It was not long after until Caroline regained consciousness. She jolted and let out a scream upon seeing Mrs Bennet's face so close to hers.
"There, there now," Mrs Bennet beamed at her. "You are fortunate that I have the strongest smelling salts with me."
"Oh, she is awake!" Kitty exclaimed.
"Miss Bingley, I have so many questions to ask you. About the wedding!" Lydia spoke excitedly.
"Lydia!" Elizabeth tried to hush her youngest sister.
"What, Lizzy? I want to know if the redcoats--"
"Now is not the time, Lydia," Elizabeth shook her head and shot her sister a warning look.
Caroline did not know whether she ought to pretend to faint so that she may avoid the embarrassment of acknowledging her likely fate. Slowly, she made a move to sit up and escape her audience.
"I… I think I would like to rest in my chambers."
"Allow me or your sister to assist you," Mrs Bennet offered.
"Or perhaps she would prefer Colonel Forster to carry her upstairs," Lydia said giddily.
"That is not appropriate, Lydia!" Elizabeth expressed her disapproval, keeping her voice low.
"You are such a prude. I wonder if anyone will ever suit you," Lydia pouted.
Louisa accompanied Caroline to her bedroom, and the rest of the party continued their breakfast. To Darcy's dismay, Mr Collins continually addressed Elizabeth during the course of the morning meal. The handsome gentleman observed Elizabeth's reaction to the parson's marked attentions and hoped that she was not considering his suit.
After breakfast, Bingley invited Colonel Forster into his study for a serious discussion. When he joined the others in the parlour later, he was thrilled to be met by the angelic face of Jane in the midst of his other guests. Before long, Colonel Fitzwilliam and Wickham went on their way to see to the business of arranging a wedding.
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Around midday, Louisa had tasked the housekeeper and cook to prepare some light refreshments. Concerned that her younger sister had not partaken of breakfast, she took it upon herself to visit Caroline and invite her downstairs.
"Caroline, how are you feeling?" she asked. "I know you are not really asleep. Come now, get up and join us for some food," she continued and waited for a reply.
For a few more moments, Caroline remained still, then her lashes fluttered when she attempted to sneak a peek at Louisa.
"A-ha! I was right!"
"How do you know I am awake?" Caroline questioned.
"You were perfectly silent."
"What do you mean? Of course, a person will be silent when sleeping," Caroline frowned.
"Not you. I mean, you make some strange noises occasionally… sometimes… most of the time…"
Caroline gasped. "I do not snore!"
"How would you know? You would be asleep. You do not hear yourself when you do this," and here Louise imitated Caroline's snorts and whistles.
"Louisa! That is not very ladylike!" Caroline was affronted by her sister's taunts.
"I was only mimicking the sounds you make."
"Hmpf! I notice that you are becoming more childish with age. I wonder your husband does not get irritated with you. Well, I suppose there is not so much of an issue if half the time he is asleep."
"At least he does not snore," Louisa muttered under her breath.
"What did you say?"
"I said, do you still feel sore? If you are not present, Charles will quite happily allow Jane's and her family's preferences to dominate the planning of the ball," Louisa reported.
"That cannot be! We are the ones hosting the event."
"Do not forget, currently, you are not exactly in good standing with your brother," Louisa reminded her.
Those Bennets are becoming the bane of my existence! Caroline thought as she rang the bell for the maid. Taking in a deep breath, she was resolved to maintain control over the household and derail their pesky visitors from manipulating her gullible brother.
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Before going down, Caroline fussed over her appearance to ensure she looked her best. Keeping with the latest fashion was perhaps her greatest pride. Those country bumpkins, especially that Eliza, displayed no sense of style or good taste. Even if they did, they had no means or money to acquire the finest garments and accessories.
Descending the stairs with extra care, she held her head high, raising one hand to her head to ensure that the expensive feathers in her hair were securely in place. With every movement, she wanted to show off her elegance and superiority. Her manner of serving tea was impeccable. She was determined not to let anything or anyone get on her nerves.
The initial conversations revolved around safe topics of discussion. The weather, the food and beverages, the tableware. Caroline graciously accepted the praise from her guests and courteously smiled at them.
"I cannot wait for the thirtieth of the month!" Lydia suddenly blurted out.
