Goodly Creatures: A Pride and Prejudice Deviation (47 page)

The lush sound of his voice as he whispered his instructions had ended her trembling. She kept her eyes fixed on his as they twirled for a few moments. He hummed a tune she had never heard before. For the first time in their acquaintance, she noticed how delightful he smelled. An intense feeling of longing like those emotions she had recently been battling influenced her decision.

When they stopped, she smiled and said, “That was lovely. I agree to waltz with you; but Mr Darcy, you must be prepared for gossip. I am used to it, but you should not be alarmed at what you might hear. Most of the talk will just be country chatter and with very little basis in truth, but even so, it can sometimes be painful and do great damage. You and I are particularly vulnerable.

Mr Bingley and Miss Bennet made the most of her last morning at Netherfield. The day before, the two of them had set the date of the ball for November 26. He secured the first set for his ball, as well as the one before dinner. Jane asked his permission to invite her friend Becky Trent, Sir Walter’s daughter, to come for the ball. He agreed and told her of his secret plans for a waltz to be the last dance.

“Miss Bennet, would you think it too forward, if I asked you for that dance as well? It is the last dance, and as you now know, I am forced to leave for London on business the next day. It would mean so much to me if dancing a waltz with you was my last memory of my time at Netherfield. It would sustain me while I am away from Hertfordshire.”

Only Bingley saw the joy that lit up her face at his suggestion. Only Bingley heard her breathless, “Oh, I would be honoured to waltz with you, but I do not know how.”

“As long as you trust me as your partner and follow my lead, you will conduct yourself admirably. You do know it is quite controversial? I must put my hand on your waist.”

Jane said with an uncharacteristically rapturous expression, “How delightfully risqué!”

“I think Darcy came up with the idea because he hopes to persuade your sister to dance the waltz with him. I have never seen him as taken with any woman before. He tries to hide his feelings behind his mask, but it is quite obvious to anyone who knows him well and is paying attention. I know my sister Caroline has noticed.”

Jane looked thoughtful at Mr Bingley’s supposition. “I don’t think your sister has anything to fear, and unfortunately, I doubt he will be successful. Lizzy is resolute in her refusal to dance with men. She says it is because she does not intend to marry and therefore feels it pointless. My observations lead me to believe a different truth. It appears, she is apprehensive of being touched. I think she harbours some great fear, but I have never been able to persuade her to confide in me.”

“One thing that is very odd about Darcy’s attraction to your sister is that she bears a striking resemblance to his daughter. Their hair and eyes are similar, but what is even more noticeable to me is that when Miss Elizabeth engages in conversation, she has a similar impertinence to Bethany.”

“Did you ever meet Mrs Darcy?”

“No, she was already deceased when I made his acquaintance.” Mr Bingley laughed at the memory of their meeting. “In fact that is how we met. Bethany came up to me in a park and told me her mother was dead. She thought I was an angel and might know her.”

Jane chuckled. “Now that sounds more like my sister, Lydia. She was always approaching strangers as a child, and even though we continue to caution her, she still does. I think that forwardness is imprinted in her character. Do you think, perhaps, Lizzy looks like his wife?”

“No, I saw a portrait of Mrs Darcy at Pemberley and there is not much in common. However, there is a painting of a young girl reading in his study that looks remarkably like your sister.”

Jane looked thoughtful at his revelation. She would have to probe Lizzy for any information of a prior acquaintance with Mr Darcy. She returned her gaze to Mr Bingley and said, “I feel we are intruding on their privacy. In fairness, we should not talk about them without knowing what truly exists between the two, and they should be the ones to tell us.”

“I agree. Darcy has been the most reliable friend to me for several years. I need his help with things I plan to accomplish in my life. My sisters think I should just be a man of fashion without responsibilities. They would prefer me to have an estate for the status, not because I should endeavour to make something of it, but I do not want to go through the world being thought of as capricious.’’

Mr Bingley’s confession captured Jane’s attention. For the first time in their acquaintance, he reminded her of Tom, and she felt a shiver of pleasure.

The two spent the entire morning talking of their lives, hopes and dreams. He was in awe when he learned that in Sir Walter’s absence, it was she who visited the tenants at Netherfield She explained to him that the steward, Mr Richards, settled all the disputes, but she first listened to their concerns. “For nearly ten years, I have been making calls on them and know all the names and ages of their children. I would be pleased to introduce you if you would like.”

This began to explain the way the staff at Netherfield treated her. Mr Bingley had noticed a respect and reverence that was unusual for someone not of the house.

They made an engagement to ride together the next morning.

