Chapter 19: A Debt and a Reality Check
While Lizzie charmed William's Aunt and Uncle, upstairs, Mr. Bennet's patience was running out. Ever since his pointless argument with Jane, no one in his family, not even his wife, had deigned to come to his room.
"Where is my family?" Mr. Bennet asked a maid.
"They are busy, Mr. Bennet," Corinne replied in as gentle a tone as she could, noticing how angry the man looked.
"Too busy for me?!"
"I do not know, sir. Can I help you with anything?"
"Yes, I want my wife to come here."
"Mrs. Bennet is indisposed."
"She is always indisposed. Mary, then."
"She is unavailable."
"What?" his upper lip spasmed.
"She is busy."
"Doing what?!"
"Planning lessons, I think."
"Lessons?"
"Yes."
He filed that under questions he needed to ask soon, "Lizzie, then."
"Miss Elizabeth said she would not talk to you, sir."
"Why?!" his face got red with anger.
"She said to tell you, if you asked, sir, that she knows what you did and that she is on Miss Bennet's side," the maid said as she readied some more ice for his head.
Mr. Bennet swiped all items off his bedside table so harshly that the water pitcher and glass that were sitting on it shattered against the wall, and the larger pieces bounced. Unfortunately, the maid turned to the noise, startled, and stepped on a sharp shard of glass that went through her shoe and stocking. Mr. Bingley heard her yell and thought it was one of the Bennet sisters. He ran to the room.
"Mr. Bennet, what happened?"
"Get her out of my sight! She is useless!"
Bingley helped the crying and wincing maid into the nearby wheelchair. He rushed to grab a towel to wrap around her rapidly bleeding foot. He pushed her out quickly to Mr. Bennet's loud complaints that the chair was for him, that he had to bring it back.
"DARCY! HELP!" he yelled when he reached the stairs.
The first one to reach him was Jane. She ignored him and moved to hold the towel tightly around her foot. She had placed a half-knitted blanket with her knitting needles on the maid's lap, "I am sorry, Corinne, I know you are in pain."
Darcy and the colonel ran up and helped Bingley bring down the wheelchair as he explained what happened. Mr. Darcy's face was red. He was furious. Lizzie moved to help Jane. She really did not like blood, but she could hand her sister what she needed. Jane dropped to her knees and lifted the maid's dress slightly. She removed the ruined shoes once she made sure the glass was not still lodged in Corinne's foot. Blood squirted out.
"I think she will need stitches. Lizzie, my blanket."
Lizzie took it and handed it with the needles. Jane tightened the blanket around the maid's foot tourniquet style, using the needles to keep it from coming undone. "Colonel?"
"Of course," he rushed to the main doors to get a fast rider to fetch the doctor.
"Are you dizzy?"
"A little bit, Miss."
"Lizzie, water with some sugar, please… She should be lying down with her foot as high as we can get it," Jane motioned. Mr. Darcy bent to lift Corinne from the chair to the sofa. Charles was still staring at Miss Bennet, whose dress and hands were covered in blood.
"BINGLEY! Look alive! Help me move her so I do not hurt her further!"
Charles did as requested and stepped back.
"Please, leave us with her," Jane requested. "She needs some privacy so we can lift her leg."
"Of course. Everyone out," Mr. Darcy said. The room was vacated. Only Jane, Lizzie, and Mary remained.
"Do you think you can handle this?"
"Yes, why?"
"Because I need to handle Mr. Bennet," Lizzie pulled up her sleeves and took off.
As she quickly took the steps, William reached her and intertwined his fingers with hers. This made her stop, "Please, let me deal with this, dearest."
"Let us deal with this, Miss Elizabeth," the earl had come after them.
"I thank you both, but he is my father. He needs to answer to me."
"Fine, but we are coming with you."
"None of you can do anything well! I am your husband, and you have not managed to take five minutes out of what I am sure is a very busy day of doing NOTHING to see me! And to make matters worse, none of my daughters have come by. Not even Jane, who owes me an apology! PICK UP THE DAMN GLASS ALREADY, FRANCINE!"
