Poor Mrs Bingley was rather in a bit of a tizzy before her husband and sisters left to collect the children.
“Jane, you have not been half so nervous any other time you have hosted at Netherfield,” Elizabeth pointed out at breakfast, as Bingley attempted to convince Jane to settle down to her meal.
“But Lizzy, this is for thechildren!”Mrs Bingley exclaimed. “Everything must be perfect, we cannot have the little ones disappointed.”
“Mrs Bingley, you are everything kind and good,” Jane assured her host. “These are children whom you have known all of their lives, some even your own kin. I am certain all of them know and love you well enough to simply be delighted that you thought enough of them to host an afternoon for their enjoyment at all. Any slight mishap is unlikely to disappoint or be remarked upon.”
“Ihaveknown them all their lives, and my sisters and I have always been kind to our cousins and the younger siblings of our friends. I would like to do something for the local children every year. Perhaps we could do something for them again in the summer, a special outing here at Netherfield for the children of the local gentry and the tenants,” Mrs Bingley thought aloud.
“I believe that is a superior idea, my dear!” her husband enthused. “We can have games, a feast, and cake! Ponies on the lawn! Perhaps a fishing tournament for the lads! I can hardly wait to hear all of the plans you will make! I shall set aside a goodly sum for the endeavour on quarter day, you must spare no expense!”
“The villagers will all be thrilled,” Elizabeth observed. “Other than the usual harvest festivals and May Day, there are few such local events, and most of the ones the locals do enjoy are contained to particular estates. Few families hereabouts could afford to inviteallof the local children.”
“Well that is what we shall do.” Bingley was resolved. “We will hire ponies, people to run games, extra help of every kind, and whatever you need from the local tradesmen, Jane. Tents, footmen, kitchen help. Whatever is required. Invite all of the children of Meryton.”
“You will have to begin planning immediately after the New Year, even from London, for such an endeavour.” Elizabeth sipped her chocolate. “I must ask Fitzwilliam if we might travel south, I would hate to miss such an event.”
“Oh yes! We simply must convince my brother!” Georgiana agreed. “Fortunately, he does love to do any little thing to pleaseme, and I cannot believe he will be any different with my new sister.”
“There is an estate near my parish that hosts similar events each year.” Mr Rupert Hurst buttered a slice of toast. “I believe they are highly anticipated each summer.”
“Why wouldanyonewish to waste any portion of their London season planning an expensive party for a lot of poor peasant brats who have done nothing to deserve it?” Mrs Hurst rolled her eyes.
“I believe we must all decide for ourselves how to spend our leisure hours.” Mrs Bingley’s voice actually sounded tinged with impatience. It was hardly surprising, considering how worried she was that the day’s events would be well received by the children and their parents.
“Jane, Rupert and Hurst and I will not be present this afternoon, we have an engagement.” Mrs Hurst, as usual, was fiddling with her bracelets.
“Are you serious, Louisa?” Bingley snapped. “You will truly leave Jane for the day, knowing how important this afternoon is to her, without offering even the slightest help?”
“Charles,Iam not the one who chose to plan a party for the locals and their children with less than a day’s notice.” Mrs Hurst looked mutinous. “My brother-in-law accepted an invitation for me and my husband, and we can hardly abandon him to assist your wife just because she decided to play nursemaid to too many children today, and is now in over her head.”
“Jane is inno wayover her head! She has plenty of assistance, she only cares so much that she is anxious, which only proves her goodness!” Bingley retorted. “That does not absolveyoufrom offering her your assistance.”
“No, Charles, Louisa is absolutely correct.” Mrs Bingley interrupted. “Besides, I can hardly expect her to be present every single time I entertain. If our sister finally thinks well enough of one of our neighbours to accept an invitation, she should go, with my blessing.” She wiped her mouth delicately and laid her napkin by her plate. “Darling, you insisted I must eat, and I have, but now I must attend to my other duties.”
Mr Bingley and the other men stood as Jane rose, and Bingley followed his wife out of the dining room, glaring at his sister as he went.
