41. Chapter 38: Judge Not

Ch 38: Judge not

Late in the afternoon, Caroline dropped herself wearily into a chair, harrumphing loudly. "Are we to be descended upon by the entire population of this forsaken little town?"

Darcy looked up from the letter he was writing to stare at the aggrieved woman.

"Was it not enough that we had to receive them at such an uncharitable hour of the morning? Now I have been banished from my own drawing room so that these Bennet women may hold court with the denizens of Meryton!" She pressed the back of her hand to her brow dramatically.

"It is touching that so many of their friends and neighbors would be so concerned for them that they would come to call," Darcy muttered.

"I must say, I am surprised to find you defending them, Mr. Darcy." She rose and glided over to the writing desk where he worked.

His lips pressed together into a firm line. "Pray tell, why would you find that surprising?"

"Surely you know by now what kind of women they are, Mr. Darcy It does not seem that it should take a full month for a man such as yourself to discern it."

"It seems to me, Miss Caroline," he rose to tower over her, "that you have had little opportunity to know them yourself, and are in a poor position to be making such judgments. Given your acquaintance with them has been less than a day in duration…"

"That is only with respect to the sisters that are in Meryton, sir." She stepped away from the desk, uneasy with his imposing presence.

"Excuse me?"

"Surely you know, there is another Bennet sister. The youngest of the clan is currently in London, with her aunt and uncle in Cheapside. Cheapside, Mr. Darcy, surely you would not want to be keeping company with those tainted by trade!" She laughed thinly.

"I find it surprising to hear you say that…"

"But if that were not enough, Miss Lydia Bennet… Ohhh I shudder to think that you would consider linking your dear sister to such a hoyden." Turning to face him, she lifted a surprised brow.

What does she know of my personal affairs? She has only been here a day. How would she know of my hopes? Where would she have learned such things? Have I been so obvious?

"You look very much as though you know nothing of the reputation these Bennets have in town." If you did you would never have accepted a dinner invitation from them.

"I know nothing of it." He crossed his arms over his chest angrily. Nor do I believe I want to.

"Forgive me for saying so, sir, but you should consider becoming familiar with what is being said before you, or my brother, for that matter, make a serious error in judgment by associating with these questionable women."

She has already discerned Charles' interest as well? She could be serving the King's army in espionage! How has she come by such information? "Your accusations are very serious, Miss Caroline."

"So are their transgressions! Their sister, Miss Lydia, traveled to Brighton with Colonel Forster as the special friend of his wife. Whilst she was there, she carried on with the officers as though she were a bar maid, not a gentleman's daughter! What do you say to that?"

Darcy clenched his fists tightly. "I would say that I wonder who your source of such damaging information might be."

She batted her eyes with a thin smile. "The previous tenant of Netherfield, a Mr. Carver, left Meryton for Brighton just prior to Miss Lydia departing with the regiment. Do you have any idea why Mr. Carver left?"

"I neither know, nor care."

"Perhaps you should. It seems Mr. Carver has two younger sisters whose care he was charged with. Much like you have your sister in your care I suppose, sir. While they were in Meryton, he found the Bennets an inappropriate influence on his sisters. He left to remove them from their company."

"Again, I ask you, where have you garnered your information?"

"While I was in London, I had the privilege of making the acquaintance of Miss Martha Carver, the younger of Mr. Carver's sisters. We shared tea several times. When I found out it was her brother who had vacated the property that Charles was interested in, I knew I must get to know her better. It was she herself who told me of her brother's censure of the Miss Bennets." She carefully watched Darcy's reaction, her smile broadening as she saw a flicker of interest in his eyes. "It does get worse, sir. For you see, while Miss Lydia was in Brighton, she fell into the acquaintance of the Miss Carvers once again, without their brother's knowledge, until it was nearly too late. The information I received on Miss Lydia's behaviors came to me first hand, from Miss Martha Carver herself."

"Too late for what?" Darcy huffed, lowering himself into his chair with a scowl.

