Darcy in Want of a Wife

Chapter 2

The Gardiners’ House

Gracechurch Street

Jane Bennet sat with her guest in her aunt and uncle’s sitting room, sheltered from the cold of the London winter. The room was modestly yet elegantly furnished, with a variety of comfortable seating upholstered in burgundy that matched the drapes. Iron-wrought candelabras sat atop the hearth, beneath which a roaring fire offered welcome warmth.

“My apologies for not calling earlier,” Caroline Bingley said stiffly. “I hope you are well enough?”

Jane blinked at her visitor’s cold tone and rigid demeanor and felt her heart sink within her. She had refused to believe what Elizabeth had long contended, that Caroline Bingley was not truly her friend, but given that Miss Bingley had waited literally weeks to return her call and was wearing a haughty expression and pinched lips, well, it seemed her dear Lizzy was right.

“I have been well enough,” she said quietly. “I hope you are well.”

“I am,” Caroline said shortly, and cast a disdainful look around the room.

Jane suddenly wished that her former friend would go away, but she was far too courteous to throw her from the house.

“Would you care to sit down and join me for tea?” she asked.

“As much as I would like to,” Caroline replied with obvious sarcasm, “I have a busy day today. I have been invited to Darcy House this evening for dinner with the Darcys; Charles will be there as well, of course.”

“Of course,” Jane said quietly, suppressing an urge to cry. “In that case, I hope you have a pleasant day.”

“I am certain I will,” Caroline replied, marching toward the door with her nose pointed high. At that very moment, the door opened, and Charles Bingley stepped through along with Jane’s uncle, Mr. Gardiner.

Caroline’s jaw dropped in a thoroughly unladylike manner as Mr. Bingley walked into the room and surveyed it. His blue eyes went first to Jane, then to his sister, upon which he exclaimed, “Caroline! You did know of Miss Bennet’s presence here in Town!”

Jane, thoroughly startled, watched as her former suitor’s eyes narrowed with fury, his shoulders set, and he snarled, “How could you keep such a thing from me?”

Caroline did not respond, her mouth opening and closing in a manner reminiscent of a fish out of water. When his sister did not give him an appropriate answer, or indeed, any answer at all, Bingley turned to Jane instead, and bowed deeply. “Miss Bennet, I cannot apologize enough for not calling on you before now. I was not informed that you were here in Town.”

“It is no trouble at all, Mr. Bingley,” Jane responded automatically, still stunned by his sudden appearance.

“It is,” Bingley insisted, “and most discourteous of me. Moreover, when I think that it was my own family who hid your presence from me, it both enrages and grieves me.”

Caroline, who had been silent up until this moment, seemed to lurch back to reality. “Charles, we absolutely cannot stay if we are to be ready for dinner at Darcy House tonight.”

“Please, feel free to leave immediately,” Bingley snapped, gesturing to the doorway. “I wish to speak privately with Miss Bennet.”

Caroline’s nostrils flared. “Charles, really, you cannot be serious!”

“I assure you, sister, that I am most definitely serious. You deliberately deceived me in not informing me of Miss Bennet’s presence here in Town, and I understand that you were incredibly rude in not returning her visit until, it seems, this very day!”

Caroline turned bright red and blustered indignantly, “Charles, you are being entirely unreasonable in coming here! You are forfeiting your chance for an especially advantageous union with Miss Darcy in favor of this, this unaccomplished wench with no wealth and connections to trade, simply because she has a pretty face! Look at where we are standing right now, Brother! Is this really the kind of people you want to be connected to by marriage??”

Jane could not help but wilt at the slew of insults, biting her lip to keep it from trembling. Oh, Lizzy, you tried to warn me…

Mr. Bingley, on the other hand, drew himself up to his full height and took a dangerous step towards his sister. “I have endured these degrading remarks against Miss Bennet for long enough. I will not be joining you for dinner. In fact, I will be returning to Netherfield immediately. I was a fool to believe that you had my best interests at heart when you warned me away from Miss Bennet, and now I doubt that Darcy truly cares for my well-being either! Does he also know that Miss Bennet is here in London?”

“Of course he does, Charles! He knew, as Louisa and I do, that a marriage to Jane Bennet would ruin you in the eyes of high society…”

She trailed off as her brother’s usually cheerful countenance turned cold with naked rage.

