Beginning, Section II, Next Section
Chapter 17
Posted on 2014-05-01
26 November 1816
The day of the Netherfield ball arrived at last to cloudy weather but no rain. Miss Bingley was pleased at how beautiful Netherfield looked. She had filled the corners of the ballroom with late autumn flowers as dramatic accents. The house sparkled as candles glinted off of crystal, gold, and silver accessories. Miss Bingley was short with the staff that day but refused to acknowledge that she was nervous about the ball. She also snapped at both her brother and sister.
She was quite satisfied with the array of food for the supper sure that it would be the talk of the neighborhood. She had some special dishes prepared that she had not seen at any of the dinner parties she had attended. Her dress was particularly splendid and she knew she would outshine all the country misses. Her only misgiving was that her brother had forgotten to ask for the first dance to open the ball with her. She hoped it was just an oversight on his part. She never had time to question his failure to ask her to open the ball as the visitors began to arrive. Miss Bingley and Mr. Bingley greeted the guests and ushered them into the ballroom. The Hursts were already in the ballroom.
Although she had known they were going to London to obtain their dresses, Miss Bingley was dismayed at the quality of the Bennet gowns. "Mrs. Nelson, I see you went to my modiste. Those gowns are quite beautiful."
"I think you. I did stop by, but she was quite busy. We went to our usual town modiste to get these. "
"What is the name of your modiste?" Caroline marveled at the quality of the gowns the Bennet women wore.
Mrs. Bennet ushered Jane away before she could respond. She felt that Miss Bingley would recognize the name and realize that the Bennet's might be more than they seemed. She shuddered to think of the possible fawning that would then ensue. "Jane, we must not monopolize our hostess. There are others waiting to greet her."
"Oh yes of course. Thank you again Miss Bingley. Everything looks wonderful." And the Bennets entered the ballroom. Miss Bingley continued to wonder who had created the beautiful gowns the women wore. Although hers had far more embellishments, the quality of theirs was readily apparent. Also apparent was the admiration seen on the faces of many of the men present. She mentally shook her head at those men since they seemed unaware that her gown was surely superior.
Many of the officers and most of the neighbors attended the ball. With the cool reception that he had received in town, and knowing that Darcy would be in attendance, Lieutenant Wickham chose to remain away. The more honorable officers were warmly welcomed, since eligible men were in short supply. Thanks to Darcy's early warning, the families had determined which officers were to be encouraged and which discouraged. The encouraged had chosen to attend the ball while most of the discouraged stayed away. A few of the less honorable had come in hopes of making some progress with one or more of the local ladies, but these were very few.
Elizabeth found herself very much in demand. A number of officers and a few neighbors greeted her and asked for one dance or another. Mary and Jane were likewise accosted by friends as both were quite popular. When she finally entered, Miss Bingley was dismayed that she was still not asked by anyone, not even her brother, to open the ball. She had finally reminded him but he had asked Mrs. Nelson and could not disappoint her. Finally, Sir William Lucas came to her rescue. With poor grace, she curtsied to him and started to dance.
Elizabeth started with Mr. Darcy and found conversation difficult. At first, they followed the formula that the ladies had discussed with Mary. This stilted conversation was unacceptable to her, so she sought something that might engage her partner better. She asked, "So, shall you and Miss Darcy be celebrating Christmas in London or in Pemberley?"
Mr. Darcy smiled, "We will probably go to Pemberley around the 19th or 20th of December. We prefer a quiet family holiday. On Boxing Day, we will travel to Matlock to be with the Fitzwilliam family for a fortnight. By the end of January, I expect that we'll be back in London and stay for at least part of the Season. And you?"
Elizabeth responded, "Jane goes to visit some of her late husband's family in London for the first weeks of December, then she will join the rest of us at with our grandparent's home near Hertford. In January, we'll go to London with our grandmother to prepare for the Season. Jane plans to visit Miss Darcy again when she returns to London. We all greatly enjoyed meeting her on our trip. We are all now on a first name basis"
Mr. Darcy replied, "I had thought you would be good friends. She has greatly enjoyed her friendship with Miss Mary. She does not have many friends in town."
Elizabeth said, "She is a lovely young lady. She enjoyed helping us select our new gowns."
Mr. Darcy said, "And you all returned with lovely gowns. They seem much less fussy than some of the others," as he glanced across the room at Miss Bingley, "and in much finer fabrics than most." With that comment, Elizabeth glanced at a few of her friends in their simpler gowns and nodded her agreement.
"It seems, Mr. Darcy, that you are quite observant of ladies' fashions."
"Since I am a guardian for my sister, I have a responsibility to understand ladies' fashions. I try to notice, and my guess is, someday, my wife will appreciate that I appreciate her dresses and style," he grinned.
She smiled, "That is probably accurate. I know my father seldom notices our clothing unless it is inappropriate. Your wife will be a lucky woman." She then changed the subject, "It appears that Lieutenant Wickham chose not to attend the ball although the invitation was issued to all the officers. I thank you again for sharing your information about him with us and our neighbors so that all could be protected. That he chose not to come indicates to me that he is not as comfortable here as he anticipated."
Darcy replied, "I am glad I could assist by offering a warning. If he has enlisted in order to start again, it will not hurt him. If his intentions are otherwise, he will not have as easy success as he might have planned."
At this point, the set was over and Darcy released Elizabeth to dance with her other partners. For her part, Miss Bingley was fuming that Darcy had smiled so often during his dance with Elizabeth. He never smiled when he danced with her. She got even angrier to see that he also danced with Mary and Jane. Caroline continued to glare at both her brother and Darcy as she was ignored by her neighbors and not asked to dance. Even though she felt them beneath her, they should at least acknowledge her as the hostess. She did not realize that she herself had made them unwelcome so they chose to ignore her. She should have at least started the ball with her brother. She could not understand his fascination with Mrs. Nelson.
Bingley had danced that first set with Jane and continued to glance over at her even as he danced the next with Elizabeth and then Mary. Darcy danced next with Mary and then Jane.
"Miss Mary, I understand that your sisters became acquainted with my sister when you were all in town. I must thank you for your continuing friendship with her. She made only a few close friends at school, and none of them are presently in London. It will be nice for her to have the friendship of the Bennet women," said Darcy with a smile.
"She is such a sweet young lady. I truly enjoy our correspondence. Much of it concerns the trials of trying to master a new piece of music. I suppose we enjoy it more because it requires such efforts to conquer, but I could wish that some of this new music was a little easier to play. I believe she and Jane have much in common and will become good friends," replied Mary. They continued to talk about music through the rest of the set.
With Jane, Darcy began, "Mrs. Nelson, I am grateful you are to visit my sister while you are in London. She has so few true friends, and none of them live in London. I understand you are visiting family."
"Thank you. I look forward to meeting Miss Darcy in person. She is a lively correspondent. I am visiting my husband's grandmother and great-grandmother. Both live together in London and would like to spend some time with Robbie. They are such sweet women. I just treasure them."
"I hope you will have a pleasant visit. I am sure they will enjoy Robbie. He seems a sweet child"
"They are very anxious to have him in their home and not just to see him for only short periods as was the case for the trip this month."
After his dances, Darcy remained with Mr. Bennet to chat for a few sets, although his glances frequently followed Elizabeth as she danced. Bingley danced with many of his neighbors but also continued to glance over at Jane frequently. Watching this, and considering all the frequent visits, Mr. Bennet asked Mr. Darcy, "Should I be worried about your friend's attentions to Jane? She has always been quite reserved, much as you, but the loss of her husband has made her even more so. She has regained her spirits, for the most part, so I would not like to see someone trifle with her."
Darcy considered for a moment. "Charles talks frequently of Mrs. Nelson as an angel. I know he is more attached to her than to others to whom he has been attracted. I have been wondering about this as well. I do not think you need to worry. My only concern is whether he is prepared for a ready-made family. I suspect that I have much more experience with young children than Bingley does. However, having seen him around some of my younger cousins, I know he is good with them."
"That is good to know. And do you think he will announce himself soon? Since Jane is a widow, he will not need my permission, but I still plan to watch over her. She will always be my daughter. Even though she does not need to remarry, I would like to see her happy if she does choose to marry again. She has sufficient to set up her own household, or she could join one of the Nelson households if she desired-that has been offered her, yet I hope to keep her for a while longer. Robbie also has an estate they could move to, but we had planned to wait until he was a little older. We have an excellent steward managing it."
Darcy replied, "Bingley hasn't spoken of it, but if I am reading him correctly, I think he will take the opportunity before much longer. I am not sure he is convinced of her regard, but he seems to be very drawn to her. He has talked of some business in town, but my guess is he would speak to Mrs. Nelson sometime soon after returning. However, that is only a guess. Should I be correct, we will probably stop by to see you on our way out of town tomorrow, if that is acceptable. It will be early."
"I think I can make myself available," replied Mr. Bennet with a smile.
At this point, Mrs. Bennet joined them, and the dance for the supper set concluded. Darcy and the two Bennets headed in to supper together. As Miss Bingley watched from across the room, she was dismayed that Darcy was so comfortable with these country nobodies. She could not understand why he was so willing to spend time with them. He was above them and should act like it. Then she noticed that Bingley was sitting with Jane Nelson, meaning that he had just danced with her again. While Jane was nice enough to know when in the country, she was no one Miss Bingley would associate with in town. She determined that she must convince Charles to move on. This would never fit with her plans of Charles marrying Georgiana Darcy. With this in mind, she determined to enlist Louisa to help her show up these country upstarts. Her only solace was that at least Miss Bennet had not danced the supper dance with Darcy. She was sitting with her friends and some of the officers.
When supper was over, singing was talked of, and Mrs. Hurst sang with her sister. After this, Miss Bingley played some Italian songs, then varied the charm by a lively Scotch air. Miss Bingley entreated Mary to entertain them, but Mary demurred, saying that she did not sing, but would happily play if that was preferred. She played a sweet, simple piece, then allowed one of her neighbors to perform. None of the other Bennets took the opportunity to display their talents. After about a half dozen young women had performed, the dancing started up again.
Eventually, Bingley danced again with Jane and Darcy with Elizabeth. Elizabeth was surprised to be so honored while Miss Bingley was furious. Darcy had not danced with her at all. He had danced with the Bennet girls, Louisa, and a couple of the other locals, including Charlotte Lucas, but not with her. This was not acceptable. Finally, Mr. Darcy danced with Mrs. Hurst, then with Miss Bingley. At least he had not ignored her entirely, but Caroline was not well pleased. As the dance started, she said, "I do not believe I have ever seen you dance so frequently."
"Now that I am well acquainted with all our neighbors, it is much easier to enjoy dancing with their ladies."
"And yet, none of them are truly of our sphere."
Darcy had no comment on this as a particularly intricate step was called for. Upon them coming together again, Darcy changed the subject, "I am sure they have greatly appreciated the care you have taken to ensure the success of this ball. Charles must also be very happy."
"I do not think Charles has even noticed. It seems that Mrs. Nelson is all that he has noticed, even though he has danced with a number of the neighbors."
Finally, the carriages were called and the guests headed to their homes. As Darcy prepared to mount the stairs, he was surprised to have had such a good time. He had danced more than usual and actually enjoyed it. He had not felt the hunted stag as usual which allowed him to relax more. He realized that most of this was due to the effect that the Bennet family had upon him. He found himself enjoying most of the company at the ball, particularly that of Miss Bennet. With her lively conversation and way with people, he realized that if he were to regularly attend social events with her, they would not be the trial that they had always seemed. He had even enjoyed the rest of the neighbors at the ball. In his dance with Miss Lucas, he had congratulated her on her upcoming marriage to Mr. Collins. They had discussed his annual visits to Rosings and he had promised to visit her in her new home. He had found everyone to be worth talking with. He determined that he needed Miss Bennet in his life in order to maintain this more social attitude and would speak with Mr. Bennet as he and Bingley headed out of town to make his intentions clear. He must get to know Miss Bennet much better. He had never been so attracted to anyone else he had met.
By the end of the ball, Bingley had determined to ask for Mrs. Nelson's hand. He would speak with her father on his way out of town and return as soon as possible. He could not stop thinking of her.
Before either man could head up the stairs, Miss Bingley began a scathing commentary on the Bennets. "They certainly monopolized the singing during the break in the dancing. And their manners. How insupportable. And what could they be thinking with those dresses. They dressed as if they were of the first circle."
Louisa replied, "Caroline, what are you talking of? They are quite nice. And they did not perform even as much as some of the other neighbors. Miss Mary played only one song and neither of her sisters performed. Have you spent any time talking with them? They are really very nice. And Mrs. Nelson is so sweet. Perhaps their dresses are a true indication of their rank."
Caroline's fears were driven by her increasing jealousy of Elizabeth and the growing closeness of Jane and Charles. "They are fine when there is no one better, but we all have better relations than they. There is no way they are of the first circle or I would have heard of them before, no matter what those dressed indicate. Why would you want to be involved with a widow so poor she has chosen to live with her family in order to support her child. You can do much better."
Darcy shook his head and refused to enter the conversation by mounting the stairs to his room. He could not understand how Caroline could deceive herself so fully. Mr. and Mrs. Hurst turned away and left for their rooms as well. Bingley replied, "He is a gentleman and I am not. How can we possibly have better relations? Our father was in trade."
Caroline said, "Our friends. I mean our friends. We are obviously of a higher circle or we would have met them in the past."
Louisa responded, "They have been out of the country for years and she was in mourning this past year. We cannot know what circle they belong to. Caroline, try to be reasonable."
Caroline refused to listen. She was desperate to get Charles away from Jane and to get Darcy away from Elizabeth. Bingley spent a little more time trying to sway his sister but finally decided it was futile. He shook his head at her attitude as he went to his rooms. He was finding it harder and harder to be around his sister.
In their rooms, Mr. and Mrs. Hurst had a short conversation about the ball, agreeing that all had gone well. Mr. Hurst said, "I would guess that you will soon call Mrs. Nelson sister."
Mrs. Hurst agreed, "I would be so happy if Caroline would only be more reasonable about it. Mrs. Nelson is a lovely person and will make Charles very happy."
Mr. Hurst replied, "Caroline is only satisfied if she is the one made happy. She does not care about anyone else. I am sorry to say it, but I find her company harder and harder to tolerate."