"Nearly too late to save Miss Rachel Carver from a most imprudent marriage to an officer of the regiment, at Gretna Green."

"How exactly would Miss Lydia be to blame for this attempted elopement?"

"It was she who introduced the Miss Carvers to the officers. Apparently, they would meet her in town, telling their brother they were going shopping. She would take them to the Forster's house where the colonel's wife would be entertaining various officers for tea." Like a hawk swooping in on her prey, Caroline strode toward Darcy. "Miss Martha tells me that Miss Lydia shamelessly flirted with the officers and encouraged Miss Rachel to follow suit, which she did most readily." She boldly moved a nearby chair to sit down beside Darcy.

I wonder if Miss Elizabeth, or any of her family, have received word of this yet? Surely it will devastate her to hear it. Darcy's frown deepened.

"It did not end there. No, the teas led to walks in the woods, where Miss Lydia was found by the colonel himself, allowing an officer to place his hands on her person." Caroline's lifted an eyebrow suggestively. "Miss Martha tells me he was enraged by her lewd display and immediately wrote to her family to remove her from Brighton, as she was no longer welcome company."

"Those are grievous accusations indeed, but you have yet to explain to me how this makes her responsible for someone else's attempted elopement." Sadness filled his eyes. There is probably just enough truth in this gossip to grieve her sisters terribly.

"According to my friend, it was Miss Lydia who helped convince Miss Rachel that she was in love and suggested an elopement. It was Miss Lydia who planned the event, and even assisted Miss Rachel in packing and meeting her officer to flee to Gretna Green. Can you deny that makes her responsible?" A triumphant light lit her eyes.

Darcy said nothing, a dark expression clouding his face. And what of Miss Carter's responsibility?

"So you see, sir, just what kind of people these neighbors are. It must be clear to you that these are not the kind of people who my brother and sister should be associating with! I implore you, please help me to separate my family from them before the situation becomes any worse. Association with them will only drive us from all good society and ruin…"

Suddenly he sprang to his feet. "I have heard enough, Miss Caroline, quite enough, and I will hear no more." What kind of people are these Carvers? To spread such gossip without even realizing that it is at their own expense? How can Miss Caroline even consider listening to such foul talk?

"What are you saying? Surely you cannot condone such a family of hoydens and public women!"

"Not another such word! Do you not realize that the measure you use to judge them will be the one used to judge you? Is that what you wish? Can you stand under such scrutiny?" He drew a deep breath, quivering with burgeoning rage. "Are you so completely unaware of your own reputation for folly that you can freely condemn those you do not even know?"

"My reputation?" Caroline screeched, jumping to her feet. "What are you saying? My reputation is impeccable." She tossed her head dismissively.

"Hardly. Though I have refused to hear the details," his eyes bored into hers, "I have been warned often enough to avoid your company, Miss Caroline."

"Whatever can you mean?" Her face burned hotly under his angry gaze.

"I do not believe what I am hearing! How can you possibly say that, Caroline?" A new voice entered the room. Both turned to see Bingley in the doorway, his face flushed with uncharacteristic anger. "Are you so completely unaware of what is going on around you that you do not realize your own reputation has been damaging to your family? It astonishes me that you are attempting to inflict the same harm on the Bennets because of their youngest sister's imprudence that has been inflicted upon Louisa and me because of yours."

"What ever can you mean, brother?" Her eyes narrowed as she challenged him to continue. Do not inflate that little misunderstanding into something it was not. I will not having you comparing that triviality to the very real…

"Do you really wish for me to bring out your own humiliation before my good friend?" He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, glancing at Darcy.

"I do not know what you are talking about."

"Perhaps I should leave, Charles, clearly you and your sister have a rather serious discussion that does not require my audience." Darcy moved to rise, his discomfort increasing with each moment.

"No, please stay. Caroline has brought this upon herself. If she is willing to freely discuss with company the gossip concerning our friends, then she should likewise be willing to hear what is being said about her in that same company."

"Charles!" Caroline stamped her foot. "Mr. Darcy is quite right, he does not need to be subjected to your petty speculations. I cannot begin to imagine what accusation you have to bring against me."

