Chapter 18
The day after the social gathering at the Brown house, everyone was up late at the Bingley house. Caroline had hardly slept. She was still not resigned to accepting the change in circumstances of the Bennet sisters and even less so that a woman as insignificant as Jane was a Baroness. For that reason, breakfast time was particularly unpleasant for everyone who had to listen to her complaints.
"I swear to you, Louisa, I shall not remain silent. Somehow, I shall take it upon myself to tell everyone who those women are."
"Caroline, you better forget about Jane and Eliza. We have a group of friends who love and respect us. There is no need to make enemies with those people."
"Louisa, we cannot allow Lady Margaret to remain deceived. Our only hope is Mr. Darcy. He will be able to tell the truth; I am sure he will not allow Jane Bennet to go around London lying. We all know how he abhors lies and deception."
"I am sorry, Caroline, but the Countess defended Eliza Bennet vehemently. Also, I believe you noticed she did not leave Jane's side all night. Mrs. Brown even mentioned on more than one occasion that Lady Margaret would personally introduce the new Baroness Norton to society."
"I am sorry, Louisa, but I see things differently than you," Caroline replied. She talked for several minutes about how Mr. Darcy could help them discredit the Bennet sisters.
Mr. Hurst usually focused more on what was on his plate than what was happening around him. But this time, he was worried because he thought Caroline might affect his standing in society.
"Tomorrow, I shall call on Mrs. Brown and her daughter to clarify a few things. Louisa, I hope you will come with me and help me tell them the whole truth," Caroline said threateningly.
"I…I do not know, Caroline. It is not convenient.
"Louisa, I shall not allow you to leave me alone…"
"My wife is not going anywhere. Louisa, I forbid you to continue causing problems. Please do not forget that you are now part of the Hurst family, and everything you do can affect my parents and siblings."
"Arthur, how dare you interfere in our troubles?" Caroline asked angrily.
"I dare because Louisa is my wife. Do not forget it, Caroline."
"You know very well that you depend on us and have no right to act offended," Caroline replied furiously.
"Caroline, it is not necessary…" Louisa wanted to calm the situation, but she could not.
"Caroline, if I depend on anyone, it is not on you. Bingley is the only one who can tell me what to do; as you see, he is having breakfast peacefully. Finally, how do you think you will contradict Lady Margaret's word without having consequences for all of us? Lord Norton seems like a patient gentleman, but he was very emphatic in defending his family. I assume he would intervene if he knew you were disparaging his wife and sister-in-law. You better resign yourself to the fact that things are the way they are, and there is nothing you can do."
"I am sorry, Arthur, but I do not have to take orders from you and…" Caroline tried to say, but someone interrupted her.
"Hurst may not have the right to give you orders, but I do, Caroline. Since our parents died, you have done whatever you wanted, and you have never desired to listen to anyone. But that ends today!" said Mr. Bingley, almost shouting.
Then he stood, asked the servants to leave, closed the dining room door, and spoke in a firm voice. "I gave my word to Lord Norton and Lady Margaret that we would not interfere in the affairs of Lady Norton or Miss Bennet, and we will do so. For years, I have allowed you to interfere in my life and even make decisions for me, but no more. This morning, I wrote a letter to Uncle Edmund telling him I shall spend several months with him. Still, before I leave, I need to make several things clear in this house and this family, and the first of them is that no one who lives under my protection will behave unworthily. Our parents were good people who taught us what was correct, and from today onwards, I shall take it upon myself to honor their memory."
Mr. Bingley wanted to learn a lesson from everything that had happened to him. Losing Jane had opened his eyes, and he needed a change of environment to decide what he wanted to do in the future.
"Charles, Uncle Edmund lives in Scotland and is… well, you know," Caroline said worriedly.
"He works in trade, and you know what? That does not make him undeserving of our love and respect but rather the opposite. Caroline, I never want to hear you speak pejoratively about merchants again because our father was a merchant, and everything we have is thanks to the years he worked doing business."
"It will do you good to spend some time away from London, Charles. Uncle Edmund has always loved you very much, and I am sure he would be happy to spend time with you," Louisa said. She was worried about her brother. She had seen him very sad recently and thought he needed a change of environment to recover.
