At Last: A Pride and Prejudice Variation

by Anne Morris

  "The daughters were all older than us," remarked Jane. "We did not really know them."

  "It is not as if we ever moved in the same circles, Mamma. They came up from London with a great house party of guests but never thought to invite us," explained Elizabeth. Mrs. Bennet said nothing to this all too accurate observation.

  "I wonder if there was not as much money in the family as any of us thought despite that grand estate?" remarked Aunt Philips.

  "I barely remember the fire," said Catherine, who had sat and merely listened up to this point.

  "I wonder that they have not repaired the fire damage," mused Mrs. Philips, still wondering about money.

  "Such things are costly. I suppose Aunt Philips has the measure of it and the Osmont family does not have as much money as we all suppose," considered Elizabeth.

  "They only have three daughters to marry off, not five," said Mrs. Bennet.

  "And I heard tell one did marry eventually and marry well," said Mrs. Philips. "But I do not know what happened to the others. There was some talk that one was a little odd—the youngest one, Iola—that they would have been happy to have any man take her off their hands. Perhaps she was quite ugly."

  "Their dowries are, no doubt, better than ours," remarked Catherine. Mrs. Bennet glared at her daughter to silence her. Not that they did not all know the situation about the Bennet daughters. Mrs. Bennet had brought five thousand to the marriage which had been settled equally on the daughters. Mr. Bennet had done nothing to augment that amount and, until Simon had been born, Longbourn estate had been entailed to a distant cousin. Now, at least, that six year old boy's existence guaranteed the future health and welfare of his older sisters and his mother.

  "It is interesting so many of our estates around here have been empty," remarked Jane.

  "It is a sad thing for our neighborhood society," agreed her mother.

  "Netherfield Park has been unoccupied for four years," said Elizabeth.

  "And they never get anyone to let Purvis Lodge for longer than six months at a time and really such unacceptable families," said Mrs. Bennet uncharitably.

  "You just mean there are no eligible gentlemen," remarked Elizabeth.

  "Lizzy!" scolded Jane, and Elizabeth had the grace to look sheepish.

  "But you said Netherfield Park has been let?" Mrs. Bennet suddenly recalled what had set in motion the entire conversation.

  "Yes!" exclaimed Mrs. Philips. "And it has been taken by a young man. By all reports he is single, from a family up north and most eligible!"

  "What excellent news!" Mrs. Bennet turned to look at the three daughters assembled before her—Mary was practicing on her instrument. "And how soon before he takes possession?"

  "According to Mrs. Morris, who came to call first thing this morning, he is to come as soon as they can affect a few repairs. Mr. Morris told him about our up-coming assembly and Mr. Bingley—that is his name, Mr. Charles Bingley—said he should like to attend if he could," exclaimed Mrs. Philips.

  "What a fine thing for you girls!" cried Mrs. Bennet. "Dancing is always the best way to fall in love. And then falling in love leads to marriage."

  "You certainly have high expectations for Mr. Bingley," exclaimed Elizabeth.

  "Elizabeth—when you have five daughters to marry off, I challenge you to be less excited at the prospect of an eligible young man moving into the neighborhood," answered her mother looking over at her with a frown.

  "I doubt, ma'am, that I shall ever have five daughters," and she looked not at her mother, but at the wall opposite. Jane, who was seated next to her, put a hand out surreptitiously to Elizabeth. Mrs. Bennet and Elizabeth did not always agree, and Elizabeth, twenty-three and unmarried, often clashed with her mother about her state. In many ways, Mrs. Bennet had given over finding a husband for her oldest and concentrated on marrying off the remaining four daughters.

  "Jane! You must have a new dress for the Assembly ball," declared her mother.

  "But I am almost done re-trimming my yellow dress," protested Jane.

  "I should love a new dress," offered Catherine.

  "And so you shall have one," said her mother. "Go and fetch Mary, my love, she should hear this news as well," and while Catherine ran off to fetch her sister, Mrs. Bennet turned back to cajole Jane into agreeing to a new dress.

  "What about Lizzy?" asked Jane.

  "I do not need a new dress. Besides, I wonder if Miss Simnel should not like to attend the dance. I suspect her curate might ride over from Stevenage," answered Elizabeth.

