Master of Netherfield

by Martin Hunnicutt

  A footman met Mr. Darcy and his guest as they rode back from a visit to the farms beyond the Netherfield Wood. The ride through the well-tended wood lot exposed signs of logging now in selected locations and the two men stopped often to talk about logging costs, dangers and profits. When they came to the road at the main entrance to Netherfield, a footman from the house stood waiting.

  “Harris? Is there a problem?”

  Bowing the man said, “Begging your pardon Mr. Darcy but there is an unexpected guest arrived and Mrs. Hobbes asked me to find you and your guest.”

  For a moment, Darcy feared Lady Catherine had descended upon Netherfield again but the footman relieved that concern with his next words, “The young woman says she is Miss Caroline Bingley, Mr. Bingley’s sister.”

  “Oh, good Lord!” swore Charles.

  “Where is Miss Darcy, Harris?”

  “Miss Darcy and Mrs. Annesley are at Longbourn, sir. They went early this afternoon for music lessons.”

  “Mrs. Hobbes placed Miss Bingley in the sitting room?”

  “Yes sir. The lady was not happy that none of the family were at home to greet her. She acted very displeased that Mrs. Hobbes would not allow the hired coach to leave. Her luggage is still in a wagon that followed the coach.”

  Darcy’s face grew very sour and Bingley turned red with anger.

  “She’ll not be staying Darcy,” Bingley swore. “I do not know what has happened with the Hursts but she cannot just descend upon you and expect to be welcomed.”

  “She is your younger sister and you are her protector,” Darcy reasoned. “My Aunt Catherine often creates scenes and worries the servants. Let us to the house and hear her tale, but I do tell you now, none of my house will change to suit her mood.”

  “Agreed.”

  Darcy turned to the footman and commanded, “Walk back to the house as you will. We shall ride ahead.”

  “Thank you, Master Darcy.”

  At the house, stable boys waited at the mounting block as Darcy and Bingley slid from their horses and handed the reins to the boys who led the mounts around the house to the stables to cool off and get rubbed down before being stabled with water and hay.

  The rented carriage and a wagon overloaded with trunks and hat boxes sat waiting patiently. The drivers tipped their hats; one of the two gentlemen would be paying the bill for the delay.

  A second footman opened the door as the two men approached and Darcy walked in to find his housekeeper nervously pacing in the hall with the head footman waiting patiently for the master of the house.

  “Mr. Bingley, your sister, Miss Caroline Bingley, waits for you in the morning sitting room,” the footman explained to his employer’s guest. “Since her arrival, she asked for tea, a suite of rooms, Miss Darcy, Mr. Darcy, a dressmaker and a hat-maker since her arrival just over an hour and one half ago sir.”

  “Thank you, Simmons,” Bingley replied. “Did she bring any letters with her?”

  “None that she gave to me to deliver, sir.”

  Charles glanced at Darcy before announcing, “I shall conduct an interview with Caroline and I shall call on you in the library in one half hour.”

  Darcy nodded his head gently but said nothing as the footman led his friend down the hall. When the door to the parlour was opened, everyone heard Caroline’s strident voice demand service but suddenly fall silent when she saw her brother. Charles stepped inside and the footman pulled the door closed. The servant remained on guard at the door and with a stern look, sent an errant maid scurrying back to the kitchens when the girl came past with a broom and dustpan.

  Darcy’s mouth twisted about for a moment – a scowl fought with mirth before he spoke to his housekeeper. “I am reminded of Lady Catherine’s last attempt to breach the walls of Netherfield. If any of the Miss Bennet sisters were here, Miss Bingley would have fled back to town with bite marks before the first hour passed.”

  “Mr. Darcy, what are we to do?” asked Mrs. Hobbes. “She drove through Meryton and the entire town must have seen her carriage and wagon. Her maid is hiding in the kitchens and the poor girl says her mistress stopped the coach twice in the village to ask for directions to Netherfield. She told everyone she was the particular friend of Miss Darcy come for a visit from town.”