"Charles, you are being very unfair to me…"
"Unfair? Please do not assume I forgot that you did not mention that Jane Bennet was in London. But that does not matter anymore; it would be easy to blame you and evade my responsibility."
"Charles, you know very well that Eliza Bennet is Georgiana's companion and that the theory they are good friends is a big lie."
"It does not matter, Caroline! Have you not wondered why Lady Margaret is willing to lie to help Miss Elizabeth?"
"She does it because that man, Jane's husband, convinced her to do it."
"Lord Norton is an important gentleman, but he is not the king of England. Believe me, he does not have the power to force Lady Margaret to do something she does not want to do. If the Countess is willing to support Jane and Elizabeth, it is because she esteems them. That is the reason, and you know it, and that is why you are so angry."
"I am sorry, Charles, but you are wrong," Caroline replied.
"Think what you want, Caroline. I no longer wish to argue with you or change your twisted ideas. I hope you stay out of trouble and forget about the Bennet family once and for all. Did you want them away from me? Well, they are. Now it is time, Caroline, for you to forget about them."
Mr. Bingley sat at the table to continue eating breakfast after saying everything he needed to get out of his heart. Although Caroline tried to continue arguing, she could not. Both Louisa and Mr. Hurst agreed with what Mr. Bingley said and also believed that it was time to forget about Jane and her family forever.
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Two days after the social gathering at the Browns' house, Andrew still felt uneasy. Jane had noticed him distant, so much so that he had even physically distanced himself from her, although he remained attentive and considerate.
Jane decided to give him time before talking to him. Although they got along well, Jane still did not fully know her husband and did not understand how difficult it could be for him to express his sentiments when he felt insecure. Fortunately, Aunt Amanda always helped her, and after talking with her, she knew that she should speak directly to him to clarify any questions he might have.
"Andrew, I would like to know if you have a few minutes to speak with me," Jane said.
After eating breakfast, as he had done for the past few days, Andrew had locked himself in his study. He preferred to spend as little time with Jane as he did not want her to realize how much it hurt him to see her blush in front of the man she was probably still in love with.
"Yes, of course, although I only have half an hour because I agreed to meet friends at the club. We have only a few days left in London, and I want to say goodbye and invite them to visit me in Parkland. Is there a problem with the girls?"
"No, they are well. I want to talk to you about the Bingley family, of course, if you do not mind. There are some things you should know.
Andrew knew he could not refuse to listen to Jane even though he was not sure it was a good idea. "Of course, please sit, tell me."
After sitting next to her husband, Jane began to narrate the whole story from when Mr. Bingley arrived in Hertfordshire, how they met, and the days she spent ill in Netherfield.
"He was always very gentle and kind to all of us and showed special interest in me, so much so that I thought he felt something deeper for me. But after the ball he organized, he disappeared, and we never heard from him again. When I arrived in London, I visited his sisters, but they told me they were not interested in maintaining any kind of relationship with me. That day, I gave up any feeling I might have had for Mr. Bingley. A few weeks later, I met you, and my life changed. I can say that I am happy with all the decisions I have made and my life today."
"I am glad to know that you are happy with me and the girls. I am very sorry that you suffered because of that gentleman's inconstancy. I imagine you were in love with him and greatly disappointed when he abandoned you." Andrew wanted to sound understanding, but he could not help but feel jealous.
"I will not deny that at some point, I thought I was in love with him, but today, I know that what I felt for him was nothing more than an illusion. Andrew, I lived a very sheltered life and met very few men my age... and Mr. Bingley seemed so wonderful..."
"I understand… I believe…"
Jane took her husband's hand and added with conviction. "Andrew, today I know that what I felt for Mr. Bingley was not love because, with you, I knew what true love is. My love for you is based on a deep admiration for who you are and not for what I think you are. Andrew…" Jane could not help but get emotional as she tried to explain everything her husband meant for her.
"My dear, I love you too for everything you are," Andrew said. Then he took Jane in his arms and tenderly kissed her lips.
