Hello again dear readers! You all have truly reaffirmed that you are awesome - so many comments on the first three chapters, I cannot thank you enough. I know it is difficult for many of you to picture Elizabeth as a Bingley, but I like to think I'm doing all right so far. You'll be seeing more of her relationship with Charles in this chapter, as well as the reaction of Caroline and Louisa to Lizzy's homecoming.
Chapter Four
"Charles!" Elizabeth cried happily.
Oh, she would have recognized him anywhere—he and Caroline had both inherited their mother's bright red curls, whereas she and Louisa had been blessed with their father's chestnut locks.
When they separated, both wore wide smiles as they took in each other's appearance. "Oh, Lizzy!" said Charles. "How wonderful it is to see you again after all these years!"
Elizabeth gave his hands a squeeze and fought back the tears that stung her eyes. "Oh, brother, it is beyond wonderful to see you as well!" said she. "I only wish it were under better circumstances."
Her brother's expression sobered. "Oh yes, our poor aunt. How was Uncle Halsey doing when you left him?"
Drawing a breath, she replied, "Holding up as well as can be expected, I suppose. Our regiment lost several men to that fever as well as a few of the wives. It was awful, but if such can be said, we were fortunate that we did not lose many more, as fast as it spread."
Drawing another quick breath, Elizabeth took another step back. "Now, let me introduce you to my companions," she said. "This lady is Mrs. Penelope Martin, whom my uncle enlisted to safeguard my reputation on the journey home, and this gentleman is The Honourable Colonel Theodore Fitzwilliam, who was enlisted to safeguard my life. Mrs. Martin, Colonel, my brother Charles Bingley."
The two men bowed, and Mrs. Martin curtsied, then Charles looked to Fitzwilliam and said, "Sir, pray forgive me if I am presumptuous, but would you happen to be any relation to Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy? He told me his Christian name was his mother's family name, and I believe his uncle is an earl."
Fitzwilliam grinned. "I am indeed—that's where the 'honourable' comes from. The earl is my father and Darcy is my cousin. I see you've met him. May I ask how?"
"We met at a card party oh… near a twelvemonth ago, I believe it's been," Charles replied. "Capital fellow, your cousin, though rather reserved."
At this, the colonel laughed. "Reserved is certainly one way to describe him, though I assure you, Darcy is much more relaxed in intimate company."
"Oh, I have seen it," Charles agreed, then he turned to Mrs. Martin and bowed again. "Forgive me, madam. My sister's express mentioned that your husband was one of the soldiers lost to the fever. I am terribly sorry for your loss."
Mrs. Martin nodded as she wiped away a tear. "Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Bingley. He will be greatly missed, as will dear Mrs. Halsey. I thought your aunt a most excellent woman and a very good friend."
Charles nodded. "That she was," said he. "And speaking of kindness, do come in, all of you. How rude of me to keep you standing out here on the pavement."
He moved to offer his arm to Elizabeth, then paused as he took note of the carriage they had arrived in. "I say, that is a rather fine coach. Does it belong to your family, Colonel?"
"No indeed, sir," Fitzwilliam replied.
"It belongs to the landlord of my husband's family, Mr. Bingley," offered Mrs. Martin. "A Mr. Knightley of Donwell Abbey; my nephew manages a farm owned by him. He generously offered his carriage to us out of his respect for my husband and brother."
"Wait a minute—Knightley!" cried Fitzwilliam as he slapped a hand to his forehead. "Blimey, how could I have missed the connection—does he not have a brother called John, Mrs. Martin, who is a solicitor here in London?"
The lady nodded. "I believe that is his brother's name, and he is indeed a solicitor. A very successful one, I have heard."
"Indeed. He is my father's solicitor—I knew that name from somewhere when we met Mr. Knightley last evening but could not place it. Mr. John Knightley has many clients among the ton."
"Well, it is late, and you are both my guests for tonight," Charles began. "These men have no need to return home this evening. You there," he said to the driver, "go around to the mews and pull in at number twelve. I'll have a man there waiting to help you—you shall have a hot meal and a warm bed tonight before you return to your master on the morrow."
The driver tipped his hat. "Thank you kindly, sir."