  "I am not at all sure I want to encourage that connection," said Mrs. Bennet. "What if they marry?"

  "You should lose your governess and need to take over the responsibilities of raising your children yourself," replied Elizabeth.

  "Lizzy!" scolded Jane.

  "Elizabeth!" scolded Mrs. Philips.

  "I apologize, Mamma," said Elizabeth, but she did not sound contrite at all.

  Catherine returned with Mary and plans were made for a trip to the dressmaker, Mrs. Heard, the next morning. Elizabeth excused herself and ran up to the nursery. She found it empty, however, so would need to intercept Miss Simnel about any desire to attend the assembly ball at a later time.

  Two

  —

  The Assembly

  Mr. Bingley moved into the neighborhood, and all the gentlemen, especially all the fathers with daughters, called on him. Mr. Bennet was berated continuously by his wife and daughters to describe the young man, but he was not in the habit of describing male beauty so was hard pressed to find anything to truly say about Mr. Bingley beyond the fact that he was a young, pleasant, and agreeable man. Lady Lucas, their neighbor, said that her husband, Sir William Lucas, had been delighted with him. He was young, wonderfully handsome, quite a congenial fellow, and meant to bring a large party to the Assembly. Mrs. Bennet entertained high hopes as to his falling in love with one of her daughters.

  He was so much sought after that he, perhaps, had too many return visits to place. While he dutifully called on Mr. Bennet, Mr. Bingley did not meet any of the daughters, nor did the Bennet girls get the opportunity to see him up close. They at least spied on him from an upper window when he came to call on their father and determined he wore a blue coat and rode a black horse.

  An invitation to dine, however, was declined as Mr. Bingley indicated he had to go down to London. Mrs. Bennet wondered at this sudden flight so soon after his arrival. She worried he would never settle at Netherfield and be like all those tenants at Purvis Lodge who barely set foot there, and one had just learned their names when they took their furniture and moved on. It was learned that this trip to London was to gather a house party, of sorts, which he was to bring to the Assembly ball. Rumors circulated that there were to be twelve ladies and seven gentlemen, but Elizabeth tempered that as mere speculation as any house party strives for even numbers of ladies and gentlemen. She had learned that by hearing over the years—but at a distance—about the summer house parties at Stokes.

  Lydia was wild to go to the Assembly. Her attendance at breakfast in the morning improved, but Mr. Bennet expressed no opinion as to her status in his eyes, whenever he was applied to. He merely noted she was 'improving' but would not venture to say whether he was considering letting her attend. Lydia regularly appealed to Mrs. Bennet for her support, but while her mother gave her a sympathetic ear, Mrs. Bennet was far more interested in ensuring Jane, Mary, and Catherine meet Mr. Bingley. She was more involved in thoughts of what it would meant to have a daughter settled at Netherfield Hall than in seeing Lydia attend the Assembly.

  Jane lent Lydia a sympathetic ear, but she was always charitable and took time out of her day for any of her sisters. One ally Lydia did not consider was her oldest sister, Elizabeth. She and Elizabeth were of dissimilar temperaments and did not often seek each other out, but Elizabeth felt that Mr. Bennet was being a bit unfair in not offering any opinion on the likelihood of Lydia's being able to go to the Assembly. Since
Elizabeth often ran into Lydia when outdoors with Miss Simnel and Simon for daily exercise, it became a common occurrence to discuss the chances that she would get to go. The morning of the Assembly there still was no decision.

  "I fear he is being too hard on you this time," said Elizabeth. She doubted Lydia caught the emphasis on the 'this time.'

  "Even Miss Simnel is going," pouted Lydia. They were walking behind Miss Simnel and Simon, the latter had, as was his habit, a collection of sticks in one hand, and he was bounding about the governess' feet talking, no doubt, of battles and soldiers.

  "Miss Simnel is a grown lady who is twenty-seven and has had her come-out," pointed out Elizabeth.

  "I cannot believe she got to go to London for a Season," Lydia's tone was still peevish. "Even you had a Season and it did neither of you any good. No husband."

  "With some young ladies it takes a second or a third try," said Elizabeth faintly as she watched Simon race to pick up a rather long stick which the governess rejected.

