Page 26 of Her Brother's Keeper
“I am ashamed of you,” Elizabeth said. “I realise that you are in love for the first time in your life. But somehow, in the process, you have lost your mind. There is nothing wrong with our blood, and no one could possibly think so. None of Neddy’s sisters has suffered with a tangled tongue as he has.”
Almost, she told her that it was far too late to hide anything, since Mr Darcy knew. But she was no longer in a mood to share confidences. Instead, she handed her sister a handkerchief and spoke firmly. “Do not be a goose.”
“Yes, yes, I know,” Jane murmured, taking the handkerchief and blowing her nose. “Except I worry so much. I come with so little in the way of a settlement. I wish I had more, with all my heart.”
“If Mr Philips would economise rather than spend Neddy’s money, you would come with much more.”
“Oh, but if Papa could not manage to save much when he was alive, I cannot expect it of our uncle.”
Elizabeth bit her tongue against arguments that would do no good. She could point out that there were three fewer Bennets to provide for now, and that the Philipses had no rightto any of it. She feared, however, that Jane would simply find reasons to excuse them and their reckless spending, causing Elizabeth to truly lose her temper. Instead, she decided to ask some of what she had been longing to know.
“What do you think of Mr Bingley’s guest…Mr Darcy, is it?”
Jane seemed relieved at the change of subject. “Goodness, he is a great man, indeed. Caroline and Louisa think him the finest of gentlemen—his estate, they say, makes Netherfield look as nothing. They stayed for a month there—Pemberley—last summer. The library alone is the size of Netherfield’s ballroom.”
“Oh, my.” Elizabeth could hardly imagine such a space.
“He is known to be betrothed, or nearly so, to a wealthy cousin of his who lives in Kent.”
Betrothed! A new kind of stabbing pain slid down Elizabeth’s spine, but Jane was not finished.
“But she—Caroline, that is—said that she will not fully give up her own hopes until the wedding date is set. After all, had Mr Darcy intended to marry the Kentish cousin, he could have at any time, could he not? He certainly seems in no hurry to do so.”
“So…Miss Bingley has designs upon him?”
“She spoke of it as though it were mostly hopeless, so I do not really think so.” Jane’s eyes widened. “She said her settlement is only twenty thousand.Only!Can you imagine it?”
Twenty thousand! Twenty!But apparently such an amount was insufficient to earn the respect of theton, or to be thought suitable for Mr Darcy. “No, I cannot,” Elizabeth said truthfully.
“She does not think it will do to overcome her parentage. Her father made his fortune with the East India Company. MrBingley was raised as a gentleman, but he feels his deficiencies.”
Elizabeth was surprised that Miss Bingley had admitted so much, but on the other hand, her sister was so mild, so sympathetic a listener, she would not have been the first person to ‘confess all’ to Jane Bennet. Elizabeth almost laughed, albeit resentfully. She was a charity case to Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy! How could she have thought herself enough for him? Her cheeks reddened as she recalled debating whether she ought tohintof her feelings for him.
“I wonder that Mr Darcy condescends to be such a great friend to the Bingleys, if they are so far beneath him.” Her question sounded bitter, but she could not prevent it. Jane did not appear to notice, so obviously lost was she in thoughts of Netherfield’s master.
“Mr Hurst’s father was a dear friend of Mr Darcy’s father. When old Mr Darcy died, Mr Hurst’s father was of great use to Mr Darcy. When Mr Hurst’s eldest son Robert married Louisa Bingley, Mr Darcy attended the wedding. A year later, when old Mr Hurst died, Mr Darcy pledged to help Louisa’s husband in whatever capacity he could. Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley did not become acquainted, particularly, until they began working together for the purchase of an estate. But Caroline says they have been the best of friends for the last year. If Mr Darcy will not consider her as a bride, she says he is very intimate with his cousin, whose father is the Earl of Matlock. The cousin is a younger son, though, unlikely to be in line for the title, but who will have great need of her fortune. She is hoping it is enough for him.”
“It ought to be enough to buy someone, one would think.”
This time, Elizabeth’s bitterness had obviously punched through Jane’s bedazzlement with the Bingleys. “Oh, Lizzy, Ihave been a dreadful gossip. My head is so full, it all came spilling out! It really is not like that—they simply feel their lack of quality family lines so deeply, and want better for their children. Who can blame them? Louisa married well, but…”
Her sister trailed off, plainly unwilling to say anything else that might be interpreted as critical.
“Jane, you can tell me. After all, you are my window to the world in which I seldom socialise any longer. You need not fear I will repeat anything to anyone.”
“Mr Hurst is-is fond of drink,” Jane almost whispered. “Drink and cards. He is not a-a wastrel. However, he is not very…lively. It is my opinion that Louisa is lonely, and relies greatly for companionship upon her younger sister. I felt so honoured, that they should rely upon me too, however briefly, for that same sociality.”
It felt, to Elizabeth, as though Jane was embracing that sisterhood with open arms. There was some resentment accompanying that realisation. She forced herself to swallow it.
“Why should they not? You are a wonderful sister, and they would be the most fortunate women in the world, should you marry their brother.”
Jane smiled fondly. “Thank you, Lizzy. You are too good to me. Now, tell me of Neddy’s week. It feels as though I have been away for a year!”
With a start, Elizabeth realised what had become a usual pattern. Generally, when Jane arrived, she had poured out her worries over Neddy—but she had done so under the assumption that her sister loved Neddy the same way Elizabeth did. How could she? She spent a few hours a week with him, hours Elizabeth had been very grateful to have. Of course Jane cared about him. Jane cared about everyone. But all Elizabeth hadmanaged to do was poison her sister’s view of their younger brother, without ever strengthening it. I have encouraged the same opinions, practically, as Mr Philips.
That needed to change.
“Actually, he has done very well this week,” she began. “He has learnt the names of several birds—he loves the natural world so.” For the next hour, she regaled her sister with Neddy’s accomplishments, with every sweet anecdote she could recall of his loving nature. When Jane offered to watch him while Elizabeth went on a walk, Elizabeth refused it as unnecessary. She had just spent an hour building up Neddy’s fragile reputation; she would not risk that heundo it, simply so she could have an hour to herself.