Mrs. Hurst responded, "I am afraid you are correct. We are likely to have to do something about that-and that will be very unpleasant."
"At least it will only be unpleasant for as long as we are together. Perhaps we can spend an extended time with my family. She hates to go and would likely not join us."
"Yes. That is a good suggestion. Let's start our holiday earlier than planned." On that thought, they both finally fell asleep.
Bingley fell asleep dreaming of dancing with Mrs. Nelson. Darcy also found himself reliving the ball and dancing with Miss Bennet as he slept.
Chapter 18
27 November 1816
Early the morning after the Netherfield ball, Bingley and Darcy arose and broke their fast quickly, eager to be on their way. They stopped by Longbourn on their way out of town. Mr. Bennet had warned the butler to expect the young men, so they were quickly shown to Mr. Bennet's library.
Mr. Bennet offered them some tea, which both declined. Mr. Bingley began, "Mr. Bennet, I think Mrs. Nelson is the most wonderful woman I have ever met. She is everything I have ever sought. She is a veritable angel. She is so sweet; she thinks the best of everyone, even of my sister. I have never found her equal. I would very much like your blessing and permission to ask her to become my wife. I promise to be a good father to her son. Robbie is a fine little man."
Mr. Bennet cleared his throat and replied, "As you know, Jane is an independent woman and does not need my permission to marry. However, she will always be my little girl and I want to know that she is cherished. It is pretty easy to see your approval of her," said Mr. Bennet with a little smirk. "Well, you have my permission and my blessing. She will be arriving at her grandmother Nelson's in London on the 2nd. I will write the address for you, but it is my understanding that she will be visiting Miss Darcy while she is there."
Bingley replied, "I will try to see her at Darcy House as I will be staying there with the Darcys. Thank you sir. I will be sure to visit the Nelson's if I do not see her at the Darcy's. I promise I will always take care of her and Robbie." Bingley accepted the note with the Nelson address on it and tucked it away safely.
"If she does say yes, which I suspect she will, would you please delay putting an announcement in the paper? My father and I would like to be the ones to send it in. When you see the announcement, I think you will understand, if you are willing to trust me," said Mr. Bennet. Mr. Bingley agreed.
Darcy cleared his throat and said, "Mr. Bennet. I too am asking permission, but merely to court Miss Bennet. I find her to be quite different from most of the women of my acquaintance and find I cannot stop thinking of her. I can definitely see spending the next 50 years or so of my life with her."
Mr. Bennet gave permission, but added, "I do not believe Elizabeth is aware of your interest. I should warn you that she has not been flirting with you. She is just very lively. She is accustomed to pursuit that is more overt than yours has been. I did wonder a bit, but was uncertain. The most indication I had was your asking her to dance a second time last night and your frequent glances in her direction during our discussion. That being the case, I do not believe she has noticed at all."
Darcy replied, "Thank you for that information. I must always be so reserved that it has become second nature in almost all social situations that include women. I think I can behave much more like a suitor so she becomes aware of my interest. At least, I will do my best to make her aware."
Mr. Bennet responded, "Once Jane returns in about a fortnight, we will visit my family for some time, but we should be in London by mid-January, if not a little sooner. Since Miss Darcy corresponds with my daughters, I think you will find out our plans, Mr. Darcy. I look forward to watching your progress as you compete with the others in town."
"That was one of the reasons I wanted you to know my intentions. I had heard them mention being in town this winter and wanted to get a little start on the competition," replied Darcy with a smile.
After a few more moments, Darcy and Bingley rode off to London without seeing any of the daughters. They had all determined to sleep a little later than usual due to the exertions of the ball.
Mr. Bennet promised to keep his own counsel so that Jane would not know of the happiness that awaited her in London but indicated that he would tell Mrs. Bennet of the discussions. Elizabeth would learn of her suitor in his own way. Mr. Bennet realized that, so far, Darcy had done little to indicate his interest to Elizabeth. He knew that Darcy would have to open up much more in order for Lizzy to see the man who was interested in her.
At Netherfield, Miss Bingley awoke late that morning to learn that her brother and Mr. Darcy were both on their way to town. She had not realized that Darcy traveled with Charles and was dismayed at his loss. As she considered their removal, she realized that it opened new possibilities for her. Caroline determined that she must take action. Finding Louisa in the drawing room, she says, "Louisa, Charles' infatuation with Jane Nelson is unacceptable. We must convince him that she is unworthy of him."
"What are you talking about? She is the daughter of a gentleman and we are not."
"She has no money to speak of and is a country nobody. If she had any money, she would not be sponging off her family here in the country. Charles must marry someone of breeding and standing," replied Caroline. "We must follow him to town and force him to stay there. Once the Season starts, we must help him find someone worthy. Without him seeing her so often, he will quickly forget her."
Louisa was skeptical of this, but was fine with the idea of returning to town." You just assume that about Mrs. Nelson by the way that they are living here in the country. Have you even bothered to find out if you are correct? However, I'm sure Mr. Hurst will appreciate returning to town now that that Charles won't be hosting any more shooting parties this fall," she replied. She went to her husband and let him know of their plans. They would prepare that day and leave on the morrow. Louisa Hurst was by no means of the same opinion as Caroline, but she had learned early that, since she must live with Caroline, she could keep the peace best by keeping quiet about her opinions.
Caroline replied, "Of course I am correct. If she had any money or connections, it would show in their lifestyle here. Her husband was nothing more than an officer in the army and has left her to rely on her family to support her and her son. Why should we allow Charles to get involved with such as she?"
Caroline left to inform the housekeeper of their decision. After informing her maid of the plans, Louisa penned a note to Jane.
27 November
My dear Mrs. Nelson,I regret that our plans have changed and we are returning to London tomorrow rather than awaiting the return of my brother. Please write to me at-------- on Grosvenor Street and visit me when you are in London. Should you stop by and leave a card, and I not return the visit within a week, please send a note. There are times when cards seem to disappear without me seeing them. I have enjoyed our friendship and do not wish to lose it. Should you be there in late December, we will be in the country visiting family. However, by late January, we should be back in town again. If I do not see you before then, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season. In that case, I hope to see you when you are next in London.
Yours,
Louisa Hurst
Louisa handed this to the footman to be sent directly to Jane at Longbourn. The allusion to the missing cards was due to her knowledge that Caroline would hide cards from those she did not want to know, and Louisa intended to continue to know Mrs. Nelson. Jane had been quite circumspect about her proposed visit to London in December. She was a very private person and would have let her new friends know just before she left. Since they were leaving first, she had no opportunity to inform them of her planned visit.
Louisa then informed Mr. Hurst that they would return to town on the morrow. Since there was to be no more hunting, he accepted the decision, but was not happy that Miss Bingley would be staying with them when they arrived. He hoped that Bingley would soon open his own townhouse so that Miss Bingley would move to her brother's home and leave his in peace.
The two women spent the day preparing to close the house and overseeing the packing of their things. Mr. Hurst avoided the chaos by spending the day in the library.
Meanwhile, the ladies from Longbourn once again met with friends to dissect the ball, this time at Lucas Lodge. Over tea and biscuits, there was lively teasing of Jane for her seeming conquest of Mr. Bingley.
Said Charlotte Lucas, "It seems to me that Mr. Bingley was looking at you all night, even when he was dancing with someone else. And I think I counted three dances. That is almost a declaration in itself. Did he say anything pertinent?"
Jane blushed. "No, he did not. He is off to town today. I do not know when I will see him again. I certainly did enjoy my evening."
Lady Lucas added, "And Lizzy, two whole dances with Mr. Darcy. Is something brewing there as well?"
Elizabeth replied, "I am not sure. He is so reserved it is hard to know what he is thinking. We talked much of his sister. It could be that he just enjoys talking with her friends."
Mary added, "But he only danced with me and Jane once and twice with you. That is something more than talking of Miss Darcy." Elizabeth only smiled. She still did not believe Darcy was interested in her. Would he not give more indication than simply a second dance? She had not noticed his frequent glances.
Charlotte said, "When he danced with me, he congratulated me on my upcoming wedding. Lady Catherine is apparently his aunt. He had met Mr. Collins at the shooting party. He agreed that Hunsford parsonage will be a comfortable home. He said Mrs. Bennet had informed him of my upcoming wedding during supper. I thought it quite kind of him to dance with me."
Elizabeth grinned and said, "We had suggested to him after the assembly that females who were not still looking for a match might be more comfortable dancing companions. Perhaps Mother remembered and mentioned your attachment. Or, maybe after hearing of your betrothal, he wanted to take the chance to get to know you."
"He has said he will visit me in the parsonage when he is next at Rosings in the spring. It is very kind of him that he plans to continue the acquaintance."
Everyone laughed, some a little more self-consciously than others, while Mrs. Bennet said, "If you have a fairly large fortune, you must find ways to protect yourself. One who dances seems much more amiable than one who does not. This way, he can dance and not feel so hunted."
As talk of the ball wound down, Elizabeth and Charlotte discussed Charlotte's upcoming marriage to Mr. Collins. "How is progress coming on your wedding clothes?"
Charlotte responded, "They are nearly complete. I do not need much. Work in the parish will not require many fancy gowns. Of course, for dinners at Rosings, I must have a couple of fine gowns. I will be altering the one I wore last night to make it appropriate for those fancier dinners. Dare I hope that you might be able to visit me at my new home in the spring?"
"Grandmother has lots of plans for us during the Season, so I am not sure if I will be able to plan that yet. I will discuss it with her and Mother and see if they will let me come for a short time. We're planning a ball, presentation at court, a number of musical evenings, and attendance at a number of events. Grandmother wants us to meet as many eligible young men as possible. She felt a little thwarted that Jane and I had our season in Vienna and is making up for it with Mary. I am just a bonus for this year, so I may be able to get away. I will be sure to write you to let you know."
Both laughed at the matchmaking tendencies of their families. However, they were aware that these machinations were necessary if appropriate young men were to be found. With so many men dead or maimed in the past few years with fighting Napoleon and the Americans, many small towns such as Meryton had few eligible young men. The move of the militia to Meryton had given many of the matrons hope for possible matches for their daughters. None would be happy to see them leave when the time came.
All the young friends enjoyed their visit. Balls and assemblies were more fun when they could dissect the swirling relationships together. Those mothers whose daughters had prospered lorded it over their friends whose daughters had had to sit out one dance or another. The rivalries and friendships among the women and girls were as shifting as the alliances between countries on the continent.
Chapter 19
Posted on 2014-05-07
28 November 1816
Late the next morning, the Netherfield party was on its way and had opened the Hurst home that evening. Caroline was quite satisfied to be back in town and sent a note around to Darcy House to inform Charles of their coming. She was sure her brother would join them the next day and then open his own home.
That same morning, Jane and Mary visited a number of the Longbourn tenants with charity baskets. These tenants were suffering illness in the family and would benefit from soothing potions and treats from the Longbourn kitchens. Soon after their return, a letter was delivered to Mrs. Nelson; it came from Netherfield, and was opened immediately.
The envelope contained a sheet of elegant, little, hot-pressed paper, well covered with a lady's fair, flowing hand; and Elizabeth saw her sister's countenance change as she read it, and saw her dwelling intently on some particular passages. Jane recollected herself soon, and turned to Elizabeth and said, "This is very strange. Yesterday, I received a note from Mrs. Hurst notifying me of their return to town and seeking to retain the acquaintance. Today, I received a very different kind of letter. This is from Caroline Bingley; what it contains has surprised me a good deal. The whole party has left Netherfield by this time, and is on the way to town; and without any intention of coming back again. You shall hear what she says."
She then read the first sentence aloud, which comprised the information of their having just resolved to follow their brother to town directly, and of their meaning to dine that day in Grosvenor Street, where Mr. Hurst had a house. The next was in these words. "I do not pretend to regret any thing I shall leave in Hertfordshire, except your society, my dearest friend; but we will hope at some future period, to enjoy many returns of the delightful intercourse we have known, and in the mea while may lessen the pain of separation by a very frequent and most unreserved correspondence. I depend on you for that."
"When my brother left us yesterday, he imagined that the business which took him to London, might be concluded in three or four days, but as we are certain it cannot be so, and at the same time convinced that when Charles gets to town he will be in no hurry to leave it again, we have determined on following him thither, that he may not be obliged to spend his vacant hours in a comfortless hotel. Many of my acquaintance are already there for the winter; I wish I could hear that you, my dearest friend, had any intention of making one in the crowd, but of that I despair. I sincerely hope your Christmas in Hertfordshire may abound in the gaieties which that season generally brings, and that your beaux will be so numerous as to prevent your feeling the loss of the three of whom we shall deprive you."
"It is evident by this," added Jane, "that he comes back no more this winter."
"It is only evident that Miss Bingley does not mean he should. But in any case, we will be in town for the winter so that does not signify."
"Why will you think so? It must be his own doing.--He is his own master. But you do not know all. I will read you the passage which particularly hurts me. I will have no reserves from you." "Mr. Darcy is impatient to see his sister, and to confess the truth, we are scarcely less eager to meet her again. I really do not think Georgiana Darcy has her equal for beauty, elegance, and accomplishments; and the affection she inspires in Louisa and myself is heightened into something still more interesting, from the hope we dare to entertain of her being hereafter our sister. I do not know whether I ever before mentioned to you my feelings on this subject, but I will not leave the country without confiding them, and I trust you will not esteem them unreasonable. My brother admires her greatly already, he will have frequent opportunity now of seeing her on the most intimate footing, her relations all wish the connection as much as his own, and a sister's partiality is not misleading me, I think, when I call Charles most capable of engaging any woman's heart. With all these circumstances to favor an attachment and nothing to prevent it, am I wrong, my dearest Jane, in indulging the hope of an event which will secure the happiness of so many?"
"What think you of this sentence, my dear Lizzy?" said Jane as she finished it. "Is it not clear enough?--Does it not expressly declare that Caroline neither expects nor wishes me to be her sister; that she is perfectly convinced of her brother's indifference, and that if she suspects the nature of my feelings for him, she means (most kindly!) to put me on my guard? Can there be any other opinion on the subject?"
"Yes, there can; for mine is totally different. Will you hear it?"
"Most willingly."
