Miss Bennet & Mr Bingley (33 page)

When he was invited to stay for
supper he accepted happily and before he went away Jane heard him arrange to go
out shooting with her father the next morning. She could think of only one
reason why he would wish to abandon his plentiful coverts in order to shoot at
Longbourn.

No sooner were they private and the
bed chamber door firmly closed behind them, than Jane grabbed her sister’s
hands and spun her around the bedroom. ‘Lizzy, I am so happy I believe that I
might burst from it. Charles is to speak to Papa tomorrow when they are
shooting together.’

Dizzy from the twirling Lizzy
tumbled onto the bed. ‘At last, you shall have the happiness you deserve. He is
the perfect man for you and I am only sorry that it has taken almost a year for
him to make up his mind. He could have saved you so much unhappiness if he had
spoken after the ball as we had all expected.’

‘It is forgotten, our time apart
has merely served to prove that we are steadfast in our love. Unlike poor
Lydia, who scarcely knows Wickham and is unlikely to be happy in that
relationship.’

‘I suppose that could apply even
more to Charlotte and Mr Collins.’ She jumped up and ran to embrace Jane. ‘But
they are not our concern now, we have a wedding to plan.’

‘Good heavens! He has not asked me
formally, I cannot possibly think so far ahead. Can you imagine Mama’s delight
when she hears? Two daughters married in the space of a few months! She will be
in high alt indeed.’

‘And Papa, I am certain, will not quibble
about bride clothes this time. Think of the excitement of visiting the
warehouses in town. I do hope I shall be included in all the planning.’

Jane kissed her sister before
turning to blow out her candle. ‘I should not enjoy it half so much if you are
not by my side throughout.’

 
* * * *

Charles was up betimes and had
rehearsed the speech he was going to give to Mr Bennet many times. He had no
appetite and did not even visit the breakfast parlour before taking his gun to
the stable. The head groom was somewhat startled to see him there.

‘I shall have the curricle
harnessed in no time at all, sir. I beg your pardon for not having it ready.’

‘No need to apologize, I am
unpardonably early. I shall assist you, then it will be done all the sooner.’
Placing his guns to one side he followed the man into the coach house. When the
horses were in place and his guns beside him on the seat, he decided he needed
to change his garments as they were now mired with stable dirt.

‘Take them round to the front in
ten minutes, I must return to the house temporarily.’

What the man thought of his strange
behaviour he had no notion, but he could not arrive at Longbourn dressed
anything but perfectly. His valet greeted him with his usual aplomb and made no
comment about redressing his master.

Charles glanced at his reflection,
finally satisfied that he could do no more to improve his appearance, he raced
downstairs and into his waiting carriage. He grinned as his team trotted down
the drive, at least he would not be embarrassingly premature.

His host was waiting for him in the
stable yard and he had a sudden moment of apprehension that he was, in fact,
late. He glanced nervously at the stable clock and saw that it was exactly the
appointed hour. Now it was almost the time to ask for permission to marry Jane
he began to worry that after the way he had treated her, her father might
regard him with disapproval. He knew it was essential that he had his future
father-in-law’s complete support, Jane would not be happy otherwise.

‘Good morning, Mr Bennet, it is a
wonderful morning to be out with our guns, is it not?’

The older man nodded. ‘Indeed, sir.
If you are ready, let us be off before the ladies descend on us. I am
surrounded by clucking hens, but of course I do not include Jane or Lizzy in
that clutch.’

Charles had been shooting with
little success when his host leant his gun against a fence post and turned to
him a quizzical expression upon his face. ‘My dear young man, your aim has been
so far off this morning as to be dangerous to anyone within one hundred yards
of you. Come now, we both know why we are out here this morning, let us get the
matter done and then we can both concentrate the better.’

He felt his cheeks burn. He had no
idea his nervousness had been so obvious. Hastily propping his own gun next to
that of Mr Bennet’s he straightened his shoulders and looked his future
father-in-law directly in the eye.

