Beginning, Section III

Chapter 14

Posted on January 22, 2010

Although she could not have reasonably expected the arrival of her sister until early afternoon, Sophia's impatience had grown throughout the morning. There was no thought of decorum when word eventually came that the carriage was at the door, and she rushed outside to greet Sarah with a warm, loving hug as soon as she alighted.

"Oh Sarah, it has been too long; it is an age since you were here last!" she said with feeling. "We are just going to have to do something about Thomas' antisocial tendencies - he must bring you to London more often."

"It has been longer than usual, but it was not four months ago that we were here, Sophie, and we saw you in town last summer," Sarah laughed while returning her sister's hug with equal affection. "It is hardly an age, though it is wonderful to see you again. You are looking very well. You are quite as healthy and beautiful as usual, and clearly being enceinte agrees very well with you."

"Yes, it does." Sophie answered, still speaking to Sarah as she moved to give welcoming hugs to her nieces as they exited the carriage. "I am no longer tired at all, and I never had a trace of illness from the little one. I am feeling so well, if not for the thrill of little movements, I would wonder if were really with child. Would you believe I am actually looking forward to increasing so that I can feel assured of my condition?"

At that moment they were joined by Lord Salisbury, who had responded to the news of the arrival at a more leisurely pace, and Mrs. Gardiner and her older children, who had heard of the arrival later and had farther to come. "Sarah, Jane, Elizabeth, Julia, and Kitty, welcome," the tall, sandy haired man, just a year Sarah's junior, smiled as he extended his hand to them each in turn before leading them all inside, out of the chill wind, teasing them good-humouredly about how their love of talking had obviously overcome their instinct for self-preservation.

After the general greetings and some brief conversation, Jane disappeared with the Gardiners, who, like the Bennets, had come in advance of their patriarch. The Gardiners were great favorites with all the girls, and it had become a pattern for the elder Bennet girls, including Julia, to help attend the Gardiner brood - they had six children, aged two to thirteen - when they were together. Sarah understood why Jane had insisted that she would assist her aunt during this visit - doing so meant that she would stay in the apartments occupied by that family, and would spend most of her visit in company with her Aunt Madeline, and much of it with only her nieces and nephews. Madeline was a discreet and intelligent woman who would support and comfort Jane in just the right way. Sophia was also an intelligent woman, and perhaps with greater maturity would have equal delicacy and discretion; now, however, she was young, passionate, and even more emotional than usual, since she was with child. When Sophia felt strongly about something it showed, particularly if she felt an injustice had been done to her family. A regular exchange of letters had kept Sophia au courant of Jane and Mr. Bingley, and Sarah was relieved that, while Jane remained with Madeline, she would not have to listen to their hostess' analysis and criticism of the various 'guilty' parties.

The great fires in the parlor were a welcome sight after the cool ride across Hertfordshire, and warming drinks were quickly served as the group sat down with the full intention of talking the afternoon away. It was only after Julia and Kitty left to practice the pianoforte that the topic of Jane's and Julia's 'disappointments' were introduced - Julia's jilting had been as thoroughly discussed by mail as Jane's situation.

They dealt with Julia and the Wests first, and Sophia and her husband were very amused by hearing of Sir Anthony being sicced on Sir Reginald. "That explains something Morton told me last week," said Lucas. "He said that for a time before West was asked to leave the club, he had been bragging about arranging a 'most advantageous' marriage for his son, and protecting him from 'fortune hunters' and a 'most objectionable young woman,' and then abruptly would not say another word on the subject."

"Objectionable!" exclaimed his wife, furiously. "I would like to..." but either a failure of vocabulary, or her delicacy, prevented an expression of what she would like.

"My dear, we can leave them to themselves now. The family has been ejected from White's and Boodle's, and will certainly never be in any of the better clubs, nor in the best Society..." About a month earlier, Edgar West had been caught cheating at cards while a guest at Crockford's Club, and an investigation revealed that it had happened before, but had been hushed up by Sir Reginald. Inquiries instigated by Mr. Bennet and Mr. Gardiner had revealed that the elder West son was a card cheat, and a petty thief, when he felt it safe. So a trap was contrived with the help of Lord Salisbury to give him what would seem to him a perfect opportunity to indulge both of his vices. The young man was not charged, but his father lost his much prized club memberships. And social engagements for the Wests declined precipitously as word of this dishonor spread.

They then turned to the matter of the Bingleys, and Sophia declared, after listening to a recapitulation by Sarah and Elizabeth of the events, "I believe Jane should think of him no more! I agree with Elizabeth that there is no way Bingley's behavior can be seen in a positive light. Jane has many admirers and can well do without him. He is either a trifler or a man without a spine."

Even Elizabeth felt slightly distressed at such a stark appraisal. As infuriated as she was at Bingley's behavior, she did not completely dismiss her fond regard for him, developed over the course of the fall, and she was relieved when Sarah urged moderation. "I would not put it as strongly as that Sophie. It has been just over a fortnight since he departed, so I hardly feel that Jane need despair his returning. Unfortunately we only have his sister's version of the circumstances, and I do not trust Miss Bingley's character or representations. I do not accept that his attentions were affectation or trifling, and I cannot see him as being capricious enough to quickly forget or transfer his attentions to another. And I am certain that Mr. Darcy is not a man who would arrange a marriage for his fifteen year-old sister; why, she is younger even than our Kitty, and he invariably spoke of his sister with the greatest of affection when he visited in the fall."

Elizabeth looked up, feeling reassured by Sarah's remarks, even more for herself than for Jane. Her mind was immediately elsewhere, and she was only recalled to the conversation by Kitty's return to the room, just as Sophia asked for specifics about Mr. Bingley's attentions to Jane. She responded rather more light-heartedly than she would have done even minutes earlier: "I never saw a more promising inclination. He was growing quite inattentive to other people, and wholly engrossed by her. Every time they met, it was more decided and remarkable. At his own ball, he offended two or three young ladies by not asking them to dance, and I spoke to him twice myself without receiving an answer. Could there be finer symptoms? Is not general incivility the hallmark of love?"

Elizabeth's comment brought a burst of laughter from Lord Salisbury who, not viewing the subject with the same seriousness as his young wife, had been sitting quietly to the side. "Luke, this is not a laughing matter," Sophia reprimanded her husband, who just grinned all the more broadly, winning a reluctant smile in return.

"Sophia dear, as much as I appreciate your passion for your loved ones, and admire your sense of justice, I think this situation is one that is best left to work itself out. Must I remind you of the result of your efforts for Jane last Season, and what came of forwarding a match between Mr. West and Julia?"

"I hardly see that it is my fault that Jane's suitors decided to be so confrontational," Sophia replied disingenuously, knowing very well she had played the men off against each other, "and who could have predicted Sir Reginald would be such an overweening fool, and that his son would be craven enough to cower before him." She really did have the good grace to see it had not been the best strategy on Jane's behalf, but she still failed to see how her efforts on behalf of Julia could have been known beforehand to be so ill-advised. She was, however, quite pleased that nothing had come of Julia's courtship, once the characters of the young men of that family were understood. "I just wish happiness for my nieces. They are so very deserving," she concluded quietly.

"Whether he merits it or not," Sarah replied, "it seems Jane's happiness is, for the moment at least, very much tied to Mr. Bingley. In some ways it has been easier for Julia, as the Wests are clearly not what they should be. She does understand that Mr. West was coerced into breaking with her, but we cannot get her to see that this is proof of the family's worthlessness. Instead, I know that she still feels that Sir Reginald was in some way justified in opposing the match, and Jonathan was right to heed his father."

"Let us hope, for Jane and Bingley's sake, that this turns out well," Sophia replied. The words sounded kindly enough, but there was something in the phrase 'Bingley's sake' which sounded ominous to Luke and Sarah. In the short time since Mr. West had broken with Julia, and even before the business with his brother, Jonathan's character, and that of his father, had been carefully blackened among the highest circles of the Ton (although news of this had not yet reached Lord Harwood, and it did not until after his daughter's marriage). But Sophia had done her job so thoroughly that even before the cheating incident, the Wests' standing was seriously damaged, and Jonathan's musical career had been finished. And it was all done so deftly that it was never traced back to her, and Julia's name was never associated with any of the Wests. Lady Salisbury had appeared to be one of the family's supporters, and one who had, reluctantly, been required to accept that the young man was unworthy of her patronage. Her husband and sister admired her hatchet job on this pair of villains, but Mrs. Bennet was worried that she might do the same to Bingley before knowing whether or not he deserved it.

"Given that Jane credits Miss Bingley's friendship," Elizabeth put in, "I have no doubt Jane will visit her within a few days after she next goes to London. I am not sure how well Miss Bingley will receive her though. Jane has sent seven letters to Grosvenor Street with only one perfunctory reply, and it is obvious that Miss Bingley is no friend of a connection between their family and ours, especially, not as long as there are prospects known to be worth £30,000."

Sarah, feeling rather uncomfortable, managed to change the topic of conversation. Sophia took the hint and let the topics drop. In the morning though, when Julia and Sarah were visiting with Jane and the Gardiners, she took the opportunity to pump Elizabeth for more information - and Lizzy, pleased to have a sympathetic ear on the matter, gave her opinions freely.

As the town of Hatfield was quite prosperous, it supported a very accomplished modiste who was patronized by a number of luminaries, the most illustrious of whom was Lady Salisbury. Mrs. Bennet took the opportunity to order, for Julia, several new ball gowns and day dresses. Julia had needed some new clothes, but when she had expected to be married, she had deferred any new purchases with the idea that it would all be done as part of assembling a trousseau. This shopping trip, and the pleasures of the season and family, lifted Julia's spirits quite noticeably. On their return, she retired to the music room, and soon the lovely strains of an etude drifted through much of the family wing in the enormous house.

Sarah moved in search of the others, and paused at the entry of the winter parlor, taking in the picture of Sophia and Elizabeth seated and talking very earnestly.

"Are you wondering if this alliance is quite the best thing?" Lord Salisbury asked in a low voice as he took Sarah's arm and led her toward the library.

"Have you taken up mind reading?" Sarah laughed. "That was exactly what I was thinking. As pleased as I am to see greater intimacy between Sophia and Elizabeth, I wonder if, between them, they might be working themselves into a rage on Jane's behalf."

"That is exactly my impression of the situation," Luke replied. "Their protective inclinations, when it comes to Jane and Julia, were already very strong, but they are now feeding on each other's indignation. I quite agree that Jonathan West and his father deserve whatever happens to them, and I was glad to have the chance to do them a bad turn without risk to my niece. But from what we have been told, I am far less certain of Bingley's perfidy."

"Poor man," Sarah laughed. "Luke, I cannot but think that there has been some duplicity at work here. I liked - still like - Mr. Bingley, and he certainly appeared very enamored of Jane. I did not expect such a promising beginning to turn into this. I was sure we would see him before we left home.

"I am sorry for Jane, because with her disposition, she may not get over his desertion immediately," Luke commented with a shaking of his head. "It had better have happened to Lizzy; she would have laughed herself out of it sooner." Sarah did not reply, as his joke had caused her to wonder if Elizabeth's anger on Jane's behalf might be caused, as least in part, by her disappointment about another young man.

A week after their arrival at Hatfield no letters from Miss Bingley had been forwarded from Longbourn, and finally, Sophia and Elizabeth would allow Jane to mope no more, and had insisted that she accompany them on outings with the family and other guests. The party had been limited to close friends and family, but there were a few unattached males of the right age present, and they showed a gallant interest in the Bennet girls. Sophia's nephew, Paul Landsdowne, Viscount Allerdale, seemed particularly taken with Cousin Jane, and their aunt furthered their acquaintance as best she could without provoking her older sister. She had also wanted to perform a similar office for Miss Bradford, but she had made the mistake of mentioning - in a letter before the Bennets came - some suitors for Julia that she was contemplating inviting up for the holiday, and Sarah had replied immediately, insisting that her sister do no such thing, and so firmly that Lady Salisbury had obeyed without question.

After they had left Longbourn, Elizabeth had convinced Jane to refrain from writing letters to Miss Bingley. "You had two letters from her in the first five days after Mr. Bingley left, and you had sent her three letters before her second arrived, and four after. Not all of them can have gone astray." In fact, since returning to London, Miss Bingley had tossed all correspondence from Jane in the fire unread, which was how she remained in ignorance of their trip to Hatfield. "She is not interested in corresponding with you, and no matter which of us is right about her motives, there is no point in it." As the time approached for her father's arrival, Jane had given up hope that she would hear from Caroline. She had also decided to go to London after Christmas: "I need a change. To be at home, constantly subject to the sympathy of our neighbors on the matter of my 'disappointment' does not appeal to me."

"But is it best for you to go with Aunt Madeline?"

"If I go with Aunt Sophia, she will attempt to match me with any number of eligible men, so that I may 'get over' Mr. Bingley, as she puts it. Perhaps I am being fanciful, but I begin to wonder if she has hopes that Cousin Paul will become attached to me. I am not ready for anything like this."

"You are not fanciful at all, dearest, and it is not just her idea that he might feel something for you. He is a very handsome young man, and quite intelligent, and you could do far worse," she teased, but seeing her sister's distress, she quickly changed the subject. "She can be made to understand that this is not what you want. I know that you are more comfortable with Aunt Madeline, and in your place I would be as well, but please consider carefully whether Grosvenor Square will suit you. Recall that Aunt Madeline's new house is directly across from the Darcy home." This idea was distressing for her sister, and so she promised to think about whether she would return with Aunt Madeline, and risk meeting Miss Darcy and Mr. Bingley together, or remain with the Carlisles, and risk Aunt Sophia's matchmaking.

It had taken just over two weeks, but Thomas Bennet had gotten the results of the investigation he commissioned. The summary arrived first, followed two days later by a detailed report:

December 6

My dear Mr. Bennet,

As I understand that there is some urgency in this matter, I am taking the liberty of sending, by courier, the initial version of the report on Mr. Charles Bingley, Netherfield Hall, Netherfield Park, Hertfordshire and Curzon Street, London, and Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, of Pemberley Manor, Pemberley, Derbyshire and Darcy House, Grosvenor Square, London, and any especially close family of either gentleman. The final report will, of course, follow as soon as all details are assembled.

Briefly, both men are now orphaned, Mr. Bingley's mother dying ten years ago, while he was at Eton, and his father, five years back, while Mr. Bingley was at university. He has two sisters and a brother-in-law who often reside with him. He also has his father's widowed elder sister, her four children and their families, all of whom live in or near York, and whom he sees for a few weeks once a year. He is not especially close to the aunt or any of the cousins, although he is on good terms with them.

Mr. Darcy, 27, has only a younger sister as surviving immediate family. Miss Georgiana Darcy, 15, is also his ward. Their mother, formerly Lady Anne Fitzwilliam, died fifteen years ago, apparently due to complications from the birth of the sister. The father, George Darcy, died six and a half years ago, from injuries sustained after falling from a horse he was training. Mr. Darcy has an uncle and three cousins on his father's side, Justice Sir Alfred Darcy, and sons, with whom he is on very good terms, but not intimate. He is intimate with his mother's older brother, James Fitzwilliam, Earl of Matlock, and his family, particularly the two eldest sons, General Andrew Fitzwilliam, Ret., Viscount Ashbourne, 28, and Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, 2nd Life Guards, 27. Mr. Darcy also regularly visits his aunt Lady Catherine de Bourgh, widow of Sir Lewis de Bourgh, Bart., of Rosings Park, Kent, and formerly Lady Catherine Fitzwilliam, elder half-sister of Lord Matlock and Lady Anne. Mr. Darcy is held in highest esteem by this aunt, but the relationship has apparently become somewhat difficult for Mr. Darcy, as his aunt is rather insistent that he and her only child marry, and he, and the daughter, have stated that they will not do so. Finally, Mr. Darcy is rather close to his mother's uncle, Augustus (Henry) Weston, Duke of Stafford, who stayed for some months at Pemberley, after a fire at Weston Hall some five years ago. His Grace's lungs were damaged while getting his staff safely from the house, and he convalesced for several months at Pemberley - which is by all accounts a remarkably beautiful, and peaceful, estate. They became, and have since remained, very close.

