Chapter 10: The Wrong Mr Bingley…Again
Jane was feeling so guilty, Charles Bingley had phoned her and invited her for dinner at Netherfield, besides it being one of her most favourite restaurants in Hertfordshire, she could not tell her family where she was going, or rather who she was going with.
She told her mom she was going to visit Harriet Smith and met Charles at Netherfield. She hated lying to her family, but she really did like Charles and would at least like have a chance to get to know him. Perhaps now that her family knew that this was the real Charles Bingley it would not be such a big deal.
After their first glass of wine, both Charles and Jane relaxed, the conversation was easy and they found much in common in way of things and activities they enjoyed, stuff they hated, things they wanted to do and how they envisioned their lives. There seemed to be no point of contention between them, and Jane wondered how she had come this far without meeting this man sooner.
For his part Charles realised that Jane was no society woman, despite her beauty she was compassionate and caring about everyone around her, quick to see only the good in a person and always hoping that even the wrong in the world had a good side. Caroline had often told him that he would never meet a woman who viewed the world the way he did, but here she was in the living flesh. It was too soon but he found himself hoping that this was the woman meant for him.
They were halfway through their main course, having agreed that sea food was not their favourite and steak was too heavy, they each ordered a different chicken dish, hers was the Summer Chicken Salad and his was the Chicken Nicole's, the house dish. Neither of them finding fault with a single thing the whole evening, everything was perfect.
"Jane?"
Janes heart sank, of all people why did it have to be Mary? She turn to her sister and her eyes filled with tears.
"What is wrong Jane?" Mary was concerned and glared at the man sitting opposite her sister.
"I am so sorry Mary, I knew I should not have agreed to dinner, you know I would never do anything to hurt you" Jane was quietly sobbing on Mary's shoulder, as Mary tried to understand how Jane having dinner with this rather insipid albeit good looking man should somehow hurt her.
"Jane, please explain what you mean because I am so confused." Mary held Jane firmly by the shoulder and looked straight into her face. Jane had to admit that Mary was looking much better than the last time she saw her and did not look up set to see her with Charles. Then it hit her, Mary would not know who this was.
Taking a deep breath and indicating that Mary should sit down with them, Charles offer to pour Mary some wine, which she accepted, thinking perhaps she would need it once Jane had explained herself.
"Mary, this is Charles Bingley" Mary started to shake her head, "The real Charles Bingley, not the man we thought was Charles Bingley."
The only reason Mary did not start laughing manically was because Jane, unlike her other sisters, was not a practical joker she realised that even if it was not true, Jane at least believe it to be true.
The man Jane said was Charles Bingley reached into his jacket, pulled out his wallet and slide his drivers license out of the side pocket of the wallet. He handed it to Mary without saying a word. The photo matched the man sitting at the table, and the name on the drivers license was Charles Bingley.
Mary looked closely at the man. He was a male version of Jane! Oh my hat, how did that happen? Then it hit her, if this was Charles Bingley, who had she believed herself to be in love with then?
"His name is George Wickham" the real Charles Bingley said. "That is how I met your sisters, Jane and Elizabeth. It took a while to convince them that I was truly Charles Bingley. Never before have I questioned my own identity," He half chuckled.
"George Wickham….?" Mary said, why did that name sound so familiar? The letter she found in his jacket, it was address to George Wickham, the false Charles Bingley had said it was the previous tenants, and his post still came to the address.
Mary suddenly became aware of the pain in Janes face. "Oh Jane, you don't have to worry, I believe you, both of you. In fact, I know that you are telling the truth" she looked at Charles as she said that.
"One night when I was cold, that man lent me his jacket and I found a letter in the pocket addressed to George Wickham, he said that was the previous tenant when in fact it was him and the letter was his."
"Please join us for dinner" Charles said, indicating for waiter to assist them. "I insist"
Mary did not protest and took the menu from the waiter. "Can I have the vegetarian combo, without the mushrooms please?"
