A/N A short interlude, while I struggle with a difficult chapter

Chapter 20 - The Trip

The next morning dawned rainy. Jane opened her eyes with the thought of her sister's distress on her mind, the grey day matching her grey mood. Charles was already awake, staring at the ceiling, when she turned onto her side to look at him.

Jane sighed. "I am surprised how much my sister's distress has upset me." she said.

Charles rolled over and looked at her, reaching out to stroke her cheek.

Jane looked at him and earnestly said, "She will get over this, it is just a passing thing. She had not valued Mr. Darcy prior to this, her natural high spirits will get her past this. She is just shocked, both that a proposal could be so… rudely done and how thoroughly she lost her temper. She blames herself for that. But all will be well."

Her troubled expression belied her words.

Charles sighed, leaned over, and kissed her and started to get out of bed.

"I need to go to London," he said. "Some information I learned yesterday means I need to go and make arrangements."

Jane looked up at this. "A London trip? In this weather? How long will you stay?"

"Not long," he replied, "I will probably stay the night at the townhouse and be back by lunch tomorrow. Unless it takes so long to get there today that I can't accomplish anything this afternoon, but it has only just started raining so it should be fine."

He smiled at her. "But I will miss you," he said. "I don't want to spend a night away from you." Jane pouted in agreement. He sighed and got out of bed. "But it must be done!" He rang for his valet to dress him.

"Make sure you send word to Mrs Innis as soon as you arrive, so she knows to prepare for the night," Jane advised with something resembling a smile and arose herself.

~~ HoL ~~

Charles arrived in London by lunch, having left Netherfield before eight o'clock. Rather than bother his house staff for an unexpected meal, he went to his club. He sent his carriage on to the house, with a message that he would be there for the night and would be wanting dinner, but could not guess a time. Now that he had arrived, he would walk as it was not far, indeed he wanted to walk, to get rid of some of the tension he felt and work off the long carriage trip and so that none of his staff would know what his actions in London were. He was confident his people were reliable, but that didn't mean they wouldn't talk amongst themselves, and he didn't want any word to get back to his wife, at least not until her he had something useful to tell her himself.

He ate a good meal - the trip had been slower than he hoped, but better than he had feared - and relaxed a little, greeting one or two friends, before he addressed his "business".

He was in London to have words with Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy.

The rain had not reached London yet, so the walk was not damp, and he arrived at Darcy's front door without a problem. As he knocked on the door, he wondered what on earth he was going to say to the man. What do you say when someone proposes badly? It's not like Charles could complain that Darcy had compromised Elizabeth and insist he married her, that was after all, exactly what Darcy had sought. Just… done very poorly.

Charles sighed in the moment before the door opened. The failed proposal was classic Darcy.

The butler opened the door and recognised him.

"Darcy isn't expecting me, but I'm sure he will see me" Charles told the man and was given admittance.

He followed the butler up to the study where he was announced.

As Charles entered the room, he saw that Darcy was seated at his desk but had turned and was gazing out the window. He seemed to have been daydreaming and was startled by the intrusion.

The butler announced him and at Darcy's nod bowed out and re shut the door.

Charles stood before the desk, his arms crossed.

"Well?" he said.

Darcy looked at him speculatively and replied, "Well what?"

"What," asked Charles, "do you have to say for yourself?"

"What should I have to say about anything?" evaded Darcy.

"You know perfectly well what I am talking about," growled Charles.

Darcy blinked and remained quiet.

Charles leaned over and put both hands on the desk.

"My new sister," he rumbled, "came home from Hunsford very upset at the rude way you had treated her." He wasn't quite ready to bring up that it was a proposal.

Darcy looked shocked. "She told you?"

"Of course she told us! We're her family!" cried Charles with exasperation apparent in his voice.

Darcy looked at his desk, "She said no, so that's the end of that."

"But… why… why ask her in such a way. Why were you so rude? How could you propose to a lady and… talk about how she wasn't suitable?"

Darcy froze and then looked down. "That wasn't what I was trying to say." he said. "I was trying to tell her how much I had overcome."

"Well, you phrased it really badly, my friend!" sighed Charles.

Darcy looked down, "I was very nervous, and I hadn't planned it. It just burst out, I had been fighting it for so long"

Charles sat down, "I would love to call you brother." He stopped and blinked. "Well, not through Caroline, certainly." Darcy reared back, appalled. Charles perked up. "But like this? Through Lizzy? I could imagine the two of you very happy together! By her ease and liveliness, your mind might have been softened, and your manners improved – you need that! and from your judgment, information, and knowledge of the world, she must have received benefit of greater importance. But… Darcy!" He got up and paced back and forth in front of the desk. "You haven't courted her at all! You can't just be rude to, argue with and ignore a lady for months, and then propose! She had no idea you were interested!"

Darcy stood too, "I didn't... I…." He turned away. "She told me exactly what she thought of me. She listed every time I had ever mistreated her. And her neighbours. She said I was the last man in the world whom she could ever be prevailed on to marry" He looked down. "You don't need to enumerate my faults, Bingley. Miss Bennet told me of every single one." He sat down with a defeated look on his face. "She said… she said I had not behaved in a gentlemanlike manner."

Charles could see that this had been the final straw for Darcy. "It's your arrogance that has bitten you, Darcy.", he said. "I think well of you, but it is not obvious to the casual observer that you are a good man."

Darcy sighed. "Such has been made clear to me." He looked downcast. "At Hunsford."

Charles spoke again, "Lizzy feels badly that she lost her temper and was rude to you. But I think she has told you some home truths. Things you needed to hear. Those who are close to you think well of you. As do many people - I doubt there is a member of your staff who would speak against you, and not for the usual reason of "they do not dare" but because they think you are a good master. But the rest of the world? I am quite sure most people see you as this…" he stopped and waved his hands in the air, "this arrogant tyrant who thinks he can do whatever he wants. Money and standing will let you get away with a lot, Darcy, but when it comes down to the important things, like finding a wife, then how the world sees you is going to be the most important thing there is."

"I don't see how there is any path forward that leads to myself and Miss Bennet marrying," Darcy said gloomily.

"There's certainly not an obvious one" replied Charles, "you are going to have to work on how your character shows. Learn to talk to people, even when you don't want to. You don't have to be a great conversationalist, you just have to actually speak."

Darcy just looked at him with a baffled expression on his face.

Charles continued, "As you are my friend, and Lizzy is my wife's sister, you are bound to meet from time to time. Perhaps. Maybe. With time, you will be able to show you have learned something from this. Certainly she now knows of your feelings. Ha! Does she ever know! I have told her my good opinion of you. Perhaps her feelings will soften with time."

Darcy sat down and Charles followed suit. Darcy leaned to the side of his desk and lifted a brandy glass, indicating his head at in question, and Charles nodded. Darcy poured and handed a glass to Charles and then poured for himself. They drank.

"Well, if nothing else, you were wise to ignore my advice in November." sighed Darcy, "Clearly you know more about these things than I do!"

~~ HoL ~~

The next day the sun had returned and Charles returned to Netherfield. He was unclear if he had improved anything, but glad to have had his say. It pleased him, knowing that Jane and her sisters were under his protection.

When he walked back into the house and his dear wife came straight into his arms, he knew it was all worthwhile.