Page 63 of Saving Jane
“Mr Bingley, allow me to walk to the door with you,” Jane said as she took his arm and directed him to the front door.
Mrs Gardiner sent her children to the garden with Nanny Brice before she turned to Elizabeth and said, “My dear, why anyone would want to join the ton is beyond me. We have not met any of them who appear to be happy or satisfied with their lot in life.”
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That afternoon, Mr Bingley, Mr Darcy and Miss Darcy called at the parsonage for tea. Mrs Gardiner remained close to Jane throughout the call as the Darcy brother and sister commanded all of Elizabeth’s attention and Mr Bingley balanced his attention between Miss Bennet and his sister.
After the guests had left, Caroline addressed Elizabeth directly. “I noticed the way Mr Darcy looks at you Miss Elizabeth. He is a great man and will require the daughter of an Earl as his bride.”
She preened for a moment before saying, “Do you expect he will offer to make you his mistress?”
Jane and Elizabeth were shocked by the guest’s question, but their aunt turned the full force of her gaze upon the woman.
“Miss Bingley, have you taken leave of your senses?” asked Mrs Gardiner. “I understand you are disappointed in your hopes but if you persist in this lack of manners and decorum, I shall turn you out of this house and you can sleep in the stable!”
Miss Bingley sneered, “My brother will never allow...”
“Your brother is to be much pitied!” Now Mrs Gardiner stood over Miss Bingley. “I no longer wonder that your brother has been unable to arrange a marriage of any kind. Apparently twentythousand is not a large enough inducement to young men in want of a wife after they have met you.”
Caroline stared at the woman–the wife of a tradesman–speaking thusly to her.
“And I remind you of your place Caroline Bingley–your father was a tradesman the same as my husband. My nieces are daughters of a gentleman and placed much higher in society than you. They take precedence over you in any procession to dinner or a ball!”
“I...”
Leaning forward, Aunt Gardiner warned the younger woman thusly, “If you continue in this manner Miss Bingley, you will be alone and friendless in rented rooms somewhere without family or friendly faces for the many years of your life. I suggest that you not drive your brother away as you have your sister and her husband.”
Without a word, Miss Bingley rose fromthe sofa and removed to her room upstairs.
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Chapter 28.Mr Darcy’s Visit to Parsonage
The next morning, Elizabeth and Jane exchanged sighs of relief when the maid informed them that Miss Bingley would break her fast in the privacy of her room. The housekeeper mentioned to Jane that Miss Bingley’s maid had again this morning requested the assistance of the maid-of-all-work to iron Miss Bingley’s garments.
“She insists that her undergarments be ironed each morning, so they are warm when she slips into them, miss,” the housekeeper explained. She nodded toward the maid and said, “Mary’s becoming a good girl but she’s working hard to keep up with Miss Bingley’s maid’s requests for assistance.”
“It should only be for another day,” Jane replied. “Mr Bingley is to take her to town or to Bath as soon as his carriage arrives.”
“Forgive me miss but tell ‘im to not spare th’ whip and get them horses here!” the housekeeper said loud enough for Elizabeth and Mrs Gardiner to hear. The three ladies shared a glance and turned their attention back to the meal. Mrs Gardiner and Jane’s efforts in the parsonage paid off with a better performance by the cook and the maids, a cleaner dining room, brighter windows, and much improved tea and toast.
“I shall spend the morning with cook and show her how to make proper strawberry preserves,” Mrs Gardiner said. “Do you feel you can entertain the gentlemen without me this morning?”
“What gentlemen Aunt?” Elizabeth asked.
“Why Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley, of course,” Mrs Gardiner replied. “Or did I forget to mention they were coming to call this morning?”
“Aunt!” Jane fussed but Elizabeth focused on her toast while her aunt watched her very carefully. As soon as the morning was old enough, there was a knock on the door and the maid escorted Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley into the parlour.
After the proper greetings were exchanged, Elizabeth asked, “Did Miss Darcy not wish to visit this morning?”
“She felt as though she should spend the morning practicing the pianoforte,” Darcy said.
“And avoid my sister,” Bingley whispered.
Hearing the sound of men’s voices below stairs, Caroline came below stairs wearing a day dress. “The rooms in this parsonage are horrid. This is just primitive–a hovel. Miss Bennet, I cannot imagine how you will live here.”
“Caroline, I believe that this is much like our home in York where we were born; it certainly has more rooms than we had when we were children.”