Caroline turned to her with a curious look, not wishing to ask her directly.
"Oh, that is the date of the ball!"
"The date of the ball? Here at Netherfield?" Caroline's eyes widened.
Lydia nodded enthusiastically and informed her, "Mr Bingley has set the date. Finally!"
"But that is in less than a fortnight!" Caroline was alarmed at the date being so soon, and it being declared without her prior knowledge.
"Miss Elizabeth wisely suggested that the ball be held during a full moon," Charles said in response. "And no one here has made any objections." Darcy looked at Elizabeth approvingly and envisioned dancing with her on the night of the ball.
Mr Collins then interrupted his reverie with this remark. "Yes, my dearest cousin Elizabeth is quite a clever lady."
She is much too clever for you, Darcy thought.
"I do not think that will allow us sufficient time to plan and make the necessary orders and purchases. Why don't we delay it till next month?" Caroline put her idea forward.
"It will be Christmas time by then. Darcy, I am fairly certain, would have other commitments with his family. He may not be too fond of dancing, but you would not want him to miss the ball," Charles explained in a firm tone.
Oh, I would not mind dancing half the night with Elizabeth, Darcy mused.
"Very well," Caroline frowned, worried that she had so little time to find a way out of her impending betrothal to an unappealing man. She had to employ her charms to convince her brother against it.
"I am sure you are very capable of managing the preparations and coordinating with Hill and cook. Louisa would be able to help, although she has been quite busy this past week and she might need some time to rest."
"Of course. I will do my best," Caroline answered.
"Will you extend invitations to the officers?" Kitty dared to ask. The two youngest Bennet daughters had tactically chosen to sit on either side of the hostess so that they may easily pose their multitude of questions at her.
"That goes without saying, because of Colonel Forster!" Lydia told her sister. "There would be so many redcoats in attendance!" she squealed in delight. Not careful with the cup she was holding, she accidentally spilled some of her drink onto Caroline's dress.
"Oh, I am ever so sorry!" Lydia apologised. "It is only a few drops. No one will notice it." Lydia used a table napkin to dab the fabric dry, but this did not conceal the stain. Caroline's nostrils flared as she inspected the damage.
"My dearest cousin Elizabeth, now that the date of the ball has been set, would you do me the honour of dancing the first with me?" Mr Collins boldly requested.
"I… I…" Elizabeth hesitated.
"Mr Collins, pardon me for asking, but I seem to recall you saying that my aunt expects you to return a week before the advent season commences," Darcy reminded the clergyman.
"Yes. Yes, indeed you are correct. I shall have to write to her to request that my leave be extended by a few days. It is pitiful that I might therefore miss delivering my prepared sermon for Stir Up Sunday. I have committed to memory the verses from the Book of Common Prayer, which so impressed my most esteemed patroness Lady Catherine last year. 'Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people –-'"
His impromptu speech rendered in a loud and solemn voice elicited chuckles from Lydia and Kitty, who could barely suppress their reaction.
"I find it quite grievous how some young people can be so little interested in appreciating the meaning and importance of the word of God. However, generous as I am, I would forgive them due to their lack of experience and understanding. I would no longer importune my fair cousins."
For a moment, Kitty managed to keep a serious face. But then Lydia burst into laughter, and she could not help but do the same.
"Lydia, stop it…"
"I cannot... we were discussing the ball… and then…" the two girls continued to talk in between laughs.
"That is quite enough," Caroline warned them, disgusted to have tiny bits of food spat at her as she sat between the two boisterous girls.
"Do you not find it funny though? To listen to a sermon..."
"No, I do not. And you ought not to talk or laugh when your mouth is full. I do not want cream or jam on my face."
"I am so sorry, Miss Bingley. I forgot my manners," Kitty apologised rather insincerely.
Lydia glanced at Caroline's face and thought the colours of the cream and jam matched the tint of her rouge. She bit into a sweet cake but pursed her lips to prevent her from going into hysterics again.
Caroline noticed her shaking shoulders and could not bear Lydia's appalling behaviour any longer. In one swift motion, she seized Lydia's plate of food but the other girl would not release it.
"I am not finished with my food."
"I thought you are done."
"No, let me just eat the rest of the cake."
