A Secret Agreement - ~V~

[the_shrubbery]

V – Louisa dines with her family

A couple of days later, Caroline was invited to take tea with Miss Darcy and her guardians. As usual, the sandwiches were excellent, as well as the cupcakes specially delivered – the one thing cook would not make herself – and Caroline graciously accepted the second helpings Miss Darcy pressed onto her.

The recent illness was still very visible in Miss Darcy’s face and demeanour; she was pale and rather nervous but she did her utmost to make her guest feel at ease. Caroline could not but admire Mrs Annesley, a true gentlewoman, who subtly guided Miss Darcy without it becoming obvious. She was a great improvement to the companion Miss Darcy had had before, Caroline thought, a rather younger, extroverted lady, who had often almost seemed to forget her charge when conversing with guests. Mrs Annesley had her share of the conversation, it was true, but her participation was rather to ensure there were no awkward pauses or to even the way for Miss Darcy, and not to present herself.

When they were finished with the tea, Mrs Annesley, noticing the tired expression in Miss Darcy’s face, asked her young charge whether she would not like to retire, and Miss Darcy thankfully accepted after having earnestly begged for Caroline’s forgiveness.

‘Would you call my carriage?’ Caroline asked the Colonel when Miss Darcy and Mrs Annesley had left the room.

‘I thought perhaps Darcy and I could walk you home,’ the Colonel suggested. ‘It is such a fine day and it is not very far. Besides -’

His expression told Caroline that they wanted to talk to her in private and she readily accepted.

‘Louisa has a new friend,’ she told them when they had left the house. ‘And Mr Hurst seems to be friends with him as well. A Mr Aldridge. He dined with us last night.’

‘Aldridge, Aldridge,’ Mr Darcy muttered. ‘If he is who I think he is, he is a rather decent young man. Good family. His father has property in Ireland and Aldridge was there for the last couple of years, managing it, if I recall correctly.’

Caroline described Mr Aldridge.

‘That would be him,’ Mr Darcy said. ‘I know him but slightly, but he is very well-respected and liked. He stands to inherit quite a handsome fortune too from his mother’s side of the family.’

‘Not the sort of person you would expect one of Mr Hurst’s ilk to associate with,’ the Colonel remarked. ‘I wonder if there is blackmail involved.’

‘Well, there were some rumours a couple of years ago,’ Mr Darcy acceeded. ‘I do not recall any particulars – actually, I do not think there ever were any particulars – someone apparently claimed to have seen Aldridge coming out of a locale with a certain reputation – but then, he was a very untrustworthy source and nobody paid him any attention.’

‘Maybe our friend Hurst somehow came into additional information,’ the Colonel speculated.

‘What sort of locale would that be?’ Caroline asked, curious. ‘What reputation does it have?’

‘A very bad reputation,’ Mr Darcy said hastily. ‘Nothing that should be mentioned in gentle company.’

Caroline pouted.

‘Have you discovered anything else?’ the Colonel asked quickly.

‘Not really, no,’ Caroline said. ‘Only Louisa seems to be in a better mood lately.’

‘That does not sound too good,’ Mr Darcy said.

‘Not at all,’ the Colonel agreed.

‘We had better observe them closely,’ Mr Darcy said.

‘In that case,’ Caroline said, ‘you should perhaps come to dine with us today. I do not think Mr Aldridge is expected, but I could throw myself at you over the coffee, Mr Darcy.’

‘Why, that sounds like an excellent plan,’ the Colonel said. ‘Does it not, Darcy?’

‘We are dining with your mother tonight,’ Mr Darcy pointed out.

‘Oh, the mater will not mind,’ the Colonel said. ‘We shall send Georgiana to dine with her and Miss Bingley can expect us.’

‘If you insist,’ Mr Darcy said grumpily. ‘The Hursts will be there though, will they not? Otherwise, there would be no need for a spectacle.’

‘Oh, they will,’ Caroline said. ‘Shall I see you later then?’

They had reached the doorstep of her brother’s house so Mr Darcy and the Colonel promised to return later and then took their leave of her.

Inside, Caroline found her brothers and sister in the drawing-room. Louisa was reading a journal, Charles was penning a letter and Mr Hurst was snoring on a couch.

‘I have invited Mr Darcy and his cousin to dine with us,’ Caroline announced.

‘That sounds nice,’ Louisa said. ‘Which cousin?’

‘The Colonel,’ Caroline said. ‘Remember, Miss Darcy’s other guardian.’

‘Oh, right, him,’ Louisa said. ‘Completely penniless, was he not?’

‘He is quite charming though,’ Caroline said, then remembering her instructions, added, ‘although of course nothing compared with dear Mr Darcy. He was particularly attentive towards me today, I must say.’