"Yes, you do as do Louisa and I. We have just been too polite to bring it up. But since you will not allow others' transgressions the same courtesy, perhaps it is time for you to taste the medicine you so freely dispense." Bingley took three purposeful strides to position himself beside Darcy. "Have you so soon forgotten that day in Hyde Park?"

"That? It was nothing, Charles," she hissed between clenched teeth.

"I do not believe that was what Lord and Lady Clark thought when you chastised their daughter so thoroughly when she stumbled and fell into you."

"That child…"

"Was a child not six years old! She did not attack you! Yet you accused her of being a street urchin and a pickpocket! But no, you did not stop at that…"

"You may stop now," Caroline commanded, turning her back on her brother.

"No, I will not. You grabbed the child and shook her so hard, she cried! You shouted at her, screaming for all to hear that you would report her to the authorities and she might hang! What possible right did you have to assault her in such a manner?" Bingley grabbed her by the upper arm and pulled her back to their conversation.

"Unhand me!" She yanked her arm back, whirling on him. "I had no way of knowing whose child that was! How can you blame me for what I did not know?"

"Easily. How could you think it right to treat anyone in such a fashion? You only stopped when Lord Clark himself commanded you to unhand his daughter, and nearly had his footman disengage you from her. Then you could not apologize enough! You were nearly groveling at his feet."

Caroline's face glowed bright red, becoming hotter still as she felt Darcy's inscrutable gaze upon her.

"You only made it worse when you arrived at their house uninvited to try and apologize, demanding entrance and shrieking like a banshee at the footman who would not permit you entrance."

"But… but…"

"But nothing, sister," Bingley sneered. "Have you no idea the impact your actions had on Louisa and me? After you left to visit your friend in Manchester, we were shunned by the Ton for months! Those Louisa thought her friends turned her away, fearful that their reputations might be damaged by their association with her, though she had done nothing wrong! It was all your work! You ran from it, leaving us to pay the price for your transgressions."

So that is what happened? Darcy gritted his teeth to hold back his own remarks. How can she defend her actions? Worse still, how can she possibly condemn someone else with such an accusation hanging over her head? To treat a child, any child, with such disregard! Perhaps it is best that she remains unmarried, I pity any child that might be born to her.

Caroline had no answer. When she tried to speak, no words came forth., she opened and closed her mouth impotently.

Even this feeble attempt to defend herself pushed Bingley to his breaking point. "Just as we were not responsible for your abominable behavior, so the elder Bennets are not responsible for Miss Lydia's. You will not bring this up again. I forbid you to speak of it…"

"You forbid me? I hardly think…" It is a good thing that I have already shared this bit of news. Meryton will not be denied the truth.

"That is exactly the point, Caroline! You hardly think! And yes, I do forbid you from sharing gossip so hurtful to our very dear friends. If I find out that you have perpetuated this scandal, in any way, I will pack you up myself and send you to our aunt in Scarborough, never again to be welcome in any home of mine!" The veins in Bingley's neck stood out, throbbing, as he shouted.

Caroline stared wide-eyed at her brother, then turned to Darcy for support. Seeing only approbation for Bingley on his face, she turned and stomped out of the room. The two men stood silently for a moment, Bingley panting to catch his breath.

Darcy laid a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I think you might be wise to make those arrangements now. It is quite possible she has already begun her tongue wagging here. Even if she has not, I doubt she will be able to control herself any better here than she did in Derbyshire."

Bingley dropped his head in his hands. "Mrs. Cooperton did receive my letter of apology, did she not?"

"Yes, she did. She told me she wrote to you insisting that you were not to blame for your sister's awful behavior and that you would be very welcome to visit them any time, without her, of course."

"She did. It is just difficult for me to believe she would offer her forgiveness quite so freely." Bingley nodded as Darcy guided them back to sit near the desk.

