Chapter 13

"Charles is still locked in his office with Mr. Morris. What are they discussing?" Caroline wondered.

"Do not worry, dear, I have a plan. But it would help if you were patient," Louisa said.

Mr. Bingley returned to London the previous night and preferred having dinner in his room. He had waited just two days in Hertfordshire and realized he was wasting time there. The neighbors, who had previously treated him with affection and deference, now welcomed him with cold cordiality. From what little he could discover, the community was quite furious with him because he had abandoned his responsibilities and left.

He had also heard some rumors about his dishonorable behavior toward Miss Bennet. After paying excessive attention to her for several months and dancing with her twice at the ball he organized, he left and practically abandoned her, exposing her to malicious rumors.

For that reason, Mr. Bingley was more convinced than ever to find Jane and correct all the damage he had done.

"It will not be difficult to find the gentleman, sir. I have his name, profession, and approximate location where he lives and works. This afternoon, I will ask one of my men to start investigating. In a few days, I shall have the information you need."

"Thank you, Mr. Morris. I appreciate your help and hope to hear from you as soon as possible."

Mr. Bingley shook his solicitor's hand vigorously and bade him farewell. Although he knew he had to be patient, he could not wait to see his angel again. He wanted to propose and tell her that his whole family could live with them in Netherfield.

As Mr. Morris walked toward the door, one of the maids told him that Mrs. Hurst wanted to speak with him. The maid guided him to the terrace that connected to the garden and left.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Morris, for taking the time to speak with me. I imagine you remember my sister, Miss Bingley," Louisa said, inviting him to sit.

As soon as Mr. Morris was comfortable speaking, Louisa began asking him questions about his family. Mr Morris's father had been a solicitor for Mr. Bingley's businesses, and the families had known each other for a long time.

Once Mr. Morris was comfortably talking about his family, Louisa and Caroline put their plan into action. They told him that their brother Charles had been behaving erratically lately and that he did not know what to do with his life. Also, they told him that after trying to learn how to manage an estate, he changed his mind and wanted to return to London.

"That is why we want to know if our brother has problems so we can help him," Louisa said.

"I understand, Mrs. Hurst, but I cannot discuss the details of my conversation with Mr. Bingley," Mr. Morris said worriedly. He wanted to help his client's sisters but did not know how.

"Mr. Morris, you do not have to give us any details; just let us know if our brother is in trouble," Caroline added, feigning concern.

Mr. Morris thought for a moment. Indeed, Mr. Bingley had made some hasty decisions lately and seemed nervous and worried. Perhaps, he could help his sisters without revealing the full content of the conversation.

"Mr. Bingley wishes to locate a gentleman, a businessman; that is all I can tell you."

"Thank you very much, Mr. Morris. We completely understand your discretion," Louisa said.

After a few minutes, Mr. Morris left, and Carolina and Louisa began to discuss what they should do next.

"I am sure Charles wants to find Jane's uncle. What I do not understand is why he did not get that information from Mrs. Bennet," Louisa said.

"I am convinced that the new Master of Longbourn took control of the estate, and those women must be living with their relatives. In any case, I think I know how we can delay this information from reaching Charles's hands," Caroline explained. "I shall tell the servants that when correspondence arrives from Mr. Morris's office, they should deliver it to us."

"Caroline, we cannot read Charles's correspondence; that would make him very angry with us, and rightly so."

"We will not read Charles's correspondence; we will just hide it for a few days. Louisa, we need time to find a solution."

Louisa and Caroline continued to plan their next steps to interfere in Mr. Bingley's life. They concluded that the best thing they could do was not contradict their brother and keep him busy visiting friends and participating in social events and balls.

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"James, why are you here? You need to bring Miss Bennet from his uncle's house. I need her here before noon so I can leave for Kent."

Mr. Darcy went to the stable to arrange the last details with the coachman and saw that the little carriage was there. Then, he asked the butler to call Mr. James. He was the coachman of the carriages they used in the city.

"Sir, when I left Miss Bennet at her uncle's house, Mr. Gardiner told me that I did not need to pick her up because they would take care of that," Mr. James explained nervously.

"You should have told him it was unnecessary or at least consulted with me, do you not think?" Mr. Darcy asked.

