When Mr. and Mrs. Collins and Miss Bennet arrived for the house party, they were greeted very kindly by all of the inmates of Brawnstead, including Mr. and Miss Darcy. Elizabeth was amiable towards them all, but did not pay Mr. Darcy more than the notice she would give to a relation of any of her friends, for that now was his connection to her. She curtsied and asked after his health upon their meeting again. When later they took tea together, she spoke mainly to Lady Melbridge and Georgiana, but answered any questions that Darcy directed her way with no note of either friendliness or pique.
The other guests began to arrive shortly after tea. The other invitees to the event were those who had also attended the ball, which immediately made Elizabeth much more at ease. Several of those who had attended recent dinners would not be staying at Brawnstead, but would be invited to partake in various activities over the upcoming weeks.
Elizabeth was glad to find that with many more people dining, she was not required to sit near Mr. Darcy at dinner. She was much further down the table, seated between a Mr. Finemason and a Mr. Browning. Mr. Finemason was a handsome gentleman of four thousand a year. He owned an estate in the northern region of Derbyshire, but was only one generation removed from trade. His manners were amiable and open. Mr. Browning was older and married, but Elizabeth found his company pleasant all the same. His wife, too, was charming and pretty. One could tell that Mrs. Browning was very the belle of the season when she was young, and Elizabeth very much hoped that she held her bloom as she aged as much as Mrs. Browning had. They were from Kent but were glad to travel to visit the Melbridges. They had known the Melbridges for some time, as Lady Melbridge's sister owned an estate near theirs. Mr. Browning confided that the sister was not one whose society he enjoyed, but he put up with her in order to please his friends.
"I believe that everyone has a family member or two that must be tolerated by their friends and relations," said Elizabeth, thinking of Darcy's words in the library. "One never knows, perhaps we are that relation to some."
"Perhaps you are right! Although I do hope I am not disagreeable to you, Miss Bennet."
"Of course not!" exclaimed Elizabeth. "I meant no insult. I was only thinking of the great difference in temperament between myself and my younger sisters. I am sure some of their friends find me only tolerable."
"I cannot think that anyone would find someone so charming as you disagreeable," Mr. Finemason added to the conversation.
"You have spent but a little while in my company, Mr. Finemason. I believe you should not form your opinion of me yet. Mayhap in a few weeks you will change your mind," Elizabeth said with an arch smile.
The gentlemen both proclaimed that they should do nothing of the sort. The gentlemen then began to discuss music and current events. A new music publishing company had just opened on Bond Street, much to everyone's surprise. Another music publishing company had opened only recently on Oxford Street, which made the gentlemen wonder if there was enough business for both. Elizabeth supposed that there was, and perhaps, that the competition between the two would lower the price of printed music overall. The gentlemen agreed, finding her reasoning sound and her mind well-informed.
After dinner, Elizabeth and several of the other ladies played and sang for the company. Elizabeth was conscious that the other ladies were much more talented than she, or perhaps they simply dedicated themselves to their practice. Darcy, though, could find no fault with her performance and could not tear his eyes away from her form. If he had not decided that he had been paying Miss Bennet far too much attention and that he ought to distance himself, he might have offered to turn her pages at least once that evening.
Elizabeth retired earlier than many others that day, wishing very much to be free of Mr. Darcy's company. She was certain a novel named after a lady was a much better way to spend the evening, rather than being glowered at by Mr. Darcy. Although, when she considered his conversation with Lord Barlow in its entirety, she did wonder at his purpose in staring at her. He had admitted to being taken with her and that he thought her handsome, just before he disparaged her family. No, she would not consider Mr. Darcy or what he might think of her.
Elizabeth settled down onto her cosy bed and found contentment in her book, allowing her imagination to wander into the life of Elenora, a courageous heroine who fearlessly challenged wicked lords, and eventually was rewarded with her happily ever after through the power of true love.
To Elizabeth's great pleasure, most of the gentlemen had already departed by the time she arrived for breakfast. They were going out to shoot clay pigeons — an activity that Elizabeth had never understood — and then to look at some land that Lord Melbridge was debating adding to his holdings. She had no wish to see Mr. Darcy, or even Lord Barlow, just then.
She seated herself between Miss Garron and Lady Shillingford. The elder lady asked after her sleep, which she truthfully said was very good. She had not had the same awful dreams of the previous night, much to her relief.
"Have my brother and sister broken their fast yet, do you know?" Elizabeth asked the others at the table.
"Mr. Collins has, for he went with the other gentlemen. I believe your sister ordered her breakfast to be sent up, as I saw a footman headed in that direction," said Lady Shillingford.