Elizabeth froze at the door. Her mother was on her hands and knees, crying while picking up shards of glass, and from the look of her, she had already gotten cuts.
"ENOUGH!" Darcy roared.
"Mama!" Lizzie rushed to her and helped her up. "You do not need to do that. And you! Do not yell at her!"
"SHUT UP! You ungrateful child! USELESS! You are all useless! I am married to a simpering, stupid, nervous mess who could not even give me a son, let alone carry on an intelligent conversation! I have an eldest daughter who is a spinster in the making! A middle child who was born a bitter spinster with no sense of humor! And two youngest daughters who are one decent officer smile away from throwing what little decorum they have out of the window and becoming fallen women ruining their family and themselves."
"Papa!" She was so embarrassed that the earl was hearing all this.
He ignored her, "And to make matters worse, I have an ungrateful second eldest daughter. I dedicated time and effort to shaping you to be remarkable, and you have amounted to nothing! You turned out to be as superficial and easily won over by carriages and money as all the ladies you once mocked! You are close to being a light skirt for a pretty penny! There is a name for that, Elizabeth! It is the oldest profession in the world!"
Lizzie gasped and took a step back.
"YOU WILL NOT SPEAK OF MY FUTURE WIFE LIKE THAT WHILE UNDER MY ROOF!" In seconds, William had gone around the bed, harshly grabbed Mr. Bennet's shoulder, and pressed him against the headboard. Mr. Bennet winced but did not yell in pain. He refused to give Darcy the satisfaction. "I do not know where you got the nerve or the audacity to think you can mistreat my staff and your family in such a way, but it is OVER."
"I-"
"That was NOT a question! I frankly do not care where you got it! Your little reign of terror, your regime, your dictatorship… it is OVER!"
"What?"
"I have put up with a lot that I should not put up with just because of your daughter. It is now clear to me, after what you did to your own family and now to Corinne, that you will not stop abusing the benefits of the very comfortable living I have provided for you."
"Please, save me the-"
"Father, be quiet!"
"My house is not an inn. You have been catered to twenty-four hours a day. My staff has put up with your rudeness, aggressiveness, and misguided belief that because I love your daughter, I would not dare to make your life very difficult going forward. I am not a violent man, and you have taken me to the edge of serious violence. You are lucky that I would not cause significant physical harm to a man who cannot defend himself," he let go of the man's shoulder.
"What am I supposed to do? Thank you?"
"Yes, you should have thanked me. I have already tried being a good host. I tried being welcoming and friendly, and all that has done has lulled you into a false sense of security that you get to do whatever you want here without consequence because you are injured and because I love your daughter."
"I do not care. You will not marry her! I refuse to grant you permission."
"Who I marry is my choice, not yours!" Lizzie bristled.
"It is mine for a few more months, and make no mistake, I will marry you to anyone of my choosing before I allow you to marry him!" Mr. Bennet growled.
"Oh, really? You and what army?!" The colonel said from the door. His hand was on his sword. Miss Bennet was holding onto his arm with blood still on her dress. "Because I have an army. I have military men I can call and who would come here to take you away gladly just as a favor to me."
"Who the hell are you?"
"Not that anyone owes you an explanation, but he is colonel Fitzwilliam. My suitor."
"WHAT?! He cannot be your suitor. He has to talk to me first."
"He does not. I am an adult, and you are no longer my father. Remember? You cannot even hold my non-existent dowry over my head now. So, like I told you, I will handle my own affairs."
Mr. Bennet was breathing hard, angrily. His knuckles were white from holding onto fistfuls of sheets harshly. He glared at Jane.
Mr. Darcy cleared his throat, "Mr. Bennet, I want Miss Elizabeth to have a beautiful wedding and wedding breakfast with her family and friends. But you must be taking too much laudanum if you think I am above whisking her, her mother, and her sisters away to Gretna Green before you attempt to promise her -let alone marry her- to anyone else."
"Why are you covered in blood?" Mr. Bennet ignored Mr. Darcy and focused on Jane.