  “When she appeared at the door, Simmons sent for me and we asked the lady to wait in the parlour while we sent for you and Mr. Bingley. In just five minutes she asked to be shown to a room and asked for Miss Darcy. She’s rung for tea every twenty minutes. The lady does not like to wait.”

  Darcy shook his head. “Mrs. Hobbes, you have followed my instructions as given – uninvited guests are not allowed to move in. Mr. Bingley is my friend but I find his relations tiresome. This sister was particularly not invited to Netherfield. For the time she is here – however short that might be – she is not to be permitted extra service from the maids, nothing special from the kitchen and while she may take her meals in her room, she is not to expect breakfast after ten in the morning. Mrs. Annesley will keep Georgiana some distance from Miss Bingley and that is my particular wish as well.”

  Mrs. Hobbes was very concerned with the woman’s character now and nodded slowly with each of Mr. Darcy’s instructions.

  “Shall I put her in the green room, sir? That bedroom is away from the family rooms.”

  “Yes and tell Simmons that a footman is to be outside my bedroom at all hours with ample candles. If Miss Bingley wanders the halls at night, I do not want her entering the wrong bedroom...”

  With her eyes wide in wonderment, Mrs. Hobbs could only nod once at Mr. Darcy’s last order before she left for the kitchen to send for two young men from the nearby farms who worked extra hours as footmen in the house when needed. Darcy watched her speak to Simmons for a moment and then hurry down the hall. The voices coming from the parlour were growing louder as he turned and made his way to his library.

  **++**

  Caroline Bingley paced angrily in the morning parlour – it was after the noon hour and why anyone would show a guest to the morning parlour in the afternoon was a mystery. Obviously, Mr. Darcy’s household required the hand of a cultured, knowledgeable lady of fashion. Perhaps she would have her chance to capture Darcy’s attentions now.

  “The sister can be shipped off to school or left here when we return to the great house in the north...”

  The door opened and Caroline turned. “Finally, I will not wait another...”

  When she saw her brother standing there, her courage fled. The letter she carried in her purse would infuriate him.

  **++**

  Chapter 31

  Caroline’s Interview

  “I see you have come to call Caroline,” Charles said. “From all your comments on proper manners that I have endured over many years, I find it hard to believe that well-mannered guests transport their entire wardrobe with them when they visit for tea.”

  “Charles, you are so...”

  “I insist on knowing the reason for your appearance here in Hertfordshire.”

  “Must a sister have a reason to come see her brother?” she answered with a feigned sweetness that no longer fooled Charles. He walked across the room to sit in a comfortable chair, he did not know how long it would take but Caroline would eventually tell all.

  “I was bored in London and Mr. Hurst finally confessed your location. Why would you not tell me you were with Mr. Darcy? I have told you I wish to know him better.”

  Caroline moved to the windows but Charles did not follow and he remained silent.

  “The country here is very wild; the natives are savages living in their forests and farms.” Caroline motioned about the room and asked, “Is the entire manor decorated in this sparse fashion?”

  When Charles did not answer, Caroline moved to the chair opposite from him and sat down with a great sigh. “Mr. Hargrove did not make me an offer and Mr. Hurst was a bore so I decided to follow you – how long do we stay with Mr. Darcy? Is Miss Darcy here as we
ll?”

  Charles waited patiently and Caroline stood once again to pace in the room. “Say something Charles! Or do I have to be the only one with a worthy speech every time?”

  “Did you bring any letters Caroline? Possibly a note from Mr. Hurst?”

  “No,” she lied. “I just departed London on my own.”

  “Left my house in London with all your belongings? Without a word to Louisa or Mr. Hurst?”

  “Why would I bother to tell them? They are happy together and wanted to be shed of me.” Now Caroline sat and pretended to cry though her brother was not affected.

  “I find myself in a most difficult situation Caroline,” Charles informed her. “I must go and impose upon a friend for a room for an errant sister. I shall only ask for lodgings for a short time before we return to London. At my house, I shall visit with my sister and brother Hurst and we shall decide how to proceed. If you are unable to live with them in harmony while I am conducting business...”

