Chapter 9
Jane, always kind, not given to being silly, nor insensible, had often speculated that her mother's machinations were more likely to drive off a suitor than to secure one. In spite of the embarrassment she suffered at her mother's antics, it proved to be more of a help than a hindrance to dear Jane. For kind, beautiful, dear, sweet, Jane drew more attention than she wished, from men she often swiftly realized she wished not for attention from. She was clever enough to scruple that few gentlemen callers choose to look past her sweet face, and said gentleman, quickly concluded that because she choose not to forward her opinions and wishes that she must not be in possession of them.
Therefore, previous to her acquaintance with Mr. Bingley, (who was everything she thought a young man ought to be), she had no motivation to provoke her mother to desist. It was simply too useful to Jane, who preferred to be demure, to have her mother drive off her unwanted suitors in her stead. Now faced with wishing for a particular man's attention, she likewise wished to halt her mother's interference, but lacked both the necessary skill and the backbone to confront the matter. Thus, in spite of her best efforts to entice her mother to allow her to act with decorum, she found herself saddling her horse because of evidence of rain, to dine with the Bingley sisters, while the gentleman dined with the officers. At first, she was ecstatic to read Caroline's note, delighted in the opportunity to better know Mr. Bingley's sisters, she accepted the invitation with joy. Then Mrs. Bennet set about her scheming. The humiliation of it, her mother could not be brought to consider. Mrs. Bennet was determined her daughter would not leave Neitherflied without seeing her hostess' brother, so off she rode, in spite of the likelihood of rain.
Shortly after entering the parlor and exiting the downpour, another visitor was announced, just after Jane was greeted by the Bingley sisters, lessening the humiliation of her own dampened appearance. Introductions to the colonel were swiftly made and Darcy was enquired after.
"Mr. Darcy, my brother, and Mr. Hurst are to dine with the officers," stated Miss Bingley still assessing the visitor. "May I ask if Mr. Darcy had any expectation of your call sir?" Not entirely clear who this visitor was, as Darcy was not one to elaborate on family matters, most especially not with Miss Bingley. Any intelligence she gained was entirely incidental, either gleaned from polite, though abstract, answers to an inquisition, or through casual conversion with her open and cheerful, though careless, brother.
Colonel Fitzwilliam, having heard enough from his cousin on the matter of Caroline Bingley, knew precisely with whom and with what he was dealing. Putting on all of his charms, he proceeded to shamelessly drop the names that would endear him to her most expediently, "Thank you for receiving me, Madam. My cousin Darcy was not expecting me to answer him so swiftly, I'm sure, as I've just received his message this morning, and having leave to make use of, I decided to see to our business in person. I would not dream of putting you out though, it would be unthinkable to impose upon you. I'm sure I'll be quite comfortable at an inn. Though I'm a son of an earl, I daresay a military man has had less comfortable accommodation."
Caroline, having heard all she needed to when she caught the phrases darcy, cousin, and earl, raced to prevent his loss "Stay at an inn? In this savage place? I declare you overestimate this backwater, sir. You can trust my most discerning taste. My dear Colonel, you shall stay with us. Any guest of Darcy's shall be considered as good as family amongst our party." Though Richard quite caught the reference to Darcy being practically family, before he could so much as smirk, Miss Bingly, not waiting for a reply said, "Now, go and make ready, dress for dinner, I shall see to it that you have a room, we shall dine in one-half hour." Miss Bingley found herself delighted that it would be in her power to boast of hosting the son of an earl, if not his heir. Though, she thought, with a bit of a pout, grateful for the opportunity to forward a match with Darcy, clearly, this would disrupt her intended scheme for the evening, she'd have more important work to accomplish though, as impressing Darcy's family would naturally take precedence over playing havoc with her brother's ever-present, ever degrading romantic affairs.
Miss Bingley was desperate for consequence, though she would hardly admit it, even unto herself. She often worked to raise herself by using others of more consequence to hoist her forward, and by participating in the degradation of those she could claim any advantage over, real or perceived. To Miss Bingley's mind, she rose in esteem each time a defect in another was uncovered. Having been degraded and snarled at throughout her time at school she would have been a sympathetic character, had she not be so vicious in nature, but she took those who looked down on her as her example and proceeded to plunder the reputations of those she viewed beneath her, for any advantage she could gain by degrading them. In this instance, however, her mind would be too busy plotting how hosting his cousin could forward her match with Darcy, that dear Jane was spared the worst of her conniving, as their hostess was too distracted on said matters to participate in more than polite conversion.
The cornel nodded and bowed at the ladies, thanking them for their hospitality, and departed to refresh himself with dry clothes. As he left the ladies, he couldn't help but to think She was by far tolerable enough to tempt any man, the woman was an extraordinary beauty. What was Darcy about insulting her? Though she appeared under the weather, she didn't appear to have a sharp edge. Darcy must have truly provoked her, he thought, to get such a response from that sweet creature.
Rejoining the ladies, the colonel determined the prudence of garnering intelligence in his cousin's absence, as she was most likely to be at ease, and without provocation. As they rose to go into supper, Richard took note of the young lady's unsteady appearance and inquired after her health. She cried off, not wishing to draw attention to herself, saying "I assure you, sir, I am well, I shall overcome the effects of the weather in short order".
As they walked into supper, however, Jane was barely able to support herself. Colonel Fitzwilliam, ever the gentleman, abruptly abandoned their hostess and went to support Jane. Insufferable!, thought Miss Bingley selfishly, to be abandoned by the son of an earl for a country nobody. It vexed Miss Bingley's vanity a great deal and hardly provoked her charity, to have a lovelier woman distract the colonel, even if her designs were unswervingly set upon Darcy.
"Madam, I beg of you, please be seated. You look rather unwell. May I fetch a doctor or apothecary? Miss Bingley, may a room be readied?" inquired the cornel.
"I'm sure it is nothing," sniffed Miss Bingley. "She shall rest for a while and we have her horse saddled if the roads are unfit for the carriage" She hardly needed Jane in the house distracting her brother, while she was busy securing Darcy. No, her mission was too important to split her attention between dissuading her brother and provoking a proposal from his friend.
"Madam, your guest is in no state to ride. I urge you to take this matter seriously. Her skin has become clammy, and her color has drained since even I entered a short while ago." appealing to her vanity, colonel Fitzwilliam added, "You are too fine a hostess, I am sure, to allow your guests to suffer from less than superior care."
Resigned, Miss Bingley nodded her assent and rang for a servant. Jane was seen to her room and a message sent to her family.