Jane frowned, "Why?! This is what you did to Corinne! This is how much she bled! How much you hurt her! Is it not enough that Mr. Darcy is taking care of all of our expenses and that you are being treated like a king?! Why do you think you can do whatever you want? This is not your home, and your condition is your own fault!"
"My fault?"
"Who used spurs on a calm horse and rode at top speed when I recommended caution due to the weather damaging the roads? I did not see anyone holding a gun to your head to force you!"
"You have spent far more on Madeline, yet I am the problem," Mr. Bennet grumbled.
"Mrs. Gardiner's condition is much more delicate and not of her own making -like your injury is- and the staff loves her because she is kind. You cannot even be respectful. Not being violent for those caring for you is the bare minimum for someone in your position. Corinne needed stitches. That will not allow her to work for weeks. If she worked elsewhere, that could mean she would lose her livelihood, home, and employment, but you do not care about that. Seeing how you just treated your wife solidifies my belief that you cannot be in the presence of women."
"That is preposterous! I have been in the presence of women six women for years. You cannot prevent my family from seeing me."
"He does not have to do that. You have driven us all away," Lizzie crossed her arms. "We do not want to see you. What you did to Mary and Jane is unpardonable. How you just treated Mama tells me you have been abusing her far more than we ever knew your entire marriage."
"Francine is defective property. That is all she is! I own her! It is not your right nor your beau's right to tell me how to treat my property!"
Lizzie's eyes filled with tears. She now understood what Jane meant when she said her heart had hardened instantly. Jane rushed to hold Lizze's hand with her own.
Mr. Darcy frowned, "That is enough! You are about to learn the meaning of having power over someone and you will not like it one bit."
"You have no power over me!"
"That is where you are wrong. This room you have treated as an inn will now become your prison. All staff that care for you will be male. No woman who chooses to visit you will come into this room without two males present in case you turn violent again and need restraining. There will be no newspaper, no books, no nothing to entertain. You will be fed, helped to bathe, and someone will do your exercises with you once a day. That is it."
"I want to go home. This is not to be borne! You! Military man, run me through with your sword!"
"Do not tempt me," Richard narrowed his eyes. "Darcy may not be a violent man, but being a violent man is in my job description!"
"Colonel, please," Jane's eyes caught his own, and he let go of his sword with a short nod. He walked to stand behind her supportively.
"You cannot leave, Mr. Bennet. The doctor said it would be months before he'd completely feel at ease with you traveling, and since you cannot move on your own or get to writing materials, you depend on the goodwill of others, and you seem so ready to mistreat them that they would not want to help..."
"I will take my chances!" Mr. Bennet exclaimed, trying to sit up.
"No. Do not make me restrain you to the bed. I do not want to, but I will."
The earl, who had been hiding outside the door, evaluating the situation, had heard enough and decided to make his presence known. He slammed his cane on the floor, "Good evening. You are very mistaken if you think anyone here at Pemberley would help you escape against their Master's wishes, especially considering how you have been treating them."
"Who are you?"
"I am the Earl of Matlock. Mr. Darcy's uncle."
Mr. Bennet frowned. "This is none of your business!"
Lizzie felt cold when she saw how the earl's expression darkened and turned cold.
He smirked, "I am making it my business."
"Get out of my room!"
The earl scoffed, "My room, he says with his whole chest… In a home that is not his own, where he is being kept fed and safe with Darcy's resources. He is being attended to by a doctor that he is not paying for either, and he claims this is his room. Hilarious... You seem to have a very unjustified grandiose sense of self, Mr. Bennet."
Mr. Bennet spluttered but could not form words.
"I am at court with the peerage, many of whom are vultures and degenerates, and am often invited by His Majesty to his events. Do you think you can impress me? Do you think you can make me shrivel under your bland angry stare, which you think is terrifying but makes you look like a toddler with a temper tantrum?"
Lizzie shared a look with William. He was calm. That was good. It made her feel safe. They had probably discussed this scenario prior.
Mr. Bennet growled, "We are strangers. You are nothing to me. You do not get to try to school me-"
"Oh, I know there is no point in trying to school you! You have a formal education, I am told. It is not like it did you any good. Intelligence will not take you far without social graces. You depend on my nephew's kindness, yet you treat him like he owes you something when you are the one who owes everything to him."
