I hold no claims of ownership over Jane Austen's works.
Even if I did, but I wouldn't be able to write half as well as her.
A rewrite of a work long deleted years back.
Writing style differs to suit this story's needs.
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From Fine Eyes, a Ballad
by bacon-fatality
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It is a truth, most universally acknowledged, that a single woman must be in want of a husband with a good fortune.
Or, perhaps it is so that way in the minds of said man with a good fortune's neighbours. For some reason or another, whether he be aware of their devious enigmas, the surrounding ladies always seem to have an unsaid claim - but a claim nonetheless - over him as their personal property and right of succession.
The most passionate of claims, perhaps, is the claim professed by Mrs Bennet. It came about one day, when she and her husband sat in the library - a rare event that nearly irritated Mr Bennet - that she suddenly said with obvious intention,
"My dear, have you heard the latest news? For I have heard it from Mrs Long."
He did not reply, and merely flipped to the next page. She huffed, and impatiently cried, "Do you not wish to hear it? It is indeed a most curious news, else I would not be here wishing to tell you about it! Go on, do ask me, do." She eagerly smoothed her skirt, and after a short pause, he closed the book.
"I have never objected to my not hearing it." This proved to be invitation enough, for Mrs Bennet wasted no time in delving straight into it.
"Why, my dear, it appears that Netherfield Park is let at last! Let to a man of great fortune - about four to five thousand pounds per annum! He is due to arrive before Michaelmas. Is this not a fine, wonderful, grand thing for our girls?" she eagerly said, bright eyes and all the signs of one so anxious with excitement. "You must call upon him the moment he arrives."
"Let us not jump ahead, my dear, else we should hit a wall. Why do you insist on a visit, and how does it affect our five daughters?" Through his tone, countenance and choice of words, it was evident he was aware of his wife's underlying intentions, but he always was such a sarcastic, witty, odd man, that one could hardly predict his actions - even his spouse, who he had been with for the past twenty years at the very least.
"You can't possibly be asking me to answer that!" Mrs Bennet wrinkled her nose, incredulous. "Do you not ever pay attention to them? Or of our situation? I am wanting you to call upon him, as it is very likely he should fall in love with one of them, and as they are all unmarried, it would prove to be most fortunate indeed."
"Well!" he replied, reclining further into his chair. "I have no strong objection to it, though I will say, I have no part in this becoming a scandal, should he be married and be caught with one of our daughters." She coloured at this, and he continued, "Nor if he decides to fall in love with all five of them, and wishes to marry them all. Lizzy, perhaps, is the most deserving of the lot." Amused sufficiently, he picked up the book again.
"Infuriating, you are!" Mrs Bennet returned, very much vexed. "Mr Bingley is very much single, young, and therefore, very eligible. How can you talk so!" she sighed in an exasperated manner. "Now, will you call upon him or no? and do not bring up Lizzy's name! I can never understand why you favour her so much. She is not so half as pretty as Jane, nor half as so bubbly as Lydia." The irony in her sentence merely made Mr Bennet all the more determined to let his rampaging wife be.
"You wish to call upon him, and I have no interest in this matter. Go ahead with it, if you so wish. I dare say Mr Bingley would be most attracted to you, my dear."
"Oh, oh, how you vex me! Are you propositioning that we move not an inch? and that you would see us all ruined?"
He did not reply, and after a long while of attempted persuasion, Mrs Bennet left most unhappily.
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...
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"Have you heard the news from mamma?" Lydia and Catherine both chorused, hopping up the stairs into the bedroom that Jane and Elizabeth shared. "Netherfield has been let! and its possessor a handsome young man, no less, with a grand income of thousands of pounds!"
"Is that so?" Jane lifted her head up from staring at the vanity whilst running a wooden brush through her long golden locks. Proven true to Mrs Bennet's words, Jane was the prettiest and fairest of the Bennet sisters, with luscious waves and soft, round blue eyes. Granted the embarrassing status of the village's most renowned beauty, the bond between the five were thankfully so strong as that none felt positively envious. Paired with her own humble, sweet disposition, Jane was made all the more lovable.
"Not only so," Lydia, youngest at the mere age of fifteen - though coming sixteen - said. "Mamma thinks he shall fall madly in love with one of us, and that one of us will be married to him!" she revealed, sitting herself by the edge of the duvet. "Mary, I think not - who could ever love such a bookish, plain girl? Just last morning she was attempting to practice her scales at the piano-forte! How dreadful!" she laughed.
"Pray tell, what is this young man's name?" Elizabeth questioned. Lydia was perhaps the most wild and spoilt. A girl with good nature at heart, though with questionable etiquette and independent thinking. Catherine was similar to that of her sibling; she was her shadow. In summary, both girls were frivolous and flirtatious, though rather capable of charming many.
