~O~
Netherfield is let at last
As soon as Jane turned fifteen, Fanny Bennet insisted that her daughter should be allowed to come out into society.
When his wife raised the issue, Bennet responded angrily, 'Mrs Bennet, under no circumstances will I allow our daughter to come out at such a tender age,'.
'But Mr Bennet, how can Jane find a husband if you do not allow her the opportunity to meet eligible gentlemen,' Fanny wailed.
'Eighteen will be young enough for Jane to start thinking about marriage.'
'But she must have as many chances as possible, and as soon as possible. Where would we go if you were to pass away before she is married. You just wish us to starve in the hedgerows,' Fanny accused angrily.
'Mrs Bennet, how many more times do I need to tell you that you will not starve in the hedgerows. For the past fifteen years, the dower house has been set aside for you to live in. It is a perfectly comfortable cottage with three bedrooms, and it is within easy walking distance to Meryton. As it is yours rent-free, the interest on your jointure will support you perfectly well… provided you stop drowning yourself in lace.'
'A cottage! I would be no better than a peasant. How could you do this to me?'
'Perhaps you should have considered my likely reaction when I discovered that you duped me into thinking that you were willing to becoming a good mistress for Longbourn. Apart from giving birth to five daughters you have not contributed a single thing towards the estate, our marriage or our children.'
'I have raised Jane.'
'That is one daughter. What about the other four?'
'They were all designed to vex me. They were supposed to have been boys, but they refused to comply.'
'By your logic, Jane should also have been a boy. Why is she different from the other girls.'
'Jane is beautiful.'
'So are the others. They are also intelligent and willing to apply themselves to becoming accomplished ladies.'
'You just hate Jane.'
'I do not hate her. I allowed you to raise her to give you one person who loved you, but I now suspect that I should have given her to my mother to raise when you rejected Elizabeth. Be that as it may, I will not allow you to sacrifice our daughter for your selfish designs.'
Fanny Bennet glared at her husband before storming out of his study. But despite her anger, Mr Bennet remained firm, and it was another three years before Jane entered society.
Yet even then Fanny was disappointed. No matter how much she praised her most beautiful Jane to any eligible gentleman, none of them were inclined to make an offer. Four years of dashed hopes did not improve Fanny's disposition.
~O~
Fanny Bennet returned home from visiting her sister in a great state of excitement.
She rushed into Bennet's study, crying, 'Mr Bennet, have you heard? Netherfield has been let.'
'I have heard that it might happen.'
'Well, it has happened at last, and you must go and call on Mr Bingley.'
'Who is Mr Bingley and why should I call on him?'
'He is the young man who has taken the lease on Netherfield, and you must welcome him so that you can introduce him to Jane.'
It occurred to Bennet in passing that he was beginning to sound like Lizzy and Mary, starting his sentences with why, when he asked his wife, 'Why would you wish me to introduce him to Jane?'
'So that Mr Bingley can marry Jane. He is single and rich and must therefore be in want of a wife and he cannot get a more beautiful wife than Jane,' Fanny exclaimed in frustration that her supposedly intelligent husband could be so dense.
'But what if he should prefer an intelligent wife?'
'No man wants an intelligent wife.'
'I most certainly would have preferred an intelligent wife,' Bennet muttered, but if his wife heard him, she chose to ignore his comment.
As Bennet did not respond quick enough for her, Fanny prompted, 'You must go and speak to Mr Bingley.'
'Very well, I shall go and call on the man when he gets here,' Bennet agreed. When his wife brightened, he added, 'But I will not promote any of our daughters. He can meet them without bias.'
While Fanny was not happy about that stipulation, she had to be content.
~O~
Mr Charles Bingley was getting ready to move himself and his family to the estate he had leased in Hertfordshire.
His younger sister Caroline was not thrilled about relocating to the country. 'Charles, I cannot see why you would wish us to move to some savage backwater when we could stay in the refined society of London,' she complained.
'Caroline, remember that our father wanted us to become landed gentry. To do so, we require an estate, which by definition is in the country, but you seem to forget that Netherfield Park is within four hours from London.' I would hardly call that a backwater.'
'But how could you have us associating with those country mushrooms. Louisa and I are accustomed to the refined society in London.'
Louisa Hurst, Caroline's older sister who had married a gentleman who would inherit a small estate, sided with their brother. 'If you have such a low opinion of the country, why do you keep chasing after Mr Darcy? His estate is in the country as well and Pemberley is three days travel from London.'
