Miss Bennet & Mr Bingley (3 page)

‘Neither did he, Jane. I believe that he is not especially wealthy, and
therefore is quite happy to be a house guest with his brother-in-law at every
opportunity.’

Jane strolled across to the window of the upstairs sitting-room she
shared with her sister. The autumn mist had cleared, the trees glorious in
their golden raiment. She sighed. ‘It is a lovely day; I am so happy to be
here, surrounded by my friends, and with so much to anticipate in the future.’
She could not help but think about Mr Bingley when she spoke those words.

She turned and a speaking look passed between her and Elizabeth. ‘Well,
Lizzy, if you shall not ask about him, then I shall do it for you. I am certain
that you wish to know more about Mr Darcy and why Mr Bingley has such an
objectionable friend.’

Maria clapped her hands. ‘I am so glad you have mentioned him, I heard
my mother talking to Mrs Long last night. I have ever so much to tell you about
that
gentleman.’

‘He must be as rich as Croesus; no man could feel himself to be superior
to everyone else unless he was.’ Elizabeth said dryly.

‘He is indeed, Lizzy. He has a huge estate in Derbyshire, called
Pemberley, I do not know how many thousands of acres, but I expect it is
several. I believe he has £10,000 a year, and there was mention of a younger
sister, but I do not know her name. It would seem he has been friends with Mr
Bingley for a considerable time and Mr Bingley relies on Mr Darcy’s judgement
and opinion in everything.’

There was the sound of footsteps approaching the door and the four girls
looked up, their conversation interrupted. The door burst open and Lydia
stepped in.

‘Mama demands that you girls come down. She says it is impolite of you
to be closeted up here alone, you must come and join in the conversation
directly.’

Jane held her hand out to her sister and pulled her to her feet. ‘Come
along, Lizzy, it will not be so bad. Cook has made sweet pastries and she
promised we should have them this morning.’

Downstairs the two older matrons could be heard conversing volubly about
the previous night’s entertainment.

‘Charlotte, we were just talking of you. You began the evening well, you
were Mr Bingley’s first choice.’

‘Yes, but he seemed to like his second better.’

Mrs Bennet simpered. ‘Oh! You mean Jane, I suppose, because he danced
with her twice. Be sure that
did
seem as if he admired her, indeed I
rather believe he
did
. I did hear something about it, but I hardly know
what, something about Mr Robinson.’

Lady Lucas intervened. ‘Perhaps you mean what I overheard between him
and Mrs Robinson; did not I mention it to you? Mrs Robinson asked him how he
liked our Meryton assemblies, and whether he did not think they were a great
many pretty women in the room, and
which
he thought the prettiest? And
his answer immediately to the last question.
‘Oh! The eldest Miss Bennet
beyond a doubt, there cannot be two opinions on that.’
‘

Jane felt herself blush, she wished everyone’s attention was not centred
upon her, being pretty was hardly something to be proud of. It was God-given,
having a kind disposition was, in her opinion, far more important.

‘Upon my word!’ Mrs Bennet exclaimed. ‘Well, that was very decided
indeed. That does seem as if … but, however, it may well come to nothing you
know.’

Jane lowered her eyes and wished the conversation would move on to other
matters.

‘My over hearings were more to the purpose,’ said Charlotte. ‘Mr Darcy
is not so well worth listening to as his friends is he? Poor Eliza! To be only
just
tolerable
.’

Mrs Bennet interrupted with further instances of how disagreeable and
top lofty Mr Darcy was. Jane felt her mother was being over strict in her
censorship.

‘Are you quite sure, ma’am? Is not there possibly a little mistake? I
certainly saw Mr Darcy speaking to Mrs Long, and you said that he didn’t speak
to her at all.’

‘Aye, because she asked him how he liked Netherfield and he had no
choice but to answer; but she said he sounded very angry at being spoken to at
all.’

‘Miss Bingley told me that he never speaks much, unless among his
intimate acquaintance. With
them
he is remarkably agreeable.’