“May I be Mary, oh please,pleasemay I play Mary, Cousin Jane?” Justine begged her eldest cousin as all of the children gleefully examined the piles of old gowns, robes, nightshirts, shawls, blankets, and other articles that would be used to create the costumes. Justine, Mrs Bingley, and Elizabeth had spent two hours searching the attics for them the day before, while Mrs Nicholls, the cook, and the other staff scrambled to prepare.
“Well, I hate to be unfair to the other children by just saying yes without giving anyone else a proper chance, but I fear that none of the other girls are old enough, so I believe you may.” Mrs Bingley looked over at the boys. “I wonder who should play Joseph.”
“If you assigned Justine because she was the eldest, then Henry Lucas would be the oldest boy, at ten.” Elizabeth assisted Lydia in preparing gold paper, ribbons, and embellishments for whatever would serve as a halo for whichever child was selected to be the angel.
The children were called to attention and assembled, and Elizabeth and Jane assigned parts to the children. Henry Lucas would be Joseph, Justine Gardiner would play Mary, and Nicholas Gardiner would be the angel. Seven year old James Goulding did not have the courage for any part where he must deliver many lines, so he was made a wise man with the agreement that his only line would be short. His fearless and loquacious six year old sister Margaret was given the part ofthe innkeeper’s wife.Six-year-old Franklin Lucas and five-year-old Peter Goulding took the parts of the other two wise men, and the two youngest, Edward and Madeleine Gardiner, were the shepherds.
Now that parts were assigned, Mrs Bingley, the Bennet sisters, Jane, Miss Darcy, and Mrs Annesley worked tirelessly to perfect the costumes, and assist any children with lines to remember them, all the while promising that they would be prompted before they must deliver them. Mr Bingley was here and there, wrapping an old hat in gold paper to serve as a halo for Nicholas, and later, bringing in a surprise for MrsBingley and the children, an enormous old rocking horse from the attic, on which the estate carpenter had worked through the night to temporarily attach wheels. The horse was wrapped in grey woollen blankets, and would serve as the donkey in the show.
Hardly two hours had passed before Jane was proven correct as one by one, the children began to tire visibly of the activity. Mrs Bingley directed the footmen to take the costumes to the ballroom, which was already arranged for the production. The maids swooped in quickly behind them to clean up the remnants of the activity as Mr and Mrs Bingley led the children to the breakfast room, where the children were given their choice of sandwiches made of ham or chicken, or cheese toasties, which were becoming a fast favourite at Netherfield. Mrs Bingley had predicted correctly that it would be quite popular with the children. There was also a bowl of soup for each child, a cup of milk lemonade?1, and each child was tendered a promise for another pleasant meal and cake once the pageant was over.
Most of the party returned to the drawing room refreshed. The children, together with Jane, Mary Bennet and Georgiana, all found the mess they had left behind magically cleared away, to be replaced with large cushions of all shapes and sizes on the rugs with blankets and smaller pillows. Mrs Bingley and the others went to the ballroom to continue preparations.
The three younger Gardiner children had declared Georgiana’s story the afternoon before acceptable, though today they were waiting with interest for the tale promised to them by Miss Jane. All the children made themselves comfortable on the cushions positioned close enough to the fire to enjoy its warmth, but not close enough for it to be overpowering. Jane sat near the fire, as the other two young ladies found places to sit nearby, and began to tell her story of a boy and girl who were shrunk by a fairy and then attended a marvelous fairy party.
Less than a quarter hour later, most of the youngest children had fallen asleep, though Jane continued the tale for the older children. When she finished the adventure a half hour later, Mary and Georgiana led the older children to the ballroom, either to help or play marbles or touch?2 on the empty side of the drawing room, while Jane remained quietly behind with the sleeping little ones and the three nursemaids that had accompanied them on the visit. Jane pulled Mr Bingley’s slippers from Elizabeth’s sewing bag, and used the time while she waited to work on his nearly finished gift. She would have to retire early and work late on them tonight in order to finish the tassels. Then they could be wrapped in brown paper and tied in the same lovely corbeau green ribbon that she had used for Mrs Bingley’s gift.
1 Milk Lemonade was a nursery drink popular in the Regency, made with sugar, lemon juice, sherry wine, and cold milk.
2 Touch was the game of chase that is now most commonly known as Tag.