"Sir, you were not at home yesterday, so I could not inform you. Furthermore, I explained to Miss Bennet's uncle that I was following your orders, but he told me I would waste my time because Miss Bennet would not be there."

"And where was Miss Bennet supposed to stay?" Mr. Darcy asked, intrigued.

"I do not know, sir; Mr. Gardiner did not tell me anything else. I am sorry, sir, for not notifying you. I assumed that Mr. Gardiner had sent you a note explaining everything. This morning, I was helping Baker and…"

"Alright, James… you can leave," said Mr. Darcy.

Richard had spent the night at Darcy House. He was sitting at the table having breakfast with Georgiana when Mr. Darcy entered the dining room. He sat, ate something, and drank coffee.

"Did something happen, Darcy? I know you do not enjoy visiting Rosings, but you should not be so angry. We shall be there just for two weeks, not the whole year," Richard said, winking at Georgiana.

"I am not in the mood for your silly comments, Fitzwilliam," replied Mr. Darcy, and continued eating.

"Alright, since you do not like my witty comments, I shall ask you seriously. Do you have a problem, Darcy?"

"Yes, I have a big problem. Miss Bennet was supposed to be at this house before noon, and James was supposed to fetch her from her uncle's house... but no one knows where she is..." Mr. Darcy explained what Mr. James had told him and why he was concerned.

"Darcy, it is not even ten in the morning; I think you are exaggerating," Richard said. He noticed that Georgiana was a little nervous and preferred that his cousin not create a conflict about something unimportant.

"Fitzwilliam, you know better than anyone I do not like when…"

"Someone disobey your orders? I know, but you are being unfair to Miss Bennet. Like any employee, she has the right to use her free time as she pleases. Furthermore, so far, she has not been late or disobeyed any orders."

Mr. Darcy could not refute what his cousin said. In fact, he did not understand why he was angry and assumed it was because he did not want to delay the departure to Kent.

To reassure her brother, Georgiana wanted to give him some details of what she thought had happened. "William, I am certain Lizzy spent the night with her sister Jane. She is the companion of a generous lady who does not live that far from here. I suppose Mrs. Smith told Jane to invite her sister to spend the night with her. William, I thought perhaps while you are not here, I could invite…"

"No, Georgiana, I would rather you spend your time with Miss Bennet and Aunt Margaret. She plans to introduce you to some friends, and you must focus on socializing with ladies in our circles."

"I understand; I shall do that, William," Georgiana replied, a little disappointed. She really wanted to meet Jane Bennet, but she could not.

Once they finished breakfast, Georgiana went to her room to get a letter and a gift for Anne. For his part, Mr. Darcy went to his office to look for some documents that he wanted to study when he was in Kent. Usually, there was not much to do there, and he preferred to have a good excuse to avoid spending time with his aunt. After spending almost three months with Elizabeth and Georgiana at Pemberley, Rosings seemed even more tedious.

"Darcy, can I ask you a question?" Richard said, entering his cousin's office.

"What do you wish to know, Fitzwilliam?"

"I got the impression that you do not want Miss Bennet's sister to visit her. Is there something wrong with that lady?"

"No, of all Miss Bennet's sisters, she is the only one I would allow near Georgiana. But there is another problem with her." Mr. Darcy told his cousin the story of Mr. Bingley and Jane so that he could understand the situation better. "Therefore, I prefer to keep her away from this house. If Bingley or her sisters call on us, I do not want them to feel uncomfortable listening to Georgiana talking about her."

"Darcy, you should not interfere that way in Bingley's life."

"If I knew that you were making a terrible decision that could affect your future and that of your family, Fitzwilliam, I would also do everything possible to help you."

"I appreciate it, Darcy, but I assure you it shall not be necessary. I do not need anyone to interfere in my life, and I would not allow it either. I would never let you intrude in my private affairs. But I do not blame Bingley for falling in love with Miss Bennet's sister; she is undoubtedly beautiful."

"And how do you know that?"

"I know this for three reasons. First, her sister is very pretty, and beauty usually runs in the family; second, Bingley always falls in love with beautiful ladies; and third, I am looking at her right now. All your worry was for nothing because Miss Bennet arrived at the time you asked her to."

