by M-C Ranger
‘Oh Lizzy, why must you say such a thing? Our hosts have been so attentive. I am still so troubled at having put them in a situation such as this.’
‘You say that our hosts were very attentive, but I must correct you on this. Some of our hosts truly were attentive, and sincerely so. I am certain that, when I was not present, comments made about me by Miss Bingley and her sister were not very charitable, particularly after the departure of Miss Anne, who was truly upset by the situation.’
‘It’s true, I had forgotten that the Elliot ladies left yesterday late morning.’
‘Yes, Miss Anne appeared, how shall I say, very concerned for your well-being, even if she was, like us, a guest. Even Mr. Darcy, so cold and haughty, inquired after your health. As for Miss Elliot, she is a friend of Caroline Bingley’s through and through: the same air of superiority and the same false sense of friendship.’
‘Come Lizzy, I am sure you are mistaken and that Caroline Bingley was accommodating and played her role of hostess perfectly. As for Mrs. Hurst and Miss Elliot, I am certain that they are very accomplished young women.’
Her younger sister was unable to keep herself from saying, ‘Indeed, Jane, I can attest that these young women are highly accomplished!’ Her tone carried a hint of sarcasm.
What Elizabeth did not tell her sister was the brief exchange that she’d had with Mr. Darcy precisely with respect to women’s accomplishments. Of course, she was unable to contradict the last comment made by her interlocutor with respect to the essential benefit, whereby reading contributed towards the development of the intellect… and judgement, she would have liked to add. But to have someone list the numerous qualities that a young woman aspiring to be recognised in society should cultivate had annoyed her to the utmost. As hypocrisy was not in her nature, she had chosen to be frank by commenting to Mr. Darcy that she highly doubted that such a woman existed. The flood of proof issued by Caroline Bingley and her sister had caused her to quickly return to her book; however, her small mocking smile had not escaped the person to whom this comment was addressed.
*****
‘Elizabeth Bennet,’ said Caroline Bingley, as soon as the door had closed behind their guest, ‘is one of those young women who attempts to assert herself with the opposite sex by belittling their… and I believe that many men fall for it, but, in my opinion, this is a most vile contrivance.’
‘Without a doubt,’ replied Darcy, to whom these words were specifically addressed, ‘there is something vile in all the contrivances which women resort to for the purposes of seducing us.’
Miss Bingley felt too little satisfaction with this response to allow her to insist more. It was Louisa Hurst, coming to the rescue of her sister, who continued: ‘Caroline and I cannot believe it. How impertinent and conceited she is, for a young countrified woman! You cannot contradict us in this regard, because…’
‘Louisa,’ interrupted her brother, ‘I see no impertinence in the actions of Miss Elizabeth, and if you wish to know, I wonder what side conceit is on. As for me, I consider the young Bennet women nice neighbours whose company I enjoy.’
Fitzwilliam Darcy, initially irritated by these attacks by the hostesses of the house, ended up smiling at his friend, who had just defended the two guests. Before he could reply, Mrs. Hurst added, ‘We are most aware, Charles, that everything pertaining to Miss Bennet, directly or indirectly, is perfect. After all, isn’t she an angel?!’
The complicit smiles between the two sisters exasperated Darcy.
‘If my sister had the misfortune of falling ill, particularly when away from her home, I would have greatly appreciated a person coming to her bedside out of affection. Is not attention such as this one of the most desirous qualities of an accomplished young woman?’
‘Evidently, Mr. Darcy, if Georgiana were to find herself in a state of ill health, we would come immediately, Louisa and I, regardless as to where she might be,’ Miss Bingley hastened to add.
‘I thought I knew of perhaps five or six young women who were truly accomplished, Miss Bingley,’ he concluded coldly, not taking his eyes from her. ‘Now, I rather wonder that I believed I knew so many…’
At this point he realised that he had just uttered the comment made by Elizabeth Bennet; he found himself dumbstruck, and then a shadow of a smile began to form on his lips.
