“Oh dear. I do hope my sisters and mother would not stoop to falsehoods,” Jane said, turning serious.
“Do not fear, Miss Bennet. I watched you sit out two dances tonight when you could have been enjoying yourself, merely to see your friends enjoy the same. Some gentleman will surely recognize your kindness and goodness, and make you his wife even sooner than the fortnight that your mother dreams of,” Bingley assured her.
Jane frowned. “I do hope not. I would prefer a much longer courtship. I would like to know my husband well before I even consider marriage. I have always hoped for a marriage of true affection.”
“As have I,” Bingley agreed. “You know, these ladies and gentlemen that have fled from our families are terribly short-sighted. There is no need for difficult relations to be an impediment if two people like one another well enough. For of course, unless you marry a local man, you will not be staying in the vicinity, you will go to live with your husband. And my sister Caroline will eventually marry and leave me as well, and when Hurst comes into his inheritance, I suspect I shall see a great deal less of my elder sister. Why should such a temporary situation prevent one’s happiness?”
“I do love my family, though. I should not like to go away and see them no more,” said Jane.
“Nor I, to be sure, but once one is settled at a safe distance, one may choose how often they see their relations, and for how long,” answered Bingley. “And I am certain one would enjoy their visits all the better for it.”
“I have never considered it like that, but you are right,” said Jane. “It is too bad that I may never meet a gentleman with such foresight who has an interest in me.”
“Do not be too certain about that, Miss Bennet,” smiled Charles Bingley, hoping against hope that maybe this time, this courtship, if one indeed progressed, might be different from all those before it.
CHAPTER 3
The following day contained the usual visit to Longbourn by the ladies of Lucas Lodge. By mutual agreement in the little town, calls were not paid the day after an assembly or large event, when some might have other obligations to attend to, or may be resting after the exertions, except by particular invitation. A prior invitation had stood between Longbourn and Lucas Lodge all the years of Mrs Bennet’s and Lady Lucas’s long friendship, and the ladies relished the opportunity to speak of all that occurred at the assembly.
Elizabeth had heard Mr Darcy’s unkind words about her the night before, but said nothing to anyone but Jane. Mrs Bennet disliked the man already. If it was made worse, her mother might actually insult the man to his face, which could not possibly help Jane to develop an attachment to his friend. Not only that, but Mrs Bennet would spread the tale far and wide, and though Elizabeth knew that her mother did not consider her as handsome as Jane, she did not wish to hear the matter spoken of at length by the entire village. She did, however, wish very much to divulge the incident to Charlotte, whose confidence she could depend on, and to exclaim with her friend about howabominable the man was to ask her for the last later in the evening. She had not wished to sit it out, and she received two offers that she had to refuse after the man had gone on his way, but it did give her the great satisfaction of declining his request, and swanning off as if it meant nothing to her.
Indeed, it could have meant a great deal to her if only he had been amiable from the beginning like his friend. Just like Jane had been attracted to Mr Bingley from the start, so too, had Elizabeth been to Mr Darcy. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen, and then when he spoke cruelly of her in her hearing, it had been like being doused with a bucket of cold water. She did not need men like him reminding her that she would never be as handsome as her sister, she needed just one honourable, kindhearted gentleman to think that she was worthy on her own merits.
The Lucas Ladies arrived, and broke up into their prospective groups, Lady Lucas to converse with Mrs Bennet, Maria to gossip and retrim bonnets with Kitty and Lydia, and Charlotte to sit and enjoy Elizabeth and Jane’s company. The latter group did invite Mary to sit and converse with them, but she eschewed the conversation as gossip, and retreated to a corner to study Fordyce.
Charlotte was aghast at the report of Mr Darcy’s manners. “He did seem above his company when he was first introduced, and while he so persistently stood alone, he looked so proud and haughty. But later, when he asked me to dance, he seemed willing enough to be reservedly friendly, and seemed to spend the rest of the evening making a more sincere effort. Perhaps he was out of sorts.”
“It is not like you to sound so much like Jane, Charlotte. How issheexpected to respond when you steal her lines?” teased Elizabeth.
“But Lizzy, perhapshe wasout of sorts when he arrived,” insisted Jane. “Sister, what if there was some sort of explanation?”
“I cannot imagine what sort of explanation could excuse such incivility, Jane,” answered her sister. “In any case, he is unlikely to make any such elucidation tome. How was your conversation with Mr Bingley?”
