Elizabeth at the breakfast-parlour of Netherfield … and when Mr. Darcy 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 whole party of Netherfield was each surprised by her coming by herself so far alone! The room was deadly silent and Elizabeth was starting fidgeting after seeing the look of horror on their faces.
"You walked three miles so early in the day!" exclaimed Mrs. Hurst.
"In such dirty weather!" added Caroline.
"Yes, well. It's nothing, I'm a walker."
Hurst woke up from his semi-sleep and asked, "dead walker? I like walking dead."
Others looked very confused. But no one paid more attention to him. Hurst got back to his snoring.
"And you came all by yourself," said Caroline.
"I wish to see my sister."
Caroline ignored her request and continued, "yesterday, her sister came ALONE and now herself and look at her, she's like a wh–"
"I agree, Caroline. What were you doing this morning for your petticoat being six inches deep in mud? Were you doing something," she raised her eyebrows and looked pointedly.
"Louisa, why do you look strange? Why are you ticing?" cried Charles.
Caroline glared at him and he closed his mouth. She turned her head towards Darcy, "I am sure you would not wish to see your sister make such an exhibition."
"Certainly not. There is always a troop of people around her to take care of her. She isn't a loose girl. After all she's a girl of the regency era!"
"I am afraid, Mr. Darcy," she continued in a half whisper, "that this adventure has rather affected your admiration of her fine eyes."
"Yes, no. Well, it was an x-rated exhibition for me," he said in an uncomfortable manner and looked flushed.
Caroline stood up in haste and reacted to his ill admiration, "You, Eliza! Shoo shoo, you're corrupting the gentlemen."
Without waiting for an answer she pushed Elizabeth towards the entrance.
Elizabeth protested while she was pushed out by Caroline, "it's a very normal act in our family, we all walk a lot." Her last words were muffled by the closing of the door on her.
Caroline came back, breathed in relief, looked at her hands as if they were dirty and wiped them with her dress.
Darcy said, "thank you Miss Bingley, now I am free from the evil temptation."
"You're welcome, Mr. Darcy."
After they heard no more of her, Mrs. Hurst said in a snobbish voice, "it's not strange of such a family having an uncle in trade."
Caroline put her hands on her mouth in a show of exclamation. "Oh! They don't!"
"Of course they did, and with seeing them now I know what trade he was in!"
And that was how the Bennet family was never ever invited to the Netherfield and Jane Austen was admired by how she followed the rule of the regency era.
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