“I see. Then I believe there is nothing more to say,” her brother said, and pointed to the door. “Now, please, feel free to get out!”

Mr. Gardiner took this moment to step forward as well and said in an icy tone, “Miss Bingley, you are no longer welcome in my home. Remove yourself from these premises at once.”

“I will not!” Caroline shrieked. “Charles, you are making a horrible mistake by associating yourself with this woman and her family! Have you even considered the impact it will have on me?! What this will mean for my hopes to become the mistress of Pemberley?? Mr. Darcy would never dream of wedding a woman whose own brother is wed to…”

As Caroline continued to howl, Mr. Gardiner stepped out of the doorway to allow a manservant through, who seized the protesting woman by the arms and led her from the sitting room, with Jane staring dumbly after her. As Caroline’s shrieks grew further away, Mr. Gardiner nodded to Bingley, then walked out of the room and shut the door behind him to give her and Bingley privacy.

As soon as the door was closed, Bingley crossed the room towards her, and he said, “Miss Bennet, I cannot tell you how much I regret leaving Netherfield so abruptly. I was advised by those I thought I could trust that a match between us would be in error, that you did not care for me as I deeply care for you. Beyond that, I did not want you to feel obligated to marry me simply because of the entail on Longbourn. I see now that I was a fool, and I am genuinely sorry for the grief I caused you, plus I am guilty of precipitating this truly ugly scene in your uncle’s home. I cannot hope that you would forgive me, but…”

“I do forgive you, Mr. Bingley, with all my heart,” Jane said. She had recovered her color, and her cheeks now glowed rosy pink. As for her eyes, they shone with joy, and yes, forgiveness.

Bingley was not the sort of man who naturally made great gestures, but the relief, and yes, the adoration for this wonderful lady spurred him to fall on his knees before him and say, “Miss Bennet, the truth is that I loved you weeks ago, and I love you, if possible, even more now as I have missed you dreadfully. Miss Bennet, I ask you most humbly if you would be willing to become my wife.”

Jane sat stock-still in her chair, utterly astonished by this sudden turn of events.After a long moment, she realized that he was still waiting for her answer, and she choked out, “Oh, my dear Mr. Bingley, Charles , yes!”

/

The Coopers’ Cottage

Longbourn

Elizabeth stood on the path outside the cottage as her coachman knocked, absently studying the front of the building. The Coopers’ cottage was quaint and in good repair, providing shelter and comfort for the family of five who lived within. There was a bare area along the front wall which Elizabeth imagined held flowers during the spring and summer months. She shivered, thankful that there was not much wind today.

After a minute, Mrs. Cooper opened the door.

“Oh, Miss Elizabeth!” she exclaimed, wiping off her flour-dusted hands on her apron. She was a short and thin woman, with strands of wispy blonde hair escaping from under her cap. “I was not expecting you. Do come in out of the cold!”

“Thank you,” Elizabeth said gratefully, and she stepped inside along with the coachman. The interior of the cottage was warm and cozy and smelled of fresh bread.

“I heard that your family has been struggling of late, so I brought you all some meat and vegetables,” she explained, gesturing to the basket in her coachman’s hands.

“Oh, that is most kind of you,” Mrs. Cooper babbled as she accepted the offered basket. “Very kind indeed. I apologize for making you come all the way out here…”

“It is no trouble at all,” Elizabeth assured her as she looked about the cottage. The Coopers’ oldest daughter, Sophia, was in the kitchen kneading dough. She was very lovely, and she gave Elizabeth a thin smile, but she was visibly pale. There was no sign of Mr. Cooper or their two younger sons, and Elizabeth supposed they were out performing chores around the property.

“Is there anything else I can do for you?” Elizabeth asked, turning back to Mrs. Cooper as she spoke. “I am afraid I have heard no details of your difficulties.”

“Oh, I could not trouble you with it, Miss,” Mrs. Cooper said hastily.

“I am happy to help,” Elizabeth insisted. Heaven knew that she needed the distraction, what with Jane gone to Town and Mr. Wickham pursuing Miss King.

“Well,” Mrs. Cooper said, turning an apprehensive look on the coachman, and Elizabeth realized that the matter in question was a sensitive one.

Speaking to the man, she said, “Jack, please wait for me at the carriage.”

