Chapter 9
Elizabeth snagged her sister for a walk. She needed someone to talk to and Jane was her only confidant on the matter. Of course, there were things that she wanted to ask her sister as well.
"I must admit myself confused by your behaviour. I know how much you cared for Mr Bingley and how upset you were when he appeared to have abandoned you. Yet now that you have been reunited you seem totally indifferent to him."
"I am not indifferent, though I try to be."
"He needs encouragement, Jane, and you do not give him any."
"I know your opinion on our parents' marriage, Lizzy. Would you be happy married to a man who treated you with disrespect?"
"Certainly not!"
"Then why should I?"
"But he does respect you! It is his sister who manipulates him into thinking you would not be a good match for him."
"He did not respect me, or love me, enough to ignore his sister's manipulations. He is weak-willed and allows her to dictate his thoughts and actions. He is not ready to head a family. He is not the sort of man that I would be comfortable entrusting myself and my children to."
"But you love him!"
"No, Lizzy. I love the man I thought he was. And even if I did love him, that is not all that is required for a marriage. I certainly hope to love the man I marry, but in order to love him I would need to respect him s the head of my new family."
"I suppose."
"You suppose? Lizzy! I know you feel the same about the man you would be willing to marry."
"Yes, but I did not expect you to agree with my opinion on the matter."
"My opinion on the matter is not what has changed. What has changed is what I require in a respectable man."
"And yet I am feeling as though I am talking to an entirely new Jane."
"Your confidence has been shaken, both by Charlotte's marriage and Mr Darcy's revelations. I do not say this to pain you, but I feel that you are now listening to me rather than hearing what you expect me to say."
"That does pain me. How can it not? I feel totally inadequate as a sister."
"And yet you are the one who was able to help our parents see the ramifications of Kitty and Lydia's behaviour, and drew out Mary's hidden depths. If you are inadequate as a sister what must I be?"
"You must be the best of sisters, for you are incapable of anything else."
"No, Lizzy. My inability to see anything other than the good in people is harmful because it prevents me from seeing reality. If I cannot see how things really are how can I hope to judge properly, or guide others in a way that is beneficial to them?"
Lizzy had no answer to that, which Jane took to indicate agreement and turned the subject back to Mr Bingley.
"I trust you understand my feelings towards him now?"
"I believe so. But I am left wondering how you will ever find a man worthy of you when we have so few resources."
"You forget that I have friends outside of Hertfordshire now. They have introduced me to both Colonel Brandon and General Fitzwilliam, though I do not believe the latter is available."
"No?"
"I suspect a preference for Elinor. I know that money is an issue, but I will have to hope that it can be resolved."
"And Colonel Brandon?"
"I confess I like him very much. Do not say anything, Lizzy. I do not believe he will ever care for me as more than a friend and I will not allow myself to be hurt by that. Besides, it looks as though I will have a sister to throw me in the paths of other rich young men." She looked enquiringly at her sister.
"Oh Jane! I don't know what to do."
"No?"
"He's so very different to how he was in Hertfordshire."
"Is he? I confess I don't see much difference, except that he seems more comfortable with all of us now."
"I was so sure he was ill-tempered and disdainful."
"I think he must be exceedingly even-tempered to be able to bear Miss Bingley's behaviour with equanimity."
"I don't know how anyone can!"
"He derives amusement from the discomfort we cause her, though he does not allow it to show."
"I've noticed. I had not thought he had a sense of humour at all, but now I find it rather dry and somewhat similar to Papa's."
"He would be a good match for you Lizzy."
"After the way I treated him! He could never consider it."
"You are very wrong. No-one can miss the way he looks at you. I think he merely awaits a sign from you before he renews his addresses."
"But do I want him to? I certainly feel that I know him far better than ever before, but I feel as if I'm barely acquainted with myself!"
"You have not changed much, Lizzy."
"Haven't I? I like him. I respect him. He may well be the best man I've ever met. But do I love him?"
"Only you can answer that. Can you bear the thought of parting from him? Or his being hurt and you unable to help and comfort him?"
They walked silently until they came to a fork in the path.
"I will return to the house. I know you wish to think and I shall leave you to it. Besides, I could not keep up with you."