‘Mr Bennet, I am here this morning,
as you have already surmised, to ask your permission to marry Jane. I have been
in love with her since the first time we met, but did not appreciate that she
had feelings for me. I believe that you know my circumstances very well; I am
in a position to give your daughter everything she needs in life.’

‘My dear boy, all my Jane ever wanted
was for you to love her. She has been unhappy these past months but I shall not
hold that against you. Yes, speak to Jane, and the sooner the better. Mrs
Bennet is like to have an apoplexy if she is kept dangling without the news she
craves. I apologize in advance for the excesses you will have to suffer at her
hands once she is aware you are to become part of the family.’

‘Thank you, sir. I shall speak to
her this evening.’ He grinned, recalling the stratagems employed by Mrs Bennet
to leave them alone last night. ‘I am certain I shall be given ample
opportunity to make my offer.’

Charles offered his hand and Mr
Bennet shook it warmly. Neither man had any desire to kill further game birds
so, tucking their shotguns under their arms, they spent the remainder of the
morning wandering around Longbourn getting to know each other better.

 
* * * *

Jane toyed with her food and was
relieved when the maid removed her plate. Her mother led the ladies into the
drawing-room and they were followed almost immediately by Charles and her
father. Elizabeth had a letter to write and went into the breakfast room after
tea whilst the others got out the card table.

Charles spoke quietly to her. ‘I
have no desire to play cards, Miss Bennet, I have something most particular I wish
to ask you.’

Jane knew what it was and was as
eager as he to have the card players remove from the room. It was her turn to
stare pointedly at the door and Kitty, whose behaviour had much improved since
Lydia was no longer there to influence her, smiled and instantly got to her
feet.

‘Mama, I have the headache and
think I would feel so much better if you and Mary were to walk with me in the
garden for a short while.’

Her mother glanced up and
understood the situation perfectly. ‘My poor dear, of course we will accompany
you.’ She gripped Mary by the elbow and Jane watched with amusement as the girl
found herself bundled unceremoniously from the room.

The door closed behind her family
and for a moment she was at a loss as to how to position herself to make things
easier for Charles. ‘Shall we be seated, Mr Bingley? I certainly shall feel
more comfortable that way.’ Never having received a proposal of marriage before
she was unsure what would happen next, but rather thought being seated the best
way to go.

Immediately he joined her sitting
far closer than she was accustomed to. ‘Look at me, my love, I wish to see your
lovely face when I ask you my question.’

She turned her head and gazed,
radiant, waiting him to speak.

‘I have loved you since the day I first
met you at the Meryton assembly last year. I wish I had had more confidence in
my ability to win your affections; then I could have asked you this last year.’
He reached out to take her hands and held them gently in his own. Jane stared
down; her fingers trembled at the intimacy.

‘My darling girl, will you make me
the happiest man alive? Will you do me the inestimable honour of becoming my
wife?’

‘I will, there is nothing I should
like more. I have loved you this age; I have been so miserable since we have
been apart.’

‘I hope you can forgive me for not
speaking to you after the ball last year; if I had known how you felt, nothing
could have stopped me coming to your side. I had no idea you were in London, my
sister and Darcy kept the information from me.’

Jane reached out and tenderly
touched his face, he stopped talking and his hand came up to stroke her hair.
‘I do not care about any of that, it is in the past, we shall be together and
that is all that matters.’

‘There is more, I shall keep
nothing back. I wrote a letter telling you how I felt and Caroline kept it from
you. I came down to Meryton to speak to you in January only to find that you
had gone away. If I had known it was to London I should have sought you out.’

Jane did not care about the past –
she was enjoying the present too much and
she
had her future to consider now. His proximity would give rise to comment if
anyone were to come in and see them, but more importantly she knew herself to
be in danger of doing something decidedly indecorous. The closer Charles was to
her and more she wished he would kiss her.

 
‘I think that we should walk around the room.
I hope you understand, I would prefer to inform my mother before...’ Her words
trailed away and her cheeks flushed. How could she have been going to say
something so indelicate?

