A New Bride for Pemberley Read online

  “I had not made up my mind to take the place until just this very moment,” Bingley told her, his smile widening. “But, with such a prospect before me as a country dance attended by such lovely young women, how could I possibly refuse the place now? I shall close with my solicitor directly. Good afternoon to you all.”

  Bingley vaulted back onto his steed with an excellent form, and the two gentlemen rode off soon after. The girls wasted no time before they began to swoon.

  “Such a handsome gentleman!” said Jane, fanning herself. “He near took my breath away!”

  “And you have done an excellent job of intriguing him, I might add,” said Elizabeth, smirking. “You shall have him completely in love with you in short order. And he seemed quite the amiable fellow, too! I would not be amazed if you soon came to love him too.”

  Chapter Three

  Upon their return to Longbourn, the Bennet girls were quite excited to tell Mrs. Bennet all about their day. It was Lydia, of course, who first explained.

  “Mama, you shall never guess at our news, so I shall simply have to tell you!” she said excitedly. “We had it first from Aunt Phillips, who is good friends with Mrs. Norris. Mrs. Norris shall be retained to keep house, now that it’s all decided, of course. Do you not think so, Lizzy?”

  “Oh yes, of course,” Elizabeth agreed.

  “Kept on where, my dear?” Mrs. Bennet asked curiously.

  “Netherfield Park, Mama,” said Jane as she removed her bonnet. “A young man of good fortune has just decided to take the place.”

  “A handsome young man of good fortune,” Elizabeth added. “Jane is quite taken with him already.”

  “Stop it, Lizzy! Mr. Bingley paid no particular attention to me, and why should he?” Jane complained. “He had never seen me before today.”

  “Am I to understand that you girls have already seen this Mr. Bingley?” asked Mrs. Bennet uneasily. “But my dears, you know you ought not to speak to such a one when he has never met your father! Mr. Bennet? I insist that when Mr. Bingley moves into Netherfield, you must go and greet him immediately!”

  “I see no occasion for it,” said Mr. Bennet without ever looking up from the letter he was idly reading.

  “Nonsense! If you do not see the occasion, it is only because you have not heard a word we were saying just now, else you should be much more eager to employ yourself,” she huffed. “What is that letter you are keeping so close, sir?”

  “Ah, the letter,” he said, his smile somewhat mysterious as he looked at them all. “This letter comes from a man who I have never met in the whole of my life, but who has the power to cast each and every one of you from Longbourn the moment I die, if he should like.”

  “The odious, wretched Mr. Collins,” Mrs. Bennet shuddered. “Do not mention his name to me, sir, for I cannot stomach it, you must know! That the estate should be entailed away from our daughters simply because they are women is the most dreadful business. If I were Mr. Collins, I should not want to take the estate away from the girls at all.”

  “Well, my dear, I know that you are predisposed to dislike my cousin, but perhaps if I read out the portion of this rather long missive which most pertains to the members of this room, you will be less fervent in your disgust as a result.”

  “Then you must read it at once, sir,” she agreed. “For, I am never easy when I have succumbed to a foul mood.”

  “I shall skip over a bit as I go, of course, since otherwise we might well be here all night,” Mr. Bennet added, smirking at them before he continued on. “Dear Sir, the disagreement subsisting between yourself and my late father always made me uneasy. Now that he is lost to us, I have often wished to heal the breach.” He raised a bushy eyebrow at her and said, “There, Mrs. Bennet, you see? He intends to make amends in some small way, surely? He continues on to say that owing to the patronage of the Right Honourable Lady Catherine de Bourgh, widow of Sir Lewis, that he has been given the rectory of the parish near her estate. Here it is: I flatter myself that my present overtures are highly commendable, and that the circumstances of my being next in the entail of Longbourn estate will be kindly overlooked on your side, and not lead you to reject the offered olive branch. I cannot be otherwise than concerned at being the means of injuring your amiable daughters, and beg leave to apologize for it, as well as to assure you of my readiness to make every possible amends.”

  “Amends, sir?” she gasped. “Whatever can he mean?”

  “It means, my dear wife, that the gentleman intends to call upon our family to some end, and the date he has chosen for his arrival is to be expected quite soon. In point of fact, he shall arrive tomorrow and shall remain here about three weeks.”

  “Three weeks!” Mrs. Bennet complained. “That we should be forced to endure the company of the very man who will be the instrument of our future destruction for any length of time is completely intolerable. But three weeks? I shall end up going peculiar!”

  “But I know that you will welcome him with all politeness, just as you would for any other visitor. Now, pray, will you tell me for what reason I am meant to display myself before another man I have never met when he arrives?”

  “Only listen to what your daughters have been saying, sir,” said Mrs. Bennet, once again warming to her topic. “They have met with Mr. Bingley already. Spoken to him, to be more precise. It is insupportable that your daughters would become acquainted with a gentleman you have not approved of, and yet they have once again flouted the conventions of society to follow their own wants and whims.”