Mr. Bingley, 24, is a popular figure in the middle levels of Society in London. He is single, well-off, has a degree from Cambridge, and is widely regarded as amiable, honest, and reliable. He is very widely known and liked at White's, where he is a member. As his father was a carriage-maker, he is not invited to the highest circles of the Ton, but he has several friends of much higher circles than his own, including Mr. Darcy, and because of their steady friendship with him, he is received among more select company than one might expect. He has, since graduating from Cambridge, had several flirtations, but there has been no hint of scandal attached to them, and there appears to be no hard feelings from the young ladies involved, or their families. He has a personal fortune of £128,000, in the funds, as well as the management of £20,000 held in trust for his youngest sister. He also has another £63,000, in various conservative investments, set aside by his father for the purchase of property, the income from which is reserved for that same purchase. Finally, he retains a substantial stake in the B&C Coachworks, in York, which we estimate would now generate an income of £3,000; however, the owners are currently investing the entirety of the firm's income in some new designs. Mr. Bingley has, in previous years, spent several weeks each year at the firm, and he is very well-regarded as being hard-working, innovative, and extremely effective.

Mr. Bingley's elder sister, Mrs. Louisa Hurst, 27, is married to Mr. Percival Hurst, of Grosvenor Street, London. Mrs. Hurst is the eldest of the three surviving children, and was educated in York. She assumed responsibility for her younger sister when their mother died. She married Mr. Hurst four years ago, and the marriage appears to be a happy one, at least whenever the wife's younger sister is not living with them. Mr. Hurst's income is £6,000 per year in very conservative investments, and is known to live rather quietly. His extended family is fairly well-connected, prosperous gentry and respectable professionals. The Hursts have no children.

Mr. Bingley's younger sister, Miss Caroline Bingley, 21, was educated at an exclusive Seminary in Town. She is generally disliked for trying ceaselessly to rise above her station, by fair means or foul, and for possessing an acidulous tongue and a questionable character. She has associated herself with Lady Brussellthwait-Smythe, apparently by shifting the blame for some petty thefts at the Seminary from her onto another student, and for subsequently providing services of a similar (lack of) character. She has attempted, for the past two years, to attach herself to Mr. Darcy, with no apparent success.

Mr. Darcy, as mentioned above, is nephew to the Earl of Matlock and great nephew to the Duke of Stafford, as well as being related to quite a few other persons of lesser rank or consanguinity. He is a well-known figure among all but the highest levels of London Society. He is single, very wealthy, and was awarded a first-class degree with highest honors from Cambridge at 18. He is widely regarded as scrupulously honest, completely reliable, aloof, disagreeable, and dull. Among his intimate circle, he is held to have the previous virtues, but is thought to be accommodating, good-humored, and far too inclined to assume responsibility for others. His servants and tenants regard him as being the best of men: generous, tolerant, and prudent. He shares guardianship of Miss Darcy with his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam (who was just above the age of majority when the late Mr. Darcy died, while Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy was just below it).

Mr. Darcy's income is somewhat more difficult to determine. It is rumored to be £10,000 a year, but this is nonsense, and is apparently due to a rumor started by the gentleman himself. His income is certainly in excess of £50,000 per annum, as he deposits £4,200 per month in an account at the Haveford Bank, City of London, and draws his current expenses from that account. He spends a small fraction of this amount, and invests the remainder. He is discreet and his employees and associates are loyal and closed-mouthed, so precise details of his income and investments have been difficult to obtain. We have determined that he reinvests the bulk of his income, so the figure of £50,000 is conservative. He also holds in trust £75,000 for his sister. Our best guess is that his fortune is approximately £1,800,000 - counting estimates of his land holdings, such as Pemberley - half in very safe investments, and the other half in solid, but riskier ventures.

Mr. Darcy is considered a 'catch' by the Ladies of the Ton, but his name has not been linked with any young lady since the death of his father. In the interval between his graduation from Cambridge and his father's unexpected death, Mr. Darcy had an affair of a few months duration with the widow of a prominent Berkshire landowner. It ended amicably, and the widow has since remarried and moved to Ireland. The relationship is unknown to the Ton.

There is a mystery involving Miss Darcy. Apparently she went to Ramsgate last summer with a companion, Mrs. Younge, returned abruptly with her brother, and without the companion, and was in extremely low spirits for some time thereafter. We investigated Mrs. Younge, and she is not to be trusted - there is no doubt in our minds that she is a thief, an inveterate liar, and, at more than one time in the past, a prostitute. She used forged letters to obtain the position with Miss Darcy, and was almost certainly involved in a plot against the young lady, perhaps to compromise her for purposes of blackmail, or something equally nefarious. It is believed that details of this unfortunate experience are known only to some of the family of Lord Matlock, and Mr. Darcy, of course.

Lord Matlock is a highly-placed, very influential, and very dedicated 'moderate' Whig. He is extremely wealthy, having inherited a vast estate, and managed it quite successfully for many years. He has six children, all with his current wife, the former Lady Susan Montgomery, the eldest of three daughters of the late Viscount Ashbourne. The children range in age from 28 to 13, and there is no hint of scandal associated with his, or their, names. His marriage is by all accounts an extremely affectionate one. He is on the best of terms with his two sons, who have both had distinguished Army careers. The eldest son, Viscount Ashbourne is considered 'the catch' among the Ton. He is almost universally liked, extremely intelligent - he also has a first-class degree with highest honors from Cambridge, also at 18 - scrupulously honest, a very independent thinker, and completely inscrutable, when he chooses to be. He is quite wealthy, and lives comfortably, but far below his current income. He had two youthful romantic liaisons, but there is no evidence of anything in recent years, and the viscount's reputation did not suffer. The second son, Colonel Fitzwilliam, is also well-liked and very honorable, but is very fond of the ladies. His liaisons are discreet and, on their terms, honorable (never with married women or young girls, always amicably concluded, no illegitimate children, etc.), but they have continued past the time they could be termed 'youthful.' As he is the best blade and the best shot in the Household Troops, casual gossips refrain from linking his name with those of his paramours. He has a very good income from personal property, but supports himself on his salary and his great skill at whist and backgammon. Colonel Fitzwilliam is held to be the most skillful player of these games amongst his set in Town, and certainly in his several clubs.

As to recent events, Mr. Bingley has been residing at White's Club, but is moving to stay with at Mr. Darcy's Grosvenor Square home. Mr. Darcy and his sister are leaving for Derbyshire, for Christmas, the day after tomorrow. Miss Bingley and Mr. and Mrs. Hurst are staying at Mr. Hurst's Grosvenor Street house. Mr. Bingley appears to not be in contact with his relations, and Mr. and Mrs. Hurst have not visited Darcy House since the fall. Miss Bingley has been admitted to Darcy House only once, shortly after she returned from Hertfordshire, and stayed less than half an hour. She has since left her card several times, without effect. She has also been heard to make critical remarks about your family, and especially your daughters, in various drawing rooms about Town. As far as we can determine, these complaints have had no effect - in general, people appear to pay very little attention to what Miss Bingley says. Mrs. Hurst has been accompanying her sister less often of late, and they have been seen arguing, apparently about Miss Bingley's treatment of your family, on three occasions since the end of November. The Hursts and Miss Bingley will be traveling to Tiptree, Essex, to stay with Hurst relations over the holidays. We know of no plans for Mr. Bingley, who has been uncharacteristically quiet, and solitary, since returning to London.

As always, the full report will detail our methods, but we used our customary care, and we think that it unlikely that the subjects will ever be aware of our investigation.

Your humble servant,

Warren Overton

The final version of the report would contain details like full names, addresses, income estimates, and the number of people required to prepare the report. What it would not do is to provide details of how the information was obtained - the investigative process would remain a mystery. All Thomas knew was that he, Edward, and Walter had tested this firm on several occasions, by investigating events that they had witnessed or searching for details about secrets that they knew, and they had never been given incorrect information. The firm rarely failed to discover something, information reported as factual could be taken as true, and anything conjectured by Overton could be trusted. So the situation with Bingley was seen to be just what he thought - his sister was lying to her brother and to Jane, and Mrs. Hurst was reaching her breaking point with her sister over this matter. Also, Darcy was as expected, although the fact of his being livelier when newly graduated was a welcome surprise. 'He probably got so stiff when he suddenly became responsible for so many people, including his young sister. A very young man's idea of an appropriate role model, and unexceptionable enough to forestall interference in their lives by relatives. And then he was betrayed by Wickham, and just where he is most vulnerable...That is why he would want Bingley in the role of brother-in-law! Well, we will have to see if young Mr. Bingley has the brains and gumption to overcome this problem.'

Two days before their father was to arrive at Hatfield, Julia approached Elizabeth with a look of concern. "Lizzy, I overheard Lady Farley say that Mr. Edgar West had been caught cheating at cards, and that the entire family was 'disgraced.'"

"I have heard the same, but I doubt that they are being universally shunned. Does it trouble you? Surely you cannot feel anything more for that spineless-"

"No, dear, I do not. I have also heard that his father has arranged a marriage between Mr. West and Miss Harwood - no doubt that..."

"No doubt that is why he imposed his will on his worthless son. The family is not worth your concern, sister. The sons have no character, and the father is so disorganized that he cannot even remember to tell his son that his 'affections' are engaged. If it were not for him hurting you, I would find it a cause for hilarity," she said with a hard laugh. "But something about it bothers you. What is it, dear?" she continued softly.

"Did Father...?"

Finally understanding the source of her sister's worry, Elizabeth took Julia's hands in hers. "Father would never be a party to the manufacturing of evidence, but I would not be at all surprised to discover that he put that cheat in way of temptation - it would be very like him."

"That is so-"

"Julia, dear, our father is not a cruel man, but there has been a Bennet at Longbourn for over two centuries, and a family does not retain anything of value for so long without looking out for itself. He is all kindness to his relations, but he will always be implacable to those that would damage us...and I would not have him be otherwise, nor will I behave any differently," she said gently.

After a delay of two or three minutes, Julia responded thoughtfully, "I had not thought of that way. I now realize that I was selfish to accept the support and protection of your family without understanding that I owed all of you the same."

"Not selfish, dear, but somewhat naive," Elizabeth responded. "I do not want to seem hard, but the world is not a paradise, and our family is blessed with advantages that many would like to take from us. Honor is not a romantic ideal, but a necessity so that we may be trusted by those that deal with our family, either as dependents or partners. We depend on these people for our well-being, and they depend on us. We are very fortunate that our extended family is bound by love as well as interest, but that makes it even more important that we protect one another. Father's actions, whatever they were, were not just revenge for the pain you were caused - anyone that attacks us must be dealt with, if for no other reason than to give pause to all those that would like to cause us harm. You do know that Father threatened Sir Reginald with a costly lawsuit if there was any publicity about your being jilted, do you not?"

"No, I did not. You must think me very self-centered, Sister."

"I think you have been a bit so, Julia, but I understand. In addition to your natural heartbreak, you were badly frightened when you parents and brother died - our world can be a very cruel place to unprotected women. Mr. West's appalling behavior brought back those memories, so it was natural that you would react badly. But rather than being appalled at our ruthlessness, you should be reassured. You are one of our family, and we protect one another. Nothing like your experience at school can ever happen again - we will not allow it. My parents would as soon abandon me as you; I doubt that you can feel this yet, but you can at least know it." This expression of solidarity, of belonging, caused Julia to cry, but she felt stronger and calmer after the conversation, and that evening, she finally had the courage to speak frankly to her mother about being jilted. Sarah told her the same things as Elizabeth, albeit less bluntly, and by the next morning Julia's spirits and confidence were much better than they had been in weeks.

On the day of Thomas Bennet's reunion with his family, while Sarah and Madeline spent the morning with Jane, Julia, Elizabeth, and Kitty for final fittings of various gowns and related finery, Sophia took the opportunity to visit with a childhood friend, Lady Brentworthington, whose husband owned a neighboring estate. It was a odd friendship, originally founded on proximity and familiarity rather than upon any likeness in interest or temperament. They were the same age, their parents were friends, and they grew up in the same neighborhood, and after they both married, they were again neighbors. It just never occurred to them that they should be other than 'dear friends,' though if they had first met as adults they would certainly have found little in common, and possibly would have actively disliked one other. Lady Emily Brentworthington was quite an attractive woman, but intelligence was not one of her virtues. Naturally she was not aware of her deficiency, and her husband and family, to whom she was good-natured and affectionate, were of such a station that no one dared bring it to her attention. She was also rather chauvinist about her own circle, and she loved to keep abreast of all that happened in Society. Because of her husband's very active role in Parliament, she spent much more time in London than would be considered, in others, entirely fashionable - she had only arrived in the country the day before. As it might be impolitic to a call a woman of her wealth and influence a gossip, let us say that her greatest love was to share what she had learned about other people with the world.

Sophia would admit to occasionally letting her mind drift during her conversations with Emily, and it was during such a period - after attending her friend for the best part of an hour - that she very nearly missed a reference to the Bingleys.

" - and I believe Miss Bingley has been rather exasperated at both her brother's and Mr. Darcy's current unwillingness to socialize. This has rather put a dampener on her evenings, especially now that Town is so thin."

"You are acquainted with the Bingleys?" Sophia asked, suddenly very interested.

"Why yes," Emily replied, with gentle censure of her friend. "I have been speaking of them this past three minutes, at least! Darling Lady Muriel attended seminary with youngest sister, as did Miss Ellis, and Lady Brussellthwait-Smythe and Miss Brewster - " she stopped her enumeration at Sophia's look, and magnanimously forgave her friend's impatience, although she felt it unwise. 'Really, how does she expect to understand the Ton if she will not familiarize herself with their histories? What status Miss Bingley has is derived from her acquaintances at school...'

"I think it is odd I have not met them before," Sophia replied disingenuously. "I have heard much of them from Sarah. Mr. Bingley, you know, took a neighboring estate to their own in Hertfordshire and the two families became quite friendly; the neighbors began to have expectations that he would offer for Jane, and then he and his sisters left without a word of explanation. We are all quite puzzled by his behavior."

Guilt over using her friend to get back at the Bingleys led Sophia to forego mentioning their discussion, even to Elizabeth. She knew Sarah and Luke would disapprove, so she decided that when the rumors about Mr. Bingley's erratic behavior surfaced, that she would treat it as fate rather that contrivance, or at the very least, as if she had had nothing to do with it. She did not repent her actions though, because one way or another, Mr. Bingley would be seen as unstable, and Jane might be able to put the matter behind her when he was generally known to be 'not quite right.'

In any event, the arrival of Mr. Bennet and Benjamin that afternoon would have pushed matters of even greater moment aside. The Bennet 'men' were most pleased to be reunited with their loved ones. Sarah's absence from Longbourn was one of the few things that would draw Thomas Bennet from the comfortable rut of his country life. The evening meal was hilarious, with a spirited Ben and a dry Mr. Bennet recounting the pleasures of playing host to "a conceited, pompous, narrow-minded, silly man" - to wit, their cousin, Mr. Collins.

"Within five minutes of his arrival he was commenting on my fortune in having four such eligible young ladies at home and telling me that in due time all should be well disposed of in marriage, and assuring me that he had come prepared to admire them - as his 'noble patroness' had 'condescended to advise him to marry as soon as he could, provided he chose with discretion.'"

