Chapter 11

Hello everyone, I'm so glad you're still reading. I had to quote cannon more often than I usually do in this chapter, but the Colonel's interjects are going to change the pace of the next few chapters so please read through it. Thanks so much!I truly appreciate all of your comments! I wish I could give them a thumbs up.

News had arrived last night, Jane was ill. Never wanting to be a bother and already humiliated by her mother's schemes, Jane would not have acquiesced to stay unless she truly was not fit to return home. Her sisters were uneasy for her, but her mother was delighted. "This was a lucky idea of mine, Dear Jane, always so obliging, sweet enough to even become ill for me, to improve upon my scheme." mused Mrs. Bennet out loud as if the credit of making it rain was due to a conspiracy between herself and Jane. "Upon my word, now she'll stay at least a fortnight and return home engaged. I knew she could not be so pretty for nothing." Elizabeth was quite concerned, seeing no luck in the scheme. Feeling really anxious, she determined to go to Jane and declared her resolution to walk.

"How can you be so silly," cried her mother, "as to think of such a thing, in all this dirt! You will not be fit to be seen when you get there."

"I shall be very fit to see Jane—which is all I want," replied Elizabeth, quite disturbed that her mother thought Jane's illness was a boon. Elizabeth could see no profit in it. Jane hardly needed a fever to attract a suitor, and what was her mother about? Though Elizebeth knew her mother was of mean understanding, could not even she see that with Jane confined to her rooms she could hardly think the two would be much in company?

Elizabeth arrived at Netherfield, on foot, as was her won't. She was shown into the breakfast parlor, where all but Jane were assembled, and where her appearance created a great deal of surprise. That she should have walked three miles so early in the day, in such dirty weather, and by herself, was almost incredible to Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley; and Elizabeth was convinced that they held her in contempt for it.

Colonel Fitzwilliam for his part was quite impressed by her, here was the woman who could deliver such a set down, debate Darcy and win, provoke changes where his cousin was deficient in character. Richard could see the fortitude and compassion in her character and quite understood why Darcy would be impressed by it. Intelligent, capable, and kind, he thought. If he was not mistaken, he had just seen admiration flash in his cousin's eyes as well.

Mr. Bingley expressed his concern for Miss Bennet, vowing to do everything he was able to. Mr. Darcy said very little, and Mr. Hurst said nothing at all. The former was divided between admiration of the brilliancy which exercise had given to her complexion, and doubt as to the occasion's justifying her coming so far alone. The latter was thinking only of his breakfast.

Her inquiries after her sister were not very favorably answered. Miss Bennet had slept ill, and though she was up, was very feverish, and not well enough to leave her room. Elizabeth was glad to be taken to her immediately.

Miss Bingley began abusing her as soon as she was out of the room. Her manners were pronounced to be very bad indeed, a mixture of pride and impertinence; she had no conversation, no style, no beauty. Mrs. Hurst thought the same, and added: "She has nothing, in short, to recommend her, but being an excellent walker. I shall never forget her appearance this morning. She really looked almost wild."

"She did, indeed, Louisa. I could hardly keep my countenance. Very nonsensical to come at all! Why must she be scampering about the country, because her sister had a cold? Her hair, so untidy, so blowsy!" added Miss Bingley.

"Yes, and her petticoat; I hope you saw her petticoat, six inches deep in mud, I am absolutely certain; and the gown which had been let down to hide it not doing its office." antagonized her sister Mrs. Hurst.

"Your picture may be very exact, Louisa," said Bingley; "but this was all lost upon me. I thought Miss Elizabeth Bennet looked remarkably well when she came into the room this morning. Her dirty petticoat quite escaped my notice."

"You observed it, Mr. Darcy, I am sure," said Miss Bingley; "and I am inclined to think that you would not wish to see your sister make such an exhibition."

"Certainly not."

"To walk three miles, or four miles, or five miles, or whatever it is, above her ankles in dirt, and alone, quite alone! What could she mean by it? It seems to me to show an abominable sort of conceited independence, a most country-town indifference to decorum."

"It shows an affection for her sister that is very pleasing," said Bingley.

"I am afraid, Mr. Darcy," observed Miss Bingley in a half whisper, "that this adventure has rather affected your admiration of her fine eyes."

"Not at all," he replied; "they were brightened by the exercise."

What was Darcy about, thought the Colonel, admitting even the slightest admiration in front of that harpy was more likely to incite spite than a retreat on her part. Darcy was likely to end up responsible for a great deal of discomfort on Miss Elizabeth's part if his cousin didn't hold his tongue.

A short pause followed this speech, and Mrs. Hurst began again: "I have an excessive regard for Miss Jane Bennet, she is really a very sweet girl, and I wish with all my heart she were well settled. But with such a father and mother, and such low connections, I am afraid there is no chance of it."

"I think I have heard you say that their uncle is an attorney in Meryton."

"Yes; and they have another, who lives somewhere near Cheapside."

"That is capital," added her sister, and they both laughed heartily.

"If they had uncles enough to fill all Cheapside," cried Bingley, "it would not make them one jot less agreeable."

"But it must very materially lessen their chance of marrying men of any consideration in the world," replied Darcy.

"I daresay not," replied the colonel. "I think they would be the talk of the ton if given a season." The spiteful sisters gapped but Richard continued. "I'm certain I've seen qualities in both of them sought often by men with means and not in need of more connections. I think their virtues well make up for any defects in fortune for men who can afford it."

Darcy, who was by all accounts intelligent in every other way, often accepted Miss Bingly's social pronouncements as truth, assuming the rest of society thought thus as well. Upon hearing his cousin's words, he began questioning long-held opinions he thought to be truths. Richard then interrupted his musings inviting him for a ride. Bingley, seeing their need for private conversation declined to join them, citing things needing to be seen to in his study.

One the way to the stables Richard provided clarification for Darcy stating "The nerve of that woman to think she represents fashionable society. She represents only the grasping harpies, and on occasion, those of similar mindset because they are desperate for coin and prefer to act as though someone has cheated them when an eligible man marries another. However superior Miss Bingley prefers to act, the Bennets are by birth gentle women and behave with far more decorum. Though I mean no disrespect to our host, he is everything descent, those sisters though are barely fit for polite society, constantly disparaging those above their station in life in order to distract from their roots in trade. My mother, and any sensible woman, would bar those two social climbers from her drawing room, but gladly receive the Miss Bennets."

They rode in companionable silence most of the way for which Darcy was grateful. Richard knew his cousin needed time to work through the concepts he had just presented with. Being so socially inept himself, Darcy often just accepted the statements of Miss Bingley as fact, assuming it represented the opinions of others, but Richard knew how stilited and conniving all of Miss Bingley's statements really were. For the woman to call someone a dear friend and then slowly decimate their chances in life by building a case against marrying them, was quite transparent to Richard, and hoped it was to Darcy and Bingley as well.