  “My daughters are all silly enough girls, though I suppose that Lizzy has a bit more wit than the rest of them,” he said with a shrug. “I fancy that if they did speak with Mr. Bingley, that they must have done so with economy and hopefully with politeness as well. It is of no great importance, therefore, and I do not find any need for a special visit to mark the occasion. It is certain that once he comes into the neighborhood, I should have plenty of chances to know him without particularly seeking him out.”

  “Mr. Bennet, how can you be so dull?” she complained. “You must know that a young man of good fortune is an excellent means for our girls. He might very well ask for one of their hands, sir, and so you must make yourself known to him as soon as possible. For we cannot be friends with him if you are not, sir, as well you know!”

  Mr. Bennet grimaced. “Why must I interrupt my day for such nonsense? Why don’t you go to visit him yourself, and leave me out of it? In fact, you would be better served to send the girls alone, my dear. You are just as beautiful as the rest, and Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the party.”

  Mrs. Bennet’s face colored, for her husband was often filled with such capriciousness, both vexing and complimenting his wife at the same time. Elizabeth suppressed a chuckle as he cast her a smirk on the sly.

  “Sir, you know quite well you spout nonsense,” she scolded him. “A woman my age, with five grown daughters, ought to have given over thoughts of her own beauty when she has so many young ladies to promote.”

  He laughed at this concept. “Any woman who would do that must not have had a great deal of beauty to begin with. But, if you simply must have my approbation in it, I’ll tell you what I am willing to do. I shall write to Mr. Bingley and inform him he may have my blessing to marry any of my daughters he might choose. Will that satisfy the matter? Though, you know, I simply must put in a good word for my little Lizzy if I do so.”

  “Sir, I pray you will not write to him at all if you must promote Lizzy over the rest,” she said, ire definitely gaining the upper hand over flattery now. “She is no better than the others, for all that you may favor her. Jane is much more beautiful, and Lydia is the sweetest in disposition. No, there is no point to such, as well you know. A letter could never do. If you will not visit the gentleman when he comes, then all hope is lost.”

  “An impassioned speech, to be sure,” said Mr. Bennet as he got to his feet and headed for the door. “And yet I remain unmoved, my
dear. I have no intentions to do anything more than that, you may be sure.”

  Elizabeth’s father soon disappeared, and the sound of the library door closing with slightly more force that usual met all of their ears. It was certain now that he had gone, not one sight of him would be had again before the evening meal.

  Chapter Four

  All the excitement to be expected upon hearing that Mr. Bingley had found a house of his own was enjoyed over the next week, much of it spilling over into Pemberley as well due to Mr. Darcy’s involvement in the matter. Bingley’s mother, Mrs. Wells, and indeed Mr. Wells, her current husband, were both quite keen on the notion that they would soon have Lancaster House to themselves, since Charles had invited Caroline to come along and keep his house.

  “It will be good practice for me, I believe,” Caroline said with enthusiasm as she cast Darcy a sly look. “For, when I marry someday, my skills as a housekeeper could only help to recommend me to such a suitor.”

  “Let us hope so, Caroline, since your sharp wit certainly does not,” he replied.

  “Oh, Mr. Darcy, you are too cruel,” she complained. “But do not imagine I missed the amusement you try to hide. You know that I have already taken your measure.”

  “I certainly do not know of what you speak. You are quite mistaken in the matter. Even Anne herself did not comprehend me well, madam, and she had much greater opportunity to undertake the study.”

  “Anne did not care to learn all there is to know, sir,” Caroline scoffed. “She was too sickly to think of much beyond her own needs—and who could blame her, really? For, if her constitution had been better, she might still be with us, Mr. Darcy. You must miss her dreadfully.”

  “I will say nothing which might encourage your further impertinence, Miss Bingley,” he scolded. “My feelings, for good or ill, are my own to keep. And you are meant to be packing today, not lingering here with me. You have but three days more to prepare for the journey.”

  “Nonsense,” she scoffed. “I have servants who are paid to help me. My belongings shall all be dealt with accordingly. If I should wish to, I could remain here the entire evening.”

  Darcy frowned at such a blatant suggestion. Caroline hoped to bait him into an indiscretion, so that she might convince him to marry her. But Darcy could never be indiscrete with the woman, since he had no attraction to her whatsoever. Not when he knew what she really was—cold, calculating, and selfish. It was not him she desired, but his house, his money, and all the finery he could provide her. She was not going to get it from his quarter, and would need to seek it somewhere else.

  “I have grown weary, I believe,” he said, sighing. “If you will continue on here, you will need to content yourself with the attentions of my sister, for I am going to rest. Good afternoon, Miss Bingley.”

  Whatever protests she might have made to this course of action fell on deaf ears. Darcy stalked out and closed the door behind him, then headed for the stairs. One of the maids encountered him as he was glaring at the wall, and he said to her, “The portraits of Anne ought to be moved into the gallery, now that she is no longer here. It would not be seemly for them to be so dominant, if I should bring another woman here.”

  “Have you found such a one, sir?”

  “I have not,” he said briskly. “However, it never hurts to be prepared. Please see that it is done as soon as possible.”