'Yes, but Mr Darcy is rich enough to spend all year in London,' Miss Bingley protested.
'Speaking of Darcy, he was the one who recommended Netherfield Park as a good estate for me to try my hand at becoming a landowner. He has even agreed to visit for a few weeks to teach me the basics.'
Caroline Bingley immediate changed her mind. 'You will be hosting Mr Darcy will be at your estate? In that case you will need a hostess. I shall accompany you and manage the house for you.'
Her brother considered her sudden enthusiasm. 'I had hoped that Louisa would be my hostess.' He glanced at his older sister who nodded with a smile.
'No, Charles. You cannot do that. This is the perfect opportunity for me to show Mr Darcy I would be the perfect mistress of Pemberley.'
'Caroline, how often do I have to tell you that Darcy has no interest in you. You have spent four years fawning over him without success. It is time you faced reality and stopped.'
'But he has never seen me in my element as the mistress of a country house. Surely, once he does, he will recognise that I am perfect for him.'
Bingley pinched the bridge of his nose as a headache threatened to erupt because of the argument. He offered a compromise. 'If you behave with the utmost propriety at all times and act as a proper mistress of an estate, I will allow you to be my hostess. BUT if you step out of line even once, I will beg Louisa to take over.'
Caroline agreed with alacrity while her sister hid a smile. Louisa was certain that Caroline would only last three days at the most before her normal behaviour would reassert itself.
~O~
Bingley and his family had been in residence at Netherfield for two days, during which many of the local gentlemen called on him to welcome the family to the neighbourhood, when Darcy arrived.
Bingley greeted him effusively. 'It is good to see you, my friend. You are just in time to accompany us to an assembly tonight.'
'Bingley, how could you commit me to a dance,' Darcy exclaimed in consternation.
'You always tell me it is a good way to meet all the neighbours.' Bingley was unrepentant.
'But you know I detest dancing unless I am well acquainted with the ladies. I can never think of a topic of conversation… and do not even suggest the weather or the roads.'
'I met some of the local gentlemen already and they seem to be a genteel crowd and Sir William Lucas mentioned that a couple of the Bennet ladies are very well educated.'
Darcy just rolled his eyes and asked, 'I hope that I will at least have time to rest and have a bath before you throw me to the lions.'
'Indeed. And I will even have a tray sent up so that you do not have to encounter Caroline until we leave.'
Darcy brightened marginally. 'Thank you for your consideration.'
~O~
Darcy did manage to have a nap after a relaxing bath and enjoyed a tasty meal before getting ready for the evening.
Coming downstairs five minutes before the time Bingley had informed him that they were to leave, he met his host as well as Mr and Mrs Hurst in the front parlour.
After greeting the Hursts, Darcy asked hopefully, 'Is Miss Bingley not joining us tonight?'
Bingley grinned at his friend as he said, 'It depends on whether she is ready at the time I told her we would leave.'
Darcy's brows rose in surprise and suppressing an answering grin he confined himself to merely saying, 'I see,' although he noticed Mr and Mrs Hurst sporting wide smiles.
A minute before the time scheduled for their departure, the butler announced that the carriage was ready. While the company donned their outerwear, Bingley handed a note to the butler before they entered the carriage at the exact time as planned.
The party spent an enjoyable twenty minutes, chatting as they made their way to the assembly hall, where they arrived ten minutes before the start of the first set.
~O~
At Netherfield Miss Bingley had been in something of a snit during the afternoon as her brother had prevented her from welcoming Mr Darcy, who had immediately gone to his room to rest in preparation for the evening.
As the gentleman had also not come down for tea, Miss Bingley had not been able to impress him with her skills as a hostess. Having failed in those endeavours, she was determined to gain his admiration for the sophistication of er fashion sense.
Not only that, but Caroline also expected to overwhelm the local ladies when they made their entrance at their pathetic little assembly, timed to perfection, being fashionably late.
Ignoring her brother's request regarding the time of their departure, she exited her rooms exactly thirty minutes later. With her head proudly raised, she stopped at the top of the stairs, expecting Mr Darcy and her family to be waiting in the foyer, where they could admire her elegance as she glided down the stairs.
She waited several moments to hear their reactions. When only silence greeted her, she abandoned her pose to look down to discover the foyer was empty. Deciding that the rest of her party must be dawdling in the drawing room, she descended the stairs and checked the parlour. Finding it empty she looked around and spotted a footman further down the corridor.
'You there, where is my brother?' she called out.
'The master left half an hour ago.'