With Darcy in Kympton, the express that arrived was delivered to his sister. She went in search of Mrs Reynolds and then her aunt.
"Aunt, Uncle Henry and James will be here soon."
"Here?"
"Yes, they say to expect them either late tonight or early tomorrow."
"What for?"
"They don't say," she handed the note to her aunt, but as all it said was to expect them shortly for a family meeting, she was left as much in the dark as her niece.
The General did not return from his ride until almost dinner time, so his mother and cousin could not ask him if he knew anything about it. He was unusually grave at dinner and had avoided everyone but Darcy, who had returned from Kympton at about the same time. Darcy was also grave and troubled when they met for dinner. The General had told Darcy that he would be leaving in the morning, had then had to explain why, and the ensuing argument, much the same as with Georgiana and his mother, had upset him further. He had considered skipping dinner, but felt that one last meeting was necessary. He must leave, but he could not go without saying goodbye.
It was Lady Matlock who began the conversation. "William, Richard, we received an express from Henry and James this morning. They will be here later tonight or early tomorrow."
"And what brings them here?" her son asked, convinced that they were part of a plot to force charity on him.
"We were hoping one of you knew," Georgiana said quietly. "They said nothing about why in the letter." She passed the note to her brother who read it and looked at Richard.
"All they say is that they wish to speak to all the familly. You shall have to delay your departure."
"Departure?" More than one person asked, surprised.
"Yes," he answered calmly, looking at Elinor. "I find I cannot remain here any longer. But now I will have one more day with all of you."
The only person uninterested in his leaving was Miss Bingley, who had caught on to what the really important part of the disclosure was and spoke stridently to Lady Matlock, "Would that be your husband, the Earl of Matlock, and his heir, Viscount Walsham?"
"Yes, Miss Bingley."
"The Viscount is unmarried, I understand."
"Oh! Maybe he's come to tell us he's getting married!" Georgiana suggested.
"There would be no need for an express and sudden visit for that!"
"No, I suppose you're right."
"Do they plan to stay long?" Miss Bingley asked, intent on the information she desired.
"They did not say, Miss Bingley," Darcy answered shortly and then changed the subject. "I hope your presence at dinner indicates you are well, Colonel Brandon?"
"Tolerably, I thank you."
"What did the doctor say?" Jane asked.
"That I should do nothing strenuous and rest at the first sign of shortness of breath until my lungs have completely recovered from the smoke."
"And the old injury?" Fitzwilliam asked.
"I shall need to be careful not to aggravate it for some time yet."
Jane noticed his embarrassment at being the centre of attention and redirected the conversation. "And your brother, Mrs Hurst?"
"His leg is giving him some pain. The doctor says he'll have to remain in bed another day or two before he can try walking again."
"Does he expect Mr Bingley will have trouble walking?" Mr Gardiner asked.
"No, he will merely need to use crutches for some time. It was a clean break," Mr Hurst answered.
Miss Bingley was uninterested in the Colonel (old, boring, and only £2000 a year on some tiny little estate in the middle of nowhere) or her brother. Her mind was far more agreeably engaged. An unmarried Viscount! She could be Lady Matlock! True, Darcy had the advantage of being without parents, but the Matlocks were both titled and wealthy. Perhaps Darcy was taking her too much for granted, assuming that she would still be there when his foolish inclination for Eliza Bennet was over. A little jealousy would do very well, and if she managed to catch the Viscount, even better.
Elinor was unsettled. On the one hand, she knew why the General felt he needed to leave and she commended him for actually doing it. Part of her felt that she should be the one to leave as this was his family's house. She knew that was impractical, however. As a lady she did not have the same freedom of movement that he did. On the other hand, the thought of him leaving made her feel quite ill. She knew perfectly well that he could not afford to marry someone with as little as she had. She was distracted from her contemplation by Lady Matlock.
"I'm sorry, Aunt Helena, I missed what you said."
"I was merely asking if you had a preference for the southern or northern counties? Miss Bingley prefers town, Miss Elizabeth, Miss Marianne, and Georgiana are in favour of the north, and Miss Bennet prefers the mildness of the south."
"Well, I think an argument can be made in favour of every county. Of course, I've never experienced a northern winter, so my opinion is subject to change."