"What?!"
"You speak very freely about ungrateful children and about your wife being a possession. The only one owned here is you."
"Uncle," Mr. Darcy's tone was a warning.
The earl nodded, "Of course, you tell him. You deserve to see him squirm."
Mr. Bennet turned to Darcy with a scowl.
"I have purchased all your debts, Mr. Bennet. Those you had to merchants in your hometown and the ones you had to cigar shops and libraries in London. Not long ago, you asked me how much you owed me for my hospitality. I was willing not to charge you at all, but your behavior has been abominable, and you have abused your role as a husband and a father. Therefore, you do not get to walk away freely."
"You cannot do that!"
"Yes, he can. He already did. He purchased all your debt. The merchants were very happy to sell it, considering you had already defaulted on several payments."
"Your debt to me is several thousand pounds, Mr. Bennet. Therefore, as you would so indelicately put it, I own you," Mr. Darcy allowed the seriousness of that statement to fall over Mr. Bennet as a blanket made of lead.
"You… You played me…"
"As my darling wife would say, when you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes, Mr. Bennet."
"Shut up."
"The only reason you dislike the game is because you are not winning. No one is going to pity you. You deserve judgment, scorn, loneliness, and, quite frankly, destitution," the earl looked down on him with distaste. "That your daughters managed to become as lovely as they are makes me think all credit goes to your wife and -I am sure- to each of them for helping their sisters."
"Thank you, sir," Jane and Elizabeth blushed.
"Everyone, I would like to speak with Mr. Bennet privately."
"Uncle?" "Sir?"
"Man to man. Father to father."
"I do not want to talk to you."
"Pardon me, Your Majesty," the earl's tone was venomous. "Did I ask you what you wanted? You cannot leave on your own. No one will move you. You do not have a choice. Take a deep breath and calm yourself; it will not take long."
"Uncle, are you sure?"
"Yes, please go, son. Richard, ladies."
No one knew what transpired between the earl and Mr. Bennet in that room. However, when the footmen came in to clean the shards of glass and to give him his dinner, they found a quiet man who only answered in monosyllables with a much more sedate mien and a respectful, almost fearful tone of voice. Mr. Darcy, who had seen his uncle at the top of his fury twice in his life, did not need to ask, nor did he want to see the scene again. His uncle was kind and friendly, but he turned into a dragon out for blood if anyone dared mess with his family.
Mr. Darcy was sure there were threats of complete financial obliteration, probably some strong-worded warnings that he could ruin the man's future with a couple of letters. He would have the whole of London turned against him, never to give him any credit or do any business with him. The most impressive part of that was that the earl was not bluffing. He had that kind of power. He had made it a point to help promising businesses by investing early and a sum that was -to the business owners- significant while not a burden to him. Therefore, he could, in fact, ruin any regular gentleman like Mr. Bennet with minimal effort.
Later, in their sitting room, Lizzie sighed.
"We should just go to Gretna Green, William," Elizabeth leaned into his embrace.
He tightened his arms around her and kissed her temple. "We may have to, but I hope we do not."
"Will?"
"Yes, dearest?"
"I am so sorry about all of this. I feel like my family has turned your life upside down," she burrowed her face into his chest.
"Everything that has happened or could happen is worth it when I know I get to hold you like this at the end of the day."
She smiled and angled her head to kiss his jaw, "I am glad your aunt and uncle seem to like us."
"Was your mother well?"
"The doctor gave her something to make her sleep. He said she was too agitated."
"I am so sorry that we did not get there earlier… I think she needs some time apart from your father. Perhaps she could return to Longbourne. Maybe seeing your sisters and Mrs. Philips could improve her mood."
"I am not sure. I think it would frazzle her more. Lydia and Kitty are not the most sedate of people."
"She could stay here with us."
Lizzie looked up, "You would do that?"
"Of course, dearest. Your mother will be my family too."
"I would like to talk to her first. She should have a say…"
He sighed. "Whatever you think is best, love," he buried his nose in her long, fragrant hair.
