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  Caroline said nothing. Her memory of Mr Hurst differed too strongly from her sister’s. Louisa had lost him quite suddenly after Christmas almost nine months ago, when he did not awake after a long night of cards and drinking. With the passage of time, his character had gradually improved in her eyes, until he was in danger of becoming a saint.

  “I like taking care of the household,” said Caroline. “It gives me something to think about.”

  She rose as she heard the sound of a door opening. She had to make the travel arrangements, but she also had something else to deal with. She had to contrive to rid herself of Mr Robert Darcy. For she remembered him all too well. More than ten months had passed since that brief encounter at the wedding, but she had not forgotten a moment of it. It had been the biggest humiliation of her life.

  It was with that in mind that she waylaid her brother as he emerged from his chamber, pulling on the first of his gloves.

  “I know, Charles, that you are eager to leave, but I would like a minute of your time,” she said.

  Charles, always willing to please, paused in the doorway. “Yes, of course, Caroline. Is there something wrong?”

  “I cannot help but feel the situation rather awkward. We are to travel with a single gentleman who is a stranger to us. You and Jane are well acquainted with him, since he was there when you stayed in Pemberley. And, of course, he is Mr Darcy’s cousin. But he is a bachelor alone with two unmarried ladies, and we will have to put up at more than one inn on the way. There are issues of propriety to consider. Mama would not have approved, I am certain.”

  Charles looked rather surprised by her assessment of the situation. “By God, I think you’re right. I had not thought about it quite that way. I have heard nothing unfavourable about him, and I found him a capital fellow.”

  “I cannot rely on you to recommend him, Charles,” said Caroline. “You are generally inclined to like everyone.”

  “True enough,” said Charles. “I suppose it is rather awkward. But what’s to be done, in the circumstances?”

  “This is far from an ideal situation, but as Louisa is a married lady and could be considered a chaperon, perhaps you could pen a quick note to Darcy’s cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam? I believe he is currently in London. If you could invite him to join us, I am sure that would make the situation more acceptable. Two gentlemen must be preferable to one, particularly since Colonel Fitzwilliam is a friend of the family, and is known to be perfectly respectable. And it has an added advantage. If we are to make a house party in Pemberley, it would even out the numbers with the ladies.”

  “Well, yes, I believe you are correct,” said Charles, relieved that a solution had been found. “Except our trip to Pemberley is not exactly a house party. We must not forget that Mrs Darcy is unwell.”

  “I am sure that once she sees you and Jane, she will recover quickly from the doldrums. There could not be two sweeter people than you in the world. And besides, what could be more pleasant than a party of house guests? It will cheer her up considerably. Pemberley is so far from everybody. Surely she would be happy to have company?”

  “You are probably right, Caroline. In any case, since it is the best answer at such short notice, I will send post-haste for Colonel Fitzwilliam, and request his assistance, if he can spare the time.”

  “Thank you, Charles,” said Caroline, planting a quick peck on her brother’s cheek. “You are the best kind of brother one could hope for.”

  ***

  Caroline did not waste her breath trying to convince Charles and Jane to wait until the next day to set out. Charles often gave in to impulse, and was ready to move at the drop of a hat, as he always said. So she saw them off with a sense of relief that she, at least, did not have to leave right away. She knew her brother too well. He would order the horses driven too hard, or try to put off changing them until the last possible minute, then discover it had become too dark for them to continue further, or that the horses were too tired, so they would be forced to put up at some shabby inn.

  “I cannot help but wonder at Mr Darcy,” said Louisa. “What could have impelled him to send us that foreign cousin of his? I do not see why we should be forced to endure his company.”

  “I imagine he meant him to travel back with Charles and Jane, but since Charles is in such a rush to leave, that cannot be expected.” Caroline sighed. “Well, I for one do not desire to be thought discourteous to Mr Darcy’s cousin, but I wish he had not come. In any case, my brother has written to Colonel Fitzwilliam requesting him to join us, so we will have congenial company,” said Caroline.