The carriage started away as Elizabeth took her brother's arm at last and he guided them into the house. In the foyer, which was quite stylish to Elizabeth's eye, three servants waited. Charles spoke to the man who was clearly the butler in a low voice as she and the others removed their outerwear; the butler nodded his head and moved off as the maids took the cloaks to a closet.
"I know you must be tired, dear Lizzy, but do come into the drawing room for a few minutes. Caroline and Louisa are eager to see their sister again."
"Of course," Elizabeth replied evenly, though in her mind she said I doubt it. If they were so eager, why did they not join you in greeting me outside?
As they entered the drawing room of the Hurst home, Elizabeth took a quick, measured look around. She had to admit that it was as tastefully furnished and decorated as the entry hall—but then, Louisa had always had an eye for fashionable décor.
Her sisters and a gentleman she assumed to be her brother-by-marriage all stood. Caroline and Louisa came toward them with wide smiles and outstretched arms.
"The prodigal sister returns. Oh, Eliza, how wonderful to see you again!" Caroline cooed as she briefly wrapped her arms about Elizabeth's shoulders. "But oh! How dreadful you should be wearing black—that color does not become you at all."
Elizabeth just stopped herself saying Nor does that shade of pink become you, and merely plastered a weak smile on her lips as Louisa stepped up to her, taking her hands and kissing her cheek.
"Now Caroline," said the eldest Bingley sibling, "our aunt passed away only a few weeks ago, and our Eliza did live with her for four years. It is natural that she should mourn her."
"It is natural that we all should," said Elizabeth, "though my uncle did say that he understood if you chose not to, as you were not so close to Aunt Elinor as I was."
"Who are your friends?" asked Caroline then.
Elizabeth turned to introduce the two who had accompanied her from Spain, and she was little surprised to note Caroline's increased interest in the uniform-clad Colonel Fitzwilliam. His father being an earl, of course she is interested, she mused.
Louisa then introduced her husband, Mr. Hurst. Elizabeth greeted him warmly, though he spoke little beyond a gruff, "A pleasure to meet you at last."
"You have a lovely home here, sister," Elizabeth said after all the introductions had been made. "I cannot wait to see the rest of it."
Louisa smiled. "Thank you, Eliza."
"Will you be staying with us for dinner this evening, Colonel?" asked Caroline.
"If Mr. and Mrs. Hurst do not mind my intrusion, I should be delighted," Fitzwilliam replied genially.
"Oh yes, Colonel, do stay and dine with us," said Louisa.
"Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mrs. Martin will be staying the night with us," said Charles. "I already spoke of it, sisters—several times—since receiving Lizzy's letter."
Caroline twittered a laugh. "Oh Charles, of course we remembered! It is simply a courtesy to ask our guest to join us for dunner."
"Indeed," added Louisa.
"I should be delighted to join you," said Fitzwilliam, "though I cannot speak for Mrs. Martin."
It both pleased and mortified Elizabeth that he had noticed her sisters' lack of attention to her companion. In truth, Mrs. Martin was more than that—she was a friend, and as she was not a paid employee, the lady was as much a guest as the colonel.
"I am obliged to you, Colonel," began Mrs. Martin, "and to you, of course, for your hospitality, Mr. and Mrs. Hurst. If it is no trouble to you, I would be content to take a tray in my room, as I am very tired from our journey."
"Oh, Mrs. Martin, are you well?" Elizabeth asked, turning to her with concern.
"Quite well, Miss Elizabeth," said the lady with a weak smile. "Just tired."
Charles moved to offer his arm to her. "Then allow me to escort you to your room, madam, that you may rest."
"I thank you, sir, but please do not trouble yourself."
"Indeed, Charles, we can ring for a maid to take her to a guest room," said Caroline.
Charles sighed, then smiled. "As you ladies wish," said he, then moved to the bellpull himself to give it a tug. A maid answered within minutes, and at that time, Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam also went up to their rooms to dress for dinner.
She found him waiting for her at the landing when she stepped through the door to the family wing.
"Still serving as my protector, Colonel?" Elizabeth asked with a smile as she took in the bright, clean uniform he wore.
Fitzwilliam chuckled as he offered his arm. "I should hope I need not protect you from your own family, but…"
He paused and cleared his throat softly as they began to descend the stairs. "Forgive me, Miss Elizabeth. I was about to say something unkind."