Mr. Darcy went to the window and saw Elizabeth hugging her sister and another lady. The carriage in which they were traveling seemed to have a crest, which, due to the angle, he could not recognize.

"Thank you very much, Mrs. Smith… I am sorry, Aunt Amanda, for everything you have done for Jane."

"It was a pleasure to meet you, my dear. I hope we can see each other soon." Mrs. Smith hugged Elizabeth and said goodbye. She accompanied Jane because she knew she would feel distraught leaving her sister in that house. Unfortunately, Andrew had had some urgent matters to attend to and could not accompany his wife.

"Remember, dear Lizzy, that we shall be waiting for you at home and that if you need anything, just send a note. I love you so much, dear sister," Jane said, hugging Elizabeth. Although she wanted to stand firm, she could not help but shed some tears.

"Do not cry, Jane. I assure you I am well and shall resolve this matter without hurting Georgiana. Besides, we live very close, and when Georgiana visits her aunt, I shall take the opportunity to see you."

The sisters embraced each other again, and finally, Jane and Mrs. Smith got into the carriage. Elizabeth watched the carriage drive away for a few seconds, preparing herself to enter the house. She was wearing a beautiful dress that Jane had given her as a gift. The dress had black bows to represent mourning.

Elizabeth entered Darcy House content. When Georgiana saw her, she ran to hug her. "Lizzy, you cannot imagine how much I missed you."

"Georgiana, we were only separated for a day."

"I know, but now you are part of my family, and I could not help but miss you."

"I missed you too, dear. Let us go to the drawing room; I have so many things to tell you…"

"Miss Bennet, Fitzwilliam, and I shall be leaving in five minutes, but before I go, I would like to tell you something. Can you accompany me to my office, please?" Mr. Darcy said seriously.

Richard looked at his cousin and could not help but roll his eyes. Apparently, his silly cousin was more foolish than he had estimated. "Georgie, give me the presents you plan to send Anne." Richard thought it was best to distract his cousin.

"Yes, come with me to my room," Georgiana replied.

Elizabeth accompanied Mr. Darcy to his office. She sensed he was angry, but she was curious to know why.

"Miss Bennet, I would like the next time we agree on something, you will respect our agreement or notify me if there has been a change of plans. I do not like surprises or finding out by chance that there was a change of plans."

"Excuse me, sir, but I do not understand."

"We had agreed that one of my carriages would fetch you from your uncle's house and…"

"My uncle spoke to the coachman and explained that I would not spend the night with them. You asked me to arrive before noon, and it is eleven in the morning, sir. I do not understand what difference it makes if I travel in your carriage or my sister's."

"Miss Bennet, I am responsible for your well-being, and if you have not noticed, I would like to inform you that I take all my responsibilities seriously. When I saw the little carriage in this house, I thought you had had troubles and…" Mr. Darcy did not know how to express everything happening in his head. When he saw Elizabeth hugging Jane and that woman, he feared losing her. He thought that perhaps Jane would ask her employer to hire Elizabeth, but he was not prepared to let her go. He noticed she was smiling and wearing an elegant new dress and a hairstyle that made her look so pretty. She looked like the Elizabeth he had known before tragedy struck her family.

"I appreciate your concern, sir, but you do not need to feel responsible for me. I am my family's responsibility…" Elizabeth was furious; that man believed he could decide what she did with the excuse that it was his duty to protect her. She had the impulse to yell at him that her brother-in-law was her protector, but she did not want to talk about her sister's marriage when she was so angry. She did not want to have to answer his questions or inquire about Jane's relationship with Andrew.

"You are wrong, Miss Bennet. Your uncle and I signed a contract that states that as long as you work for me, I shall be responsible for your well-being…"

"Then I think we should terminate that contract; that way, you do not have to continue carrying the burden of being responsible for me…"

"I am sorry to interrupt, Darcy, but it is time to go. Miss Bennet, can you and my cousin continue this conversation when we return from Kent?