‘I do not believe a word of it, my dear Jane. If he had been so very
agreeable he would have talked to Mrs Long, now would not he? But I can guess
how it was; everybody says that he is ate up with pride, and I daresay he had
heard somehow Mrs Long does not keep a carriage, and had come to the ball in a
hack chaise.’

Charlotte smiled sympathetically at Elizabeth. ‘I do not mind his not
talking to Mrs Long, but I do wish he had danced with Eliza.’

‘Another time, Lizzie,’ said Mrs
Bennet said, ‘I would not dance with
him
, if I were you.’

Elizabeth was openly laughing and Jane was relieved to see that she took
the whole incident in such good spirit. She would have been mortified at being
so slighted.

‘I believe, ma’am, I may safely promise you never to dance with him
under
any

circumstances.’

Charlotte helped herself to a second pastry. ‘His pride, does not offend
me
so much as pride often does, because in his case there is excuse for
it. One cannot wonder that so very fine a young man, with family fortune,
everything in his favour, should think highly of himself. If I may so express
it, I believe he has a
right
to be proud.’

Elizabeth chuckled. ‘That is very true. And I could easily forgive
his
pride, if he had not mortified
mine
.’

Jane noticed that Mary was gathering herself to enter the conversation.
‘Pride is a very common failing I believe. By all that I have ever read, I am
convinced that it is very common indeed, that human nature is particularly
prone to it, but that only a few of us who do not cherish …’

‘That is all very well, Mary, and I am sure you are perfectly correct,
but I believe we have heard quite enough on the subject of Mr Darcy and his
pride,’ Elizabeth interrupted.

 
Jane waited for Mary to flounce
off in a dudgeon but the moment was averted by one of the younger Lucas boys
jumping up from the carpet where he had been playing spillikins with his brother.

 
‘If I was rich as Mr Darcy, I
should not care how proud I was. I should keep a pack of foxhounds, and drink a
bottle of claret every day.’

‘Then you would drink a great deal more than you ought, and if I were
there to see you I should take away your bottle directly.’

 
This friendly argument between
her mother and the child continued throughout the remainder of the visit, and
Jane felt no need to intervene. When the Lucas party departed she was glad to
have a moment to herself.

 
‘I’m going to change into my
habit and take a ride around the park, I feel the need to clear my head, is
that acceptable, ma’am?’

Mrs Bennet beamed her approval. ‘Of course, Jane, my love; it is very
possible you might meet Mr Bingley doing the same.’

She returned from her ride, having met no one of interest, to find her
mother and Elizabeth preparing to play a morning call at Netherfield.

‘Oh there you are, Jane. We have been waiting for you this age. How are
we to go anywhere without the horse to pull our carriage?’

‘I apologize, ma’am. I had no idea I had been away so long. It will not
take me above fifteen minutes to change into something suitable and join you in
the hall. By that time the groom should have time to put Sinbad between the
traces.’

Upstairs her maid was waiting, clean water in a jug, and a muslin gown,
of the prettiest green dimity, hanging on the rail ready for her to step into.

She donned her stockings and the necessary under garments, slipped into
her dress, had her hair adjusted and was downstairs within her allotted time,
only the last two buttons on her spencer to fasten.

‘There you are, you have made excellent time, my dear. Mary is about to
practice on the pianoforte, and Kitty and Lydia have walked into Meryton to see
Mrs Phillips. So it will not be uncomfortable in the carriage with only the
three of us.’

Jane exchanged smiles with her sister. ‘That gown, Lizzy, with the
stripes in dark pink, is a great favourite of mine. And your bonnet, now it has
the cherries on the brim, is a perfect complement.’

There was no need to make conversation on the three mile journey to
Netherfield, their mother filled every space of the carriage with her chatter.
Jane had no time to worry about her second meeting with Mr Bingley for they
with there before she had time to collect her thoughts.

