Once his sister had confessed all, Bingley pushed himself upright again and raged at her for her arrogance and selfishness. Pacing back and forth in front of her, he shouted himself hoarse, not stopping until Caroline was a weeping mess in front of him.
Having reached the end of his anger, he walked over and pulled the bell. When the housekeeper answered the call, he asked her to bring Netherfield’s newest guest into the room.
Caroline was so distraught at this point that she did not notice her betrothed enter, nor did she recognize his voice as he harshly asked Bingley to explain her tears.
“What have you done? Why is she sobbing?”
“I have explained to her, in no uncertain terms, the extent of her treachery and what the consequences would be to her if I had my way. Quite frankly, it is past time that someone did. She should have been moved to tears long ago.” Bingley turned back to his sister and spoke directly to her.
“I am done with you, Caroline. Mr. Meade arrived earlier today. I find your betrothed to be a man of good sense and fortune. Why he is so eager to marry you, I will never understand. He must see something in you that you hide from the rest of us.” Bingley shocked even himself with the bitterness in his tone. “Meade and I have reviewed your settlement. I find it more than fair, and we have signed it. We went this afternoon to the church and purchased a common license. You will wed tomorrow morning.” His surge of feelings past, Bingley felt a sudden exhaustion come over him. “I will leave you to it, Meade. I will not demand that you remove her from my home, but I do expect her to behave better while she is here. I am going to my rooms to rest before dinner.” Without looking back, Bingley walked out the door and up the staircase.
~~~***~~~
Mr. Meade had, immediately after his angry questioning of Bingley, joined Caroline on the settee. Pulling her close with one arm, he reached into his pocket for his handkerchief, pressing it into her hand before wrapping both arms tightly around her. He kissed her hair and rocked her, running one hand up and down her back. They remained in that position for a long time, until Caroline’s tears finally slowed enough that she could hear him.
“I am sorry your brother upset you.”
“I have not seen him that angry since we were children! I did not know he was still capable of it. He is usually so accommodating.” Tears began to pour down Caroline’s cheeks again, though she was no longer sobbing uncontrollably.
Meade was silent for a long moment. “By ‘accommodating,’ do you mean ‘malleable’?”
Caroline buried her head into his chest, murmuring her assent so softly that he was not certain he heard an answer at all.
“He told me, you know, that he has been enjoying his time away from you. He says you stifle him and want to mold him into someone he is not.”
Not wishing to reply, Caroline remained still, face hidden in her betrothed’s coat. When he nudged her, she knew he expected a response. For a reason she could not fathom, she felt shame as she replied, “I expected him to marry an heiress, or at least a prominent lady of society. Not the nearly penniless daughter of a country squire.”
“So you did run his life, or try to.”
She sat up. “He needed direction! He is far too amiable; he would marry beneath him and pull us all back into the sphere our father worked so hard to raise us out of!”
“He is a man, Caroline. If you are referring to Miss Bennet with all this nonsense about penniless daughters and low connections, remember that, in addition to being sister to Mrs. Darcy, Miss Bennet is the daughter of a gentleman and you, despite your pretty manners and excellent education, are not. She is above you.”
Caroline gasped and turned away from him.
Meade sighed. “Do not be angry. It is the truth and you know it. It matters not one whit to me what your background is. I am about to raise your status; the moment the marriage ceremony is complete, you will be the wife of a gentleman and on equal footing with both Mrs. Darcy and Miss Bennet, though I admit my income does not quite match Darcy’s and his wife will still have precedence over you.
“Do you wish to know my thoughts on the matter? I believe that you are ashamed of your background and that is why you press your brother so hard to marry as high as possible. Look at me, Caroline.” Meade used two fingers to gently turn her face toward him; when she refused to look up, he used those same fingers to lift her chin, brushing them along her cheek as he did so. Once her eyes were engaged with his, he continued. “Aaron Bingley was well-thought of. He was known all over Yorkshire for being fair and honest in his dealings. His generosity to those less fortunate, and those who had suffered loss or tragedy, was boundless. His kindness to strangers was the same, and his business acumen was legendary. He lived the principles of Scripture every day of his life. There is absolutely nothing in your history that you should hide. In fact, I should think you would wish to hold your father up as an example of what all gentlemen should be. He may not have moved in the circles of a gentleman, but his behavior made him so.”