  Louisa, startled, cast her a knowing look, which Caroline ignored. “And you have no choice but to endure his company, unless you would really prefer to stay behind in Meryton. Then you would spend all your time with the Bennets instead of the Darcys.”

  Louisa shuddered. “I would journey through ice and snow rather than stay in Meryton if none of you is here.”

  Caroline smiled. “That was what I would have guessed. Though some of the Bennets do improve upon acquaintance, I must admit I am looking forward to going to Pemberley. I have not been there for some time. I am curious to see what changes Eliza Bennet has made to the house.”

  “Whatever they are, they cannot be good,” said Louisa. “We must be prepared to find Pemberley ruined beyond repair, unless Mr Darcy has been firm with her, and forbidden her to change anything. That is what I would have done.”

  “Ah, but then you would not have married Eliza Bennet.”

  Louisa snickered. “Very true! But you must remember to call her Eliza Darcy. She has been married several months now. And you have no excuse for forgetting, since we saw them in London in April. Mr Darcy will take offence.”

  “You need not fear,” replied Caroline. “I will not call her Eliza Bennet in Mr Darcy’s presence. When have you known me to be discourteous to Mr Darcy?”

  “That was because you planned to marry him,” remarked Louisa, pointedly. “And he would have done it, if it were not for meeting the Bennets. I still scarcely believe that both Mr Darcy and our brother succumbed to the charms of the Bennet girls.”

  “I cannot regret our brother marrying Jane,” said Caroline, “for a sweeter girl you could never find.” She rose. “We have to hope that the Bennets do not call on us before we set out. I will not know how to explain to Mrs Bennet the reason for our departure.”

  “You may depend upon it, she will find out. People like Mrs Bennet always seem to know everything,” replied Louisa.

  ***

  Caroline was too well bred to avoid taking dinner with Mr Robert Darcy. In fact, she did everything she could to ensure that Cook served up an excellent meal, even at such short notice. But the situation proved quite uncomfortable, for at the last moment, just when Caroline was preparing to go downstairs, Louisa excused herself, saying she was unwell and would take a light supper in her room. Caroline knew very well her sister wished to avoid the American’s company, but she had created a problem. Caroline was now a single lady dining alone with a single gentleman.

  It was not improper, of course, since he was a family guest. The presence of the footmen, moreover, made everything respectable. But it left Caroline with the undesirable task of entertaining someone who was a complete stranger, and maintaining a conversation through several dinner courses without assistance.

  As they went in, however, Caroline consoled herself by thinking that things surely could not turn out badly. She knew herself quite skilled in conversation, and more than capable of dealing with someone who might not understand the conventions of English behaviour, but who, however, was not completely without manners.

  She kept up a stream of inane chatter until dinner was announced and they settled to eat. Caroline paused in her conversation while the footmen served from the dishes. It was clear that Mr Darcy was waiting for such a pause, for he broke in quite abruptly.

  “You must not think yourself compelled to entertain me all through dinner, Miss Bing
ley. I am quite content to eat without talking.”

  Caroline was taken aback, and did not know how to respond. Such a statement was unprecedented in her experience.

  “Do you not think it would be quite uncomfortable, Mr Darcy, to be sitting here in silence, with nothing but the sound of chewing echoing through the room?” She had not meant to challenge him, but as soon as the words were uttered, they filled the room with her resentment. She had been trying her utmost to be polite, and this was her reward!

  “Oh,” said Mr Darcy. “I never listen to the sound of chewing. I consider it quite improper to do so.”

  Caroline peered at him, trying to determine if he was serious. His manner was grave and composed, and gave nothing away.

  “In that case, Mr Darcy,” she said crushingly, “let us remain mute.”