As their carriage trundled up the long drive the Lucas carriage passed
them travelling in the opposite direction. Mrs Bennet craned out of the window
and waved. ‘There, I knew we should have left sooner, Lady Lucas will already
have asked them to dine. And I so particularly wanted them to come to Longbourn
first.’

Jane patted her mother’s arm. ‘I am certain they will have your
invitation in mind, after all Mr Bingley spoke of it to me when we were in the
second set last night.’

Her mother looked sharply at her. ‘Why didn’t you think to mention it
until now, Jane? Did he say when would be convenient for him?’

Jane shook her head. ‘No ma’am, I said we would no doubt be calling to
pay our respects and it could be arranged them.’

‘Capital news; then I shall invite him for the day after tomorrow. That
is a reasonable time, don’t you think, Lizzy? I shall not ask anyone else apart
from Mr Bingley and his party, it would be too many, and Mr Bennet does not
like to entertain.’

‘It is a shame, ma’am, but we have to ask the Netherfield party in its
entirety.’

‘Lizzy, I am sure that Mr Darcy will be on his best behaviour. He can
hardly behave in any other way if he is under our roof. I think that Mr
Bingley’s sisters are not nearly so supercilious as you imagine. I am hoping
that you will come to like them as much as I do.’

They were received cordially by Miss Bingley and her sister Mrs Hurst,
of the gentlemen there were no sign. It was not the done thing to enquire too
closely after their whereabouts. However, the dinner date was arranged and they
returned in the carriage twenty minutes later well satisfied with the visit.

‘I hope you shall be a little more forthcoming, Lizzy, when they come to
dine with us the day after tomorrow.’

‘I find I do not like them, ma’am. However, as Jane is partial to all
the Bingley’s, I promise I shall make every effort to be charming and witty and
non-judgemental when they come.’ She looked across at Jane and shuddered
dramatically. ‘Let us pray, Jane, that Mary does not wish to entertain us.’

‘Our guests shall be arriving
imminently, girls, you will remember to behave prettily?’

‘Mama, we do not have to tell
us
how to behave,’ Elizabeth said. ‘It is the younger members of the family
who need your correction.’

Jane did not wish an argument to
develop, she was so looking forward to seeing Mr Bingley again. ‘Lizzy, I shall
attend to that, I shall go at once and speak to Kitty and Lydia, remind them to
be on their best behaviour.’

As she hurried back upstairs she
could hear the sound of wheels on the gravel outside. The Netherfield party had
arrived, the clock struck the hour, they were exactly on time. She abandoned the
thought of going anywhere apart from to the drawing room in order to be waiting
when they were announced.

Miss Bingley and her sister were
dressed in the first stare of fashion, she felt almost dowdy by comparison,
then Mr Bingley caught her eye and she forgot everything else. After the
necessary greetings had been exchanged she found herself seated with Caroline.

‘Miss Bingley, I do so admire your
gown. Damask silk is so becoming, and the beading around the hem is exquisite.’

‘Thank you, Miss Bennet, I was
saying to Louisa how well you and your sister look considering your gowns were
made by a local seamstress.’

Mr Darcy was standing looking bored
at the far side of the room and immediately her glance turned in his direction
Miss Bingley jumped to her feet. ‘Pray excuse me, I must go and speak to Mr
Darcy.’

Her place was immediately taken by
Mr Bingley himself and she thought how kind it was of her friend to leave the
space beside her vacant so that her brother could sit down.

‘Miss Bennet, what a delightful
ensemble you have on this evening. Green is the perfect colour for you.’

‘That is kind of you to say so,
sir. How are you settling in at Netherfield? Do you enjoy country pursuits?’

‘I do, I find London a sad and busy
place. It is one event after another and a fellow never has a moment to
himself.’

‘I too, prefer the countryside.
When I visit my relatives in Gracechurch Street I always enjoy my stay, but I
am always relieved to return to Longbourn.’

She was so immersed in her
conversation that she failed to hear the dinner gong. It was not until Lydia
appeared at the door that she realised they were alone in the drawing-room.