The following day, far away, Mr. and Mrs. Philips woke up to find their niece Lydia missing. Catherine told them she did not hear her leave. They started to look for her. She was neither on their property nor in her family home or estate. They assembled a group of neighbors and started to look for her. Mrs. Philips sent an express to Mr. Gardiner. Mr. Bennet did not leave an address, but she sent another express to the address her niece Mary had been writing from to her younger sisters, hoping they would still be there.
Mrs. Gardiner was very concerned at all she had learned from Mrs. Bennet. They were sharing a long silence when there was a knock at her door.
"Good morning," Mr. Darcy smiled.
"Good morning, sir."
"Mrs. Bennet, I wanted to talk to you. Are you feeling up to it?"
She nodded, "Could we talk here, sir?"
"Of course, I mean… If Mrs. Gardiner does not mind."
"I do not," she smiled and took her embroidery.
Mr. Darcy sat across from Mrs. Bennet, "In light of recent circumstances, my lawyer is working toward buying Mr. Collins out of the entail. We are working on it anonymously. We hope that if he agrees to give up his right to the property the entail would be no more."
"Is that even possible?"
"Yes."
"But would that not mean that Mr. Bennet owns it outright? As things are… He could send us all away."
"Mrs. Bennet, I… I bought all of your husband's debts. That means that instead of owing the merchants in your hometown or the warehouses in London, he owes me."
"Oh?"
"I have been thinking about this situation for a while, and for the safety of your daughters and your peace of mind, the best course of action is for us to put Longbourne in your name."
Mrs. Gardiner gasped. Mrs. Bennet's eyes were wide, "Me? Why?"
"Because you are a wonderful mother, and you always have the best interests of your daughters at heart," he smiled. "Also, because I think you deserve ownership over your life and your future, and I am very confident that if I send you a steward to help you, you would make Longbourne become a more profitable estate in a year's time."
"I could not… I do not know much about numbers, plants, or anything like that."
"Mrs. Bennet, respectfully, did you know how to be a mother when Miss Bennet was born?"
"No…"
"And yet, you were, and you did very well. You would not have to do it alone. I am willing to go and help you in person if you wish. You could have control over your destiny, ma'am. After so many years of others deciding everything for you… would you not like to have that? It is your choice, of course. I just want you to think about it."
"I… Mr. Darcy, you are honoring me… Truly. But I am not bright like Lizzie. I was not given a chance to learn but the basics. I had always hoped that once I married, I would be able to read more or learn more, but then I spent so many years minding my daughters… I do not think I could… I would not want you to make such an investment if the success of your investment depends on my skills alone. You will, of course, want repayment, and who knows when or if I could do that, even with a steward. I tried to learn to balance the books to help Mr. Bennet, but… he would get so frustrated with me… He made me feel dumb. And now I am older, and I do not think I could be any smarter now…" she trailed off.
Mr. Darcy smiled, "You already think like an estate manager. What is a family if not a project that needs management? Mrs. Bennet, I am loathe to judge anyone's marriage, seeing as I have never been married myself, ma'am, but how your husband treats you is not right."
Mrs. Gardiner nodded, "He has always been so unnecessarily brusque. When Mr. Gardiner is around, he is usually much kinder to her."
Mrs. Bennet's eyes filled with tears, and she looked away, "If it were not for my daughters, I would wish to go back in time and still be a child and never marry…"
Mr. Darcy winced. "I cannot, unfortunately, turn back the clock, Mrs. Bennet. However, I could improve your life from now on. My father taught me that when a man marries a woman, it is his moral, ethical, financial, and religious duty to care for her and any children they have to the best of his possibilities."
"Mrs. Darcy must have been very happy," Mrs. Bennet sighed.
"She was. So was my father. They loved each other a lot. They were friends first and courted later... I would like for you to live a calm life where you feel supported, encouraged, and appreciated. Pemberley has a dower house if you are set against returning to Longbourne. It has been empty for a long time, but we could fix it, redecorate it, and improve it so you can live there comfortably. You need not return to Longbourne if you do not want to, Mrs. Bennet."
"But I thought you would want me far away," she tilted her face in confusion.