‘How nice,’ Louisa said, then lowered her voice and whispered, ‘So do you think there is hope after all?’

‘Who knows?’ Caroline whispered and winked. ‘He rather begged for an invitation though, that I can tell you.’

Mr Hurst woke with a start.

‘Mr Darcy?’ he asked. ‘He is coming to dine? Tonight?’

‘Yes, Mr Hurst,’ Caroline said. ‘He is coming just for you, he has been longing to see you.’

‘Excellent, excellent,’ Mr Hurst said, distracted.

‘Why, Caroline, I rather think he might come to see someone else,’ Louisa said and winked.

‘What is all this talk about Darcy?’ Charles asked. ‘What has he done?’

‘Nothing, Charles, nothing,’ Caroline said. ‘I invited him to dine with us tonight, that is all.’

‘Oh, I would not say that was all,’ Louisa said and giggled.

‘Oh, quite,’ Caroline said. ‘How could I forget!’

‘I wonder indeed how you could forget,’ Louisa said. ‘I thought it was especially important for you.’

‘Yes, Charles,’ Caroline said. ‘Mr Darcy’s cousin is coming as well. The Colonel. Do you remember him?’

‘I was not talking about that,’ Louisa muttered.

‘Colonel Fitzwilliam?’ Charles asked. ‘Have you set your cap at him now, Caro?’

‘No, of course not,’ Caroline said hastily. ‘I have set my cap at no one.’

‘Really no one?’ Louisa inquired.

‘Oh, you know,’ Caroline said.

‘Well, then,’ Mr Hurst said, ‘I think I forgot something at my club and must quickly go there before dinner. Louisa, could I talk to you for a minute?’

‘Of course, dear,’ Louisa said and followed her husband out of the room.

---

Dinner went smoothly; the menu Caroline had selected was universally appreciated and the conversation centred on things of general interest such as the weather and recent news. After dinner, Caroline and Louisa retreated to one of the drawing rooms, leaving the gentlemen to their port. Caroline picked up her needlework and Louisa returned her attention to the fashion journal she had been reading earlier. The gentlemen, thankfully, did not linger long over port and joined them shortly.

‘Coffee, Mr Darcy?’ Caroline asked sweetly, remembering her promise from earlier on.

‘No, thank you,’ Mr Darcy said.

His cousin nudged him unobtrusively.

‘That is, in a moment perhaps, if you do not mind,’ Mr Darcy added. ‘In the meantime, however, I want to ask you a favour.’

‘A favour, Mr Darcy?’ Caroline simpered, fluttering her eyelashes. ‘Oh, what could that be?’

‘I noticed a very fine landscape in your dining-room and I wondered if you could tell me more about it,’ Mr Darcy said. ‘Perhaps my cousin and I could ask you some questions concerning the picture while we admire it together.’

‘Oh, certainly, I should love that,’ Caroline said, knowing perfectly well that there was no picture of a landscape in the dining-room. ‘We do we not go there at once? Are you joining us, Colonel?’

She took the Colonel’s arm, gave Mr Darcy a broad smile for Louisa’s sake and allowed herself to be escorted back into the dining-room.

When the door had closed behind them, Louisa scurried over to her husband, who had settled himself on a sofa and assumed his usual position.

‘There is no landscape in the dining-room,’ she whispered into his ear.

‘Excellent, is it not?’ Mr Hurst whispered back. ‘We are making good progress.’

‘Oh, for heaven’s sake!’ Charles exclaimed and when they turned their heads towards him, they noticed that he had managed to spill ink over the cuffs of both his arms.

‘I only wanted to quickly jot down the directions of that hatter Darcy recommended,’ Charles said, ‘and now look at this. I shall have to go upstairs and change before I ruin everything.’

‘Yes, do, Charles,’ Louisa said lazily.

‘What do you mean, excellent?’ Louisa asked when her brother had left them.

‘Well, apparently Caroline is doing her best at seeking Mr Darcy out,’ Mr Hurst said. ‘That is well.’

‘But it was Mr Darcy who sought Caroline out!’ Louisa pointed out. ‘And he took his cousin along with him.’

‘Yes, the cousin,’ Mr Hurst admitted. ‘He could pose a problem. Caroline seems to be rather fond of him, and he of her. We must not allow that to happen. You must take care of him.’

‘I?’ Louisa asked. ‘Why should I do that? I am taking care of Darcy. Why do not you do it?’

‘Because, my dear,’ Mr Hurst said, ‘oh, you very well know.’

‘Anyway,’ Louisa said. ‘What about Mr Darcy? Why did he seek my sister out, instead of the other way round?’

‘Maybe he is attracted to her after all,’ Mr Hurst suggested, ‘and your assessment of the situation was faulty.’

‘Yes, but, Algie,’ Louisa said. ‘After all you have told me about him, and what you suspect he is up to, should I really be happy that he appears to be genuinely interested in my sister?’

