Proving herself useful
Caroline Bingley desires Mr. Darcy to see her as useful, even essential to his future. But what if she became the very instrument of his happiness? Only, it does not work out quite like she had hoped or intended.
On the road to Meryton, 1809
There were several reasons that the little town of Meryton, though situated only three and twenty miles from the outskirts of London, was considered a backwater.
One reason might have been that the great northern route bypassed the area by fifteen miles to the east. The "great north road" of later fame would not be officially constructed for sixteen more years, but the route had existed in one form or other since shortly after the Norman conquest. Portions of it were even built by the Romans centuries before that.
Another reason might be that the area surrounding Meryton rested in a valley concealed on all sides by a series of hills with erroneous labels like "Mount Alfred" and "Oakham Mount." Unless a person was inclined to see what was beyond the next hill, they simply would not think to look. Thus, while Meryton existed on all of the county maps, many Hertfordshire locals had gone their entire lives without ever having actually visited the place.
But anyone who had made it a point to visit the area might very reasonably argue that it was the roads that were the problem. There were no ancient Roman roads leading to Meryton. In fact, there were very few improved roads. The roads that existed were the paths which, over the course of decades and centuries, began as paths and evolved into the often muddy morasses which plagued travelers right up until the incident which will begin this tale.
Yet it would be negligent to mention another situation which presented itself just ten months prior, in the winter of 1810:
"Well, Sir William, I'm afraid that this is a situation which we can't ignore," Matthew Long stated morosely as he looked at the large half-circular crack which marked the main road into Meryton. That portion of the road, spanning ten feet from beginning to end, was a full eight inches lower than the rest of the road. It had not fallen down into the ravine, but that was a real possibility at any moment.
"True. True. But what it to be done? Meryton has no experts in such matters and we do not have sufficient funds in the town coffers to pay for an expert from Town," Sir William was the Town Mayor, a job which usually only involved presiding over assemblies and judging pie contests. He knew nothing about roads.
"Well, the Millers have fallen on rough times," Frank Purvis suggested, "what with the creek shifting and flooding their fields right before harvest. Tommy Miller did a fine job at building that rock wall around his place. Why don't we put the matter in his hands?"
As it was nearing lunch time, the three notables readily agreed and went on their way. Once Sir William was sated and rested, he made his way to Tommy Miller's farm and presented the opportunity. Tommy Miller knew no more about shoring up a road than anyone else in Meryton, but the mortgage was coming due and his family needed food for their table. He took the job.
The Millers did their dead level best to build up a rock wall against the embankment. Then they filled in the eight inches of slough with new dirt. Two weeks after their first evaluation, the same notables stood on the road, looked it over, and pronounced the work to be good.
Once again all was well in the tiny metropolis of Meryton.
On the road to Meryton, 1811
Caroline's greatest goal, short of her ultimate goal to becoming the next Mistress of Pemberley, was to prove her self useful, perhaps even indispensable to Mr. Darcy's happiness. She did not truly care if she helped her sister or brother; they were tools for her happiness and no more. But she wanted her Mr. Darcy to see just how important and valuable she was.
The late summer of in London was particularly rainy in 1811. That, coupled with unusually high tides which caused a the Thames to back up led to a backup in the sewage in portions of London which, ironically, were usually immune to such issues. This included Mayfair, where both Darcy House and the Bingley townhouse were located. As a result, the party bound for Netherfield Park decided to make their exit a full week earlier than originally planned.
Caroline Bingley might have protested, but even she had to admit that London was unlivable. And besides, this would mean another full week in which to convince her Mr. Darcy of her usefulness as a hostess and his future wife. Caroline meant to show Mr. Darcy that she would be the perfect hostess when she finally achieved her ultimate destiny as Mrs. Darcy.
The distance between the edge of London and their destination was three and twenty miles; an easy distance in most conditions. The continuous rains of the past weeks had rendered even the best of roads to be difficult, however, and the road to Meryton was not the best of roads. The day was clear, but the air was cold and damp and the smell of mud was everywhere.
