“Miss Jane, would you care to be my guest next week at a meeting of the parish charitable society?” Mrs Bennet asked. “A number of matrons in the village organise boxes for the children in the squatter’s cottages for Christmas. My Jane is so newly married, and with so many guests at Netherfield, she will not attend this meeting, but she has made a generous donation allowing us to make the boxes very nice this year. If you would like to accompany me, I will pick you up in my carriage.”
“It would be a privilege to participate in such an endeavour.” Jane smiled at the other woman. “Thank you for the invitation.”
Now we know what Mr Darcy was whispering to his future mother-in-law last night at dinner,Jane thought as Mrs Long and her nieces were announced to the room.I shall have to thank him, for I hope it will be far pleasanter to be admired by Mrs Bennet than mistrusted.
Chapter Sixteen
“Wouldyou like to accompany us to Meryton, Miss Jane?” Mrs Bingley asked as the ladies prepared to depart. “Lizzy and I are to accompany my mother to the milliner and the dressmaker. Kitty and Mary have already walked ahead to enjoy some time in the village.”
Kitty and Mary spent most of their time at Netherfield now. They were always in company with Georgiana, Elizabeth, or Jane, learning something new with their sisters, experimenting with fashions in Georgiana’s dressing room, or in lively conversation with Jane and Colonel Fitzwilliam. Jane found herself filled with youth and vigour when she spent time with the younger ladies, and relished their energy and enthusiasm.
“That sounds lovely, thank you, Mrs Bingley.” Jane stowed the white wrap in Elizabeth’s sewing bag and removed the gloves she wore while working on it to protect the white cashmere blend. She found the footman James in the hall, and he escorted her upstairs and promised to wait for her.
Mr Jones said that though Jane had not fainted or lost her balance at any inconvenient moment, he would feel better if she was not unescorted on stairs or walking outside until her headaches wereresolved. She still had one nearly every day, or at least every other day, though they were not always severe.
She returned downstairs wearing her pelisse and bonnet, and Mr Bingley stopped her outside of his study.
“Miss Jane, I wish to inform you that Mrs Bingley and I have opened accounts for you at the haberdashery, the book shop, and the confectioners, in case you need anything from the village. We have also taken the liberty of purchasing a library subscription for you.”
“Oh Mr Bingley, that is too generous! What could I possibly need to buy in Meryton? I hope you do not think that I find yours and Mrs Bingley’s hospitality lacking in any way!” Jane objected.
“Of course not, and you have been a most obliging guest, Miss Jane, but we do not wish for you to feel as if you must ask to borrow items for your personal care,” Bingley insisted. “And if I may, Mrs Nicholls felt it necessary to report to me that she gave you permission to search the attics for a gift for my wife, and your plan for the wrap. She did not want anyone to think you had taken it without permission, so she felt I ought to know of the matter. It is too kind of you to wish to show such friendship to my new bride, and so, if you require anything with which to finish your endeavour, you may acquire it in the village. And the festive season is coming! While I prefer to hope that you will soon be reunited with your family, you may wish to express your friendship with the young ladies by exchanging small tokens before you leave. Anything that you require, whether for yourself, or another, please acquire it in Meryton. The expense is merely a trifle, I assure you. I should much rather know that you have everything you desire than a few more coins in my purse, and Mrs Bingley agrees.”
“Mr Bingley, your kindness is astonishing; I thank you,” Jane relented.
“Are you ready, Miss Jane?” Mrs Bingley entered the hall with Elizabeth.
“I am quite ready, Mrs Bingley,” Jane flashed Elizabeth a smile, and followed the ladies out tothe carriage.
Jane spent a delightful half hour in the milliner’s shop with Mrs Bennet and her two eldest daughters as Mrs Bennet selected the trimming for the new turban for Elizabeth’s wedding day that was to be a present from her new son-in-law.
“Have you heard that Mr Darcy sent to London for his two spare carriages, and hired Mr Henry to replace all of his wheels?” asked Mrs Bartlett, the milliner. “And paid him a fine sum to put them ahead of his other work. Mr Henry feels certain he will earn enough now to take him through till Peg gets well, and says there wasn’t a thing wrong with the wheels the carriages had. He can sell ‘em for a goodly sum. And Mr Bingley has promised him some work in a week or two when he gets through what he has. Your young men are right good’uns, Miss Lizzy, Mrs Bingley.”
