Miss Bingley was rude and dismissive and never allowed her sister, who is the mistress of the home, to speak except when she needed one of her lies confirmed. Miss Bingley definitely received all of Jane’s missives and destroyed them.
They did not have another appointment; otherwise, they would not have been home to callers, and she will never tell her brother that Jane called and is in London.
As to Jane’s belief that her ‘friends’will call back, if they do at all, it will be weeks,not days, as Jane believes.
I worry for her, Lizzy. When the reality of the situation becomes clear, I know not how she will be able to address things; I hope by then you are with her. You always give her strength.
We promise to keep a close eye on Jane, with regards from me, your uncle, and your cousins,
Aunt Maddie
If she had had the wherewithal, Elizabeth would have made for London, stormed into Hurst House, and given the harpies a much-deserved setdown.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Two nights later, as much as he did not want to share a meal with Miss Bingley, Darcy accepted Bingley’s older sister’s—he knew it was from the younger—invitation for dinner.
Just like Mrs Hurst distracted Bingley the last time he and Darcy had been at the Hursts’ house, she did so again. “That fortune hunter had the temerity to arrive at my house with her tradesman uncle’s wife in tow. If she thinks I will call back, she is greatly mistaken,” Miss Bingley hissed quietly.
“Your brother must not know, but propriety dictates that you must return the call,” Darcy said softly.
“Well, if I must, I must,” Miss Bingley huffed. It would not be anytime soon.
Chapter 3
For the first week after she had called on Mrs Hurst and Miss Bingley, Jane was in great anticipation of their visit. Her mood became far more maudlin as one week became a fortnight, and then a fortnight became three weeks.
By the middle of the third week, Jane had begun to ask herself questions, which for her were very uncomfortable ones. Chief among them was asking herself if it could be that Lizzy had the right of it, and the sisters had never been genuine friends to her. As hard as it was for her to have negative thoughts about anything or anyone, Jane had reviewed all of her interactions with the sisters from the time she had been invited to Netherfield Park until the call she and Aunt Maddie had made to Hurst House. The more she considered all of the times they had been in company with her, the more Jane began to see that the way she wanted to see things was not the truth of the matter. She still had her doubts, as the uncharitable thoughts she was having were diametrically opposed to her personal philosophy; hence, she sought her aunt’s counsel towards the end of the third week since she had made the call.
“Aunt Maddie, I need some advice,” Jane began.
“Jane, my dear, you know that if I am able to assist you, it will be my pleasure to do so,” Maddie replied. She had a good idea about what advice Jane desired. Over the previous three weeks, Maddie’s heart had broken as she watched Jane suffer in silence.
One night she had spoken to Edward about wanting toapproach Jane and talk to her about the lack of value in the women who had hurt her so very intentionally. She would not call them ladies because they were not. Her wise husband had advised Maddie that unless Jane came to her, any interference would not have the desired effect. Hence, when her niece approached her now, Maddie was very grateful, knowing how much mortification it must have cost her serene niece to take this step.
“What would you like to ask me?” Maddie asked gently.
“Aunt Maddie, have I been a fool? Was Lizzy the one who was correct with regards to the characters of Mrs Hurst and Miss Bingley and not me? Have I been too naïve?”
“Jane, I am more than happy to discuss this with you, but before I do, I must know if you are able to hear some things you will consider unpleasant and uncharitable? Things which are quite the opposite of the way you like to see the world and those in it?”
As much as she hated to see anything in a negative light, Jane realised that as hard as it would be to hear what Aunt Maddie may say, she had to. “I understand, Aunt Maddie; please say what you feel you need to say.”
“Although sometimes Lizzy jumps to the wrong conclusion when she makes her character sketches, I think that in this instance, she is not wrong.” Maddie paused as she allowed her words to sink in. “Jane dear, let me ask you something. That day we went to see the sisters. After you had been here for close to a fortnight already, what was your opinion of the call and the way Mrs Hurst and Miss Bingley, especially the latter, treated you?”
“Like they always had, they received us with pleasure.” Jane paused and shook her head. “No, they did not, did they?” She realised.
Maddie shook her head. “Jane, if they were your truefriends, would Miss Bingley have written you that letter when she closed up Netherfield Park? A letter that had, as Lizzy opined, one purpose, which was to injure you. Would they have prevaricated about your letters not being received?”
“Surely Miss Bingley did not dissemble?” Jane had a horrified look on her face.
“Jane, you are three and twenty, soon to be four and twenty. In all of your years, how often has one letter been misdirected, never mind three of them to the same address? Although it seems that Miss Bingley is very comfortable prevaricating, Mrs Hurst is not. I was watching both of them. Miss Bingley had a slight twitch of her eye each time she obscured the truth; it was much easier to see on Mrs Hurst’s face. In fact when Miss Bingley asked her sister to confirm her lie that none of your letters had been received, Mrs Hurst looked everywhere except at us.”
“You are correct. Once or twice over the years someone had written the direction on a letter very ill, but the epistle eventually arrived at its intended destination. I have been a silly ninny and only saw what I wished to see.” Jane hung her head with shame.
“All of us are a little silly when we are in love. I know I was when I first met Edward.” Maddie smiled as she recalled her courtship with her beloved husband.
“Could it be that Mr Bingley still loves me? How am I to notify him I am in London? I cannot write to him.” Jane blushed as she thought of writing to an unmarried man who was not a family member.
