A Plethora of Peers

by sysa22

Mr Bennet married the daughter of an Earl with whom he had 3 children – twins James and Elizabeth, as well as Mary. His wife and her only brother die. Soon after, Bennet's older brother marries Fanny Gardiner just before his death. When Fanny delivers twin girls, Kitty and Lydia, Bennet inherits Longbourn. To keep James safe from Collins, Bennet's son is raised by his grandparents.

16. Chapter 16 - Who do you think you are

~~PoP~~

Who do you think you are…

Louisa Hurst finished her toilette and, returning to the sitting room, she gave her sister a pitying look at the expression of disbelief and horror which had settled on Caroline's features.

Ever since Charles had put down his foot to make Caroline act appropriately, Louisa had done her best to gently guide Caroline to becoming a gentlewoman, who would appeal to a country gentleman. The kind of country gentleman like Mr Darcy was, although that match was no longer a possibility as he was obviously enamoured with Miss Bennet.

For years Louisa had been trying to make Caroline see sense where Caroline's manners and Mr Darcy's lack of interest were concerned. The longer the gentleman evaded Caroline's clutches the more desperate and shrill the younger Bingley sister had become, and despite all of Louisa's efforts and no matter what anyone said, Caroline refused to listen.

In her frustration Mrs Hurst had blurted out that no one would choose to be related to Caroline. Witnessing her sister's reaction, Louisa sighed and said, 'Caroline, I love you because you are my little sister and I feel responsible for you. But I do not like the kind of woman you have become and like Miss Mary, given a choice I too would prefer not to be related to you.'

Miss Bingley gave her sister a venomous look and retaliated, 'You are just jealous because I am more beautiful than you are, and you had to settle for that boring lush whom you married.'

'For your information I only drink to excess to make your voice and manners tolerable,' Hurst said from the doorway to his bedroom.

Hearing yet another contradiction to her beliefs, Miss Bingley stormed out of the suite and returned to her rooms.

~PoP~

As Caroline was still smarting from the comment at the assembly regarding her family's wool and cotton mills and she was determined to show those mushrooms how elegant and sophisticated a lady should be. As a consequence, she ignored not only that they were in the country, but also the temperature which had plummeted due to the storm and donned an elaborate evening gown suitable for the most elegant ballroom in town.

When Miss Bingley made her entrance in the drawing room before dinner, Elizabeth and Mary were indeed impressed by how elegantly Miss Bingley could shiver in her silk gown. Meanwhile the Bennet sisters were warm in their elegant but sensible dinner gowns made from very fine wool, sourced ironically from the mills which used to belong to the Bingleys, which Mrs Bennet had sent for them.

Louisa was learning that in the country when at home, people were generally more interested in comfort than dressing to impress. As that appealed to her, she was also attired in one of her less ostentatious but comfortable dresses.

Therefore, the only people who stood out were Colonel Fitzwilliam in his regimentals and Miss Bingley in her very fashionable silk evening gown. Fortunately for the Colonel, regimentals were made from wonderfully warm wool.

~PoP~

There was one pleasant aspect to Miss Bingley's show of elegance and sophistication.

For most of the evening she proved that she could hold an agreeable conversation about the happenings in London which was amusing when she displayed her discerning observation without resorting to her usual denigration of people.

Since none of the people outside her own family had any particular interest in the doings of society, which could contradict her, Miss Bingley was allowed to shine.

~PoP~

Alas, that situation was too good to last.

By breakfast, Miss Bingley had reverted back to her usual self. In her own inimitable fashion, and, buoyed by her success the previous evening, she tried to score points against the Bennet sisters.

'When you go to town, do you enjoy attending all those balls of which tradesmen are so very fond?' Caroline as with a saccharine smile.

'Miss Bingley, surely you must know perfectly well that we never attend any tradesmen's balls… since you never encountered us.'

For a moment Caroline looked exceedingly satisfied until she worked out that Eliza Bennet had intimated that the Bingley's attended balls given by tradesmen, rather than admitting the opposite. To her credit, she recovered well and said, 'Yes, it is a pity that we never encountered each other in London. I suppose that with such a small estate it must be difficult to afford a season in town.'

