Chapter 16

In the following weeks, Mr. Bingley visited Jane without fail, even dining with her and the Gardiners whenever he could. In addition, his aunt Amanda was a great help because she had organized a beautiful dinner to bring the two families together. Also, she visited Jane and Mrs. Gardiner regularly so that Jane would not doubt her nephew's serious intentions.

Jane was pleased with everything happening in her life, although sometimes she felt a little guilty for being so happy while her sister was still working and away from her family. The only thing that comforted Jane was knowing that Mr. Bingley told her he would protect Elizabeth and offer Netherfield as her future home.

That morning, Jane received a brief letter from Elizabeth, and although her sister informed her she was well, Jane sensed that Elizabeth was not completely honest. Besides, she could not help but feel insecure about Mr. Bingley and that he might disappoint her again, as he had done a few months ago.

"Dear, can I talk to you?" Mrs. Gardiner asked and entered Jane's room.

"Of course, Aunt. Please, tell me, how can I help you?"

"What do you think of Lizzy's letter? I do not want to worry you, but I feel like my dear niece is not happy where she is. I do not understand why she does not give us the address so we can write to her. It has been almost three months since she left."

"Aunt, I was thinking about that too. For some reason that I do not understand, she is withholding information from us."

"Your uncle was thinking about hiring someone to locate her, and I think I shall tell him that he should do it as soon as possible."

"Yes, Aunt, that is a splendid idea. We need to know where Lizzy is and if she is well."

After talking about Elizabeth's situation for a few more minutes, Mrs. Gardiner wanted to know how Jane felt. "I imagine you must be pleased now that Mr. Bingley is formally courting you."

"Yes, aunt, I am delighted, but…"

"Jane, I hope you are not doubting his feelings for you."

"It is just that I still feel insecure. Not long ago, he abandoned me and…"

"Jane, that is in the past. He apologized and he has shown you that he sincerely loves you."

"I suppose you are right, Aunt. Thank you very much for being so good to me and allowing me to spend time here with you."

Jane hugged her aunt, and she caressed her cheek. "I shall be in the drawing room waiting for you. I want to show you the new embroidery stitch Mrs. Lewis taught me."

"I shall be there in a few minutes, Aunt," Jane replied.

As Jane finished combing her hair, one of the maids knocked on her door to let her know she had visitors. She thought it was Mrs. Lewis and was happy to receive her. But when she came into the room, she was surprised.

"My dear Jane, you do not know how happy it is to see you," Louisa said with a false smile.

"As soon as we learned you were in London, we could not wait another day to come see you," Caroline added.

Jane was so confused that she did not know what to say for several seconds. She would never have expected Mr. Bingley's sisters to visit her at her uncle's house in Cheapside.

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Richard had all the information he needed and desired to implement his plan immediately. He wanted to make Wickham pay for everything he had done, but he knew he had to be careful because that scoundrel was cunning and did not want to alert him.

"John, Robert, I really appreciate you coming. There is something very important that I need to discuss with you, and I must know what you think about it. But, before we talk about anything, let me pour you a glass of this wine I got from one of my cousin's cellars."

"We are here to aid you in whatever you need, Colonel," John and Robert said. Then they sat in an armchair near the fireplace, and while they drank the wine, they listened to Richard's story.

"For years, I have wanted to make that bastard pay for all the damage he has done, but he has always managed to slip away," Richard explained.

"And what do you plan to do, Colonel?" John asked.

"Colonel, I hope you know you can count on my help for whatever you need," Robert added immediately.

"Yes, I know, and that is why I asked you to come. I would like to know if one of you would be willing to travel to Hertfordshire. I need to have someone I trust to inform me about the steps of that scoundrel, but most importantly, to help me find the right moment to capture that bastard and send him straight to prison."

"Colonel, what do you think if instead of one man, two go to watch that man? Robert and John have no problem following in Wickham's footsteps for as long as necessary.

"That is a great idea. Tonight I shall write a letter to Major General Atkinson to arrange the transfers, and I shall write a letter to Forster to let him know that you are very close to me. Let us finish this bottle of wine while I explain my plan a little better."

"Excellent idea, Colonel," replied the Carter brothers.

The three soldiers continued talking for several hours about everything they should do in the coming months.

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"I am very sorry, Mr. Darcy, but I prefer we end this farce of matrimony. It is clear that you, reluctantly, have decided to permit yourself to admire me despite the fact I am so inferior to you and my family being so vulgar…" Elizabeth could not continue speaking. She was short of breath from so much anger.

"Are you rejecting me? Do you not realize that we are married and that the chances of being able to annul our marriage are almost zero? But perhaps these offences might have been overlooked, had not your pride been hurt by the honest confession of the scruples that had long prevented my forming any serious design on you, had I concealed my struggles and flattered you. But disguise of every sort is my abhorrence. Nor am I ashamed of the feelings I related. They were natural, and just could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your connections?"