"You shall have it in few words. Miss Bingley sees that her brother is in love with you, and wants him to marry Miss Darcy. She follows him to town in the hope of keeping him there, and tries to persuade you that he does not care about you."
Jane shook her head.
Mrs. Bennet agreed with Lizzy, "Indeed, Jane, you ought to believe us.--No one who has ever seen you together, can doubt his affection. Miss Bingley I am sure cannot. She is not such a simpleton. Could she have seen half as much love in Mr. Darcy for herself, she would have ordered her wedding clothes. But the case is this. She thinks we are not rich enough, or grand enough for them; and she is the more anxious to get Miss Darcy for her brother, from the notion that when there has been one intermarriage, she may have less trouble in achieving a second. Hers is not an uncommon attitude. It is why we have kept our higher connections so quiet. It would simply cause talk and make you all targets, just as Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley were when they first attended the assembly. However, Mr. Bingley made his appreciation clear enough that I believe you will hear from him again." Since Mrs. Bennet knew of Bingley's conversation with Mr. Bennet, she wanted to reassure Jane as much as she could.
Mary spoke up, "Yes, mamma. Now I see what you mean about machinations within society and why we have kept quiet about our higher connections. I am sure it would have made many of our friends uncomfortable as we are of a rank so much higher than anyone else around here. Jane, we must prepare for your trip to town next week. I have some things I would like you to give to Miss Darcy. I am sure you will end up seeing Mr. Bingley before we meet again in Hertford for Christmas."
Lizzy added, "Jane, I know you always think the best of everyone, but the rest of us have seen a side to Miss Bingley that she does not show to you. Please believe us that Mrs. Hurst's note is far more sincere than Miss Bingley's. Be sure to send Mrs. Hurst a note as soon as you get to town and arrange to meet her at her home. You do not want Miss Bingley to know of your connections to Lord Nelson. She had not connected Robert as the younger son of the Earl and you do not want her to. She just thinks you the widow of a Colonel and no more. She is also unaware of our extended connections, that grandfather is an Earl, that we have many titled relatives. She thinks we are merely country nobodies. Mother and I heard her say so to Mr. Darcy. He knows her well and did not disabuse her of her notions since he knew what fawning upon us would follow."
Jane looked at her mother and sisters and sighed, "It is so difficult to deal with people who are not what they seem. I do greatly esteem Mr. Bingley and did so want to enjoy his sisters. Indeed, I do very much like Mrs. Hurst, but it has been more difficult to like Miss Bingley. She seems to go out of her way to make others uncomfortable. I will do as you say and when Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst return a visit, will make sure that Grandmama and Great-grandmama are not present. They will understand."
Mary retrieved the music she wanted to share with Miss Darcy. The sisters went to Jane's rooms to work on packing. After an hour of much laughter amid the work, Jane felt more composed about the contrast between the two letters. She also hoped that her mother and sister were correct about Mr. Bingley's feelings.
The rest of the week consisted of continued preparations for Jane's removal and additional visits to tenants. Also, flowers and herbs that had been gathered earlier in the autumn and dried were stored away for winter use. Spring and summer apparel was packed away, saved for Lydia and Kitty, or donated to the maids for their own use. Since the women would get almost complete wardrobes when they got to town in January, it was time to free up space for the new items.
Chapter 20
2 December 1816 London
Jane, Robbie, his nurse and her maid left early in the morning for town. They arrived on Gracechurch Street at the Nelson's after a typical ride with a tired toddler. At ten months old, Robbie had enjoyed part of the ride but felt it had lasted too long. His nurse and mother had found him difficult to entertain after the first hours, but he finally fell asleep for the balance of the ride. Two trips to London in just a few weeks were a bit much for him.
After refreshing from the ride and sharing opinions of the ball, Jane sent a note to Miss Darcy and another to Mrs. Hurst informing them of her arrival. Miss Darcy's return note asked Jane to call the next day as planned, and Mrs. Hurst also invited Jane for the morrow expressing pleasure that she was in town so soon after their parting.
At Darcy House, Bingley remained in residence. Although Hurst had opened his home, Bingley had determined not to join the rest of the family there or in his own home. He would stay with Darcy, as planned. As he knew Mrs. Nelson would visit Miss Darcy the day after she arrived in town, he would take that opportunity to talk with her. He had visited his family and been subjected to much criticism of the Bennet family by Caroline, and he refused to listen any further. This was why he had determined to remain at Darcy House instead of with the Hursts or in his own home. Therefore, when Miss Darcy received the note from Jane, she shared the news with her brother and his friend. Bingley had shared his determination to ask Jane with Miss Darcy and enlisted her help in arranging for an opportune moment.
Darcy, for his part, informed his butler Taylor that the next morning, the family would only be home to Mrs. Nelson. He did not want Miss Bingley, who often stopped by to visit 'her dear friend' whenever she was in town, to interrupt. She had already stopped by twice since her return to town. Nor did he want any of the other women who contrived a friendship with his sister in order to get to him to be there that day. He wanted to do as much as he could to smooth the way for Bingley.
Mrs. Hurst received the reply to her note and did not inform her sister of the proposed visit. She hoped Caroline would go out to make calls on her own so that she might enjoy Mrs. Nelson's company. This had been true most mornings since their return. However, if Caroline was still there, she would make the best of it. Since Charles had not opened his house, not planning to stay, Louisa had little choice but to make Caroline welcome. However, she was finding her sister's company to be tiring and hoped to find a way to get her to visit elsewhere.
Dinner at the Nelson's was a cheerful family affair. Jane's Aunt Madeline and Uncle Edward Gardiner joined the family as did Uncle Andrew Bennet and Aunt Cecily, their son, Robert and Robert's wife Margaret, just as they had dined together on the previous trip. Prior to dinner, all played with and admired Robbie, then spent the rest of the evening hearing about the Netherfield ball and other family activities. Jane was grateful that her family and her husband's family were all on such good terms. It had helped her cope with her loss to be surrounded by supportive loved ones. She enjoyed the opportunity to visit with different family members in different locations. She planned to see the rest of her late husband's family when they arrived in town in February.
Dinner at Hurst's was a strained affair as had become the custom since their return to town. Caroline continued her monologue against Hertfordshire and the Bennets. She would prefer never to return to Netherfield. Country misses were such upstarts. When the meal was over, Mr. and Mrs. Hurst excused themselves and retired to their rooms. Neither could face an entire evening of Caroline's vituperation. They had already had sufficient to last a lifetime.
When they reached their room, Louisa said, "Sebastian. I have had some exciting news. I visited a midwife this morning to confirm that I am with child. It is still early, but we can expect to add to the family sometime in July."
"It is quite certain? That is wonderful news. I am so happy."
"Yes, although since it is still early, we may lose this one like we did the last. I am sad to say that I think we cannot be happy if Caroline continues to live with us. When I began to suspect that I might be with child again, I started some deep thinking about our situation. I just do not want to continue to live in the contentious atmosphere that attends my sister. I am grateful that you have put up with her these three years, but I think enough is enough. She acts like it is her own home and treats you dreadfully."
"Yes, she does. But we both know it is easier to just go along with her. Are you ready for the storm that will erupt when we tell her she is no longer welcome? It will not be pleasant."
"No, it will not. However, to take the long view, we will have a far better life with her at the periphery instead of the center. Drama seems to attend her everywhere she goes and everything must revolve around her."
"Do you want to discuss this with Bingley? He hasn't even opened his home this time. Where will she go?"
"Yes, I will discuss it with Charles this week. The interest on her portion is enough that she can get her own place. She could choose to go to our Aunt Helen, but I do not think that likely. She does not like York."
Sebastian took Louisa's hand and kissed it, then continued to hold it and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "I am sure we will find a way to make it work out. After the holidays, I suggest we return here for the winter but retire to Sussex in spring and plan to spend more of our time at Mayfield in the future. I think it a far better place to raise a child than London. And let's plan to leave early to see my family. Caroline is not invited. She doesn't even like them. I will close up the house so she has no choice but to find a place."
With a smile, Louisa replied, "That sounds wonderful. I love the house at Mayfield. Caroline has done no decorating there, so it is far more comfortable than this one. When she is gone, we must clean up her changes here to make it our home again. You must help me to stand firm with her and not give way to her manipulations."
He nodded to her and said, "Done. We will make a stand. After the storm descends, do not be surprised if I spend much of the day at my club so as to avoid her though."
"I understand. I may need to make call or do some shopping," Louisa said with a smile. "After all, I will need to pick up a few things for the new family member. But I won't do much of that until later."
Abandoned after the meal, Caroline spent the evening in her room reading unhappily. She did not understand why they had left her.
At Darcy House, Darcy, Bingley and Georgiana had a quiet dinner together. Afterwards, Georgiana played piano for them for a while, then excused herself. Darcy and Bingley then retired to the billiard room for a few games. Bingley played particularly poorly as he was distracted by the thought of seeing Mrs. Nelson the next day. Darcy teased his friend about the distraction and they finally headed to their beds. Of course, Bingley fell asleep thinking about seeing Mrs. Nelson and his forthcoming proposal.
Chapter 21
Posted on 2014-05-14
3 December 1816 morning
Jane awoke refreshed, happy to be visiting new friends, ready to be charmed by them. She dressed with care and borrowed an inconspicuous family coach to travel to Darcy House. Luckily, the carriage had no distinctive markings to denote the status of the Ladies Nelson or she could not have taken it on her second visit to Mrs. Hurst. She was admitted to the drawing room where she found Miss Darcy waiting for her. Jane delivered the music that Mary had sent to Miss Darcy.
Jane reflected that the Darcy home reflected the character of Mr. Darcy. It was elegant but not showy. Although stiffly formal in the entry, the private drawing room was quite comfortable, obviously designed to put those who were intimate friends at ease. She reflected that Mr. Darcy was also quite stiff and formal in public but much more friendly in private. She smiled to consider how much the home reflected what she saw of both the public and private man.
They had visited for almost the requisite time and found great joy in the association when Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley joined them. The ladies rose and curtsied and Miss Darcy was amused to see the blush that came to Jane's check upon her first glimpse of Mr. Bingley. Mr. Darcy beckoned to his sister, saying, "Georgie, can I speak with you for a moment?" She nodded and they stepped to the door for their supposed discussion. In actuality, they were unobtrusively watching Bingley propose while they actually talked of the weather.
Bingley continued into the room and sat near Jane. In a lowered voice, he said, "Mrs. Nelson. I cannot tell you how glad I am to see you. You must know how much I admire you. I spoke to your father before Darcy and I left Meryton. He informed me you would be here. I asked him for his permission to speak to you about my esteem for you and he gave that permission. I know you are an independent woman and need not marry again, but would you consider me for that office? You are the most wonderful woman I have ever met, and I would love to have you as my wife and be a father for Robbie."
As Bingley paused for breath, Jane looked at him in astonishment. Here was proof that Lizzy had been correct. Caroline had been no friend and had misrepresented the situation between Mr. Bingley and Miss Darcy. Jane nodded and said, "Oh, Mr. Bingley, yes. I had hoped but never expected this. I would be honored to become Mrs. Bingley."
"Please call me Charles. May I please call you Jane, at least when we are not out in public?" Jane nodded in reply.
Bingley looked at the Darcys and said, in a louder voice, "Darcy, Georgiana, I have the pleasure to announce that Mrs. Nelson has done me the honor of accepting my hand in marriage. I also have her father's permission, but her father wants to put the announcement in the paper himself, so that will be delayed."
Georgiana replied, "Oh, that is so wonderful. I am so happy for you both. Jane, Fitzwilliam and I would like to invite you and your grandmothers to dinner with us tonight to celebrate. Do you think they would come?"
Jane smiled and said, "I will send them a note right now if you'd like." Georgiana supplied writing materials and Jane did just that. They engaged in excited chatter while they waited for the reply. They received an enthusiastic assent and Jane prepared to leave for her call with Mrs. Hurst. "I have really overstayed my welcome, so please forgive me. I am due for a call with Mrs. Hurst this morning."
Charles smiled, "I will follow you soon and we can share our happy news with her."
Charles then escorted Jane out to her waiting carriage, giving her hand one extra squeeze as he handed her in. He seemed to be floating on air as he returned to Darcy House. "Bingley, I've never seen you look happier. Considering how cheerful you generally are, that is saying a lot. Congratulations my friend," said Darcy.
Meanwhile, Jane arrived at the Hurst home. She saw that it was the reflection of conflicting personalities. While the basics of the home were elegant, even sophisticated, much of the décor was showy and pretentious. Many of the color combinations were even garish. Considering the dress of Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst, she thought it likely that most of the home had been furnished by Mrs. Hurst but that Miss Bingley felt entitled to add extra adornment. The public parlor showed more of Miss Bingley's showiness than Mrs. Hurst's true taste, in Jane's opinion. Of course, Jane would never suggest such a thing to her hostess.
Mrs. Hurst greeted Jane with true warmth, "I am so glad you got my note before we left and were able to come see me. Most of our friends are in the country already. Mr. Hurst and I plan to visit his family in Sussex for the holiday. We had planned to go there directly from Netherfield, but Caroline felt it important to come to town to do some shopping. Have your relatives enjoyed seeing your son?"
"We have a wonderful reunion yesterday. Quite a few family members were able to attend besides Grandmama and Great-grandmama Nelson. They fussed over Robbie as any relatives would," Jane replied with a smile. "I am glad we can spend some time here before joining the Bennet tribe for Christmas celebrations. You smile that I call us a tribe. I think we really are. My father's family is quite large and almost everyone will be there. I am only sorry that many never had the opportunity to meet Robert after our marriage. We married in February and he was killed under Wellington in the fighting against Napoleon in July. Of course, some of them knew him as a child, but never as my husband. The Nelsons are old family friends."
Louisa stood and went to her friend and gave her a hug in response to the obvious emotion Jane was feeling. "I am so sorry for your loss."
Jane smiled again and said, "I thank you for your kindness, Mrs. Hurst. I have come to terms with it. It is just these little reminders occasionally that bring back the sorrow. I am mostly glad for the time we had together and of course for little Robert."
Louisa herself smiled and said, "Won't you call me Louisa? I would like us to be true friends and feel that Mrs. gets in the way of that."
