Caroline Bingley, who could find no satisfaction in the memory of her joust with the new Mrs. Darcy, contented herself with abusing her former rival's appearance and conduct to her sister while they awaited their brother's return from Longbourn.
"I daresay we interrupted quite a tête-à-tête," she said. "What do you think they mean by it, rutting like animals in the parlor while family is expected? It's nothing more than I'd expect from a Bennet, but you do think Darcy would have better sense. But I daresay he's coming down to her level so as to mingle well with her family.
"And her dress! Do you think she takes every opportunity of rolling in the dirt? I don't suppose you saw if Mr. Darcy was similarly besmirched?"
Mrs. Hurst allowed that she had not. Miss Bingley walked agitatedly about the room, recalling all that she could of the wildness of the Bennet clan and every particular of uncouth or inelegant behavior on the part of Eliza. Her sister could not help but remarking,
"You must be so relieved, at discovering how poor Mr. Darcy's taste truly is, to have escaped from him yourself.
"Oh, infinitely relieved," Caroline said, poorly concealing a pout. "But he may not have been so bad before she sank her claws into him. Some men become so eager to please their brides, you know, that they'll sink to anything. But maybe Mr. Wickham had more of an influence on Mr. Darcy than we had previously suspected. And we know how badly his character is esteemed. I heard a rumor as we were passing through that village that Wickham somehow disgraced himself publicly only last night. I can't bear to think of what the escapade might have been. Do you think he tried to fight Mr. Darcy for the love of Elizabeth Bennet?"
They both laughed at the image, and were still laughing when Bingley, who had received word of his sisters' arrival, entered. He greeted them cordially, his mind obviously elsewhere.
"Congratulations, Charles. Jane must be so pleased," Caroline greeted her brother. "But I always said she was a sweet, sweet girl."
"Do you think you'll keep her much in the country, or will we have the pleasure of seeing her in town?" Louise asked, her eyes glinting with secret mockery.
"You've just come from Longbourn, haven't you? How are you enjoying the company of your dear mother-in-law?" Caroline asked without the bother of having waited for him to reply to her sister's query. Bingley looked between them both with increasing desperation to divert them.
"Yes, well, I daresay Mrs. Bennet is —"
"And how is Mrs. Darcy faring? Has she quite recovered from her nautical dealings? Were you vastly shocked to hear of it?"
Bingley gave way to panic. Pointing out the window, he cried,
"Is that a covey of quail? My God, I've never seen better conditions for shooting. You'd better tell Mr. Hurst. We should go this moment."
He darted from the room. The sisters blinked at each other in astonishment.
"Well," said Louise at length. "I don't think he seems happy at all, being engaged. Do you?"
"Tell me again, what did you think of Miss Elizabeth Bennet," Georgiana inquired of Colonel Fitzwilliam. The Darcy carriage was pulling near Meryton, and though he had been enlightening his cousin on the subject for many miles, he started afresh, to her delight. Mrs. Annesley listened dully to the talk. She was sensitive to the motion of the carriage and was fighting the indecorous sensations it created within her.
"Very pretty, very sensible and witty," he said, leaning back against the cushions. "In height a shade shorter than yourself. In music she was very accomplished, but you know how little I know of scores and pianofortes and such, so I shall leave that to your own perception."
"And do you think her family is so very poor as Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst said? That they are so very nearly destitute?"
Fitzwilliam considered the question.
"It seems likely to me that Mr. Bingley's sister's, being so used to a very comfortable style, would see them as poorer than they are. I saw nothing very rich in Miss Elizabeth's garments or effects, but she strikes me as a woman of simple tastes. She is terribly fond of very long walks. And there is not much sense in wearing rich clothes to walk in."
Georgiana considered this intelligence.
"I suppose it will not matter if she was poor, for she is my sister and Darcy's wife now. Oh, how I wish I could have been at the wedding."
The colonel's attention was diverted by a large, ugly wagon that was lumbering toward them, taking up more than its share of the narrow roadway. He called to the driver to take care to divert around, and as he did, saw that several men were bound in the back of the cart. He was astonished to recognize Wickham, though in regimentals and smeared with an uncommon quantity of dirt. As the cart passed them, he could not prevent Georgiana from glimpsing her former suitor, seemingly bound for debtor's prison, though Mrs. Annesley tried to block the view. Georgiana hid her face in her hands and wept. Her cousin soothed her.
"I am sorry you had to see that, Georgiana. But you know — and your brother always told you — that he would come to a bad end."
"But — did you see the chains Fitzwilliam? Chains! What an end for —" and here she broke off, unable to continue.
"There, now, dear cousin. He does not deserve your pity. It is not as if he's going to his death. He will be able to work off his debts and, one day perhaps, be able to face society again, a reformed man."
His efforts were slowly able to bring her about, and by the time they drew close to Netherfield, she was once again looking forward to greeting her brother and his new wife.