Jane looked at her sister "You are looking very well Mary"
Mary looked at Jane, knowing that there was no agenda to that. "I am feeling so much better, I realised that my problem was not really fake Charles, I was not living an authentic life, I was doing what was expected of me and not acknowledging parts of my life that did not meet that expectation. I dated fake Charles because I was expected to date a good-looking man who professed his undying love for me. I talked myself into believing that I loved him and that was the life I wanted. But honestly, I loved someone else before that and they rejected me and who I was; that was the real straw that broke the camels back, fake Charles was just a symptom of a bigger ill. " Mary took a breath, paused "I am working on being more authentic, more vulnerable with making excuses for who I am. Considering that I have been apologising my whole life for just existing, its going to be a long road." She looked up and smiled at her sister.
"Oh Mary, that is beautiful, you are beautiful. I find it hard to believe that you are not someone's first choice. I hope that person realises they lost the best thing that ever happened to them!" Jane was in mother bear mode, and it was funny to watch. She was so fiercely protective of her loved one that the meek and gentle Jane just disappeared.
Charles was riveted, he felt so moved by Janes love for her sister he just wanted to find this person who rejected Mary and give them a piece of his mind. She was magnificent.
Mary's food arrived and they tucked into their meals, the conversation turned to general topics and had a natural flow. Mary knew that Charles was not her cup of tea but he was definitely perfect for Jane. She excused herself after finishing her meal, she still had studying to do but was pleased she could share this time with them.
Jane and Charles lingered over dessert, neither of them wanting the night to end, Jane felt as if a big hurdle had been over come with Mary now knowing the truth about Charles Bingley, this gave her hope that she and Charles could continue to see each other and see where it went.
Finally, they had to leave, the Netherfield staff had started clearing all the tables and they were the last guests there, Charles paid the bill, tipping handsomely because he felt guilty for keeping the staff, and they walked out to the car park. As he was walking Jane to her car a police vehicle drove into the car park and stopped next to them.
Two officers got out of the vehicle and walked towards them. "Are you Charles Bingley?" the one office asked.
"Yes, I am." Charles replied curious to know why they wanted him, his mind flipped briefly to Caroline, what had she done now?
"You need to come with us sir, we have a warrant for your arrest, we were at your residence but no-one was home, a gentleman walking by asked if we were looking for you and told us where to find you."
"Arrest, is this a joke?" Charles looked at the officers in disbelief.
"Unfortunately, not sir, there is a charge of assault against you." The officer was polite but firm, Charles knew he had no option but to go with the officers and try and sort it out at the police station.
"Which precinct are we going to?" he asked the officers.
"Town sir, that is where the charges were laid against you."
Jane stood there; Charles accused of assault? She had not known him long, but she was pretty sure that could not be. "Charles, can I call someone for you?"
"Caroline, if you don't mind, please call Caroline, tell her what happened and which precinct to find me, ask her to get hold of William for me, he will know what to do."
Jane watch hopelessly as the police car drove off with Charles in the back.
Her hands were shaking as she phoned Caroline, praying that his sister would answer her phone quickly.
"Jane, how delightful of you to call!' Caroline answered her phone.
"Caroline, thank goodness. Charles has been arrested, on assault charges, they have taken him to the Town precinct, and he asked that you get hold of William to help him."
"What? Assault? Charles? Not likely, he does not even swat flies or squash spiders, let alone assault someone. Who did he assault?" Caroline could not believe her ears.
"They did not say, just that the charges were laid at the Town precinct." Jane just wanted Caroline to end the call and get hold of William.
"Okay, I will call William immediately, hopefully he answers, its quite late." Caroline ended the call.
Jane go into her car but sat there for quite a while, one of the Netherfield staff tapped on her window to make sure she was alright.
Jane drove home in a state of shock, self-doubt started to creep in, she did not really know Charles Bingley, just because a bad person used his name does not automatically make him a good person, what if he did assault someone?
She quietly let herself into the house, and went to her room, praying that her mother would not wake up. She reached her room without meeting another family member, and slowly undressed and got into bed. But sleep eluded her that night as she tried to think of something that would prove Charles was guilty or innocent.
0-0
Caroline phoned William straight after ending her call from Jane, she had no doubt this was all a big mistake, there was no ways her brother assaulted anyone.
William did not answer his phone, Caroline panicked but then she sent him a Whatsapp. "Charles arrested for assault, he is at the Town Precinct, please help!"
