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Of the small party staying at Netherfield Park, Caroline Bingley was not argumentatively the most unpleasant of them all.
The younger sister of Charles and Louisa Bingley, all had fair hair and handsome features. Charles was perhaps the only sweet-natured of the trio, and whilst Louisa was not as arrogant nor condescending, she nonetheless resembled Caroline in her snide remarks and rudeness to those deemed below their merit. For some reason or another, they were particularly fond of jeering at those who made their fortune through trade, forgetting their own wealth too started from that very profession. Moreover, their genuine need for gossip and redundant commentary brought them no prevalence of amiability.
"A ball? to be held at the assemblies?" said she, laughing in that way she personally perceived to be elegant and hopefully, appealing to their oh-so silent friend, who was seated by the far corner of the parlour, discreetly reading a book. On what, she thought it little consequence, for she had merely chosen its second volume to be paired with his.
"How awful, indeed," Louisa readily agreed. "What do you think of it, Charles? Is it not embarrassing? I should very much not like to dance in such a dull, cramp hall! Pass me the cards, will you?" she snapped at her boorish husband, Mr Hurst, who was not good-looking nor a gentleman; he only looked the part of it. Oh, why she had permitted herself to be bound to him, she could not remember. In her distant memories, it whispered a pretty house up in town. Well, as fate would have it, they were not living on their own, but with Charles.
"Truly?" Charles looked up at them from studying the fireplace and its newly-furnished mantel. "Nothing should be terribly wrong with a night of music, drink and dance! I think it very kind of them, to host such a party in consideration for us." He looked over to his best friend, Mr Darcy, whom he had been acquainted with for several good years. His friend had come over from Derbyshire just this morning, and was arranged to stay several days. "Do you not agree, Darcy?"
"Mr Darcy is sure to share the same sentiments as us, I am certain," Caroline purred, gazing at the fine picture he painted from beneath her eyelashes. "He is a man of standard and class. A lowly ball such as the one to be held at the assemblies will most certainly prove to be a disappointment of one of his society." She continued to look at him demurely, till he snapped the book shut, and lifted his head to meet all their eyes.
"I have not much thought of it, and hence, have no opinion on the matter."
"Such a sly answer!" Louisa laughed. "Fret not, Mr Darcy, for we completely understand and share in your feelings. Oh, I said pass the cards!"
"I have heard from a little bird," Caroline was determined to drag on the conversation. "that the ball and its attendees, as I have been told, will be consisting of many beauties, most notably from the Bennet family up at Longbourn, a most dismal, poorly place. Did you not receive a visit from a man of such relations, Charles?"
"I have indeed, from Mr Bennet himself. A most friendly and welcoming man, I dare say. We shall be meeting the rest of his family soon enough."
"Have you had yet the pleasure of meeting said beauties?" his sister returned most curiously, though she kept portion of her attention on the dark, gloomy man whom she harboured much intentions and intensity for. Within her, she was fearing his sudden interest in the topic. However, she soon justified her bringing up the subject to herself - it was to act a gauge, a gauge that would prove useful in the near future.
"No, I have not," Charles recollected. "He came alone, and on the back of a dappled grey stallion. After the ball, I shall have to return the appreciated welcome." He nodded once, as though decided on his due course of action.
"How soon before we take leave, Charles?" she then questioned, having satisfied herself when Mr Darcy showed no signs of his wanting to hear more of the ladies of Longbourn. "Surely, you cannot be thinking of residing here and taking this as our permanent residence!" Upon this, Louisa chimed in her agreement, and Charles sighed, for it was not the first occurrence of them speaking of such.
"Netherfield is a lovely place, with beautiful grounds and captivating ambience," he insisted. "We shall stay here till I see it no longer fit."
"My limbs and joints feel sore, and I propose a walk about the gardens to do them a power of good," Caroline stood up from her seat by the piano-forte. "Mr Darcy, will you not care to join Louisa and I? The air outside is refreshing at this time of day; nothing better to bring a little flush to one's cheeks!"
