Darcy, Knight Errant (Elizabeth and Darcy True Love Multiverse)

6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Sometimes Darcy wondered how people like Bingley could exist. He had more energy than any three other men and, at times, seemed to vibrate with it. Of course, that could have something to do with his odd attachment to always drinking coffee. Darcy might have enjoyed a cup of the brew in the morning while he reviewed reports, but Bingley was constantly drinking the stuff night and day.

Despite Bingley’s invitation to discuss something important, he knew not to expect Bingley to be concise. So they played billiards and eventually ate, but still Darcy did not know why he was there. At least they were at his club. It was always preferable to meet at their club rather than either of their homes because of Bingley’s sister.

Twisting his wineglass on the table in front of him, Darcy said, “So, what was so important that you needed to see me today?”

Putting his cup of coffee down with a slosh, Bingley leaned forward and exclaimed, “That’s right. I asked you here to talk to you about the property!”

“What property?” asked Darcy.

Grinning, Bingley announced, “I found a property outside of town. It is about a morning’s ride from here and I leased it for the year, starting… Well, I cannot remember at the moment when I take control of it, but I leased it!”

Letting go of his glass, Darcy forced himself not to just react and instead ask questions. He had learned recently what jumping to conclusions could do. So he asked, “When did you view the property?” All the while, he hoped his friend had actually seen the place before leasing it.

Fidgeting in his chair, Bingley replied, “Three days ago. While I know that Caroline will complain because it is not London or Pemberley, I found the place to be all that is pleasant.” Bingley stopped to take another sip of his coffee before saying, “I wanted to agree to leasing it on the spot, but I remembered what you said about contemplating important decisions. So I told the man I toured the place with, a Mr. Philips, that I would give him a reply the next day. I thought it over all night and the next morning and by noon, I had sent off an express to Mr. Philips asking him to start the process of leasing the estate. As of this morning, everything is in order, and I am hoping to get you to come along with me and help me learn the process of becoming a landed gentleman.”

Resuming the twisting of his wineglass, Darcy tried to digest all that his friend had said. He had always known that Bingley had wanted to obtain an estate. Darcy had even suggested to him to start off by leasing an estate. But Bingley also wanted a matched set of bays and a white dog for some reason, and he had yet to acquire either of those. On the one hand, it seemed odd to Darcy that he would make such a big move without consulting him, but on the other, he was slightly encouraged that he was finally making decisions on his own.

There was a reason his cousin had called Bingley the puppy for so long. Bingley had had the tendency to trail after him ever since his first days at Cambridge. He was always asking his opinion and asking for advice before acting on anything. It was possible that this was the first move towards independence. If that was the case, he certainly wanted to support such an endeavor. “When are you planning to go there and take possession of the place?”

After finishing off his coffee, Bingley gestured to the silent man in the corner of the room. Soon enough, someone refilled his cup and offered milk and sugar before Bingley responded with, “It is mine as of Michaelmas, or some time around then and it comes fully furnished with staff in place. So I hope to arrive as soon as I may. Please say you will come with me.”

Darcy considered his eager friend’s smile. Besides his cousin Richard, Bingley was the only person he was close to. He knew many people could not puzzle out their relationship, as he was always dour, and Bingley was gregarious. Despite their differences, Bingley was a staunch friend. He saw through Darcy’s fierce scowl to the man who had never learned to travel easily through the sea of humanity. Bingley had consistently come to Darcy’s aid when he felt overwhelmed at social gatherings. The cheerful man had a knack for deflecting the debutantes and their mothers, a skill that Darcy lacked when he felt like a fox being chased. Of course, he would help his friend as he tried to learn estate management.

With a nod, Darcy said, “I will be there. Though I tell you now that I will not ride in a carriage with your sister.” Darcy could not help shudder, remembering the last time he had ended up in a carriage with Caroline Bingley and her sister, Mrs. Hurst. Normally he was better able to ward the woman off, but through some contrivance that resulted in him having to let someone go for taking a bribe, she had ended up in his carriage. She spent the whole time accidentally falling against him when the carriage hit a bump in the road.