The ensuing silence was interrupted by Mr. Hurst, who brought the focus of his fellow card players back to the game, not having noticed or understood anything of the bout going on around him. Darcy made use of this opportunity to return to the letter he was writing to his sister.
‘I forgot to inform you,’ began Charles Bingley, happy to create a distraction and to lighten the atmosphere somewhat, ‘that I received confirmation this morning of the arrival of one of my college fellows. Frank Churchill and I finished in the same year, and we remained in touch all this time. I saw him in London at the start of autumn. He had just come from Weymouth, where he had spent a good portion of the summer. I had just signed the lease for Netherfield Park, and I invited him to come visit us straightaway.’
‘Frank Churchill, what a good idea!’ exclaimed Miss Bingley, lifting her gaze from the game. ‘Louisa, prepare to meet a true gentleman, well-educated and very charming. Charles, finally a good initiative!’
‘Thank you, Caroline,’ he said, finding it difficult to conceal the exasperation he felt towards the opinions that his sister felt obligated to express in response to every utterance.
‘Bingley, have I already met your friend Churchill?’ asked Darcy, sealing the letter he had just finished.
‘No, I don’t believe so. However, you know the region he hails from, because I have already heard you talk about your friends the Knightleys from Donwell Abbey.’
‘Yes, George and John Knightley, the sons of a close friend of my father’s, and who predeceased him by several years. I even went to visit George over the summer.’
‘Wasn’t this just before you went to Ramsgate regarding your sister, Mr. Darcy?’ Miss Bingley, who had an excellent memory with respect to the comings and goings and the encounters of the master of Pemberley, inquired sweetly.
Darcy confirmed by nodding his head, but did not utter a word in response.
‘It seems that Frank’s mother, who died when he was but five years old, had married a gentleman from the area near Highbury,’ Bingley continued.
‘I hope that he likes hunting and playing cards,’ Mr. Hurst interjected, without even lifting his eyes from his game. ‘It’s high time that we have somewhat more exciting guests.’
Louisa Hurst cast an embarrassed glance at her husband. He was aware of nothing, so deeply was he occupied with resolving a serious dilemma: which of his cards should he play, and could he allow himself an umpteenth glass of brandy? He decided that the second problem had top priority, as he was definitely ahead in the game when it came to his hand.
‘It would be a pleasure for us, Charles, to welcome Mr. Churchill,’ said Caroline, in an attempt to draw attention away from her brother-in-law’s behaviour. ‘When are we to expect him?’
‘He is coming on Thursday. I hope that Miss Bennet is feeling better, because I would like to introduce her to him,’ said Bingley, getting up to serve himself some port wine. ‘And because Churchill is a very nice young man, it will be my pleasure to also introduce him to Miss Elizabeth.’
Darcy looked at his friend and raised a questioning eyebrow. Why did he feel he had to present Miss Elizabeth to Frank Churchill? He did not have to wait long for a response. Turning his back to the card table, Charles Bingley quietly admitted to him that he was not happy with the welcome that his sisters had shown the young Bennet ladies, particularly Miss Elizabeth, who had been so kind as to come take care of her older sister. In his humble opinion, they had fallen short in their duties as hostesses.
‘The fairer sex always finds delight in Churchill. I swear, as I have already witnessed it with my own eyes, he would be able to converse with Miss Elizabe
th in the most agreeable manner, and as she is quite charming herself, they shall get along famously! I will thus thwart my sisters’ plans and unburden you…’
‘You will unburden me? What is it that you wish to say?’
‘Come, Darcy, it is rather apparent that you have no interest in consorting with Miss Elizabeth, and this has been the case ever since you first met her at the Meryton ball.’
In hindsight, Darcy realised that this was the second time in one day that attempts had been made to relieve him of Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s presence. He recalled the scene of that morning, when he was joined by Miss Bingley on the little hornbeam path. She had made some passionate recommendations regarding his domestic happiness, her voice tinged with sarcasm and, jealousy too, he thought to himself.
‘You could give your mother-in-law some good advice on the importance of holding her tongue and, at the same time, try to cure your two young sisters-in-law of their passion for military men. Then,’ she added, her audacity growing, ‘could you not make this hint of impertinence and conceit that characterises your notion of a lady disappear?’