"Your cheeks appear considerably warm, already, my dear sister," her elder sibling said. "Are you quite alright?"
"Perfectly well, I thank you," she hastily responded. When Mr Darcy politely - albeit stonily - declined, she covered her disappointment through a large beam and gesture of the hand for Louisa. In a matter of several moments, the two ladies strode out of the door. Both had elegant figures, and walked well, though it would have been to Miss Bingley's greatest disappointment had she seen Mr Darcy had not cared to watch after their departure.
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"Be careful!" Mrs Bennet screeched as they all piled into the carriage. "Do not ruin your sister's dress, Mary!" she admonished fiercely, closing the door after her. She clicked her tongue, ruthlessly scrutinising the appearance of her middle child, who was more made-up than usual. "Oh, straighten your gloves, girl! and smooth those ruffles down."
"None would care—" Lydia snorted from the centre of the carriage's seat. "—even if she should appear in rags and tattered shoes!" At this, Lydia and Kitty both burst into jubilant peals of laughter, and Mary quietly yanked up the sleeves of her white gloves without a word. The horses began to trot, and soon, they were on the rocky path to the assemblies down at Meryton.
The Bennet women were, for this particular night, dressed in their finest garments, and had their hair most ornately adorned and done. Ribbons, gloves, bonnets and whatnot - nothing was spared for the occasion of finally making Mr Bingley's acquaintance. All expense had been paid for by Mrs Bennet, and she herself had not been left out, for in her greying hair, was a little glittery pin.
"Mamma, whatever should we do once we reach?" Kitty asked nervously, fiddling with a stray strand of sash, that Jane soon took upon herself to amend.
"Why, my dear, to find Mr Bingley! Have a dance or two with him - though more would be encouraged - and mingle about as you wish. Lydia, be on your guard, for Mr Bingley may very well have the first dance with you. Jane and Lizzy, look sharp and smart. Goodness, Mary, do stop touching your hair! It's as best as I have managed to do - don't go spoiling it all. Do have fun this night, girls; be on your best behaviours."
Elizabeth resisted a smile, not permitting herself of saying that the same could be applied to her.
"I have confirmed from Sir William Lucas, mamma," Lydia chirped. "that Mr Bingley shall be bringing twelve ladies and seven gentlemen!" She was pleasantly contented with the idea of gentlemen, though Mrs Bennet grieved over her words.
"Twelve?" she wailed. "Oh, how unfortunate!" She recollected herself, and with a more determined air than ever, turned towards Jane, who gave her a searching look. "No matter, we shall still stand a chance. Jane, you must dance with Mr Bingley tonight, else we shall have to entail our estate away, and I shan't like the burden of having five daughters with no home on my shoulders! and unmarried too! 'Tis more than I'd call for."
"I shall try my best, ma'am," Jane said, eyes slightly wide at the vivacity of her words. The carriage soon had silence descend upon it, unaware of prepping for an interruption of some sorts.
"Ooh—! We have arrived!" Lydia cried aloud, pulling her head back in from the open window of the carriage. The strong winds had already loosened strands of her tied hair.
"Don't stick your neck out so," Elizabeth said, alarmed.
"What joy there is tonight!" Mrs Bennet noted the attendance as they begun to descend. "I shall not wish to see Mrs Long and her nieces - they will be our competitors. She is a most hypocritical woman, and though she has offered to introduce Mr Bingley for us, I am quite certain she will not, and will allow her nieces to prey upon him like vultures."
"Indeed," Elizabeth nodded solemnly. "Pappa once told me that birds of the same feathers flock together. I am glad - though by no means mortified - to realise his accuracy in professing such. We shall have to all watch ourselves, and to tread with a little more care, in fear of attracting more of such birds."
