Courtships & Corruption

by Cinnamon Worth

  If only, Mr. Darcy thought, someone could shield his own heart. He was able to maintain appearances he was unimpressed with the caliber of those at the assembly. Perhaps if he could reiterate this point repeatedly and avoid any unnecessary contact with Miss Elizabeth Bennet, he could convince himself of the truth in his words. Her family was most unbecoming. Her father had not even accompanied the six women to the event. Her mother engaged unabashedly in gossip. Her younger sisters were boisterous and flirted with the soldiers in the most indecent manner. Her middle sister, while technically proficient in music, was far from the accomplished prodigy she had been described as, and she carried a rather proud air as if she believed her talents and virtue to exceed those of others in the room. Finally, Miss Bennet seemed very like the many beauties who had been thrown on his path in hopes of making an advantageous match.

  But in truth, Mr. Darcy was struggling to find fault with Miss Elizabeth Bennet. She herself seemed wholly uninterested in seeking her fortune through marriage. She neither approached nor attempted to gain the attention of any of the men present. Her smiles weren’t permanently plastered on her face to ensure her dimples and cheekbones were noticed. Rather, her smiles were preceded by a set of facial expressions that demonstrated she’d been deep in thought, and they were accompanied by a twinkle of mirth in her eyes. A small part of him longed to know what she was thinking to bring on such merriment, but of course, such thoughts were folly.

  If only the gentleman knew at that very moment, Miss Elizabeth Bennet was also thinking of him, although not in the same enduring manner. Would the knowledge she had thought him both proud and arrogant have altered his affection or his behavior? Fitzwilliam Darcy was a man sure of himself, and he could not conceive his pragmatic approach to courting might be seen in a negative light. He was undertaking the matter as he did all aspects of life. He had scanned the room, found none of the potential candidates would make a suitable match, did nothing to encourage these inferior prospects, and aided the young ladies from becoming fodder for the elder town gossips. In his mind, he had sacrificed the entertainment that might have been found by engaging in conversation or dancing to protect the hearts and hopes of the fortune hunters and naïve ladies of Meryton. His moral code as a gentleman required he think of the feelings of others before his own, and in his mind, this is precisely what he had done.

  Mr. Hurst found the assembly to require too much energy and provide too little food, while the event made Mrs. Hurst long for her days as Miss Bingley. Louisa Hurst could not help but consider perhaps she had been hasty in marrying Mr. Hurst. The courtship had been brief, and Louisa had always felt her younger sister Caroline had played a hand in sealing her fate. Caroline had convinced her proposals were rare and it was best to accept the hand of Mr. Hurst than to risk becoming a spinster. Yet Caroline had been failing to live by the advice she dispensed. Caroline had been made an offer of marriage but declined, insisting a better match would be offered in time. Mrs. Hurst had noticed how her sister relished the role of Mistress of Netherfield Park and wondered if her desire to dispose of an elder sister for the purposes of filling such a role could have contributed to the advice she had given. Mrs. Hurst realized the past was gone and resolved to continue to work toward making the best of her situation. Still, she told herself, should Caroline attempt to interfere with her brother’s romantic future, she would not be so complaisant. It was for this reason she voiced approval of Miss Jane Bennet. Her brother seemed taken with her, and she knew better than any other present how long a loveless marriage felt.

  The contemplative mood of the party permitted Bingley to maintain the floor and for the balance of the ride. The young man spoke of the beauty and magic of the evening while no one actually listened.

  ∞∞∞

  As the Netherfield party returned to their estate, Agnes’ journey had taken an expected detour. She would never again see her parents. In fact, she would never again see anyone on this Earth. She had returned to her final resting place and, her body had been discarded down a steep bank and lay limp and lifeless, half submerged in a creek.

