A prompt reply arrived, inviting Darcy to take luncheon there on the Wednesday. But before that day came, and four days after leaving Netherfield, Darcy received a letter from Bingley.
Three sides of paper conveyed the happy news that he had finally found an opportunity to convey his affections to Miss Bennet, and that she had accepted him. There then followed a detailed account of the kind reception that Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, not to mention their three other daughters at home, had given to this news.
Bingley went on to give details of the early plans for the wedding, and the need to make various other arrangements. He had heard from his sisters in Scarborough that they would be leaving for the south shortly, so that Darcy might like to call on them before he returned to Hertfordshire.
The letter ended by regretting Darcy’s continuing absence, and hoping that his friend might soon rejoin him in Hertfordshire to share in his happiness. A postscript added how the pleasant company of Miss Elizabeth Bennet was consoling his friend when her elder sister was occupied elsewhere.
This news left Darcy with mixed reactions.
He had no intention of making his presence in town known to Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst. Their lack of courtesy to Miss Elizabeth Bennet in Derbyshire was still fresh in his mind. Any joy that those ladies might express about their brother’s news would be insincere at best, bearing in mind their actions last winter.
Whilst on the one hand he rejoiced in his friend’s happiness, he also reflected that the forthcoming marriage of Bingley with the eldest Miss Bennet would inevitably bring him into more frequent contact with her sister.
He could not come to a view of what would be more painful to him; not to see Miss Elizabeth at all, or to encounter her where she might find more pleasure in the company of other eligible gentlemen.
At least he had the comfort, from their last conversation in Lambton, of knowing that she had come to accept the true nature of Mr. Wickham, even if it had since been necessary for that gentleman to become her brother-in-law so that her concerns about her youngest sister should be met.
On the Wednesday, Darcy found Fitzwilliam waiting for him at the house in Brook Street.
“My brother and his family will join us shortly,” his cousin said. “How is Georgiana?”
“She is well,” Darcy replied, “and has Mrs. Annesley with her at Pemberley.”
“Tell me, Darcy, why you wanted to locate Mrs. Younge?” said Fitzwilliam, with a quizzical smile. “I would have thought that she was the last person in the world you would want to meet again after what happened at Ramsgate last year.”
Darcy recollected that Fitzwilliam had only just returned from the north, and might be unaware of the marriage between Wickham and the youngest Miss Bennet. However, his cousin was likely to hear the news by some means or other, so there seemed little point in dissembling too much about the matter.
“I wished to be of some assistance in discovering the whereabouts of George Wickham. He had taken advantage of another young lady, whose parents were anxious to discover her. But, I do not want my part in the matter to be broadcast abroad. So I hope that you are willing that yours also should not be commonly known.”
Fitzwilliam regarded his cousin with some amusement. “I have heard that Wickham has recently married the youngest sister of a lady whose company you seemed to enjoy in Kent some months ago. However, I will keep your secret, and have no need to publish my small part in the affair.”
Darcy would have welcomed the opportunity to hear his cousin reiterate his good opinion of Miss Elizabeth Bennet. However, he was not anxious to risk revealing his own current agony of mind. So he contented himself with saying, “It is true that he has now married Miss Lydia Bennet. It was a sorry business.”
At that moment, they heard voices in the hall, and the Viscount came into the room with his wife and small sons. Darcy was glad of the interruption. The subject was not revisited during the hours that followed, before he took leave of them.
31
Having visited his attorney the following day, Darcy returned to his own house in the afternoon. He was surprised to find a carriage with a familiar livery waiting outside.
On entering, he found his aunt standing in the drawing room. It was immediately clear that she was very angry indeed.
“Darcy,” she said imperiously, “I have come here direct from Hertfordshire to see you!”
He, startled, regarded her with a dawning apprehension.
He knew of no acquaintance of hers who might have taken his aunt to that county. He did, however, know some of his own, and one in particular...
His worst fears in that regard were soon realised.
“I went to Longbourn this morning, to see Miss Elizabeth Bennet.”
Lady Catherine looked at him for some reaction, but seeing none visible then continued, “A report of a most alarming nature had reached me, that not only is the eldest Miss Bennet on the point of being married to your friend, Mr. Bingley, but also that Miss Elizabeth Bennet would, in all likelihood, be soon afterwards united to you, my own nephew!
“Of course, I went to her father’s house to insist that she should have such a report universally contradicted.”
Lady Catherine paused, and looked at him for agreement. Darcy maintained his composure, and waited for his aunt, for she showed every sign of continuing.
“I was not surprised to find that Mrs. Bennet was in every respect as ill-favoured as I had been led to expect.”
Darcy still kept silent.
“I asked Miss Elizabeth whether you had made her an offer of marriage since, as almost your nearest relation, I am of course entitled to know all your dearest concerns.
“I told her that any such match that she had the presumption to aspire to could never take place, since your late mother and I were agreed, when you were both in your cradles, that you and your cousin Anne should be united in marriage. Miss Bennet should know that honour, decorum, prudence, nay, interest, would forbid such a match. She would be censured, slighted, and despised, by every one connected with you.
His aunt was totally unaware of the effect that her report of these last few words had on her nephew. The words ran through and through his mind, as Lady Catherine continued.
“I told her that I would not be dissuaded from my purpose by such remarks. I have not been used to submit to any person’s whims, or been in the habit of brooking disappointment. I told Miss Bennet that, if she were sensible of her own good, she should not seek to quit the sphere in which she had been brought up.”
Lady Catherine looked at Darcy again for his support. He gave none.
“I made it quite clear that I knew how inferior are the connections of her mother’s family. But that appeared to be of no concern to her.
“She did admit to me that she is not engaged to you. I asked her to promise me never to enter into such an engagement.”
Darcy concealed his anxiety as best he could, as he waited to hear her next words. It seemed to him a very long moment before she spoke but, when she did, her report was everything that he could have hoped to hear. However, it was clearly contrary to what his aunt had intended.