“I think I may have embarrassedmyselfthis time,” Jane admitted. “You recall that Mama said something unpleasant and embarrassing in his presence. Well… I worried and brooded over it until the end of the evening, and when we danced the last, Lizzy, I cannot believe I said it, but I said that I did not think I would ever be married with Mama behaving the way she does. I did not intend it to sound like it did. What must he think of me?”
Jane related the rest of the conversation to them – without relating to Charlotte the remark of Mrs Bennet’s that caused the whole scene – only admitting that Mrs Bennet had spoken unkindly and unfairly about someone – and the other two ladies quite agreed that instead of disgusting Mr Bingley, that it sounded like her words had inspired him.
“Do not worry, Jane. I believe you will be married to a handsome, kind gentleman, and living a safe distance from Hertfordshire sooner than you imagine!” laughed Elizabeth.
“Oh Lizzy, do not say it like that, it does not sound how he meant it!” worried Jane. Elizabeth and Charlotte continued to tease Jane lightly, but kindly, for Jane was so soft-hearted, they could never do it with malice.
The next day,Mr Bingley called, accompanied by Mr Darcy, who was determined to give a better impression of himself inthe neighbourhood than he had previously done. He vowed to accompany Bingley on all of his calls, not having anything else to do anyway. The ladies of the house refused to pay calls on the locals, and Darcy wished to help his friend retain his good reputation in the neighbourhood.
A walk was suggested, and Elizabeth was volunteered to chaperone, though she had already walked for more than an hour at dawn. Still, of all her sisters, she was the most likely not to tire quickly, and would embarrass Jane the least, so she made the sacrifice for Jane’s sake, to walk behind with Mr Darcy. It was odd, given the way he had insulted her at the assembly, but the man must be exceedingly bored, for he peppered her with questions about herself, punctuated with long, awkward silences.
Elizabeth wondered if the man planned to write her biography, but answered his questions because she could think of no other alternative. She imagined that he used her answers to shore up an immovable dislike of her, and that he only questioned her to find fault in her answers. These walks and conversations went on for three days before the entire party from Netherfield attended a dinner at Longbourn. Mrs Bennet was an incomparable hostess, and Elizabeth felt proud of her, or would have been, if her mother had not spent the entire evening attempting to bring attention to Jane, who, in turn, acted more and more reserved.
Somehow, they got through the evening, and it seemed as if Mr Bingley had noticed none of it except Jane, but Elizabeth felt certain that his sisters did, for they exchanged many pointed looks over the course of the evening. The two ladies spent the evening behaving disdainfully, as if the food upon their plates was inedible. If it was, the men did not notice, for they ate with relish, even Mr Darcy, who complimented her mother on the pheasant, and said that his cook at Pemberley would be in herdebt if her cook would share the receipt. Mrs Bennet blushed, and Elizabeth knew what her mother’s favourite topic of gossip would be tomorrow.
The following morning at breakfast, Jane received an invitation to Netherfield. As Elizabeth expected, Mrs Bennet refused Jane the use of the carriage, insisting that the horses were needed on the farm. Poor Jane was obliged to go on horseback, and received a drenching on the way there. The autumn rain was freezing, and by the time she arrived at Netherfield, she had taken quite a chill.
CHAPTER 4
Caroline Bingley was not of a mind to entertain what she saw as a shameless attempt by Jane Bennet to gain attention. Miss Bingley was inclined to tell the butler to close the door in Jane’s face, and send her straight back to Longbourn. Mrs Hurst, knowing what such a measure would do to their brother’s reputation, had Jane immediately shown to a guest room with a roaring fire, and sent her a gown to wear.
Once Jane Bennet was back downstairs, dry, and in the drawing room, she made every effort to engage in pleasant conversation with Mr Bingley’s sisters. Mrs Hurst was willing to be friendly, though Miss Bingley, still steaming over her guest’s presumption, was cold and non-committal. Jane, still chilled from the autumn rain shower, began to wonder why she was even there, or whether she should bother to continue with the evening at all. Should she just request a carriage and return home? Finally the butler arrived to announce dinner, and the ladies entered the dining room.
It was as Mr Bingley had described to her. The entire meal was an interrogation from start to finish. Her accomplishments, her dowry, her connections. Jane, who was beginning to feel really unwell, was losing her patience with all of the sisters’questions and innuendo. In a rare moment of pique, she began to consider telling fibs, and making her connections sound ghastly indeed. By the last course, she had heard so many tales about Mr Bingley’s conquests in town, and his affinity for Miss Georgiana Darcy that she decided that she would not stay another minute. These women had no desire to befriend her. They were behaving exactly as their brother said they did with each of his romantic interests, and she had no inclination to pretend a friendship with anyone who did not mean it.