As she stared into the eyes of her betrothed, Caroline considered his words. She remembered well her father’s stern, unyielding side. He was a hard man in certain situations, such as when she and her siblings misbehaved, or when someone was rude or coarse in the presence of ladies and children. She also remembered how soft and warm his eyes were when they looked at his family. She remembered going with him to give supplies to a family whose house had burned to the ground, and hearing him discuss with her mother the best way to help a family whose father was sick and unable to work. And, she had clear memories of her Papa playing games with her, Louisa, and Charles. Of catching him bending her mother over and kissing her breathless. Of tight hugs and kisses to the top of her head. Caroline sighed, the tears once more overflowing her eyes.
“I miss him so much!”
Meade pulled her close again, rocking her and whispering words of comfort. “I know, darling. What do you think he would say if he were here to witness your behavior?”
Overcome with shame, Caroline cried harder. “He would be so disappointed in me.” She sniffed, pressing the now soaked handkerchief to her eyes as well as she could while encircled in Meade’s arms.
“Caroline, why did you bring Miss Moody here? Why attempt to cause a division in someone else’s marriage? Do you not know how that would hurt me? It makes me feel as though I am not enough for you.”
Sniffing again, Caroline admitted, “I saw Darcy as a possession, I suppose. I wanted to be Mistress of Pemberley, and that is all I could think about when I was in London. I did my best to chase away other women and make him see me. Then, in Yorkshire, with no constant reminders of him, I was able to relax.” Keeping her face turned to Meade’s coat, she continued, “When I read the notice in the papers, jealousy came roaring back. I knew nothing could be done. He was married, and that is forever. I just did not wish for him to be happy apart from me. I did not think about anyone else, I guess. I am used to getting my way and doing whatever it takes to get it. I reacted badly when Darcy was denied me, and despite my efforts not to hurt my brother in the process, I did it anyway. I am sorry.”
Once again, Meade was silent for a long moment, thinking about Caroline’s words, and her brother’s. He thought about the lady he had known in Yorkshire and how witty and charming she was, not to mention beautiful. He laid his cheek on Caroline’s hair and held her tighter as he gathered his thoughts. Finally ordering them as he thought they should be, Meade lifted his head, kissed her hair, and began. “When I met you, I was first struck by your laugh. It was warm and bubbling and sent an arrow straight to my heart. We were at the assembly ball, and I asked your aunt to introduce me to you. Do you remember?” When Caroline nodded, he kissed her hair again.
“Then I called on you, and there were so many other gentlemen there. Your laugh was different that day. Your aunt told me later that you had been told to find a husband and were distressed. I wanted to reassure you that all would be well, but could not on such a brief acquaintance. Every day I came back and asked you questions. Do you remember?”
This time, Caroline added a murmured, “yes,” to her nod.
“You were so gracious, even when I knew you were unhappy. You displayed your accomplishments and discussed every acceptable topic. I found myself falling more and more in love with you. I have told you this before, and I know that you do not yet love me, but I believe it will come.” He peeked down at her half-hidden face. “When I look at you, I see the perfect wife. You are exactly as you were trained to be. More, I see hints of a warm and loving person just under the surface. It is my belief that you hide your true nature. You are more like your father than you wish to allow others to see. This is why I asked you to marry me, and why I am here with you now, instead of giving in to my jealous heart and leaving you to whatever fate your brother might have in mind.”
It was Caroline’s turn to be quiet. She turned Meade’s words over in her mind. No one had ever looked beneath the mask she presented to the public. She had often been praised for her accomplishments and beauty, and sought after for her wit and charm, and the connection to Darcy she enjoyed through Charles. None of those people had ever noticed the deeper portions of her personality. Only Albert Meade had, and she was not sure how he had seen it. Strangely enough for her, she was glad he did. She looked up at him, tilting her head back so he could see her face.
“Thank you, both for seeing more to me than anyone else has, and for caring for me enough to stand by me. I hope that you are correct, and that my feelings for you will grow.”
“Then, we shall proceed with the wedding tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“Excellent! Would you like to stay here in Hertfordshire a while longer afterwards? If that is not acceptable, we could go to London or even back to Yorkshire. I am yours to command.”
“I do not know if I can maintain my equanimity in the presence of the Darcys. I will have to apologize to them, and I will, but I think I would rather go to London for a few weeks.”
Meade smiled. “That is what we shall do, then. Come, my dear. Let us get you up to your room to wash your face and change for dinner.