  It had not been his intention to kill her. He had only used the rope to cut off her air so she would lose consciousness and he could load her into the wagon with more ease. He had hoped to bring her to London and sell her to one of the brothels. They paid top dollar for country lasses, especially if they were still maidens. But this one had struggled, and before he knew it, he had lost his valuable cargo as she had lost her life. He dragged her body to the edge of the path and rolled her down the bank. The area was thickly forested and the path infrequently used. She might never be found, which would be best for him. Only a small part of him feared discovery. No one had witnessed his crime, and he had no connection to this girl. Still, the consequences being what they were, it would be unnatural if he had no fear of discovery. But his greater concern was if she was located and the town folk suspected murder, he would have no further opportunities to fulfill his purpose.

  Without the payoff he would have gotten from this delivery, he had no choice but to stay in Meryton. It was unfortunate he was going to be stuck here longer than he had hoped, but his real goal was to get away before his militia unit left Hertfordshire. He still had time. He started his journey back into town and noted, in her struggle, the damn wench had taken off two of his buttons. It was too dark to locate them tonight. He would return on the morrow and collect them. It was unlikely her body would be discovered but, just in case, he did not want to leave anything behind that might demonstrate he had been down that way.

  Chapter 5

  “Where is that girl?” Mrs. Butler shook her head. What should she have expected? She had taken a chance on someone young who had no experience. It was half an hour before dawn and someone needed to set fires in the breakfast parlor, study, and sitting room. “I will say this now, so you each will hear it — I will not tolerate such behavior. I run a tight ship and each one of you is expected to pull your own weight.”

  The mansion was teaming with energy as the staff prepared for the day. The kitchen staff was busy prepping the day’s meals, the valets and lady’s maids were pressing and mending clothes, the chambermaids were heating water, and a small group of people, including Mrs. Butler, hurriedly broke their fast. “David, I need you to set fires downstairs. We cannot wait any longer for Agnes.”

  David wondered what had happened at the Ashbury house to delay Agnes’ return. In the past two weeks, she had taken him into her confidence, and he was surprised to discover how much they had in common. He too was the eldest and had left home as quickly as possible to minimize his burden to his family. He sent as much back to them as he could afford, but he knew that having no savings of his own would leave him terribly exposed should something happen that could result in his dismissal. Further, he would someday like to start a family of his own, but this seemed like a fantasy when he considered how much his parents still relied on his assistance.

  Agnes was still learning, and he wished he had better prepared her regarding the expectations that accompanied such a coveted position. He should have explained to her how important it was to Mrs. Butler to be kept informed of the need for unexpected time off. If she was not back by his next day off, he would go to the Ashbury cottage and help her form an apology. He had never actually been to the cottage, but he was sure the locals could provide directions. The two had spoken at length, and he knew without question she adored her job. He hoped together they could come up with an excuse, which would stand up to Mrs. Butler’s wrath. The girl was inexperienced, but she had a fire in her, which told him she would someday make a fantastic head housekeeper. He had started to hope he might be around to see it when it happened.

  Today was Betsy’s day off, and she happened to catch the conversation as she sat down for breakfast. She had taken a liking to Agnes, and she too was loath to see her punished for what mostly likely amounted to oversleeping. Betsy remembered how exhausted she had been her first month working.
Of course, she had only been eleven years old. She would never forget that year. It was during the winter when the fever swept through Meryton. It had taken both her parents and she had found herself alone and penniless. The pastor’s wife had found her and let her stay with them for a week until they found a permanent solution.

  The fever had also robbed the Harrises of their daughter and Mrs. Harris grieved as no woman should. Her daughter had been eight and had been the light of her life. The Harrises ran a store and could use extra help. The pastor thought that Betsy could work at the store and live with the Harris family. It seemed the perfect solution and it promised to bring solace to two families ripped apart by illness. Unfortunately, every time Mrs. Harris saw Betsy, she was reminded of what she had lost. She resented Betsy for surviving when her daughter had not been so lucky. She worked Betsy to the bone and beat her whenever she could find an excuse. Betsy learned that one could survive in any environment, but she also held out hope that she would not always need to. After six years living with the devil, she found a job as a scullery maid with the help of the pastor’s wife. And now, two years later, she had worked her way up the ranks and felt she lived the most blessed of lives. She had been lucky and had received a helping hand when she most needed it. She could not help but feel Agnes deserved the same.

