but she had failed. Her talk with Lydia would have to wait for another time.
When they got to the picnic spot, Georgiana expressed her delight at the spread. Lizzy had worked hard the night before to create a menu that would please all the ladies in the party. There were a wide variety of meats and cheeses and pastries that would please even the pickiest of eaters.
"How nice!" Caroline said looking at the display before them, "how wonderful it is that you are capable of putting out such a spread."
"Yes, dear sister," Lydia added, "and how well you have followed proper protocol."
Lizzy quirked an eyebrow at the two of them for their thinly veiled criticisms, but ignored them, instead turning the conversation to the new additions to the garden. While she had been reluctant to change the décor in the house, she was more than willing to expand the garden. She had put in new varieties of flowers and additional seating. She had even commissioned new paths to be built. She was, as many people observed, a great walker and took pleasure in it. Though she swore she would never tire of walking of walking the many paths through the gardens, she wanted to expand the paths in the hope that she could push her baby carriage through the garden.
Caroline turned her nose up at the flowers. "Who cares of gardens when there are parlors to decorate?"
"Pemberley is already such a great home," Elizabeth said, "I would not wish to dishonor the previous the previous Mrs. Darcy by changing everything about her home."
Caroline let out a snort, "why Mrs. Darcy, I am certain you have already dishonored the previous Mrs. Darcy."
Everyone's jaws dropped at the show of disrespect.
"Miss. Bingley," Elizabeth said, after she had recovered a moment later, "you will not speak to me in that manner, not in my house."
"I apologize," she said, not really sorry.
"Very well," Elizabeth said taking a deep breath, "but I warn you, if you ever speak to me like that again I will throw you out of my home with a second thought. I do not care if you are my sister's husband's sister."
She nodded and blanched. It was clear that angering her would not get her to reveal her indiscretions. She had misjudged her. She showed no signs of shame when she had accused her of dishonoring the late Mrs. Darcy. Either she was exceptionally good at concealing the truth, or she had nothing to hide. She was certain that Lydia had not yet caught on, so she had no need to stop their plan.
Their picnic lunch continued without further incident, but Caroline did not speak again. When they finished, they took another turn around the garden. Mrs. Darcy and Miss. Darcy had walked ahead while she stayed behind with Mrs. Wickham.
"What was that?" Lydia whispered as they walked.
"Oftentimes, when people feel as if they are being attacked, they accidentally reveal their emotions or the truth of the situation."
"Clearly that did not work."
"I know," she sighed.
"I have a new plan. And really, you must leave the plans to me from this moment forward."
"What is your plan?" she whispered back.
"I shall speak to her in private this afternoon. She knows that I did not marry as an untouched woman. Perhaps if I try to confide in her about the struggles I have faced, she will confide in me in return."
"Mrs. Wickham, I know that you insisted I leave the planning to you, but I have a secondary plan, should the first one fail."
"Go on. I shall indulge you despite your previous failure."
"Well," she began, "I still believe you should attend the first plan, but if it does not work I believe you should, as your sister, say you are worried for her. Tell her you worry that Mr. Darcy does not and has never found her attractive, or worse, that he has never loved her. If I know anything about Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy, I know that she will always defend herself and her husband. If you tell her her husband has never loved her, she will surely tell you how much her husband loves her and perhaps will reveal that he found her so attractive, he simply could not wait until they were married."
Lydia grinned, "I must apologize Miss. Bingley, for underestimating your abilities. You are a genius and I am sorry I ever doubted you."
"Thank you."
The ladies caught up to the Darcy women and followed them into the music room. It had not changed much since the last time Caroline had seen it, when she saw Elizabeth Bennet at Pemberley the summer before. They listened to Georgiana play and Caroline was eager to compliment her, saying that she played with a newfound confidence and that she was very impressed.
Georgiana blushed at the praise and began another song. She asked Mrs. Darcy to join her and she obliged them for a song or two. While Lydia did not care for music that she could not dance to, she listened intently and paid compliments when appropriate.
After a long performance, Elizabeth called for tea. As they snacked, they talked of music, particularly the new sheet music Georgiana had just received from London. All in all, Elizabeth declared, it was a wonderful day and she dismissed the ladies to rest and dress for dinner.
Lydia stayed behind and grabbed Lizzy's arm before she would leave.
"Whatever is the matter?" she asked Mrs. Wickham.
"Nothing. Well, it is not nothing. I just wish to speak to you in private."
"Of course," she said dismissing the footman from the door and closing it to speak to her sister in private.