“Still sorry about that, by the way. I have talked with her on more than one occasion about her behavior towards you. I have told her flat out that you will never marry her, but it has not seemed to help.” Shaking his head, Bingley took several gulps of his coffee and Darcy tried to remember if it was his third or fourth cup since they had arrived at the club. With a chuckle, Bingley added, “I have just told Caroline that I will take the place in Meryton, and that Louisa has agreed to be my hostess. I know Caroline would want to do it, but I am afraid that she would drive the staff away within a week with her ostentatious demands. I have also told her we may not do any redecorating. She would paint everything in that horrible burnt orange that she thinks is all the rage this season and I cannot abide the color.”

Darcy could not help wince at the thought of a parlor or a sitting room full of such a horrid shade. He knew that one of the leading ladies of the ton had cruelly told her the shade was in style so that she could joke about Miss Bingley behind her back with her gossiping friends. It had also been his guess that the lady had told Miss Bingley that she was one of the few ladies who could pull off the color because she wanted to spot her in the room so that she could avoid her annoying presence.

Turning his mind from Miss Bingley, he asked, “What is the estate called?”

With his eyebrows raised in excitement, Bingley replied, “We will be going to Netherfield.”

To Elizabeth, it felt as if time was flying towards her departure from London. Already she was enjoying her second shopping trip with Georgianna. They had gone through several shops looking at various bits and bobs and had even stopped at Hatchards. All told, Elizabeth had found something to gift each of her family members. Now she and Georgianna, along with Mrs. Annesley, were on their way to Gunter’s Tea Shop for a special treat.

“I simply cannot believe you will leave for your home in two more days. I have become so accustomed to having your company that I do not know what I will do with myself once you are gone,” Georgianna sighed.

Wrapping her arm around Georgianna’s slender shoulders, Elizabeth said, “Neither of us live in London year-round. If it was not me leaving, it would be you. Besides, you know your brother has given you permission to exchange letters with me. I fully expect to get a letter from you once a sennight or once a fortnight, if you find yourself truly busy.”

Giggling at Elizabeth’s comment, Georgianna took a moment to respond. “I suppose I will have to be satisfied with letters until we can contrive to meet again. Though I cannot picture myself so busy that I could not write you, Lizzie.”

Tilting her head in apparent consideration, Elizabeth tapped her chin with a finger before saying, “I do not know, Georgie. Your brother just arranged for you to have lessons with Master Rossini, and I know how fixated you get when you are learning a new piece. Besides, I know Mrs. Annesley said she was going to help teach you how to handle household accounts, along with Darcy House’s housekeeper.”

Hugging Elizabeth back, Georgianna replied, “I may be busy, but I will always have time to write you, and you have promised to reply no matter how busy you get helping at your family’s estate.”

“Yes, I promise to write to you at least as often, possibly more. Now no more of this morose thinking. We are going to Gunter’s—we cannot be sad when we are about to have ices!” Looking across the carriage at the kindly woman, Elizabeth made a point about drawing her into the conversation. “Mrs. Annesley, you must tell me what flavor you will be trying.”

Mrs. Annesley smiled before saying, “I have always been fond of the fruit flavors they have. Last time I think I enjoyed bergamot, but I do not know what they might have this time. What about you, Miss Bennet? Do you enjoy any flavor over the others?”

Looking back and forth between Georgianna and Mrs. Annesley, Elizabeth remarked, “You have found me out. I cannot help trying the oddest flavor I see. It is a failing of mine, I know, but I cannot fight the impulse to try flavors I could not have previously imagined.”

Covering her mouth to stifle her sputtering laugh, Georgianna’s attempts to hide her amusement were in vain. Unable to contain herself any longer, she burst out and asked, “What is the worst thing you have tried?”

Biting her lip, Elizabeth pondered the many flavors she had tasted over the years. “Definitely brown bread,” she finally replied, wrinkling her nose.

Shaking her head, Mrs. Annesley asked, “Why not just stick with something you know you will like? You had to have had many flavors that were not so enjoyable.”

With a shrug, Elizabeth said, “But what if there is a flavor out there that I could absolutely love, and I never find it because I did not try it?”

Still giggling, Georgianna asked, “Have you at least tried some flavors that you have enjoyed?”