  “Charles, you are not in trade any longer!”

  “...and if you are unable to marry, I shall make arrangements for your care. An apartment or room in a reputable home will be found for you.”

  “A ROOM!” she screeched. “I am not an old maiden aunt to be gotten rid of in rented room! I am not...”

  “What happened with Hargrove? I offered him an additional thousand to marry you this summer.”

  “You offered him money to marry me?” she gasped, unbelieving to hear of the arrangement. “My dowry is sufficient!”

  Charles nodded. “He was interested after the Musgrove party but I found he needed an additional incentive to take you to wife. What did you do to cool his interest?”

  Caroline frowned before finally explaining, “His sister came to town to visit and I did not care for her gowns. They were last season’s fashions and she grew offended at my comments.”

  Shaking his head, Charles rose from his seat. “Sister, I cannot find a suitable man to marry you. None with titles or wealth care for your sharp tongue and none who need your dowry would treat you well enough.”

  “If only Mr. Darcy...”

  “No! Do not even hint at that, Caroline!” Charles ordered. “He said plainly that he has no interest in you as a wife.”

  The brother and sister exchanged cold looks for a moment before he continued, “Remain here and I shall beg lodging until Saturday when we return to London.”

  At the door he paused and asked, “Will I hear a very different story from Hurst or Hargrove when I see them Caroline? It would be better for you now if I know all.”

  Caroline did not answer and Charles feared there was more to the story than what his sister had revealed.

  **++**

  Elizabeth sat in the parlour with her sisters and Georgie, listening to Mrs. Annesley’s instruction on playing the duet. When the door opened and a maid entered with a note on a silver tray; she approached Miss Darcy and curtseyed as she presented to parchment with her name in her brother’s handwriting.

  “What can William need to tell me so urgently when he will be here for dinner in another hour?” she asked as she broke the seal and then read the note. Her eyes grew wide as she read and once done, she passed the note first to Mrs. Annesley to read and then to the Bennet sisters. When it came to Elizabeth’s hands, she read it quickly and then read it a second time to try and understand what Mr. Darcy had written.

  **++**

  I shall be a few moments late this evening for supper Georgiana. Do not worry but please inform Mrs. Bennet that I am uncertain if Mr. Bingley will attend us tonight. Bingley’s sister, Miss Caroline, appeared at Netherfield this afternoon in a rented coach followed by a wagon of trunks and hat boxes. It appears she came expecting a long visit. I shall not allow more than three nights and Mr. Bingley will leave with her to find her a suitable situation in town. I do not know more than that and wish to know less.

  All will be well.

  William

  **++**

  Elizabeth looked up as Georgiana began giggling and could not stop. Mrs. Annesley caught Miss Darcy’s eye but rather than cease giggling, Georgiana explained her gaiety.

  “Do you remember the day Miss Bingley brought her brother to call in London, Mrs. Annesley? I told my brother then that she was determined to be my best friend and would certainly show up for tea someday accompanied by her trunks.”

  Kitty, Lydia and Mary joined Georgiana with giggling while Jane and Elizabeth tried very hard not to laugh aloud. Mrs. Annesley shook her head and stifled a few laughs before covering her mouth with both hands.

  “Did she really invite herself to stay at Netherfield?” asked Kitty. “I did not think even gentlemen were allowed to do that.”

  “It is very wrong, Kitty,” Elizabeth agreed. “She should have written her brother for assistance and waited for him to come to her.”

  “There must be something that we do not know,” Jane tried to say. “Something that has driven her from her home in London to seek her brother’s aid.”

  Elizabeth knew that her eldest sister had a growing regard for Mr. Bingley but his younger sister was becoming a concern. She glanced at her own sisters and wondered how she would act if Kitty or Lydia had turned out wild and unladylike as Caroline Bingley.

  “Thank Providence we had the Darcy’s in our lives to bring us higher.”