Feeling rather vexed, he was on the point of replying, when the voice of Mrs. Hurst surprised them; she had just reached them, Miss Elizabeth at her side.
‘It is very inconsiderate on your part to simply vanish without letting us know.’
Having expressed herself, she took Mr. Darcy’s free arm; Elizabeth found herself alone, behind the trio.
‘We can’t all walk abreast on this path. Let us go to the alley, where we will have more space,’ he hastened to say, aware of the rudeness of his companions.
Against all expectations, Elizabeth began to laugh.
‘No, no, do not concern yourselves. On the contrary, Reverend Gilpin would be elated, because the three of you form a beautiful tableau, and my presence would spoil the composition!’
On this note, she gave a mischievous curtsey. She had vanished before anyone had time to react. While the Bingley sisters triumphantly drew attention to the young lady’s unseemly independent spirit, Darcy followed her with his gaze while she disappeared behind a thicket, once again seduced by her vivacity, both with respect to her actions and her words. And then he had to submit himself to completing this walk, in which the conversation alternated between perfidious comments and malicious observations on the young country women and their ignorance of true society. After all, did they not, right here amongst them in Netherfield, have the best of examples to emulate?! Initially rather disturbed by the comments of his companions, Darcy eventually calmed himself: they were helping him release himself of the burden of Miss Elizabeth, and was that not what he wished?
*****
The two gentlemen had been studying and annotating the books that the agent for Netherfield Park had left to the new tenant. Darcy’s advice proved to be insightful and Charles Bingley, for whom this entire experience was new, was content that his friend had accepted to help him with this monumental task of managing an estate. They had even considered inquiring into a threshing machine, which would greatly speed up the work. This agricultural machine had proven its worth at Pemberley, and Darcy considered it a real benefit; it had increased productivity while considerably reducing the gruelling work typically done by hand.
The office required some work before it could be considered as such, and so they had decided to settle into the library. While it was not as large as the library at Pemberley, which was worthy of mention, it was one of the most beautiful in the region and Bingley was rather proud of it, though he was not a voracious reader. Being by nature a charitable person, he was delighted when his friend came to visit and, in fact, Darcy’s steps took him there almost every morning after his horseback ride. He found stillness there, something that the presence of a certain Miss Bingley made impossible. It is worth noting that, not being an enthusiastic reader, she did not come to the library often. She found the smell of books bothersome; they gave her migraines. This room thus became a peaceful haven for Darcy for the duration of his stay in Hertfordshire.
‘The westernmost fields of the estate are almost wastelands and are poorly drained,’ Bingley explained, pointing to an area on the map showing the boundaries of the Netherfield estate. ‘Peter White, the young sharecropper who farms the adjacent fields informed me of this.’
‘Do you have the impression that he knows whereof he speaks?’
‘Completely. He came to see me because he would like to be able to plant them. He told me in jest that he had come to test the waters!’
‘The people of the shire are very enterprising, don’t you think, Charles?’
‘Yes, but I see that as a quality, don’t you?’
‘It depends.’
In response to the questioning look on his friend’s face, Darcy continued, ‘Yesterday, when the ladies of Longbourn came to visit, I was truly under the impression that Mrs. Bennet had also come to test the waters, in her own way.’
‘Come, Darcy, she came on request of Miss Elizabeth to see if Miss Bennet was doing better… But it’s true that she rather quickly changed the subject,’ he affirmed, thoughtfully.
‘It was clear that she was assuring herself of your interest in the estate and in her eldest daughter. She exhibited a rather disturbing lack of restraint. However, I noticed Miss Elizabeth blush and attempt to steer her mother’s topic of conversation in a different direction. Did you not also notice this?’
‘Yes, but I find you are rather harsh in your judgement. You forget that these ladies had the goodwill to come here to see Miss Bennet, who was truly suffering.’
