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Assembly
1811
The years passed, and Edith Farrington had become established in the community. While the secret of her identity slowly leaked out to several of her neighbours, those neighbours respected her privacy and did not mention it. Or perhaps they delighted in preventing Mrs Bennet from boasting about their titled relative.
At the age of eight and twenty, she was a respected matron in the area and her son James was well regarded as a normal bright and slightly mischievous five-year-old.
Two years earlier, Charlotte Lucas had decided that she was well and truly on the shelf and had accepted Edith's invitation to move into Purvis Lodge as her friend and companion. This situation was very much to the liking of both ladies, who spent many an evening in conversation. The discussion covered a multitude of topics, and little by little, Charlotte came to truly understand the reason for Edith's reluctance to remarry.
The Bennet sisters had grown in grace and accomplishments, with the exception of Lydia, who was even more spoilt than before. Although on the advice, or nagging as he described it, of his cousin, Bennet had put his foot down and refused to let Lydia come out into society until she was at least sixteen.
Most of the Bennet family thoroughly approved of the fact that Mr Bennet had become more involved with the estate, even if it was mainly due to him teaching James Farrington. As a corollary of those actions, he took a slightly more active role with his family. Hence, Lydia was still spoilt but also still in the schoolroom.
Mrs Bennet and Lydia disapproved.
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In the preceding years, Netherfield had been let twice and a new tenant was about to take possession at the end of September.
He was eagerly awaited by many of the local matrons since he was a single young man who reputedly had a large fortune.
Mr Bingley and his party took possession of Netherfield a few days before the harvest assembly.
The principal gentlemen of the area all called on Bingley to welcome him and Sir William Lucas took it upon himself to invite the gentleman and his party to the assembly.
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The assembly hall was a sea of colour as the guests mingled and friends caught up with each other.
Mrs Bennet had ensured that she and her four oldest daughters arrived early enough so that the girls could secure dances since the ladies outnumbered the available gentlemen. Mr Bennet had remained at home, partly because he did not care for balls, and to ensure that his youngest daughter did not stray from the house.
Jane and Elizabeth had just promised their first sets to two long-time friends, when Edith and Charlotte arrived. Elizabeth drew her friends to the side of the room and asked, 'could you confirm the rumours that Mr Bingley has a party of twelve ladies and seven gentlemen with him?'
'No, I cannot. According to Mr Phillips, the party only consist of a total of four gentlemen and two ladies,' Edith replied.
'I wonder if they like dancing?'
'According to my father, Mr Bingley declared himself delighted at the prospect of a dance,' Charlotte offered.
'What about the other three?'
'Apparently one of the gentleman is an officer in the Regulars who is recovering from wounds. So, I would think it unlikely that he will be dancing.'
Their conversation was interrupted by the music starting for the first set, and Elizabeth's partner came to collect her.
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The first set was just coming to the end, when the long-awaited visitors made their entrance. Judging by the attitude of one of the ladies, making an entrance was her intention.
The people in the lead were a pleasant looking young man and a Colonel in full regimentals, who also sported a smile. They were followed by a very tall, sombre faced gentleman and the lady determined to be noticed, who was clutching the tall man's arm. A slightly older and stouter couple were bringing up the rear.
Sir William Lucas in his role as master of ceremonies bustled up to greet the new arrivals and was soon seen introducing them to his neighbours.
Mrs Bennet rushed to collect Jane and Elizabeth, to ensure an introduction to Mr Bingley and his friends. She looked around for her other daughters but could not see them.
Even though Mary had come out of her shell in the past years, she still did not particularly enjoy assemblies. Whereas Kitty had taken one look at the intimidating figures of the officer and the tall man, and had immediately gone into hiding with her next oldest sister. They now peered around a pillar and shared a quiet giggle at the spectacle.
The main part of the spectacle was the lady who was elaborately dressed in the latest fashion, which might have been suitable for an extravagant ball in London but was completely out of place at a country assembly. Although the way she held herself suggested that she was afraid that anyone brushing against her would leave her covered in manure.
The man whose arm she was clutching wore a pained expression and futilely attempted to distance himself from the limpet.
'I wonder if she will fall backward with the weight of the feathers pulling her over if she raises her nose another fraction of an inch?' suggested Mary.