Still no response, Caroline got dressed and headed to the Town precinct. She asked about her brother at the front desk, the policewoman looked her up and down, "He is being processed, this will take a while. Are you, his girlfriend?"
"No, his sister "Caroline realised they looked nothing alike but really?
"You might want to get your lawyer to come down in the meanwhile." The policewoman advised.
Just then Caroline's phone rang, it was William "William!" Caroline basically gasped. "Charles has been arrested for assault, there has to be some mistake."
"Caroline, I am not in town at the moment, but I am going to send my lawyer, Mr Hill, I agree there must be some mistake, this will all be sorted out, I will call you in the morning but I must go now I am in the middle of something."
"Thank you, William," Caroline felt better, it had to be a mistake.
All of a sudden large man burst into the precinct "Where is that Bingley bastard? He thinks he can assault my niece and get away with it?" This man was tall and big, muscular and nasty looking. Caroline was scared, and even more perplexed, Charles assaulted a woman?
Just then Charles was walked out of one of the doors by a policeman, he was in cuffs and looked tired.
The large man paid no attention to Charles and was yelling at the policewoman that it was his right as an uncle to see the man who assaulted his niece. "Where is Bingley?"
The policeman and Charles stopped to look at the man.
"What are you looking at?" the man shouted at them, "Where is Bingley?"
"I am Charles Bingley" her brother said, still looking at the man.
"No, you are not, I have met Charles Bingley and you are not Charles Bingley!" the man eyed Charles up and down and sneered.
The policeman looked at Charles, look at the man and said, "This is Charles Bingley, sir,"
"Listen here little man, I have met Charles Bingley, he has brown hair, this chap is blonde, this is not Charles Bingley."
Caroline started to laugh, this had to be another one of George Wickham's victims, although now so was her brothers as he was arrested. The stress, the fear, the anxiety just bubbled out and she laughed hysterically.
The policeman had loosened Charles handcuffs as the man who laid the charge was standing in the charge office say this was not the right man. Officer Long believed him, this Charles Bingley guy was a total gentleman, at no stage was he rude to them, he did as he was told, answered the questions without reservation. "You had better see to your girlfriend, she's come undone as we say back home."
"Sister" Charles replied, "She is my sister "as he walked over to Caroline and put his arms around her.
Officer Long was glad to hear him say his sister, because that was not the lady he was with when they arrested him. Turn to the large man at the counter, "Mr King, are you sure that is not the man who assaulted your niece? Because we are going to release him"
"Did you not hear what I said, that is not Bingley, Bingley is swamy looking, dark hair, ladies' man." Mr King was very sure that the blonde bloke was not the Bingley they were looking for.
Charles was released and his belonging returned to him, just as William's lawyer arrived. Mr Hill made sure that all procedures were followed, gave Charles his card and said to call him if there was any more problems.
Charles drove them home as Caroline was in no condition to drive. She had calmed down, once she stopped laughing, she just said she was glad her brother was free, and then said nothing more, almost sinking deep into herself.
Charles realised that it had been quite a while since Caroline had been herself. Ever since the day they met Jane and Elizabeth Caroline had changed, she had stopped chasing after William, she had not gone shopping once, yes, she had helped herself to some of his wine but she actually left him a note saying that Anne was in town and need some girl time. Caroline never explained herself.
"Caro? Are you alright? Do you need to talk?" Charles could not believe he was saying those words to his sister Caroline. Louisa maybe but not Caroline.
"If I don't marry someone like William, and I chose someone totally different, does that make me a failure?" Caroline's voice was soft, Charles was not sure he heard right.
"No, you need to marry someone you love and who loves you back." Charles said.
"Even if they are not from our circle, if they are totally different?" Caroline sounded defeated, like a small lost child.
"Caroline, I know what mother drummed into your head, but you need to realise that mother was very damaged, what she did to you was inexcusable. And mother is no longer here, she has no control over you anymore, marry whoever you want to, you don't even have to get married. You have a thriving business, you earn your own money, you do not need a man to support you, unless that is what you want. "
"Thank you, Charles," and with that Caroline fell asleep curled up on the passenger seat of the car.
Charles was not sure what just happened, or who that was sleeping in the passenger seat, but he had a really good feeling about whatever was going to happen next.