‘Indeed, but I cannot help but ascertain that these women exhibit a certain degree of opportunism. The youngest, who asked you to hold a ball, and her sister, who suggested that you invite some officers, under what guise would you place behaviour such as this, Bingley? If that is not opportunism, I beg to know what is!’
‘Perhaps. I agree that there is some evidence of shortcomings with regards to their education… which is not manifest in Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth,’ Bingley stated, hoping to conclude the conversation, as he did not much like the turn it had taken in the past few minutes.
‘On this point I must concede that you are correct. Alright, to continue where we left off, this young Peter White, is what he says regarding these poorly drained fields correct?’
‘I think that we should go see for ourselves tomorrow and evaluate the situation before making any decisions.’
‘I must confer that you learn quickly,’ Darcy said, smiling at his friend.
*****
The evening had just started when Elizabeth, accompanying her sister, presented herself in the drawing room. Charles Bingley joined them immediately, visibly gladdened by the appearance of Miss Bennet. Still pale, she insisted on thanking him sincerely, apologising for any trouble she may have caused. He responded, with great congeniality, that she had not caused the least bit of trouble. The two young women were then presented to Frank Churchill, who had arrived early that afternoon. He bowed before Jane Bennet and inquired as to her health, and then left her in the attentive care of Bingley, and asked Elizabeth if he could keep her company. She invited him to take a seat, and, as Charles Bingley had predicted, the spell was cast. It must be noted that Mr. Churchill had everything in his favour: an amicable smile, a baritone voice that one could never tire of, and he was most agreeable in appearance. His welcoming manner touched Elizabeth more than she might have expected. After the hypocritical solicitude of the Netherfield ladies, the boorish behaviour of Mr. Hurst and the coldness of Mr. Darcy, what young woman would not have been moved by the charms of a certain Frank Churchill?! And what young man would not have been impressed by the vivaciousness of a certain Elizabeth Bennet? Particularly after having been subject all afternoon to the bitter comments of the sisters of his friend regarding the insignificant inhabitants of Hertfordshire. Fortunately, the men had returned from their hunt, rescuing him from the talons of these two harpies. He was thus rathe
r surprised to notice that, if the male inhabitants were apparently insignificant, the female inhabitants were far from it. Miss Elizabeth was evidence of a highly spirited young woman with a lovely temperament. As for Miss Bennet, and the mere fact of seeing Bingley hasten to her side, gave the impression that she was, by all appearances, as pleasant as she was pleasing to the eye. The evening appeared to him to suddenly improve significantly, and he thought to himself that this stay, by all accounts, would be most enjoyable. This observation, alas, was not that of Miss Bingley who, seated at the piano on the arrival of the two sisters, could not prevent the presentation from becoming an invitation. She was thus witness to the pleasure that her guests were having in conversing and the sound of Elizabeth Bennet’s light laugh hurt her ears whenever it reached her.
“Nothing could exceed the consternation which seized the English when they received intelligence of the unfortunate battle of Hastings, the death of their king, the slaughter of their principal nobility…”
Someone else, seated somewhat apart from the others, was attempting to read the page in the book he was holding for the third time; it was Mr. Darcy. Not that this passage from The History of England was particularly hard to understand. Rather, what seemed difficult for him to understand was what was going on inside of him: why did the interest that Frank Churchill was displaying towards Miss Elizabeth perturb him so profoundly, whereas he had deliberately chosen to no longer be interested in her? The situation changed quickly when Louisa Hurst replaced her sister at the piano. Mr. Darcy’s centre of interest had not escaped Miss Bingley’s notice, and she moved towards Elizabeth Bennet, proposing to walk around the room in her company, would that not be an excellent diversion after having remained motionless for so long? This also proved to be a good strategy, as it attracted Fitzwilliam Darcy’s attention, while making Frank Churchill available. Bingley, noticing his sister’s manoeuvre, hastened to invite the young man to join in the conversation he was having with Miss Bennet. A few minutes later, he offered to pour a cup of tea for the convalescing young woman, which she accepted with the most benevolent of smiles. He neared the tray placed on a small side table by a servant when he caught the end of the conversation between Darcy, Miss Elizabeth and Caroline.