Page 86 of To Go Against Her Heart
“You see, Mr. Darcy, I have also been a keen observer of you ever since the evening you called me tolerable at the ball,” she said, which fetched a frown from him.
“Will you not stop bringing the subject up for the rest of our lives?” he asked with irritation.
“If you don’t bring up the numerous times I have hurt you, I shall promise I won’t. Though nothing could be compared to the vile insult you did to my vanity, calling me barely tolerable and not handsome enough to tempt you then.”
“I assure you, I shall never raise the subject again; and, if you must know, I have long found you not merely tolerable, buttempting—in ways you would do well not to enquire of until after our wedding,” he whispered in her ear, before swiftly mounting his horse and riding away, leaving Elizabeth breathless and bewildered by hisboldness, ever since he had walked into Longbourn that morning.
Chapter 36
Several days had passed since Darcy’s visit to Longbourn, and one morning, Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst took their places at the breakfast parlor at Netherfield.
“I cannot fathom when Charles intends to return, nor can I comprehend what manner of shopping assistance he renders to his future wife. Considering their wealth, one might suppose they could scarcely afford anything grand,” said Miss Bingley with evident displeasure.
“Caroline, I would advise you to refrain from speaking out of spite. Our brother’s absence does not grant you the liberty to indulge in ill-mannered remarks. I will not allow you to insult Jane or her family,” he sister warned.
“He should have returned yesterday. What business is still keeping him there?” she asked, in a tone of irritation.
The prospect of the Bennet family visiting her house in town for meals and engagements—particularly the idea of Elizabeth and her sisters enjoying its comforts filled Miss Bingley with anguish, for she detested being confined in Netherfield.
At that very moment, Mr. Hurst joined them with a look of animation on his face.
“Louisa, you would not believe what news I bring. I encountered Mr. Phillips in the village, and he conveyed to me the most surprising and delightful news.”
Both sisters looked at him with surprise.
“Mr. Phillips informed me that Miss Elizabeth got engaged a few days ago. She…” Miss Bingley cut him off abruptly.
“What? With whom?” Miss Bingley cried without composure.
“Why to none other than Mr. Darcy,” Mr. Hurst said, and Miss Bingley was beyond horrified with his declaration.
“Impossible!” she cried in anguish, much to the surprise of her sister.
“Are you certain, my dear?” Mrs. Hurst asked her husband.
“Yes, of course! It seems Mr. Bennet and Miss Elizabeth have also traveled to town and joined the rest of the family. I assume that is why Charles has not yet returned,” he said, and noticed Miss Bingley’s face turn white.
At that very moment, a servant entered and presented Mrs. Hurst with an express from her brother, confirming precisely the details her husband had just acquainted her with.
“This is indeed a delightful surprise! Charles informs me that Mr. Darcy intends to marry Miss Elizabeth on the very day planned for his wedding. It shall, therefore, be a double wedding, and the engagement party for both couples is now to be held at Netherfield—a week earlier than first intended,” she exclaimed.
Miss Bingley snatched the letter from her hands, and every word penned by her brother filled her with irrevocable anguish.
This cannot be possible. How did this happen?
Mr. and Mrs. Hurst observed her countenance as both were aware of her dreams of becoming the mistress of Pemberley.
“Caroline, I suggest you accept this news with grace. Let me not beat about the bush—he never once favored you, and after your schemes to part Jane and Charles, Mr. Darcy has gone so far as to avoid your company altogether. So do not pretend you have lost your chances, for in truth, you never possessed one,” she said, earning an icy glare from her sister.
Miss Bingley rose and left for her room as calmly as she could.
Ever since her brother’s engagement was announced, she had been desperate to devise some means of separating Jane and Mr.Bingley. Yet to her despair, he had entirely cut her off, giving her no place of importance in his life. Powerless, she dared not risk any further schemes that would ruin her prospects of staying with the family forever. But now, her vexation over her brother’s engagement to Jane had entirely vanished, replaced by a chill as cold as winter frost that settled deep within her heart at the very thought of Darcy and Elizabeth wed before her eyes.
For the first time in her life, Miss Bingley felt a rage she could neither tame nor deny. Trapped by her circumstances and seemingly forsaken by the world, she nevertheless resolved within herself that she would not yield so easily. Whatever the circumstance, she had never ceased to pursue her own desires, even in town—where all presumed she had withdrawn quietly, frightened by her brother’s threats—she had worked towards a something, and now she knew it was time to act.
As much as she wanted to hurt Jane, she knew that if she were ever caught, the repercussions would not be to her liking. But when it came to Elizabeth, her jealousy and rage took over her rational thoughts, and she no longer feared anyone.
I will never allow you to marry him. It would not hurt if he had married someone from town equal to my wealth and status, but to lose to you is beyond imagination,she thought, and set to work.