“Idid notknow of Mr Darcy’s kindness? Did you, Lizzy?” asked her mother.
“I did, Mama," Elizabeth informed her mother. “Mr Henry might not take charity from the village, but he will accept good paying work from a gentleman. Mr Darcy said that to ensure your mind was set at ease on the matter was well worth the expense. Mr Bingley has promised to find more work for Mr Henry if his wife continues to be ill, so we may be sure of the family’s continued security.”
“Oh! What fine sons-in-law!” Mrs Bennet tittered. “Mrs Bartlett, am I not blessed with such fine young men for my new sons?”
“It’s no secret in the village that the Bennets’ good fortune is to be marvelled at,” Mrs Bartlett agreed. “And it’s been the good fortune of the village as well, for the young men have good hearts, and their generosity has done much for Meryton.”
When the ladies moved on to the dressmaker, Jane bid themadieuand set off to find Miss Mary and Miss Kitty. She was grateful they were not in the haberdashery, for they would not be able to see her purchases. Alone, she browsed the little shop at her leisure. She found some delicate green glass beads, which she decided to purchase to create a beaded fringe on Mrs Bingley’s wrap with the seed pearls Elizabeth had given her. It had only been three days since Jane had found the wrap in the attic, but her deft hands had already made great progress on the lovely pattern. She expected it to be done well in time for Christmas, andthought she might even have time to visit the attics again to find some fabric she might use to make a pair of house slippers for Mr Bingley.
She found a delightfully feminine set of stationery, printed with a lovely pink primrose pattern embossed with the letter L, and though she did not know who the girl might write to besides Elizabeth, when she moved away, Jane sensed that it would make the perfect gift for Miss Lydia. For Miss Kitty, there was a beaded reticule, and for Miss Mary, she found a lovely set of hair pins that matched the beaded necklace and earbobs that had been a gift to the young lady from Miss Darcy. She suspected that Miss Mary might have preferred sheet music, but opted to encourage her to continue with her new attention to her mode of dress.
In one basket, Jane found a selection of lovely caps in fine lace.Such fine workmanship, and such a good price,she thought, but ultimately, she only bought one for Mrs Bennet, intending to trim it up even finer than it already was for the lady.I do not believe I will wear a cap at all while I am here. Spending time with the young ladies has made me feel more youthful than I have in a decade, and I will enjoy it while I may. When I return home will be soon enough to take up my caps again.
She found some rolls of gold and silver paper, and she purchased those as well. She and her siblings and their children had used such paper to make ornaments to improve the greenery many times in festive seasons past, and she thought perhaps the younger ladies would like to make some for Mrs Bennet’s and Mrs Bingley’s festive displays.
In the confectioner’s shop, she bought sweets for each of the young ladies, and for the Gardiner children, who would join them with their parents and the Bennets on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
In the bookshop, she met Mary and Kitty, who were shopping for a novel to read together. Jane recommendedLife and Loveby Adam Stevenson, then purchased sheet music for Georgiana, and a book of Cowper for Elizabeth. Feeling that she had spent enough of Mr Bingley’s money, though at least it had not been on herself, Jane accompanied the young ladies to the home of their Aunt Phillips, where they had tea and enjoyed a great deal of conversation until they were eventually joined by Mrs Bennet and her two eldest daughters.
Chapter Seventeen
Later that evening,Jane made up a fourth at whist at a card party at the home of Mr and Mrs Phillips when the Bingleys and Hursts entered. They were late, and there had been some small drama, for Mrs Hurst did not prefer to attend all of the entertainments hosted by the village, but her husband, being fond of food, drink, and cards, insisted on attending every event where the arrangements were expected to be particularly fine.
This meant every dinner thrown by Mrs Bennet, and all of Mrs Phillips’s card parties, for both ladies were skilled hostesses, and Mrs Phillips made up for the lack of space in her home for dancing by arranging lively, enjoyable card parties at least once each month. Tonight the drawing room was indeed full. Even Mr Bennet was present, and Jane knew that he never attended card parties. Mr Bennet did not play. But he did make a great deal of conversation and wandered about the room, poking fun at his daughters, and speaking with their young men, as the players enjoyed their games.