"Thomas! You must be making this up," Sarah laughed.

"He is not, Mother," Benjamin affirmed. "The man was clearly annoyed when father informed him that our female contingent was not at home."

Mr. Bennet added. "I enjoyed that - his face was something to see."

"I almost pity the man," Julia replied, causing Benjamin to make a very humorous face.

"You well might, if you did not know him. The details of his past history invite sympathy, but the man himself, does not," her father replied. "His situation is quite comfortable, and in another man with another patroness, he would be blessed. In his case, well...his father, a second cousin of mine, was an unkind, erratic, and thoroughly ignorant miser, and William Collins grew without exposure to learning, kindness, or even consistency. Mr. Collins cannot be called a sensible or clever man, and his life so far has done little to assist him with the deficiencies of his nature."

"But has he not been to University?" asked Julia.

"He does have a degree from one of the lesser theological colleges, but from speaking with him, I must say that he seems to have done little more than keep the necessary terms. He has formed no useful acquaintance, either with his fellow students, or his studies."

"Then how did he get such a good living so soon after taking orders?" inquired Jane.

"I can answer this question at great length, being forced to hear the details from our guest," laughed Mr. Bennet. "His answer is providence, but I would say, rather, that it is a matter of chance. The previous recipient of the post fell ill, and when his patroness learned that he would not survive, she wrote to his college and requested a list of recent and upcoming graduates in search of positions. Collins' name was among those, and he happened to be very close by - he was staying in the cottage left to him by the aunt who also paid to send him to seminary. The address was in a village in Kent known to Lady Catherine, and so she picked him as the first candidate. He suited her, and she offered him the preferment at the end of their first meeting."

"Then he must have some merit to be chosen so quickly," replied Julia.

"Not that I could see, my dear. I believe that his obsequious nature appealed to Lady Catherine. From what he has said, it is clear that she involves herself beyond all propriety in the affairs of her tenants and anyone else dependent on her estate, and he is sadly willing to act as her eyes and ears."

"Thomas, you cannot mean that," exclaimed his sister-in-law.

"There can be no question about it. He told me of more than one incident of providing information to his patroness which should have remained private. When I asked if it was proper for him to relate such information to Lady Catherine, he actually could not understand the question. He is weak-minded and timorous enough that his respect for her rank and her patronage have caused him to view her as above any possible reproach. And further, the approval of one so grand, together with his new authority as rector have made him self-important, even pompous. Of course, this veneer would crumble at a stern glare from Lady Catherine, but it is remarkably durable otherwise. So he is generally quite smug and overbearing, but any suggestion that his patroness or his bishop might not like something causes him to cringe visibly."

"I did not see any of the cringing, just the other - in his eyes, I could do nothing right," Benjamin spoke up. "He seemed to think it his duty to correct every word or action of mine - as I predicted, Julia. Given how often he stated that he 'forgave' Tom and me for 'usurping' his inheritance, I am positive he resents us. It was wonderful revenge to be able to remind him of Tom's inheriting Longbourn at every appropriate occasion."

"And every inappropriate one," his father laughed. "Thankfully, both for his sake and our own, our neighbors showed great hospitality and he often dined out. If our experience with him was any guide, I doubt that anyone else at the table was able to get in a word. I have heard a lifetime's worth about Rosings Park-"

"And the great cost of the glazing and chimneypieces!" laughed Ben.

"Oh, yes, the chimneypieces," signed his father. "So I have had more than enough of our distant relation in the time I was forced to spend with him."

The evening continued in the best of cheer. Ben imitated Mr. Collins' paying a compliment, which brought gales of laughter from the table, and a protest that he must be exaggerating, from his mother. Mr. Bennet insisted that his performance was "exact in every particular", and this led to a few more amusing stories about the parson. Then later, there was news from Meryton, learned when he and Ben had gone to the Philipses' for tea the day before they left. Of particular interest to Lizzy was hearing about Lt. Wickham, who had begun, a week after the Bennet ladies left for Hatfield, to pay particular attention to a Miss Mary King. The young lady has an inheritance of £18,000, and when Mr. Philips had heard about the 'courtship' from his wife, he had spoken to her guardian, Mr. King, who promptly sent his completely besotted daughter to stay with his wife's brother in Liverpool. It was only as everyone retired for the night that Mr. Bennet remembered the letter from Charlotte and placed it in Elizabeth's hand.

A quarter-hour later there was a light knock at her door, and Sarah entered to find Elizabeth uncharacteristically crying, with the pages open beside her.

"When I read my own letter I thought you might need me," Sarah said. "Your father did not know of the engagement, or I am sure he would have moderated his descriptions of Mr. Collins."

"Oh, Mother," Elizabeth cried as she nestled against Sarah. "I do not know if I am crying for Charlotte's sake, or if I am weeping for the loss of my faith in 'true love.' With everything that has happened of late - with Julia's broken engagement and Jane's disappointment, and now Charlotte making such a match - I no longer know how to believe in it."

"Do not lose hope. Listen to what Charlotte wrote me: I know you will be surprised, but when you have had time to consider it, I hope you will be satisfied for me. I am not romantic, you know. I never was. I ask only a comfortable home; and considering Mr. Collins' character, connections, and situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is better than most people can boast of on entering the matrimonial state. If we cannot agree with her decision, at least we can try to understand it."

"What if I do not wish to understand? I feel terribly sad about it. Charlotte is bartering herself for financial security, is she not? Why should her only alternative to spinsterly dependence on her family be to put herself in the hands of such a man?"

"I do not know, dear. It may not be right, but you can do nothing about it; it is not your choice to make. What you can do, Lizzy, is choose to make a better choice for yourself. Do not compromise, and you can find happiness. I found your father, Sophia found Luke, and Madeline found Edward. You are far too young to become cynical, or hopeless, about love - and, in any event, you will never be forced by the threat of penury into a loveless marriage. Who knows...perhaps you will find a knight in shining armor at our Christmas Eve ball."

Elizabeth stifled a giggle as she wiped away some tears with the back of her hand. "I do not require shining armor, or a knight, but a respectable, handsome, sensible, independent, intelligent, and well-educated man would not be amiss."

"I am pleased to see that your expectations remain modest," Sarah answered with a laugh.

Meanwhile, the Darcys' trip, while much longer than the Bennets,' had been almost as comfortable, and their reception in Matlock as warm. Their plans were to remain in Derbyshire through much of January, first at Matlock, through the New Year, and then at least two weeks at Pemberley, to see to matters there. Before he and his sister had left, they had insisted that Bingley come to stay with them at Grosvenor Square. Darcy felt anxious for his friend - and, subconsciously, guilty about his interference - and knew that it would have been intolerable for him to stay with his sisters, and wasteful and lonely for him to open up his townhouse. And so two days before the Darcys left for Derbyshire, Bingley moved into Darcy House.

Chapter 15

Posted on January 25, 2010

Lady Emily Brentworthington had been entirely accurate in her description of Miss Bingley's mood. The first two weeks back in London had seen an expansion of her activities and social circle compared to Hertfordshire, but it was not the triumphant return anticipated by Caroline. The removal to London had meant Mr. Darcy was no longer a member of her household, and they were no longer in his company. Also, since 'setting Charles right on Miss Bennet,' their brother had avoided his sister. As far as she knew, he remained at his club, refusing to open his house. Not only had they seen Mr. Darcy but once since returning to town - and that for a short time when calling on his sister - their brother was almost never in their company. Bingley spent most days with his business manager, at his club, or out riding. When Caroline did demand his presence, once to ask for an advance on her allowance, and twice to insist that he accompany them to the opera or a dinner, he had been obdurate beyond all expectation. He had actually refused to advance her any money or to provide an escort. On his last visit his intransigence had provoked his younger sister to some very harsh words - "You simply must quit pining for that insipid, insignificant little fortune-hunter. She made a fool of you, and it has to stop!" - and he had abruptly left the Hursts' home and replied to all further summonses with a curt note, or not at all. As a result, Caroline had been restricted to the few evening events she could convince her sister and Mr. Hurst to attend, and he, when they were able to bestir him after dark, invariably made a beeline to the gaming or refreshment tables and remained there. What Caroline ought to have understood - and did, at some level - was that their prior access to the very prestigious circles of society such as they enjoyed during the late spring and early summer, had been due to their association with Mr. Darcy. Without it, they were overdressed non-entities.

Caroline's relationship had become sufficiently strained with Louisa, that, for the first time since Miss Bingley had left school, her sister routinely refused to do her bidding, and Caroline had taken to visiting her school friends alone. After about three weeks, Louisa had announced that she and Mr. Hurst would be spending Christmas with one of Hurst's widowed aunts whose modest estate, Donaldson Park, was just outside of Tiptree, in Essex. Caroline was invited, but they would be going, in any event. When Miss Bingley protested that she would prefer to visit their family - which was untrue, as she and her aunt heartily disliked one another - Mrs. Hurst countered that their connections were too far to the north for Mr. Hurst to consider the trip - "Damned foolish way to spend your time, bumping across England for a few days...and no sport!"

His aunt, Mrs. Donaldson was nearby, and like all of the family, very fond of food and drink, and so he was quite willing to make this easy trip, with the dual attractions of his family and a groaning table waiting at the end of it. Caroline was less pleased, "The men will spend the holidays talking of shooting parties, wine merchants, and chestnut vs. walnut stuffing. And the women will talk about their children, or about their dogs as if they were children...Oh Louisa, how I wish we could have gone to Matlock!"

Her sister was actually pleased by the prospect; she liked many of the Hursts quite well. Also, her husband was more communicative, and affectionate, in the absence of his sister-in-law, or in the presence of his family, and Louisa was quite interested in the topic of children, as she was finally with child. And she knew that in the astronomically improbable event that they had been invited to Matlock, she and Caroline would have been looked down on by the majority of the party, although Caroline would have been unaware of it. 'Perhaps it is the baby, but I can no longer recall why I have been aiding her furious scramble to get into circles where we will not be accepted. In truth, the Bennets were above us - certainly they are far more cultured and genteel - and yet they were in every way pleasant. At the next private word with Charles, I will apologize for not supporting him more strenuously, and encourage him to go back to Hertfordshire...' Unfortunately, this realization occurred too late for her to speak with her brother before they left for Essex, but he had never borne his elder sister any ill-will in this matter.

So she held her tongue, and merely replied, "It will not be so bad, Sister. There are a number of very pleasant families in the area, and we may have an excursion to Clacton while we are there. I believe that we will enjoy ourselves well enough, and the alternative is to stay in Town when no one of fashion remains." That last remark did its job, although it did not eliminate Caroline's further whining about Matlock. However, dark looks from Hurst and lack of receptivity from Louisa minimized it, and in the end, Caroline enjoyed the visit well enough, and went so far as to refrain from lobbying for a return to Town at the very beginning of the New Year.

Charles had moved into Darcy's house - and remained after his friend left for the north - but had 'neglected' to mention staying in Grosvenor Square to his sisters. Further, he had arranged with the Darcys that he would not be 'at home' to anyone during their absence, although letters sent to him there would, of course, reach him. As a result, his sisters still sent their notes around to his club until they left for the holiday, and he picked them up on his daily visits. Bingley also insisted on taking all of his meals except breakfast at his club, and as a result, he continued to spend a good deal of time alone, which was a novelty for him. He was a very intelligent, if rarely reflective, young man, and in the quiet he reached a number of surprising conclusions. First, he did love Jane Bennet enough that even if she were only fond of him, he would be willing to spend his life with her. It would not be ideal, but it would be far preferable to being parted from her. Second, even if she did not love him now, she was very warm and affectionate with her family, and if he became part of that, he was confident that she would grow to love him, as well. And third, while he had great faith in Darcy's perception and judgment as a rule, there was something a little 'off' in this case. His tone had been as disinterested as usual when speaking of Miss Bennet, but there had been some underlying tension or conflict; he was sure of that. And when he considered this further, a smile lit up his face: 'Darcy is drawn to Miss Elizabeth! He may even be in love with her, although I doubt that he knows it himself. And she has avoided him for most of their acquaintance! I suspect that his ego never let him see that...'

Having reached these conclusions, and having enough time to become used to them, the conclusions became convictions, and he acted on them. First, he completed his review of his investments and accounts and used that information to outline a marriage settlement, which he took to his solicitor to prepare. Then, he wrote to his butler and housekeeper at Netherfield, to have the house reopened. He was disappointed to learn, in answer to his request for information about 'his neighbors' - which Mr. and Mrs. Adams understood to mean 'the Bennets' - that they had left for Hatfield for Christmas; Mr. Bennet departing just the morning they penned their reply. The fact that Caroline had not mentioned that Miss Bennet had left Longbourn so long ago meant that Caroline had not maintained a correspondence with Miss Bennet, despite claiming to do so. 'I wonder what else she has misled me about. I see that I cannot trust anything she has told me about Jane Bennet - I know that she really knows nothing about the family - and if she is...lying, there really is no other word, lying to me about Jane...My God! She might be lying to Jane about me!' This was very alarming, and it occurred to him that Caroline might well have told Miss Bennet that he had not returned because of some other attachment. He was simultaneously panicked and furious at the thought, but then it occurred to him that he had one option for communicating with the family: he could write to Mr. Bennet. Despite it being his fervent desire, he would not ask to court Mr. Bennet's eldest daughter, but he could write a chatty letter asking for advice about further repairs to his road and improvements to benefit his tenants. Mr. Bennet was a very attentive father, and so the intelligence that he was returning to Netherfield, alone, to remain for some time, would surely be transmitted to his daughter. He began scribbling furiously, crossing out and blotting liberally, and when he had finished, he realized that this was one letter that would have to be decipherable. So he very carefully made a clean copy, although it took him three tries because he continued to edit while copying, and in his final draft, he was reduced to block printing to ensure legibility. He posted the letter to Mr. Bennet at Hatfield House on the fourteenth of December, with a return address of his club, the same day that his solicitor returned the completed settlement papers and unified accounts, and three days before his sisters' departure from town.

The letter arrived at Hatfield House with the afternoon post on the 16th, and shortly before tea, Mr. Bennet requested that his wife and Luke join him in his private study. His in-laws had converted a room into a study reserved solely for Thomas Bennet's use - the same arrangement had been made at Carlisle House, Berkeley Square, London, and in the Gardiner's new home in Grosvenor Square - in the hope of luring him to visit more often; both Lord and Lady Salisbury were very fond of the entire family, and would do almost anything to make them welcome and comfortable in their houses. "I have a most interesting letter, which I would like to read to you, and then discuss:

Mr. Charles Bingley
White's Club
37 St. James St., London, SW
14 December

My dear Mr. Bennet,

As I am sure that my sister, Caroline, has related to your family, my business in London detained me far longer than I had expected. To my surprise, the day after my arrival I discovered that my family had followed me to town at my sister's instigation. Apparently she wished to return to Town, and convinced her sister that my brother-in-law would be too dull with the other men gone. Also, Caroline accurately predicted that my business would take me longer than I had said - I fear that I am notoriously optimistic about such things and had been loath to leave Hertfordshire and eager to return. However, things have been successfully concluded, and I am almost ready to return to Netherfield.

I have had a good deal of time to think lately, as my sisters have been engaged in the social whirl - well, what there is of it in Town at this time of year - and I have spent a large part of my time here waiting on my business managers and solicitors to complete various matters. Darcy was kind enough to ask me to stay at his home, as I did not wish to reopen my own house, and as I was in town to work, I preferred to avoid the distractions to be found at the Hursts'. Since Darcy and his sister left for Matlock just two days after I moved from my room in White's into their home, and I saw them at dinner only one night, I have spent more time alone than I am used to, and, as I said, I have had a good deal of time to think. I have lately depended, perhaps too much, on my friend Darcy's opinions in many things, and I feel that it is time to stand on my own feet, although you might think it contradictory for me to say that, as the purpose of my letter is to solicit your advice on some matters.