"Why would I, ma'am?"
"Well, I thought you did not like me much, sir."
"Mrs. Bennet, I did not know much about you back when we first met, and I was going through some personal difficulties that had me being horrible company. The more I get to know you, the better I understand you, and the more I like you… Because of that, I would like to introduce you to my aunt later. I believe you shall enjoy getting to know each other."
"Lady Catherine is here?!" Mrs. Bennet blinked.
"No! And I thank the Lord for that!" Mr. Darcy laughed.
"Sir?"
"Sorry… You know how every family has a member they are not particularly proud of?"
Mrs. Gardiner nodded. "We all do."
"Well, that is Lady Catherine for us… Mrs. Bennet, I meant I want you to meet Lady Elinor. They arrived yesterday. Her and my uncle, the Earl of Matlock."
Mrs. Bennet blinked, "Oh, so that is the man I saw with the top hat and the cane?"
"Yes. That is him."
"I would not know what to speak about to an Earl or such a grand Lady, sir," Francine blushed.
"Oh, you would be surprised, Mrs. Bennet," he smiled.
"I would?"
"Yes," he smiled. "But before you meet them, I have to talk to you about one issue and let someone else talk to you about another. Can we do that now?"
"Yes, of course."
"Mr. Bingley came back. He handled his sister. She is being examined in a mental institution."
"Oh, that is very unfortunate."
"Yes. The thing is, Mrs. Bennet, that he wants to talk to you and ask your permission to talk to Miss Bennet and apologize."
"He does?" Francine blinked.
"Yes."
"And you do not think I should grant it?"
Mr. Darcy sighed, "I think you should ask Miss Bennet if she wants to hear him."
"I will."
Mr. Darcy looked at his watch and then at the door. Somebody knocked. The colonel was always on time.
"Richard, come in."
"Good Morning, ladies, Darcy."
"I will leave you to it, cousin. I will be out in the fields," Mr. Darcy closed the door behind him softly and wished his cousin patience and luck.
"Mrs. Bennet, I was hoping to talk to you about Miss Bennet. Do you want to proceed with Mrs. Gardiner here? I do not mind either way," Richard smiled at both ladies.
"She is her aunt; I do not see why it would be a problem," Mrs. Bennet shrugged. She had no idea why this man wanted to talk to her.
"Wonderful… Mrs. Bennet, forgive me if I pace while I gather my thoughts. It helps."
"Of course."
"Miss Bennet is a wonderful young woman."
"She is."
"She is brave, strong, kind, sweet, empathetic, and peaceful."
Mrs. Bennet blinked. She was used to her daughter being called beautiful first.
"She is unlike any other woman I have ever met. In my days here, I have had the opportunity to get to know her better."
"Oh?"
"And the more I learn, the more impressed I am."
Mrs. Bennet stared quietly. The colonel fidgeted with his fingers on the edge of his coat.
"Sir?"
"I have asked your daughter if she would enter a formal courtship with me, and she has accepted."
Mrs. Bennet gasped. "She has?"
"I believe she has not had a chance to discuss this with you. I was going to talk to her father, but she said she is an adult… and after the dowries issue, her father has no say in her decisions. However, I believe I should still defer to you as her mother."
"When did you speak of this?"
"Yesterday morning."
"Oh," Francine blinked; there had been no chance to tell her.
"I am willing to answer all your questions. We would like your support, but I know you do not know me. I would like for us to get to know each other."
Mrs. Gardiner smiled, "It is a beautiful day. Perhaps a leisurely walk around the gardens would give you the space and time you need to start."
"If Mrs. Bennet feels up to it, I would love to start immediately."
"Yes, of course."
Mrs. Gardiner smiled at the colonel as they left; she mouthed a 'Good Luck' to the colonel, who smiled gratefully.
