Monday 21 December1812
Longbourn,
Dear Mrs Bingley (how well that looks, I never tire of writing it out),
Please return one or two of your sisters to Longbourn, at the demand of your young cousins who so looked forward to their company, and have been understandably abandoned in favour of the delightful Miss Darcy. Justine has made the case that the children, as a group, are owed a number of games with each of their cousins, and she beseeches my daughters to make good on their debts at once.
Tell Miss Jane I shall come for her at one o’clock for the matron's charitable boxing event at the church.
Your Mama
“Oh, our poor cousins!” Elizabeth tutted as she read the note Mrs Bingley handed to her at the breakfast table. “They are absolutely right, we have all abandoned them! Though of course it is notdear Georgie’s fault.”
“I could not bear to be the cause of your young cousins’ disappointment,” Georgiana worried. “What shall you do?”
“Why do we not all go at once?” Jane suggested. “I have two lovely rolls of gold and silver paper that I purchased in the village. Me and my siblings and their children have always enjoyed making ornaments with it to enhance the greenery of our festive decor. We could do it together with the children; it is my experience that most little ones adore such activities.”
“Do you like children, Miss Jane?” asked Kitty curiously.
“One thing I am certain of is that I myself have many nieces and nephews.” Jane spread marmalade on her toast. “They are sometimes very noisy, and not under such order as they ought and easily might, but I cannot help liking them, and even loving them.”
“One certainly must have a great number of nieces and nephews when one has so many brothers.” Elizabeth returned the note to her sister. “I certainly look forward to the day thatIcan boast of a dozen nieces named Lizzy.”
“Your ideaisa superior one, Miss Jane,” Mrs Bingley said thoughtfully. “Wecouldall go.Icertainly enjoy the company of my young cousins. I am a bit mortified that my newly married state has made me forgetmyduty to them. You are certain you do not mind sharing your paper?”
“No, indeed, Mrs Bingley, I purchased it with an activity for the young ladies in mind,” Jane assured her host. “You must not be too hard on yourself. You are a very new young wife. You will soon organise all of your duties and pleasures with ease.”
“Will you join us, Georgie?” Elizabeth asked.
“Are you certain it would not be too large of a party for an afternoon call?” Miss Darcy asked. “I would not like to inconvenience your mother.”
“Do not fear, Georgie, Longbourn is used to large groups of guests. My mother, as well as most of my sisters, has always been keenly social, as you well know.” Elizabeth grinned.
“Would you care to join us, Louisa?” Mrs Bingley offered her sister-in-law.
“Whywould I wish to join you, Jane?” MrsHurst snapped.
“A better question would be to what purpose, in your sister’s absence, you seem to have taken up the torch of spreading her special blend of unkindness. I cannot imagine why you view it as such a necessary part of our conversation each day.” Elizabeth frowned at Mrs Hurst.
“Thatisan excellent question, Lizzy, and one I should like the answer for as well,” Bingley said irritably. “We all understand that you wish to assist in the plans for Caroline’s wedding, but Caroline is not to marry untilJune,Lulu. There will be plenty of time for you to see Caroline after the festive season, when we all go to town.”
“Are wegoing to town?” Mrs Hurst looked suspiciously at her brother.
“Mr Rupert is to return to his parish immediately after the New Year, I understand. Jane and I have received an invitation for us and our household to attend Lady Macclesfield’s Twelfth Night Ball, so we shall bolt for London before Epiphany. I assume you and Hurst will be our guests for the season, though we shall depart in the spring for Pemberley.”
“Of course; damned good of you to ask us, Bingley.” Hurst paused between shoveling food heavily into his mouth. “Louisa would never turn down an invitation from Lady Macclesfield, would you, my dear?”
Elizabeth looked as if she were about to say something insulting, or cry from the effort not to. Jane sensed that Lizzy was about to point out that Mrs Hurst probably neverhadan invitation of her own from Lady Macclesfield to decline, but thankfully her attention was claimed by Kitty, who also saw her sister’s predicament, and sought to distract her with a query for recommended reading material.
When Mrs Bingley had collected all of the scissors and string in the house, she sent a servant to Meryton for glue and bade him to deliver it to Longbourn with all haste, then the ladies set forth in the carriage.
Mrs Bennet and Mrs Gardiner were well pleased to see them all, and the children soon had the table in the dining room covered with old newspapers purloined from Mr Bennet’s library by Lizzy. Makingornaments for the family’s festive season was not a foreign activity for the Bennet ladies. Jane was gratified to learn a few new designs she had never seen before, and taught the Bennets and Gardiner children some that they did not know as well.
An hour after their arrival, Jane watched as Mrs Bingley carefully folded a piece of gold paper into a fan shaped ornament. The children were well entertained by their selected activity. Even three-year-old Madeleine enjoyed kneeling up on a chair and drawing on several blank sheets of paper with a pencil, assisted by Mary and Georgiana.
The eldest of Mrs Bingley’s cousins–eight-year-old Justine–approached her with an enormous silver star that impressed even Jane. “Is this star fine enough for the mantel at Netherfield, Cousin Jane?” Justine asked.
“Oh Justine, how lovely!” Mrs Bingley admired the star, followed by the agreement of all the others at the table. “I believethisstar is fine enough for even the mantel at Buckingham House!”