I am quite taken with Hertfordshire, both the land and the people, and I believe that I would like to make my future home there. I have certainly felt happier at Netherfield than anywhere else, at least since my boyhood, and so I am considering the idea of purchasing the estate. I am not sure, however, at what price it would be a good investment. I do like the Hall, and it is certainly large enough for a family, but in our conversations you have mentioned a number of improvements which you felt were needed, some to increase yields, some for the welfare of the tenants, and some for both purposes. I have been considering all of this, and would like to ask if I might visit you at the earliest convenient time after your return to Longbourn to discuss these matters. I feel that some of them, such as seeing to the drains in the south fields near Hawkins' Creek and repairing the bridge between the Plummer's farm and the market road, need to be done whether or not I decide to purchase, but others, such as more permanent repairs to the area where my chaise bogged down last fall, seem to largely depend - as you pointed out at the time - on how long I should remain at Netherfield. In particular, if you know of any estates within, say, 10 miles or so that might be for sale, I would be very interested in your thoughts on the matter.

Despite having clearly told Caroline of my desire for news of your family, it was only in the course of making arrangements with my housekeeper for returning to Netherfield that I learned your current direction. Perhaps preparation for your family's departure to visit your sister-in-law and my sisters' departure for Essex to visit my brother-in-law's relations interrupted their correspondence, but in future I hope that you will not mind if I maintain my own 'lines of communication' and write directly to you.

Your servant,

Charles Bingley

When Mr. Bennet began to read the letter, his wife and brother-in-law were clearly surprised, and both started to interrupt, but at a glance from him, they held their peace until he had finished. "I am sure that you each have good deal to say about this, as do I, so who would like to go first? My dear?"

When his wife shook her head, he turned to Luke, who replied, "No, Thomas. We all know that your insights in such matters are peerless."

"And which matters are those, Brother?"

"Those would be any matters which attract your attention. I certainly have no false modesty, but I am sure that you understand far more about the subtext of this very interesting letter than I do. I do, however, understand enough to suggest that we invite this young man to spend Christmas with us, if the two of you agree."

Seeing immediate assent on the part of his wife, Bennet laughed, and said, "You understand a great deal, Luke. I hope that we can calm my sister before Mr. Bingley arrives. It is clear that he has found his courage, but I would rather face two dragons than an angry Sophia..." which drew laughs from both members of his audience. Continuing, "Very well, I will give you my conclusions, rather baldly, and we can discuss any of them which either of you question. First, there is no attachment between Miss Darcy and Mr. Bingley - that is entirely a fabrication of the tedious Miss Bingley. Second, I feel that almost everything that she has told either Jane or Mr. Bingley should be disregarded, although the more accurate response would be to assume that it was an outright lie. To clarify something for you, Luke, Miss Bingley is a snob of the worst sort, and a fool, and her contempt for our neighbors meant that she refused to speak with them at all, which is why she never heard their eagerly related tale of Sarah's elevated connections. She is such a fool that after she 'questioned' Jane about her antecedents, she concluded that Sarah gave birth to Jane, that Sarah was the daughter of an insignificant Meryton solicitor, and that the ' £5,000 dowries' of our daughters had to be reduced further to provide something for Julia." At this Luke looked at his sister-in-law in amazement, and when she nodded with a wry expression, he rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Next, and I apologize for not discussing it before, dearest, but Lizzy and Mr. Darcy are well on their way to be in love with one another." His statement, rather than the information behind it, clearly surprised his wife, and she opened her mouth to comment, but stopped before saying anything, and closed her mouth slowly. She sat quietly, in deep thought for a moment, and then began to nod her head slowly. She next looked at her husband, as if to ask a question, paused again, widening her eyes in comprehension. She then said, "I am not really so sensitive about that any longer, dearest. That foolish pride belonged to a girl that I only vaguely remember."

"It was wrong of me, my love. I was afraid that it might pain you, and in any event, it seemed at the time that it was best for them to work through the matter on their own. Lizzy will have some hide off Mr. Darcy, and I am not positive that his pride will not rebel at that, even though his sense of justice will tell him that he has it coming. Also, though it is speculation on my part, I believe that Darcy had chosen his friend to be his future brother-in-law. They are very close, and Bingley is precisely the sort of gentle young man that an inexperienced guardian would choose for a sensitive ward. From talking to Mr. Darcy, though, I am confident that his sister is more like him than he sees, and once she comes into her own, she will need a young man who is at least a bit more acerbic than Bingley. I should add that I had Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley, and their families, investigated-" Seeing his wife's look of surprise, he interjected, "After Jonathan West, I make no apologies, and if any young man were to be offended...so be it." At this, his wife and brother clearly indicated assent. "The investigation confirmed that they are precisely what they appear to be, if somewhat wealthier than reported. The only other thing I learned was that the rift between Miss Bingley and her sister which we saw at their ball appears to be widening."

"To resume about Darcy and Lizzy, he was working himself up to the idea of courting her, but his incomplete notions of what is 'suitable' got in his way, and when he heard Miss Bingley's ridiculous conclusions, he accepted them. To be fair to him, he has had more than his share of tragedy and betrayal for such a young man, and it is clear that he reflexively accepts the worst interpretation to avoid being further disappointed." Turning to his wife, he continued, "You did notice, however, that despite your sudden, drastic reduction in station, that he was as polite and attentive as ever, if perhaps more grave than before, did you not?" At her nod, he continued, "From Bingley's letter, it seems clear that Darcy also played a hand in his friend remaining in town, and he has overruled whatever counsel Darcy provided. However, while Bingley is clearly very angry with Miss Bingley, he is not angry with his friend. This leads me to suspect that Darcy did not recommend against a proposal, but rather cautioned his friend to go slowly...I am not sure about this. However, I am sure that if Darcy had told Bingley to not marry Jane, Bingley would not have remained in Darcy's house after having decided to propose marriage, and it is clear that he will do so as soon as possible."

When he was silent, Luke shook his head and laughed. "Is it any wonder that I decided that you should go before me? I can console myself with the idea that I do not know these people, but I swear that were they as familiar to me as my brothers, I would not have gotten half so much out of a few short paragraphs. Can you explain why he printed the letter?"

"Yes, but not as a deduction. While Jane and Lizzy were stranded at Netherfield, his family and friend made sport of his terrible handwriting. He wanted to make sure that this letter was legible. Do either of you have anything to add?"

At his sister's denial, Luke shook his head also, stood up, and announced, "I shall explain matters to Sophie, Thomas, if you will write in our name and insist that the young man come as soon as is convenient to spend Christmas with us. Tell him that my wife is quite distressed at the idea of him being alone at this time of year, although I doubt that it will matter what you tell him other than that he is welcome."

And as he left, Sarah gave her husband a kiss, which began perfunctorily, but gradually became more affectionate, until finally she was seated in his lap and they were necking passionately. When they finally stopped, rather out of breath, she rested against him with her head tucked under his chin, and said softly, "I love you very much, Thomas. Do you think that Jane and Charles will be as happy as we are?"

"I love you very much, too. And I hope that they will be as happy as we are, my dear. They are both wonderful people, although I worry, on occasion, that they are too good for this world. But they are at least perfectly suited to one another. It would be unkind of me not to reply as soon as possible - I will send it express - and as I cannot do it with you seated here, I fear that we must part for now. Will you speak to the girls, or shall I?"

Rising and putting herself to rights, Sarah replied, "I will do it, although I expect that Lizzy will come to you for more details. I suppose that Mr. Bingley will not get here before noon tomorrow, although I dare say he will want to leap onto his fastest horse the instant he gets your letter, so Jane will have time to compose herself. I think that it would be best to avoid discussing Mr. Darcy at the moment. Do you agree?"

"Yes. At some point he will discover his various errors, but I do believe that we must let them sort it out between them. I will certainly counsel Lizzy to forgive him, and I know that you will, too, but first he must understand himself..." And with that, they parted, Sarah to seek out Jane for a private, tearful interview, and her husband, to draft a brief note which he expressed to Darcy House.

Thomas Bennet
Hatfield House
Hatfield, Hertfordshire
16 December

My dear Mr. Bingley,

We were all very pleased to hear from you. As you suspected, correspondence between Jane and Miss Bingley had been interrupted after your family's return to Town. Jane had written four letters without getting a reply, and felt that it was only proper to give your sister a chance to make up her arrears before continuing.

My brother and sister, with whom we are staying, were so distressed at the thought of you alone during this holiday that they insist that you visit us here, an invitation that my wife and I, and my entire family heartily endorse. If our company, and the opportunity to assuage our feelings and bring cheer to our party, is insufficient motivation for you to accept, please note that we can discuss those matters alluded to in your letter during your stay. My brother is a very able manager of his properties, and we would be delighted to give you the benefit of our thoughts and experience.

Please join us here at your earliest convenience. I have assured my brother and sister that you are far too amiable to deny us the pleasure of your presence, and that we should expect you to come even in advance of a reply.

Your servant,

Thomas Bennet

Bingley was alarmed to get the express, which reached him in the early evening, just as he returned from supping at White's, and he was shocked, but delighted, by the invitation. There was no possibility that he would refuse, and he scrawled - and then, thinking better of it, printed as in his previous letter - a brief note accepting the invitation, and saying that he would arrive in time for tea the following afternoon. He paid the express fee, including a gratuity for the rider on the condition that he refuse anything from the recipient, and a sum for his lodgings. Finally, Bingley added to all this a substantial bounty on the promise that his reply would be delivered as soon as the house was awake the following morning. As it happened, the rider pocketed the funds that Bingley had given him for a room at an inn in Hatfield, and instead slept in the stable of the transfer station nearest his destination, but he was at the door awaiting the first smoke from the kitchen chimneys the next morning, and his reply was delivered to Mr. Bennet's valet, and read by that gentlemen before his morning shave. Bingley managed to restrain himself from leaving at first light only by spending the early morning hours shopping for Christmas gifts for his hosts and the Gardiners - especially the Gardiner children. His gifts for the Bennets he had bought some weeks earlier, and when he had contemplated giving up Miss Bennet, he had wondered what he would do with the presents, but now he was delighted that he spent so much time in their selection. His greeting on arriving at Hatfield was all that he had hoped for, as Jane Bennet was among those waiting on the steps as his carriage pulled up, and she gave him a warm smile, and stared - for her - boldly into his eyes while stating distinctly, "We are all very happy that you came."

He was aware that there were other people around, but it required great effort to see anyone but Miss Bennet, and all of his concentration to fix the faces of his host and hostess in mind. It was but two days until Christmas before he had learned the names of the other guests, and by that time his nervous marriage proposal to Jane Bennet had been tearfully, but joyfully, accepted, and the union blessed by both her parents (after a somewhat nerve-wracking interview with the father). And by the New Year, he had even been accepted by Lady Salisbury. "He is not what I would have chosen for her, Sarah, but he does make her so very happy - he is not at all the spineless puppy I pictured. And it is obvious that he loves her very much, and equally important, that he likes and respects her. He is perhaps the most amiable man I have ever met, but becomes a lion at even the hint of a slight to her. I trust it will never matter, but Luke says that he is an astonishing marksman, and more than competent with a blade, as well. I would have preferred Paul for her, but Charles will do very well."

As was usual with the close-knit Fitzwilliam clan, those members who were free to do so gathered together somewhere in Derbyshire for the Christmas season. Of the six children, the two elder daughters were spending the season with their in-laws, and the duties of the younger son, Colonel Fitzwilliam, prevented his traveling so far. The other daughters, Lady Philadelphia and Lady Constance, were spending part of the holiday with their maternal cousins, so they arrived at Matlock just three days before Christmas. Also as usual, the house party was quite large, and this year contained more than the typical number of single women. Lady Susan Matlock was determined to see her eldest son, Viscount Ashbourne, married soon, and hoped to do the same for her nephew. She would have been distressed to hear their opinions of the matrimonial prospects whom she had gathered, but privately her opinion was no better.

This very point was on Lady Susan's mind one afternoon as she had a private moment with her mother-in-law. "Mother, I am not sure what to do about Andrew and William."

Lady Anne Philadelphia Weston Fitzwilliam, the dowager Countess of Matlock, replied with a twinkle, "I assume that you mean what will you do to get a new daughter and a new niece?"

"Yes. I have assembled the pick of the eligible young ladies of the Ton, and Andrew is charming and inconsequential with one and all, and William is grave and silent."

"I can hardly blame them, my dear. I did not see one of them that I would want even for a granddaughter. They are a tiresome and shallow lot."

"I am afraid that I must agree with you. But what alternative is there? And if Andrew does not choose someone soon, what will keep my husband from trying to force the issue?"

"If that ever arises, I shall speak to James. Surely he understands that Andrew is not going to be bullied into anything, and it is clear that Andrew is not avoiding matrimony - he carefully examines each 'jewel' placed before him, and cannot be blamed if they are all paste. My eldest son must have noticed how singularly unsuccessful he is at pushing his heir to do anything."

"He has noticed it, Mother. He also knows full well that he need only ask Andrew to do a thing, and it is done. But then he bears responsibility for the decision, and he would not ever wish to arrange marriages for his children."

"That is all he knows about it. Your mother and I 'arranged' his marriage to you, dear. There is nothing wrong with such an arrangement, as long as the happiness of the couple is the first priority. My dear husband was constantly ranting against the evils of these arrangements, but what he really detested about his first marriage was that it was a cold business transaction, and the wife he got from it was, other than being handsome, in every way unsuitable. I have never met anyone so stupid or disagreeable in my life, and I am very glad that her daughter did not grow up to be like her in other than appearance."

"I am sure, Mother, that this is a result of your raising her, although I am sorry to say that we have never gotten on as well as I would like. And I find Catherine impossible these days. The only really satisfactory aspect of our relationship at the moment is that she does not suggest that Andrew marry Anne."

"As you and James are both alive, she could hardly hope to convince Andrew of a fictitious cradle-side betrothal. Although trying to claim such a thing for William, when James and I are around to refute it, is rather silly. But you can still remember what she was like when Lewis was alive, at least with other people. It was only after his death that she became completely overbearing, although it is hard to remember back nearly twenty years." After a pause, the dowager continued, "As to Andrew and William, I think that you must encourage any signs of interest they show. William, especially, will not be happy with a fashionable young lady, but he is likely to be very worried about what the rest of us will think of his choice. The noise that Catherine made when George died, about having Georgiana sent to her to raise, alarmed William very much, and I believe that he remains anxious about our opinion of him. Thank goodness George had the sense to make one of your sons her co-guardian. There are few people that Catherine cannot bully, but her yelling has no effect on either Andrew or Richard."

"Not 'no effect,' Mother. It makes them even more intransigent," she laughed.

As happened whenever they were in the same place, Lord Ashbourne and his younger-by-almost-two-years cousin, Fitzwilliam Darcy, spent a good deal of time together, and late one evening they happened to be the last two in the billiard room. Andrew queried his cousin, "William, I ran across your friend Bingley's sister in town and she acted as if we were well acquainted, although I am sure that we have never been properly introduced. I decamped as soon as I could, but she said that she hoped that we would 'all meet at Pemberley in the future.' What the devil did that mean?"