One hour into their walk, Mrs. Bennet was very happy that the colonel wanted to marry her Jane. He was a gentleman. He was a good listener. He was amusing and serious in just the right amount. He told her about his family. He told her he would give up his military career, which concerned her the most. He was very honest and transparent regarding what he could offer her daughter. He said they would live mainly near Pemberley, but that they would have a second residence in London. For someone so rich, the colonel struck her as a humble, kind, hardworking man who was clearly besotted with Jane. He never once mentioned her beauty. When she asked him about that, he said beauty was a given. But seeing her lassoing a horse at full speed and tending so diligently to Corinne while the doctor arrived were his favorite facets of Jane. Mrs. Bennet told him that Mr. Bingley wished to apologize to her daughter. The colonel was quiet and pensive for a while.
"I believe they should talk."
"You do?"
"Yes," he helped her up the stairs to the house.
"You are not afraid that Jane may want to have Mr. Bingley court her instead?"
"Mrs. Bennet, I believe Miss Bennet deserves to be happy. I would love for her to find that happiness in me. However, I do not want her to be with me and wonder what if… She does not strike me as a person who is easily moved regarding her feelings… If she does want Mr. Bingley back, I will step aside because she would not be the person I want."
"That is very mature and kind of you, sir."
"I have seen enough in life to understand that keeping someone with you when they do not want to be there will only sour the relationship and breed resentment. I do not want that."
"Mama," Jane walked their way. "I was looking for you."
"Good. We need to talk."
Jane noticed the colonel was a bit pale, "Is something wrong, sir?"
He shook his head. He bowed over her hand and kissed the back of it, "I will not resent you, no matter what you choose, Miss Bennet," he whispered to her as Mrs. Bennet pulled her away. Jane felt alarmed. She frowned.
"I have been talking to the colonel for about an hour," Mrs. Bennet said once they sat in the empty sunroom.
"Oh? I am sorry I did not have a chance to tell you-"
"It is fine. He seems like a great man and seems to like you a lot."
"He does."
"Mr. Bingley wants to talk to you, Jane"
"I do not want to hear him, Mama."
"You should. The colonel thinks it will help reassure you of the decisions you are making."
"I see. I will talk to Mr. Bingley, but only if the colonel and Mr. Darcy are both with me…"
"Jane, do you really think that is a good idea?"
"Yes. Mr. Bingley abandoned me. He does not get to set terms for this conversation. If he does not accept my terms, we do not ever have to talk again."
Charles paced while he waited for Miss Bennet. Mr. Darcy and the colonel came into the room with her.
"Darcy?"
"I am here upon the request of Miss Bennet Charles. I will remain by the door."
"Colonel?"
"I was asked to be present as well," the colonel replied and went to stand by the window. That way he could see their reflection there.
Charles frowned. "No matter, Miss Bennet, please sit."
She did and placed her hands over her lap.
"I… I have been wanting to speak to you for a while now. How is your neck? How is your wrist?"
"I will be well. Do not concern yourself about that."
"First, I wanted to apologize for Caroline's horrible behavior… and for scaring you after dark. It was not my intention. I did not know things had taken a turn for the worse here."
Jane blinked and did not reply.
"I also want to apologize for the awful way I left Netherfield months ago. I did not want to leave… you. I… I wanted to stay, to pursue you, but I was afraid. My family was telling me things. They were speaking about unsuitability, which was absurd in hindsight. You are a gentlewoman. I am not a gentleman. My family comes from trade. You choosing to give me a chance at all was already quite something. I should not have left you without a word. I should not have listened. I… I really believe we could find our way back to each other."
The colonel closed his eyes and took a deep breath as quietly as possible. Miss Bennet's eyes were focused on the ground. Mr. Darcy was clutching a book in his hands, not to intervene.
Miss Bennet looked up, deep into Mr. Bingley's eyes, and simply replied, "No."
Mr. Bingley seemed genuinely shocked. "No? That is all you will say to me?"
"Well, let me expand then. I could not welcome your attention at all for several reasons. First, I do not trust you anymore. Second, I want nothing to do with Miss Bingley, and if we were together, she would be a part of my life forever. Third, and the most important reason of all, Colonel Fitzwilliam and I have entered into a formal courtship. He sees me for who I really am. He accepts my flaws and wants me as I am. I am not decorative to him. I am an asset. He makes me feel happy, safe, and accepted. He really listens to me and what I want. He is including me in all decisions regarding our future, which shows me he respects me and wants to build the life I want, a life as partners, not a life as a man and his trophy whose only job is to look pretty and stay quiet. I refuse to be decorative."