"What? What is that you're saying, Lizzy? Desist in such cryptic messages, dear; I have hardly the time to sit and ponder them till kingdom come," the former distractedly muttered.
Now standing in front of the entrance, where they watched familiar and strange faces pass by them alike, they waited with bated breath, before entering.
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...
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Jane and Elizabeth had been animatedly conversing with the eldest child of Sir William and Lady Lucas, Charlotte. Her younger sister, Maria, was away with Lydia and Kitty, whereas her other siblings were somewhere about the assembly partaking in the simple pleasures of wine and fare. Charlotte Lucas was a most sensible, intelligent woman of seven and twenty, though not at all handsome or married.
The Bennet family - with the exclusion of Mr Bennet, having declared himself much too drained and aged to partake in the night's pleasures - had gone in the area with high hopes in their hearts, where, to their let-down - most applicable to Mrs Bennet - they were informed of the esteemed party having not yet come. With such news in them, she had waved them all to spread around, and told them she was to be found engaged with Mrs Long and the other women in whist.
At that junction, Lydia and Kitty appeared, breathless and red.
"Have you not heard? Mr Bingley and company have come not longer than fifteen minutes past!"
With this sudden, unforeseen exclamation, it brought about them the greatest of excitement and curiosity to be able to catch a glimpse of the renowned group. Are there twelve ladies and seven gentlemen, as has been predicted? How do they carry themselves? Where, oh where, are they now? Are they a most agreeable bunch?
"My," Lydia laughed. "I shall answer them one at a time. You are making my head spin! No, Mr Bingley has only brought four others alongside him; two sisters, one the husband of the eldest, and another young man." At this, her eyes sparkled, and she excitedly carried on, "The best of all—- here they are! Look!"
They all turned in their anxiety, and no sooner had they done so did all pairs of orbs lie squarely on the five. Having taken their share in staring, Lydia took it upon herself to say,
"There is Mr Bingley. Is he not a fine spectacle? What fair hair and features he has! What blue eyes! Oh, now, that lady with the curly hair is Mrs Hurst, wife to that ungainly, unsightly gentleman to the far right. A pretty creature - though the crown of her head is, I must say, too flat - married to a man like that! Such shame, such shame," she repeated. "Miss Bingley is the lovely lady over by the left. Much prettier than her sister, no? Look that embroidery!"
"Who is that," Jane proceeded to ask. "the man by Miss Bingley?"
"Oh," Lydia's smile grew ever larger, and she leaned forward. "Now, he is Mr Darcy. Take a gander - ain't him much more handsomer than Mr Bingley; dark hair, eyes, arched features and noble mien? I would say so! Now, now," she cleared her throat. "He is not related to them, and has only come on Mr Bingley's request, for they are the best of friends. He lives in Derbyshire, and is the master of Pemberley - a grand estate up in the North of England - as well as the collector of ten thousand a year!"
"What society," Charlotte put in, smiling. "They do appear to be quite the view."
So they did. As though they reflected upbringing in society far superior than their own, though Mr Bingley was the only that paid no heed to class and structure, and treated all with equal politeness and warmth. His cheery and agreeable disposition, pared with gentleman-like qualities, set him aside from Mr Darcy, who, within a quarter of an hour, was revealed to be disgustedly proud and mighty to none but himself. Though he had earlier been seen to be far more attractive than his friend, he was now despised enough by the others to be deemed below him.
Jane was introduced to Mr Bingley by an overly-excited Mrs Bennet, and the man's instant captivation was evident. He took her hand, bowed low, and proceeded to request the next two dances in her presence. This was overseen by Mrs Bennet, who did not allow her daughter to reply herself, for she had already begun to steer them towards the floor, where many gazed upon them with envious and admiring eyes.