  **++**

  Charles Bingley approached the Netherfield library with some hesitancy – not that he feared Darcy’s wrath but rather his own shame in addressing with his sister’s impropriety in the home of his friend. A footman guarded the library door, an unusual sight, but the man opened the door as Bingley approached. Inside Darcy and his secretary were reviewing a letter from another estate and speaking quietly. Bingley walked to the window and stared at the gardens where a pair of men gathered limbs fallen in the last rain. The rose garden still offered a few blooms in the autumn sunshine.

  “Bingley,” said Darcy from his side. Startled just a bit, Charles blushed then turned back toward the view from the window.

  “I hope someday to have as pleasant a view from my own window,” he told his friend. “It must strengthen you to see such order around your home.”

  “Indeed, it does.” Darcy hesitated for a moment but then asked, “And how does your sister fare? I thought she was to become engaged to Douglas Hargrove.”

  “Caroline wanted a husband with money and a family history. Hargrove was interested and willing to marry her this summer but I fear she put him off by insulting his sister or some other unnecessary thing. And I wonder what she said to our sister and her new husband. Hurst is a calm, level-headed fellow; for Caroline to appear with all her trunks, he would have closed my house and left town. But I have received no letter from him with complaint.”

  Darcy assured Bingley saying, “Simmons will guard the front door jealously and bring me all correspondence that comes to the house before delivering it to anyone.”

  Bingley shook his head, “I imagine she has a letter on her person but dreads to reveal its contents.”

  He swallowed and asked, “Might I beg lodging for my sister until Saturday. I shall send for my carriage and take her into town to discover what is afoot. I shall send a wagon later for all her trunks if you would store them for a few days more.”

  Darcy nodded his head. “I shall allow Miss Bingley a bed until Saturday. She may take meals with the family or in her room but none of my servants will take her orders. If she has needs that her maid cannot meet, she is allowed to approach the housekeeper in her office and ask.”

  Bingley laughed. “Caroline venture into the housekeeper’s office? Darcy, Bonaparte will be welcomed at Whitehall with a parade before Caroline Bingley would approach the kitchens or a servant’s office.”

  “The assembly is on Friday and it will be a perfect evening. If Miss Bingley wishes to attend, she must be on her best behaviour.”

  “I shall suggest she remain at Netherfield and pack.”

  Mr
s. Hobbes was summoned and after the carriage was dispatched and the footman unloaded the twelve trunks of gowns, shoes and hat boxes for storage in the cellar, she and Mr. Bingley left to escort Miss Bingley to her room. When she heard that she would sup alone that evening, Caroline broke down in tears but quickly recovered when her brother did not respond.

  “Our invitation to dinner is long-standing Caroline and I enjoy the company of the Bennets very much. I would not miss it for a party with the Prince Regent!”

  “But Charles...”

  **++**

  Chapter 32

  An Accomplished Lady

  The next morning, Miss Darcy and Mrs. Annesley remained in her rooms to break their fast. Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley dined alone and were out on horseback before seven; a fire had occurred at a farm on the estate of Sir William Lucas and Darcy proposed to ride over with his steward to offer assistance with repairs. Bingley rode along to see how the neighbours cooperated in such matters.

  Darcy explained, “If an estate was to fail or a tenant to lose his farm, the family is sent to the local poor house and all local gentry are required to support them. It is better for everyone to make certain that the tenants have secure situations.”

  **++**

  At the farm on Lucas Lodge, Darcy and Bingley were greeted by the Lucas family, several other neighbours and the eldest Bennet sisters.

  When they arrived, Elizabeth and Jane both emerged from the barn to speak to Darcy and Bingley but they quickly returned to their tasks of caring for the children of the tenant family. Charlotte Lucas and her mother attended the mother of the family – it was the house that had caught fire and the thatch roof had burned. The farmer, his wife and four children escaped to the barn and fought the blaze with Sir William, his son and other tenants. The house was damaged but could be repaired with the skills of the local carpenters. The drama this morning was that the farmer’s wife had gone into labour and was even now giving birth on a bed of straw in an empty stall in the barn.