"My sister has been a selfish creature all her life, always coddled by our mother. She could do no wrong! My father thought her the perfect image of our mother and encouraged her to think far too much of herself. I can hardly remember a time when she was held accountable for her actions. She was petted and encouraged in all her ways. She cannot stand it when she is not the center of attention. Worse still, I cannot remember a time when she has ever admitted to being wrong." He sighed wearily. "What am I to do with her?"

"You cannot change her, my friend. Only she can accomplish that. All you can do is to remove those things from her life that have encouraged her to continue in her selfish ways."

"I suppose you are right." Bingley pushed the hair back from his face, staring up at the ceiling. He was quiet for a very long moment. Finally he said, "I have spoken to Mr. Bennet and told him that they are all welcome to stay as long as necessary for repairs to be made at Longbourn. I could tell it was difficult for him, but he eventually accepted my offer."

"That is good of you. I do not suppose you will repine Miss Kitty's company, though." A wry smile lifted the corner of Darcy's mouth. I wonder how much that had to do with his decision to accept Bingley's hospitality. "Not that the company of any of these sisters is such a trial to bear." He winked.

"No, I suppose not," Bingley laughed softly. "I imagine I am fortunate that Miss Kitty is such a good friend to Louisa, all of them are really. It does make my invitation look rather more proper."

"Indeed it does." Darcy became quiet for a moment. "I spoke with Mr. Bennet myself, just a little while ago. I offered him whatever assistance he needs to manage and rebuild the estate while he is convalescing. I believe it injured his pride a bit, but his brother rallied him to accept my offer. So if I am not imposing on your hospitality too much, I intend to stay for a while longer."

"I would welcome your company, and your instruction as well. Perhaps, with Mr. Bennet's permission, I might be able to help you with Longbourn, and so profit from your experience in such matters."

Darcy nodded, "With his permission, I should be glad of it. Funny, my cousin said much the same thing. He is considering the purchase of an estate of his own soon and is feeling the need to expand his education."

"Then I shall certainly be in good company." Bingley stretched his arms wide. "I cannot believe how many people have come to see the Bennets today. In that, Caroline was right. It seems nearly the entire town has come to call. The ladies have received everyone with such grace! I know how weary and burdened they are right now, and yet each caller has been welcomed and appreciated, even when they seem little more than nosy parkers to me."

"My mother was such a mistress. She was always incredibly gracious to anyone who called, be they the lowest cottager or peers of the realm. That was something I remember so clearly about her. It is a trait I much admire." He smiled wistfully.

"The butler just announced our brother Philips." Mr. Gardiner poked his head into Mr. Bennet's room. "I will bring him up directly."

A few minutes later, both men appeared in the doorway.

"How are you feeling, Thomas?" Mr. Philips asked, his rumpled clothing and sooty face attesting to the fact he had already spent considerable time at Longbourn.

"The doctor says that the ankle is badly sprained, but probably not broken. The burns are a greater concern." Mr. Bennet winced as he lifted a bandaged arm. "As long as we can keep infection from setting in, I should mend well enough."

"Lady Lucas has already been by with a basketful of herbs, and directions for Mary to make tinctures and poultices for us all," Mr. Gardiner laughed appreciatively. "She has quite the reputation, does she not?"

"She does without a doubt, but having been the grateful recipient of her aid, I am only too pleased to hear that she has already made her visit." Philips settled himself into a chair near Mr. Bennet's bedsides, pulling his satchel to his lap.

Mr. Bennet sighed, laying his head back on his pillows. "So what do you make of this sad state of affairs, David?"

"I have spent my morning at Longbourn, as I am sure you have gathered already" Glancing down at his rough appearance, he laughed self-deprecatingly. "Although the cosmetic damage is considerable, I concur with what I have heard of Darcy's assessment, it is all quite repairable . Sadly, this is not the first fire I have had experience with and I can tell you, you have come through a very lucky man." Philips rustled through his case. "Collins' death does complicate things quite a bit. However, it is not nearly so bad as it could be. You see, I have been watching out for you."

"I am intrigued. Please tell us," Gardiner pulled up a chair and leaned into the conversation.

