Very early the next morning, Darcy awakened, or, at least it should be said, Darcy arose from his bed. The two are very different. To awaken would mean that had achieved some meaningful semblance of sleep, peace. He had not. The unsatisfactory nature of the prior evening spent amongst those of little beauty and no fashion, combined with a general tendency to ponder, being among the chief culprits of his unrest. Add to it those damned eyes he could not expel from his thoughts and the ghastliness of the people, and he had suffered a difficult night.
No matter, he thought. He would allow his batman to dress him properly. I really do have to stop thinking of him as such. Just because he was in service to the crown as a soldier and personal attendant to the higher ups of the British military, does not give him, Darcy, the right to continue to think of him as such. He is currently my valet, his service to the crown is now immaterial, Darcy thought. He stood there for a few moments, pondering the heavy load of responsibility each servant carries. Shortly, his mind wandered to Pemberley and his own many responsibilities to each of the souls there employed. Darcy sighed and decided a ride would help clear his mind. In a thrice, he was prepared to go out, dressed and ready to enjoy the fields and the country, the air and the peace.
He rode vigorously, observing his surroundings carefully. He slowed in the woods, as the going became a bit treacherous due to the rains earlier in the week. He heard humming, a beautiful, full-throated lilting sound. It seemed to permeate the air, coming as if from heaven. He lifted his head and looked about; the hum stopped suddenly. As if displeased with his notice, the song from heaven ceased in the throat of its singer. He looked around him, his head moving quickly from left and right, front to back. He even dismounted and looked around for the source. No more beauty in the ears of this man, he thought bitterly. His features darkened and the thought depressed him. Only I can prevent the angels from singing. Cursed indeed. Why can I not be happy? He heard a rustling in the trees above him. Expecting to find a bird, instead, he saw a foot, a dainty one at that. He flushed with embarrassment at the impropriety of seeing something not meant for his eyes and quickly remounted his horse, galloping as quickly as his horse would take him back to Netherfield.
Later that day, still wrestling with the mystery of the foot, he heard the same angelic tones, or did he imagine them? The eldest Miss Bennets were completing their visit to Ms. Bingley and Mrs. Hurst. Promises of a return visit were made in short order, and Caroline directed the servants to fetch the Bennet sisters' parasols and gloves, while Mrs. Hurst quickly made her exit. The Bennet sisters smiled and shared a brief laugh at a remembrance of a childhood memory formed in Netherfield. They were evidently familiar with the house. Their sisterly affection was obvious. Darcy observed the two from the landing above and suddenly grew jealous. A close friendship with true affection, he had, yes. He would never be as close to anyone as he had been with his cousin during his childhood. Fitzwilliam was now a Colonel and was kept quite busy by the annoyance across the Channel. He refused to think of the source of his largest disappointment with regard to philia. Dem! It had been days since I had to think about that creature—him. He decided he would write to Georgiana and check on her progress. Lost in his thoughts about his sister, Darcy stood for what seemed like minutes. Then, there it was. The voice he heard in the woods earlier! "Forgive me, Jane," declared Elizabeth Bennet. "Oh Lizzy, you know how much your voice soothes me so. Think nothing of it," Ms. Bennett replied. Their discussion died in their throats with the return of Ms. Bingley and the servant carrying their accessories.
Ms. Bingley once again promised to return their call, which she and Mrs. Hurst accomplished the next day. Caroline's complaints about the nature of the rest of the Bennet household were manifold. While the refreshments were of the highest quality and the tea exceptional, Mrs. Bennet was altogether revolting, mercenary, and crass. The youngest two Bennets were probably the silliest creatures Ms. Bingley and Mrs. Hurst had ever encountered, which both noted was saying something given their familiarity with daughters of the Haute Ton. The middle sister, Mary, was apparently all that is earnest, officious, and judgmental, with little patience for silliness, but with such a pompous sense of self-importance-it was a terrible thing to behold, apparently.
Their critical assessments of Bennet estate was a mixture of awe and jealousy. They knew the family had been landed gentry for many generations. The household appeared well-managed and the mother, for all of her vulgarity, had an active regime for the girls to fulfill duties to the estate. Apparently, the youngest, Lydia, had complained bitterly that she neither wanted nor needed to learn the same things about managing the estate as her older sisters had, as she declared she would be the wife of an officer or a captain (or some such other...) and would be otherwise too occupied having adventures around the world to worry about something "so pedestrian as an estate." Caroline's obvious dissatisfaction with the almost dismissive and spoiled nature of Ms. Lydia's comments spoke to the level of their (Ms. Bingley's and Mrs. Hurst's) understanding of their place below the Bennets in society. Apparently, as the story goes, Lydia was reacting to the obvious pride Mrs. Bennet had expressed in Ms. Bennet and Ms. Elizabeth's efforts in the house, with the tenants, and in the community. Ms. Mary was following assiduously in her older sisters' footsteps and doing quite well. Unused to Ms. Eliza's praises being sung by their mother, Ms. Lydia made her silly outburst. By Caroline's accounting, Ms. Elizabeth's praises were sung by all of her sisters, Lydia included(though somewhat begrudgingly). In Ms. Bingley's eyes, Ms. Elizabeth was portrayed as little more than a steward, with her ideas about improvements, accounting, and management; her care with all manner of correspondence and letters of business. Why would Ms. Eliza continue and deepen such unladylike pursuits? Ms. Eliza was well on her way to becoming a spinster. Oh the irony, Darcy thought to himself. Ms. Bingley was in high dudgeon that these girls of little fortune had the nerve to be born to estate life. No aspiration was required. This vexed her and revealed a chink in her well-worn armor of hauteur and self-importance.
However, Caroline's sense of self was not punctured for long, as she once again decided her dowry and superior education more than outweighed the established aristocratic background of the 'lowly Bennets' and thus she felt decidedly better. Mr. Hurst's snicker at Caroline's musings and his sotto voce disagreement with Caroline's self-assessment caught Darcy's ear. Darcy spent many an evening thus engaged. Listening to an unceasing list of reasons why she, Caroline Bingley was better than...(insert visiting/visited neighbor here). Caroline waxed poetic as to why she is the better of each and every single member of the Meryton environs' landed gentry. Little did she know that her attempts to disparage only served to show her true insecurity about being the daughter of a tradesman.
A respite from Ms. Bingley's mean-spirited comparisons came in the form of an invitation, or so Darcy thought. The group was invited to spend the evening at the home of the Lucas'. Caroline's satirical eye got the better of her as she proposed to her sister a bit of a game to induce the locals into saying the most ridiculous things about themselves. The one who collects the best examples would need to recount them to the group, in French. Caroline even developed a name for the game: "Pourquoi le mépris?Un exemple suit!" Darcy was aghast that Ms. Bingley decided to use her French and her London girls' school education to make sport of others, but he said nothing. He only cataloged the behavior as among the things he despised about the ton and its occupants. Charles Bingley, upon hearing the Caroline/Louisa plans, gave a stern warning about being respectful of the kindly meant hospitality being proffered. He put his sisters on their guard that any inappropriate behavior would leave him most displeased. His sisters continued to titter throughout the day, largely ignoring their brother's protests. Poor Charles. To have such sisters.
This night would be interesting indeed. During the ride over to Lucas Lodge, Darcy recalled with some discomfort, his comments about the Bennets. Had his harsh words about the beauty of second daughter, and the wit of the mother inspired Ms. Bingley's game of amusement? At that moment, Darcy felt shabby. He did not linger on the feeling for very long. He resolved to simply observe the proceedings of the evening, reserving his judgments for himself.