Although they had spent a few nights together, Andrew and Jane had never declared their love for each other. They were both afraid of being the first and hurt when they discovered the other was not in love.
"My dear wife, I cannot deny that I have felt sad recently. Forgive me for being so insecure, but I felt miserable thinking that you would have given up your happiness by marrying me and helping your family."
"As long as you are by my side, I shall always be happy, my dear husband," Jane replied, snuggling into Andrew's arms.
They continued talking and making plans for the next few days. Andrew wanted to make the most of his last days in London and attend as many events as possible to introduce his wife to society. They planned several entertaining activities with Clara, Matilda, and the Gardiner children. Unfortunately for them, all their joy was altered by a letter from Kent that the housekeeper gave Jane.
"I am sorry, my Lady, but this message is for you, and the person who delivered it told me it was urgent." Mrs. Berry delivered the message and left.
Jane read it immediately and was very concerned with its contents. "Andrew, Lizzy is very ill…"
"What happened, dear?" Andrew asked, equally concerned.
"Charlotte informed me she has a cold and has had a high fever for the last two days… Andrew, I want to travel to Kent to make sure my sister is alright."
"Of course, dear, tomorrow we shall travel. I shall talk to Aunt Amanda immediately so she can stay with the girls." Andrew hugged Jane and assured her that everything would be well.
Once Jane was calm, she began planning the trip's details. She wanted to bring her sister to London and live with her. This time, Jane was not willing to accept any excuses and would ask Andrew to talk to Mr. Darcy to end the contract Elizabeth had with his family.
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"I thank you very much, dear Georgiana, for accompanying me these days. Please do not worry anymore; I feel much better now," Elizabeth explained. She still felt weak, but the fever had gone down, and her head did not hurt.
"You have nothing to be grateful for, Lizzy. It is the least I could do after everything you have done for me," Georgiana replied and helped her friend drink a glass of water.
Elizabeth remembered getting lost after the incident with Mr. Darcy and arriving at the parsonage soaked and shivering. From then on, her memories are a little hazy, although she knows that she had spent the last three days ill with a high fever. Charlotte and Georgiana had not left her side and cared for her affectionately, but she wanted to return to London as soon as possible.
Elizabeth had so many things to think about and needed to be calm to clear her head. Although Jane and Andrew had invited her to live with them, Elizabeth was determined to return to Hertfordshire. She wanted to help her mother and sisters transition to their new life. Jane had a family and did not need her like Mrs. Bennet. Furthermore, only in the place where she grew up could she find the peace she needed to find herself. Since her father's death, Elizabeth had been focused on helping her mother and sisters and had forgotten about her, about experiencing the pain that her father's death meant.
Mr. Darcy's failed marriage proposal angered her, but after a few days, she felt heartbroken. She did not know why everything that gentleman did or said had the ability to affect her emotions so much. But she knew she should be as far away from him as possible. After everything he said, Elizabeth was sure Mr. Darcy despised her and she could not handle his contempt. She had told herself that she did not care what he thought of her, but in a way, she now recognized that was not true.
"Georgiana, I want you to return to London with your brother. You do not need to stay here. Charlotte sent a message to Jane, and I am sure she will send a carriage to take me to London."
"I am sorry, Lizzy, but I shall not leave until I see you completely recovered. Richard had to return to London, but William said we would stay as long as necessary. Lizzy, he is so worried about you... I do not think he even has been able to sleep well in the last few days."
"Then, you should tell him that I am fine, so he does not worry anymore and knows that he can return to London without feeling guilty about abandoning a poor, ill woman," Elizabeth said, trying to jest to hide her discomfort. Just thinking about Mr. Darcy's declaration of love made her uneasy. He was willing to put aside social condemnation to make her his wife.
"He would never do something like that, Lizzy. William seems to be a cold person, but deep down, he is compassionate and feels responsible for the people he loves and esteems."
"I know how much you love your brother, Georgiana."
"Lizzy, I know that perhaps you think that because William is my brother, I am blind to his faults, but believe me, I am not. I know that sometimes he can be very hard on himself and others. Still, he has an enormous capacity to forgive, even to forgive me for something unforgivable," Georgiana said, lowering her head.
