Page 20 of The Blackmail of Mr. Darcy
Laughing alongside Georgiana, Elizabeth said, “Mr. Darcy, we are none of us perfect, but I think that your sister has pointed out a major problem with this second part of my twofold plan: I assume from my own experience and your reputation that disguise of every sort is abhorrent to your principles. However, when dealing with one who acts unscrupulously, I believe it is better to tell half truths or even outright lies if doing so protectsthe innocent; and if telling the absolute bald truth would cause harm to victims and bystanders.”
“Absolutely!” Mr. Darcy agreed.
“But—” Elizabeth suggested, “that does not mean that lying feels good, and it is certain that some people are better at play-acting than others.” She grinned at the two Darcys, saying, “You two…. I imagine that lying is not your forte.”
“So what is this second ‘fold’ of your two-part plan, Miss Elizabeth? The part in which my sister and I are doomed to failure, apparently.”
“I thought it would be a good idea to take advantage of Miss Bingley’s…let us say her enjoyment of eavesdropping. We could make sure she hears someone’s request for a private interview, a private discussion—and where and when it would be. Then, we make sure that the information exchanged in this oh-so-important private discussion is false—and is something that can be easily verified as being false. If she chooses to spread the so-called information, we will present the truth and the crystal clear evidence that proves the truth. Miss Bingley will get the reputation of being unreliable and a gossip.”
“Oh, that would be splendid!” Georgiana said. “Because it means that we would not be deliberately ruining her reputation—she would do it to herself!”
“That is the plan,” Elizabeth said. She gave Georgiana a warm smile and said, “See, by play acting, we could possibly teach her better manners. It would be a good thing, a highly moral thing…to lie.”
They all chuckled, but suddenly Darcy held up his hand. “There is someone coming on horseback,” he said. They all heard hoofbeats now, and faced the sound.
Of course it was Miss Caroline Bingley, the subject of their planning.
“What in the world are you doing way out here withher?” Miss Bingley said in a shrill, carrying voice. She was still some twenty feet away.
Elizabeth did not know if Miss Bingley was talking to Mr. Darcy or Georgiana, but she knew without the smallest doubt that she herself was the one referred to in the most scathing tones with the wordher.
In case the Darcys were tongue-tied around the blackmailer, Elizabeth spoke up immediately. “My apologies to the household for keeping Miss Darcy out so long that it became worrisome, but I am afraid that I exhausted her as we walked to visit all the tenants with medicinal supplies at the request of the steward. Thank goodness Mr. Darcy became so worried about his sister, he launched a rescue effort, and he finally found us.”
At that point, Miss Bingley was close enough that Elizabeth could see her narrowed eyes and downturned lips. She practically snarled, “Miss Eliza, you must understand that a gently bred lady cannot be stomping all over the fields like a country miss!”
Both Darcys surged into speech. Mr. Darcy stopped when he realised his sister was speaking, as well. She said, “Miss Bingley, I am a country miss, just like Miss Elizabeth. The fact that I am not as good a walker is the fault of Pemberley’s amazing stables; I have so many wonderful horses who need exercise, I rarely walk far. But ’tis not Miss Elizabeth’s fault in any way, and I enjoyed helping the tenants here, as I do at Pemberley.”
Elizabeth felt so proud of Georgiana, and she could see by Mr. Darcy’s eyes that he was, too. He said, “I wanted to add that Miss Elizabeth Bennet is the daughter of a gentleman. She therefore is, in fact, gently born and bred.”
Mr. Darcy helped his sister to mount his horse; she looked a bit precarious sitting side-saddle on a man’s saddle. He kept the reins in his hand, offered his other arm to Elizabeth, and strodeoff towards the manor house. Miss Bingley huffed and puffed but had no option other than to turn her own mount and catch up with him.
Elizabeth found it easy to keep up with Mr. Darcy’s long strides because she had always walked quickly. He checked with warm looks, with questions—“Are you comfortable with this pace?”—and comments—“Do let me know if you wish to slow down or rest.”
She chuckled at his fourth check-in. “Mr. Darcy, I appreciate your concern, excessive though it may be. But as you know, I am a country miss, and I would add a hardy lass, a sturdy colleen, a robust maiden.”
He laughed, a looser sort of chuckle than she had ever heard from him, but he answered with the same sorts of words he had been using, “Certainly I know all of that, but do let me know if?—”
“If I promise to you that I will let you know—if I make a most sacred vow that I shall, in fact, tell you if I am nearing collapse—will you trust me to remember to do so?”
“I will trust you to continue to use your superb and wide-ranging vocabulary as you admonish, chastise, even castigate me.”
They were both laughing, now, and Miss Bingley tapped her little whip, spurring her horse to increase his pace.
Once Miss Bingley was far away again, Elizabeth said, “Oh, dear, I fear we may need to immediately throw our plans into action. And perhaps keep from flaunting our superb and wide-ranging vocabularies with one another, at least in her hearing.”
“You are likely correct, Miss Elizabeth. I apologise for flirting with you. I assure you, I was not deliberately baiting her; I just…. I find it hard to…be as rational….” As Mr. Darcy floundered with his words, he blushed. Elizabeth lowered her eyes in an effort to make him feel more comfortable, and he finished his apologywith the words, “What I mean to say is, I will try to behave with more forbearance.”
Elizabeth wondered if she was falling for the man who claimed he was flirting with her but faltered endearingly as he tried to express himself.
When Elizabethand the Darcys reached the manor house, after seeing Mr. Darcy’s horse to the stables, they finally saw Mr. Bingley for the first time that day. He trotted over to Mr. Darcy and pumped his hand as he thanked him heartily, “I hear I owe you so much, my friend. The tales I have heard today about your heroism with the buckets and knocking down burning timbers! And I also thank you for going into Meryton to alert Mr. Philips of our little problem, and for providing breakfast for all of us!”
“You are most welcome, Bingley. I found my sister,” he said quite unnecessarily, because Georgiana was walking by his side.
Elizabeth asked Mr. Bingley, “Did Mr. Hill come with some luncheon from Longbourn?”
He turned his eager smile in her direction and said, “He certainly did, Miss Elizabeth, and I was going to thank you next for such a generous gesture!”
Mr. Darcy said, “Miss Elizabeth has also done a great deal more than that. She set up hot drinks for the staff in the morning, then she went to great lengths to help Mr. Tomkins make a comprehensive list of damaged and destroyed items, and finally she and my sister travelled to every one of your tenants to tend to their fire-caused injuries.”