"Bingley. Though mamma has been throwing a fuss, for pappa refuses to call upon him. She says we shall not stand a chance against Mrs Long and her nieces, for we do not have his acquaintance." Saying this, she was rather easy-going about it. For, really, she did not much care for the matter at all.
"A let-down indeed," replied Elizabeth, amused with the thought and visualisation of Mrs Bennet having a tantrum. "We shall have to suffer through it the whole of tomorrow."
Following this, the younger ones exchanged several more words with their elders, before kissing them good-night and as the door closed shut, Jane turned to her. The two were exceedingly close and affectionate, and rarely kept anything from the other.
"Should you like to marry for wealth, Lizzy?"
It was so unexpected a question, that Elizabeth paused and thought for several a moment. In her was a character filled with wit, intelligence, humour and liveliness. She was considered a beauty as well, due to her dark chestnut hair and fine features. Mr Bennet favoured her; to him, she was the only one most remarkably similar to himself. Her personality - which was that of kindness and other amiable traits - only added to her likability.
"Only the deepest of love will ever prevail me onto matrimony," she declared, hence insinuating her answer. Jane nodded.
"It is just that, Kitty and Lydia have gotten me to think more of our family's situation, seeing as how the whole of the estate shall be entailed away upon pappa's death. Mamma wishes for us to marry, though I should wish to be wed for love, and not monetary gain."
"So you shall; only take care it is with a man of good fortune."
"Sweetest Lizzy," Jane gave a laugh, and kissed her cheek.
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...
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A fortnight later, at breakfast, Mr Bennet announced he would be gone the afternoon, and would only be back in the evening. At this unexpected turn, it brought out in them the utmost curiosity - it was a rare occurrence that he should leave his beloved library, and to step out of the house, no less. However, none suspected - Mrs Bennet, least of all - the possibility of him taking the pain to go on horseback, to call upon the esteemed Mr Bingley.
Henceforth the day went by per their usual schedule, until dinner, when Mr Bennet's secret trip was revealed to the table. A deep silence ensued, with all very much shocked and stunned, none being able to say a word till very much later. A fork clattered down onto the plate, and Mrs Bennet soon found the voice to cry aloud.
"Oh, my dear, dear Mr Bennet!" she wiped her mouth, throwing her dining napkin onto the cloth surface with the greatest pleasure. She hastily got up from her seat, and planted a peck on her husband's forehead. "To think you were so secretive all this morning! I never would have thought you capable of such kindness!
"Girls, do thank your father. Do you not have such a caring, wonderful parent, apart from myself? Oh, have I never felt so glad to rejoice this much!"
"Woman, you do yourself little to no credit. Had you not pestered me so much, I would never have thought of visiting this young man of four thousand pounds. It would have given me a guilty conscience of not paying it mind, and should have indeed given me a headache for not doing your advice justice."
"You flatter me, my dear! Though I shall not be proud to claim credit at all." At this, Elizabeth giggled, and her eyes met her father's, who gave her a little wink.
"Does that mean we shall have to meet him, pappa?" Lydia excitedly leaned over, in the process, getting some gravy smeared over her clothes.
"I am afraid it is impossible to escape Mr Bingley's acquaintance now," was Mr Bennet's reply. He popped the last of his buttered scone into his mouth, and upon cleaning himself up and standing upright, he added, "It has been confirmed for a ball to be held in a week's time, at the assemblies. Mr Bingley will be in attendance; rather, he is the guest which the ball has been organised to specially welcome into Hertfordshire."
"A ball!" Lydia squealed, as he left them to their raptures. "I wonder if he should bring his own exclusive party! A few young ladies and young men, I must suppose. Dear me, I shall require new dresses and shoes, for I have none suitable for such an occasion!" she proceeded to say to Mrs Bennet, who, with all affection and eagerness, agreed to allowing her to go to the shops later on.
"I find such occasions to be most wasteful; if not paid any attention, the time can be better spent on self-improvement and learning," Mary drained the remainder of drink in her mug. "Balls encourage nothing of grand consequence to—"
"Such boredom I feel!" Lydia cut in, stretching and yawning. Elizabeth exchanged glances with Jane, and both sisters felt a little ashamed of her manners, though so used to them. "I think I shall head out to speak to Denny. Come, Kitty, I shall grab my bonnet and we shall set off to see the officers."
For the remainder of the day, none were able to extract any form of information from Mr Bennet on Mr Bingley. He would not let loose of much, and the deepest they got to was that the youthful proprietor was a most amicable, thoughtful gentlemen, and was very much looking forward to meeting them at the ball.
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