The two new recruits who had acquired commissions in Colonel Forster’s militia unit had returned from town with Captain Carter, and promptly settled into their new quarters. Mr Denny and Mr Sanderson were now acquainting Mr Wickham and Mr Travis with the camp. Very soon, the conversation settled on diversions to be had in the neighbourhood, and an appeal from the two for descriptions of the young unmarried women. It was determined that the amusements were of the standard variety, and they were told of several young ladies who were quite lovely. Both men were warned to be aware that one female who was both pretty and young was the colonel’s sister-in-law. Mr Denny then told them that her name was Maria Lucas, and she visited the camp often with her best friend. The friend was one of five sisters who were considered the most beautiful young women in the county. Two of the sisters had recently been spoken for, but that left three, and in Sanderson’s opinion, it was the three fairest who remained.

Mr Wickham expressed an interest in the Bennet sisters, and his ears pricked up when he heard one described as an heiress. Neither Mr Denny nor Mr Sanderson knew the exact amount, but they did divulge that gossip had it that Miss Elizabeth Bennet had declared she had no plans to marry. They also repeated the oft-told story that the money she inherited could have involved remuneration from a man. Another rumour, which was unsubstantiated by any firm evidence, was that Miss Elizabeth had established dowries for her sisters. The other heiress in the neighbourhood was a Miss King. Unlike her counterpart, it was known for a fact she had inherited ten thousand pounds. She was not a great beauty, but tolerable if you could abide freckles.

Mr Wickham was determined to meet these two heiresses and put his substantial charm in play. Miss Elizabeth’s determination never to marry was a challenge he might enjoy.

Mrs Hurst and Miss Bingley were late coming down for breakfast, and found themselves alone. The only person in the house whose location they knew for sure was Mr Hurst. He had over indulged in both food and drink the night before, and was still in bed.”

Louisa, we must develop a strategy to dissuade Charles from thinking Miss Bennet a proper match, and we must persuade Mr Darcy to aid us with our plan. He has been entirely too attentive to Miss Eliza, and even though I do not believe it to be a serious attraction, I want to ensure neither Charles nor Mr Darcy ever returns to Hertfordshire.”

“I agree, Caroline, Mr Darcy is the one who can convince Charles to give up his intentions of purchasing Netherfield. We should encourage him to look for estates in the north.”

“I noticed that the staff here at Netherfield treats Miss Bennet with a familiarity that is unusual,” said Miss Bingley with a conspiratorial look toward her sister. “Polly has been making inquiries for me. She has learned that Jane Bennet was attached to the son of Sir Walter Trent since practically infancy. The whole neighbourhood assumed they would marry, and she would become the mistress of Netherfield. Of course, as you know, he died at fifteen.”

Miss Bingley sipped her tea as she plotted. “Yes, and I found out one other bit of information that helps our case. Do you remember, Mrs Bennet talked about an heir to a baronetcy who jilted Miss Bennet? That was Sir Walter’s nephew, George Trent. I met him in London several years ago. He is quite good-looking, and well connected, but not very wealthy. I think Mrs Bennet believed he would inherit the estate as well as the title.” Caroline rubbed her hands together as she drew her conclusion. “What becomes obvious is her mother is determined she become mistress here, and it seems she pushed her daughter to try to win Mr Trent’s affections. However, he was in desperate need of money, so he married a young woman with plenty.”

“So, am I correct, you are proposing to promote the idea with Charles that she is indifferent to him and only wants this estate?”

“Yes, precisely. In addition, Mr Darcy and Miss Eliza have some prior acquaintance, and it is annoying that he is paying such a great deal of attention toward her. However, I do not believe his feelings are entirely amicable. They seem to enjoy witty repartee and teasing each other—but there also seems to be animosity between the two on occasion. According to Polly, the gossip about her has not changed at all in five years.” Miss Bingley shuddered at her next words. “Five years ago, he was married and she would have been sixteen.”

“Caroline, do not worry about that impertinent country upstart who has announced to the world she refuses to marry. Our mission is as you stated—to ensure Charles leaves Hertfordshire and never comes back. If he never returns, neither will Mr Darcy. We need to be prepared at every turn to persuade Charles that his “angel” is not so heavenly in her motives, and more importantly, intervene if he tries to communicate with her in the future.”

On the other side of the path leading to the militia camp, Lydia Bennet and Maria Lucas saw Captain Carter talking with a young man whom neither had ever seen before. He had a most gentlemanlike appearance, and they were both struck by his air and manner of carrying himself. They whispered to each other about who he could be, and determined to find out. The pretence of telling Captain Carter of the ball that was to be held at Netherfield, was their reason for crossing. Captain Carter addressed them directly, and entreated permission to introduce his friend, Mr Wickham.