"You do not want to experience one," Mrs Hurst said. "I grew up in Yorkshire and will quite happily never spend another winter there. The other seasons are lovely, however."
"Which counties have you lived in, Elinor?" Lady Matlock asked, redirecting the conversation where she wanted it.
"Well, we grew up in Suffolk, spent some time in Sussex, and we now live in Devon. We have spent some time in other counties, Dorset and Somerset, as well as in London, but we've only lived in those three."
"I see. And you've never stayed in Hampshire?"
"We did spend a few nights in Winchester when we moved to Devon. I took the opportunity to sketch the Cathedral. It is a breath-taking building."
"I can see you're wondering why I'm asking. My husband is trustee of an estate near Winchester, Owlsbury Hall."
"I've never heard of it. When did this happen?" Richard asked.
"When you were still a child. Your father is only a trustee, but we hope we've found the heir now and I would like to visit the area." She looked quite steadily at her son while she spoke. He could tell she was trying to convey something, but he knew not what.
The Earl and his oldest son arrived the next morning, while the party was still at breakfast. They were welcomed and invited to join them, which they did. After breakfast the Darcys and Fitzwilliams adjourned to Darcy's study.
The Earl began, "You may have heard that George Wickham was recently killed in a duel."
"We have."
"I had not," Lady Matlock said. "But surely that's not why you're here?"
"It is in part. After his death his things were packed up and sent to your house in London, William. Your butler put most of it aside and intended to write to you about it. He took the trouble to separate the bills from the other papers and found some letters written in a hand he recognised."
They could not help it, both Darcy and the General glanced at Georgiana. The Earl and his son noticed the look, shared a glance of their own, and then the Earl continued.
"Knowing I was in town, he brought the letters to me. At first I was certain there was a mistake, though the hand was equally familiar to me. So I read them. There was no mistake. And the contents are shocking." He paused, looking at his niece. "I'm not sure you want to hear the rest of this, Georgiana."
"I do."
"Very well. The letters were from Catherine."
"Catherine? Your sister Catherine?"
"Yes, my dear. Though I am no longer willing to acknowledge her as my sister."
"What did the letters say?"
The Viscount extracted a paper from his coat and handed it to his brother. "Read it yourself."
He read it aloud.
Wickham,
Do not think I am taken in by your scruples. I have told you what I am willing to pay and all your attempts at negotiation will be fruitless. And it's not as if I want you to publicly ruin the girl. Merely make it clear to Darcy that he is an unfit guardian. I will do the rest.
Lady Catherine de Bourgh
Both Georgiana and Darcy paled at the words.
"How could she?" Lady Matlock asked in horror.
"I don't know. But it's clear that she did, we have the evidence in her own hand. He kept all their correspondence."
"We shall never see her again," Darcy said, moving to sit beside Georgiana and placing his arm around her.
"What about Anne?" she asked.
"It does not appear that she knew anything about it," the Viscount said. "And, hopefully, what Father and I have in mind will benefit our cousin."
"Does it involve me running that harridan through?"
"You're so hot-headed, Richard," his brother replied. "You run her through and then what? She dies. There's no suffering in that."
"What do you have in mind?" his mother asked.
"I thought we should have her declared mentally incompetent and committed to an asylum."
The three young men laughed and it was quickly agreed that this would be both the best and the most satisfying solution."
"But how will this affect Anne?" Georgiana asked again.
"She is of age, so legally Rosings is already hers. With Catherine out of the way she will be able to do whatever she pleases, though I expect she'll need some help running the estate at first."
It was decided that the Earl would write to his solicitor and being setting things in motion. Until they heard back from him they would remain at Pemberley and continue plotting for contingencies.
As she was leaving, Georgiana turned and asked her brother, "May I tell my friends?"
"Provided you make it clear that Miss Bingley must not hear of it."
"That woman! I recommend you ensure never to be alone with her, James. She would compromise herself in a moment," Lady Matlock said. It seemed as if she had a fair bit more to say on the subject, so Georgiana slipped away and went to find her friends.
They were outraged, as one would expect. Elizabeth and Marianne took great pleasure in thinking up increasingly bizarre punishments for her aunt until they could no longer breathe for laughing so much.