"Of course, Colonel. I do not think I can speak rationally with Mr. Darcy now…"

"Miss Bennet, I hope you keep your word and…"

"Sir, if you are worried about your sister, rest assured. While you are in Kent, I shall care for her as I always have. I take my responsibilities seriously too, and Miss Darcy is important to me, so important that I have decided... You should listen to your cousin; we shall have time to continue this conversation when we are both calmer."

Mr. Dary preferred not to say anything else. He went to say goodbye to Georgiana, hugged her, kissed her on the forehead, and promised her that he would be back in a fortnight. Once the gentlemen left, Georgiana asked Elizabeth what had happened. She had heard her brother's voice very angry and asked Richard to intervene.

"I am sorry, Georgiana, it is just that your brother can be very stubborn sometimes. I do not understand why he was so concerned…"

"Lizzy, although you might find it hard to believe, William feels responsible for you, and I think… he admires you, that he feels affection for you."

"What?"

"Yes, Lizzy, he likes you. My brother has few friends, and I think he considers you a friend. My brother is serious, too serious for his own good... but when he is with Richard or Mr. Bingley, he is different; he is much more relaxed. When he is with you, he acts like he does with his friends. I knew he drew as a child, but I never saw him do it until he did it with you. I tell you this so you can understand that his concern for you is genuine."

"Well, if you think that, I promise I shall be more patient with him," Elizabeth said, smiling. She thought that Georgiana could not see flaws in her brother and could not explain how he looked at her, what he had said to her, and much less why she sometimes felt like telling him he was the worst man she had ever known.

"Lizzy, you said you had something important to tell me."

"You are right; it is great news that I want to share with you. My sister Jane got married, and now…"

Elizabeth told Georgiana everything she had experienced in the last twenty-four hours and her plans for the future. Georgiana listened to her friend with a mixture of joy and sorrow, but she was happy to know that Elizabeth considered her a friend and planned always to be close to her.

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Mr. Darcy went out riding to clear his mind. He hardly slept the night before. Lady Catherine had once again made all kinds of insinuations regarding the supposed engagement between him and Anne and, as always, had said nothing. At first, he tried to make her see that it would never happen, but she ignored him and kept repeating the same story.

Furthermore, once again, Rosings' ledgers were a disaster, and he would have to spend hours locked up trying to remedy all the problems his aunt created. But there was also the matter of Elizabeth. Fitzwilliam had been harsh on him for having argued with her before traveling to Kent.

Mr. Darcy still did not understand why he was so angry. Elizabeth kept her word and arrived on time, yet he was unsatisfied with her explanations. But what worried him most was knowing that she had hinted that she no longer wanted to work for the Darcys. He knew his sister still needed her, maybe as much as he did.

'If that woman has offered you a job, I shall duplicate her salary. I doubt she has more money than me... Maybe it is best for her to get out of my life once and for all so that I can look for a wife who can be the sister Georgiana needs so much. In that case, Georgie will have a sister to protect her, and she will not need Elizabeth Bennet…'

Mr. Darcy was so distracted thinking about his problems that he overlooked that his horse began to ride strangely. When he realized something was happening, it was too late because the horse braked abruptly, and he could not maintain control and fell heavily to the ground.

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The last days were amusing for Georgiana. She had gone to the art museum and the botanical garden with the Countess and Elizabeth. She had the opportunity to meet other young ladies who seemed very nice but who, unfortunately, were more concerned with discovering when her brother was returning to London than knowing her.

But Georgiana did not care because she knew she had Elizabeth's sincere friendship. She could have gone to live with her sister, yet she preferred to stay by her side to care for and protect her.

Furthermore, Elizabeth told her that Lord Norton had invited her to Somerset for part of the summer. She was no longer alone and had found a friend who would always be with her.

Georgiana was in the drawing room embroidering while Elizabeth read a letter from her mother when the butler handed her a message that had just arrived.

"IT JUST CANNOT BE! MY BROTHER, MY DEAR BROTHER…" Georgiana cried desperately.

Elizabeth was very scared. She picked up the note from the floor and read it to learn why Georgiana would not stop crying. "By God, I hope Mr. Darcy is well."

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Many thanks to everyone who follows the story with enthusiasm and leaves messages of support.

In the next chapter, Georgiana and Elizabeth will travel to Kent.

See you soon!

Saludos,

Yo