"Bingley had to travel up to York on business very early last spring, and I suggested that he stop at Pemberley on his way back to London. Once she heard of his plans, Miss Bingley decided to accompany him on his trip - something she had never before done - and in late spring, the entire group appeared on my doorstep. I tolerated her presence for as long as I could, but after 10 days the Reynolds were fed up and two of the upstairs maids were in tears over Caroline Bingley's behavior, so I invented some urgent business in Town. I believe that Miss Bingley was actually thinking of suggesting that they would wait there for my return, but Bingley departed, with his family, the next day. I am glad that Georgiana was in Town at the time."

"Did you actually go to London?"

"Yes, but not at the same time. I saw them off, and then spent another week dealing with the border dispute with Leland."

"And did that get resolved?"

"Yes, by buying the property. I had bought the Thompson land to the north, and-"

"And hinted that you were going to dam up the stream, which would make his fields worth less than half. Are you going to do it?"

"Yes, as this will assure a steady supply of water throughout the year. Actually, with the dam, the land will be worth two or three times as much. But Leland is a greedy fool, and he expects everyone else to be one."

After a pause, Andrew asked pensively, "Is it my imagination, or are there more 'Miss Bingleys' about these days?"

"There seem to be a sufficiency, but I have not kept count. Why do you ask?"

"I have been thinking that it is time for me to marry. I will be 30 soon" - at his cousin's expression, he rejoined, "It is only just over a year away!" - and then resumed "and Mother has gotten discouraged enough that she has almost stopped hinting about grandchildren. If it takes me another two years to find someone, Father will be 60 by the time that my first child is born, and...I would like for my children to know my parents, and for my wife, at least, to meet Grandmother."

"I have been thinking the same thing, Andrew. But all of the 'suitable' women I meet are as unmemorable as the collection assembled here."

"Yes. I admit that Mother's guests are pretty enough, and most are not disagreeable - but they are just...hard to distinguish from one another. At least for you, they have the advantage that none of them is cousin Anne!"

"That is true, but it is not really an inducement. Even if Anne were healthy, she is too much like her mother in temperament. And she is resolutely opposed to marrying, which I think is the only hope for her to live to see 30," he said to Andrew's quiet nods. Continuing, "I have lost count of the number of fashionable young ladies I have danced and chatted with in the past few years, and they mostly blur together." 'And the one who stands out from all the rest, would never be accepted by my family...'

"I tried to estimate the same thing, and in the two and a half years I have been active in Society, I believe that it is over three hundred, and, as you say, it is hard to tell them apart. The few interesting women I have met were already engaged or wed. I know that I am expected to marry 'well,' but I am prepared to give up on fortune and rank, and even be very flexible about beauty, for a woman with some character and education, and enough intelligence that I would not be bored with her in a month. I have gotten so desperate that I have have actually considered asking Mother and Grandmother for help."

His cousin's remarks startled Darcy, and he could not help but object, "But will your parents accept your choice, if she has no fortune to speak of, or a tradesman in the family?"

"I assume that you are not suggesting that I would marry a shop-girl?"

"No, but suppose your choice was the daughter of some Somerset squire with £3000. Or the daughter of Lord Portman?"

"Portman!...You mean because she was left without a bean when her family died at sea? You know, Adele knew her at school - brought her home for visits a couple of times. She was a very lovely girl, and a charming sense of humor. Adele was very angry when she heard how everyone turned their backs on the poor girl after her tragedy - if my sister had not been abroad at the time it happened, I expect that she would have gone to get Miss...Bradford, herself. She heard that her friend was taken in by someone close to the father, but was unable to find her again. How do you come to mention her?"

"I met her, and her new family, in Hertfordshire. They lived near the estate that Bingley leased."

"How did Miss Bradford seem? Was the family kind to her?"

"Oh, yes. They treated her as if she were their own daughter, and all of the girls were very devoted to one another."

"That is...interesting. Adele has always referred to Miss Bradford as an example of the very accomplished young lady - I recall that she played charmingly, and had a lovely voice - so you would imagine that the other girls could be jealous of her."

"Well, in this case all of the young ladies were very accomplished. One in particular..."

"And this was the family of a country squire? Or the one with a tradesman in the woodwork?"

"The father was a third son, who had held the Lucasian Chair at age 20-"

"Professor Bennet! Yes, I remember Milner speaking about him. So he has daughters in Hertfordshire...Are his girls horse-faced, or something?"

"No, they are very attractive, and quite pleasant. Just no fortune, and the mother apparently has rather low connections. Although, you would never know it from talking to her. She is very intelligent, charming, and has impeccable manners."

"Then to answer your question, Mother would welcome any one of these girls with open arms. Father would grump a bit, and complain that I did not give the latest Lord Fatbottom's daughters enough consideration - 'Good family, that, and the father's support on the banking act would be invaluable' - but he would come around, and rather quickly if the young lady would apply just a little of the soft-soap." Pausing, he continued, "A Whig who vociferously champions the rights of the middle classes in the House would have to be the worst sort of hypocrite to object to them at home - and you know that he is not that. Aunt Catherine would try to turn up her nose, but Father would not let her get away with it. And frankly, he knows very well I am not going to put up with a lifetime of vacuity to get him another vote on his damned reform bills!" After a pause, he said, "Perhaps I should go to Hertfordshire...to see Bingley. Do you know if Miss Bradford is attached?" he asked nonchalantly.

Darcy was greatly disturbed by his cousin's vehemently expressed sentiments, and even more disturbed that his cousin would joke...if he was joking, about attaching himself to Miss Bradford. He replied, "I believe not. At least I never saw any sign of anyone paying her particular attention while I was there. You are not serious, are you?" His cousin's response to this was an steady, inscrutable look, and then an abrupt change of subject. His cousin had always been a law unto himself, but what was especially distressing was that he never suffered for it, and Darcy could not recall an instance in which his independent spirit had steered him seriously wrong. 'Would my uncle really support him in this? Even if he did, what about the rest of the Ton?'

Darcy tossed restlessly for hours that night and the next. His equanimity gradually returned over the next few days, at least sufficiently that he was able to sleep, provided he tired himself out by fencing with Andrew for an hour or more.

Two days before Christmas, some neighbors of Lord and Lady Matlock came for supper, bringing with them a good friend of Darcy's, Viscount Malden, eldest son of the Earl of Essex. After supper, the viscount asked for a private word, and they retired to Lord Matlock's study. When they were seated, his friend began to look very uncomfortable, and so Darcy asked him, "Malden, is something wrong?"

"It is a bit awkward. You are a close friend of Charles Bingley, are you not?"

"Yes, I am."

"Well, then you should get him to control his younger sister. She has been saying unpleasant things about my cousins. More to the point, they are the favorite nieces of the Marchioness of Salisbury, and if that gets back to her, the Bingleys might as well go back to York, or perhaps move to Ireland, if they hope to be received by neighbors."

"Caroline Bingley has a nasty tongue, but why would she say anything about the nieces of Lady Salisbury? I was not even aware that she had ever met anyone in that family."

"She is such a social climber that she must be unaware of the connection, but she met them in Hertfordshire in the fall. My cousins' family name is Bennet."

Only years of hiding his thoughts and emotions prevented Darcy from gaping dumbfounded. Not only were the Misses Bennet nieces to Salisbury, but also to Essex! "I have met the family, but was unaware of the connection."

"Do you tell everyone you meet that you are Matlock's nephew? The connection is all on the distaff side for us. Thomas Bennet's mother and my paternal grandmother were sisters, so Uncle Thomas is really a second cousin once removed, but he and Father became very good friends as boys, and were together some at Eton and roomed together in Cambridge. Uncle Thomas was the third son, but his eldest brother and his sister were killed in an accident, and three days later the second brother, who had gone into the Army and then later to India, also died - very heroically; the full story would stand your hair on end - and so Uncle Thomas had to leave his post at Cambridge, where he was the youngest professor, and take over the family estate. Father still calls him 'brother,' and encouraged me to marry one of their daughters, but Jane was not interested, and the rest were too young, and then I met Emma, and..."

This overturned all of his previous conceptions. 'I must be at least five kinds of fool! When I tell Bingley about this, he may never want to see me again.' "How are the daughters related to Salisbury?"

"Mrs. Bennet was Sarah Landsdowne, the eldest daughter of the Earl of Shelbourne, and, as you may know, her mother is the sister to the Duke of Cumberland. Her younger sister, Sophia, married Salisbury two years back. We also have a connection on father's side of the family to Cumberland, so we occasionally meet in the summers at Ambleside Park." 'Make that six kinds of fool! Elizabeth mentioned the connection, but I was too stupid to take note.' "And, of course, Uncle Thomas and Edward Gardiner are partners, as I am sure you know, since you and Matlock - and Father, too - are part of the group that bought the brass foundries."

Darcy well knew that Edward Gardiner was regarded as the Midas of England. Everything he touched turned to gold, and every member of Le Bon Ton scrambled - discretely - to make a connection with him. If Mr. Bennet was a 'partner,' then he must be far better off than Darcy had supposed. "No, I had not realized that." His piece of the former Gardiner business had been one of Darcy's most lucrative investments, and he would jump at the chance to invest in any further Gardiner enterprises.

"Did you think that Mr. Gardiner would refuse to partner with his own brother?"

"I am sorry, but I do not understand. I thought that you said that Mr. Bennet's sister had died..."

"My word, Darcy, you found out nothing about the family. The current Mrs. Bennet is not the mother of the Bennet girls, she is the stepmother; the two sons are her children. Although you would never know it from seeing them together. I suppose that is because she married Uncle Thomas when Jane was not yet five - they visited us at Cassiobury after the wedding trip just before Lizzy's third birthday - and even Jane barely remembers their mother. In fact, the entire family on that side treat the girls as their blood. The first Mrs. Bennet was Frances Gardiner, the youngest daughter of Justice Gardiner, and sister to Edward Gardiner. She died when Cousin Kitty was born."

"I understand now. It is very unusual that so little is said of these connections - most of Society would brag about them endlessly."

"Uncle Thomas is a very private man. I expect that being a professor would have suited him to the ground. But he was pushed into being the heir, and he took it quite seriously, and he has been very successful - I wound up here at Christmas instead of being home at Cassiobury because I have been acting as a beard in a land purchase for him. He wants to protect his daughters from fortune-hunters, which is why he has put out the absurd rumor that they have £5000! Although, apparently Miss Bingley is credulous enough to believe it, so I guess it works. I know for a fact that he had very large dowries set aside for each daughter five years ago - and one almost as large for Miss Bradford; you have met her, have you not? It came up while my father was pushing me to propose - and I also know that the daughters, and Miss Bradford, have trusts set up by their Uncle Gardiner as well, since I am a very remote just-in-case trustee." The daughters dowries and trusts had doubled since their creation, as Mr. Bennet divided the bulk of his income from Gardiner Enterprises and added these proceeds to the trusts. The total value of these trusts was now just under 2.5 million pounds, while the '10% trust' funds had been invested more slightly more aggressively, and now totaled more than £800,000. Once Mr. Bennet had learned about this trust, he had requested that it, and the associated funds, be for the benefit of his daughters - which to him included Miss Bradford - and their families, since Tom would get the estate, and Tom and Ben would split the bulk of their father's 40% share of the business. Malden was aware that his cousins had huge fortunes, but he was not aware that the Bennet girls had various trusts that held slightly over £700,000 in gilt-edged investments plus 7.5% of Gardiner Enterprises, which was worth far more. Miss Bradford's trust was smaller, but still worth in excess of £400,000, in addition to 2.5% of Gardiner Enterprises.

For the remainder of the evening, and the remainder of the visit, Darcy struggled to understand how he could have been so wrongheaded. He certainly owed his friend Bingley a monumental apology. He had to confess to himself that he had been entirely mistaken in supposing that Miss Bennet was trying to attach herself - fortunately he had said nothing like that to Bingley. 'I would never have lived down insisting to him that she had no affection for him, or that she was hoping to marry him to improve her circumstances. Encouraging him to take some time to be sure of his feelings and hers was bad enough...' But the harder question was, what had made him feel that he had the right to order his friend's life. He was mortified to realize that his advice had been based on the...whim, really, that Bingley should marry his sister. 'For my convenience I was attempting to arrange the lives of two of the people that I most care for, irrespective of what their own wishes might be. And for equally superficial, and even less noble reasons, I tried to convince myself that I should give up the woman I loved - a woman in every way my superior - because some shallow, contemptible members of the Ton might have found her objectionable. I have lost count of how many kinds of fool I am,' he thought, shaking his head sadly.

He attempted to write to Bingley, but his friend's note of instructions scrawled the night he was packing for Hatfield had confused the staff. What Bingley had requested was that someone from Darcy House pick up his correspondence from White's twice a week and forward it to him at Hatfield prior to the New Year, and then after that to Netherfield. What little they could decipher led them, instead, to forward all correspondence to White's, which had been told to hold everything until picked up. As a result, Darcy's letter of explanation and apology languished at White's, along with the rest of Bingley's correspondence, until the middle of January, when he finally thought to have it fetched. Darcy misunderstood the lack of response from Bingley as his friend's justifiable anger, and was made sadder still, for a time.

Chapter 16

Posted on January 29, 2010

The day after Christmas, Lord Ashbourne finally had the opportunity for a quiet conversation with his sister. "If you can spare me a few moments from your army of suitors," Andrew said wryly, "I have recently learned something that I am sure you will find interesting."

"I welcome the chance to think about something interesting - this infestation of popinjays that Father brought on us is only slightly less annoying than the swarm butterflies lured here by the scent of eligible viscount," laughed his sister.

"I have had word of Miss Julia Bradford," her brother said quietly.

"You know where Julia is? Where? How did you find her? Is she well?" responded his normally sedate sister, excitedly.

"I have not seen her, but William has. He says that she is very well, and is living with a family in Hertfordshire. You will be pleased to learn that the family is very warm and cultivated, and that she is loved and cherished."

At this, his sisters eyes filled with tears, which she dabbed at ineffectually with her fashionable wisp of lace-bordered cambric, and she smiled her thanks when her brother handed her the much more practical 'young flag' that he habitually carried. Her voice was choked with emotion when she said softly, "I have been so worried about her. I suppose that I had thought that I was over it, but hearing that she is safe and loved...it is like a dam has broken inside me. Is there a way that we can go to see her? Or write to her? And what can you tell me of the family?"

"I do not know a great deal, but what I do know is that the father is a Mr. Thomas Bennet, of Longbourn, in eastern Hertfordshire. Mr. Bennet held a most distinguished position at Cambridge... Well, all of the holders of this chair have been brilliant, but Mr. Bennet's successor, whom I knew rather well, claimed that Mr. Bennet much above even that exalted level. Beyond this, I am not sure, except that William is hiding something - my guess is that he has a tendre for one of the Bennet sisters. He spoke of the whole family in glowing terms, but spent nearly as much time speaking of their 'inferior connections' and lack of fortune."

His sister's face assumed a worried cast. "I do not understand. How can they be both inferior and cultivated...? Oh, Aunt Catherine. I hate to sound like one of Father's Whig cronies, but..."

"Yes, well, I have never understood Catherine's point of view, either. William told me that Mrs. Bennet had 'rather low connections,' and at the same time, that you would not know it meet her, as she was 'very intelligent, charming, impeccable manners.'"

"I suppose that I am just being stupid, but I do not understand what he means by that."

"Nor I, Sister. But I propose that we go to Hertfordshire and find out," a suggestion that was met with enthusiasm.

"Mama will want to know - she liked Julia very much. And she will insist on questioning William herself, so we might as well let him be until then. She will certainly get more out of him than I could."