‘At least he is not French,’ Mr Hurst said.

‘He is as good as, if you are right!’ Louisa exclaimed. ‘I cannot allow him to prey on my sister.’

‘We must do our duty first,’ Mr Hurst said. ‘Remember, Louisa, you promised me. We are at war, do not forget that. We all have to make personal sacrifices.’

‘Yes, I remember,’ Louisa said. ‘You the most of all, I do not forget that.’

‘Well, then,’ Mr Hurst said, ‘see how much success you have with the Colonel, I will take a nap. So fatiguing, these dinners.’

He closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep when Charles joined them again.

---

Caroline had stepped into the hall with her two companions. They heard plates ringing from the dining-room.

‘I think the library is empty,’ Caroline said and lead the way.

‘Well, then, Colonel,’ she said when they had settled themselves around the late Mr Bingley’s large writing desk, ‘how do you like my brother Mr Hurst, now that you have properly met him?’

‘I think he is queer,’ the Colonel said. ‘I cannot precisely say how, or why, but something about him strikes me as odd.’

‘He went to his club again this afternoon,’ Caroline reported, ‘just before dinner.’

‘Well, he never arrived there,’ the Colonel said, ‘for I was waiting there for him, just in case he should turn up, and I did not see him.’

‘He has several clubs, has he not?’ Mr Darcy interjected.

‘Yes, but he has only ever turned up in one of them,’ the Colonel explained, ‘a rather dingy affair, if you ask me, rather more frequented by the more dubious elements.’

‘I gather you had no trouble securing membership?’ Mr Darcy asked.

‘None at all,’ the Colonel said. ‘They do not ask for references.’

‘So he goes to that one club?’ Mr Darcy said. ‘That is a new development.’

‘Well, he goes there only occasionally,’ the Colonel amended, ‘and only to meet other people – sometimes a young man answering Aldridge’s description, sometimes others.’

‘Aldridge, Aldridge,’ Mr Darcy muttered. ‘I cannot puzzle out his role in the whole affair. I looked him up at home and he is indeed who I thought he was – very respectable family.’

‘Even they can have bad eggs,’ the Colonel said.

‘As is proven time and again with you,’ Mr Darcy said. ‘Seriously, though, I think I know him slightly from Cambridge – he came down a year or two before me – and he had the best of reputations. No gaming debts, no boundaries over-stepped with any one, a great favourite with his tutors – he simply is not the person to have dealings with Mr Hurst.’

‘And still, he has,’ the Colonel said. ‘We must find out more. Miss Bingley, would you mind dropping Mr Aldridge’s name in the conversation later on? Make it something very innocent, and allow us to see Hurst’s and your sister’s reaction to his name. Maybe it is not Hurst after all but Mrs Hurst Aldridge is interested in.’

‘But would Mr Hurst meet this Mr Aldridge if he was interested in my sister?’ Caroline, who had until then followed the cousins’ exchange with rapt attention, asked.

Mr Darcy shrugged.

‘Stranger things have happened,’ he said. ‘The two men may have come to an agreement regarding your sister during their meetings in that club.’

Caroline blushed.

‘Now, now, Darcy,’ the Colonel said, ‘you are over-whelming poor Miss Bingley with these new insights into our capital’s morals.’

‘I beg your pardon,’ Mr Darcy, now equally blushing, said stiffly, ‘I forgot myself. It was not my intention to shock you, Miss Bingley.’

‘I am not shocked,’ Caroline lied. ‘I am not a child anymore.’

‘No, indeed,’ the Colonel said and chuckled.

Caroline ignored him.

‘Mr Darcy,’ she said instead, ‘how would you rate my efforts to throw myself at you so far? Have I been eager enough?’

‘Err -’

‘Did you not think my little manoeuvre with the salt bowl particularly clever?’

‘Err -’

‘Everybody must have thought I was touching your hand, must they not?’

‘Really, Miss Bingley -’ Mr Darcy said.

‘You were brilliant, Miss Bingley,’ the Colonel interrupted him. ‘Absolutely magnificent. Keep up the good work. And now, shall we return to the drawing-room? It is time we proceeded. Miss Bingley, may I have your shawl?’

‘Whatever for?’ Caroline asked.

‘Whenever things inside there become to much for you,’ the Colonel explained, placing the shawl neatly on a chair, ‘you can claim to miss your shawl and come here. Or, you can ask me to retrieve it for you and then follow me because you recall it is not where you told me it was. I shall meet you here and whatever it is you need to tell me can be said then.’

‘Inspiring,’ Mr Darcy muttered. ‘Do you always use these tactics at parties?’

‘Only when I am bored,’ the Colonel said.

He offered his arm to Caroline and led her back into the drawing-room.