Page 45 of Collins Takes Charge

“As I have never attempted to check her before, how do I begin?” Bingley enquired.

“In her reticule,” Fitzwilliam suggested. He saw Bingley’s confused look. “I have heard William say how much she overspends her allowance. Is that true?” Fitzwilliam saw the younger man nod. “Make her live within her allowance; and refuse to cover overages. Having heard how your sister likes to change entire wardrobes like most of us change clothing, I would suggest you send a note to all the shops she patronises telling them that unless she has coin, you will not pay the bills.”

“I dare say you have the right of it. I will write to my man of business in London…” Bingley began.

“I suggest you dictate what you want to say to me, and I will be your scribe. Then, when you are satisfied, you may sign the final draft. That way there will be no misunderstanding about what you are trying to say,” Darcy proposed.

That is what Bingley did, and an hour or so later, a letter was on its way to his man of business in Town.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

As she was wont to do, by the time Miss Bingley calmed herself, she had put anything which did not fit with the way she wanted things to be out of her mind. With her head held high, she returned to her sister’s side in the drawing room.

“Louisa, I have given Mr Darcy more than enough time to offer for me. I have lost my patience. It is time for me to take the bull by the horns and compromise him.”

“Caroline, you know I have always supported your pursuit of Mr Darcy, do you not?” Mrs Hurst asked.

“As well you should because you will be elevated in society along with me,” Miss Bingley responded condescendingly. “It is not like that sot of a husband of yours would ever do anything useful and raise us in society.” Miss Bingley sneered towards the sleeping Mr Hurst.

“He is my husband; you should not…” Mrs Hurst began half-heartedly.

“It is not like he can hear us; after all, he is in one of his drunken stupors,” Miss Bingley sneered. “I was going to make Mr Darcy jealous by allowing him to think I had transferred my affections to his cousin, but I am no longer of a mind to wait. I told all of our friends I would return to London as Mr Darcy’s affianced, so I will be engaged to him!”

“What if Mr Darcy refuses to offer for you?” Mrs Hurst enquired. “If that is the case, you would be irrevocably ruined.”

“My Mr Darcy is far too honourable; he will do his duty to me,” Miss Bingley insisted. “If he does not, I will make sure that his dishonour is known far and wide. I am certain that it will never come to that.”

Although she would not say no to her younger and more forceful sister, Mrs Hurst believed that Caroline was wrong. If she spread word that there had been a compromise and Mr Darcy refused to gratify her, he would be almost unscathed while Caroline would be forever ruined. How would that redound on her and Harold? She would have to think about whether she would assist Caroline because Mrs Hurst was certain her husband would be seriously displeased if she did something that led to their ruin.

“If he had not been distracted by that hoyden Eliza Bennet and her so-called fine eyes, my Mr Darcy would have offered for me already,” Miss Bingley claimed. “It was, after all, his whole reason for joining Charles in this benighted place.”

“I am sure you have the right of it, Caroline,” Mrs Hurst said aloud. ‘My sister is deluding herself. Has she always been so bad?’ she thought.

Neither Mrs Hurst nor Miss Bingley noticed that Mr Hurst’s eyes were cracked open. They did not pay attention to him when he woke with some grunts and groans and then, staggering as he walked, left the drawing room.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Hurst found his brother-in-law seated in the study, seemingly deep in thought. “Where is Darcy?” he enquired.

“In his suite. Why do you ask, Hurst?” Bingley queried.

“You need to come with me. What I have to tell him is for your ears as well,” Hurst related.

Bingley stood and followed Hurst out of the study. He wondered what had changed. Unless there was to be hunting, Hurst was normally in his cups at this time of day, and when he walked about, he was a touch unsteady on his feet. However, his brother-in-law was climbing the stairs with purpose and showing no trace of being foxed.

Hurst knocked on the suite’s sitting room door, which was opened by Colonel Fitzwilliam. “Gentlemen,” he greeted.

“May we enter? We need to speak,” Hurst stated.

Fitzwilliam stood aside and allowed the brothers by marriage to enter. He closed the door but called for Barker and stationed him in the hall again. With Miss Bingley in the house, one could not be too careful.

“Let me begin by making an admission,” Hurst said. “I am never in my cups, and what I drink is almost always watered down, or I will empty the contents of my glass unobtrusively. Before you censure me for my obfuscation, remember who my sister-in-law is. It began as a way to not have to be in her company, but over the years I have discovered that, when my wife and her sister think I am in a drunken stupor, they will speak freely while I sleep.”

“Why are you revealing this to us today?” Bingley queried.

“Because your younger sister is ranting and raving about compromising Darcy here this very evening.” Hurst cocked his head towards the mentioned man. “Louisa wisely warned her that Darcy would refuse to offer for her even if she entrapped him. However, Caroline, being Caroline, seems to believe that by some miracle, she has enough social sway to force his hand. Her plan is to threaten to spread word of the compromise and his refusal to offer for her to one and all in polite society.”

“Ha! I believed Miss Bingley more intelligent than that. All she will do is ruin herself, and I am sorry, Hurst, but if your wife assists her, she will partake in her sister’s ruin,” Darcy stated unequivocally. “As I have told Bingley, I will not offer for Miss Bingley under any circumstances and my family, and I, will ruin anyone who supports her spurious claim.” Darcy looked directly at Bingley as he said the last.