At that point, Miss Bingley arrived, "What are you making all this racket for? You should have some respect for the family. They obviously have something serious to discuss."
"But Miss Bingley, have you not heard? Laughter is the best medicine," Georgiana said cheekily, moving so she was no longer hidden behind the others.
"My dear Georgiana," she gushed, "do you not realise that this undignified behaviour is why you have been excluded from the adults' discussion? You will be coming out soon and will need to learn thow to comport yourself as one of the first circles."
"And I suppose you think that your behaviour is the model she should follow, Miss Bingley?" A cold voice asked from behind her.
She turned to face Lady Matlock. "As one of Georgiana's closest friends I will always endeavour to assist her where necessary. Especially if her family is content to see her associate herself with vulgar fortune hunters."
"You are not my friend at all, Miss Bingley," Georgiana said coldly, finally driven to anger by the continual abuse of those she did consider to be her real friends. "Everyone knows that all you want is to marry my brother - a thing that will never happen, let me tell you - and if not for that you wouldn't give me the time of day. I will not help you entrap anyone in marriage and I will not stand for you abusing me, my family, and my friends in my own home."
Miss Bingley gaped at her in shock. It had never occurred to her that Georgiana might see through her insincerity and meet her with anything other than blind friendship.
"Well said," Lizzy said, coming to stand beside Georgiana in support.
"I see you have been coaching her, Miss Eliza. I'm sure that her brother will be very interested to know that you've infected her with your conceited independence. If he does not object to me as a friend of Georgiana's then who are you to?"
She'd forgotten that Lady Matlock was behind her. "I think you'll find my nephew as thrilled as the rest of the family is by Georgiana's gaining some much-needed confidence. And make no mistake, Miss Bingley, we recognise you for what you are. Darcy merely tolerates you for the sake of your brother."
Caroline was outraged, but Lady Matlock was not finished.
"I think you should spend this evening in your room. We will give your apologies at dinner. And if you continue to behave like this I may speak to your brother about hiring a governess."
She then ordered a nearby footman to escort Miss Bingley to her room and inform her maid and the kitchen that she would be remaining there for the rest of the day. Caroline was, once again, both mortified and incensed. It would not do for her to go against Lady Matlock, so she would have to do as she was bid. This was all Eliza Bennet's fault! Rather than reflecting on what had happened and been said, she instead fantasised about getting revenge on the impudent chit.
In the end she decided that she would leave her room, though she could not go downstairs without disobeying Lady Matlock, and went to her brother's room.
"Caroline!" he said cheerfully when she came in. "This is a nice surprise. How are you? You look upset."
"I am."
"What's happened? It must be something serious to upset you."
"Oh, Charles! I know you haven't noticed, but none of the other ladies here like me and they've been poisoning dear Georgiana against me!"
"Not like you? Why wouldn't they like you? And how do you know?"
"I do not know why they don't like me. I expect it's jealousy. I should have expected that after my experiences at school, but I must confess myself completely surprised by it."
"Jealous of what?"
"The fact that I've been educated - none of them have attended a school save Georgiana. The fact that I have a fortune - only Georgiana compares, the rest are all penniless. The fact that I have long been an intimate friend of Georgiana's and, through you and her, a friend of Mr Darcy's."
"I can see why some people might be jealous of all that, but the ladies here are not those sorts of women."
"Then why do they hate me so?" she wailed, trying to squeeze out a few tears.
"I'm sure there's just been some miscommunication."
"But there hasn't. Georgiana said just this morning that I was not her friend. And Louisa's been spreading that ridiculous nonsense about me throwing myself at Mr Darcy. And Miss Eliza called me a fortune hunter. Me! I have a fortune of my own, unlike them. And if I were a fortune hunter would I not be downstairs throwing myself at the single, wealthy, titled Viscount Walsham?"
"Oh my poor sister."
"What am I to do, Charles?"
"I think you can only wait until time proves the true nature of your character to them." At this point she finally managed to produce the tears she wanted and Charles hurried on, "I'll speak to Louisa about it tomorrow. She's your sister, I'm sure she will help you. And at the moment that's all I can do, confined to bed as I am. If it gets too much for you, please feel free to come here at any time."