Nodding, Elizabeth listed them off on her fingers that as she said, “Green tea, blackberry, and oddly enough, burnt filbert. Though I have tried many flavors that were fine, those three have proved to be my favorite.”

Glancing out the window, Georgianna exclaimed, “I wish we were closer to arriving. I am impatient to see what flavors of ices they will have today! For some reason, I find I am inspired to try something new.” She glanced at Elizabeth with a smirk.

Elizabeth was happy to see Georgianna exhibiting such cheer. So much about her demeanor had changed in the three weeks they had been in close association. Of course, the girl might continue to struggle with melancholy thoughts and regrets, but the fact that she could laugh with her was remarkable. While it was not Elizabeth’s obligation to assist Georgianna in rediscovering her smile, she found solace in knowing that her attempts to befriend her had not been fruitless.

Then, too, the relationship had not been one-sided. Elizabeth had learned about the dangers of men, like the one they only referred to as the villain. With stories of his deceit and manipulation echoing in her mind, Elizabeth felt better prepared to protect herself and her sisters moving forward.

At one point, she had worried Mrs. Annesley would take issue with all that Georgianna was saying. However, Mrs. Annesley had been remarkably compassionate, explaining that she felt Georgianna needed to purge the pain the villain caused from her system and having an understanding friend who accepted her despite knowing all would certainly help matters. Elizabeth felt a deep sense of honor knowing that Mrs. Annesley had entrusted her with such an important role.

Taking note that they were arriving by the slowing of the carriage, Elizabeth asked Mrs. Annesley, “Will you join us in trying a new flavor, Mrs. Annesley?”

Had Mrs. Annesley not been a companion and tasked with always displaying proper comportment, Elizabeth thought she might have rolled her eyes at her question. As it was, she wrinkled her nose and said, “The thought of not fully relishing my treat is enough to prevent me from taking any risks in choosing my flavor. Though I might pick a fruit flavor I have not yet tried.” Elizabeth could not help but chuckle at the way Mrs. Annesley stood her ground.

When the door opened and the footman helped Georgianna down, Elizabeth followed with a smile on her face. She was glad that her Aunt Madeline had encouraged her to spend extra time with Georgianna before she left for Longbourn. Making friends was a truly delightful endeavor. Up until that point Elizabeth was only truly close to Jane and possibly Charlotte but now Georgianna, and even Mrs. Annesley, were turning into the best of friends a young lady could have.

There was something very reassuring about watching her charge and Miss Bennet chat about their ices. Mrs. Annesley had been worried about drawing Miss Darcy out of her reticence. She had tried several things that had not worked, but meeting the cheerful Miss Bennet had done wonders. Now Miss Darcy was actually smiling in public and laughing when at home. Not only that, but she was gaining more confidence in herself and her interests. Oh, she might always be quiet with strangers, but Mrs. Annesley no longer feared for the girl.

Taking a small bite of her lemon ice, Mrs. Annesley let it melt on her tongue, enjoying the burst of flavor. Her choice left her feeling quite satisfied. She could not imagine trying Parmesan the way Miss Bennet had. No, she would stick with her fruit flavored ices, thank you very much.

“Oh, my dear Miss Darcy! What a pleasure to see you here.” The rather cloying voice that came from behind Mrs. Annesley was one that she recognized. Turning, she saw both Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst approach. Taking a deep breath to fortify herself, Mrs. Annesley studied Miss Darcy, waiting to see how she would handle the latest confrontation with Miss Bingley.

Eyes widening for a moment, Miss Darcy glanced briefly at Miss Bennet and Mrs. Annesley before facing Miss Bingley and saying, “Hello, Miss Bingley, Mrs. Hurst.”

Miss Bingley shook her head in a way that sent the dyed ostrich plumes in her turban twitching. Stepping even closer to Miss Darcy, she prattled, “I was just telling my sister that we should come by and visit you. We tried to see you last week, but your butler told us you were not at home. Isn’t that right, Louisa?” It did not escape Mrs. Annesley’s notice that Miss Bingley was entirely ignoring Miss Bennet and herself. Mrs. Annesley had grown accustomed to this behavior from the social climber. Miss Bingley was of the opinion that you did not speak with staff unless absolutely necessary and she felt Mrs. Annesley’s role as a companion put her firmly in that category.

