Chapter 11
Hertfordshire, October 1811
"Mr. Bennet! Mr. Bennet!" cried his lady as she rushed into the house. She had just been in Meryton visit her sister Phillips and was eager to impart the news she had received.
"What is it, my dear?" he asked as he exited his bookroom to see what all the fuss was. "Have the pigs gotten into the garden again?"
"What? No! It is something wonderful! Netherfield Park has been let at last!" Mrs. Bennet collapsed into a settee in the sitting room, shoulders heaving with gasps as she caught her breath.
"Has it?" he inquired.
"Yes, my dear! To a gentleman from the North! A man with a large fortune! Oh, what a fine thing for our girls!" she exclaimed.
The four Bennet sisters joined their parents in the sitting room, having heard the entire conversation from up the stairs.
"For our girls?" Mr. Bennet asked, winking at Lizzy. "How can it affect them?"
"Why, you must know that I am thinking of him marrying one of them! He will prefer Jane, of course, as she is the handsomest. Oh, but Kitty is the most lively now that dear Lydia is Mrs. Forster."
Jane blushed slightly as Lizzy smirked at her. Kitty laughed at the idea of her being the next to marry.
"Mr. Bennet, you must call on him! I insist," Mrs. Bennet insisted.
"I don't believe I will have the time," said Mr. Bennet with another sly wink to his daughters. "I will be much occupied with preparations on the estate for the winter."
"Oh Mr. Bennet!" wailed his wife. "How can you be so cruel? What will become of us when you are dead if all your daughters end up as old maids?"
Mary laughed. "Mama, please remember that I am engaged to Mr. Collins. When Papa does pass away, which I hope will be many years from now, I will be prepared to care for my mother and any of my sisters who are in need."
Mrs. Bennet paused and blinked at her middle daughter. "Why that's right! I had quite forgotten about you, Mary. But your other sisters will still need husbands! What would our neighbors think if I could only get two of my five girls married off?"
Lizzy bit her tongue to keep from laughing at her mother. Far from being offended at having been forgotten, Mary chose to take amusement in the situation.
"Perhaps the new tenant of Netherfield will bring a large party," suggested Jane in an attempt to please her mother.
"It would not matter if twenty such men should come," sniffed Mrs. Bennet in indignation, "If your father will not visit them."
"Depend upon it, my dear, when there are twenty, I shall visit them all," declared her husband as he quit the sitting room in search of the quiet solitude of his bookroom.
Over the next several days, Mrs. Bennet continued to bemoan the unfairness of having a husband that did not care whether his daughters died as old maids. Her daughters took as many opportunities as possible to escape her musings by going for longs walks and visiting Meryton.
One day, Kitty returned home from Meryton with news. "I have just heard the most wonderful thing about Mr. Bingham, the new tenant at Netherfield!" she crowed.
"Oh, I am sick to death of hearing about this man!" cried Mrs. Bennet. "What did you say his name was again?"
"Mr. Bingham, I believe," Kitty said. "Although it was rather difficult to understand my aunt, as she has had a sore throat as of late."
"Ah yes," Mrs. Bennet nodded wisely. "It is from too many chocolates."
"More likely from too much gossip," Lizzy whispered to Mary, who stifled a giggle and looked at her sister in mock reproach.
"Mr. Bingham – I never want to hear his name again!" cried their mother, returning to the topic at hand.
"Well, I'm very sorry to hear that," said Mr. Bennet as he closed his newspaper. "Had I known as much, I should never have called on him."
"What?" cried the lady. "You have called on Mr. Bingham!"
"I called on the new tenant of Netherfield yesterday morning," he said with a private smile. "I'm afraid we cannot escape the acquaintance now."
"And you didn't say a word! You sly thing. What a good joke!" said Mrs. Bennet in delight, jumping to her feet and giving her husband a hug in a rare show of affection.
"You shall all meet Netherfield's new tenant and all who reside there tomorrow at the assembly," he informed them.
"I hope he comes eager to dance," said Lizzy.
"We shall see," said Mary.
The young ladies spent the remainder of the day begging their father for as much information as possible about Netherfield's new tenant. The onset of rain that lasted into the next evening prevented them from going calling on their neighbors, so their father was the only source of information. To their frustration, Mr. Bennet claimed to not know who Mr. Bingham was, but the new tenant of Netherfield was a kind young man. That was the only answer they received in spite of their constant badgering.
