“Now that you mention it, yes, I do recall,” Bennet returned. “Will you introduce me to the lady please?”
“This is my aunt, Miss Hildebrand Bingley, who will act as my hostess and mistress of the estate. Aunt Hildebrand, Mr. Thomas Bennet of Longbourn.”
“Richard told us he and his Darcy cousin were to visit Oak Hollow today.” He turned to Miss Bingley. “My wife sent me with an invitation to a dinner at our estate four days hence, on Saturday.” Bennet handed the note to the lady.
After a nod from her nephew, Miss Bingley accepted the invite on behalf of the whole party.
“That would be the day after the assembly in Meryton,” Bingley verified.
“I saw Sir William departing as I arrived, I assume he informed you about the ball?” Bennet surmised. “He is the master of ceremonies at such events.”
“Yes, he did. My aunt will not attend, but the rest of the party will.” Bingley knew Darcy may not be pleased he was committed to attend the assembly, but with support from Fitzwilliam he was sure—at least he hoped—Darcy would not be too put out.
Soon after Bennet took his leave, Spencer Goulding and Johnathan Long arrived together to meet the new tenant of the estate.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Is he as affable as the report stated?” Fanny asked abouttheir tenant after her husband had kissed her on his return from Netherfield Park.
“Yes, he is indeed. But as it stated, he has an iron will. The younger sister is not present, instead his spinster aunt is the mistress,” Bennet averred. “Before I forget, they will attend the dinner on Saturday.”
“I suppose we will finally meet Giana’sbrother at the assembly on Friday,” Fanny guessed.
“Yes, young Bingley stated all except the aunt will attend. You know Richard will not miss a chance to dance with Mary.”
“I wonder why Mary insisted she was to also go visit Anne and Lewis today. It has nought to do with Richard visiting there, I am sure.” Fanny smiled widely.
All she cared about was that Mary was happy with her choice, which Fanny knew beyond a shadow of a doubt her middle daughter was. She already considered Richard an honorary son, so the wedding would only make it official.
“After what the Fitzwilliams and Giana have told us about William Darcy, it will be interesting to see how he does in the company of strangers, and at a ball as well.”
“I am sure he will behave in public,” Fanny opined, “How can he not with his education and the parents he had?”
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Elizabeth had spent the morning with Anne and now that Mary had come, she had Penny made ready and she was soon on her way home with Anne’s two guards escorting her.
She had not long departed Oak Hollow when she and her escorts moved to the one side of the road to allow a large travelling coach to pass them by. Elizabeth thought she noted Richard as one of the occupants, but she could not be sure.
Darcy was looking out of the window closest to him at nothing in particular when he saw a lady atop a black andwhite horse. She was being escorted by two giant men. If he did not know better he would have said they were the same guards who had accompanied Uncle Lewis and Anne to Pemberley for his late father’s funeral.
He told Richard what he had seen. His cousin snapped out of his reverie and stuck his head out of the window looking back at the horses and riders. He would have called out but there was too much distance between them already.
“That was Lizzy being guarded by Biggs and Johns,” Richard revealed after he sat down once again. “We must have just missed her. She is riding Penny, that is another thing she has in common with you.”
“What has a ‘Penny’ to do with me?” Darcy quizzed.
“Her mare is named for a character from the Iliad.”
“Then her horse’s name is Penelope?” Richard nodded. “Odysseus’s wife.”
“You name your stallion for a Greek god and she names her horses from the Iliad. Her pony she was riding the day she saved our uncle and cousin is named Hector.”
“She sounds like an interesting lady,” Darcy owned.
“Not to mention she will beat you at chess,” Richard grinned.
“That is something I would like to see,” Darcy stated sceptically as the coach slowed due to their arrival at their Uncle Lewis’s estate.