Darcy's distress after the talk with Malden was noticed by his cousin Andrew, but he let the matter rest, feeling sure that Darcy would come to him when he was ready. However, Darcy's respite did not last long, as once his Aunt Susan had been had been told about Miss Bradford's presence in Hertfordshire by her daughter, she was determined to "get to the bottom of it". The countess' questioning was vigorous and exhaustive, and at the end he had described every detail of every encounter with Miss Bradford, and most of the details of his interactions with the Bennet family; however, he did not mention anything he had learned from Malden, and had left his family with an impression that the Bennets lived in genteel poverty. His humiliation became complete, when, at the end of this catechism, the countess said to her eldest, "You would make me very happy, Andrew, if you could bring home Miss Bradford as your bride. Perhaps we could invite her, and one of her sisters, to visit us in London? You say that they are all very lovely and accomplished, William?"

"Yes, Aunt, at least the eldest two. I had less exposure to the youngest sister, but she is quite pretty, and played the piano and sang very well. And with parents like Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, it would be astonishing if she were anything other than an excellent young lady."

"Then I must ask why you did not secure one of these paragons while you were there last fall? It is surely no secret to you that intelligent, pretty, cultivated, and agreeable young ladies do not grow on trees, and neither do they remain unattached for very long."

"I am very aware of that, Aunt Susan, but you seem to assume that it is entirely in my hands."

"Nonsense, William. You can be very charming if you make the effort. So either none of them suited, or you did not try. And from your expression, I must suppose that you did not try. I encourage you to go back, as soon as possible, and try. And take Andrew with you. If you cannot win any of these young ladies, perhaps he can."

Darcy waited for the viscount to say something, but he just smiled at his mother. Adele, however, said, "You will not go without me. I have been worried about Julia for over four years, and the only reason I was not frantic is that Ellen Jamison told me that the couple that took Julia was elegant and extremely kind to her. But I have written dozens of letter trying to locate her, and if you think that you can see the Bennets again without taking me, you are entirely mistaken!" Her mother nodded her vigorous assent to this.

"Very well, we will return to London, and I will ask Bingley if we may visit Netherfield."

"Of course he will allow it. He will no doubt insist on it," retorted Adele, although Andrew's expression was thoughtful, and unreadable. Later that afternoon when they were alone, Andrew insisted on a more complete explanation, and eventually Darcy told him about his interference in Bingley's romance, although his intense embarrassment still kept him from mentioning what Malden had told him. His cousin's response was, "Then there is only one thing for it. We return to London, we find Bingley, and you grovel until he forgives you. And then we go to Hertfordshire and you do the same thing with Miss Elizabeth Bennet. If she is as intelligent as you say, then for Heaven's sake, do not make excuses for yourself." With almost anyone else, Darcy would have argued, but he had deferred to his elder cousin since boyhood, and the viscount was so commanding - his natural tendencies in that direction enhanced by his social rank and his years in the Army, where service was a family tradition - that it did not occur to him. And so, without the delay of a trip to Pemberley, the Darcys, Lord Ashbourne, and his elder sister, arrived at Darcy House just before lunchtime on the sixth of January, where they discovered a somewhat more legible than usual letter from Bingley informing them of his engagement to Miss Jane Bennet, and inviting Darcy and his sister to Netherfield.

Miss Darcy was very excited by the news, and asked to be included in the excursion, but he was reluctant to agree. However, thinking back about his conversation with Elizabeth about letting young people choose for themselves, he explained about Wickham's presence in Meryton. "It is unlikely that you will see him, dearest. He certainly would not be invited to Netherfield or Longbourn, but I cannot promise that you will never encounter him."

"William, he means nothing to me except as a reminder of my foolishness. I could meet him without the least fear, although I would prefer to never see him again. But I would spend a half-hour each day in conversation with George Wickham if it meant that I could go with you and my cousins." And that was enough for her brother to agree to her traveling with them.

On Christmas Eve, the Hatfield House ballroom was aglow, beautifully decorated with evergreens and ribbons, and alive with the excited voices of the guests, and modulated by the strains of a string quartet playing in the background. Lord and Lady Brentworthington entered the room 'fashionably late,' not because of fashion, but because one of their team had gone lame, and they had had to turn back for a replacement.

The reception line had dispersed, but Lord and Lady Salisbury were still near the entrance when their friends arrived. Lord Brentworthington and his host wandered off together, to engage in political shop-talk, giving Sophia a chance to tell Emily some of the details of her niece's recent engagement. "I am very happy that it worked out for the young people, after all. You seemed very displeased with Mr. Bingley when we last spoke."

"As I mentioned earlier, his behavior was very odd. However, we have learned that his younger sister was opposed to the match-" this brought an exclamation from her friend, which she answered with a shrug, before continuing. "As Miss Bingley's correspondence with Jane was the only communication between the families, Miss Bingley was able to do a great deal of damage until her brother thought to write directly to Thomas."

"What reason could she have to oppose the match? Jealousy?"

"It sounds absurd, but Caroline Bingley is entirely unaware of Jane's connections, and has said that the Bennets are beneath her brother!"

Despite her husband's leadership among the Whigs, Lady Brentworthington's views on the social order, at least within the Ton, were very conventional and rigid. So if Caroline Bingley had been right in her assessment of the Bennet family, and Miss Bingley had not been herself the daughter of a tradesman, Lady Emily might have sympathized with Miss Bingley's view no matter what her personal feelings about the parties involved. But neither of these conditions applied, and Emily Brentworthington was by no means given to 'metaphysical speculation,' so her reaction was one of scornful hilarity, "My goodness! That young woman does think very well of herself! I might expect such a reaction from a member of the Royal Family, but...what trade was her father in?"

"Now, Emily, she is going to be family. I am only telling you, because we are such close friends. To the rest of the world, there is not, and never was, any difficulty." That was exactly the right way to handle her friend, and so she did keep the matter to herself - and fortunately she was a dilatory enough correspondent, and had been sufficiently engaged at home, that only her husband had heard the first part of the tale. However, she did look forward to sinking a few barbs at Miss Bingley's expense when they were next in company, a pastime at which she excelled.

Mr. Bingley rarely left his betrothed's side, and only when she was dancing when someone else. They danced three times together, which was only forgiven because they were newly engaged, but since Jane's card was full, Bingley had time to dance with his new sisters, Mrs. Bennet, Lady Salisbury, and Mrs. Gardiner. He was relieved that none of the Bennet family appeared to hold his absence against him, and even parts of the evening that separated him from Jane proved to be quite enjoyable. During his dance with Elizabeth, she asked him, "Has Jane decided when she will return to London to shop for her wedding?"

"I would think that she would tell you before me, Elizabeth."

"That was in the past. I fear that I am no longer her first choice as confidante."

"Then I suppose that she has not decided. She has told me that she will stay with Mrs. Gardiner, though, so that I will be no further from her than across the square."

"So you will stay with Mr. Darcy?"

"Oh, yes. I have no wish to reopen my house until we are married, and I cannot yet bring myself to forgive Caroline for her interference, so I will not stay with the Hursts. But Darcy has to keep his house open for Georgiana, and he always insists that I consider it my home as well."

She had, up to now, not asked a question that had been much on her mind, in part because she was afraid of the answer, but found that she could no longer avoid it. "Your friend does not oppose your marriage to my sister?"

"No, certainly not. He did warn me that there would soon be, if there was not already, a general expectation that I would offer for Jane, and that I must be sure of myself to avoid damage to her reputation, or to mine. But he has always had the highest regard for your sister, and your entire family. And, to be honest, before Jane, I had fancied myself in love once or twice. I just did not know what it felt like, you see," he concluded with a very infectious grin.

Elizabeth smiled in response, but could not help going over her new brother's remarks in her mind. He would, of course, put the best possible construction on what his friend had said. It had to mean that Darcy was not a supporter of the attachment, and she could not shake the idea that he, in his arrogance, had chosen Mr. Bingley for his sister, and saw Jane Bennet as an inferior choice. She had long felt that this must be the case, but every bit of evidence in support of it caused her fresh pain. Fortunately, Bingley was so happy, and so often distracted observing Jane, that he did not notice her occasional twinge.

The only other significant event during the evening was when Elizabeth was introduced to Colonel The Honorable Richard Fitzwilliam, cousin, and close friend, of Mr. Darcy. In appearance, he took after his maternal grandfather, and in manner, his father, and was a cheerful, charming, and open young man, although quite intelligent and well-educated. Colonel Fitzwilliam managed to get the supper dance with Elizabeth, as the young man who had been fortunate enough to claim it earlier in the evening, had enjoyed a bit too much of the holiday cheer, and had sprained his ankle some quarter of an hour earlier. "As you know Bingley, you must know my cousin, Fitzwilliam Darcy."

"Yes, Mr. Darcy was a guest at Netherfield - the estate that Mr. Bingley is leasing - last fall. As Netherfield is no more than three miles away, at least on foot, we were regularly in company for the two months that he stayed with his friend."

"I hope he made a good impression. He can be so stiff in company sometimes. It is quite likely that if he were here, he would be stalking around the edge of the dance floor glaring at everyone, or staring out a convenient window," he laughed.

"Yes, he did some of that, certainly, but he and my father got on, and gradually he seemed to relax around my family."

"I am glad to hear it. New acquaintances have been misled by his shyness into thinking him disagreeable, but he is actually a very good-natured fellow." Something about her look caused him to continue, "He, and my old brother, and I, grew up together, and have been the best of friends since childhood, so I am naturally not disinterested, but I assure you that he is good-natured. Perhaps not as preternaturally cheerful as Bingley, but his bad moods are very rare and short-lived. Although being around Caroline Bingley-... I am sorry, Miss Elizabeth, I should not say things like that."

"Perhaps not, Colonel, but I do know exactly what you mean," she said with a merry smile.

Later, at supper, Elizabeth asked the colonel if he knew how Mr. Bingley and his cousin had become friends.

The colonel laughed, "I do. Bingley used to tell everyone this story. His father was a very successful tradesman, and Bingley was the first in his family to go to school. Darcy was in his last year at Eton when Bingley started, and even with the tutors his father had gotten him, Bingley was far behind in some subjects. And some of the boys tormented him, because of his accent and his father's occupation. Darcy...well, he thrashed a few of worst of the bullies, and helped Bingley with his studies, and introduced him around. By the time Bingley went up to Cambridge, he was on a secure footing. They've been friends ever since."

"Mr. Darcy seems to have retained the habit of taking a prodigious deal of care of Mr. Bingley."

"Care of him! - Yes, I really believe Darcy does try to take care of him in those points where he most wants care. He went to Hertfordshire to help him learn about estate management."

"Does he give advice on other matters to his friend?"

"I have never heard of it. He told me once that Bingley was wont to form careless attachments, and that he had tried to encourage him to be more careful in choosing objects of his affections, but that was some years back. Perhaps I should not have said anything, because if it were to get round to some of the ladies' families, it would be an unpleasant thing, but in any event, that cannot matter now. Your sister is in every way lovely, and Bingley to be envied - and I have told him so myself," laughed Fitzwilliam.

"You may depend upon my not mentioning it. Did Mr. Darcy give you his reasons for this interference?"

"He never spoke of interference, just trying keep his friend from giving rise to expectations if he did not intend it. But again, this was long ago, and Darcy has never spoken since of giving advice about anything other than tenants and crop rotation."

Elizabeth made no answer, as the pain she felt about this matter returned. After watching her a little, Fitzwilliam asked her why she was so thoughtful.

"I am thinking of what you have been telling me," said she. "Your cousin's conduct does not suit my feelings. Why is he to be the judge of his friend's feelings?"

"You are rather disposed to call his actions officious?"

"I do not see what right Mr. Darcy had to decide on the propriety of his friend's inclination or expression. But," she continued, recollecting herself, "as we know of no particulars, it is not fair to condemn him. It is not to be supposed that there was much affection in these cases."

"Yes, I imagine not," said Fitzwilliam, "and I am sure that it has long been forgot by all parties by this time, and it is certainly now entirely irrelevant."

This was spoken cheerfully, but Elizabeth was unable to smile, as she knew this previous advice had been given again and had a bearing on on the separation of Jane and Bingley. As vague as these comments were, it was only because she had already suspected a complicity in Darcy's involvement, that she was able to leap to that conclusion from this exchange. She had not expected certainty about this to come as such a blow.

The colonel excused himself, after thanking Miss Elizabeth for the dance and the supper. "I had not expected to enjoy myself so thoroughly. I will own that I was feeling a little sorry for myself, as my duties to my regiment had kept me from home over the holidays. But the pleasure of your company this last hour has been more than adequate recompense, and I thank you again."

"It has been my pleasure, Colonel." And he was gone, and, because it was a family ball on Chastens Eve, it ended much earlier than the corresponding Society affair at the height of the London Season, and in less than two hours, Elizabeth was asleep.

Before nodding off, she gnawed on what Colonel Fitzwilliam had said like a dog with a particularly unappetizing bone. A careless attachment! What could be careless about Bingley attaching himself to Jane? She might understand a man such as Darcy having second thoughts in marrying the daughter of a country gentleman with a vulgar aunt - such a thought had occurred to her on more than one occasion - but the same circumstance could not be any kind of evil to his friend who owed his substantial fortune to his father's trade, and with a sister who was very far from being a model of gentility. Did Mr. Darcy suppose that Jane would marry for a comfortable establishment? Her dowry was much larger than Mr. Bingley's fortune...the whole idea was laughable. It could be no more than an excuse to justify his arrogant and unpardonable interference in Mr. Bingley's affairs! Although she remained furious, eventually she tired enough to drift off to sleep.

The ensuing days did little to change her feelings toward Darcy, but she did manage to control its expression. By the time they returned home on the 4th of January, she was at least able to mention his name without a muttered "insufferable". Perhaps as a consequence of her simmering anger, she was very surprised when, three days later, Bingley's morning visit to Longbourn brought guests: Mr. Darcy, his sister and two of his cousins.

Chapter 17

Posted on February 1, 2010

This was probably not the best moment for Mr. Darcy to choose to return to Elizabeth. She had been walking around the garden with Julia when they had seen Bingley's carriage approach, and they had been somewhat surprised that he had not ridden, as he usually did, since the weather was clear, calm, and not especially cold. They were waiting at the front entrance when the carriage stopped, and Bingley leapt out with, even for him, a gigantic smile. "Julia, I have a wonderful surprise for you, he said, as he handed out an extremely elegant young lady unknown to Elizabeth, and unrecognized by Julia while she stepped from the carriage, as her face was obscured by her hat and the downward tilt of her head. Looking up, Lady Adele held out her arms to Miss Bradford, and said, "Oh, Julia, I am so glad to see you again! I have been terribly worried about you."

Julia's face went entirely pale, and then, after standing frozen for what seemed like an eternity - but was perhaps two seconds - she fell into her friend's arms and began to sob. Elizabeth was prevented from interfering by another occupant of the carriage, a very tall, handsome man who looked rather like Mr. Darcy, but on an even larger scale. He approached Elizabeth, bowed, and said quietly, "I hope that you will accept my apology for introducing myself. I am sure, from all I have heard about you, that you are Miss Elizabeth Bennet. I am Andrew Fitzwilliam, Darcy's cousin. I am very pleased to make your acquaintance. I hope that you will pardon my further presumption, but I think that it would be best if we left my sister and Miss Bradford to conduct their reunion in private." He offered his arm to Elizabeth, and after she accepted, he led her into her house. They were followed by Darcy, Bingley, and a young lady whom Elizabeth presumed was Darcy's sister.

Once they were all standing in the entry hall, Andrew turned to his cousin, and said, "William, would you please repair my solecism by properly introducing your sister, and me, to Miss Elizabeth Bennet?"

With a grave, intent look on his face, Darcy bowed to Elizabeth and said, "Miss Elizabeth, may I introduce my sister, Miss Georgiana Darcy, and my cousin, Lord Andrew Fitzwilliam, Viscount Ashbourne. The lady being embraced by Miss Bradford is my cousin, Lady Philadelphia Fitzwilliam, and I will be happy to make an introduction when she and your sister have recovered themselves."