"My dear, what could you have done that would be so severe!" Elizabeth said. She thought Georgiana always exaggerated because of how insecure she was.
"Lizzy, now that I know you sincerely love me, I feel like I can tell you my big secret." Georgiana dried some tears and told her friend everything that had happened last summer in Ramsgate. "I was about to elope with that man… If William had not arrived in time, my life would be a true nightmare."
Elizabeth was shocked. She would never have imagined that Georgiana would have been capable of doing something like that and figured that the man who had tried to seduce her must be an experienced scoundrel. "I am so sorry, Georgiana. Unfortunately, many men are willing to hurt innocent girls like you. You should not be so hard on yourself, dear."
"My brother tells me the same thing. He has always told me that Mr. Wickham tried to hurt me to hurt him. Although I know he also did it to obtain my dowry. Richard told me he was a gambler and had many debts of honor. Imagine that William gave him more than three thousand pounds when he said he did not want the living my father had promised him, and he lost that money. The worst thing of all, Lizzy, is that I never had any feelings for him. He was someone I knew as a child, and I let myself be carried away by his false words of love..."
Georgiana continued to talk for a few more minutes about George Wickham and his connection with the Darcy family while Elizabeth tried to process the information. She realized she had unfairly accused Mr. Darcy and defended the worst scoundrel she had ever met.
A few minutes later, Charlotte brought Elizabeth a bowl of soup and stayed in the room talking to Georgiana. After eating, Elizabeth felt very distressed and exhausted and fell asleep. Charlotte invited Georgiana to have something to eat with her, and they left Elizabeth to rest.
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"Are you drawing, Darcy?" Anne asked.
Mr. Darcy immediately closed his sketchbook so his cousin would not see what he was doing. He was trying to draw Elizabeth's face, but as he had once said, capturing the shape and expression of her eyes was almost impossible.
"Anne, if your mother told you to come accompany me, I advise you not to listen to her. If, after what I told her the other afternoon, she still does not accept that I will never marry you, I do not think there is anything else I can do."
"Do not worry, Darcy. My mother is taking a nap. I came voluntarily to talk to you. I saw you from my room, and I wanted to converse. The day is beautiful, and I like this garden part. I suppose we can talk for a few minutes without you thinking I am doing it because I so desperately want to marry you," Anne said, smiling.
"I know you do not want me near you, Anne. I have been thinking a lot these last few days, and I know that the only women who are interested in me are those who are dying to be the mistress of Pemberley. Women who demand love and respect, or those like you, who have their own assets, have no interest in me," Mr. Darcy said bitterly.
"I am not sure if I have heard you say something so true and reasonable since you were ten, Darcy. You are indeed handsome and rich, but your vanity and disdainful attitude toward those you believe are inferior to you can be quite irritating. I know that I am not a healthy woman, much less attractive enough to lure your attention, but since we turned fifteen, you decided to ignore me and made me feel as if I were nothing. It was so obvious what you thought: silly, ugly Anne must spend counting the days until she can finally be my wife."
"I am sorry, Anne… I have been so wrong about so many things."
Mr. Darcy and his cousin talked for almost an hour about their families, how well they got along when they were children, and how, over the years, they had separated, and there was virtually no communication between them. Whenever Mr. Darcy looked at his cousin, he felt sorry for her. Anne was a small, thin, unattractive, and sickly-looking woman. At that moment, and after discovering how pleasant and witty she was, Mr. Darcy felt sorry for himself. He had wasted the last ten years of his life avoiding his cousin, making her miserable with his contempt, only to realize that Anne, like Elizabeth, thought he was nothing more than an arrogant and conceited fool.
"This change in attitude, Darcy, I assume, is because something significant has happened in your life. Is it because Miss Bennet is ill? Do not look at me like that. Anyone with a little common sense can see you are in love with her.
"Yes, I am worried about her health… Anne, I…" Mr. Darcy needed to get everything that had happened a few days ago out of his heart and told his cousin what had happened a few days ago.
"Did she reject you? Did Elizabeth Bennet reject you?" Anne asked, bewildered. "I was sure she would accept you, not because she was interested in you, but to help her family."
