Chapter Three

More than a month passed by before the name Charles Bingley dared to be mentioned again in the Bennett household. One chilly November evening saw the entire family, apart from Mary— one of the younger daughters— congregated in the living room. Peter ensconced himself in his favourite armchair in order to read his newspaper. Lizzy and her older sister Jane had been out all day shopping for new clothes. Franny insisted that they both model their new purchases for her. Lizzy flat out refused to be a catwalk model. She also knew her mother didn't share her taste in clothes and would take every opportunity to critique her choices. Jane, on the other hand, had no problem as she had experience from her days as a child model, and still worked for a reputable photographic model agency. She also had more conservative tastes in fashion, which found favour with her mother.

Lydia, the youngest of the Bennett girls, sat sprawled in the middle of one of the two large sofas, her eyes firmly glued to her phone. Kitty sat next to her, alternating between flicking through the latest edition of Hello magazine, sneezing and blowing her nose. She had recently caught a cold and was feeling miserable and making sure everyone else knew it.

"Where's Mary?" asked Kitty

"In her room. I think," replied Lydia. Now and again she took her eyes off her phone when Jane entered the room with each new outfit, but the one she wore currently made her jaw drop along with her phone. The front of the white, fitted, knee-length dress had two large swans that morphed into beautiful peacock feathers. Gold scrolls decorated the hem and neckline. A gold trademark baroque scroll sat in the middle of the neckline. "Is that a Versace?"

Kitty threw down her magazine and croaked, "Wow!"

"Yes it is," replied Jane. She brushed her fair hair back from her shoulders and twirled around so they could take a look at the back of the white fitted dress. "It has butterflies here too."

"Why do I have to do my clothes shopping in Meryton," whined Lydia.

"Because you don't work and earn any money," said Kitty.

Lydia pouted. She failed most of her final school exams the previous year and was having to resit them at the local college. "You're so annoying."

Peter looked up from his newspaper. "I hope Charles Bingley will like it, Jane."

"What are you talking about?" asked Franny. "How is he going to see Jane in that dress?"

"I haven't seen him myself, but I have heard from others that he has settled into Netherfield and has been seen around the village," said Lizzy.

Kitty gave a loud sneeze. "Oh! Do be quiet Kitty are you deliberately trying to get on my nerves?"

"I can't help it if I sneeze." Kitty shook her head, grabbed another tissue from the box she had tucked between her at the end of the sofa, and blew her nose.

Lizzy smirked, "I also heard that Mrs Long introduced herself to Charles Bingley yesterday."

Her mother jolted at the sound of Mrs Long's name. "What! That woman is so selfish. I know what she is up to. Sneaking around and hoping to introduce him to her great-nieces. I don't want to hear about her again."

"You are quite happy to hear about her when we send her a bill for our plumbing services though," retorted Peter.

"Oh, Shut up! I am sick of hearing about Charles Bingley. In fact, I don't want to hear anything about him again." snapped his wife.

"Fine by me," said Peter. He folded up his newspaper, laid it on his lap and proceeded to drum his fingers on the armrest of his chair. "That means you won't want to hear what Charles Bingley had to say to me when I visited him last week?"

"Why didn't you tell me you'd been to see him?"

Peter chuckled at the incredulous look on Franny's face. "You didn't ask."

"What did you do? What did he have to say?" asked Franny.

"I thought you didn't want to hear anything else about him."

"You are being facetious."

Jane took a seat on the sofa next to her mother. "Mum, calm down." She gave her father a stern look of disapproval.

"I made a neighbourly visit and we chatted for a little while. Turns out he is a nice chap. He's living in the house with one of his older sisters, who is also single, since her recent divorce. I didn't see her though."

Hearing the word single brought a smile to Franny's face. "So he is single," she muttered to herself.

Peter continued, "He told me he is going to the Lucas's charity dinner dance, apparently Mrs Long sold him tickets when she went to visit."

Franny tutted. "Typical of her."

"We'll get to see him next week," said Jane.

"Correct," said Peter, "You will like this even better. He has also invited all of us to a Christmas house warming party." His words sent his wife into raptures. She also chastised him for teasing her. "Well Kitty, you will be allowed to sneeze as much as you like now your mother is in a better mood." He then left his seat and made and escaped to his study, or the room the girls often called Dad's Den. He'd had enough "Franny Quota" for one day.

When the living room door clicked shut, Franny crooned, "Isn't your father a wonderful man."

"That's not what you were saying before," muttered Lizzy, who had seated herself in the armchair. She attempted to distract herself with reading the headlines in her father's newspaper.

"Jane, you must save this lovely dress for the party. You must go take it off now," ordered her mother.

"I want a new dress for the party," moaned Lydia. "I haven't anything to wear."

"That true," added Lizzy, "You're not wearing much now. Take for instance that skirt you're wearing, if it was an inch shorter it would be a belt.

Lydia pulled a face at Lizzy and stuck out her tongue.

"Girls stop bickering you are spoiling the mood."

All four girls gave each other a knowing look. Lydia and Kitty began to giggle.