In their frustration, the girls turned their attentions towards their clothing for the assembly. As they could not go into Meryton to the milliner's shop for new fripperies to make over their dresses, they had to settle for the bits of ribbon and lace that they had on hand. Although their futures were secure with Lydia married and Mary engaged, they were eager to make a good impression on their new neighbor. It was not often that a single man in possession of a large fortune came into their part of the country, and according to Mrs. Bennet, he would surely be in want of a wife.
Jane, Lizzy, and Kitty were not wild to be married, per se, but they also knew that with their small dowries they had little but their charms to recommend them. They wanted to marry someone with whom they were in love (or at least very fond of), but that wanted that person to also reciprocate those feelings. With so many ladies and so few gentlemen in Hertfordshire thanks to Napoleon, they knew they must make the most of these opportunities to shine above the other girls in the area.
With these thoughts in mind, the hours past swiftly until the carriage was called to take them to the assembly.
Fitzwilliam Darcy looked up as Caroline Bingley sashayed into the drawing room. He had been reading aloud a book to his sister as she made a few repairs to a gown she brought.
"Is there any better way to spend an afternoon than by reading?" Miss Bingley asked as she down.
"I do enjoy listening to my brother to read to me," agreed Georgiana as she tied off a stitch.
"There is nothing like a good book to pass the time away. How I wish my brother had a more extensive library. The one here at Netherfield is quite empty," she said.
"It is a situation that I will quickly rectify," Georgiana assured her sister.
"Neglect of a library is unpardonable in this day and age," Miss Bingley declared. "After all, books are a wonderful way of improving one's mind."
"Yes, and their ability to improve one's mind and to be enjoyable is greatly dependent on one's ability to find a quiet time to do the reading," said Darcy in a dry voice.
Georgiana gave her brother a warning look, even as Miss Bingley tittered, "Quite right, Mr. Darcy! Those who do not enjoy reading often distract those who would rather spend the day with a book with idle conversation. It is quite vexing!"
Georgiana looked a bit surprised at the sincerity in Miss Bingley's comment. Rather than respond, she chose to change the subject of conversation. "Well, I hope, Brother, that you will not be vexed with our entertainment for tomorrow evening. One of our new neighbors, a Sir William Lucas, informed Charles that there is to be a public assembly. He is the Master of Ceremonies and assured my husband that we are all invited. Of course, Charles immediately agreed on behalf of the entire Netherfield party."
Miss Bingley immediately made her opinion known. "I cannot believe my brother accepted! Surely it is bad enough that we have been relocated to such an uncivilized place. We cannot be expected to mix with the locals, too, at a public assembly?"
Georgiana raised her eyebrows at this comment. "I am grateful my husband accepted it. One thing that you will learn, Miss Bingley, is that a landowner is responsible for fostering good relationships amongst his neighbors at all levels of society. A public assembly is the perfect way for us to establish ourselves as one of the leading families in the neighborhood, even if we do only stay for the year of leasing."
Chastened, Miss Bingley turned to Mr. Darcy. "Sir, I know you must feel the same as I about being forced to mingle amongst strangers. Should you choose to remain at home, I will stay behind as well to keep you company."
Darcy looked towards his sister in alarm. "Quite the contrary, Miss Bingley. I agree with my sister's opinion of the matter and will support her and Charles. Additionally, my cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam quite frequently enjoyed attending public assemblies at Matlock while in his youth with my aunt and uncle. He will be delighted to attend. With so many friends present, it will not be a hardship for me."
Defeated, Miss Bingley said, "Well then, we are all in agreement – we shall go to the assembly tomorrow. I only hope I can find something suitable to wear."
"This is what I am wearing," said Georgiana, gesturing to the gown she was mending. "I have only to finish repairing the slight damage that occurred during our travels here."
"You're mending your own dress?" gasped Miss Bingley in astonishment. "Why isn't your maid doing the task?"
"She already has much to do with unpacking and getting us settled. I offered to do this," Georgiana answered calmly.
Miss Bingley couldn't have looked more horrified. Torn between showing her disdain for common work and not insulting her brother's wife, she merely opened and closed her mouth.
Darcy felt it necessary to contribute to the conversation. "I have raised my sister to recognize servants for their value. Their time is worth just as much as ours. If Georgiana wants to mend her own dress, she should be able to do so without anyone in Society looking down on her."
"I quite agree," said Miss Bingley weakly.