Lydia and Kitty were never without dancing partners, and their boisterous laughter - most coming from Lydia - could frequently be heard about. Mary, on the other hand, preferred to sit by herself, and though she buried her nose in a book, her eyes lingered on the piano, despite her never having a chance to play. She was frequently overshadowed by her sisters, and as she was not pretty nor acknowledged much, pursued in academics and the arts to prove her worth. Mrs Bennet was perhaps the worst of the lot - for she spoke loudly, chewed with her mouth open, taking no prisoners in the sharing to her friends of her grand scheme of marriage.
Caroline and Louisa Bingley were charming, though only to those they thought alright. Many thought them to be as good as their brother, though Elizabeth knew better. She watched their interactions and demeanours, and soon decided they were just as unpleasant and proud as Mr Darcy, though not as loud as to make it obvious. She was, however, convinced of their genuine fondness for Jane, and was a little pleased.
Due to the scarcity of gentlemen, and the refusal of one so proud to not dance with anyone not of his intimate circle, Elizabeth was obliged to sit by the refreshment table, and spoke lively with Charlotte. They were without interruption, and were both having a pleasant time, when Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley came into view, and stood considerably near for the two women to overhear their conversation.
"You have been standing about in such a silly, dull manner, Darcy! Do you not wish to dance? You had better much dance."
"I am not the fondest of the dance, and it would be punishment indeed were I to stand up with one wholly unfamiliar."
"Proud, proud man!" whispered Elizabeth to Charlotte.
"You have only danced with Louisa and Caroline - both once! Let me introduce you to a few - I have made many a great acquaintance, and there are many without a partner."
"Nay, there is not one person in the room whom I harbour an interest for. You are, perhaps, dancing with the only handsome woman, though I find her smiles overwhelming, and much too bright. You had better go and enjoy yourself with her, and leave me."
"Smiles overwhelming'?" Elizabeth muttered darkly. "Whatever could he mean? He must not like sunshine very much."
"There are so many pleasant girls here, that I cannot believe my own ears. The Bennet sisters are uncommonly pretty, such as the lady just behind you - I should much prefer Miss Jane Bennet, however, for she is the most kind and beautiful creature I have ever set eyes upon - who is Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Shall I ask Miss Jane to introduce you?"
"Is it not you, Elizabeth!" Charlotte said beneath her breath. Elizabeth blinked, and felt self-conscious; a little flattered, but wary.
"Of whom are you speaking of?" Mr Darcy tilted his head, and met her eyes. He swiftly withdrew them with the utmost coldness, and said in a flat tone, "She is tolerable, though by no means handsome. If you would care to pay notice her mother and younger sisters, they are questionable in every aspect. I will not be seen in such company, nor do I feel charitable enough to pay a lady slighted by other gentlemen attention."
"You are stubborn to no end, Darcy! Very well, if that is what you think. I see no hope in attempting to change your mind." Mr Bingley was visibly upset and disapproving of his friend's behaviour, but he took his leave. Mr Darcy lingered for a moment longer, before heading back into the crowd himself.
Elizabeth had been growing angrier by the minute, and upon the end of the men's dialogue, hissed to her friend, "Vile man! I absolutely detest him! What fine manner and good character he has!"
"Are you affected by his outlook of you?" Charlotte was surprised. "You have never been affected by such - why the change now?"
"He has hurt my pride not of his views of me - though his choice and stupidity of saying it in public does add to it - but by his attitude towards them!" she said passionately though with a controlled air and certain restraint. "It is one thing to have personal opinions and impressions - for everyone is entitled to their own - but it is another to choose to speak it out! What right has he to judge so harshly and without proper knowledge of them?
"I could go on, but I cannot be bothered with such men, and hence, we shall leave this at that. I can only hope Mr Bingley teaches him proper etiquette, and that he may change for the better someday, though when that day comes, I shall not wish to be there to witness it," was the conclusion of her declaration of abhorrence for the man.
The ball thus ended, and they went on home to Lucas Lodge and Longbourn in considerable spirits, though none - especially with a certain Miss Bennet - feeling much cordiality towards a Mr Darcy.
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