Jane responded, "I would be honored to call you Louisa. Would you please call me Jane? So Louisa, tell me something about Mr. Hurst's family. Who will be joining you at Christmas? We have grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and various extended family relatives in our get-together."
Louisa replied, "We have the same. I suppose there will be about 15 people." Just then, Bingley entered the drawing room. Louisa rose and gave Bingley a quick hug. "Charles, this is a pleasant surprise. Caroline is out. She will be sorry she missed you. I believe you know Mrs. Nelson?"
Bingley grinned and replied, "I believe I do since she agreed just this morning to become my wife."
At that, Louisa gasped, then exclaimed, "Wife? That's wonderful. I'm so excited for you. Jane, we are to be sisters." Then Louisa gave Jane another hug, this one full of happiness.
Louisa's response was all that Bingley and Jane could have desired. With Caroline absent, there was no need to mute her happiness and she did not even try. Louisa had seen how happy Charles was when Jane was present and knew Jane would make her brother very happy.
"Have you set a time?"
Jane replied, "No. I think spring would be nice, and we need a little time to plan how to join our lives. I have property in trust for Robbie and other legal niceties that must be dealt with before we set a date."
Charles added, "I just don't want to wait too long. I too think spring will be a good time. I expect by early next month, after consulting with Jane's mother and our aunt that we will have a better idea of what we'd like."
"And how did Mr. Darcy react?" asked Louisa, knowing of Caroline's hopes that Charles would choose Georgiana.
"He only asked me to make sure of my own mind as Jane and Robbie deserved that consideration. He helped me arrange to be private with Jane this morning to ask her. He would not have done that if he had been against the marriage."
Just as he had uttered the word marriage, Caroline walked into the room. She was surprised to see Jane and very unhappy to see that Charles was here at just the same time as Jane. "What was that I heard about marriage?" she asked.
Charles replied, "I only said that Darcy would not have assisted me in obtaining a private moment with Jane had he been against the marriage. I asked and Mrs. Nelson consented to be my wife just this morning at Darcy's house."
Caroline stopped in stupefaction. "You, you, what? You did what? I..I.." and she collapsed onto a nearby chair. She was unable to speak for a few minutes, then managed a very tightly controlled, "Congratulations. Please excuse me," and she hurried from the room.
Charles said, with little concern in either his expression or his tone of voice, "Oh dear. I do believe that Caroline was not exactly as happy as Louisa in our news. Mrs. Nelson, may I escort you home? Louisa, I believe it is going to be uncomfortable here for a while. Would you like to join us?"
Louisa quickly agreed and all left together to escort Jane home. When Bingley had arrived, he had sent the Nelson carriage home knowing that he would accompany Jane later in his own carriage. Louisa expected that some of the ornaments would be broken by the time she returned home. They were not going to be the last, but it would be the first time there would be repercussions for Caroline's behavior.
Chapter 22
3 December 1816 later
As they drove to the Nelson home in the Bingley carriage, Charles apologized to Jane. "Caroline had her own plans for my future. They required me to marry someone with connections that would enhance her future. While we were in Netherfield, I saw how much Caroline no longer fit with the type of life I wanted; I have decided to do what seemed best for my life. Unfortunately, this means that I must battle for what is best for me, not what she wants from me. Until recently, I just had not seen how bad it had become, but her attitude in Meryton made it clear to me that I can no longer have her in my household. I am sorry for her poor reaction to our wonderful news."
Louisa added, "Mr. Hurst and I have made the same decision after watching her remove people's cards which were left for me, throw out invitations, or take those addressed to me and use them herself. She is not coming to Sussex with us and our home here in town will be closed up. Charles is going to York to see the family and she can either go with him-where she can stay-or she will have to get her own establishment. It is hard to do this at the holidays, but we have found out that I am expecting and do not want the added contention that she brings into our home."
At this, Jane responded, "Oh, Louisa, what wonderful news. When do you expect your confinement? We must make sure you are able to attend our wedding."
Louisa replied, "We anticipate mid-July, so if you marry in May or earlier, I should be able to attend."
Bingley added his congratulations and agreed with Louisa's assessment. "It is sad, but best, that Caroline now move to her own establishment. I know a brother must usually provide a home for his sister until she marries, but I do not want her attitude around me any longer either. I hate contention and, unfortunately, Caroline is nothing but contention these days. I wonder what happened to the sister I once knew."
Mrs. Hurst replied, "Society is what happened."
By this time, they had arrived at the Nelson home. They entered with Jane, who asked the footman to ask her relatives to join her and her friends in the private drawing room. They left their wraps in the foyer and mounted the stairs to the private parlor. They found Lady Leticia was already present. Lady Eleanor followed them through the door.
"Grandmama Leticia, Grandmama Eleanor, may I present Mr. Charles Bingley, my betrothed, and his sister Mrs. Louisa Hurst?" said Jane in greeting." And Charles, Louisa, may I present Lady Leticia Nelson, dowager Countess Nelson, and Lady Eleanor Nelson, also dowager Countess Nelson?"
Everyone said everything that was amiable and correct. Charles and Jane had not talked much of family, but Jane had shared this information about Robert's family with him. Louisa was astonished. They had only heard about the solicitor and the uncle in trade, nothing about any other relatives of higher rank. She realized that if Caroline knew this, she would do her best to take advantage of Jane's connections. She appreciated how clever it was of the Bennets not to mention the rank of the Nelsons.
After a few moments of small talk, refreshments arrived in the form of tea, tea sandwiches, biscuits and fruit. Lady Eleanor stepped out for a moment to indicate that the family was not at home to any visitors. The group then discussed the happy news and implications for the future. Charles said, "I will do everything in my power to be a good father to Robbie. He is already a fine little chap and I look forward to helping Jane with him."
Grandmama Leticia replied, "I am sure that is the case. I can see that you are a fine young man. That you talked to Mr. Bennet even though not required shows your true sensitivity. Please call me Grandmama Leticia as Jane does. At my age, I do not have time enough for formalities with family. Since you will be father to my great-great-grandson, you definitely count as family. And Mrs. Hurst, I would love it if you would do the same. I realize that we will not be family in quite the same way, but as you are friends with Jane and brother to one I am calling a grandson, I would enjoy it."
At this, Grandmama Eleanor chimed in, "I second that idea. I am Grandmamma Eleanor to you both."
"Grandmama Leticia, Grandmama Eleanor,I would be honored. I will adopt you both as grandmothers since my own are gone. And we have recently learned that I am carrying our next generation, so you will have an additional grandchild sometime next summer," replied Louisa.
Bingley also responded, "Since I've heard that Robert is very like Jane, and I can see how much you two are as well, I can see where Robert got his wonderful temperament." Both ladies smiled at this. He then continued, "I am so pleased that you have accepted the invitation to dinner this evening. We will all enjoy celebrating with you both."
The ladies looked at each other, turned to Bingley with one accord, and Leticia said, "I am feeling fairly spry today, so I think we can both make it. I don't get out much, just on my good days. It is hard to get around when you get to be 97. Bad weather makes it next to impossible. We look forward to coming and meeting your friends for a little celebration."
Louisa added, "Due to a family situation with our younger sister, I expect that my husband and I will be there only in spirit. Also, given that same situation, I suggest that should my sister Caroline, Miss Bingley, stop by to visit Jane, you might want to be resting. She might be likened to a social ampelopsis (a climbing clinging vine) which is highly invasive and hard to prune. It is much better to avoid planting it as long as possible."
Bingley laughed at that description of his sister and said, "I had never thought of it that way, but it is true. " The Bingleys left on that laughing note.
Jane sat down to write to her family. The grandmothers had visitors throughout the afternoon. Jane was introduced and had a very pleasant, even soothing afternoon. Finally, she and the grandmothers dressed for dinner and made their way to Darcy House.
Bingley and Mrs. Hurst had a far different afternoon at the Hurst's home. When Bingley took Louisa back home, they encountered a very upset Miss Bingley. Caroline continued to criticize the Bennets, lamenting the alliance that marriage to Jane would bring, threatening all sorts of unpleasantness. Bingley's finally said, "I can no longer tolerate the uncharitable and intolerant behavior you exhibit. It reflects poorly upon the rest of us and is often talked of by our friends. I am sorry it has come to this. You are no longer welcome in my home. Louisa and Sebastian feel the same. I can escort you to York or you can find another home of your own. You will need to decide before the Hursts leave for Sussex for the holiday."
Louisa added, "I know you have removed cards left for me, removed invitations, and snubbed my friends. Now that we're expecting, we do not want the contention you bring into our house. When we leave for Sussex, you are not coming with us and will not be staying here either. We are closing up the house and letting the servants here enjoy the holiday with their own families."
Caroline was shocked at such treatment from her family. She had been so accustomed to manipulating and controlling them, she had never considered that they might retaliate at some point. There was a great deal of shouting on her part, and wearily patient reply on the part of her brother and sister for the next hour. After much argument with both Louisa and Charles, she realized she would have no choice but to find another place to live. As far as she was concerned, York was not an option. Perhaps they would relent, but she was not so sure of that. They had never been so severe in their judgments of her in the past. She had always been able to manipulate them into doing what she wanted. She was shocked that Charles could be so firm with her. He hated arguments and had never engaged in such heated ones before. The day had started poorly with the announcement of the engagement with Jane Nelson and had only gone downhill since then.
Chapter 23
Posted on 2014-05-21
3 December 1816 evening
It was a merry group that gathered at Darcy House. The footman took their wraps, and Jane entered the drawing room, followed by the grandmothers, with Lady Eleanor helping Lady Leticia into the room. Bingley immediately rose and offered her his arm and assisted Lady Leticia to a chair. Jane performed the introductions to the Darcys. After all were introduced, Darcy commented, "Mrs. Nelson, I have been thinking and believe I knew your husband at Eton. There was a Robert Nelson who was the youngest son of Earl Nelson."
Lady Eleanor responded, "Yes, that would be our Robert. He did enjoy his time there before going on to Sandhurst." Conversation continued in a light, cheerful manner. Darcy shared stories of Robert Nelson's time at Eton. All appreciated them.
Shortly thereafter, dinner was ready, and they proceeded into the dining room. As everyone else sat down, Darcy remained standing and said, "I would like to propose a toast to Bingley and Mrs. Nelson. May they ever be as happy as they are today and may their life together be as agreeable as they are."
Everyone raised a glass and drank the toast. During the course of the meal, Georgiana asked Jane to tell how she and Robert had met, if it wasn't too painful. Jane said, "Mr. Bingley has heard some of this, but he should probably hear the rest since he will be assuming responsibility for Robert's son."
"My father is a good friend to the current Earl Nelson. Until we moved to Vienna, when I was about 10, we were frequently in company with the Earl and his family. We children were all good friends, although Robert was a few years older than I. When we moved, Robert's sister Eloise and I were constant correspondents. After two years in Vienna, I began school in Switzerland. Eloise continued to update me about all that was happening in the family. About that time, Robert joined the army as a Lieutenant. By the time I left school, Robert was a Colonel and fighting Napoleon. I had a couple of seasons in Vienna before Robert was assigned to the protection detail for the ambassadorial staff. During that time, we became attached and were married early in 1815. Father was instrumental in many of the negotiations for the Congress of Vienna, so we were in the midst of very interesting times and determined to have a small ceremony. Then, Napoleon escaped, and Wellington left Vienna for Paris. Robert was assigned to assist Wellington and fell in the fighting near Paris. I had found out I was expecting just before Robert left. At least he knew he was to have a child."
"Well, then negotiations concluded with peace throughout Europe. Father and Mother determined to return home, thinking a change of scenery would be good for me, and wanting to be closer to our families when my child arrived. So, last fall, we left Vienna and settled in Longbourn. I had just left off mourning when Charles leased Netherfield, and there we are."
"Oh, how sad to have lost him so quickly," responded Georgiana. "At least when Father died, he was sick for a time so we could prepare ourselves."
Jane replied, "Yes, it was sad. However, I have been very lucky to find Mr. Bingley. Not every man wants to raise another's child. I was not sure if I would ever marry again. We are lucky that Robert left us in a comfortable financial situation so I was not forced to remarry to maintain myself."
Bingley joined into this conversation, "Mrs. Nelson is such an angel that I'm sure if I had waited for the season to start, I would have lost my chance to someone else. I did not dare wait any longer. And as for Robbie, he is such a sweet fellow. I shall enjoy a ready-made family which I'm sure will be a joy."
At the back of his mind, Bingley considered his current family situation. He was happy in the improving relationship with the Hursts and saddened by that with Caroline. He knew he would have to be firm with her as he cut her out of his life if he was to have any chance at happiness. He continued, "And a happy family life is greatly to be desired. As you know, there has been a bit of strife in mine lately, but I hope I can say that, except for a few more expected outbursts, the worst is behind me. I am looking forward to joining the Nelson and Bennet families to the Bingley. Darcy, the Ladies Nelson have asked Louisa and me to call them Grandmama, so we truly have extended the family."
"Congratulations all around then. Ladies, Bingley is a great fellow and you will enjoy him as a grandson. I'm sure you can expect him and Mrs. Hurst as regular visitors when they are in town. Since their only older relative is an aunt in York, I'm sure they will appreciate the wisdom and love that comes from your experience. And, since I have acted in the role of older brother, I too appreciate that he has others with more wisdom to call upon now," said Darcy with a twinkle in his eye.
The evening continued pleasantly, concluding with piano playing and singing in the conservatory. Georgiana was generally the player, although Lady Eleanor did play a couple of Christmas carols during which everyone joined in singing. Darcy was amazed at how comfortable Georgiana was with this group of relative strangers. He could feel a knot in his shoulders relax as he contemplated her happiness. As the visitors left, Jane invited Georgiana to visit and they could shop together for gifts for families and friends. Georgiana agreed to join Jane Thursday morning. By the end of the evening, Jane and Bingley had tentatively agreed on March 19 for the wedding.
Bingley and Darcy retired to the library for a libation before turning in to bed. Bingley was still ecstatic over the acceptance of his proposal. Darcy allowed him to drone on and on about how wonderful Jane was, agreeing any time asked for his opinion. In reality, he was considering whether or not he might be as successful with Miss Bennet as Bingley had been with Mrs. Nelson. Finally, as Bingley was losing steam and repeating himself, he interrupted, "Charles, what do you say about Georgiana, you, and I accompanying Mrs. Nelson and Robbie to her family on our way north? It will give you an opportunity to confirm everything with Mr. Bennet, and another chance to see everyone."