  If she had hoped to discomfit him, she was sadly disappointed. He ate his dinner in perfect contentment, giving no sign of noticing that anything was lacking. She seethed inwardly. She had determined to say nothing until he did. But, as the quiet lengthened, she shifted in her chair, growing more unnerved by the minute. It became harder and harder for her not to speak.

  “Miss Bingley,” said Mr Darcy, “I can see you are quite vexed with our agreement. I would not for anything cause you distress, particularly since I can see you have been at pains to have a very enjoyable dinner prepared. May I compliment you on your choice of dishes? And on the skill of your brother’s cook? I do not wish to ruin such a pleasant meal. I shall certainly exert myself to converse, if it will make you feel better.”

  Caroline immediately grasped the opportunity to take control of the situation once again. “I am very relieved to hear it,” she said. “I do not know what you are accustomed to in Boston, but here it is simply not done to sit silently over dinner.”

  “In company, perhaps. But surely in private many family members may prefer not to talk, especially if they do not get along very well.”

  “That may be true in some families. I assure you it is not the case in mine. And dining with you can hardly be called dining in private. So you see, Mr Darcy, your argument does not hold.”

  “Why would you not consider our dining private? Apart from the footman, who is wishing himself invisible, and must be tired of standing there so motionless, it seems to me we are completely private.”

  “You are a guest here, Mr Darcy. And a single gentleman. I need not remind you that any attempt to suggest that our meeting is private indicates an undesirable situation of intimacy.”

  Mr Darcy smiled. “Ah. Of course,” he said, “that is what you fear. Intimacy.”

  “Mr Darcy!” said Caroline. “I do not wish to continue this conversation.”

  “But Miss Bingley, it was you, and not I, who wished to exchange social niceties. I am quite content to be silent.”

  Caroline clamped her mouth down on the retort she would have liked to make, focusing her attention on her food. She applied herself to the venison in front of her, attacking it vengefully with her knife. A spurt of sauce flew from her dish and spattered the table. The footman reacted immediately and dabbed at the tablecloth with a napkin.

  She sat back in her chair, aware of Mr Darcy’s eyes on her. His expression was perfectly bland.

  “Thank you,” he said to the footman, as the latter withdrew to stand against the wall.

  She picked up her fork once more and began to toy with her food. Mr Darcy took up a mouthful of venison and chewed it with evident enjoyment.

  This would not do. If he did not know how to conduct a dinner conversation, it was up to her to set an example. “We are expecting a friend of ours, a gentleman, to arrive from London the day after tomorrow, to accompany us to Pemberley. Colonel Fitzwilliam. Perhaps you have met him? He is a cousin of Mr Darcy’s, but unrelated to you, I believe.”

  “Yes, he is related to Darcy on his mother’s side,” said Mr Robert Darcy. “I have met him. He is a very engaging gentleman. He will be a welcome addition to our party.”

  “We are thinking of departing three days from today, if that is acceptable to you. I would not wish to hold you up here, if you have business elsewhere.”

  “I have no pressing business at present,” he said. “When I attended Darcy’s wedding, I was in England because a business venture of my father’s necessitated my presence. But I was recalled to Boston when my father fell suddenly ill.” He looked down into his plate. “I returned to England only to tie up matters here to do with inheritance. My late father’s venture did not have a chance to succeed, unfortunately.”

  “I am sorry to hear of your loss,” murmured Caroline.

  “You did not know him,” replied Mr Darcy. “It was certainly a loss for me.” He stared into the distance, engulfed briefly in his memories. When he looked at her again, he smiled ruefully. “But I hardly think you would be interested in that. In any case, after I wrapped up his affairs here, I have had nothing to do but kick my heels first in London, then in Derbyshire, waiting for the chance to sail back to Boston.”

  “I would have thought it would be impossible to return, with the blockade still in place,” remarked Caroline. “Surely you must wait until the war is over?”

  “The New England coast is not part of the blockade. Though after the débâcle in Boston Harbour last June, the blockade has tightened, and the risk has become too high. Especially with Bermudan and American privateers attacking British merchant ships. Why, the USS Argus was operating in British waters when they captured it just three weeks ago. Can you imagine their audacity?”