To add to their discomfort, Caroline Bingley had not cease talking since their departure. When she wasn't praising Mr. Darcy, she was complaining about their trip. When she wasn't complaining about their trip, she was scolding her brother Charles for not choosing an estate in Derbyshire. And when she was not scolding her brother, she was pushing against her sister, Mrs. Hurst, demanding more elbow room. Everyone in the carriage with her was ready to strangle Caroline Bingley by the first two hours of the journey.
Their carriage had finally come near Meryton, having crested a minor pass between two hills and begun the descent, when everyone heard Darcy's carriage driver urging his horses to a hurried halt. The passengers were jolted by the sudden and twisting stop before everything finally came to rest. Caroline had screamed like a banshee during the moment and she was now back to complaining. Mr. Darcy, then Mr. Bingley, and then finally Mr. Hurst stepped out of the carriage.
Darcy was just about to ask after the matter when he saw the obvious problem in front of him. The continuous rains had loosened the hillside above them and a portion of it had slid down over the roadway. The men all gathered by the blockage to discuss the issue while Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley gazed out. Caroline, glaring off into the distance, spotted the spire of a church and the slow-rising smoke from several chimneys which must signal the town of Meryton.
She began to call out to Mr. Darcy and her brother, but when they did not hear her, she stepped out, grimacing at the much, and began walking quickly towards them.
Upon later reflection, some persons who knew about the event would describe it as an unfortunate coincidence... while others might assign what happened to Providence. Whatever the truth, Caroline Bingley stomped up the muddy road and managed to walk directly over the same patch of road which had been unstable two years prior. It is impossible to say if the area was already set to fall or if her stomping did the deed, but what is known is this: One moment, Caroline was talking loudly while stomping through the mud. The next moment there was a rumble and the road, along with Caroline Bingley, were just... gone.
~oOo~
It had been raining continuously for fourteen days, so when the rain stopped it was time for those who made their living off of the land to get moving. Farmer Simmons had one last wagonload of turnips sitting in his barn, waiting to be delivered. He might have attempted the trip sooner, but he was a wise man who knew the roads hereabouts. He waited. And now that the rain had finally stopped, he hitched up his farm horses and drove on towards Meryton.
The Simmons farm bordered on Oakham Mount to the south and the road from London to west. After that road cut through a natural pass, it descended rapidly down into the valley which comprised most of the greater Meryton area. Simmon's own access road paralleled the more prominent road for a good half mile before joining it. Due to this, he happened to be driving below when he saw a section of the road sliding down, taking a young woman along in the disaster.
Lyle Simmons was not a young man, but his was a life of hard work and diligence. He had his team halted and was running towards the slump before the others on the road above had even stopped shouting. He was only seven or so feet, however, before he realized that a shovel was needed. Luckily he always had one in the wagon. Even with the short return trip he reached the massive wall of mud, rock, and debris before the others could make their wary way down the newly-formed ramp of dirt.
As two men worked their way down, Simmons could hear another woman screaming hysterically.
The woman's head and one arm were visible. The rest was well buried. There was considerable blood on the back of her head, but she appeared to be breathing. Simmons looked at the wall of dirt behind her and spoke to the tall man who reached him first. "She's alive, Sir, but if we try to dig her out like this, more dirt will fall down to fill in the hole we make."
Fitzwilliam Darcy nodded gravely, "And we could trigger a larger landslide. Where is the nearest farm or estate?"
"We're closer to Longbourn now than my farm. 'Bout two miles. I can drive there to get help?"
Darcy looked at the rig, which was definitely not built for fast travel. "Would you be willing to let us unhitch one of your horses? I could ride there faster and describe what is required." Bingley had made his way down at that point, but he was too shocked to be of any use quite yet.
"Certainly." They made quick work of unhitching one of the two horses. After a brief description of the route, Darcy was off.