"I quite forgive you, sir," Elizabeth told him. "And I confess that I feel the same—it was most uncivil of my sisters to all but ignore Mrs. Martin's presence."
"I wonder what the lady shall do now that she's seen you safely home," Fitzwilliam mused as they reached the ground floor.
"I have promised to help her find a position, if she chooses not to return to Surrey," said Elizabeth. "She did share with me that she has no one on her side that she could go to, and she did not think she could stay with her husband's family—that as much as she loves them, she did not wish to burden young Mr. Martin with the responsibility of another person to provide for, when he already looks after his mother and two sisters."
"That is quite a responsibility, along with managing an entire farm," observed Fitzwilliam, as he paused before the drawing room doors. "Though knowing you as I do, Miss Elizabeth, I have no doubt you will find her something suitable."
Elizabeth smiled. "In fact, I already have the perfect position in mind," said she, as she gestured to the waiting footman to open the door for them.
Caroline immediately rose and moved to the colonel's side when they entered the drawing room, pulling him into conversation with herself and Louisa by asking him about his family. He happily obliged, departing from Elizabeth with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. Elizabeth grinned as she turned to Charles, who had stood to greet them.
"My dear Lizzy, you look lovely, even in that unfortunate grey," he said as he offered his arm and guided her to the sofa.
"I had not many gowns in Spain, and they are all of them now either black or grey," Elizabeth said. "I did not know that my uncle would send me home, so I dyed everything I owned for mourning."
She sighed and glanced at her sisters, who had been joined by Mr. Hurst, as they talked and laughed with Colonel Fitzwilliam. Caroline flirted openly, emboldened by the colonel's charm and Louisa's encouraging smiles.
"I suppose I shall have to ask my sisters to take me shopping for a new wardrobe tomorrow," Elizabeth bemoaned softly.
"Normally I would agree with your asking them, but please do not engage our sisters to attend you," said Charles in a low voice. "Caroline has already reached her spending limit for the quarter, and I do not wish to be harangued for more money."
"Already?" Elizabeth returned with some surprise. "Is not her quarterly allowance two hundred fifty pounds, same as mine?"
Charles nodded. "It is, yes, but I'm afraid our sister is not as wise with her money as you are, Lizzy," he said. "Where you have chosen to have me retain your yearly allowance since your departure for Spain with Aunt Halsey, Caroline typically exceeds hers. She's always spending more than she ought."
Elizabeth scoffed. "If I were you, brother, I would deduct any overages from the next quarter's allowance. She will only take advantage of you if you give in to her."
Charles echoed her scoff. "Don't I know it. I did give in to her, for far too long, until I met your colonel's cousin Mr. Darcy, in fact. After bemoaning my troubles to him one day at the club, he advised me to do as you did just now. Needless to say, our sister was none too pleased, and tested my resolve by running up accounts at her favorite shops and expecting me to pay them."
Elizabeth lifted a curious eyebrow. "And did you?"
"Yes… but with her money," he said with a grin. "When she received less on her second quarter's allowance this spring than is regularly dispensed, she demanded to know why. I explained to her that I paid her bills with her money, and that if she wished to avoid a reoccurrence of the same, she should manage her money better."
Elizabeth covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. "Oh, Charles, I can only imagine how well that went over," she said, then drew a breath. "But really, you must not refer to Colonel Fitzwilliam as 'my' colonel. He is but a friend—in fact, I told him that you and he are much alike."
"You did not! A gentleman does not like to be compared to a lady's brother, Lizzy," Charles admonished, though he smiled as he spoke.
"I meant it as a great compliment, I assure you," she said.
"And I am certain you did, but what if the colonel had a tendre for you? Is it not the duty of a lady to subtly encourage a respectable young man's attentions?"
At this Elizabeth did laugh. "Oh Charles, perhaps that is so, but I have no interest in Colonel Fitzwilliam in that regard. He is certainly one of the very finest men I know, but he reminds me too much of you to ever think of him that way. Besides, I have no thoughts of matrimony at the present. I have barely survived four years of war and an illness that took my favorite aunt."
Charles slipped an arm about her shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze. "More's the pity for him, then. He seems to like you very much."
"I have not given him any encouragement, so I hope he is not too disappointed," Elizabeth said softly. "I just… I really ought to take the next few weeks to become reacquainted with you and my sisters, and with society in general. I have been away a long time, you know."