'Miss Bingley, while we occasionally enjoy visiting London for the theatre and shopping, I do not find the society particularly congenial. There are too many people who are only interested in a person's wealth rather than their character.'

'I suppose that if a lady cannot bring wealth or connections to a match, she is forced to focus on character. Whereas, since I have a dowry of twenty thousand pounds, I have greater choice.' Caroline preened as she made that statement.

'Miss Bennet has, what her father calls, a respectable dowry for someone in her position,' the Colonel remarked casually. 'It is simply that as a real lady she does not need to boast about her wealth. Only social climbers feel the need to do so because they have nothing else.'

Caroline shot Fitzwilliam a look which should have caused his instant demise, but as she was determined to make her point, she changed her attack to a different aspect of the Bennets' circumstances.

'It must be quite worrying to grow up on an estate entailed to the male line when one has no brother.'

'I imagine that would be the case.'

'Especially if the heir presumptive is an unpleasant old man who is likely to throw any female relations into the hedgerows to starve unless he is allowed to pick a bride from the daughters.'

'I expect that would indeed be a quite disagreeable situation for a family.'

'Miss Bennet, I wonder if you are the one to sacrifice yourself as such a bride to save your sister from the importunings of an old man?'

Elizabeth gave Caroline a puzzled look which strained her acting abilities as she made ready to deliver the coup de grâce. 'Miss Bingley, am I correct in thinking that you believe that is the situation of our family rather than a hypothetical question as I had thought we were discussing?'

'Do you mean to say that you deny it?'

'I do not know to whom you have been speaking or where you get your information, but I would strongly suggest that you do not listen to baseless gossip.'

'I have it on good authority that your estate is entailed to the male line.'

'That is correct.'

'As you have no brother, a most unpleasant cousin of yours is the heir to your estate.'

'There are two, possibly three points wrong with this statement.'

Elizabeth was about to enumerate Miss Bingley's misconceptions when the door opened and the butler announced, 'Master Baker to see Miss Mary.'

The announcement was immediately followed by the entry of Peter Baker. He held his cap in both hands and bobbed his head as he said, 'Miss Mary, I just come to tell you I fetched Mr Jones, just like you said I should.'

'I am pleased that someone had enough sense to do so. How is your mother?'

'Mr Jones thinks that she'll be right as rain by the time the rain lets up. He give her some medicines and said he was sure that you'd take care of the bill. I thought I'd better let you know an' I just wanted to say thanks.'

'You are welcome, Peter, but I think you had better pay more attention during your lessons,' Mary replied with an indulgent smile.

In response, the boy drew himself up to his full scrawny height and gave an elegant bow as he said in carefully rounded tones, 'I shall endeavour to do you proud, Miss Mary,' and finished with an impish grin.

'Be sure that you do, you scamp. Now get back to your mother,' Mary laughed at Peter's relieved antics as the boy gave a final nod to the assembly and dashed out the door.

The door had not even closed when Caroline Bingley asked, 'Why did that ragamuffin think that you would pay some doctor's bill?'

'Because as a tenant of Netherfield the family is entitled to medical care. It was therefore my responsibility to enable that care,' Mary answered still smiling because of the boy's theatrics.

'Do not give yourself any airs and graces. Your responsibility indeed. If that urchin is the son of one of the Netherfield tenants, he and his family come under our purview. I say that if they cannot afford a doctor, then they just have to live or die on their own,' Caroline said dismissively.

'Well, it is fortunate that you are not in charge of Netherfield. As it is, the estate will cover the cost of the apothecary,' Mary said firmly, disgusted by the callous attitude of Miss Bingley.

Louisa Hurst fully agreed with Mary, but before she could say so, Caroline snapped, 'Who do you think you are to tell us what to do?'

'I am your landlady.'

That quiet statement had a galvanising effect on their audience.

'What do you mean… you are our landlady?'

'I mean that I own Netherfield,' Mary answered Caroline's question before turning to the lady's brother. 'Mr Bingley, you will find that if you check your lease documents that if you do not ensure the health of the tenants by taking all reasonable precautions, the lease will be cancelled, and you will forfeit the amount you paid for the year. The unused portion of such moneys will be used as reparation.'