"Yes, Anne, she rejected me. The worst thing is that I thought she would accept me and appreciate all the sacrifices I was willing to make for her."
"Darcy, you deserved to be put in your place."
"I know it, and I have accepted it."
"And what do you plan to do now?"
"As soon as I return to London, I shall speak to her uncle to see how to resolve the contract matter. I want to see a way I can help her without her knowing. Furthermore, I do not wish to interfere with the friendship between Miss Bennet and Georgiana."
"Will you not try to fight for her love?
"She despises me, Anne. The best thing I can do is leave her in peace."
"Do what you feel is best for you; if the best thing for you is to get away from her, then that is what you should do," Anne said. She felt sorry to see her cousin so defeated and even felt a little guilty.
"I must go look for Georgiana at the parsonage. What do you think if the three of us have luncheon together in the back of the garden?"
"I think it is a great idea. I shall be waiting for you."
Mr. Darcy said goodbye to his cousin, put away his sketchbook, and walked toward the parsonage. As he walked, he thought about everything Anne had told him.
'What is best for me? Being away from Elizabeth? No, but that is what is best for her, not whatis best for me.'
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"Charlotte, thank you so much for writing and especially for caring for Lizzy," Jane said and hugged her friend.
"You do not know how happy it is to see you, Jane. I know Eliza will be pleased to see you, too," Charlotte replied.
Then, Jane introduced her husband, and Charlotte introduced Georgiana to them. They talked for a few minutes about Elizabeth's health and how she had recovered in the last few hours.
"Miss Darcy, I thank you very much for your attention to my sister, not only now that she has been ill but since you have been together. Elizabeth loves you very much and considers you a very dear friend."
"Lizzy is my dearest friend, and I feel so blessed to have met her," Georgiana replied excitedly.
"Dear, I would like to see my sister if you do not mind."
"Of course not, dear. If Lizzy does not mind, I would like to greet her, too," Andrew replied.
Charlotte took Jane to Elizabeth's room, and Andrew stayed to talk to Georgiana. He told her that a few days ago, he had had the opportunity to spend time with Lady Margaret and Lord Matlock and that her aunt had become good friends with Jane. Just then, Mr. Darcy came looking for Georgiana.
"William, I have excellent news. Lizzy no longer has a fever and feels much better," said Georgiana, happy to see her brother. Then he looked at Andrew and said, "My Lord, he is my brother…"
"We already know each other, Miss Darcy," Andrew replied seriously.
"Taylor, what are you doing here?" Mr. Darcy asked, a little confused.
"Darling, I came to tell you that Lizzy wants to see you," Jane said happily. However, when she saw Mr. Darcy, she became earnest.
"Darcy, I came here with my wife. We came to fetch my sister-in-law and take her to London. My wife desires to care for her while she recovers."
"Good afternoon, Mr. Darcy," Jane said seriously.
"Good afternoon, Miss Bennet…"
"Darcy, please do not forget that my wife is now Lady Norton. Dear, Miss Darcy, could I have a few minutes alone with Darcy, please," Andrew asked.
"Miss Darcy, would you like to accompany me to see Elizabeth?" Jane asked.
"Yes, of course," Georgiana said. She did not like the way Andrew spoke. She did not understand why everyone seemed so tense, but she knew it was better to wait and ask her brother later.
As soon as the ladies left the room, Mr. Darcy said with great astonishment. "Lord Norton, I did not know you married Eli's sister…Miss Bennet."
"Well, you know now, and since I know you are intelligent, you know I am responsible for Elizabeth's well-being… Darcy, I am aware of everything you and the Bingleys have said and done against my wife's family, and I warn you that I shall not allow you or anyone to harm them.
Mr. Darcy was shocked and silent. He did not know how to defend himself because he knew Andrew was correct.
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My sincere thanks to everyone who follows the story with enthusiasm and takes the time to leave comments.
If you like this story, please remember to check the site for updates. Once I have completed it, I will leave it for a couple of days and then remove it.
In the next chapter everyone returns to London and the last part of this story begins.
See you soon!
Saludos,
Yo