  “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Butler,” Betsy said. “I just remembered I agreed to work for Agnes today. I meant to tell you, but it slipped my mind. I’ll go run and change.”

  Mrs. Butler huffed and scolded Betsy for her forgetfulness, but deep down she was glad to find her instincts about Agnes had not been wrong.

  ∞∞∞

  At Longbourn, a maid of all work was tending to the needs of the Bennets. She expected today her mistress would be having company. It was common knowledge the day following a ball, the women in attendance should gather in small groups to examine and interpret the events of the prior evening. To do so would ensure adequate time for making marriage preparations and knitting infant clothing. While the Misses Bennet and the Misses Lucas would be engaged in lively discussion, the women of Netherfield had a much smaller social circle in Meryton, and so it fell to Mr. Bingley’s two sisters to dissect the whole of the evening with no assistance from anyone else. The two ladies sat alone in the parlor as the men had taken advantage of the fine weather and liberty of the manor.

  “I will grant Miss Bennet was attractive for a lady of her obviously limited means, but I fail to see what the colonel meant when he implied the other four Bennet sisters held any sort of allure,” Miss Bingley said, looking somewhat vexed.

  Mrs. Hurst, having greater insight than one might presume, had surmised something in Mr. Darcy’s behavior had indicated to her sister he had not failed to see the allure to which the colonel had alluded. She decided to put her sister’s mind at ease. “I believe you are not the only member of our party who was bewildered by that very puzzle,” she said.

  Her sister’s eyes bade her continue.

  “After Mr. Hurst and my second dance, Mr. Hurst left me in a seat while he retrieved punch. While I sat there surveying the room, the two women behind me began a conversation using the loudest of whispers. Why I hardly had to strain my ears at all to hear them.” Mrs. Hurst raised her eyebrows to indicate the indecency of such gossips, and she took a small sip of her tea. “They had overheard Miss Lucas and Miss Elizabeth Bennet talking about Mr. Darcy.” Mrs. Hurst, unsure if her sister could keep the gaggle of Bennets straight, felt the need to elaborate. “Miss Elizabeth Bennet is the second eldest and has the brown hair, but she is not to be confused with Miss Mary Bennet who looks as if she might…”

  Mrs. Hurst’s explanation was cut short by an impatient Miss Bingley. “Yes, yes,” she interrupted. “I know which Bennet is which, pray proceed. You were saying they were speaking of Mr. Darcy.”

  “Right. Yes. Well, according to the woman behind me, she had overheard Miss Elizabeth tell Miss Lucas that when our brother had asked Mr. Darcy to dance with her, Mr. Darcy had refused, saying she was not attractive enough to tempt him!” The sisters both broke off into peals of laughter. After the giggles had ceded, Mrs. Hurst added, “He also called her ‘tolerable’”

  Both ladies again giggled and continued to sip their tea. This account had raised Miss Bingley’s spirits considerably. Caroline Bingley’s mind relaxed as she accepted all was right with the World. Miss Elizabeth Bennet posed no threat to her own future happiness. The women continued to spend a pleasant morning scoffing at the poor manners and judgmental nature of the other parties who partook in the prior evening’s engagement.

  ∞∞∞

  The following morning the two ladies again found themselves in the parlor, this time accompanied by the three gentlemen. Mr. Bingley and Mr. Hurst spoke of the finer points of billiards while Mr. Darcy composed a letter to his dear sister elaborating on the sites of Meryton. Miss Bingley hovered near the secretary where Mr. Darcy sat, and Mrs. Hurst sat on the couch quietly embroidering. The party had not been in the parlor more than twenty minutes when the butler entered the room and handed Miss Bingley a card announcing she had visitors.

