‘It would be most unfortunate if we had yet another unsuitable tenant at Netherfield,’ mourned Mrs Phillips, who loved her nieces and wanted them to have an opportunity to meet potential suitors as men were scarce in their small community where ladies significantly outnumbered the available gentlemen.
Unbeknownst to her, her husband had selected tenants for the estate with a view of furthering his nieces’ chances at making a good match. Mr Proust had presented well amongst gentlemen, keeping his poor attitude towards ladies concealed. Having learnt his lesson from this situation, Mr Phillips had determined to include a clause in any further leases which stated that the lease could be terminated by the owner or the agent if complaints against the residents of Netherfield were raised.
Mr Phillips hoped that Mr Bingley would be as amiable towards ladies as he was amongst gentlemen.
~T~
Mr Bingley was indeed everything for which the ladies could have hoped. He was amiable and sociable as well as having respectful and happy manners towards all. To complete the picture of an eligible gentleman, he was also quite handsome.
Bingley was the son of a wealthy tradesman who hoped to raise his family to the station of gentry by the purchase of an estate. On theadvice of his friend, Mr Darcy, who was to join him within a month, Bingley was playing it safe by leasing Netherfield before committing to a purchase to ensure that the lifestyle would suit him.
Within days of their arrival at Netherfield, the leading gentlemen of the community called on the family to welcome them to the area.
~T~
Mr Bennet, after some coaxing from his wife, was one of the first gentlemen to call on Mr Bingley.
Over dinner, after his return from Netherfield, Mr Bennet regaled his family with his impression of the gentleman.
‘I am sorry Mrs Bennet, but I believe that if you wish for Mr Bingley as your son-in-law, you will have to wait a few years.’ In response to questions for the reason of this statement, he explained, ‘The young man is all that is amiable, but I would be surprised if he was more than a year or two older than Jane. I sincerely doubt that he will be ready to marry any time soon.’
‘Surely, when he meets someone as beautiful and kind as Jane, he will want to form an attachment,’ protested Mrs Bennet.
‘I am certain that he will fall head over ears in love with Jane’s beauty,’ said Mr Bennet, watching his wife brighten at the statement until he added. ‘But I suspect that he will lose interest just as quickly.’
‘What about his family?’ Jane enquired in the hopes of making new friends.
‘He has two sisters. His younger sister, who I believe is of similar age to you, is acting as his hostess. His older sister and her husband are staying with them as they find the air in town too bad at this time of year.’
‘What are they like?’ enquired Elizabeth.
‘They seem very fashionable, judging by the ladies’ attire. Although I believe that they think rather too highly of themselves considering that they are but the daughters of a tradesman.’
‘They are not responsible for their ancestry,’ Jane defended the ladies.
Elizabeth gave her sister a dubious look but conceded, ‘I shall suspend judgement until I meet them. If they are pleasant company, I shall be delighted to enjoy the conversation of new acquaintances.’
~T~
‘Charles, how could you drag us to this unsophisticated backwater,’ complained Miss Caroline Bingley, Mr Bingley’s younger sister, during their own dinner at Netherfield. Unlike her brother, the lady had aspirations to become a member of the highest circles and was determined that Bingley should marry a lady who could advance her own ambitions.
‘Are you not the one who always wishes to improve her status in society?’ her brother retorted with a sigh.
As many people had commented, he was an amiable young man, but his patience and tolerance were being severely tested by his sisters. While his older sister Louisa had married a gentleman three years earlier, she still supported her younger sister in arguments with their brother. Louisa’s husband, Phillip Hurst, rolled his eyes and gestured for the footman to refill his wineglass. Since Hurst’s parents were still alive, the couple took advantage of Bingley’s largesse by living with Bingley. The price they had to pay for this arrangement was to tolerate the presence of Caroline.
‘Of course, I want us to improve our standing in society, but you cannot possibly call the people in this area society. They have no sophistication or fashion.’
Bingley held onto his temper by an extreme force of will. ‘Caroline, how often do I have to tell you that to become a member of the landed gentry, I have to buy an estate which produces an income. Estates by the nature of things are always located in the country. Ergo, we will have to live in the country to be counted gentry.’
‘That is where you are wrong. Many of our acquaintances have estates in the country but they live in town.’
‘So, I have observed. But according to Darcy, those estates are either extremely large and will produce enough of an income even with an absentee landlord, or as is the more usual situation, most estates which are neglected by their owners generally will suffer and go to wrack and ruin. In those cases, the owners will have to cut back on their expensesor end up severely in debt. At which point, some of them are prepared to marry a wealthy Cit for her dowry.’
‘But I do not like the country.’
‘In that case, you had better stop chasing Darcy. Since you have a problem with an estate a mere three hours from London, you are obviously ignoring the fact that Pemberley is in Derbyshire which is three days travel from town.’
‘That does not matter. As you said, Pemberley is a large and prosperous estate which will easily provide sufficient income to allow Mr Darcy to live in London permanently.’ Caroline said with a satisfied expression since she was certain that she had made her point.