'What?'
'The master left half an hour ago,' the footman repeated politely but with a great deal of satisfaction.
'Have a carriage readied to take me to the assembly.'
'I am sorry, but the master took his carriage.'
'Then bring Mr Darcy's carriage for me.'
'Mr Darcy left orders that his horses need to rest.'
'You cannot tell me that there is no other conveyance on this estate.'
'Well, there is the dogcart.'
'A dogcart?' Miss Bingley's voice rose to the upper registers. 'You cannot possibly expect the mistress of the estate to use a dogcart.'
'No, Miss. I would never expect Mrs Hurst to use the dogcart.'
'Mrs Hurst is not the mistress here. I am.'
'According to Mr Nicholls, the butler,' the footman clarified when he saw Miss Bingley's puzzled expression, 'Mr Bingley informed him that Mrs Hurst would be the mistress.'
'When was that supposed to have happened?' Caroline Bingley snapped at the footman. Surely, Charles had not been serious when he threatened to replace her with her sister as mistress.
'Just before he left for the assembly.'
Caroline's eyes narrowed in fury. She had been trying to establish their superiority over the locals by timing their arrival to make that point and her hateful brother had used this as an excuse to promote her sister. She considered calling for the dogcart but as it was almost full dark and she had no wish to be alone with the groom in an open cart, she resisted on the grounds that her exquisite gown would become dusty. She would not admit that she could possibly be frightened of the dark countryside.
She therefore flounced back to her room without another word.
~O~
The three oldest Bennet sisters also attended the assembly.
Fanny Bennet insisted on traveling separately with her Jane to ensure they would not be squashed into the carriage which would have wrinkled their gowns. As a result, Mr Bennet, accompanied by Elizabeth and Mary, left early and he sent the carriage back to collect the other ladies.
The trio of Bennets were standing at the back of the hall chatting with their friends. Both Elizabeth and Mary received several requests for dances, which the girls happily accepted, except when Elizabeth explained, 'I am sorry, Mr Lucas, but Mary and I promised to sit out the third and sixth sets to give other ladies a chance to dance as well.'
John Lucas grinned at Elizabeth. While his sister Charlotte had become friends with Jane Bennet, he had always preferred the company of Elizabeth and Mary, although none of them were inclined towards anything other than friendship. 'I had hoped that for once you would be a little more selfish, but if both of you are determined to be kind, would you grant me the fourth set and Miss Mary the fifth?'
Elizabeth and Mary exchanged glances and answered in unison, 'We would be delighted.'
~O~
Mrs Fanny Bennet and Jane arrived, dresses unwrinkled, and were still in the process of greeting their friends Lady Lucas and her daughter Charlotte, when the party from Netherfield arrived.
Sir William Lucas, who had been hovering near the entrance, was pleased to welcome Mr Bingley and be introduced to his party.
'I am pleased that you have chosen to attend our little get-together. It is capital to have some new neighbours. May I introduce you to my family and our friends?'
When Bingley and his party declared themselves agreeable, Sir William led them to his family and their friends, where he performed the introduction.
Even though Bingley could barely keep his eyes of Jane, he very properly requested the first set from Charlotte, who was thrilled to accept. He then immediately asked Jane, 'Miss Bennet, if you are available for the second set, would you do me the honour of standing up with me?'
Fanny Bennet could hardly contain her pleasure that she was still speaking with Lady Lucas when Sir William brought the party from Netherfield to be introduced. She was vexed when Mr Bingley requested the first set from Charlotte but was mollified when he then asked Jane to dance.
She could not help but gush, 'Mr Bingley, you could not have chosen a better partner. My beautiful Jane is a very pretty dancer.' She turned to the other unattached member of the group. 'What about you, Mr Darcy. Do you dance? Would you not like to partner my beautiful Jane for the first set?'
Darcy almost reared back at the verbal assault from the uncouth woman. Having arrived in a relatively pleasant mood since Miss Bingley was not amongst them, that euphoria evaporated the instant Mrs Bennet addressed him in such a flagrant manner. 'I do not dance if I can help it, madam,' he said repressively and backed away, before turning and stalking to the far side of the room.
'Well, I never,' huffed Fanny. This Mr Darcy was a most unpleasant man who had no discernment since he would spurn such a beautiful woman as her Jane. To punish him she recommended, 'Another time, Jane, I would not dance with him, if I were you.'
~O~
~O~
A Most Attentive Father (working title) by Sydney Salier, Copyright © 2024
