Page 54 of Cousin Conundrum

Kitty perched next to Jane and put an arm about her shoulders. “She must have tricked him somehow. She truly must have.”

“He s-said, ‘Marry me.’ So loudly. Everyone heard him.” Jane shook her head. “He kissed her.”

“I rather think she kissed him,” Kitty muttered.

That diabolical Archer. How could she? Anyone could see how smitten Jane was. How much Mr. Bingley admired her. And to hurt Jane…Hurting Jane was like stomping on a baby animal. Only the most vicious, unfeeling, horrible person would do so.

A person like Miss Cat Archer.

“K-Kitty?”

Kitty turned to see Jane watching her with wide, glistening eyes. “Yes?”

“You look so… You look frightening.”

“I was thinking of what I would like to do to Cat Archer.”

“Oh, but you must not do a thing. It is not our place to.” Jane hiccupped, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks.

“But she has obviously employed treachery to steal him from you.”

“We do not know that for certain.”

“We do if he has been asking you how many children you would care to have and where you would like to live and how often Mama should be permitted to visit you.”

Jane shook her head. “No. He did not…that is, we spoke of those things, but never of us together. Perhaps he—he simply wished to know what sorts of ideas women have about such matters. Before he a-a-asked her.” Jane looked down, blotting at her face with Kitty’s handkerchief.

“I do not for one moment believe—”

A door banged open nearby, cutting off Kitty’s words. Not a door to the room in which they sat, but close enough for them to hear. Jane looked up, alarmed. Footfalls followed. The door slammed closed. A muted, angry voice spoke.

Miss Bingley?

Kitty rose with care, lest the settee creak, and tiptoed to the adjoining door.

“Kitty,” Jane hissed.

Not looking back, Kitty waved off her words. She reached the door without a floorboard so much as squeaking and pressed her ear to the wood.

“…done, Charles? How could you? We know nothing about them except that they wear counterfeit clothing and claim a distant connection to a baron, and a closer one to that odious Mr. Collins. And without even asking me? Or Louisa? All this time we have been lecturing you on how unsuitable Miss Bennet is, you have been sneaking behind our backs with Cat Archer?”

Had the vehemence of words the strength of leather, Mr. Bingley would be flayed alive. Kitty grimaced on his behalf, then frowned. What did she mean, ‘unsuitableness of Miss Bennet?’ No one was more suitable than Jane.

“Kitty,” Jane hissed again.

Urgently, Kitty waved Jane’s insistence away.

“I did not—” Mr. Bingley began, his voice oddly choked.

Was Mr. Bingley angry? He did not seem capable of such a strong, volatile emotion.

“And to think, I had Mr. Darcy nearly in my grasp, and now you have ruined everything with this brazen public proposal and—”

“If you would permit me to speak?” Mr. Bingley barked, causing Kitty to start.

She clamped her hands over her mouth to hold in a yelp of surprise.

“Why? So you can propose to more unsuitable women?”