  “Yes, sir,” she said, bobbing as she continued on her way. “I’ll let Mrs. Reynolds know.”

  With a satisfied nod, Darcy continued toward the stairs. If he could avoid Caroline for the next three days, he would certainly be well pleased.

  *****

  “I’ve got to hand it to you, Bingley, you made quick work of procuring the necessary servants, populating some of your rooms with furniture, and ensuring that word of your arrival into the area was spread to every person who would advance it to others. You are to be commended, sir. And did you make absolutely certain that the Bennet sisters would be made aware? I know how well you were impressed with Miss Jane Bennet the other day. But to purchase an entire house simply because of a girl with a pretty face? That is what I must call expensive tastes!” Darcy said to his friend as they sat in a Netherfield parlor a few days later.”

  “Come now, Darcy, you must not tease me,” Bingley complained. “Miss Bennet is an angel—a sheer delight. I could no more ignore such a woman than you could leave behind the hound now imposing herself about my feet.”

  “Brittany is likely to whelp in another month complete, and she does not do well with anyone but me,” Darcy said, shrugging. “Besides, Francesca simply cannot do without her. The two of them are constant companions at home. Do not change the subject, sir. Admit it; you bought Netherfield because you hope to get closer to Miss Bennet.”

  “Perhaps I did, sir,” he smirked. “And I think it would be grand of you to get closer to one of her sisters. Only think, Mr. Darcy, if I should marry Miss Jane, and you were to marry Miss Elizabeth, the two of us could become brothers. Since I’m certain you would not wish to gain that distinction through marrying my sister!”

  Darcy shuddered. Then he started racking his brain, trying to remember which sister Elizabeth was, and whether she had even been pleasing. Certainly, his mind at the time was on other matters, and he had not spoken to any of the girls, yet in the back of his mind he could just manage to remember a petite young woman with a curvy figure. Either that, or his mind was conjuring up such a girl and hoping to find her.

  “I know not enough of Miss Elizabeth Bennet to judge any feeling I would have for her,” he told his friend.

  “Then you shall certainly be reminded of her beauty when we attend the assembly dance on Thursday,” said Bingley. “For I intend to keep my word. In fact, I even heard all the particulars from Sir William himself when he came calling to welcome me into the area just yesterday. Quite a pleasant fellow, I must say. Oh yes, and while he was here, I also received a visit from Mr. Bennet.”

  “Mr. Bennet?” Darcy asked, curious despite himself. “What was that gentleman like? Surely he has gone peculiar, living with a wife and five daughters every day.”

  Bingley laughed. “He seems to take it with remarkable ease, sir. In fact, he was quite affable, really. Though, I would say he reminds me greatly of you in many ways. The same sense of irony, and that wry, half-smile you often employ.”

  “Truly?” Darcy asked, smiling in just such a way. “I thought I had noticed the trait in Miss Bennet’s face. Perhaps she inherited it from him directly?”

  “I certainly noticed the resemblance between the gentleman and Miss Elizabeth, I must say,” Bingley added. “Though, since his hair is white, I cannot say if he was once dark or fair. We shall have to await a glimpse of the mother to complete that puzzle.”

  “I confess, Bingley, that matching up children to their parents was not a habit of mine until quite recently, when my own child arrived. But, since both Anne and I have the same hair and eyes, I should not guess at which parent Francesca favors the most.”

  “She is still young enough that her true features have yet to be known,” he said, shrugging. “Give her another year or so.”

  Darcy nodded at this sage advice. Then he said, “I wonder if any of the Bennet sisters likes children. It was certainly too brief an interlude with them to find out.”

  “Perhaps you shall find out at the dance?” suggested Bingley.

  “Oh yes? And how is that to work? Excuse me, Miss Bennet, would you care to dance? Why yes, sir! Oh, by the way, I have a ten month old daughter. Do you happen to like children? Because now that my wife is dead, she is in need of a mother.”

  “I dare say that would not be the best introduction, Darcy,” said Bingley, laughing. “You ought to gain the girl’s interest first, and mention the child afterwards.”

  “Deceitful, do you not find? To raise the girl’s hopes, and then if she should not like the notion of motherhood, to dash them most abominably. I should not wish to do so.” />
  “It is a dance, sir, not an interview,” Bingley scolded. “For once, you should attempt only to have some fun, and not worry so much about all the details. All right?”

  Darcy nodded. “I shall try.”

  Chapter Five

  Mr. Collins was precisely what a young man who had been given a parsonage ought to be, as far as Elizabeth could see. He was not too handsome, not too tall, and much too staid for any conversation beyond one which involved religion. And, to her way of thinking, he was not particularly sensible, yet thought himself much too self-important for his own good. In fact, the only person he gave more importance to than himself was his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

  In the five days he had been among them, he had made it abundantly clear what he had come for. His numerous hints about the need for a wife could be too singular to be dismissed, and the gentleman was much too liberal with his compliments to each of the sisters. Elizabeth began to fear, however, that perhaps his attentions were becoming more settled on herself.