~oOo~
Elizabeth and Mary Bennet were in the still room when they heard the pounding hoofbeats of a fast-approaching horse and rider. They stepped out quickly to find a tall man dismounting a cob horse. "Excuse me, Ladies, but is the master of the house in? There has been an accident on the road and we are in urgent need of assistance.
Needless to say, all of Longbourn was quickly mobilized. The Hill's youngest was sent on horseback for Mr. Jones, the apothecary. Another youngster was sent back with Farmer Simmon's cob to re-hitch so that the wagon could be used. The ladies of the house gathered blankets and provisions for the workers while Mrs. Hill had a fire stoked in the guest room. And Mr. Bennet worked with Mr. Darcy to gather everything that might be required to rescue the victim.
Once the workers were well on-task loading the wagon, Messers Bennet and Darcy rode on ahead with picks and shovels. When they arrived, Darcy was gratified to see that his friend Bingley had recovered his senses. He had done what he could to cushion Miss Bingley's head and to clear the weight of dirt off of her torso so that she could breath. It was as much as could be done until a break could be constructed around her.
Darcy was also pleased to see that the Hursts had taken a slower and safer route and would soon join them. Although Mrs. Hurst, Bingley's married sister, had been frantic at first, she had found her reason and was prepared to do whatever was required. Even Mr. Hurst, who usually presented himself as a drunken sloth, seemed more animated and aware than usual.
~oOo~
It took two hours to free Caroline Bingley from the slide. The wagons with the construction materials arrived as quickly as the muddy roads would allow and men from the surrounding area quickly worked to construct a break, which was a wedge-shaped dam to direct any further mudslides to the left of right or the trapped woman. Then the men set to work digging her out. It would not be easy since there was a great deal of rock and brush mixed in with the mud.
Mrs. Fanny Bennet made her husband and daughters proud that day. As soon as she arrived, she took charge of ensuring Miss Bingley's care and modesty, working with Mrs. Hurst to carefully clean the woman's wounds and cover her person until Mr. Jones could arrive. When he did arrive he was gratified to see what had been done. Nevertheless, his face was grave when he stepped back to address her siblings, "She has a very serious head wound and the arm which is exposed is clearly broken. She is breathing shallow, but consistently, so that is promising. I fear that the shock and the chill is her greatest immediate danger. As soon as she is freed we need to get her to a warm room and get her clean so that I can examine her for more serious injuries."
Mrs. Hurst spoke softly, but firmly, "As much as I would like to take her to our brother's new estate... Netherfield Park... I fear that everything would not be prepared. Mrs. Bennet has graciously offered her guest room, which has been readied in advance."
Mr. Jones nodded in approval, "Longbourn is the best choice. Mrs. Bennet and her daughters will also be a great source of help in watching over Miss Bingley. I should note that I am only an apothecary. Although I treat most of what ails in this area, a head injury of this magnitude may require a highly skilled physician. Do you have a family doctor?"
Mr. Darcy, who was digging nearby, had been listening, "Bingley, if you wish I can sent for Brockhurst. He is the best doctor I know."
Mr. Jones smiled, "I know the man. I would absolutely agree."
It was only another ten minutes before Caroline Bingley's limp form was lifted into Farmer Simmon's wagon. The ladies had already filled the back with blankets to cushion the ride. Now Mrs. Bennet and her oldest three daughters climbed in with Mrs. Hurst to carefully keep the broken form from jarring too much. Mr. Jones could already see that both legs were also broken.
Two miles on a good day would have been nothing. Two miles on such a day as this, with mud-clogged dirt roads, seemed interminable. But when they reached Longbourn Mrs. Hill had everything prepared. As soon as Miss Bingley was carried into the guest room the ladies took over. It was the work of twenty minutes, but when the apothecary stepped in he was able to examine the young woman free of mud. His examination took another twenty, but when he stepped out, he did not look as grim.