Elizabeth turned and looked Mr. Darcy directly in her eyes. "Your words and the mode of your declaration reaffirm what I think of you and our supposed association. You do not respect me, much less admire or love me."

"I am sorry, madam, but I do not understand what you mean," Mr. Darcy replied angrily. "Do you doubt the veracity of my sentiments? What kind of fool do you think I am to say things I do not feel?"

"So, let me explain how ridiculous this pointless conversation sounds. I have never said I admire you, Mr. Darcy. And although I have always objected to how you behave, I have NEVER criticized your sister like you have done with mine. I have respected, accepted, and loved your sister without questioning her actions. I can understand that Georgiana, like my sisters, is a young, innocent girl who does not understand the world like we do. My sisters and your sister have not had the advantage of growing up with the proper protection and guidance of their parents. However, you have decided to judge and condemn without mercy my sisters while I have chosen to accept yours. Also, you talk about my uncle without even knowing him, without knowing what a great man he is, just because he works in an activity that, in your prejudiced view of life, makes him inferior to you. Believe me when I tell you that my uncle is far superior to many of the people you associate with..."

Elizabeth was so outraged that she could not stop talking. For his part, Mr. Darcy was bewildered, and he did not know how to reply. For the first time since he married Elizabeth, he realized that he had never tried to comprehend Elizabeth's family.

"But I must confess none of your words has surprised me because my poor opinion of you was confirmed when I learned that you had done everything possible to separate Jane from Mr. Bingley. Or are you going to deny it, Mr. Darcy?"

"No, I have no wish to deny it. Bingley is making its way in society, and marrying a lady from a good family with a good dowry would help him consolidate his social standing. But that was not the main reason I advised him to stay away from her. I noticed that your sister was indifferent to her. Bingley is a good man who deserves to have a woman who loves him and not to be bound in a loveless marriage like me..."

"And how did you come to the conclusion that Jane was indifferent to Mr. Bingley?" Elizabeth asked, even more furious.

"Because I observed her carefully, and I did not see anything on her face that indicated a special regard, deep admiration, and much less love."

"My sister is shy and hardly shows her feelings to me. But I suspect that if Jane had openly flirted with Mr. Bingley, you would have accused her of improper behavior and that she has no qualms to cajole a wealthy man."

Mr. Darcy could not answer because he knew what Elizabeth said was true. He had judged Jane without knowing her and was beginning to realize his mistake. However, he did not have time to continue analyzing his actions because Elizabeth said something that completely threw him off.

"When you offered this absurd deal to me, I had doubts because Mr. Wickham warned me about the significant flaws of your character. Without a doubt, a man who denies the inheritance to his father's godson out of jealousy and envy is a man who has no word or honor."

"Wickham? Does my own wife believe that scoundrel's lies and doubts my honor? You know, my dear Elizabeth, I suppose you are correct when you said it was best to annul this farce of matrimony. I cannot be married to a woman capable of feeling respect, much less admiration for that miserable…"

Elizabeth saw Mr. Darcy so angry that she preferred not to add anything else and end that conversation. "I think everything is said between us, Mr. Darcy. Please contact your solicitor so we can end this situation once and for all. Believe me, if I could, I would leave tomorrow, but I know Georgiana needs me, and I cannot leave her now when she has made so much progress in her recovery. But I am hopeful that in a few more weeks, she will be able to understand…"

"I agree, and please do not worry, Mrs. Darcy. You can stay at Pemberley for all the time you need. I shall leave tomorrow as early as I can. Now, if you will excuse me," Mr. Darcy said and hurried back home. Then, he locked himself in his study to try to understand everything that had happened.

For her part, Elizabeth did not know what to do, and even though it was cold, she decided to run in the direction of the park. She wanted to be anywhere but Pemberley and wished to avoid Mr. Darcy. She knew that if they stayed in the same room, another terrible fight would start, and Georgiana would discover what was happening.

Elizabeth ran for almost ten minutes until she was tired. Unfortunately, at that time, the snow had intensified, and Elizabeth did not know where she was, but she did not care. She was so sad, and she felt so alone and dejected that she just wanted to cry and be close to her family, especially Jane. Elizabeth remembered everything that had happened in the last few months: first, her parents tried to force her to marry, then everything that had happened with Georgiana, and now Mr. Darcy and his insulting declaration of love.

Elizabeth took shelter from the wind and snow under a large tree and although she was almost frozen, she felt nothing. 'Dear Jane, how I would like to be with you and hear your sweet voice... Elizabeth thought as she watched the wind and snowstorm increase.

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After a few seconds of thinking about what to say, Jane graciously greeted Mr. Bingley's sisters. "For me it is also a pleasure to see you again, Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley."

Mrs. Gardiner invited the callers to sit and offered them a cup of tea. As usual, Caroline dominated the conversation, talking about all the balls she had attended during the season and all the important people she had met. "Dear Jane, why have you not come to visit us?"