'Miss Mary, I am aware of that clause, which is why I was pleased when Louisa agreed to act as mistress and is taking an active interest.' He turned to his younger sister. 'Caroline, you have just shown the most callous disregard for the wellbeing of our tenants.'

'Never mind that. I want to know how Miss Mary can be in a position to own an estate.'

Elizabeth and Mary exchanged glances and Lizzy turned her hand palm up in a gesture as if to say, continue as you will.

'Although you have no right to question me, I am prepared to satisfy your prurient curiosity. Netherfield was bought for me by my grandfather.'

'Your grandfather? A likely story. Who is this mythical grandfather who can afford to be so very generous.'

'Lord James Ashmore, the Earl of Ashcroft.' Fitzwilliam was pleased to deliver the answer in an exaggerated drawl and even more pleased to see the blood draining from Caroline's face.

'Your grandfather is an Earl?' Miss Bingley gasped as she realised how she had insulted the very ladies whom she would have wanted to cultivate to further her ambitions. 'Why did you not mention this before? I would have never said what I did if I had known...'

'That is precisely why we do not spread knowledge of our heritage… to avoid sycophants like you.'

Caroline blushed as she whispered, 'Sycophants…' A moment later she recovered and whirled to confront her sister. 'Did you know about this? After all you have been getting quite cosy. Were you all laughing at me for being wrong?'

Louisa Hurst was shaking her head, partly in disbelief that those lovely girls, who had treated her with such generosity and care could have such noble connections. The other part was in denial of Caroline's accusations. 'I knew nothing other than that unlike you they are genteel ladies.'

Hurst laughed as he said, 'I knew and thought it hilarious watching you make such a fool of yourself. Pretending that you are somebody and treating everyone with disdain in the mistaken belief that such behaviour would elevate you. Instead, you alienated the very people who could have helped you.'

Elizabeth studied Hurst while he spoke but could not place his face. 'How did you know? I do not recall us ever being introduced.'

'I saw you at a ball and thought you quite delightful but was warned that I was not in your class,' Hurst replied with a deprecating smile.

'I danced with Miss Bennet at her coming out ball at the residence of the Duke of Barrington,' Richard said with a smirk.

'Why would you have your coming out ball at a Duke's residence?' gasped Caroline, temporarily distracted from her embarrassment.

'He is our grandmother's cousin,' Elizabeth replied in an offhand manner.

'I found out when I requested permission to court Miss Bennet,' Darcy added his own nail to the coffin of Caroline's pretensions.

Caroline was just thinking that at least her siblings had been as much in the dark as she had been, when her brother shocked her.

'I have known about the ladies' relationship to the Earl and the Viscount... for about a fortnight,' Bingley said to his sister. 'You could have found out too if you had bothered.'

'How…'

'I checked Debrett's. There is an entry for the Bennet family which mentions the connection to Ashcroft and the fact that Miss Bennet's brother is Viscount Markwell.'

'Why did you not say something?'

'Because I thought the ladies charming and did not wish for you to importune them with your toadying.' Bingley gave a derisive chuckle. 'If you had made friends with the Bennet ladies while thinking that they are minor gentry I would have been happy to point out your misconception. As it was, I decided to watch how deep a pit you would dig for yourself with your stupid arrogance and rudeness.'

'And in the interests of full disclosure, the point I was trying to make earlier. My brother, Viscount Markwell, is also the heir apparent of Longbourn, which means that any unpleasant cousins have no claim on the estate. Finally, on the day of his majority, my brother will break the entail, at which point, our father will sign Longbourn over to me.'

Darcy looked at Elizabeth with brows raised in question and received a nod to make his own point. 'Miss Bingley, just to be sure you fully understand the situation.' He paused to ensure he had Caroline's full attention. 'Your brother's fortune is not enough to buy Longbourn. Which means that your twenty thousand pounds are a pittance compared to the wealth of each Miss Bennet. Therefore, while there are fortune-hunters in this room, their name is not Bennet.'

Miss Bingley wished the ground would open up and swallow her.

PoP~

~~PoP~~

A Plethora of Peers (working title) by Sydney Salier, Copyright © 2023