“A ballroom full of officers would be the most wonderful thing,” Kitty approved, while Mr Bennet rolled his eyes.
“Oh, I always admired men in uniform in my youth,” Mrs Bennet admitted. “Hill, bring me my smelling salts — I might need them.”
The argument over Mr Bingley’s intentions continued till dinner time, and nobody could dampen Mrs Bennet’s dreams of happiness related to that gentleman. Later on, Jane confessed to Elizabeth that her own hopes were no different, but she was attempting to keep them under good regulation in order to avoid disappointment.
“He is so amicable, so friendly, and has a lovely smile,” Jane said. “I feel such a strange warmth when he talks to me. Am I silly? Please do not laugh at me, Lizzy. To you, I can confess such a thing, but you must keep the secret. I do not wish Mr Bingley to become distressed by our expectations when he may want nothing more than a friendship.”
“You are not silly, Jane. I like Mr Bingley too. He is also very handsome, so I allow you to like him as much as you want.”
“Did Mr Darcy truly apologise to you?”
“He did — out of nowhere. I was quite shocked. He explained to me he had been in a poor disposition, but Mr Bingley had insisted on him attending the ball and dancing against his will. Apparently, Papa understood him all too well.”
“Mr Darcy must be a good man since Mr Bingley admires and trusts him so much. I cannot approve of him offending you, but perhaps he was truly feeling unwell. If it was in his character to be unkind and uncivil, he would not have taken the trouble to apologise, would he?”
“I agree, Jane. Oh, and another extraordinary thing, Mr Ash seemed to approve of Mr Darcy too. He entered the library through the window, and he actually rubbed himself against Mr Darcy’s legs a few times.”
“Did he? How very strange!”
“Indeed. Mr Ash tolerates Papa and sleeps in the library occasionally, but no other men have been to his liking. Seemingly, he found Mr Darcy tolerable enough to tempt him. Who would have imagined that Papa and Mr Ash would see Mr Darcy differently from how we see him? Either we or they must be utterly wrong.”
“Dear Lizzy, you are as good as Papa at making sport of people, which frightens me at times,” Jane declared, laughing. On the other side of the bed, Ash miaowed once, then returned to his peaceful sleep.
***
“Mama, you will not believe what news we have!” Lydia cried as she returned from Meryton with Kitty.
“I have news too, if anyone is interested,” Mr Bennet interjected.
“What news, my dear?” Mrs Bennet addressed her daughter.
“The regiment will arrive tomorrow! Colonel Forster is already settled, and his wife Harriet is so lovely and pretty! We happened upon them in Mr Green’s shop. She is a little bit older than me. How fortunate for her to marry a colonel. I am sure we shall be good friends. Oh, I am greatly anticipating seeing all the officers tomorrow! We shall go to Meryton and wait for them!”
“We certainly shall! Mr Bennet, you must give us the carriage,” Mrs Bennet uttered.
“You may have the carriage if you wish, madam,” Mr Bennet responded. “Just keep in mind we need a good dinner for the day after tomorrow since I am expecting a visit from my cousin. Yes, the one who will inherit Longbourn and may throw you out of the house when I am dead. A tasty dinner is the least we can do to prevent that,” he concluded, evidently amused by the shocked expressions of his wife and daughters.
“Why is that horrible man coming here, Mr Bennet?”
“To visit me, of course, Mrs Bennet. May I ask why you believe he must be horrible just because Longbourn is entailed on him by law?”
“I, for one, would never accept something that is not rightfully mine,” Mrs Bennet said.
“I agree, but nevertheless, Longbourn will be legally his when I die. So your aim should be to keep me healthy for many more years and to win Mr Collins’s friendship. He said he wishes to offer an olive branch, so you should at least ask Hill to cook him a good dinner.”
While Mr Bennet was clearly amusing himself, Mrs Bennet’s frustration visibly increased. The contradiction between the two was so striking that Elizabeth could not help smiling. Lydia and Kitty continued to talk about the regiment and the officers, but Mrs Bennet’s interest was engaged elsewhere.
“Papa, if Mr Darcy loans you those two books, do you think he might allow me to read them too?” Mary asked.
“I am not sure he will truly lend them to me in the end, my child. Let us discuss it further when and if it happens. But I am exceedingly pleased that you are showing more interest in books than in the officers. Quite a pleasant change from your younger sisters. Now, I must leave you. I shall be in my library, reading the books I already own.”
Mr Bennet retired, and Elizabeth, tired of hearing about the militia, wished for some exercise. After walking for some time, she returned to Longbourn but was not quite ready to enter the house. Instead, she rested in a secluded spot, just beyond the bounds of the gardens, admiring the beauty around her, coloured in shades of red and brown. A soft breeze touched her face, and it recalled to her the summer, especially the sea, which she had dearly missed these last two years.
Mrs Gardiner had renewed the invitation for her to join them on the long-awaited journey to the Lakes the following summer. But, as much as she loved and appreciated her uncle, Elizabeth tempered her expectations in regard to his ability to leave his business; next summer was too far away to allow herself to believe the plan might become reality.