  "I shall get a husband on the first try," said Lydia.

  "First try at what?" asked Elizabeth. "At going out into society, at a ball or at a Season in London?"

  "At some gentleman being interested in me," said Lydia.

  "You have much to learn, Lydia, if you will take the first interested gentleman. I pray that you will not," said Elizabeth.

  "I don't want to end up an old maid like you and Jane," she said.

  "Jane is only twenty-one. That is hardly an old maid. I may be past my dancing days soon, however," admitted Elizabeth.

  "You and Charlotte!" cried Lydia. "And yet Charlotte keeps trying, and she is way older than you," finished Lydia.

  "Poor Charlotte has, perhaps, more of a need to marry to secure her future. Sir William has four sons to provide for. He is best off if he can marry his daughters to wealthy men and not worry about providing for them."

  "Why is that different?" asked Lydia.

  "There is only one son here, Simon; if we did not marry, we could live cheaply on his good will," answered Elizabeth, and she looked kindly at her youngest sister.

  "We would still be old maids," said Lydia and made a face.

  "Yes."

  "Best if we married," argued Lydia.

  "Perhaps you are right," said Elizabeth, and they continued trailing after Miss Simnel and Simon.

  • • •

  Mr. Bennet sprang his news on Lydia, which was both exciting and disappointing, during afternoon tea. He accepted a cup from Jane, feeling Lydia's eyes on him as he had asked her to come downstairs, and said Lydia could go to the Assembly, but she was not permitted to dance.

  "Not to dance, Mr. Bennet, that is beyond cruel," cried Mrs. Bennet coming straight to Lydia's defense for once.

  "I believe young ladies should show they can behave themselves in a social gathering first," said Mr. Bennet. "If she stands up with one of her sisters and behaves herself with decorum, then next time there is an Assembly we can speak about her dancing."

  "But all of the girls are to dance, how are they to enjoy themselves on the dance floor and keep an eye on our Lydia?" asked Mrs. Bennet.

  "She may always remain with you all evening," said Mr. Bennet. But Mrs. Bennet had other plans which did not include having her fifteen year old daughter constantly at her side. She needed to observe Mr. Bingley and his introduction into Meryton society.

  "I have many plans this evening," said Mrs. Bennet vaguely, without explaining herself. "Lizzy does not care for dancing, why not have Lizzy look after her?"

  "But Mamma!" exclaimed Elizabeth, "I was to stay home with Simon in the nursery as Miss Simnel wishes to go. She does love to dance, you know, Papa," said Elizabeth, addressing her father though not pointing out that the curate, Mr. Legget, who had shown some interest in their governess, was likely making his way to Meryton as well.

  "Can Sally not sit with the boy?" he asked while Lydia watched the exchange.

  "But Sally does not read so well, Papa, and Simon loves to hear a story at bedtime," Elizabeth explained. The room was quiet, but the atmosphere was charged as six women looked at Mr. Bennet as he sipped his tea in thought.

  "Perhaps I can pop up to read Simon his story? Elizabeth you can go stand up with Lydia, and your mother can get up to whatever nonsense it is she wishes to undertake," he proposed.

  "Thank you, Papa!" Lydia jumped up from her chair but stopped short in front of her father, stopped short of any sort of affection and curtsied. Elizabeth sat with her tea cup on her lap and considered this change to her evening. She had no new dress, had not considered what sort of state any of her ballgowns were in, and really had no time to fix any rips or tears if they had any. She looked up to see Lydia flying from the room in excitement. She had laid out a number of choices in case she might be permitted to go and would no doubt be fussing over them until the very last minute.

  Elizabeth was the last to bathe and to dress, or have the ministrations of a maid. She did not overly care about her appearance that evening, listening instead to the voices coming from her sisters' rooms as they primmed and talked about the upcoming evening. Elizabeth had on a soft blue dress, probably over three years old now, and her hair was simply arranged though curls framed her face.