"It is too easy, if one is not careful, to assign characteristics and attributes based on someone's station," said Georgiana. "My brother has taught me to not assume that every servant is worthless or that every peer is without fault. Some of our station, for example, would feel it beneath them to befriend the son of tradesman and would label his sisters as grasping social climbers," she added with a pointed look.
"I begin to understand you," said a faint Miss Bingley.
Fortunately, the lady was spared from further humiliation when the door opened to admit Bingley and Colonel Fitzwilliam. "What are you all doing in here when it is such a beautiful day?" cried Bingley. "Come, my dear, and let us go for a walk before supper." He extended his hand to his wife.
Georgiana agreed, having just that moment finished the last part of her dress. "Allow me to return this dress to my room and fetch my hat and gloves."
Colonel Fitzwilliam turned to Darcy. "Would you like to go for a ride?" he invited. "There are several trails that I have been eager to explore."
"Perhaps tomorrow morning," Darcy answered. "I have quite a lot of correspondence that I cannot postpone."
The Colonel sighed. "I should join you, then, and learn from you if I am to take up my estate after this assignment."
"When do you report to the barracks?" Darcy asked.
"I head to London in a fortnight to escort my officers here to make camp. At that point I will continuously reside with them instead of laying in luxury here at Netherfield," Colonel Fitzwilliam sighed.
"Will you be able to tolerate that after having become soft while on leave?" teased Darcy.
The colonel pretended to be affronted. "Soft? I'll have you know I could best you at a saber duel with my eyes blindfolded!" he cried in mock anger.
The two men left for the library to tend to their correspondence, continuing their friendly banter the entire way.
Once in the library on their own, Darcy let out a sigh of relief. Colonel Fitzwilliam laughed, "Finally able to relax?"
"Quite," said Darcy. "I have learned over the years, I hope, to no longer quickly judge people. However, in Miss Bingley's case, I do not think it is too much to say that she is a fortune hunter of the worst kind. We could not be more dissimilar, but that does not matter to her."
Fitzwilliam clapped his cousin on the back. "I have been impressed by your changes in the recent years. You're no longer the disdainful lad you were seven years ago. Even then, though, you weren't that bad. You were chased by multiple women who only cared for your pocketbook. It would have been foolish to not be wary."
Darcy shook his head. "There were several times, however, where I was quite abominable. I still get that way when I am uncomfortable; I am quick to judge and speak first, rather than try to see another side of view."
"You'll have plenty of time to practice at the assembly tomorrow night," Fitzwilliam assured him with a smile. "There are several very pretty ladies who will be in attendance, I am sure. I met many of them when I was here for Forster's wedding."
"Just be careful to not fall for a pretty face and nothing else," Darcy warned. "I imagine that in a society such as this there are many desperate women."
"Darcy, you hypocrite!" cried Fitzwilliam. "First you speak of how much have improved, and then you speak of needing to be on my guard! Which is it, man?"
"It's both!" said Darcy emphatically. "Simply because I no longer lump all persons of the same class together does not mean I cannot feel apprehensive. Once people hear of my income, or even your income, they immediately begin putting their daughters and sisters forward. Which is understandable," he emphasized as Fitzwilliam opened his mouth to defend womenkind in general, "but again, I can be sympathetic and cautious at the same time."
Fitzwilliam sighed. "I understand what you are trying to say," he said quietly. "You just simply have a way of saying things in the worst possible way so as to give credence to the worst possible interpretation. You may need to practice that, too, at the assembly. Otherwise you're likely to give offense to the entire neighborhood."
"I will have to rely on you to keep me from making an oaf of myself," Darcy replied. "Now, I need to see to this correspondence."
The evening of the assembly finally arrived. The Netherfield party's carriages left quite later than they had intended. Miss Bingley's toilette took much longer than she anticipated, she claimed, and it was all due to the incompetence of her maid.
"No matter the reason!" cried Bingley impatiently. "The first dances have likely already begun. Our arrival time is rapidly approaching rudeness as opposed to being fashionably late."
"These people wouldn't know fashion from outdated," sneered Miss Bingley.
When her statement was ignored, she began to feel all the satisfaction of one who interprets silence as agreement, and the remainder of the carriage ride passed in relative peace.
Upon arrival, they removed their hats, cloaks, and gloves, and their presence was announced: "Mr. Bingley, Mrs. Bingley, Mr. Darcy, Colonel Fitzwilliam, Mr. Hurst, Mrs. Hurst, and Miss Bingley."