Elizabeth was very confused, and for a minute or two managed only some tentative smiles to her guests, while any number of questions raced through her mind. Eventually she collected herself sufficiently to suggest that they proceed to the drawing room, and had begun to move in that direction when the front door opened, and Julia entered hand-in-hand with Lady Philadelphia. "Lizzy," she said, "this is Lady Philadelphia Fitzwilliam, who was my best friend at school - really, she was the best friend I ever had, before I met you and my other sisters...Adele, this is my sister Elizabeth."

Seeing that Julia was very happy, although it was obvious that she and her friend had been crying, was a great relief to Elizabeth. She was so moved that she embraced her sister, and then, without thinking, started to do the same to Lady Adele. "Oh! I beg you pardon-"

"Nonsense. I am delighted to meet you, Miss Elizabeth, and if you will forgive my impertinence," she replied, as she gave her friend's sister a brief, but warm hug, and a peck on the cheek. Both of the young ladies then blushed slightly, and laughed. Adele turned to her brother and said, "Andrew, may we have the use of that tablecloth that you carry about with you?" and with his handkerchief, she and Julia repaired the damage to their faces. "I doubt that it is worthwhile doing this, Julia, as I am sure to start crying again..." and visible tears welled up in the eyes of both her and her friend, causing them to laugh again.

They then resumed their progress to the drawing room, and reached the door just as Mrs. Bennet was leaving for the entry hall in response to a very confusing report from one of the upstairs maids, via Mrs. Hill. The maid, Agnes, had looked through an upstairs window and seen Miss Julia crying in the arms of a strange woman, and hearing the front door, had peered over the railing to discover Miss Elizabeth looking quite flustered, entering with Miss Bennet's betrothed, Mr. Darcy, and two strangers. She had then run down the back stairs to Mrs. Hill's office, where she and her husband were reconciling the household accounts, and had given an incoherent account of what she had seen. "Miss Julia was out front huggin' this lady and crying like her heart was broke, and then Miss Elizabeth comes in with a Lord Fizzwilly, or sumthin,' and there was that Mr. Darcy back again, and of course Miss Jane's intended and some girl, and it all seems very strange and I think that the Mistress should know about it," and after hearing her, Mrs. Hill thought that it would be a very good idea, as well.

While Sarah Bennet was still somewhat confused about what had happened, it was clear that everyone was well, and she was delighted to see Mr. Darcy again, and to meet his sister and cousins. Mrs. Bennet excused herself to fetch her husband, and returned shortly, having taken the opportunity to provide him with a brief account of what she had learned. When they entered, about five minutes later, they found Julia sitting between Elizabeth and an elegant young lady that Mr Bennet deduced was Lady Philadelphia, and in front of them, conversing easily with all three, a very tall and elegantly dressed young man that he knew must be Lord Ashbourne. Bingley and Jane sat together, somewhat removed from the rest, talking quietly but earnestly, and finally, Kitty and a tall young woman who could only be Miss Darcy engaged in an animated discussion of a painting entitled 'River Landscape,' by Gainsborough, that hung behind the pianoforte. Darcy was seated in the chair that gave him the best view of Elizabeth's profile, but instead of gazing only at her, as he often did, he spent about half his time observing his sister.

As soon as Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's return was noted, Darcy rose and advanced to offer his hand, and Andrew turned and did the same. "Mr. Bennet, it is a pleasure to see you again. I would like to introduce my cousin, Major General Lord Andrew Horatio Fitzwilliam, Viscount Ashbourne, KB, late of the 1st Brigade of the Light Division," he said, and then, as they moved around the room, he introduced his other cousin and then his sister. After exchanging some pleasantries with the female guests, Mr. Bennet invited Lord Ashbourne and Mr. Darcy to his study on some pretext or other, and understanding that he wished for an explanation of their presence and his ward's reaction thereto, they readily agreed.

Once seated, he looked at the young men carefully, and then offered coffee or tea, which they declined, and began, "The report may have been somewhat garbled, but one of our upstairs maids reported that Julia was weeping in the arms of your sister, Lord Ashbourne. I would be interested in hearing your account of the incident."

"What you heard is correct. My sister became friends with Miss Bradford in her, my sister's, that is, last two years of school - Miss Bradford was a year behind her, and had changed schools, apparently because the quality of instruction at her previous school had declined precipitously."

Mr. Bennet replied, "Yes, that is why she changed schools. A new, unpopular head of school was chosen, and several of the best qualified instructors quit as a result. Julia was one of quite a few students who left at that time."

"Adele and Miss Bradford became the best of friends almost immediately, and it had been planned between them that Miss Bradford would spend her first Season in Town with my sister. I will also say that my parents approved of...no, they were delighted by the friendship, and did everything they could to forward it. Unfortunately, Lord and Lady Portman were rarely able to meet with my parents, but they never voiced any objection to the friendship, and allowed Miss Bradford to visit very often, so I am confident that they were, at least, not displeased."

"If they had not decided, they would have supervised the visits, and if they had been displeased, discontinued them. Frederick and Alice were very attentive to the welfare of their children." After a short pause, he sighed, and continued, "I see what happened. Your sister finished a year before Julia, and what, went on an extended trip?" Andrew nodded. "And so at the time that her family was lost, your sister was not easily reached by post. What you probably know is that her schoolmates, and many of the staff at the school, were very unkind to Julia after her family was lost. She was suddenly without rank or fortune, and they treated her as if she was no longer of any value. It was nearly three weeks after she learned this terrible news that we were informed of it and were able to reach her. I was as angry over the situation we found there - their treatment of her - as I have ever been in my life. I must confess that I was quite vindictive about it. The school had behaved shamefully, and I forced them to 'remit' £5000, which was almost three times the total fees that her family had paid the school. It was petty of me, but I was also very pleased to learn that the head of school and two other administrators lost their jobs - sadly, it was not over the mistreatment of our dear girl, but over the fact that it had cost the school so much money."

After a pause, Mr. Bennet continued, "To get back to the point, Julia was understandably scarred by this. I was aware that she had had a dear friend at school, from things that she said, but she was unwilling to discuss it. It is clear that she cherished the memory of her time with your sister, and I concluded that she was afraid that Lady Philadelphia might treat her as the others had done-" here he raised his hand to halt the protests of the young men. "I rather doubted that this would the case, and your sister's actions have proven that she would never have done so, but Julia was so frightened by what had happened, that she was not herself for some months afterward. I tried to find out who this friend might be by alternative methods, but the school closed down shortly after they paid out the judgment - apparently two of the discharged employees had been embezzling small amounts for some time, but when they were let go, they took everything they could, and the school collapsed. All of the attendance and employment records were lost, and teachers and students scattered. An agent of mine went so far as to advertise for former teachers or students at that school, but only five answered, and none of them knew anything about Julia's friends."

"We had heard that the school closed, but Mother and Adele were so furious at them for what had happened to Miss Julia that they were well-pleased at the school's failure. Adele also tried to find out your names, but she failed."

"That is not surprising. We were so angry after we got there that we spoke to no one other than Julia and the headmistress." After another short pause, during which he frowned at some unpleasant memory, he said, "Resuming her friendship with your sister will do Julia a world of good. One consequence of her treatment at the school, and some subsequent events, is that she expects anyone outside our family to have no regard for her. A perfect example would be the way Miss Bingley treated her last fall," he said, to Darcy, who looked quite uncomfortable. "Perhaps we should return to the ladies, and Bingley, although I rather doubt he has noted our absence," he joked.

As they rose, Andrew lagged behind, and as Darcy reached the door, Lord Ashbourne turned to Mr. Bennet and asked, "Might I have a private word, sir?" This request affected his cousin, who hesitated at the door, colored, looked down, and then exited, closing the door quietly behind him. "Mr. Bennet, I did not come here just to escort my sister. I was present during three of Miss Bradford's extended visits with my family, and my greatest regret has been that I was...that I did not come to an understanding with her. I felt that she was too young at the time - I first met her when she was barely sixteen and I was twenty-three, and I had just been promoted to colonel and given a leave until a regiment became available. I was entranced by her from almost the first moment, and every time I saw her after that, the feeling was more intense. I seriously considered speaking to her about 4 months before her parents died, which was the last time that I saw her until today, but I was going to war, and I felt it was unfair to ask her to tie herself to me under the circumstances. It was over a year after she had disappeared before I returned to England, and although I, too, tried to pick up her trail, I could find no trace. On her nineteenth birthday, I stopped looking, as I felt that she must surely be married by that time. I became 'active' in Society, but I have never met a woman that could displace Miss Bradford in my heart. After seeing her again, I know that until she marries someone else, I will not be able to give up hope of winning her." He had spoken quietly, but with great conviction, and Thomas Bennet was very impressed.

"I must ask you some questions. You may find them impertinent, but I must ask them."

"Sir, I will tell you anything you wish to know, if I can."

"It is my understanding that you are retired from the Army. Is that correct?"

"Yes, sir. I was only in command of the 1st Brigade for a few days. General Whittaker was leading our brigade, and when he was killed at Sabugal, I happened to be the closest regimental commander. Under the circumstances, I had to assume command, and, well, as I was fortunate enough to guess right, we survived that day, and Wellesley promoted me. It was just ceremonial, as I had been wounded seriously enough that I was going to be sent home, and I dare say that if I had remained in the Army it would have been at most as a Brigadier. The Field Marshall had encouraged me to resign - I suspect that he did it as a favor to my father, who is a long-time friend and supporter. However, I agreed with him that either my younger brother or I should leave the Army, and Richard is entirely uninterested in estate management. And, to be honest, after three years on the Peninsula, I had had my fill of Spaniards and Frenchmen."

"Lord Ashbourne, are you dependent on your father?"

"No, I am not. He does give me a very large allowance, but Ashbourne is not by courtesy - the title passes through 'heirs of the body' and came to me on my maternal grandfather's death, as my mother was the eldest of the three surviving children, all daughters, of the late Viscount Ashbourne. I got control of the estate on my majority, and it currently generates an income of about £13,000 per annum. My father has also given me an allowance of £10,000 each year since I graduated from Cambridge. With my Army pay and bounties, investments, and the fact that my income is much larger than my expenses, I have also accumulated a personal fortune that is now somewhat in excess of £265,000. My total income this year should be £35,000, and my expenses are no more than £5,000. Even if my father should withhold or cancel my allowance, I would still be well able to support a family."

"And if your father threatened you, should you become engaged to Miss Bradford?"

This actually caused Andrew to laugh, although he quickly apologized. As it happened, Mr. Bennet followed the details of the war with France, and recalled that Lord Fitzwilliam's name had been 'Mentioned in Despatches' four times, the last being his daring actions at Sabugal, where he had been made a Knight of the Bath, as well as a general officer. 'Such man is not going to be intimidated by even a very angry parent, so he might well laugh.' "I am sorry, sir, but my father would never do that. My mother ordered me here to try to attach Miss Bradford, and I can assure you that my father is not foolish enough to cross my mother on such a matter. I am making light of it, but my father and I are very close, and he fully understands and accepts that he has no say in whom I marry, and he is a confirmed Whig, even in his private life. Finally, he is very eager for me to marry, so he would be delighted at any choice of mine." At Mr. Bennet's quizzical look, the continued, "My father's father was second cousin to Augustus Henry Weston-"

"Your father is the heir-apparent to the Duke of Stafford."

"Yes, and the connection is even closer than I described, as my grandfather married his second cousin: my paternal grandmother is Uncle Henry's eldest sister. We are surprised that Uncle Henry has lasted this long, but it cannot be much longer. And his long illness has rather thrown things into a cocked hat. Father has arranged to relinquish the earldom to me as soon as he inherits, as he knows that setting Stafford to rights will take his full attention, so I have already taken over most of the duties at Matlock, and he is at Weston Hall until Parliament reconvenes. Within the next couple of months, my yearly income will go up by £60,000, although my expenses will rise substantially, as well. I wonder from your questions if...I find it almost inconceivable, but was Miss Bradford jilted?

"Yes. A young man of modest status, and even less character, asked Julia for her hand, and she agreed to a courtship, but when his fat-head of a father opposed him, he broke it off - rather, he had his father's solicitors break it off."

"I should be furious, and I am for Miss Bradford's sake, but I am also very, very relieved."

"So was I, Lord Ashbourne, after he revealed himself to be a jellyfish. However, even her limited acceptance of his offer was conditional on my blessing, and I already had sufficient misgivings about the family that I would not have readily agreed to a courtship, nor ever, as it happens. While she was hurt by his behavior, her heart was not yet much engaged - the damage was almost entirely to her self-esteem at being dismissed by his family. Do not let me delay you any longer; I have heard enough about your mother to know that I would never wish to find myself in her bad books."

After Darcy's return to the drawing room, he engaged in pleasant conversation with Elizabeth, Julia, and Adele. Upon Lord Ashbourne's return, a few minutes later, Adele said to her brother, "Julia has offered to show us around Longbourn, Andrew."

"Excellent. I would like that very much." In the end, the excursion expanded to include all of the young people, although once out walking, Jane and Bingley lagged far behind, as they usually did. Kitty and Miss Darcy were inseparable, and began on either arm of Mr. Darcy, but soon were arm-in-arm themselves - Kitty's lively wit found a perfect audience in Georgiana, and they were soon giggling at one anothers whispered comments. Since Miss Bradford was sandwiched between the Fitzwilliams, that eventually left Darcy in the company of Elizabeth, and before too long they were some distance from any other members of the party, as Kitty and Georgiana had been given permission to visit Maria Lucas.

Watching them hurrying up the path to Lucas Lodge, Darcy remarked, "Your sister, Catherine, has such a warm, gentle wit - she reminds me of my mother. Their coloring was alike, as well. I have never seen Georgiana take so quickly to anyone."

"Miss Elizabeth, are you well?" he asked, noting that her eyes were bright with tears. "Have I done something to upset you?"

She turned her head, wanting for him to not see how much he affected her. "Mr. Darcy," she replied with some anger, "I believe that we should speak of something else, or perhaps not speak at all."

"Miss Elizabeth," he insisted, quietly, "I do not wish to avoid this subject. If I have upset you, I must know about it."

"I very much doubt that you will like to hear what I have to say, Mr. Darcy," she responded sharply.

"May I be informed why," he asked in exasperation, "I am being treated so coldly?"

"Have you not considered, sir," she rejoined, "that it could be nothing more than a matter of like for like?"

He knew precisely what she meant, and felt his full measure of guilt. But he was not yet ready to freely admit his errors, primarily because he hoped that she was not entirely aware of them, and he was afraid that, if she knew of the extent of his stupid pride, she might never forgive him.

Darcy continued to look at Elizabeth questioningly, and in the end she continued, "Would you call your boast to you cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, about directing your friend's attentions, an act of 'civility,' Mr. Darcy? If so, one of us must get a new dictionary."

"Miss Elizabeth, I am aware that there was some injury in that matter, but from the worst of your censure I shall hope to be secured, when you hear an account of my actions."

Given Elizabeth's mood, his tone was rather unwise. "How can you excuse the unjust and ungenerous part you acted in separating your friend and my sister from one another? You cannot deny that you were complicit in, if not the principal means of, dividing them from each other, of exposing one to the censure of the world for caprice and instability, the other to being made sport of for foolish expectations, and involving them both in misery of the acutest kind."

"I did not understand that Bingley was so smitten with your sister. I had often seen him in love before, and-" he paused for a moment, unable to say that his preoccupation with Elizabeth had made him inattentive to his friend's growing attachment to Jane. He sighed. How was he to explain himself? "It was not till the evening of the ball at Netherfield that I had any idea that his attachment might be serious. At that ball, while I had the honor of dancing with you, I was first made acquainted, by Sir Lucas' comment, that Bingley's attentions to your sister had given rise to a general expectation of their marriage."