"Far too long, in my opinion," said Charles with a smile. "Perhaps Mrs. Martin may be persuaded to accompany you to the shops?"
Elizabeth nodded. "I will speak to her in the morning, and you have reminded me of something else I wished to speak to you about."
She was interrupted by the butler's stepping into the room to announce dinner. Elizabeth was happy to take her brother's arm as Louisa walked with Mr. Hurst and Caroline with Colonel Fitzwilliam. The formal dining room of the Hurst home was spacious, decorated with dark wood, mirrors, and silver candle holders.
After a prayer was said and the first course was served, Charles turned to Elizabeth. "You said you wished to speak with me about something, sister?"
Elizabeth nodded, and after swallowing a spoonful of soup, she asked him, "Are you any closer to settling on a home of your own, brother? I should very much like to be of service to Mrs. Martin by finding her a position—she was a cook in my uncle's regiment, and a very good one. I… Well, I thought perhaps to ask if you might engage her yourself."
"I should be delighted, Lizzy," Charles said brightly.
Caroline's attention was briefly torn from Colonel Fitzwilliam; she looked across the table and asked, "You should be delighted to do what, Charles?"
"Engage Mrs. Martin as a cook, when I have got a house, either here in town or an estate in the country," Charles replied.
Caroline frowned. "Engage her as your cook? Oh Charles, you cannot be serious! You hardly know the woman, and she is hardly likely to have the skill to produce grand feasts, as you know you must serve at balls and parties in your home."
"Elizabeth has recommended her, Caroline," Charles said firmly. "I trust our sister's discretion and knowledge of the lady's skill at preparing food."
Caroline glanced at Elizabeth with a disdainful expression. "Well, I do not know that I would trust her word entirely, Charles—she has been living amongst hardened soldiers for four years, after all, and does not know society's standards as we do."
Under the table, Charles reached for Elizabeth's hand and gave it a squeeze of reassurance, as he casually said, "It is true that our Lizzy has had a different experience, but that does not mean she is not wise in her judgement of character. Besides, as you have expressed your desire to remain here in town with Louisa and Hurst and I prefer to lease an estate rather than a house in London, it should make little difference to you whether Mrs. Martin is my cook or not, as I shall have Lizzy to manage the house for me."
"I can also vouch for Mrs. Martin's skill as a cook," spoke up Fitzwilliam over Caroline's gasp. "She is most excellent, and always willing to try new things, Mr. Bingley. I told your uncle, General Halsey, that the men would be disappointed to lose her, and they certainly are, I can assure you."
"There, do you see Caroline?" said Charles, gesturing with his wine glass. "She is endorsed by the son of an earl as well as your sister. I do not think higher praise can be got."
Caroline sniffed and sipped her own wine. "Very well, Charles, I know you will do as you wish. Though I thought we had discussed that I should keep house for you."
He nodded. "We did, yes, but if you will recall, when I received Lizzy's letter, I told you that you need not give up the comforts of town that you so enjoy."
Charles looked at Elizabeth then with a sheepish smile. "I do hope you will forgive me for volunteering you to manage my house, Lizzy."
Elizabeth smiled. "I do not mind at all," she replied. "After all, I had surmised I would be living in your house, and it makes sense that I should earn my place there. I have never cared for being idle, and the last four years have taught me that there is something for everyone to do."
"Perhaps in a dirty military camp there is, Eliza, but in the home of a gentleman, a lady has little to do with menial labor," Caroline told her. "Her purpose is to learn the skills required to manage her husband's home, be gracious in company, and provide her husband with an heir."
"I still cannot believe you've lived the last four years in a military camp," spoke up Mr. Hurst. "Doesn't seem right for a young lady to live among all those men."
"I quite agree with you, Mr. Hurst," said Louisa.
"As do I, Hurst," said Caroline. "Louisa and I did try to talk Eliza out of going, but she would not heed us."
"And I appreciated your concern but felt it my duty to be of service to the aunt who had stepped up to care for us after the passing of our dear mother," Elizabeth said evenly, then she looked to her brother and added, "Speaking of duty, Charles, I have some letters for you from my uncle. He said you will know what to do."
Charles nodded. "I look forward to reading his letters, Lizzy."