Bingley laughed, "I like it. I would only say no if Caroline does decide to accompany me to York for the holiday. Then, I would ask you to escort the Nelsons. I do not want to subject Jane to Caroline's vitriol."
Darcy contemplated this with satisfaction. He found that he greatly missed Elizabeth's witty conversation and he knew Georgiana would enjoy another visit with Mary. At this, both men retired to their rooms well satisfied with the day.
Chapter 24
4-15 December 1816 London
With firm resolution, Bingley called at the Hurst's early the next morning. He found the family just rising from breakfast. He greeted Hurst and Louisa then turned to Caroline, "Caroline, what is your decision?"
She just looked at him seemingly without comprehension. Since he had been so accommodating to her schemes in the past, she had hoped that she could manipulate him into giving up Jane. "Whatever do you mean?" she queried.
Bingley sighed, "Caroline, we gave you an ultimatum. You have income of your own and can set up your own establishment. If you wish to join me in York for Christmas and my annual visit to our aunt, you are welcome. Otherwise, I wash my hands of you."
Louisa also spoke up, "The way you have treated all of us is unconscionable. We cannot continue to live this way."
Caroline angrily replied. "I don't know what you are talking about-contention and manipulation. How can you say such things. And where do you think I can go on such short notice?"
Louisa replied, "I know you have taken cards left for me, invitations, and other items and either used them yourself or thrown them out. You have caused me to hurt friends by my seeming indifference. It has taken me quite some time to rectify the riffs you have caused. And you constantly criticize my husband in his own home. He has the right to a happy home, and with you here, it simply isn't."
Charles then supplied, "My friends avoid inviting me to activities they fear you want to attend. We tend to meet only in their clubs or informally so they will not have to entertain you. I love you and have always given you the benefit of the doubt, but my future is with Mrs. Nelson and Robbie."
"A poor widow and her son with no connections at all. How is that of benefit to the Bingley name? How can you throw away every opportunity by marrying a nobody? She has family in trade," sneered Caroline.
Charles merely shook his head. "We have family in trade-our father was in trade. Do you want assistance in finding an establishment and hiring a companion? Louisa or I would be happy to help. You will have to live with the income available from your portion as I will no longer be supplementing it. I have a family to think about now."
"You could never help me find a good place or companion. I will do it myself," she replied haughtily while still trying to figure out how to get them to change their minds. However, both were resolute and she realized that she had better start looking today. With that, she headed to her room to prepare to go out and find a companion and a place to live.
Louisa turned to her husband and said, "Sebastian, I am so sorry I let her go on that way for so long. It was just easier than dealing with the issues that will ensue from this change. Please forgive me."
He reached out a hand and took hers in his, "I know I am not overly demonstrative like our lovelorn Charles here, but I do appreciate you Louisa. When I married you, I also married your family. I know it was easier not to confront her. I never forced the issue either, so you are not the only one responsible for the situation. I am glad we can now move on together though."
At that, Charles said, "And Hurst, I hear congratulations are in order. I am very happy for you both. Jane wants to have the wedding in March so that Louisa will be able to attend."
Hurst grinned. "We are both very happy. We will probably start spending more time on my estate after the birth. In my opinion, London isn't the place for little ones if you have healthier options."
They all chatted for a few minutes longer and stopped upon hearing the front door slam. Hurst beckoned to the footman asking, "Was that our sister?" At his nod, he dismissed the man and said, "Why don't we all go call upon Mrs. Nelson together? And Louisa, I think I will be going to my club for the rest of the day. I do not relish facing your sister when she returns." They agreed to that plan and prepared to leave.
Meanwhile, Caroline left in a fit of pique. That her own family would turn on her was insupportable. That they would choose a nothing like Jane Nelson was even worse.
Her first stop was to her solicitor to find out what she could afford and to get his help. With his assistance, she found an agent to help her view different housing options. She had no intention of going to York, and therefore had just over a week to find a new home. She finally located an acceptable house divided into 3 apartments, one on each floor. It was not the most fashionable neighborhood, but neither was it in an unfashionable area. Of course, it would need redecorating, but it would suffice.
Her solicitor also assisted in the area of finding the necessary companion. He contacted various agencies and set up appointments in his office for the next day. Although unhappy with this alternative, Caroline was at least satisfied that she would have a place of her own.
The rest of the family had a much happier day. They had a pleasant call on the Nelsons then went their separate ways. Louisa made calls on her friends and Hurst went to his club. Jane and Bingley went to call on the Gardiners and their solicitors. The visit with the Gardiners was refreshing. The Gardiners were always excellent company. The solicitor was needed so that Bingley could understand the nature of Robbie's estate. He then returned Jane to the Nelsons and called on his own solicitor to begin the process of drawing up settlement papers and ensuring that his financial support for Caroline was terminated. He then spent time contacting various shops notifying them that Caroline Bngley was now responsible for her own accounts and that he would no longer pay any bills associated with Caroline.
The following day, Mrs. Hurst and Mrs. Gardiner joined Jane and Georgiana on their previously planned shopping trip. With Mrs. Gardiner's connections, they found some wonderful bargains and had a delightful time together. Mrs. Hurst was amazed at the places and people that Mrs. Gardiner had access to. For the next week, the women regularly got together for pleasant shopping trips while Caroline made arrangements to move out. Caroline spent the day interviewing potential companions.
By December 11, Caroline had moved into her own place. She had a new companion, Alice Martin, and a home that was acceptable. At least she would not have to go to York. The Hursts very generously allowed her to take many of the pieces that Caroline had added to his home in hopes of decorating it to her taste. Both were relieved to have the home the way they preferred. Bingley also offered such items as were her favorites in his townhouse, particularly those in her own bedroom.
Discussions with Jane disclosed that Tom Bennet would be leaving Eton on December 13 to travel to Longbourn. Bingley discussed the offer from him and Darcy to accompany the Nelsons back to Longbourn and added that they could easily pick up Tom on the way. Correspondence with Longbourn and Tom quickly solidified that plan.
Chapter 25
Posted on 2014-05-28
4- 15 December 1816 Longbourn
Back at Longbourn, Kitty and Lydia arrived home from school. They were to have the rest of December off, starting school again after the New Year. Mr. Bennet had traveled to Bristol and collected his two younger daughters. He enjoyed the ride home, catching up on all their school activities. Although they wrote home regularly, it was not the same as being with them. Their conversations were mostly silly, but they were now at an age when they often said things that were surprisingly sensible. He had great hopes that they would mature into lovely young women such as his older daughters.
Mrs. Bennet was overjoyed to see her daughters and gave them both big hugs. "You both look wonderful. Come get settled and tell us everything you have been doing." Mr. Bennet retired to the library while the women entered the drawing room.
Lydia sat with her mother and described her many escapades at school. Kitty sat with Lizzy and Mary and eagerly showed them her sketchbook. Kitty had always loved to draw and it was apparent that the school had good masters. "Oh Kitty," exclaimed Lizzy, "these are just wonderful."
Kitty had filled her sketchbook with pictures of her family. "Do you really think so? When I missed you, I would work on a picture. It helped everyone seem closer," replied Kitty. "Of course, with Lydia around, it is hard to be lonely. But she doesn't take the time to appreciate beauty around her like Mary does, or to see wonderful things in nature, like Lizzy does." As Kitty said this, she smiled shyly at her sisters.
The sisters spent time catching up on news, with both Kitty and Lydia wanting to know everything they could about Mr. Bingley. They were both happy for Jane but unhappy not to have even met the gentleman in question. They played with their younger brothers, John and Andrew, noting how big they were both getting. The sisters and brothers made almost daily trips to Meryton to visit Aunt Philips.
In Meryton, they often saw the officers, although since Kitty and Lydia were not 'out,' they were not introduced. Lydia arrived at Aunt Philips' house with admiration for Lieutenant Wickham on her lips. She had seen him in the streets and asked Mary who he was. Mary had told her and then told her of his perfidy and that she must be sure to stay far away. Privately, Mary was glad that Lydia could not interact with the man.
"At least I can look. Men in uniform look so fine. And he looks particularly well in his uniform."
"He may look fine, but his fine looks hide an ugly inside. When you are old enough to do more than look, be sure Mama will help you meet someone you can admire," replied Mary.
Aunt Philips seconded that sentiment and added, "Really, a man in uniform is fine to look at. However, you must also be sure that he can support a wife. You would not like to live in a single room with no dances or new dresses in a year would you? That is the lot for many officers' wives, particularly if the officers have no other source of income. Colonel Nelson had his estate of Stoke to provide extra income so that Jane could have a nice home. I cannot see you happy with so few luxuries in your life."
Lydia sighed and replied, "I guess I can understand that. And I have heard about Mr. Wickham being untrustworthy. It is simply that he looks so well in his uniform. What do you mean, they have little to live on?"
Mrs. Phillips said, "The officers' pay is sufficient to support them but not much more. If they have nothing extra, their wives must scrimp and struggle to get by. I just do not see you wanting to live like that."
Lydia agreed that it did not sound very pleasant. She turned her mind away from the officer for now.
The next day, Lydia spent the afternoon with Maria Lucas at Lucas Lodge. Maria was just a year older than Lydia and not really out although she did occasionally attend activities as if she were. She and Lydia shared a very young outlook on life and had a similar exuberance. However, Maria was far shyer than the very outgoing Lydia. Lydia told her of school while Maria gave her impressions of Bingley and his romance with Jane. Both talked of the officers and Maria agreed that while it was nice having them visit, too many were too poor to make for good marriages. With her friend also in agreement, Lydia decided that officers were not for her, at least not now.
All four Bennet daughters visited tenants together, distributing items that would help make the holiday a little more festive for the tenants. Since the steward would distribute the boxes on Boxing Day, they wanted to share the holiday spirit in person beforehand. With each visit, the duties and responsibilities of an estate were impressed upon both Kitty and Lydia. In the past, they had participated but little in such activities. They were learning that an estate was more than a place to live. The master and mistress had significant responsibilities to all the tenants. Since Kitty would be coming out the following year, it gave her a start on the new duties and responsibilities she would be learning when she left school.
Besides the tenant visits, the girls all did some shopping in Meryton and finished up projects that were gifts for family members. These were carefully wrapped and then packed for the trip to see the Bennet family. Finally, Tom returned from Eton along with Jane and the rest of her party.
Since Netherfield was still closed up, Mrs. Bennet was happy to host Bingley and the Darcys before they continued on their way north. Tom had used the ride to good advantage, learning all about Bingley. Kitty and Lydia now had their chance. After the introductions, they spent their time asking Bingley many questions about himself.
Meanwhile, Georgiana was happy to renew acquaintances with the Bennet sisters and meet the younger sisters and brothers. After some general small talk, Mary asked Georgiana if she had started learning how to run a household. "Since I've been home, Mother makes sure I am included in many of the discussions. We all take turns instructing the cook, visiting the tenants, and other things a lady on an estate does such as visiting the tenants. Since we will not be here for Boxing Day, we made our visits early and provided goods that will help make the holiday season festive for their families. Kitty will start doing the same thing next spring. Is your brother aware that this is what most young ladies do when they leave school before they come out?" asked Mary.
When Georgiana indicated that he was not, Lizzy turned to Darcy who seemed to be watching the reunion with bemusement. "Mr. Darcy, Miss Darcy says you have not yet started her transition into lady of the house. Most of us, when we leave school, start learning how to run the household from our mothers. This is not something you would necessarily think of, but your housekeepers would probably enjoy starting to teach your sister how to run a household. You would not want her unprepared once she is out in society should someone offer for her hand. By the look of surprise on your face, I can see you had not thought of that."
"No, I had only thought to spare her the stress of having to manage the staff. You and your sisters share that in your home, do you?" he managed.
"Yes. Of course, Mother oversees everything. When we leave school, we start being involved in all the little items that require the oversight of the mistress of the house. Jane had her own house after her marriage, so she already has real experience, but Mary and I take turns in the day to day management now. Kitty will start helping when she leaves school in spring. Jane had her first taste of it when she left school so she was prepared when she got her own home."
"Georgie, would you like me to talk to Mrs. Reynolds and Mrs. Taylor to start that process? I never thought about how you would acquire those skills. It never even occurred to me. I just wanted your life to be easy."
Georgiana laughed, "Yes brother, I would. You know, Fitzwillliam, you would like to keep me a child, but it never works out that way. I must continue to grow up."
Everyone laughed. Kitty and Lydia were satisfied that Bingley was a good man and a good match for Jane. The whole family took a turn to offer him congratulations and to ask about their plans. By this time, Kitty and Lydia were catching up with Robbie and playing with him in a corner. They invited Georgiana to join them so they could get to know her as well.
Mrs. Bennet turned the discussion to the upcoming wedding asking if they had a time in mind.
"We thought we would marry in March. Mother, do you think that would be acceptable? We could like to marry from here in Meryton, but since we'll all be in London, we should probably marry from our church there as that would be easier. Mr. Bingley's sister will be confined in June and we would like her to be able to attend comfortably which is why we don't want it later in the spring," answered Jane.
"Of course, we can plan that. I do agree it would be easier if we did it in London, if that's all right with both of you. Since we'll be there for the season, and most of the family will be too, I think that will make more sense. Mr. Bingley, I understand you have an aunt in York. Would she like to be involved in planning?" replied Mrs. Bennet.
Bingley considered for a moment, "Thank you for asking. I had not thought of that. I will ask her when I get there and write you her response."
"What about your sisters? Do they want to help?" she continued.
"I believe Louisa would like to help. She'll be in London as well and will be sure to call on you once you are settled for the winter. As for Caroline, she won't be a part of my life, at least for a while. I won't go into details, but we have had to cut our ties. She has recently moved into a residence of her own in London."
"There will also be a ball to introduce the girls to society and you to our friends. Do you want Miss Bingley invited to that?" asked Mrs. Bennet.
"No, but if Louisa and Sebastian Hurst could attend, that would be wonderful," replied Bingley. Mr. Bingley then asked Jane for a number of sets.