"The amount of preparation I have put into this suit has been entirely more work than I even care to discuss. Consequently, I have attempted to be very thorough and have contingency plans in place for all possible eventualities. While I certainly could not have anticipated Mr. Collins' eventual fate, there is always the possibility of an untimely death in these cases. What I am trying to say is that I have already researched the next in line for the entail. Not only do I know who he is, but I have strong reason to believe that he will be more amenable to our plans than was his predecessor." A brilliant grin broke out over Philips' face.

"How have you come to that conclusion?" Bennet retorted, somewhat cynically. I appreciate that you want me to find some hope in the midst of all this, but I need to stay focused on reality, not remote possibilities..

"It does seem to be a rather grand assumption to make considering the circumstances," Gardiner quickly agreed.

"Well, perhaps you will change your minds once you hear what I have learned. Mr. Allen Jacobson, the new heir of Longbourn, is in possession of a prestigious estate near Bristol, Evermere, I believe it is called."

"Are you suggesting that he will not want Longbourn because he already has an estate to call his own? I hardly think…" Bennet interrupted testily.

"Not at all. Hear me out, brother, hear me out. I do not think he will want Longbourn because Evermere is heavily in debt. He is in desperate need of ready cash, or so my sources tell me. The offer that you made Collins is likely to be welcome news for a man who is in deep need of liquid assets. His debt is so substantial that he stands to lose the estate if something does not happen soon." Philips steepled his fingers and perched his chin atop them. "So you see, I believe there is a very strong possibility that he will accept your offer without hesitation."

Bennet's brows knit thoughtfully. "While this is welcome news to be sure, how am I to repair my property if I have already mortgaged it?"

"I have been considering that all day, Thomas." Philips seemed to lose some energy. "I am afraid I still do not have an answer for that."

"I have a suggestion," Gardiner offered softly. "If Jacobson is as hard up as you say, do you think he might consider settling for less cash with the promise of the transaction occurring very quickly? That way we might hold back part of the funds from the mortgage to use in the restoration of the house. Even if it is not entirely sufficient, it will be substantially better…"

"That is a truly inspired idea, Edward! I think it will do very well indeed. It would certainly be to our advantage for this matter to be settled son as well. Such encouragement for him might be just the thing for everyone." Philips' smile returned. "What say you, Thomas?"

Bennet swallowed hard past the lump in his throat. "I say that I have been truly blessed this day. Bingley has expressed his willingness for us to stay as long as we need, and Darcy has offered to oversee the estate and the repairs while I am healing. His own estate suffered a fire not that long ago, and he has experience in this very thing. Now you have…" his voice broke and he could not continue. Gardiner clapped a hand on one of his shoulders while Philips took hold of the other. "So tell me, David, what must we do to speed your process along?" Bennet finally said, his eyes suspiciously moist.

"I hope I have not overstepped myself, but I anticipated your approval. So, I have begun the paperwork already. I shall have my clerks working all night on the remainder. I hope to return tomorrow with papers for you to sign. I shall leave immediately for Bristol at that point. I expect to return in a week with news of Jacobson's acceptance of our offer."

"Very well. You shall have whatever you need from me when you are ready. I cannot thank you enough for your help." Bennet paused a moment before turning to his other brother. "What are your plans, Edward?"

"I will stay a few more days, if Mr. Bingley will have me, of course," Gardiner laughed, "to make sure you have all the help you need. When you are confident there is nothing more I can do for you in Meryton, then I will go to London to bring word to Madeline and Fanny."

"Will you bring Fanny back with you?" Philips asked hesitantly.

"I do not know. Madeline has written of our sister's great improvement in the month she has been in London. But there is really no telling how she will respond to the unfortunate news I have to bear. I will be able to tell her of the outpouring of support the neighborhood has offered. I believe that will make all this easier for her to handle. Her daughters have been brilliant through this crisis, and that will be of great comfort to her."

"If she is well enough, I would be grateful for her to be here with me. But if it will tax her too much, then I am content to have her stay in London. I trust your judgment, Edward."