Bennet had not missed that his oldest son spent as much time as he could with the newly-appointed rector of the Longbourn church, Mr Pierce. He seemed to have a genuine thirst for knowledge in all theological matters. Bennet would not push any of his children against their own inclinations, but he would encourage them when they displayed interests in a certain direction as William had in the Church.
As he got older, James would be trained in estate management. He would one day be the master of Longbourn; Tom would inherit Bennington Fields. Bennet made Jane, his oldest, the heir to Netherfield Park. As there was no entailment on the property, it would be Jane’s when she turned five and twenty or if married before that age.
Mr Pierce was having his fortnightly meeting with his patron. After they had completed their discussion of parish business, he remarked,“Young William seems to have a passion for the Church. He asks insightful questions and is able and willing to study the teaching of our Lord and His Son.”
“I have provided him with a lot of reading materials, and I am thankful that he has understood that Fordyce’s drivel is just that. That man must have been spurned more than once to unleash his vitriol against the fairer sex in the guise of moralistic sermons,” Bennet opined.
“You will hear no argument from me Bennet; as you know, I prefer to write my own sermons rather than look to the words that others have used in the past,” Pierce offered.“Do not get me wrong, I study the words of many, Fordyce included. Although they have provided me no enlightenment, only amusement, I incorporate their ideas into my sermons from time to time, but the words are always my own. If William chooses to follow the calling that I believe he feels, in my opinion, he will be the kind of clergyman that any would be proud to offer a living to.”
“Your words mirror my own feelings,” Bennet agreed,“I will always be grateful for the fact that I was able to show him the love and support that he had not had since my beloved sister passed away.”
The men shook hands and Mr Pierce walked back towards the parsonage; on his way he greeted the group playing on the grass under the watchful eyes of Jane Bennet and Charlotte Lucas. He greeted them with a bow and then continued on his way toward his home.
“I did not realise that it was so hot that your cheeks turned red, Charlotte,” Jane teased her friend.
“Jane!” Charlotte swatted at her friend as her cheeks turned crimson. Luckily, none of the others in the group, which included the rest of the Bennet siblings, Franny Phillips, Mariah Lucas, and the two Long girls, noticed how embarrassed Charlotte was or there would have been more than Jane who would have teased her.
“You did not tell me how your dance was with Mr Pierce at the assembly last week,” Jane pointed out to her friend.
“DancesJane, not dance,” Charlotte got a dreamy look in her eyes, which Jane, at eleven years, could not understand.“We danced the first, and I must say that he is noticeably light on his feet and that mine were never trodden on. At the end of the dance, before he returned me to my mama and papa, he requested the final set with me.”
“He likes you Charlotte,” Jane stated in her innocence,“I have heard Mama say that a gentleman will not request more than one set if he does not like the lady.” Charlotte’s face flamed anew as she thought how much she hoped that it was true because she knew that she held the new vicar in a tender regard. She would be sixteen soon; it would be only another year after that until she came out fully after she turned seventeen.
“Just think, if you marry Mr Pierce, we will always be close to one another,” Jane bubbled with excitement.
“It is a bigif,” Charlotte returned,“you never know what will be in the future.” The two dropped the subject and returned their full attention to the playing children.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
After a week in working as a scullery maid, the only lesson Caroline Bingley had learnt was that she hated the work. She blamed everyone for her current plight and accepted no culpability in anything that had befallen her. If anything, it made her more determined to gain the levels of society that she craved so she could look down her nose at all of the naysayers.
She had learnt that the other girl on scullery punishment, Miss Thatcher, had been at the school for six months and had attempted to escape three times, but she did not get far at all. As they were washing the dishes, Caroline looked at the sixteen-year-old; she was prettyish in a coarse way and had light brown hair and green eyes.
“Why do you still attempt to escape? You have been apprehended each time and it costs you a month in this blasted place,” Caroline pointed around the scullery,“and wearing this infernal burlap.”
“La, it is worth it to get back to my Denny,” the girl answered.
“Denny?” Caroline asked?
“Yes, he is an Ensign in the Militia. They are quartered in the town of Ledbury. My father’s estate is Ledbury Heights. Denny is so dreamy, and I love him so. We were to run away to Gretna Green to marry, but my father caught me when I tried to leave the house and sent me here,” Miss Thatcher relayed the story as if it were the most romantic tale ever written by a romantic novelist.
“How is it that it is so hard to escape from the old crone’s clutches?” Caroline asked.
“The old crone? Oh, you mean the horrid old headmistress. Did she not tell you how far you would have to walk to get to our nearest neighbour?” asked the bemused young lady.
“That was true?” Caroline was stupefied; she had told herself that it was just something that the students were told to discourage them from trying to escape.
“As much as it vexes me and tries my nerves, yes, it is true!” Miss Thatcher harrumphed.
“Then why do you keep trying to escape?” Caroline could not understand why the older girl kept placing herself in a position to be treated as a servant.
“Because I love him and I do not believe the stories that my father told me that he has dallied with many girls in the town and has run up many debts,” her fellow punished explained.
It was then that Caroline realised that she would have to change tactics. She had read about the actresses on Drury lane who could make one believe the roles that they were portraying. She would have to play a role; act, and convince all that she had changed, and then when she was out of this disgusting place, she would enter her rightful place in the upper circles of society. She would marry the Darcy heir or his cousin the Viscount, no matter how she had to achieve her goals!
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
A few days after the four Bingleys settled back into Netherfield, invitations were sent for a dinner to be held two days hence to most of the four and twenty principal families in the area. On the night in question, Netherfield was glowing with all torches lining the drive and extra footmen and maid hired for the day to make sure that all of the guests would be attended correctly.