Kitty, ever imaginative, murmured, 'perhaps that is why she is clutching the gentleman's arm so hard. I wonder if her grip is cutting off the circulation in his arm?'
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The people under discussion were currently being introduced to Mrs Bennet and her oldest daughters by Sir William.
The pleasant young man was Mr Bingley, who took one look at Jane and immediately requested her next available set.
The excessively fashionable lady was Miss Caroline Bingley, Bingley's younger sister, while the other lady was his older sister, Mrs Louisa Hurst. The stout gentleman was her husband, Mr Phillip Hurst.
The officer was introduced as Colonel Fitzwilliam, and the tall gentleman was his cousin Mr Darcy, of Pemberley in Derbyshire.
Mrs Bennet, who still loved a man in uniform asked pointedly, 'do you like dancing, Colonel?'
'While I love to dance, at present I am recovering from wounds I received on the continent and am not able to perform creditably,' the Colonel answered with a charming smile.
Mrs Bennet was not to be denied. 'What about you, Mr Darcy? Do you like to dance?'
'I do not, Madam,' Darcy replied repressively before walking off. The introduction had given him a chance to remove Miss Bingley from his arm, and he took full advantage of that fact.
'Please forgive my cousin. He has been somewhat unwell recently,' Colonel Fitzwilliam tried to cover Darcy's rudeness.
'Think nothing of it, Colonel,' Elizabeth assured the officer. 'Not all people are social creatures.'
Since her initial quarry had escaped her, Miss Bingley attached herself to the Colonel. 'We really must keep moving if we are to meet anyone of consequence, Colonel.'
The Colonel suppressed a smile and politely murmured, 'of course, Miss Bingley.' To Sir William he said, 'Sir William, if you would be so kind.' He nodded to Mrs Bennet and her daughters, 'It has been a pleasure to meet you,' before Miss Bingley dragged him almost bodily away.
Elizabeth and Jane exchanged a look and took deep breaths to control their expressions. That was a mistake as the pungent wave of Miss Bingley's perfume caught in their throats, making them cough.
At least the cough covered up their laughter.
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Mr Darcy had done his duty to his hostess and danced one dance with her before going into hiding, which was a significant feat considering his height. He managed nonetheless, having had extensive practice.
While Darcy was dancing with Miss Bingley, the Colonel had found more congenial company amongst the gentlemen and Mr Hurst had found the cardroom to partake of the refreshments on offer there.
This left Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst at loose ends. Therefore, they allowed themselves to be drawn into conversation with some of the matrons. The group included Mrs Long, Lady Lucas, Charlotte and Edith.
Since coming to live with Edith, her friend had taken it upon herself to ensure that Charlotte was well dressed. As a result, both were elegant in an understated fashion, a detail which went unnoticed by Miss Bingley, who only saw the lack of adornment.
The lady was ensuring that her new neighbours were fully cognisant of her consequence. 'It is such a delight to host such distinguished guests as Mr Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam,' she boasted. 'I suppose that I should be glad to have adequate accommodation to offer our dear friends.'
'Netherfield has indeed a delightful manor house,' commented Lady Lucas.
'Yes, my brother is leasing the estate from the Countess of Wentworth. I hear that she is a widow. I suspect the poor old dear is hard up for money and is reduced to leasing the estate to make ends meet.'
Charlotte could not resist the gambit. 'Considering that the income from Netherfield is greater than the rent your brother is paying, I doubt very much that the Countess is as destitute as you make her out to be.'
'How would you know how much my brother is paying for the lease?'
'I do not know an exact figure, but it is common practice to set the rent a little below the income of an estate to allow the lessee to make a profit, to recompense him for his effort in administering the estate,' Charlotte explained patiently, having learnt that fact from Edith.
'Well, perhaps the Countess realises what a savage backwater this is and has no wish to live here. A sentiment I can fully understand.' Miss Bingley sighed theatrically. 'If my brother were not so determined to become a landed gentleman, we could all live quite happily in town.'
'If you are so very unhappy about living in the country, perhaps it would be best if you returned to Scarborough,' Edith suggested with a polite smile, even though she was vastly amused by Miss Bingley's pretentions.
'Scarborough? Why would I want to go to Scarborough?' huffed Miss Bingley.