  “It seems Mrs. Bennet and her daughters are calling,” Caroline announced to the room in a somewhat dry tone, which could not contain a hint of annoyance. She had decided to give Miss Bennet a chance, but she had not prepared herself for the onslaught of Miss Bennet’s relations. Had she known that was necessary to form a stronger alliance with the young lady in question, she may have reconsidered her interest in the girl.

  Upon hearing his sister’s announcement, Mr. Bingley’s face lit up and he turned to the butler excitedly instructing the man to show the party into the parlor. Mr. Hurst retreated to his wife’s side and Mr. Darcy set down the quill in anticipating of standing to greet the ladies.

  No sooner had the Bennet’s entered than Mrs. Bennet began to effuse praise on every aspect of the room, the ladies’ dresses, and the joy their company at the assembly had brought to all in attendance. It was through sheer restraint she held herself back from giving Mr. Bingley a big hug as she already viewed him as the son she never had.

  Jane stood quietly and when she thought no one would notice, she cast very demure glances in the direction of Mr. Bingley. Elizabeth Bennet, knowing her sister as she did herself, never missed one of these stolen glimpses, and Mr. Bingley could not have missed them for his eyes never left the face of Miss Bennet.

  Mr. Darcy was quite ignored by the entire party, and he used this time to search for the faults of the uninvited guests. He was quickly able to gather additional evidence to support his earlier opinions on the three youngest Miss Bennets as well as Mrs. Bennet, but he could find nothing at fault in either of the elder two daughter’s behavior or demeanor. He knew he could not convince his friend of a failing in Miss Bennet’s appearance, so he instead decided to examine Miss Elizabeth’s appearance to remind himself of her physical defects. She lacked symmetry, and he shook his head at the knowledge he had briefly considered her bewitching or beautiful. Upon closer inspection, there was not a single feature on her face that could be deemed beautiful on its own, but he could not deny she had a very tactful manner, which demonstrated her incredible wit when the need called for her to rein in her mother or younger sisters. The call was brief and Mr. Darcy felt both a sense of relief and an odd sense of disappointment once the party left. He was certain the disappointment was because there was no longer any distraction keeping Caroline Bingley from hovering around him like a moth hovers near the light.

  Mr. Bingley was the first to speak upon the guests’ departure. “I say, it was awfully friendly of the Bennets to come all this way to call. I think common neighborly courtesy suggests you should invite at least the older Miss Bennets to dinner. What say you, Caroline? Both of those young ladies are close in age to you and Louisa. I am sure you would find Meryton much improved once you make some friends. The older Miss Bennets were both well-mannered and their family is our closest neighbors.”

  M
iss Bingley could see no objection to her brother’s request, so she sat across from Mr. Darcy and composed her own invitation as he completed his letter to Georgiana.

  When the dinner invitation arrived at the Bennett household, Mr. Bennet was certain he might go deaf. Never had his wife squealed so much in her life. When she finally quieted down, he discovered his hearing remained very much intact, and he pondered whether this was a relief or a disappointment. As Mrs. Bennet, revitalized by her brief respite, renewed her expression of happiness, Mr. Bennet decided his feelings toward his lack of hearing loss definitely favored the latter.

  “Oh my, we must hurry into town and purchase some ribbons. We can weave them into your hair and if we all work very diligently, we can sew some on the hem of the blue gown that looks so lovely on you, Jane,” Mrs. Bingley announced to the room. It was clear all available resources of the Bennet household, with the exception of Mr. Bennet, would be engaged for the next several hours in pursuit of bringing out the very best of Jane’s features. The attendance of Elizabeth at the dinner was viewed as a formality, and not even Elizabeth herself felt it was necessary to have any concern regarding her own appearance. Mr. Bennet, however, had always had a special place in his heart for his Lizzy. As the girls readied themselves for a quick jaunt into town, Mr. Bennet quietly pulled Elizabeth aside and insisted she take a little extra pin money and buy herself something nice to wear to the dinner at Netherfield.