"Very well. There, you can have it." Caroline immediately let go of her hold on the plate, which caused the food to go all over Lydia's chest and bodice.
"Now, look what you have done!" Lydia cried, while Caroline did not hide her smirk.
Before long, the two ladies were embroiled in a food-throwing fight, launching whatever they could get their hands on. Elizabeth intervened, alternately dodging flying objects and trying to separate the ladies at war. At the same time, Charles also grabbed hold of Caroline in order to subdue her. Darcy put himself in the middle, with his arms outstretched, acting as a shield. Throughout the chaotic scenes, Mrs Bennet and Kitty shrieked, Mr Collins and Mr Hurst protected their choice foods, Jane watched in disbelief, Mary recited some lines, and Louisa moved potentially dangerous items like cutlery out of the way.
"Caroline! For shame!" Charles admonished his sister.
"She started it! She ruined my dress, and my hair, and my feathers!" she accused.
"They were ugly anyway," Lydia muttered, and Elizabeth squeezed her arm to discourage further retorts.
"You should go back to Longbourn. All of you. The rain has stopped, and you can all go back home!" Caroline shouted in anger.
"Do not be rash, Caroline. We have to ensure the safe state of the roads and make arrangements for transport. We would also need to call for Mr Jones to confirm that Miss Bennet is well enough to travel home," Charles cautioned.
"I want them gone by tomorrow," Caroline declared before Charles ordered her into his study. He asked Louisa to tend to their guests first before joining them. Afterwards, Jane, who was the calmest of the Bennets, led Lydia upstairs, with Kitty following close behind. As the mess in the parlour was being cleaned up, the rest of the party scattered into other places. Some removed into another drawing room while others settled themselves in the library.
Elizabeth decided to go upstairs to have a serious conversation with Lydia, as their mother hardly disciplined the youngest. She did not want to cause undue stress to Jane.
"Miss Elizabeth."
She heard a deep voice from behind her before she ascended the stairs. "Mr Darcy," she turned to face him, embarrassed by the actions of her sister.
"I just wanted to see if you are well. I hope you are not hurt."
That was not what she expected to hear from the man.
"I am well, thank you. And thank you for helping."
He noticed that she was staring at the lapel of his coat instead of looking at him. When he looked down, he saw the little bits of food on his clothing. He took out his handkerchief to wipe off any residue. "Is that better?"
"You have something there. On your hair," Elizabeth was tempted to reach out and remove it herself. "Right there."
Darcy shook his head and used his fingers to rake through his hair. He raised his eyebrows at her and she nodded her approval.
"If there is anything I can do to help, would you let me know?"
"Oh. Right. Thank you… but I do not know..." she sounded unsure of what he could help her with.
"I would happily lend you my carriage, for instance. Should you have use for it," Darcy offered.
"I see. That is very kind of you. I think Jane would appreciate the comfort of being in a carriage rather than going on horseback," she smiled at him.
"You would want to keep her company, much as I know how fond you are of walking," his eyes twinkled.
"How about Mr Collins?"
"He could return using the donkey cart. Bingley had tasked his men to see to its repair," he hoped he did not sound like a jealous suitor. "After all, he had borrowed it from your father."
"And what if he were to have another accident?"
"Do you care for him?" he asked then quickly added, "Pardon me. It is not my place to ask."
"Not any more than a distant cousin," she admitted.
He almost said 'I am glad', but stopped himself in time.
"I should go—"
"Wait, Miss Elizabeth. Just one more thing. Would you please save a dance for me during the ball?" he held his breath while waiting for her reply.
"Yes," Elizabeth answered after a brief pause, feeling her cheeks grow warm. She knew she must have bits of food on her person, judging from the untidy state of her dress, but the handsome man gazed at her like there was nothing wanting in her appearance.
"The supper dance, if you will?"
"The supper dance it is, Mr Darcy."
Later on, the gentleman entered the library wearing a small smile on his face. With Mary being the only unattached lady present, Mrs Bennet was certain that she was correct in guessing that Mr Darcy favoured her middle daughter.
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Sorry for the delay.
I hope to get back to writing this June.
This chapter is longer than the previous ones so hopefully it somewhat makes up for the delay.
Thank you for your patience.