Chapter 7
“Netherfield Park is let at last,” Mrs Bennet announced on returning from her visit to Meryton. “My brother Phillips has told me so,” she informed her family. “It is taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place, and was so much delighted with it that he agreed with my brother immediately; that he is to take possession before Michaelmas,” she said and waited her eyes bright for her family’s reaction. Elizabeth and Jane looked interested, Mary indifferent and her husband’s usually open countenance was unreadable.
“What is his name?” her husband asked her.
“Bingley.”
“Is he married or single?”
“Oh, single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!”
“How so? how can it affect them?” Mr Bennet queried.
“My dear Mr. Bennet,” replied his wife, “how can you be so tiresome? You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them.”
Her husband’s face became stern, and Mrs Bennet took a step back.
Elizabeth looked at her parents. Her father was kind but indolent. Happy to do the minimum required to manage his estate and spend the remainder of his time in his studyreading. He was not the perfect father or husband to her mother, but he was always kind. Kind to her, her mother and her sisters. Therefore, Elizabeth was as shocked as her mother to see his expression.
“Mrs Bennet,” he said, his voice stern but not angry. “We have, not too many weeks past, hosted the Prince Regent. I have some indication,” he paused and looked her mother directly in the eyes “As I think you have yourself. That the royal household intend to bestow some attention on our girls in the coming season.”
Mrs Bennet nodded vigorously in confirmation of his understanding.
“That being the case, I think you must agree and that is no particular benefit to our girls or our family for any hasty marriages or understandings.”
Mrs Bennet did not immediately respond. Instead she looked thoughtful. She looked around at all her girls and then in a calm voice she replied. “Of course you are correct my dear,” she replied. “I was merely drawn into the excitement of such a great change to the neighbourhood.”
Many days hence Mr Bennet called on his neighbour and reported that he was an amenable fellow. Not even the cajoling of his favourite could draw him into any satisfactory description. He did however own that all the girls would no doubt enjoy dancing with him at the next assembly. Which he had confirmed to Mr Bennet he would be attending with his party.
The evening of the assembly arrived. And Elizabeth had to own that she was in anticipation of meeting the new tenant of Netherfield Park. It was rare for a new neighbour to settle in Meryton and especially an eligible young gentleman. Yes, they were to attend the London season. But no detailed communications had been shared with her by her father.Although many correspondences had been swapped from the royal household. Not from Prince Regent, but from his men of business to Longbourn, since the Prince’s sojourn in their household. This abstract plan to visit London held no sway over Elizabeth’s imagination, nor that of her sisters. For this reason, they were no less impatient in awaiting the arrival of the party of Netherfield.