  There were too many of them to all fit in the carriage without completely crushing their gowns, but an argument ensued downstairs as to which was to be taken in the first trip. Even without Mr. Bennet attending, his presence was still felt as a reluctant Lydia gave up her right to a spot in the first carriage ride. By the time Elizabeth, Lydia and Miss Simnel arrived in the second carriage trip, Jane, Mary and Catherine were with a growing group of young women across the hall, all talking excitedly about Mr. Bingley's arrival while Mrs. Bennet was with the Meryton matrons largely discussing the same subject. Rumors as to the number of his house party still swirled around the room with varying highs and lows as to the numbers of newcomers that would swell their ranks that evening.

  The long-awaited party finally entered the Assembly room, and Elizabeth smiled as she counted only five in the party. So many of the ladies had grieved that there would be an excess of women, but the party from Netherfield was composed of Mr. Bingley, his two sisters, and two gentlemen. Elizabeth watched as the entire air of the room seemed to change as all eyes were on that party as they moved about the room being introduced to the principal people therein.

  "I suppose he is handsome though he is getting on in years," said Lydia as she too followed the same set of figures as her sister. Elizabeth laughed gently. Mr. Bingley could be no more than twenty-five; he was probably younger. While he appeared good-looking and fine of figure, what struck her, even at this distance, was his pleasant countenance and friendly manners. He smiled and chatted with obvious enjoyment to all of their Meryton neighbors as she watched him move about the room.

  "Look at that one lady's dress, Lizzy, that has to be new. I should like to have a dress like that," continued Lydia turning her attention to fashion.

  "The design is intriguing," agreed Elizabeth, "but I do not think orange would look good on you. It would wash out your coloring."

  "You could wear such a color, Lizzy, it would be better than that ugly old blue you are wearing now," argued Lydia.

  "I have no one to impress," answered Elizabeth.

  "You really do want to end up an old maid!" Lydia turned to eye her.

  "I think my marriage prospects have passed me by," said Elizabeth. Lydia looked at her but no light of comprehension came, her fifteen year old self could not understand giving up at twenty-three, and the confused look stayed planted there as she turned to look again at the newcomers.

  "That tall man is really well-dressed, Lizzy, and he is quite handsome. If he is a friend of Mr. Bingley's then he is probably just as old. Perhaps he might do for you," ventured the younger sister.

  "So you think because he is old that is his only recommendation for me?" asked Elizabeth who eyed Mr. Bingley's friend. She was waiting the w
hispered comments as far as his name and station in life.

  "I said he was handsome and well-dressed as well. He must have some money if he has such fine clothes," snapped Lydia.

  "What do you know about men's fashions?" asked Elizabeth.

  "Only what I see studying Mrs. Heard's plates when we visit her dress shop. I went with Jane and Mary and Kitty for their final fittings." Elizabeth turned in surprise to look at Lydia who did not look back at her but watched the Netherfield party disperse even farther into the room.

  • • •

  Mr. Bingley was standing and speaking to Sir William Lucas and his family when the first notes of the orchestra played. They watched as Mr. Bingley led Miss Lucas out to dance. The remaining Netherfield party paired up amongst themselves. Maria Lucas left the security of her mother's arm and made a beeline for Elizabeth and Lydia. Age-wise, she was closer to Catherine than to Lydia and was short, plump and pretty with a halo of natural blond curls that whipped about her face as she raced up to the two sisters.

  "Lydia, did you see! That new Mr. Bingley asked Charlotte to dance." She was ever-loyal when it came to any potential beau for her oldest sister who was about ten years her senior. There were four brothers in between the two Lucas girls.

  "Very good for her, I'm sure," said Lydia who tried and, Elizabeth thought failed, to sound convincing. "Are you to dance?" Her voice was a little hesitant.

  "Of course, if anyone will ask me," said Maria in confusion. She was not the most clever of girls, "why would you come to an Assembly if not to dance?"

  "Lizzy does not care to dance anymore," said Lydia, looking to her sister. Elizabeth, however, was watching Jane and Catherine on the dance floor and saw Mary watching them as well with envious eyes.

  "Really, Lizzy, you do not dance?" cried Maria with a louder than normal voice.

  "Who are Mr. Bingley's friends?" whispered Elizabeth in an attempt to tone down Maria's volume as she watched the three different couples on the floor.

  "Oh yes!" cried Maria Lucas with color on her cheeks, "they are all so elegant I shall die!" She held up a hand to point at Mr. Bingley and her sister.