  His eyes twinkled with amusement. She did not share the joke, of course.

  He waited while the footman had removed the tablecloth and brought in the pudding, then resumed. “Even if I were willing to risk it, it has become close to impossible to find a ship that will take passengers.”

  “It was your country that declared war on Britain,” remarked Caroline. “I have never quite understood the reasons for it.”

  “If a desire for independence and non-interference is incomprehensible to you,” said Mr Darcy, his eyes sharp, “then I am afraid explaining the situation will serve no useful purpose.”

  A dark tension filled the room, thick like molasses. Caroline realized she had taken a misstep, and endeavoured immediately to repair it.

  “I did not wish to mock your country’s demands,” she said. “I meant only to question them. This is hardly the time to engage Britain in another war, when Napoleon himself is at our shores, threatening to destroy our very way of life.”

  Mr Darcy raised an eyebrow. “I was not aware that you had an interest in politics, Miss Bingley.”

  “I am not as empty minded as you choose to believe,” retorted Caroline. She busied herself with slicing a carrot on her plate, not wishing to see his reaction to her statement.

  “I have not yet had time to form an opinion about you, Miss Bingley,” remarked Mr Darcy. “As you pointed out quite rightly earlier, we have just today been introduced. I would not be so quick to judge you. I hope you will return the favour by not presuming you already know how I think.” He spoke coldly.

  Puzzled by his sudden coldness, she turned to examine him closely, but his face was tilted away from her, unlit by the candles, and she could not determine anything.

  “Since you seem determined to speak your mind, I hope you do not mind if I speak mine,” said Caroline. “We began our acquaintance under rather unfortunate conditions.” She paused to allow him to register that she referred to their first encounter. “However, since it appears we will be spending some time together, though not in private, I should add, I think it best we should begin anew.”

  “Ah, but you would not deprive me of this opportunity to get to know you better, Miss Bingley, surely? It is only because we are in private that we can have this conversation at all.” He smiled charmingly, and though his words ruffled her, she took them to indicate agreement. She smiled tightly in return, and ignored his attempt to provoke her.

&n
bsp; “I am glad we understand each other, Mr Darcy, for now I can rest easy. Perhaps you could humour my singular need for conversation by telling me more about your life in Boston? I am very curious to form a picture of it.”

  No man, thought Caroline, could resist the chance to talk about himself, and Mr Darcy was no exception. He seized the opportunity to launch into a series of tales and anecdotes. To her surprise, he was quite entertaining, even managing to make her laugh at one or two of his stories.

  She was glad, however, when it was time for her to withdraw to allow him to drink his port. She excused herself and went upstairs.

  Her evening with him had proved exhausting. If she could not trust him to follow the basic dictates of etiquette, how could she trust him in anything else?

  For she could not forget for a moment how much she depended on his goodwill not to reveal her secret.

  Chapter 2

  Caroline was intensely relieved the next day when her maid informed her, as she served the usual morning chocolate in bed, that the fog had disappeared. Caroline’s spirits lifted. The weather being fine, Colonel Fitzwilliam might even reach them before nightfall, for it was barely twenty-four miles from London to Meryton.

  She had her breakfast brought to her in chamber, which was not her habit. She could little afford it this particular morning, in fact, when there was so much to do. There was Colonel Fitzwilliam’s visit to prepare for, preparations to undertake for the trip, and instructions to give to the servants for the time they would be away. But she wanted to avoid the breakfast room, for she did not wish to encounter Mr Darcy alone, and she knew Louisa would not be down before noon.

  Her precautions proved to be pointless. When she enquired about his whereabouts, she was told that Mr Darcy had gone out riding early and planned to take a light luncheon at the inn in Meryton. When he still had not come back by late afternoon, she concluded hopefully that he was just as anxious to avoid her as she to avoid him.