"Mr. Bingley, Mr. and Mrs. Hurst, I believe that your sister will recover over time, though there is much to be done and there are always serious concerns with head injuries. There are two blessings we can be thankful for: the first is that she does not seem to be bleeding internally. I will have to keep checking to be certain, but the signs are good for now. The second blessing is that although she has a broken arm and two broken legs, they are all simple fractures, not compound. Those should heal well.
"Our biggest concerns are the head-injury, of course, and fever. Mrs. Hurst, I assume that you will be staying close to your sister. You can have absolute confidence in Mrs. Bennet and her three eldest daughters. The three are all steady and dependable. The youngest two are flighty and full-young, but I doubt that they will be needed regardless."
They thanked him and freed him to return to the patient. Then arrangements were made for the disposition of everyone else. Mr. Darcy rode into Meryton, where he sent an express to London for Doctor Brockhurst. After a few minutes thought, he wrote a second express for a friend whose estate had required considerable road engineering. Then he rode back to Longbourn.
~oOo~
It is remarkable to note in this history that Mrs. Fanny Bennet, a consummate match-making mother, did not spend even a minute of that first day attempting to push her daughters off on the two eligible bachelors who had appeared. She was a mother through and through, despite her oftentimes difficult moments. When she saw Miss Bingley's peril, her mother's heart was fully engaged in saving the helpless woman.
That evening Mrs. Hill, under the direction of Miss Jane Bennet, set the table for four extra. Remarkably, Mrs. Bennet send Mrs. Hurst out to dine while she continued to care for Miss Bingley. The two youngest Bennets began as their usually giggly selves, but a sharp look from Mr. Bennet quickly calmed them. Then the exhausted party sat down to dine. Mrs. Hill, cognizant of how tired and cold everyone must be, set down food to comfort rather than impress. It worked.
The Netherfield party, absent their most judgmental member, had been deeply impressed with how helpful and caring everyone from Longbourn had been that day. Now, as they sat to share a meal, they were equally impressed with how comfortable and welcoming the Bennets were. There were no airs, no attempts to capture attention, and none of the falseness so prevalent in London. In two words, the Longbourn house felt warm and welcoming.
It was only at this point that the two bachelors in the room began to take note of the fact that the Bennet woman were all remarkably lovely. The eldest, Jane, was a classical beauty who could walk into any ballroom in London and immediately attract attention. Mr. Bingley could hardly keep his eyes away from her. The second, Elizabeth, was perhaps not as classically beautiful, but her attractiveness was only slightly less in comparison. She was also lively and intelligent, with eyes which drew him in effortlessly. Mary, the third, was perhaps not their equal in beauty, yet she would still be considered very pretty when seen alone. The younger two held a similar promise to the eldest two.
The conversation flowed freely that evening. For the Bennets, the absence of Fanny Bennet prevented the usual embarrassments. For the Netherfield party, the absence of the judgmental and difficult Miss Bingly allowed the others to just relax and enjoy their new acquaintances. Although such an easy rapport would eventually be disrupted, this first evening together set the stage for future interactions.
For the elder Bennet girls, the evening was equally productive. Jane Bennet had not failed to notice Mr. Bingley even at the dig site. His care and concern for his sister and his polite behavior with everyone helping, regardless of rank, was endearing. He was also quite handsome, which a young man ought to be if he possibly can be.
For Elizabeth Bennet, her first meeting of the tall, handsome, muddy man on a farm horse helped her to see past some of the ingrained haughtiness which leaked out from time-to-time. She also took note of the fact that the man worked tirelessly, digging with the others despite the fact that he was ruining his very fashionable and expensive clothing. He was clearly a man used to taking charge and giving orders, yet he listened to her father and farmer Simmons. Their eyes had met several times during her efforts to help Miss Bingley and pass refreshments to the workers. She saw approval in those eyes which warmed her greatly.