As for ignoring Miss Bennet, that was another of her failings. Miss Bingley always assumed that unless she knew a person, they were of no consequence. And if they were of no consequence, they were better off ignored or possibly derided. The companion in Mrs. Annesley wanted to help her correct the issue before she destroyed her reputation by snubbing the wrong person, but the human in her could not wait for it to happen, and she hoped that she would be there to see it. As Miss Bingley never asked for advice and rarely acknowledged her presence, Mrs. Annesley assumed that Miss Bingley would bring about her own downfall at some point or another. Really the only question was how soon it would happen. As it was, Miss Bingley only hovered on the edges of society because various ladies liked to use her for the gossip she acquired and to make themselves look better by comparison.

Growing tired of waiting for Mrs. Hurst’s reply, Miss Bingley resorted to stepping on her older sister’s foot in a rather unladylike manner. Faced with Miss Bingley’s attack, Mrs. Hurst could only let out a timid squeak and demurred, “Yes, Sister.” Then, turning away from the table, she continued to eye the displays of treats that had apparently garnered her attention.

Miss Darcy glanced her way and Mrs. Annesley understood her confusion. Miss Darcy faced a dilemma as Miss Bingley had not posed a clear question, making it challenging for her to respond truthfully without appearing rude. It would be impolite to say that she wasn’t home because Miss Darcy had explicitly told the butler that she was never at home if Miss Bingley was calling.

Rescuing Miss Darcy from Miss Bingley’s expectant gaze, Mrs. Annesley said, “You forget that Miss Darcy is not out and as such, she would not be home to callers.”

Miss Bingley flashed a glare at Mrs. Annesley before she could control her expression. “Oh, but surely, as such a close friend, silly rules like that need not apply to me. Isn’t that so, Georgianna?” Reaching out, Miss Bingley attempted to lay her hand on Miss Darcy’s arm, but Miss Darcy moved out of reach by reaching out to stir her cup of tea.

Where a month ago Miss Darcy might have frozen at such a display by Miss Bingley, now she handled it with grace and even a little fire. Looking up at Miss Bingley, Miss Darcy said, “Oh, but it is so important to pay attention to society’s rules, Miss Bingley. I would have imagined that your education at that ladies’ seminary would have covered such topics.”

Smothering what appeared to be a smile behind her serviette, Miss Bennet watched as Miss Darcy looked at Miss Bingley, her expression guileless. Miss Bingley, on the other hand, seemed to develop a twitch that once again set the feathers in her turban fluttering about. After a moment, her expression cleared, and she said, “You are correct, Georgianna. Following society’s dictates is an important habit to follow. You are so wise for someone so young. In fact, I think you are an example to young ladies everywhere. I think that might be why my brother is ever so fond of you.”

Mrs. Annesley knew that Miss Bingley wanted to appear to be closer to the Darcy family than she was, so she often tried to use Miss Darcy’s familiar name while in public. It was not a habit Mrs. Annesley would allow without censure, so she said, “It is Miss Darcy , Miss Bingley.” She waited for Miss Bingley to look her way before explaining, “You addressed Miss Darcy as Georgianna, but you do not have permission to do so. It is another one of those pesky rules that we all must follow if we are to participate in society.”

Mouth in a hard line, Miss Bingley nodded her head before saying, “You are too good to remind me, Mrs. Annesley. It must come so easily to you, having learned it well in your role as a companion.”

Shaking her head, Mrs. Annesley replied, “No, that was a lesson I learned long ago from my mother, Lady Clare.”

Two bright spots of pink suffused Miss Bingley’s cheeks as she turned back to Miss Darcy. “It is always such a pleasure to spend time with you no matter how briefly, Miss Darcy, my dear, but my sister and I must go.” With only a nod only to Miss Darcy, she turned to leave, dragging her protesting sister with her. Apparently, Mrs. Hurst had been looking forward to enjoying one of the many treats being offered at Gunter’s.

They all finished their treats rather quickly after that before making their way to the carriage. As they pulled away from the curb, Miss Bennet burst out laughing. Soon they were all laughing, though after a time Miss Bennet said, “I thought her feathers were going to flit right out of her turban.”