"And so you took it upon yourself to end it," Elizabeth interrupted to finish for him, finally turning to glare at him, "because Jane's fortune and standing were not grand enough for your particular friend. A 'careless attachment' - that was how your cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, described it. I suppose that you believed some nonsense about Jane wishing to gain herself a comfortable establishment?"

His complexion became pale at her anger, and his agitation was apparent. He was struggling to regain his composure, or at least the semblance of it, and dared not open his lips, till he believed himself to have attained it. Elizabeth was ashamed to have spoken so strongly, but the longer he waited, the more her shame was replaced by anger,

"Her fortune had nothing to do with it." Elizabeth shook her head angrily in disbelief, but he continued, "That night I observed my friend's behavior attentively; and I could then see that his partiality for Miss Bennet was beyond what I had ever witnessed in him. Your sister I also watched. Her look and manners were as open, cheerful, and engaging as ever, but without any symptom of peculiar regard."

"Oh, that is charming, sir! That you stoop to blame this on my sister's insensibility! She had the worst month of her life when Mr. Bingley left. You should be ashamed to say such a thing!"

"I know better now, and not that it altered the course of events, but I have apologized profusely to my friend." This drew a surprised look from Elizabeth. "I trust that you will not argue that the serenity of your sister's countenance and air was such as might have given the most observers a concern that, however amiable her temper, her heart might not be easily touched."

She was prepared to admit that there was some truth to that, but he had avoided the more material question. "Again, Mr. Darcy, I must ask why would my sister affect an interest she did not feel?"

"I never believed that she would, although in order to understand what happened, I have to tell you that Miss Bingley claimed to be convinced of your sister's indifference, and Mrs. Hurst could offer no rebuttal," he said quietly.

"Miss Bingley, at least, seemed to have her hopes set on another for her brother," Elizabeth replied deliberately, watching Darcy for any signs that might betray a similar motive, "and you continue to evade my question as to why Jane would pretend a regard where none existed."

Darcy replied with some exasperation, "I am now aware of the nature of the correspondence between Miss Bingley and your sister. There was never any attachment between my sister and Mr. Bingley, nor was there ever the slightest interest in one on either of their parts. I do not suppose that a woman of your intelligence and perception would have any difficulty in inferring a motive for Miss Bingley's deception in this matter." Continuing, he said, "And, again, I never supposed that your sister would pretend an attachment to my friend, or to anyone else. I am embarrassed to admit that, having spent far too much time with the Ton, that I imagined that she might accept a proposal from my friend without feeling deep affection, but as little as I knew her, I would have vehemently denied the suggestion that she would ever try to mislead anyone."

Elizabeth was silent for a time, and Darcy feared an explosion, but when she spoke it was quietly, and even more painful than he had expected it to be. "I see, 'Matrimony's but a bargain made to serve the terms of interest and trade; Not out of love or kindness, but designs to settle lands and tenements like fines.' You are not the first to think so. I am glad to understand your views on marriage." Mr. Darcy changed color; but he listened without attempting to interrupt her while she continued, "I suppose you now see the Bennet family as a bucolic oddity for wanting something else."

"No, Elizabeth, that is not the case. You must understand I only sought to be sure that my friend thought matters through before making an offer. I never tried to convince him not to do so. I just encouraged him to take some time to reflect."

"You sought to protect him from my mercenary and manipulative sister, and I have no doubt you also sought to shield him from our low connections, but somehow, between then and now, you have learned who our mother is, and Jane is now a suitable wife for your friend, my family can meet your sister, and you no longer despise Julia..." by this point she was furious, and almost in tears.

"I would be grateful if you did not twist my words," he responded thinly, trying desperately to maintain his composure against her accusations. "Bingley's sister said that she had written to tell Miss Bennet that he had been delayed in town for a few weeks, not that he would not return. That, and the suggestion of an attachment to someone else was her invention. And to be clear, I would have given Bingley the same advice had your sister been the daughter of a duke. I made a mistake about the nature of her feelings for him, but I did not understand that in addition to my conversation with him saying that I was unable to tell if Miss Bennet had any tender regard for him, that his younger sister had been relentlessly insisting that she did not care for him and was a fortune hunter - he never believed that last assertion, by the way; he thought it as absurd as I do. Then, shortly before Christmas, I heard from your cousin, Lord Malden, about what Miss Bingley had been saying in Town. I wrote immediately to Bingley to tell him what I had learned, to encourage him to consult only his own feelings, and to warn him that his sister might also have been misleading Miss Bennet. As it happened, he had been able to figure all of this out for himself already, and had...well, you know what he did." He paused, and looked at her very earnestly, "I hope that you do not choose to judge me solely on this one mistake."

"Mr. Darcy, this is all very pat, but we both know that your explanation is very, I would say almost entirely, self-serving. From almost the first moment of our association you have impressed me with the fullest belief in your conceit and your selfish disdain of the feelings of others. You are quite capable of charm, on the occasions that you choose to exert yourself, but your actions made it clear that you found all in our neighborhood, with the exception of some of my family, to be beneath your notice. Also, you made explicit the first night your expectation that I would be of no interest, although you apparently changed your mind, at least to the extent that you were friendly when it suited you. But you were so smug and self-involved that you managed to spend several weeks near Meryton without talking to any of our neighbors - if you had, you could not have avoided hearing about Mother's relations. As soon as Cousin Arthur speaks to you, though, you suddenly care enough to write to Mr. Bingley and try to undo the damage that Miss Bingley has caused. We are precisely the same people before and after your enlightenment, but before it, my sister is eager to marry your friend without caring for him, Julia is an object of derision to Miss Bingley, and so insignificant to you that you make no effort to curb her insults, I am 'not handsome enough to tempt you,' and my mother is a 'toad eater.' It is one thing to anticipate that people you do not know will be insignificant, but to maintain your belief in my family's unworthiness after having known them for weeks is a sign of either impervious smugness or gross snobbery, and since you profess a friendship for the son of a tradesman, it must be, at least in part, the former. I am ashamed to admit that, despite my misgivings about your character, and your all too frequent habit of behaving in accordance with my worst fears, I came to esteem-" At this point she choked up, and was unable to go on.

She turned as if to run away, but Darcy, feeling that he might not have another chance, began speaking immediately. "You are absolutely correct about all but one point, Miss Elizabeth. I have been a fool. I did pay no attention to your neighbors, and I did have the lowest expectations possible about everyone in the area. And my first reaction at Malden's revelations was embarrassment at having mistaken your family's connections, and I did write to Bingley - to tell him things that he already knew. It was only later that I began to reflect about my mistakes, and it was at that point that I realized that I had been 'imperviously smug,' and that I had learnt only the shallowest form of the lessons of obligation to family and society. But I never, not once after I actually saw you, did I ever think of you as anything other than the handsomest of women, and my feelings for you have long been at complete odds with my stupid, shallow pride. You cannot criticize me any more harshly than I have done myself for my inability to see, no matter who your antecedents or what your wealth, that you and your entire family were of such extraordinary worth that this mattered more than any amount of money or any family connections. I have, often, deeply regretted the occasions when I did not do what I could to curb Miss Bingley's attacks against your family. And then, knowing that I owed you a lengthy, and abject, apology, I compounded my many errors by trying to minimize my failings with regard to your family and especially your elder sister. I also admit, to my shame, that I had for some time hoped that Charles might, in a few years, choose to marry my sister, and that I did at first pay more attention to my ill-considered, selfish wish than his and your sister's - or even my own sister's - feelings. But I swear to you that I have always believed that your sister would tell Charles the truth. I did tell him that I could not see that she had any deep regard for him, and I did encourage him to think about what he wanted - to be sure that he would be happy if she accepted him with only fondness and regard - but I always expected him to go back to Netherfield before Christmas, and I expected him to at least express his feelings for Miss Bennet. The reason that I wrote to Charles after talking to Malden is that I realized that all of my conclusions about this matter were in error. Your sister had already shown that she would reject the addresses of men that she did not love, and certainly would avoid the attentions of men she found objectionable, so she must care for Charles, and if Miss Bingley was openly attacking your family among her circle, she could not be trusted to tell either Charles or your sister the truth, and we should not believe her when she said that Miss Bennet had not written."

During the course of his speech, Elizabeth had turned to face him, and by the end of it, her eyes glistened with tears, but she no longer looked very angry. Taking courage from her countenance, Darcy continued, "My dear Miss Bennet. I know that I am not worthy of your regard, but I have never wanted anything more ardently. I believe that, in time, I can be worthy of your friendship, if not your love. I do care for you very deeply, and if you would permit it, I would like to opportunity to court you, to show you that I can be a better man than I have been to now. I am dazzled by your beauty, and bewitched by your charm, and...I have never enjoyed the company of anyone as well as I have yours, even when I was plagued by my foolish, foolish notions. And no one has ever been so honest with me, and so able to see through my posturing and prevarications. Even if you wish to never see me again, I owe you a great debt for helping to expose some of my failings to me." He tailed off, with a most anxious look on his face.

Elizabeth was sufficiently choked up that she found it very hard to speak, but as Darcy looked increasingly worried, she found herself smiling at him - and laughing inside - and was able to reply, "I would like to know you better, Mr. Darcy, and as I intimated earlier, I do hold you in some esteem. If you are asking for my permission to call on me, you have it."

"Thank you, Miss Elizabeth. But I was asking for your permission to court you. I wish to leave you in no doubt as to the nature of my regard for you, and given my feelings, I think that it is only proper that I speak to your father, as well...if I have your permission? I do understand that you would be making no commitment, other than that you are not decided against me...", he tailed off again.

"Very well, Mr. Darcy, if you wish it. And if I could be sure how I felt, I...I think that it is safe to say that my feelings are more positive than 'not decided against you' - but I must be honest, and tell you that I harbor some profound misgivings. Your pride was foolish, but it is very common among your 'class,' and it is stubbornly adhered to, even when it is patently absurd. How could my sister Julia be a charming, cultivated young lady one minute, and the butt of cruel jokes the next, unless her tormentors will admit that it is entirely about money? Certainly her breeding and accomplishments had not changed in an instant. I cannot be connected to anyone who will cause my sisters to suffer so again, and while I do not doubt that you are sincere at this moment, what about tomorrow, and ten years from now?" Her first statement elicited the warmest smile which she had ever seen on his face, and she had felt quite warm herself, despite it being a fairly typical January day. But he grew quite grave as she continued, and looked down sadly by the end.

"I can promise you that I will not 'revert' - my feelings are so different that I am baffled by how I could have ever felt that way. As you know, I cannot control what anyone else might say or do; however, other than my sister, I would give up any or all of my family for you and your happiness - and you can see that my sister will not be a problem. Judging from her behavior today, I suspect that she would be willing to give me up for your family, and we both know that she would be much the better for it," he said, his last remark began with some humor, but concluded in bitterness.

"Mr. Darcy, I do not wish you to engage in self-loathing, and I do not expect you to 'protect' me, or my sisters, from the rudeness or contempt of others. I am unsure how I feel about you, but...if you wish to be a part of my family, you must be clearly aligned with us, and not because of pride, but because of deliberate, considered judgment." They walked on in silence for a time, and then she said, with a slight smile, "Might I also suggest that you do not bare your soul to my father when asking his permission? I sense that you are the sort of person for whom disguise of any sort is abhorrent, but I recommend that we reserve this degree of candor for ourselves. And, in any event, my parents are both very perceptive, and they always know far more about what I am thinking and feeling than I would like."

Darcy had handed Elizabeth his handkerchief to dry the tears which had been shed during their conversation, and when she gave it back, she asked, "Did you bring your cousins with you for support?"

"No, my cousins brought me. It is an embarrassing story, but as I am being candid, I should tell you," he said at the slight gesture she made to stop him. "My Aunt Susan had assembled a large party at Matlock, and among them were many 'eligible' young ladies of the type that my cousin and I are expected by the Ton to marry, as well as several young men who had managed to get invited for the purpose of pursuing Adele. The presence of these prospects made me quite glum - they were everything I was supposed to choose, and nothing I wanted. After your intelligence, your genuine accomplishments, your biting humor and warm heart, I detested these women all the more. About a week before Christmas, Andrew and I were having a last brandy before bed, and we began talking about how fungible these young women were. They are raised to be Society wives, and I cannot tell one from another. Andrew then said that he did not care about fortune or family, as long as she was intelligent enough to not be boring within a week. I asked him how his parents would feel about an unconventional choice, and, to be specific, I mentioned Miss Bradford. She was someone that was 'unsuitable,' although by then I could no longer explain why. I do not know if I wanted him to reassure me that my feelings were correct, or if I wished to start an argument. I do know that I was feeling sorry for myself, and angry that my family would 'make me' give you up...I know very well how conceited that sounds, Miss Elizabeth. My cousin's response startled me: he remembered your sister quite well, and asked questions about where she was, how she seemed, how she was treated, and then he said that the countess would be delighted by such a daughter, and perhaps he should go to visit Bingley himself."

"Was he serious serious about my sister? And had you told him what you learned from my Cousin Arthur?"

"Apparently he was serious, as he is here now. As to what he knows about your family, my cousin is far better at reading me than I am him, but I told him nothing about what I learned from Lord Malden - I was ashamed of myself, and did not want to admit to being such a fool. My cousin knew that there was something going on between me and Bingley, so I admitted my interference, and he told me flatly that I owed both Bingley and you an apology - clearly he understood how I felt about you. As to what he is thinking, I did realize before we got here that he had profound feelings for your sister. I know that at the time he returned to England, after leaving the Army, he searched diligently for someone for some months. Then, about two and a half years ago, he abruptly threw himself into the Season, which he had never done before. I am now convinced that he was looking for Miss Bradford before his 'Society phase.'"

"You never heard her name?"

"Not in connection with either of my cousins. I was still struggling with my role as Master of Pemberley when Adele and Miss Bradford became friends, and during that time I saw my family much less than I had before my father died, and less than I currently do, for that matter...I suppose that she never mentioned Adele?"

"No. She had a horrible experience after her parents and brother died, and she was very hurt by it. Once she was with us, she almost never talked about her life before. My father told me that he was sure that she had had a good friend from at school, and tried to find her, as he felt that having someone from her past who did not reject her would be very beneficial, but even as clever as he is, and as able as the people who work for him are, no one was found."

"I see. Well, as soon as my aunt and Adele heard about Miss Bradford, they both insisted that we return. And my aunt told me to try to attach the young lady who had 'suited me,' and more or less told my cousin to get engaged to Miss Bradford. Adele insisted that she would come, with or without us. So you see, Miss Elizabeth, if you refuse me, I will be in a great deal of trouble with my Aunt Susan," he said with a soft laugh.

She smiled in return, "I cannot promise anything, sir, except to give you a fair chance. But perhaps you could explain how impertinent I am, and be let off the hook?"

"I do not want to be let off the hook, and Aunt Susan will love you, almost as much as I do, on sight, so I could not get off that hook, even if I desired it." This caused Elizabeth to blush furiously, but she was also very pleased.

"It is fair to say that you are not doing yourself any harm, Mr. Darcy, and under the circumstances, I believe that you should call me Elizabeth," she laughed, and he gave her another of his dazzling smiles in response.

"Thank you, Elizabeth. And would you do me the honor of calling me William, as do those closest to me?" to which she agreed. In a moment of embarrassment, they looked around, and discovered that they were entirely alone, having apparently outstripped their former walking companions. They turned back, and kept their conversation light and inconsequential for the remainder of their walk. On their return, Darcy requested, and received, permission to speak to her father.