At this, Darcy turned to Lizzy and said, "Miss Bennet, I would be honored if I could dance the first set and the supper set with you. Would you do me that honor?"
Lizzy was surprised. She had not discerned any interest in her from him and was unaware that he had already spoken to Mr. Bennet about her. "Mr. Darcy. What an honor. Of course, I would be delighted. However, I will dance the first with my uncle. Perhaps the second? But I thought you did not enjoy dances?" she replied.
He smiled. "That is usually true. I found out at the Meryton assembly that I do enjoy them much more when I dance with you. I spoke to your father before leaving Hertford and asked for permission to court you. I know we don't know each other very well yet, but I find you very intriguing and enjoy your company," was his surprising reply. "I will save the second set for you."
Lizzy did not know what to say. She knew he was shy and had thought him a bit too reserved, so she hadn't really considered him as a prospective suitor. She had seen him staring at her on occasion and had presumed that he was looking to criticize. She thought him a little stern and disapproving of her playful manner. She knew she would have to take a closer look. She decided that Mary had much more discernment when it came to Darcy than she had.
At this point, Bingley retired to the library with Mr. Bennet and Jane to discuss the settlement papers. He wanted Jane to know what he would settle on her and any children they might have together. They spent a pleasant hour together discussing such matters as Mr. Bennet asked penetrating questions of the decisions. Finally, everyone was in agreement and the papers were signed.
The Bennet guests enjoyed their rest and dinner. They left for the north the next morning while the Bennets enjoyed Tom's company. The family continued to pack for the holiday. They enjoyed church together Sunday and planned to set out on Monday. The Darcys and Bingley continued on their way north, with the Darcys hosting Bingley for a night before he continued on to York.
Chapter 26
16 December 1816 - 3 January 1817 Arlington, York, Derbyshire, London
The Bennets did not have to travel outside of Hertfordshire to visit the rest of the family. Arlington was a comfortable estate just outside of Hertford, home to Charles Bennet, the Earl of Arlington. He and his wife, Jane, had a fairly large family, most of whom planned to spend the Christmas holiday in Arlington.
Viscount Enfield (known within the family as CJ to differentiate him from his father) and his wife Mary were the parents of Susan, 30, married to James Grantham, and Sarah, 28, married to Colonel William Graham, and Harold, 22. Neither daughter had any children.
A daughter Jane had died as a child.
Next was Lady Isabella who had married Francis Ingram-Seymour-Conway, 2nd Marquess of Hertford. They had one daughter, Lady Marianne Blake, widowed in the same action that widowed Jane.
Andrew Bennet, a barrister, and his wife Cecily lived in London with their daughter Anne, 21. Their younger sons, John, 20, and Neville, 19, were both students at Cambridge. Their older son Robert and his wife Margaret also lived in London.
The youngest daughter, Lady Matilda, had married Gilbert Frost, Viscount Chelmsford. Their children were Arthur, 13, and Henry, 11. Arthur and Henry attended school at Eton with Tom.
The Bennet family tree was as follows:
(code is for spaces,
Charles Bennet, Earl of Arlington m Jane
Lord and Lady Arlington's children paired up to catch up on family developments. The next generation did the same. Of course, Arthur, Henry and Tom saw each other regularly at school. However, Jane, Lizzy and Mary were anxious to catch up with Anne and Lady Marianne as their closest unmarried cousins. As the day was cool, they spent their time in one of the smaller parlors. James, William, John, and Neville caught up while riding around the estate.
Over the days of the holiday, the family enjoyed riding, playing in the snow, music, parlor games and fun family meals. The women spent a great deal of time with Lady Arlington planning the ball that would introduce the Bennet girls and Jane to London society. Lady Arlington had regretted that Thomas's older daughters had come out in Vienna. She loved society and had enjoyed her debut as well that of her daughters and other granddaughters. She and Lord Arlington would host a ball to introduce Jane, Elizabeth, and Mary which would be attended by the entire adult family.
There was much discussion about who would be invited. Lord Arlington wanted to ensure that his political friends from the House of Lords would be there. Mary had a few friends from school who were also coming out this season that she wanted invited. Lizzy and Jane only had friends that were family friends along with Charles Bingley, Louisa and Sebastian Hurst, and Fitzwilliam Darcy. Mr. Bennet wanted some of their friends from Whitehall invited. These were those who would not normally be found at this level of society. However, they were mostly from better families, had often attended Cambridge with Thomas, and were long-time friends and colleagues.
During all this discussion, Lizzy thought about her friend from Meryton, Charlotte Lucas. Mr. Collins and Charlotte had planned to marry on the 18th. Had they not married, Lizzy would have liked Charlotte to be invited. Although they had formed a warm friendship, her marriage to Mr. Collins would likely limit that friendship. Charlotte inhabited a distinctly different world of parish matters and family life. By now, the marriage had taken place. Lizzy still was not sure whether or not she would be able to visit Charlotte in the spring.
The Earl and Countess of Arlington were known as fabulous hosts - parties, soirées, balls, suppers were coveted invitations. The Countess planned to make their ball the must-have invitation of the early season. She was proud of her family and wanted everyone to know it. She was also happy to include the former Frances Gardiner's family: the Viscount and Viscountess Hicks, the Philips, and the Edward Gardiners would be invited. Mrs. Bennet had always enjoyed a long distance relationship with her older sister Eleanor who had become Viscountess Hicks upon her marriage. She lived primarily in the far north of England. When Lucas Philips had retired to Meryton to become a country solicitor, he had left a lucrative practice as a barrister in London. He was close friends with Andrew Bennet and Egbert Darcy, with whom he had shared chambers. He did not often return to London but he and his wife would want to attend this ball.
As soon as the Thomas Bennets had arrived, Thomas and his father had drafted the notice for the papers concerning Jane's engagement. Thomas Bennet had previously discussed this with Charles Bingley and, given Caroline's attitude, had wanted the announcement worded in a way that would cut her to the quick. He was unhappy with how that woman had treated his gentle Jane. He had also written so as to Lord Nelson to include him in the announcement.
The Earl and Countess of Arlington are pleased to announce the engagement of their granddaughter, Mrs. Jane Nelson née Bennet, widow of the Honorable Colonel Robert Nelson, son of Earl Nelson, to Charles Bingley of York and London. A ball will be held 17 January to introduce Mrs. Nelson and her sisters, Elizabeth and Mary Bennet, to London society and to celebrate this engagement. Elizabeth and Jane made their debuts in Vienna where their father, the Honorable Thomas Bennet, served with the ambassador.
"Do you think Miss Bingley will regret the sneers at our family?" he asked his father. Although Thomas Bennet was happy living modestly in Longbourn, he understood how the cutting remarks and snide comments could hurt his daughters once they entered society in London. Working in politics, he understood how position could make or break someone in society. Meryton was a quiet town, so the Bennets had chosen to downplay their connections. That Lucas Philips had chosen to retire to become a country solicitor allowed them to remain fairly quiet in Meryton as Jane mourned her husband. Now that mourning was over, it was time to take advantage of the family connections.
"Had her brother not already cast her aside, I do not think you would ever be rid of her, if all you say about her is true. And your mother will see that Miss Bingley never has any kind of acceptance in our circle. That will pretty much doom her to the lower levels, although someone in serious financial difficulty might look more favorably upon her," replied his father. Although Lord Arlington was heavily involved in the House of Lords, he was very much a family man. Family was more important to him than politics.
Bingley saw the announcement in the papers while visiting his Aunt Helen. He pointed it out to her. She was awed at the illustrious family Charles would marry into. She declined to help in planning the wedding but did promise to attend.
Darcy saw the announcement and smiled. He had been aware that the Bennets were more than a simple country family and was pleased to see how supportive the family was of the engagement. While in London, he had assured himself of their standing and had wondered if they would all accept Bingley into the family circle.
Louisa Hurst saw the announcement at the Hurst estate. She showed it to Sebastian. Together, they enjoyed the thought of Caroline's dismay. Louisa had not known of the association with Lord Arlington, only that with Lord Nelson. She marveled that Jane had kept the rank of the family quiet without ever actually discussing it. She was pleased to be part of this higher ranking family circle.
Caroline Bingley saw the announcement and, since she had been drinking tea, broke her tea cup when she threw it across the room. She thought, "Oh no! I thought they only had relatives in trade and they were actually much higher than we. This is exactly the kind of match I hoped for Charles and now he will have nothing to do with me. Why would they hide such lofty connections? It makes no sense at all. How could I know they were of such importance if they did not tell me?" She determined to whatever she could to regain her brother's acceptance. She would never understand that a true lady treats all as if they were of importance. She spent a very unhappy holiday with Alice Martin, her companion, as most of her friends were out of town. She had much time to think on her ostracism from the family circle. She did not like it one bit.
After a wonderful holiday break, the family headed in various directions. Tom was dropped at Eton as Mrs. Bennet, Jane, Elizabeth and Mary headed to London. The Enfields, Ingram-Seymour-Conways, and Chelmsfords all went to their London townhouses. Andrew Bennet returned to his home. John and Neville both returned to Cambridge. Thomas Bennet returned Kitty and Lydia to Bristol. Since the Thomas Bennet's did not have a London home, they were to stay at the Earl's London residence, Hertford House.
Chapter 27
Posted on 2014-06-04
5-9 January 1817
The Bennets all left Arlington a little early that year. The majority of them completed their travel by the 4th, so that on Sunday, the extended Bennet family could attend St. George's church, Hanover Square, in Mayfair, which was near their various homes. Most of the family lived within an easy walk or ride of the church and thus of each other. When they were in town, they enjoyed worshipping together.
Lizzy loved the beautiful stained glass window set just above the altar. She stared at it throughout the service listening with only half an ear. The rest of the family in London joined them that day, even those few, such as Robert and Cecily, who lived in other areas of town. With so many Bennets in attendance, many of the pews in front were full of Bennets. Mary particularly enjoyed the prayers and messages between Christmas and the Epiphany. She was far more interested in listening to the message than the rest of the family as she was of a more religious and serious bent.
Although they normally worshipped near their own home in a smaller church, the Gardiners chose to attend St. George's that Sunday. The Countess had invited them to join the family for Sunday dinner and it would be more convenient if they were closer that morning.
After the service, the entire family returned to Hertford House for a family dinner. The day ended with piano, harp, singing and much laughter before they all returned to their own London residences. This Sunday set the pattern for most of the Sundays in town over the course. The family worshipped together then spent quiet time together after a lively dinner. They did not usually socialize outside the family circle on Sundays.
Mrs. Bennet, Jane, Lizzy, and Mary all visited the Ladies Nelson the next day. They also paid calls on a number of friends and left their cards with others. Mrs. Bennet was pleased to introduce or re-introduce her daughters to a number of her friends. Many had not seen them when they returned from Vienna the previous year. There was a lot of catching up to do, filling in much of their free time that week.
Invitations to the ball had been sent from Arlington, and a number of responses had already been received. Many cards were left at Hertford House while the ladies were leaving theirs at others. In the afternoon, Lady Arlington joined them as they called on Madame and Mademoiselle Arlette.
Jane was happy to replace the bulk of her wardrobe with current fashions in colors other than lavender, still preferring soft pastels. Mary was excited to augment her sparse adult wardrobe. They had obtained only a few gowns since she had come out in anticipation of this time in London. Lizzy felt she needed only a few new items. They started first with ball gowns, then moved on to dresses for morning and for evening events. Both Mrs. Bennet and Lady Arlington had comments on fabrics and styles as they considered the wardrobes, particularly for Mary.
With her blond beauty, Jane was the classic English rose which blossomed with pastels. Elizabeth was darker and had a sparkle that accented her good looks by gem colors. Mary was plainer than her older sisters and tended not to feel very attractive. She was amazed that Marie was able to find styles and fabrics that actually made her look far prettier than before. She had never been truly aware at what a difference color could make. Jane favored pastels while Lizzy liked bolder gem colors. Mary's coloring seemed to favor warmer pastels such as coral and apricot colors. As she watched the considerations, Mary finally understood why she had never really liked Lizzy's hand-me-downs and why Jane's had been better but still not perfect. The colors had done nothing to make her shine. She felt much better about herself after what she learned on this visit.
The women spent many hours selecting just the right patterns for dresses for the ball. Then the correct materials were chosen. Jane selected an elegant gown in a mixture of light blues. Lizzy selected a simple gown in a jade green. Mary's gown was primarily cream with apricot accents. All three were happy with both the ball gowns and the other dresses they had ordered. After this, it was agreed that they would stop for a cup of chocolate as they had done on their last excursion, before moving on to accessories. Shoes, hats, gloves, and hair ornaments were selected. A visit to the bank ensured that each girl had some item of Bennet jewelry that fit with her gown.
Since they had been on the continent when Jane and Elizabeth had made their debuts into society, they had not had the opportunity to wear family jewelry which had been stored in London. They each had a very few pieces, and had borrowed freely from each other and their mother. Mrs. Bennet had taken only a few of her favorite items with her to Vienna. She was glad to have access to the rest once again. The girls were touched to have items worn by earlier family members. A stop at the jeweler ensured that each item would sparkle on the night of the ball.
This was not the only visit to Madame Arlette's salon. There fittings each day that week. All were anxious that their new dresses be completed soon. The first occasion for wearing one of the new gowns occurred on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, the family attended the Sans Pareil Theater to see a performance of 'The Enchanted Island or Love Among the Roses.' It had debuted on Boxing Day and received excellent reviews. They were all looking forward to attending. Since it was not opening night, and still early for society to be in town, they were in some hopes of actually enjoying the performance on the stage rather than that in the audience.
Mary wore one of her new gowns and was again surprised, as she had been with her gown for the Netherfield Ball, at how the right dress could make her feel pretty. With seven attending from Hertford House, two carriages transported them. Lord and Lady Arlington and Mr. and Mrs. Bennet went in the first carriage. Jane, Elizabeth, and Mary rode in the second. As the girls arrived, their grandfather and father assisted them from the carriage. As the husbands offered their arms to their wives, the three girls linked arms with Jane in the middle. They followed in the wake of their parents and grandparents.