Jack tipped his hat and stepped back out the door, and Elizabeth turned her expectant gaze onto Mrs. Cooper again, whereupon the woman sighed gustily, wringing her hands together.

“I do not want to cause you further distress, but I would like to help if I can,” Elizabeth assured her.

Mrs. Cooper hesitated for a moment longer, and then said, “It is my dear Sophia.”

“Mamma, please,” Sophia interrupted, abandoning her task and hurrying to her mother’s side. “Pray, do not trouble Miss Elizabeth with this.”

“Someone ought to know, my daughter,” Mrs. Cooper rebuked her. Elizabeth looked between them, her brow knitted in concern.

“Sophia is with child,” Mrs. Cooper finally admitted. “She had intimate relations with one of the officers who is staying in Meryton for the winter. He promised to marry her, but since news of her pregnancy reached him, he has refused to have anything to do with her.”

Elizabeth’s hand flew to her mouth, first in shock, then in horror, as Sophia’s blue eyes welled up with tears.

“What a despicable man!” Elizabeth cried in outrage. “I demand to know the officer’s name!”

“His name is Wickham,” Sophia sobbed out. “He said we would be married. He said that he loved me.”

This declaration shocked Elizabeth into stunned silence. Wickham? No, it could not be. It was impossible that the handsome, charming officer could seduce a seventeen-year-old girl. But Sophia was sobbing into her hands now, and her mother was rattling on again. “I told her – I raised her to be prudent and careful in her relationships, to never allow such liberties before marriage, and here we are! Trusting a man – a militia man, no less – at seventeen!”

“Mrs. Cooper,” Elizabeth managed to stutter out through her shock. “Have you … have you met the man? Have you spoken to him?”

Perhaps this was some great misunderstanding.

“I have, and Mr. Cooper as well,” Mrs. Cooper affirmed. “And Wickham claims to have never been with her. But my Sophia is not a liar.”

Elizabeth nodded numbly. She had known the girl since she was a child, and Sophia had always been trustworthy. She could still hardly believe it, but she forced herself to reassure both mother and daughter. “Please do not despair, either of you. I will try to arrange for a safe place for Sophia to stay through her pregnancy and delivery.”

Sophia sniffled, dabbing at her eyes with her apron and trying to stop her tears. Then, to Elizabeth’s distress, the girl suddenly rushed away; a moment later, Elizabeth could hear her sobbing as if her heart would break.

“Miss Elizabeth, I thank you, but please do not feel that this is your responsibility.” Mrs. Cooper said hastily, her head turned toward where her daughter had disappeared to. “We, of course, appreciate your willingness...”

“I insist,” Elizabeth interrupted. “I have had the misfortune of meeting the man you speak of, and I am all too aware of his charming demeanor. I can…”

She swallowed. “I can understand how he led your daughter astray. But surely ... I know that Mr. Wickham arrived only in November. Are you entirely certain that Sophia is pregnant?”

The older woman sighed deeply and nodded. “Sophia has been very regular with her courses, and she has been sick. She feels just as I did with all my pregnancies. She is not far enough along to feel the quickening, but there is no doubt, Miss, none at all.”

Elizabeth swallowed hard and said, “Then I promise you that I will help.”

Mrs. Cooper was obviously startled, but she nodded gratefully. “Then, God bless you, and thank you.”

Elizabeth bid the woman farewell and then ducked out of the cottage and back to her waiting carriage. Only once she was inside and the door shut behind her did she allow herself to break down into tears. She was utterly horrified and so ashamed of herself for trusting Wickham so thoroughly.

Sophia was young, no older than her own sister Kitty, and now Wickham had ruined her for his own amusement. Elizabeth knew that with his charm and wit and gentleman-like appearance, no one would believe the Cooper family if they tried to force him to marry her, and Elizabeth would hate for dear Sophia to be bound to such a man, anyway. Wickham, whom she had once praised as the best of men, was in fact a cruel seducer and a liar.

Elizabeth dried her tears and forced herself to think rationally. Perhaps she could contact her aunt and uncle in London and ask whether they would be willing to take in Sophia for her pregnancy and the birth of her child. That would, at the very least, take her away from Meryton, where the locals would thrive on such enticing gossip as the ruination of a tenant girl.