'Is that not the town where you were raised? I assumed that the reason you disliked the country so much is because you are homesick for your family.'
'Not at all. I enjoy the delights of London and the company of refined society,' explained Miss Bingley and went on to entertain her audience with the latest gossip from London.
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During a set when Charlotte had been asked to dance by Mr Bingley and Elizabeth was without a partner, she joined her cousin to sit on the sidelines and watch the dancers.
Edith was quietly relating Miss Bingley's comments to the amusement of her companion, when she noticed that Mr Darcy had approached and was standing nearby.
During a break in the dancing, Bingley sought out his friend and urged him to join in the dancing. He even went so far as to offer an introduction to Miss Bennet's beautiful and amiable cousin who was sitting behind them. He missed seeing Elizabeth who was hidden behind her cousin.
Darcy turned around briefly, looked at Edith before turning back to his friend and responded, 'she is tolerable I suppose but not handsome enough to tempt me, and I am in no mood to give consequence to ladies who have been slighted by other men.'
In the face of such vehement opposition, Bingley beat a hasty retreat.
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Edith, who was aware of Darcy's reputation from snippets her husband had said, struggled to contain her laughter at his pompous attitude.
Instead of being upset by his slight she turned to Elizabeth and commented, 'Lizzy, do you not agree that town manners are utterly charming? So polite and gracious. What say you, have you ever seen a more humble and considerate display of civility?' Edith asked her cousin in a voice meant to carry.
While Darcy was still watching the dance floor, they could only see his back but had the satisfaction of observing his ears turning red. A moment later he stalked off with a venomous glance over his shoulder.
During his retreat, he could still her Elizabeth respond. 'Indeed, Cousin, I am all enchanted by our visitors. Such grace, such exquisite comportment, such excessive congeniality. I am quite at a loss for words.'
'All evidence to the contrary,' murmured a male voice from behind the pillar before the grinning face of Colonel Fitzwilliam peeked around the obstruction.
Elizabeth blushed but Edith looked over her shoulder and commented, 'Colonel, it is most improper to listen in on a private conversation.'
He gave her an unrepentant look. 'I never listen in on private conversations, but I am enchanted and full of admiration when I have the opportunity to observe an exquisite performance,' Fitzwilliam said with a bow.
'I am pleased that we were able to add to your enjoyment of the evening,' Edith replied with equal aplomb.
The Colonel bowed to Elizabeth. 'Miss Elizabeth, would you do me the honour of introducing me to your friend? That is… if the lady will permit it.'
Edith told Elizabeth, 'I am always pleased to make the acquaintance of gentlemen.'
Once Elizabeth performed the introductions, the Colonel indicated a chair next to Edith. 'Would you permit me to join you?' At Edith's nod, he sat down and said, 'I will not attempt to apologise for my cousin's rude words, but if I might offer an explanation for his unsociable attitude?'
'I suspect that you will tell me that he has been hunted by matchmaking mothers and their overly eager daughters for years and is tired of being prey.'
The Colonel grinned. 'That is part of the reason. The other part is that while Bingley is a good friend, some relatives are less congenial, and my cousin does not dare to relax his guard, which puts him into a foul mood.'
Edith glanced in the direction of a feathered headdress and returned his smile sarcastically. 'I can see your point, but…'
'He is still a rude, pompous and arrogant prig,' Fitzwilliam admitted with a sigh. 'Although he does improve on closer acquaintance.'
'I shall take your word for it.'
Elizabeth had been largely forgotten during this exchange and was quite happy to have an opportunity to consider the events of the previous minutes.
She had noticed the tall and exceedingly handsome gentleman all evening and was torn between admiration and irritation. While his features were most attractive, his attitude and behaviour were not.
She was grateful that his tolerable comment was directed at her cousin. Since Edith was still the most beautiful woman at the assembly his judgment was obviously faulty and laughable, although Elizabeth had still been outraged at the rudeness.
Elizabeth dreaded to think how she might have reacted if he had said those words about her. She suspected that she would have been devastated.
Colonel Fitzwilliam's explanation did much to temper her ire and made her try to see the situation from Darcy's point of view.
While she conceded that he might have reasons to be weary of ladies, she was still not inclined to forgive his discourtesy.
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The Colonel and the Heiress (working title) by Sydney Salier, Copyright © 2022