Elizabeth thanked her ladyship and resolved to visit Jane after breakfast. The rest of the meal was quite pleasant, although Lady Melbridge and Lady Shillingford gave her the occasional sidelong assessing glance. She was uncertain as to why, except perhaps that she may not have been so good at hiding her irritation with Mr. Darcy the previous day as she had assumed. She would have to do better.
Jane was well, much to Elizabeth's relief, but had simply slept poorly and wished to lie abed a little longer than was her usual wont. The sisters walked out that morning, accompanied by several others of the party.
Elizabeth was delighted to find that both Miss Garron, Miss Baxter, and even Miss Darcy were not averse to leaving the garden paths, even though the dew still dampened the grass. Considering the Netherfield party's reaction when Elizabeth had walked to see her sister, she had feared that all proper ladies would never dream of leaving the garden path to explore further afield. Yet Miss Baxter had noticed the bird's nest, tucked away in the hollow of a tree, and she longed to get a better look. She led them closer, and they peered at the small, white and brown oval eggs. Neither of the adult birds were about and so many birds had similar eggs that the ladies debated for some time what species they were.
"It is very likely a wren," said Georgiana. "I have seen their nests many times."
Elizabeth was surprised to hear Georgiana speak in such unfamiliar company and to contradict another in doing so. She was quite pleased, for her young friend often was too shy to speak, even when she knew herself to know more than the others.
"You may be right," said Elizabeth. "Now that you say it, I do recall that wren eggs have spots all over instead of only at the bottom. Mayhap the birds will hatch while we are still here, or we can see the mother bird and confirm that you are correct."
Georgiana seemed to stand a little straighter under Elizabeth's praise and that of the other ladies that followed. They did not tarry much longer, for the hems of their skirts were wet and the morning was still a little cold.
The rest of the day was spent with various amusements that Lady Melbridge provided. When the day warmed, they played nine pins and other games in the garden. As there were so many people, they divided into teams for nine pins. Elizabeth was delighted to find herself teamed with Miss Darcy, Miss Garron, Mrs. Browning, a Miss Black, and a Lady Amelia Burke. They competed against Lady Melbridge, Jane, Miss Baxter, a Lady Susanna Franks, and a Mrs. Hyde. Elizabeth was very interested when she learned that Mrs. Hyde was of the Hydes that created Hyde park. What a singular achievement for a family to be known for. Mrs. Hyde was also the aunt and guardian of Miss Black, who had only just come out that season.
"Miss Black was supposedly near to becoming engaged to a Mr. Feron, but suddenly her family broke off the courtship and no one knows why," whispered Mrs. Browning to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth was not one for such gossip, but showed polite interest until a chance came to turn the conversation to a more suitable topic. Thankfully, the game provided its own subject, for it soon came to be Elizabeth's turn to play and they were then able to discuss how she might improve her tactics, as she was quite dreadful at the sport.
That evening at dinner, Elizabeth was relieved to find her place between Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr. Collins, far away from Mr. Darcy. Weary from a day spent outdoors, several of the ladies opted to have their dinner brought to them on trays, changing the order of seating. Elizabeth was not so delicate that a day spent playing nine pins and pall mall would exhaust her, but she decided that the excuse of feminine delicacy and exhaustion might be an agreeable one to use in the future. Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth was pleased to find, was stuck seated between two young ladies that simpered and smiled at everything he said and had very few opinions of their own. He looked miserable. A small, very petty party of Elizabeth was glad for his discomfort.
When the gentlemen joined the ladies after having their port, they found that there were many in the party with musical talents. They were applied to so they might play and sing. Elizabeth let the other ladies go before her, as she had not much in the way musical vanity. Colonel Fitzwilliam sat himself near Elizabeth. They talked so agreeably of Derbyshire and Hertfordshire, of travelling and staying at home, of new books and music, that Elizabeth had never been half so well entertained in that room before; and they conversed with so much spirit and flow that they drew the attention of Lady Melbridge, Lady Shillingford, and Mr. Darcy. His eyes had been soon and repeatedly turned towards them with a look of curiosity, while Lady Shillingford came forward so she might have her share in the conversation.
Mr. Darcy was trapped by Miss Black and another young lady, so he could not come to join them as well, but instead continued to watch her as the other ladies prattled on. As the lady playing the pianoforte gracefully reached the end of the piece, Elizabeth was invited to take her place at the instrument. Darcy offered her pages as an excuse to slip away from the insipid young ladies and be near to Elizabeth. Elizabeth thanked him politely, her hands dancing over the keys as she played a lively air.
Even though the room was crowded with furniture and people, the guests began to sway to the music, tapping their feet and clapping in time to the rhythm. Elizabeth was not so talented as the others, who played very fine and complex pieces to display their fine fingering and prove that they had spent many hours practicing, but her playing made one feel whatever they ought when listening to the piece. It was not long before all retired, since the following day was Sunday and they would need to rise early for religious services.