“He does not mean to allow me to have it, then,” said Louisa, pacing.
“Well, perhaps that’s better anyway,” said Caroline. “You have expressed to me on a number of occasions that you wished I had not interfered. Just tell Mr. Hurst it’s Mr. Darcy’s child. He will not wish to stand in the way of that.”
“Yes, perhaps,” said Louisa.
Elizabeth did not appreciate having Mr. Darcy say this. She supposed he thought it was gallant or something of that nature, but he was not respecting her wishes, and he should not have run off and gone wherever he had gone and left her here like this, not when everything was so very fraught.
The Bingley sisters talked to each other, mostly ignoring her, and Elizabeth felt that was an improvement over whatever else they had been doing to her before. She had the large bedchamber now. She had as much food as she liked. She had a maid to see to her. She no longer had to empty her own chamberpot. She supposed she had very little to complain about anymore, except for the fact that Mr. Darcy had taken control of her future without even consulting her.
But things were better, and it was down to him.
She could not deny that.
She went to bed.
The next day, she visited Miss Darcy for lemon cakes.
“I am ever so glad not to have to listen to Miss Bingley,” said Miss Darcy wryly. “She means well, and I know it, but she does talk incessantly about very boring things.”
Elizabeth could not help but smirk.
“Oh, apologies,” said Miss Darcy. “I know I am not meant to say such things. You will get such ideas of me. It is only that I have heard quite a lot about you from Fitz, and he says you value people who are forthright. Is that true?”
“Certainly,” said Elizabeth. “I am given to saying things that are true but a bit impolite myself, it is true. He really spoke of me to you?”
“Rather constantly, yes,” said Miss Darcy. “I don’t know if it was worse before he went to Rosings or after. He would spend far too much time going over all of the detriments of his marriage proposal and why you were entirely correct to have refused him.”
“Oh, dear,” said Elizabeth.
“Yes, and then he and I must dissect everything,” said Miss Darcy. “All of his behavior. All of yours. And he wished to know if there was any chance that he could somehow win you back. And I don’t know at what point, then, he was supposed to have gotten this babe on you.”
Elizabeth sighed.
“So, I’m not an idiot,” said Miss Darcy. “I don’t think it’s his.”
Elizabeth sighed again.
“That is answer enough,” said Miss Darcy. “How wretched. I suppose we must hope it’s a girl.”
Elizabeth licked her lips. “What are you saying? What does that matter, really?”
“Well, if the heir to Pemberley has no Darcy blood—
“He’s not going to marry me, Miss Darcy.”
“He has spoken of little else besides marrying you for some months, Miss Bennet. I assure you, he is.”
“He has already told me I am to be his mistress.”
“And if that were the case, he would not be introducing you to me.”
Elizabeth supposed that made sense. But it was madness. She shook her head, trying to makeanythingmake sense. “Well, why would he do that? You must forgive me, Miss Darcy, but he told me a bit about you and Mr. Wickham, and so I shall tell you that the reason I am with child is down to that man. He would never let Mr. Wickham’s child be his heir.”
Miss Darcy went entirely still. She was holding a tea cup and it began to quiver in the air.
“I am sorry,” said Elizabeth. “Perhaps I should not have mentioned him at all in front of you. I have to admit I have only a vague idea of what happened with you and that man.”
Miss Darcy managed to set down her tea cup. It clattered a bit against the saucer when she did. Then she folded her hands and placed them in her lap. “That does seem madness to me, Miss Bennet, considering things he said to me in the wake of my ordeal with Mr. Wickham.”