AN: So I realize this has been done a thousand times before or more, but I still wanted to have a go at it…
Of New and Quite Unwanted Acquaintances
Darcy stared out of the window, a wine glass in his hand. In the garden, Bingley was talking enthusiastically with his newly employed gardener. Bingley had just bought a large villa called Netherfield Park—too grand a name for the place, although the grounds used to be larger—and had invited Darcy and his two sisters to come over for the weekend. Darcy shook his head as he saw him kneel, helping the gardener pull some weed out of almost unreachable places. He heard the door open as Bingley's two sisters came in.
"A barn fest," he heard the eldest mumble.
"What was he thinking..." the other replied.
The night before, just after their arrival, they had gone to a party: a party in a barn. "A touch of local country life," Bingley had called it. "Meeting the villagers."
As they arrived, Darcy had warned him not to get involved too much. Surely his clothes would give him away as a rich target for every single woman in the county, although.. perhaps not. Bingley fitted in quite well, wearing jeans and a t-shirt; Darcy himself, however, was terribly overdressed for this particular event.
Soon Darcy was standing on the side lines overlooking a mass of people jumping up and down—so-called dancing—whereas others were playing cards whilst sitting on hay barrels. Poker, not bridge. The music was loud and far from lovely, the food downright lousy, but Bingley…he was having the time of his life, talking most amiably to many different villagers.
Right now, he was even dancing with two somewhat pretty women, one blond, the other a brunette, some resemblance in their faces… Sisters perhaps? Nieces maybe?
Whilst talking and complaining to Bingley's sisters, he kept an eye on his friend. So openly that the brunette, called Elizabeth, started to ask questions. "Your friend keeps scowling at us…Doesn't he approve of dancing?" she inquired with a smile and a fake haughty voice. "Or is it the location?"
"He warned me beforehand. Called everybody here gold diggers." Bingley whispered.
"How rude," Elizabeth replied.
"Maybe he's just being careful," her sister Jane pitched in. Elizabeth rolled her eyes at her. Saint Jane..
"He's a bit uptight sometimes," Bingley agreed. Stuck up is more like it, Elizabeth thought.
Meanwhile, Bingley's sisters were asking Darcy questions about his sister, Georgiana, who was far younger than himself and was being home schooled since she had been bullied at boarding school. She was an excellent piano player but quite shy which caused the occasional problem. She had her debutante ball soon, but wasn't looking forward to it at all. The two sisters tried to raise his spirits by giving him advice but didn't really understand her predicament as they were quite outspoken themselves.
Just when Darcy thought he couldn't feel more uncomfortable, an older woman with ugly blond dyed hair—wearing a dress that would fit and suit her younger two daughters who trailed behind her far better— introduced herself as Mrs. Bennet and started to gossip about most people in the room, criticizing everyone except her five! daughters who were apparently gifts from heaven. Darcy tried to be polite but didn't succeed altogether when it became clear that the mother was very interested in Bingley and himself, practically forcing her daughters—or even herself: a shuddering thought—on him. He stated very firmly that they were not 'on the market,' thank you very much, and consequently gave her the cold shoulder. She bristled and began talking loudly to one of her neighbours about impolite posh visitors who thought they could look down on anyone.
"I am so ready for this party to be over…" Caroline Bingley sighed.
"Me too," Darcy and Louisa agreed simultaneously. Fitzwilliam looked down at his ruined austerity brogues covered in beer and hay and dramatically closed his eyes for a moment, in a pathetic and unsuccessful attempt to escape the present.
"I see you've met my mother." A bespectacled girl stood beside them. Curly-haired and slightly nerdy, with a larger grin on her face.
"..and you are?" Caroline asked, not too friendly.
"Mary Bennet: middle daughter and odd one out." Her eyes laughed as she looked at her, now, four dancing sisters.
"You're with the … ehm woman with the blond…?" Louisa didn't know how to describe her without being derisive.
"Yes, we're pretty well-known around here. The only farmer with five daughters but no sons to take over. Mum is quite an exuberant addition to the town, as you've noticed, I'm sure…"
The two sisters almost snorted out loud and Darcy had trouble concealing his smile. "Yes, she is very cheerful," he managed, before he started coughing.
"Bless you," the girl said as she left to join one of the poker games.
"Looks like they're in charge of providing the evening's entertainment," he said after he found his voice back, to the amusement of the Bingley sisters.
Caroline casually put a manicured hand on his arm as she looked out of the window as well. "Oh, Charles, always in the mud, just like when he was younger…" she sighed. "Louisa, come and have a look!"
Louisa waved 'not now' as she received a phone call from her fiancé—she did have one— Mr. Hurst, and left the room berating him and demanding an explanation as to why he hadn't called her in two days.
Being alone with Fitzwilliam—Fitz for intimate friends—which she, alas, wasn't one of, not yet… actually suited her better. She began talking about yesterday's horrible party and found an agreeable listener in her brother's friend. He concurred with the need to keep Charles steady, as he was known to fall in love quite easily without any regard for appropriateness. The horror of him becoming friendly with one of those Bennet daughters was equally unbearable to both.