Miss Mary, too, found a friend that day... two in fact. Since everyone else was focused on helping or freeing Miss Bingley, Mary took the time to give comfort to Mrs. Hurst. Though neither were the type to show physical affection, Mary found herself offering a touch on the arm here, another on the shoulder later, and even a hand-squeeze after Mr. Jones rendered his prognosis. Mrs. Hurst took great comfort from these and Mr. Hurst, having noticed, appreciated the young lady for her efforts.
~oOo~
As there was only room at Longbourn for Mrs. Hurst, the others completed their journey to Netherfield in a borrowed carriage from the Bennets. The estate was opened, but most of the party's time was spent at Longbourn for that first week.
Although the community respectfully limited their visits due to the circumstances, several actions were noted:
Mrs. Hurst, feeling the responsibility to fulfill her sister's intended role as hostess, brought Mary along and the two created a positive rapport with the servants. Mary, as a local of a prominent family, was able to make recommendations for hiring people from the community to fill all of the necessary slots. Mr. Hurst, grateful to have his wife without his sister, set aside his normal drinking and spent more time with his wife.
Mr. Darcy's friend and fellow estate owner, a slightly older man named Allen Lyle, happened to have free time, so he joined the Netherfield Party the very next day. Working with the Meryton locals, Lyle was able to share what he learned about road improvements. Jane and Elizabeth could not fail to notice that the men who had caught their attention rolled up their sleeves and worked right alongside everyone else to repair the road.
Doctor Brockhurst took two days to clear his very busy schedule and make the journey. He was impressed with the work of Mr. Jones, but sufficiently concerned about Miss Bingley's head injury to request a room at Netherfield. He stayed only two days the first time, but returned several more times during the following weeks. He never said as much to anyone, but he was quite taken with his patient's auburn hair and pretty face... enough so that he took her eventual recover as a very personal matter.
~oOo~
On the night of the Harvest Assembly, Charles and Louisa questioned whether they should attend. Dr. Brockhurst assured them that he would watch over the patient and eve Mr. Darcy encouraged them to go. Of course he did not mention that he had already secured two sets from Miss Elizabeth. The brother and sister went. Charles danced every dance, and two full sets with Miss Jane Bennet. Mr. Darcy danced with Louisa Hurst, with all of the Bennet girls, and two more additional sets... he spent the rest of the time following Miss Elizabeth with his eyes or talking with her between sets. Mr. Lyle also danced most of the dances, but he singled out Charlotte Lucas once they were introduced. It was a much different assembly than it might have been had Miss Bingley been there.
No good thing can last forever without some difficulties. These came in a variety of forms.
The first was Mr. Bennet's cousin, Mr. Collins. Mr. Bennet had forgotten the man's letter warning of his arrival. Mrs. Bennet was nearly overset by his sudden arrival and he was upset to find the guest room occupied. Elizabeth and Jane solved the problem when Elizabeth moved in with Jane and surrendered her room. When the man spoke to Mrs. Bennet about marrying one of her daughters, she directed him away from her eldest two. She might have been preoccupied, but she wasn't blind. Mr. Collins was not pleased, but he directed his attentions to Mary.
Mary, having gained confidence through her association with the Hursts, resolved very quickly that she could do better. Mrs. Hurst, anticipating the reaction of Mrs. Bennet when Mary refused the proposal, took time before the event to tell the mother all about the eligible and wealthy young men in the Hurst family. Collins was sent away without a prospect while Mary escaped with only the lightest scolding from her mother. Mr. Collins never even took notice of Elizabeth's faithful suitor except to resent how tall the man was.
The next difficulty came in the form of the handsome Lieutenant Wickham. He arrived in town, began flirting, began buying on credit, and once he saw Darcy he began slandering the man. That was where he made his mistake. Everyone knew how much Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley, Mr. Hurst, and Mr. Lyle had been doing to help with the road. They had worked alongside the men and respected them. So when Wickham tried to spread his lies, people immediately took offense and started looking deeper into the man. Constable Weaver even sent to London for more information. The end result was a delegation from London who came to collect their own past-due bills. Five weeks after his arrival, George Wickham was on his way to debtor's prison.