The theater was not full, but Lord and Lady Arlington were stopped by acquaintances at least a few times before achieving their box. At each interruption in their progress, they introduced the rest of their party. Unfortunately for Elizabeth and Mary, none of these acquaintances were accompanied by interesting young men. They all seemed to be cronies of the Earl attending only with their wives. The speculative looks on the faces of the women indicated that they might expect calls within the next day or two and that possibly there were some young men who would be introduced in the future. Finally, they were able to settle into their box.
Jane and Elizabeth had often attended concerts and the opera in Vienna, but Mary had been too young, then away in school. She was charmed by the novelty of the experience. It was not like the plays that they had acted in school, and she was very much aware of her good fortune at attending the performance. The story was nothing extraordinary, but the acting was fine and the evening very pleasant.
While Mary spent most of the play watching the stage, the rest of the family spent time watching both the stage and the audience. Lord and Lady Arlington wanted to see who was already in town. Mr. And Mrs. Bennet looked idly to see if they recognized anyone. Lizzy and Jane just enjoyed the various fashions, some of which seemed to be quite ridiculous. There were at least some hats worn that shielded those behind them from a view of the stage.
During intermission, more acquaintances entered the Arlington's box, while Mr. Bennet and Lord Arlington obtained refreshments for the ladies. This time, they were all society matrons hoping to meet the granddaughters. All had at least one, if not more, sons or grandsons that would be good candidates for the connections that Arlington would provide. Lady Arlington provided the introductions and all knew to expect calls within the next few days.
The men returned with the refreshments and the family and acquaintances spent the remainder of the intermission discussing the first half of the play. Finally, the signal for the play to resume cleared the box once again, and they resumed their seats.
It took even longer to reach the carriages at the conclusion of the play. The family moved slowly through the sea of people, many of whom were still anxious to make their acquaintance. Finally, they entered their carriages and returned to Hertford House. The older ones knew that all theater attendance would be like that until well into the season. The girls found it all highly entertaining.
Chapter 28
10-16 January
The society column of the newspaper was greatly enjoyed at Hertford House. On the 10th, the avid reader saw:
It is with great pleasure that we noted the attendance of Lord and Lady A at the performance at the Sans Pareil Theatre last evening. Perhaps we will soon be able to write of Love Among the Roses in their own family as it appears that the lovely granddaughters are indeed true English roses of the first degree. While the eldest, the striking Mrs. N is already spoken for (see announcement last month), it appears that Miss B and Miss M have yet to conquer London society. With the sponsorship of Lady A, we are sure that the lovely young ladies will do just that. The performance of society matrons looking to make the acquaintance of the granddaughters was as polished as that on the stage. The ball in their honor on the 17th will be the event of the season.
This piece made everyone in Hertford House smile, although Mr. Bennet read it with mixed feelings. He understood the marriage market that was London society and why his daughters needed to enter the fray, but he would really prefer to keep them at home. However, a good father would launch his daughters in society and help them navigate its treacherous waters to find a safe haven in their own homes.
The evening meetings at the theater had been just the prelude for a number of social calls at Hertford House. Quite a few women, along with their sons or grandsons and a few young ladies, paid calls and introductions were performed. To Lizzy, it was apparent that most of these young men had little to offer. They treated her and her sisters as if they had nothing to talk of and were incapable of thought. To her thinking, none of these early acquaintances could provide good conversation. By comparison, Darcy was far more attractive. She was grateful that they were providing that contrast to him.
On the 10th, Bingley had returned and moved into his own townhouse on Curzon Street. The Hursts returned to their home as well. Neither called upon Caroline in her new home, but she had not yet given up her plan to regain her place of power in the family. Therefore, she made sure to pass by their homes on her visits to friends so that she would know when they had returned. None of her friends were yet aware of the rift in the family. She wanted it repaired before they found out and also cut her adrift.
Upon seeing that Bingley was home, she called at his house. She found that the butler would not admit her. When she insisted, she was informed that the master had specifically barred her entry from the house. She had a similar experience at the Hurst townhouse as well. With the staff determined to keep her out, she would have to find another way to interact with her family. She started by writing to each of them. She was not conciliatory in any way, but the letters sounded as if there had never been a disagreement among them. She asked them to call when they returned to town and posted them.
Jane and her sisters visited Louisa as soon she returned. They discussed the arrangements for the ball and wanted to be sure that she would attend. She assured them that she would. They spent the remainder of the visit discussing the holiday visit to Arlington and to the Hurst family in Sussex. It was a very pleasant visit.
Bingley called upon Jane that afternoon. "Jane, I would like you, your mother and sisters to have a tour of my house on Curzon street. We have a couple of months until we marry, and I would like you to see the house so you can meet my staff and determine how you want to redecorate it. We will also need to determine where to set up Robbie's room. There really isn't a nursery in the house. Would you be free to come tomorrow?" They spent the remainder of his visit discussing the family holidays each had enjoyed.
Jane and Mrs. Bennet agreed, and they all called upon Bingley the next day. The Bingley house was in a quietly fashionable area on Curzon Street. Bingley introduced Jane to Mrs. Harper, his housekeeper, who was pleased to see the way the two looked at each other since she felt like a mother to Bingley. She very much liked Jane's manner. Jane was a wonderful contrast to the manner employed by Miss Bingley.
Bingley and Mrs. Harper conducted the tour. It was apparent that Caroline had had a hand in the decorating. Many items had been removed to Caroline's new residence leaving behind many gaps. Bingley had decided to wait to fill those gaps so that Jane could decorate as she desired.
Jane asked, "Are there any other items that Miss Bingley would like? Some of these seem not to quite fit in with the rest of the room's décor. They seem like pieces that fit Miss Bingley's style more than Mr. Bingley's."
Mrs. Harper liked the way that was phrased. They could rid the house of some more of the gaudier pieces and send them where they would be appreciated.
Charles replied, "We already sent her a few items. Perhaps you and Mrs. Harper would like to confer on what else to send over to Caroline? She probably missed these when she selected the rest."
They made arrangements to do that on Monday. The whole group continued the extensive tour of the lovely house.
With many blushes, Jane and Bingley elected to use the master bedroom for both of them for sleeping. They had a hesitant discussion about this and both agreed that they would prefer to be together. They would each have a sitting and dressing room, but would reconfigure some of the rooms to create a nursery near the master bedroom. Jane's sitting room would be redone in pale blue. She found the vivid pink and green currently in the room too busy for her taste.
Overall, Jane was pleased with the house. Removing some of the more ornate furnishings would make it more comfortable and more to her taste. The minor renovations and remodeling would be done quite easily. Mrs. Bennet agreed that it was a lovely house.
On Sunday, everyone again attended St. George's. This time, Bingley joined the Bennets and sat with Jane. Darcy and Georgiana also attended, as this was also their normal parish church and they had arrived back in London on Saturday. They too sat with the Bennets. Darcy sat between Bingley and Lizzy; Georgiana sat between Lizzy and Mary. They all visited briefly before the service began as they took their seats. Lady Arlington invited Bingley and the Darcys to join them at dinner after the service. From the looks exchanged between Lizzy and Darcy, she could see a romance brewing. She would do what she could to promote the relationship. This week, the Gardiners and Andrew Bennet family had attended services in their own local churches. They would not spend this Sunday at Hertford House.
Caroline Bingley had determined that she would attend St. George's as it would give her an opportunity to try to see her brother and Jane. What she had not anticipated was that, with Jane's support, he would refuse to acknowledge her. Although she tried to approach Charles, he appeared not to see her at all. Jane glanced at her but then turned away. No one else in the Bennet family acknowledged her existence at all. It was humiliating. She left church with a headache. Alice Martin, her companion, followed behind her mentally shaking her head at her employer's complete lack of understanding. She was well aware of what had caused the break and knew she was in for interesting times.
While visiting in the parlor before dinner, Georgiana said to Mary and Elizabeth, "I cannot tell you how grateful I am for your mentioning that young women start learning about managing the household when they leave school. The holiday was so wonderful for me. I was able to meet with Mrs. Reynolds, our housekeeper at Pemberley, and get started. We determined that we would decorate and celebrate as we had done when my mother was mistress. That hasn't been done since she died. Fitzwilliam loved it. We're going to continue the process here in town."
Elizabeth replied, "I am so happy for you that it is working out well. It is wonderful you could restart family traditions and at the same time demonstrate to your brother your own competence. It is harder for us with so many people living in Hertford House this year, but we too are continuing our education."
Jane and Mrs. Harper spent the Monday morning reviewing the contents of each room. They made notes of what should go to Caroline, what should go into storage, what should be updated or replaced, and what should remain. They cemented their relationship over tea at the end of the morning. Both felt they had accomplished a great deal and were well satisfied.
While the younger people visited and the girls had dress fittings, the Countess and Mrs. Bennet made the rounds of their friends. The Countess wanted her granddaughters admitted to Almack's. The other patronesses visited Hertford House Tuesday afternoon and accepted Lizzy and Mary after their interrogations. The Countess was well pleased. After the ball, she and Mrs. Bennet would take Mary and Lizzy to dances at Almack's in addition to their other social activities. The Countess was sure both girls could find acceptable suitors in their first season. Mrs. Bennet knew that Lizzy had already conquered one but said nothing. She knew her mother-in-law would see during the ball, if not sooner when Darcy visited. She was unaware that the Countess had already guessed Darcy's attraction.
On Tuesday night, they again attended a performance at Sans Pareil. This time, they saw 'The Old Oak Chest or The Smuggler's Sons and the Robber's Daughter' which had premiered the previous week. Darcy, the Hursts, and Bingley attended with the Bennets. It was apparent to all that saw them that Bingley and the Hursts were now part of the Arlington social circle. Neither Bingley nor Hurst had ever expected to climb so high. Both were meekly gratified at the immediate acceptance into the family circle. Although Hurst had always been a gentleman, he had never been part of such an exalted circle. His friends were much more modest and had fewer titles.
The following day, the gossip column included:
Lord and Lady A once again graced the theater with their lovely presence. The addition of a number of new faces suggests that the family circle is indeed expanding. As noted in a previous announcement (see last month), the lovely Mrs. N attended with her betrothed Mr. B. His sister and brother, Mr. and Mrs. H., and his friend, Mr. D. accompanied him. The good spirits of the party were reflected on the faces of all as they conversed in Lord A.'s box.
Caroline had a number of friends who saw Bingley and the Hursts at the theater. They had casually mentioned this when they visited on Wednesday, innocently asking why she had not also attended. She was certain they visited just to see her reaction. She indicated that she had felt a headache coming on and was unable to join them. She certainly did not want these friends to know she was estranged from the rest of the family, particularly as they were moving up in the world.
She tore her newspaper to shreds after reading the society column. She had again tried to gain entrance to both Bingley's house and the Hurst's the previous day. In both cases, she had not passed the door, being denied by the butler. She was told that the family was not receiving visitors. When she replied that she was not a visitor, but family, she was told that he had received instructions that Miss Bingley was no longer family and was not to be admitted. Poor Alice Martin had to bear with her tantrum when she returned.
She now had to wrangle invitations through her friends to various social engagements which required that she be much nicer to them and far less acerbic than she had been in the past. She saw how many of her invitations had been as a result of Charles' friendship with Darcy and that she was now cut off from those events. She redoubled her efforts with her other friends to try to maintain her social position. It was clear to her that it had suffered by her being cut off from the family. She fumed when she thought of how high she might have climbed with the Bennet's relations. How dare they keep them quiet so she would snub them? She was still upset that Jane had never corrected her assumption about their status.
The day before the ball, Lizzy, Andrew and John took a long walk in the park since the weather was unseasonably mild and, for once, free of the almost constant rain or sleet. Lizzy always found it confining to live in town. Her release was at least one long walk in a park every week. She and her brothers had fun tossing around a ball. This helped her settle her nerves and gave her brothers some pleasure. They were followed discreetly by the footman assigned that duty in town. Lizzy needed the freshness of the park, even in the middle of winter, in order to free her mind of the concerns that the season in town would bring. By evening, she was ready for the ball.
Chapter 29
Posted on 2014-06-11
17 January 1817
Lizzy woke early and moved quickly to her window. The sun was just breaking through the fog. The air was calm and the city as quiet as London ever got. Wisps of fog floated past her window. She sat thinking quietly. London was quite different from Vienna. London was foggier and dirtier. Not much noisier, though.
The society she had seen in Vienna was primarily the English in the city and Viennese and foreign nobility. London was a much broader mix of ranks and stations such as she had seen at the theater. In Vienna, she had never seen the lesser ranks at the theater. They had attended different theaters than the upper classes had.
She thought without regret of the few suitors she had received in Vienna. They had been interesting but not interested in her as a person, her opinions and thoughts, likes and dislikes. They had wanted someone to look good as a wife and mother and perhaps to watch over their households. She knew this was typical of the upper classes.
Lizzy considered the marriages of her relatives. Most had chosen companions who shared their interests. All had married with affection, not just for position or wealth. When she looked at marriages of many of the aristocracy, both on the continent and in England, too many were mergers of family wealth or names, not true marriages of heart and soul.
She thought, "What about Mr. Darcy? Formally court me? I had never even considered that he was interested. He admires me? Mary was much more observant than I was. How could I have missed his interest? What do I feel about him? I barely know him. He is so quiet and reserved except when he speaks of his sister. If I am to make a fair decision, I must get to know more about him. This past week has been a start, but not much more than that. I do like him better than anyone else we've met in town so far. We'll see what the ball brings."
As Lizzy sat thinking, Jane joined her at the window. "Jane, what is your impression of Mr. Darcy? He puzzles me exceedingly. At times he seems merely reserved, but at other times quite stern. He has asked to court me and I hadn't realized he even admired me. What does that say about my discernment? How shall I proceed? He has asked for two sets tonight-he said he wanted to be sure they were available."
Jane smiled, "Lizzy, I think he is a very good man. I think he is very shy. From what Mr. Bingley has said," this with a blush, "he has been a prime target in society and has learned to wear that mask to shield himself. I do not think Mr. Bingley would be his good friend if he were not a very good friend in return. He cautioned Mr. Bingley to be very sure of his feelings so as not to trifle with mine as I had already suffered enough loss. And he wanted Mr. Bingley to be sure of his comfort at taking on a ready-made family. Mr. Bingley said this advice caused him to really take stock of what he wanted and to go ahead and speak to Father and me. Since Miss Bingley was saying many negative things, had Mr. Darcy not been cautiously supportive, he might have delayed. You like his sister, do you not?"