"Yes, dear Jane, we would very much like to invite you to our house so that we can talk more comfortably," said Louisa, looking at Mrs. Gardiner.

"Thank you very much, Louisa; I would love to return your call," Jane replied sincerely. She was happy that her future sisters-in-law were so pleased to spend time with her.

"Do you have something to do tomorrow afternoon? We have some friends visiting us, and we would love for you to meet them," Caroline said. She and Louisa knew that to plant the seed of doubt in Jane, they had to do it away from her family. Furthermore, they knew Charles would be busy at the fencing academy all day and would not interrupt them.

"I have no engagement tomorrow unless my aunt needs me," said Jane, looking at Mrs. Gardiner.

"Do not worry, dear, we do not have any commitments tomorrow." Mrs. Gardiner had a feeling that those women were not sincere. But she understood that it was important for Jane to relate to them. They were Mr. Bingley's sisters, and perhaps they would soon be part of her family. She knew better than anyone that dealing with a complicated in-law family was not easy.

Caroline and Louisa stayed for half an hour at the Gardiner house and were kind and affectionate to Jane, although they were careful not to mention Mr. Bingley at any time. They knew that Jane would probably mention that they had visited her and they preferred to avoid conflicts with him.

Finally, Louisa and Caroline said goodbye to Jane and her aunt and left satisfied with the results of that visit.

"Tomorrow, we should start telling Jane everything we have planned. I do not want to have to keep coming to places like this," Louisa said as she looked out the window of her carriage.

"Do not worry, dear; we shall not have to return to this place. But I am afraid we shall have to tolerate stupid Jane for a while longer. First, we have to earn her trust so she will believe what we tell her," Caroline said.

"As always, you are very right, dear sister," Louisa replied.

Then, both sisters began to plan what they would say to Mr. Bingley when he inquired about their visit to Jane. They knew they had to be careful so he did not suspect their real intentions.

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Mr. Darcy was locked in his study, drinking a glass of brandy, trying to calm his convulsed thoughts. He did not understand how Elizabeth could have been so unfair and rudely rejected his honest declaration of love. But most of all, he was hurt that she had believed Mr. Wickham's lies. He would have liked to be able to shout in her face who that scoundrel was, but it was not his place to reveal that secret.

But he had also reflected on some of the things Elizabeth told him. He had started to feel a little ashamed of his behavior towards her. It was true that Georgiana could be considered a fallen woman, yet Elizabeth had not asked any questions and had unconditionally loved and protected his sister. So, it was logical that she expected the same from him and that he tried to welcome her sisters into his life.

'How shall I live next to the woman I love when she hates me?' Mr. Darcy asked himself, revolted.

But his thoughts were interrupted because Mrs. Reynolds knocked on the study door and did not wait to hear his permission to enter.

"Sir, I beg your pardon, but Kane informed me that Mrs. Darcy has not yet returned. It is almost dark now and a lot of snow has fallen in the last hour. Do you want me to order one of the footmen to go out in search of her?" Mrs. Reynolds did not mention to her master that Kane had seen him arguing with Elizabeth and that she had run into the woods.

"No, it is not necessary. I shall take care of this matter."

Mr. Darcy organized a search party to go in different directions, and he went towards the northern part of the garden because he thought his wife must be there.

After walking for ten minutes, Mr. Darcy saw Elizabeth sheltering under a tree. She had not seen him, so he could watch her for several seconds without her noticing him. The woman he said he loved, his dear wife, was inconsolably crying as she watched the snowfall. Mr. Darcy felt like the worst of scoundrels and realized how stupid he had been. Elizabeth, like him, was alone in the world, trying to survive as best she could, but with the big difference that he had a home and a fortune that allowed him to live his life as he wanted.

"Elizabeth, it is time for you to come home; if you stay here, you might get ill," said Mr. Darcy in a soft voice full of emotion.

But Elizabeth said nothing and continued standing there. Then Mr. Darcy approached her again to tell her to return to the house. However, when he was able to see her better, he realized that she was shivering from the cold and seemed not to understand what he was telling her.

"Elizabeth, my love, tell me you are all right," said Mr. Darcy. Then he took off his greatcoat and put it on his wife. "Darling, do not worry; everything will be well," Mr. Darcy told his wife as he hugged her.

Elizabeth felt herself return to reality when she felt her husband's warm cheeks next to hers. "I am cold."

"Yes, dear, I know. Do not worry; we are close to the house."

Mr. Darcy saw his wife very pale, and her eyes, always so luminous, seemed lost. The cold of the afternoon had affected her health, but he did not doubt that his horrible words had also affected her, and perhaps much more than he thought.

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Thanks to everyone who leaves comments and follows the story with enthusiasm.

My best wishes for this new year that has just begun, and I promise to update the story frequently.

In the next chapter, Mr. Darcy will realize how badly he has acted towards his wife, while the Carter brothers will begin to get to know the people of Meryton.

See you soon!

Saludos,

Yo