Mr. Bingley's eyes widened, and he looked at the colonel angrily, "You… You…"
The colonel turned, "What? Come on, say it to my face."
"How could you do this to me?"
"I did nothing to you. Bingley, we are not friends. We are acquaintances at best. The better question is, how could you do what you did to Miss Bennet? To abandon her like that after everything she had been through. She told you about Mr. Lucas. You knew why she was so guarded. You chose to listen to others and leave her behind with many questions as if she was nothing. She spent months wondering why. Now, you come to your senses only because Darcy apologized for his interference, and you expected what? That all these months would not have changed things for her? I have known Miss Bennet much less than you, but I immediately knew she was special. I knew she was worth whatever struggles one had to overcome to gain her attention and her acceptance."
"But I-"
"Bingley, you are a man, not a boy. You have your own money. You can make your own decisions. Stop blaming others. Nobody forced you to leave. Ask yourself, why were you so willing to leave her like that? If your feelings had been deep and true, no one would have been able to pull you away, surely."
Jane sighed, "Mr. Bingley, when you look at me, you see an English rose. Do you not?"
He blinked, perplexed, "I do."
She nodded and turned to the other man, "Colonel, what do you see?"
"I see a warrior. I see the best horsewoman I ever laid eyes on. I see bravery. I see kindness. I see peace… I see home."
Jane blushed and smiled at him with tears in her eyes. "What would it take for you to leave me?"
"I suppose a horde of French soldiers would have to drag me out kicking and screaming, and I would not stop fighting until I could run, walk, or crawl back to you."
Charles' jaw fell. "I see..."
"Do you?"
"Yes… I suppose all that is left is to wish you all the happiness in the world, Miss Bennet. Colonel," Bingley stood, bowed stiffly, and made his way to the door.
Darcy stopped him, "I am sorry things had to happen like this, and very sorry for my role in this, but they made their choice... Perhaps you can take this as a lesson. Get to know the next lady that you want to court. Ask her questions. Listen to her. Focus less on her looks and more on who she is."
"Save it, Darcy. I do not want to talk to you. We will be living within the hour. Please have White arrange for my carriage to be readied."
Mr. Darcy sighed, "Charles-"
"You cannot possibly think we are still friends after this. I understand you chose your cousin over me, but then you must understand that we are done."
Mr. Darcy frowned and exhaled, "I hoped you would want to move forward."
"No. It is as your cousin said. I am a man. I will figure things out on my own."
"Bingley, please-"
"Goodbye, Darcy," Charles side-stepped the friend he loved like a brother and rushed upstairs.
Mr. Darcy stepped outside of the room. He motioned for a footman to come. "Please tell White to ready the Bingley's carriage. They are leaving within the hour."
"Yes, sir."
Mr. Darcy sighed and leaned into the doorframe. It hurt. He did not want to lose Bingley's friendship, but perhaps it was for the best. Things would likely be very awkward until he married. Perhaps it was for the best. Georgiana came out from her hiding spot behind a statue and stood before him. Her hand reached up to his face.
"I am so sorry, brother."
He grimaced and allowed Gigi to pull him down to hug her tightly. "Thank you, sweetling, but you should not be eavesdropping. You should know better."
"She does," Lady Elinor stepped out from behind the same statue. "But then again, so do I. Sorry, darling."
"Aunt Elinor," he chided.
"Please forgive me. I was worried that Richard would stop being a suitor before I was even formally introduced to Miss Bennet."
Mr. Darcy sighed; some things would never change, "You should go in. I think it is the perfect time to meet her."
Gigi made to follow, only for her brother to pull her back, "Not you, young lady. You already know Miss Bennet, and I am sure you abandoned one of your tutors for this."
"Very well, then. But you have to tell me everything..."
He kissed the top of her head, "Fine. Now, go to your class, you nosy princess."
She squeezed his hand reassuringly and left, skipping as she used to do as a child.