He smiled and her knees trembled.
He held out his hands, for a moment she hesitated, then placed her own in his
and he pulled her gently to her feet. They moved towards the fireplace where
Jane halted. To her astonishment his arms came around her waist and he drew her
closer.

‘Now that we are betrothed, my
darling, I believe that I am allowed to kiss you.’

Jane was not sure he was allowed to
do any such thing, but she tilted her head and felt the gentle pressure of his
lips on hers. She had never experienced anything so wonderful, she had a
strange desire to close the remaining gap between them. He did not take
advantage of the situation, immediately releasing her, but remaining so close
she could almost feel his heart beating.

The door opened and Elizabeth
appeared. Instantly he stepped away and she knew her face revealed what had
taken place. They both sat down, not knowing what else to do. Jane could think
of nothing appropriate to say, so for a moment they all waited in awkward
silence.

Then Charles stood up, bending down
to whisper in her ear. ‘I spoke to Mr Bennet this morning, I shall go at once
and tell him you have accepted me. We have matters to discuss, settlements to
make, and the sooner we do it, the sooner we can be married.’

Jane watched him hurry out and
immediately scrambled to her feet and ran across to embrace her sister. ‘Lizzy,
I am the happiest creature in the world. It is too much! I do not deserve it.
Oh! Why is not everybody as happy?’

‘I cannot tell you how delighted I
am, Jane. He is an excellent man and will make you a good husband. I could not
have chosen a better brother if I had searched all year.’

‘He has gone to speak to Papa; he
asked his permission this morning but is now gone to talk about arrangements.
All the sadness of the past few months is as nothing; I did not know it was
possible to feel such joy. How I wish you could experience the same, dearest
Lizzy.’

‘You must not worry on my account,
I shall share in
your
happiness and that will be enough for me.’

‘I have so much to tell you, you
would not believe what Charles has said. But I cannot do so now, I must get
instantly to my mother. I would not any account keep her waiting for the good
news. I shall not allow her to hear it from anyone but myself. Oh! Lizzy, to
know that what I have to relate will give such pleasure to all my dear family!
I do not know how I shall bear so much happiness!’

 
* * * *

Charles left the library with the
arrangements made. He returned quickly to the drawing-room to find that Jane
had gone and only her sister was there.

‘Where is your sister?’

‘With my mother upstairs. She will
be down in a moment, I daresay.’

‘Miss Elizabeth, has Jane told you
our good tidings? I hope that you approve her choice of husband. I know that
you are very close and she would not wish to do anything that upsets you.’

‘Mr Bingley, my only quibble with
you is that this matter was not settled months ago. I am delighted that finally
you have resolved your differences. I am certain that you will be happy
together.’

Charles walked over and offered his
hand and they shook with great cordiality. ‘I can promise you that I shall make
your sister content. We shall be the happiest couple on this earth. I insist
that you are not a stranger to Netherfield. My dearest Jane will not wish to be
apart from you for long.’

She indicated that they be seated
and he was grateful for her consideration for his legs had taken to trembling
like a blancmanger. He told her that he believed his marriage would be a happy
one because her sister and he were so much alike and she agreed most heartily.

He hardly knew what he was saying
for his eyes were fixed on the door waiting for his beloved to return. When she
did she was accompanied by Mrs Bennet and her two sisters. He was aware that
there was a glow of such a sweet animation on Jane’s face that she looked
handsomer than ever.

 
* * * *

Jane spent the remainder of the
evening in a daze of happiness. She did not mind that her mother spoke her approbation
and approval without a pause for breath for more than thirty minutes. She
hardly noticed that Kitty simpered and smiled and whispered loudly to Elizabeth
that she hoped it would be her turn soon.

When her father joined them at
supper he did not allude directly to the engagement but she could tell from his
voice and manner how happy he was. When Charles eventually left, promising to
return first thing in the morning, Mr Bennet turned to her.