Darcy remembered the Bennet matron’s behaviour from their brief meeting at the assembly as well as her loud, vulgar ways the times they had attended the same neighbourhood events. Hence, he expected more of the same from her. Imagine his shock when she behaved with decorum and made no crass statements.
“This is a sweet room, Mr. Bingley,” Fanny stated. “It faces east so even in the winter you receive the morning sun here.”
“Yes, I have noticed that,” Bingley averred. “How does Miss Bennet?”
“According to Mr. Jones, she is doing far better. He expects she will be able to return to Longbourn in a day or two at the most,” Fanny informed the master of Netherfield Park.
Elizabeth was as surprised by her mother’s response—or lack thereof, as it seemed was Mr. Darcy. She was wildly inquisitive to find out what had occurred to cause her mother’s behaviour to change this radically.
“But surely Miss Bennet should remain for some days yet,” Bingley insisted. “I am sure she will be too sick to leave in such a short time.”
“Fortunately with Lizzy’s excellent nursing, Jane’s recovery is significantly better than we had expected it to be. As such, there will be no further reason to impose on your hospitality when she is healthy enough to return home,” Fanny replied adamantly.
At her mother’s public compliment to herself, Elizabeth almost fell off the wingback chair she was seated on. If she did not know better, she would think a magic spell had been cast over Longbourn.
“Where are your three youngest daughters and who is this lady we have not met before,” Miss Bingley sneered.
She had expected Mrs. Bennet to make a spectacle of herself reminding Mr. Darcy of the ills of such a connection, but instead, Mrs. Bennet was behaving very well. Hence, she had brought up the youngest Bennets, especially the two youngest to remind Mr. Darcy of their atrocious behaviour.
“Mary, were you never introduced to Miss Bingley?” Elizabeth enquired with a wink to her next younger sister.
Darcy’s eyebrows shot up. He had met the middle Bennet sister and there had been nothing memorable about her. He did remember her pedantic playing of the pianoforte, and as much as he would not say it publicly, he could understand why Miss Bingley had not identified the pretty young lady as being Miss Mary Bennet.
“We have indeed met Miss Bingley,” Mary stated with a deadpan expression taking her lead from Elizabeth. “More than once I believe.”
“Mary, Miss Mary! But you are so dowdy…” Miss Bingley caught herself but only after the words had escaped her mouth. There was no mistaking the look of disgust on Mr. Darcy’s countenance, and it was directed at her.
“Caroline! That is no way to speak to a guest in our house,” Bingley remonstrated with his sister.
Her mortification deepened as Miss Bingley saw Mr. Darcy’s approving look directed at her brother for him chastising her. In front of Mr. Darcy was bad enough, but with the hoyden looking on was not to be borne.
“Mr. Bingley if my girls are not welcome in your home, I am sure Jane will survive returning home today,” Fanny stated firmly.
She had not missed the disdainful looks being directed at herself and especially at Lizzy. There was a time Fanny had considered Miss Bingley elegantly dressed but no longer. She was beginning to see behind the façade Miss Bingley presented to the world.
“Your daughters are most welcome inmyhome, that I promise you, Mrs. Bennet,” Bingley assured the matron, “the attitude you have just observed is not indicative of the feelings of any other member of this house.” Bingley looked directly at his older sister daring her to contradict him.
“In that case, we will not roust Jane from her sickbed,” Fanny decided.
“Mrs. Bennet, if you will, when we all met at Lucas Lodge, I promised your youngest daughter I would give a ball,” Bingley stated. “Please inform her as soon as Miss Bennet is completely well, her eldest sister will name the date.”
“That is very kind of you, Mr. Bingley. I will be sure to tell her,” Fanny responded.
Miss Bingley, still fuming at her public setdown, reluctantly ordered tea. Once the tea was drunk and some treats consumed, Mrs. Bennet and Miss Mary took their leave.
Elizabeth escorted her mother and Mary to the bottom of the stone steps in front of the house and watched the Bennet carriage disappear from view in a cloud of dust. As soon as she could no longer see the conveyance, she turned and made all possible speed to Jane’s bedchamber. She had so much to tell her sister and she could not wait until she was able to do so.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
With Mrs. Bennet and Miss Mary departed and Eliza back upstairs with her sister, Miss Bingley decided it was time to further her campaign of showing Mr. Darcy how degrading a connection with the Bennets would be to him, and especially his sister.
“Louisa, do you remember what Miss Bennet told us about their connections before she was taken ill at the dinner?” Miss Bingley prompted.
“Oh yes, I do,” Mrs. Hurst tittered. “One uncle is the local solicitor, married to Mrs. Bennet’s vulgar sister.”
“Now I recall,” Miss Bingley joined in. “Mrs. Bennet’s brother is a tradesman who lives in…” she tittered into her hand and looked around as if she was about to share some great secret, “…Cheapside.”
Darcy had known the Bennet’s connections were not stellar, but he had not imagined they were so very bad. He could only imagine the tradesman in London being a male version of Mrs. Bennet—not the Mrs. Bennet of today.