The next problem was the same person who had been making herself so useful up until this point: Caroline Bingley woke up. Now, in fiction and in plays an injury such as this might lead to a major personality shift and even a major life change... which was not the case here. When Caroline Bingley woke up in "some crofter's hovel," she was livid. More than that, she was shrill and demanding. It only grew worse when she learned that she had been sleeping for six weeks and that her brother and her Mr. Darcy were paying regular visits... to the young ladies in this house!
Needless to say, the peaceful and happy feeling which had strangely persisted up until this moment was shattered. Bingley was apologetic, as was his sister Louisa, but Dr. Brockhurst insisted on her staying put for another week at least. In that time Caroline made no effort to fool anyone about her true personality. Eventually even her own sister began to avoid her. When she was finally able to travel to Netherfield, it was a relief to one home... not so much to the other.
If Caroline hoped to restore things to their proper order: 1) Her in charge of her siblings, 2) Mr. Darcy doting over her every word, 3) All of those country nobodies put in their place... then she was sadly disillusioned. Charles was ashamed of his sister's actions toward the Bennets and therefore intractable in his dealings with Caroline. Louisa was now the hostess and she intended to remain in that role. Mr. Hurst had reestablished his relationship with his wife and he would not allow his sister-in-law to take Louisa back. And of course Mr. Darcy, who never doted on the termagant, continued to spend most of his time in the vicinity of Elizabeth Bennet
The one person who somehow seemed to be able to stay in proximity of Caroline Bingley for any length of time was Dr. Brockhurst. He continued to ride back and forth from London, staying two or three days each trip. He pushed Miss Bingley to walk. He taught her exercises. He endured her snide remarks and her curses. He even restrained himself when she threw a fit and slapped him once. By the end of a month at Netherfield he pronounced her well enough to travel and recommended six months full at a sanitarium he was a part of which offered sulfur healing waters and exercise. The family gratefully packed her off while wincing at her shrill protestations.
~oOo~
What Caroline Bingley did not know was that her accident was the catalyst for a great many changes and understandings. Mr. Darcy was so taken with Miss Elizabeth that he requested a courtship within three weeks and proposed before Christmas. Elizabeth wasted no time demonstrating her approval of his proposal. Thankfully for the sake of propriety Jane and Charles were nearby. Allen Lyle was the next to propose and Charlotte Lucas discovered that she was romantic after all. Charles was the last to propose, but only because of all the problems his sister was causing. Jane left him in no doubt of her feelings.
Caroline was mobile in early February when the weddings took place, but she refused to attend. Dr. Brockhurst gave the young woman a good scolding, but it was one of his statements which stayed with her: "I cannot understand how a woman as beautiful as you can act so unbecoming!" Luckily for her, the good doctor continued to make visits to check on her. His approval suddenly meant something, to the point that she ever wrote letters of apology to all and sundry. It took only four months for her to fully recover and leave the sanitarium. By that time she was engaged to Mr. Brockhurst. It should be noted here for posterity that Scott Brockhurst never informed Caroline that he was the son of an earl. She honestly married him for love. The connections did not displease her.
Mr. and Mrs. Hurst, freed of any hosting duties after Jane became Mrs. Bingley, decided to return to their own estate. They took Mary with them, introduced her to his wealthy cousin, and the rest is history. Mrs. Bennet never gave Mr. Collins another thought. The Hurst's restored relationship resulted in three children. Mary was the godmother to each one.
Oh yes! And the road was improved to such a degree that it never had the same problem again!
Caroline Bingly left London for Netherfield with the hopes of proving herself useful and indispensable to Mr. Darcy. In short order she managed to do exactly that... if not in the way that she might have hoped.