Again, thank you all very much. This chapter is not so long as the first two, but it wanted by all means to be posted as soon as possible. Enjoy and tell me what you think!
Mr. Darcy closed the door behind him and turned to Rodes with a nod of his head to continue.
"Mr. Darcy, first of all, the servants here still do not trust me, and I believe they never will, at least from what I´ve understood. The problem began apparently when Miss Bingley and the Hursts moved here from London. I hope you will forgive me for telling this, but Miss Bingley does not treat the servants very well. She..."
"What do you mean with `not very well`? Does she mistreat them or is she just a strict mistress?"
"The former, Sir."
"Do you know how?"
"I know what the servants tell and hope that some of it is exaggerated. She yells, she hits on hands and faces, once she even kicked someone, she pays extremely little, the attic, where most of the servants sleep is even now in November not warmed, I am glad to be sleeping in your dressing room, the food is, and this I can confirm, Sir, not good, and because of the servants hierarchy, the lower servant´s food is even worse."
"Good God, why didn´t you say something?"
"It is not my place to say something, Sir. I cannot tell on your friend or his sister."
"Anything else? And in the future I want to be told about bad food, cold quarters or the like."
"Understood, Sir. The next one is a little delicate, Sir. Mr. Hurst likes to touch the female servants."
"Did he...?"
"No, Sir. At least nobody tells otherwise."
Mr. Darcy turned to the side-table to pour himself a drink. He looked for a couple of minutes into the fire and drank his brandy. Suddenly he turned again to face Rodes.
"What happened yesterday?"
"Pardon, Sir?"
"If this is going on for six weeks and the servants´ behaviour only changed today, so something must have happened yesterday."
"Of course, pardon me, Sir. Miss Jane Bennet came yesterday to dinner on a horse."
Mr. Darcys countenance changed instantly from curious to non-readable. He should have expected something like this. What else with such a vulgar mother. This afternoon, he remembered, Rodes told him Miss Bennet left early. Miss Bingley must have seen through their scheme and indicated it would not work.
"What else?"
"She seemingly got into the rain on her way here. And almost collapsed on her way out?"
"Collapsed? If she got ill after drying herself and changing clothes, why did she not take the offer to stay the night and choose to be driven home?"
"Mr. Darcy, Sir. According to my knowledge Miss Bingley did not provide dry clothes or even a towel, she also did not offer to Miss Bennet to stay the night or a carriage. Furthermore she forbade any of the grooms to escort Miss Bennet home."
Mr. Darcy could not comprehend what he just heard and needed to sit down. He looked full of disbelief at his valet and began to ask him:
"Why would a groom from Netherfield need to es... Just how did Miss Bennet get home yesterday?"
"On her horse, Sir."
"Miss Bingley let her ride home?"
"Not exactly, Sir. She compelled her to leave the house and take the horse."
The world around Mr. Darcy collapsed. The thought of sending an ill guest from the house was for him revolting and nauseating. How could Miss Bingley have done something like this? He knew she wanted to become the Mistress of Pemberley, did she think he would approve such actions? He would not have married her before, but with such a vile act, he was not sure he wanted to stay in the same house with her.
"How did you get all this knowledge?"
"Miss Bingley has been heard."
"She shamed Miss Bennet so in front of the servants?"
"I think it was involuntary. She send the footmen from the dining room, but a maid wanted to enter through the servants door and did not know what to do, so she stayed on the other side and heard them talking to Miss Bennet."
"Them? Oh, of course, Mrs. Hurst."
"Yes, Sir. About two hours ago I came upon two footmen talking. They were around a corner and did not hear me approach. I stayed hidden and came back here as soon as they changed the subject."
"And the other personal maids and valets? Do they know what happened?"
"I don´t believe so, Sir. They, or better, we, have not been much included in the servants community here. We are the newcomer and probably most loyal to our employers. I was looking for information, otherwise I would not have stopped behind the corner."
"And what about the housekeeper and the butler, Mr. and Mrs. Nichols?"
"I am almost sure they know. Mr. Nichols attended to Miss Bennet at the front door when she left and saw her condition, but could not do anything. He even offered a groom to escort her, until a footman informed him about Miss Bingley´s command."
"Anything else?"
"No, Sir."
"Thank you. You may retire to you bed."
"Should I help you undress?"
"Oh, yes please. Just the jacket."
Mr. Darcy stood up, let his valet peal him out of his jacket and bid him good night. For the next few hours he sat in front of the fireplace and considered what he should do. What to tell Charles? Of course he needed to know the truth, but how could he tell his best friend, that whose sisters did something so horrendous, they deserved the cut direct. What of Miss Bennet, in what condition did she get home? What about her health?
After much contemplation and two more glasses of his brandy, he went to bed, without being much closer to a solution.
The night was short. The day ahead of him would be undoubtedly a long one.