"You know I do. She is a dear girl."
"Well, he had much of the raising of her. Although she is a little shy, she is very sweet. If he were so stern and dour, don't you think it would show in her? She isn't a bit afraid of him, in fact, she quite dotes on him. Doesn't that say much about what he is as a man?"
Lizzy looked away from the window and over at Jane, "Whatever will I do when you and Mr. Bingley move off to Robbie's estate? I need your sweeter view of the world to temper my more satirical one. Thank you for your insights. And now, I think we need to dress for breakfast as I hear others stirring."
While last minute touches were accomplished in the ball room and drawing room and library, the ladies spent much of the day preparing for the evening. Anne and Lady Marianne arrived in the early afternoon to dress with their cousins. Georgiana came by to see Mary, Lizzy, and Jane in their finery. She wished them all a wonderful time and left before the ball started since she was not yet in society and would not attend.
The Earl and Countess had a wonderful time introducing their granddaughters as the attendees arrived. When the music began, the Earl escorted Jane for the first, Viscount Enfield escorted Lizzy, and Mr. Thomas Bennet escorted Mary. Mary was the most nervous and appreciated her father's support. During introductions, all three had been asked for many of the sets. After the first set, Mr. Darcy arrived to escort Lizzy to the floor.
"Miss Bennet, you look wonderful. That dress is very becoming," began Mr. Darcy.
"Why thank you sir. You look quite nice as well."
"It is nice to see so many of your family here in attendance. Mine always chastise me for lurking around the walls or hiding behind a potted plant. I usually find it hard to relax at these affairs," he admitted. "I hope my aunt notices that I am dancing so I can avoid her lectures tomorrow."
Lizzy laughed. "Mr. Darcy, your secret is safe with me. I am glad to see that you are not lurking here."
"At least I'm not lurking yet," he replied with laughter in his voice.
"Come now, there must be some women it is safe to dance with. You can dance with Jane and Mary. Jane is taken and Mary is a little in awe of you. You can dance with Jane's grandmothers and our grandmother and mother and aunts. I'm sure there are women in your family you can dance with too. Surely you can have fun and needn't lurk," teased Lizzy.
Mr. Darcy smiled. "You know. I never looked at it like that. Thank you for the suggestions. You are correct; I have an aunt and some cousins that would be fun to dance with."
"You're welcome."
"It is quite a crush here. Invitations to your grandparents' events are always highly prized, but coming for your debuts is something beyond that," continued Darcy.
"I imagine you will do something similar for Georgiana, won't you?" asked Lizzy.
"I shudder to think about it. But you are right. We probably will. My aunt will certainly want to. And thank you and Mary for the suggestion that Georgie start learning how to run the household. I'm afraid I still think of her as the young girl she was and not he young woman she is. She seems to be gaining so much confidence from learning to manage the household. I had not considered that an avenue for helping her ease into society and yet I think it will be."
After a pleasant conversation during the dance, Darcy did ask for future dances with Mrs. Bennet, Jane, Mary and the Ladies Nelson. Lady Leticia was thrilled to be asked, "Young man, it has been years since anyone has wanted to dance with me. I'm not as nimble as I used to be, you know."
Lizzy overheard his response, "We will dance just as sprightly as you feel up to. If you need to lean on me more than is customary, so be it. I'd love to help you enjoy the ball," he answered gallantly.
At this point, Lizzy could see that the footman stationed near the door to the ballroom was having some sort of difficulty. As she headed in that direction, she could see that he was attempting to restrain someone who was trying desperately to gain entry to the room. She was surprised to see Miss Bingley trying to force her way into the ball.
Lady Arlington moved to manage the situation. "Young woman, we are not acquainted and you were definitely not invited. What do you mean by trying to gain entry?"
"I assumed that since you were honoring the engagement of my brother with Mrs. Nelson, that of course I was invited. I am Charles Bingley's sister," replied Miss Bingley.
"And did you receive an invitation?"
"Well, no, but I assumed it was misdirected. My brother would never ignore me like that."
"I can assure you that your poor reception of the announcement of the engagement was what led to you not receiving an invitation, although your previous treatment of my granddaughters was enough to make me decide you were not welcome. Not only were you not invited, you were specifically excluded. That is why both the butler and the footman were trying to discreetly escort you from the premises. Since you refused their direction, please listen to me. Leave immediately. You are not welcome here. And you will not be welcome in the future. Be sure that I will make my friends aware of that as well," replied the countess as she directed the men to escort Miss Bingley from the room. Miss Bingley saw that any further attempt was futile and allowed herself to be escorted out.
Mr. Bingley arrived to hear the last part of the altercation and immediately apologized for his sister. Lady Arlington assured him that it was no bother, and that she understood about such family difficulties.
As she left the ball, Caroline was both angered and embarrassed. She had never expected her brother to stick with his resolution to cut her from his family. She realized that this public cut would be damaging to her future prospects and vowed to do all that she could to repair them. She knew at least a few of her friends had witnessed her humiliation and would mention it.
Lizzy danced with a number of very eligible men that evening. She worried for some of them because of their almost complete inability to carry on a coherent conversation. Others were slightly better off, but none considered that she might enjoy an intelligent conversation. She was actually relieved when it came time for the supper dance and her second set with Darcy.
Over the course of the evening, Lizzy saw Darcy make the effort of dancing with a variety of "safe" partners. By the time they met for the supper set, she was all smiles. "You haven't lurked once this evening. I'm sure your female relatives will be very proud of you."
Just then, a young man joined them with his partner. "Darcy, I've never seen you dance so much. What happened?" he asked.
Darcy turned to him and said, "Miss Elizabeth Bennet is what happened. Miss Bennet, may I present my cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam? Richard, may I present Miss Bennet?"
"Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet, may I present my cousin Alicia Fitzwilliam," responded Colonel Fitzwilliam. Bows and curtseys from everyone as they murmured greetings and formed up for the set. When it completed, they all went in to supper together. As they went in to supper, they also encountered Lizzy's cousin, Lady Marianne Blake, and her current escort.
Lizzy found Alicia to be an interesting young woman. Colonel Fitzwilliam was a cousin of Darcy's, and Alicia was a distant cousin of Colonel Fitzwilliam but not of Darcy. Darcy made an effort to talk with both young women, starting with observations of the ball. Alicia had been out in society for two seasons and had recently become engaged to a young man unable to attend the ball due to an illness of his parents. She and Lizzy shared many similar views and enjoyed speaking with each other. They made plans to get together to know one another better.
Lizzy, Alicia, and Lady Marianne compared notes on the ball as the men made small talk. As the group chatted over supper, Colonel Fitzwilliam found himself intrigued by Lady Marianne. She talked of the engagement in which both her husband and Jane's were killed outside Paris. She had also recently left off mourning and was enjoying the opportunity to get out into society again.
As Lizzy looked around, she was pleased to see that Jane , Bingley and the Hursts were happily visiting nearby. Her mother was sitting with a number of other mothers comparing notes and happily catching up on gossip. Her father was actually the one lurking in the corner as Darcy was wont to do through much of the evening although now he was sitting near her mother also listening to the gossip.
As they left supper, Colonel Fitzwilliam asked for a dance with Lady Marianne, which she granted, although he had to wait a few sets until she was free again. Darcy asked Alicia, taking a chance on someone new who might not be 'safe,' although since she was engaged, it was a low risk. Luckily, she did not show evidence of pursuit.
The entire family greatly enjoyed the ball. Anne Philips had not attended such an event in London since her husband's retirement to Meryton. She found that, for the most part, she did not miss these society balls. The assemblies in Meryton were enough for her. She enjoyed seeing her sister Eleanor, Viscountess Hicks, who also attended. Since the move to Meryton, she almost never saw Eleanor. The sisters enjoyed the rare chance to visit together. The Philips were to stay at the Gardiners for a few days while in town, so the family would have additional time to visit before thethey returned north and the Philips returned to Hertfordshire.
Both Dowager Countess Nelsons attended, as did most of the Nelson family. Jane was a favorite and would remain so even after her marriage to Bingley. They were pleased that she had found such a good man for her second marriage. Bingley danced with many of the Nelson women.
Lizzy found that the second half of the ball was much like the first. Most of the young men were passable dancers and not particularly good conversationalists. None treated her as if she had any opinions which might differ from theirs. She laughed at jokes and feigned interest in a great number of hunting stories. She was actually pleased to leave them behind after the last dance.
Although he might not have appeared to be doing so, Darcy kept close track of who Lizzy danced with and what her reactions were. He could see that he would not face opposition from any of the men that she danced with that evening, which allowed him to relax a little. He knew there was still much to do to win her, but at least no one else had captured her fancy yet.
At the ball's conclusion, all were exhausted. Darcy rode home well pleased with the night. His aunt, Lady Matlock, was well pleased that he had danced so much. Colonel Fitzwilliam rode home planning to visit Darcy to learn all about Miss Bennet and perhaps Lady Marianne. The Hursts were excited to have attended the ball, welcoming the entre into such exalted circles. Bingley was floating on air for having spent so much of the evening dancing with his angel, momentarily forgetting the embarrassment caused by Caroline.
After changing into their nightgowns, Jane, Mary and Lizzy met in Lizzy's room to recap the evening. Lizzy said, "Mary, you danced every dance. Were any of the men very interesting? I met a couple I might like to know better, but most of them had no conversation at all."
Mary giggled, "There were one or two I would like to see again. Most were as you say. It is funny how they think I can have no original thoughts since I am only a young woman. However, many were very nice dancers and made me feel quite comfortable on the dance floor."
Jane added, "I am glad I already have someone so I needn't hunt through the pack to find him. I did meet a few very nice women as well."
Lizzy agreed, "So did I. I particularly liked Alicia Fitzwilliam. I plan to call on her soon to improve our acquaintance. Mr. Darcy and I had supper with her and his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam, her distant cousin. They were delightful. He teased Mr. Darcy about all the dancing he was doing. I had done so earlier as well, so I really appreciated it. However, most of the men had only boring conversation. I had hoped to find men more stimulating than those in Meryton."
The girls shared for a few moments longer before retiring to their own beds. Lizzy, however, spent quite a while thinking about Darcy before falling into a restless sleep.
Chapter 30
Dreams of balls past
While Lizzy had started the night pleasantly enough thinking of Mr. Darcy, the re-entry to society caused other thoughts to surface. Her dreams returned her to both her first and last balls in Vienna just a couple of years ago.
For her first ball, she had worn a dress much like the one Mary had worn that night. It had been white with yellow and pink roses, very appropriate for a debut. She had danced primarily with officers and some of the ambassadors and had greatly enjoyed herself. Over the next few months, she had come to know many delightful people. Many of the informal discussions about settling the affairs of the continent took place in the active social life of Vienna and were then finalized in more formal meetings during the day. As a result, there were social activities almost every evening.
The Bennets attended dances at least twice each week, many at the palaces of local nobility. After the first month of such attendance, Lizzy had attracted the attentions of one Count Hestler. The Count had a sizable estate outside of Vienna and was one of those who felt that those without titles were usually beneath the notice of the nobility. He felt it was a great condescension on his part to take notice of Elizabeth Bennet.
Count Hestler was a spoiled young man of about thirty. He spent little time managing his estate, simply enjoying the income it generated. He felt entitled to anything he desired, and had developed a reputation as a poor loser when he participated in games of chance. He tended to wager heavily, losing frequently, which increased his tendency to anger. He loved to hunt, enjoying the thrill of the chase, and thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to kill. Although he was an eligible bachelor, most Viennese families tended to keep their daughters away from his company, not judging him to be a truly suitable companion. There were rumors of his cruelty to those in his employ and there were his comments on enjoying the kill when hunting.
The first thing the Count noticed about Lizzy was her joie de vivre. She seemed to so enjoy life. She was always bright and smiling with her dance partners. He did not notice that, after their first encounters, she did not exhibit that joy when dancing with him. He was one of those blind to things he did not wish to see.
After noticing his interest in Lizzy, Mr. Bennet had asked about the Count among his acquaintances. Hearing the opinions and rumors, Mr. Bennet then spent some time in the Count's company and determined that he did not wish him as an admirer of Lizzy. Since Lizzy was not comfortable in the Count's company, Mr. Bennet had done his best to discourage the man with little success.
This was the man who invaded Lizzy's dreams that night. She recalled the ball at which her father had forbidden her to dance with the Count. The Count had appeared shortly after they had entered the ballroom. He had bowed, and then demanded the next dance. Mr. Bennet had stepped in front of Lizzy and declared, "I am sorry sir, but my daughter is not available to dance with you. You had much better find an alternate partner."
"What do you mean, she is not available? She is standing right here."
"What I mean is that I find you not to be an acceptable partner and will not allow her to continue to know you. If you cannot be a gentleman and take a hint, which you have not done despite my best attempts, then I must be more forceful. Please take yourself elsewhere and leave my daughter alone."
The Count had turned a bright red and stalked off. However, he continued to importune Lizzy at every opportunity. Mr. Bennet had to constantly intervene to a point that they chose to leave any setting when the Count entered a room. If he was invited to a party, they chose to decline. If they arrived and he was there, they would immediately depart. If he arrived after they did, they did the same. This highly irritated the Count. He refused to give up his pursuit.
Although she had not met anyone like the Count, the incident with Miss Bingley had recalled similar incidents with the Count at house parties he had tried to crash where he was not invited. Lizzy spent the night tossing and turning as she relived those unpleasant encounters with the man. Mr. Bennet did not think the Count was attracted to Lizzy. He was merely frustrated that his attentions had been refused. Other fathers had been subtler in their efforts. They had removed their daughters from the Count by sending them to visit family elsewhere, but Mr. Bennet had been unable to go away, so Lizzy had continued to be subjected to these unpleasant encounters.
The return to England had been a happy circumstance for Elizabeth. She no longer worried about meeting the Count at any time and felt free to enjoy the society. The scene with Caroline Bingley had reminded her of the unhappiness with the Count.
As the dream ended, she fell into a deeper sleep and forgot about the Count and Caroline Bingley. Her final awareness left her thinking about what a future with Darcy might look like. She ended up with a smile on her face.
Continued In Next Section