Beginning, Section II, Next Section

Chapter 10

"I don't see why you can't simply tell these Gardiners that your sisters are coming for dinner as well. It was very impolite of them to invite only you and Mr. Darcy!" Caroline whined to her brother. "They must know you have sisters. Why would they not invite us?"

"This is a quiet evening, not a big party Caroline! I would never presume to tell someone whom they should invite! I will take you to visit the Gardiners next week so you may properly make their acquaintance. I'm sure they will invite you next time. First, though, we should invite them here for dinner. It's only proper after all!" Bingley smiled to himself. Everything was perfect! He could spend the evening with Jane Bennet, remark on his hope to introduce his sisters, and bring them to visit on Monday. Invite the Gardiners (and their guests) to dinner on Tuesday. Go to Hertfordshire on Wednesday to look at that property. If it was suitable, settle on the estate. Come back Thursday, make plans to move in. With any luck, he could be settled in Hertfordshire by Michaelmas! Surely the Bennet sisters would have returned home by then. It would be an easy thing to then continue and expand the acquaintance!

Caroline quickly saw her brother was not paying attention to her complaints. He had that blissful, unfocused look on his face again. "Really!" Caroline thought to herself, "He has never had it so bad before. And what is going on? By this time we have usually heard all about the latest beauty. What is he up to this time?" Out loud she complained to her brother, "Charles! You haven't heard a word I've said for the last five minutes!"

"Sorry. I'm making some plans to leave town again. My agent has another property I need to look at. I was thinking of going next week. You know, spend a little time here before I go haring off again. Won't you like that? Shall I get a box for us at the opera on Monday?"

"Get a box? Why can't we just go with Mr. Darcy and share his box?" asked Caroline. "You know he usually has room."

"Caroline! Invite ourselves to use Darcy's box? I would never do such a thing. I'm surprised at you for suggesting it!"

"I wasn't suggesting it! If you mentioned to Mr. Darcy that we were thinking of attending, I'm sure he would invite us without any hinting on your part. Mr. Darcy is always so generous! Besides, Louisa and Mr. Hurst and I haven't seen Mr. Darcy at all since you returned to London. You forgot to invite him to dinner, he hasn't called and he will be leaving with you I suppose when you go next week. It's been simply ages since I've chatted with him!"

"It's been a week since we left to look at that last property. It hasn't been so long Caroline! I will get a box myself for the opera, and invite Darcy to join us, if you insist. Now then - I must go get ready for dinner tonight. I'll talk to you tomorrow." and with that, Mr. Bingley dashed upstairs. He actually had plenty of time to get ready. He simply had had enough of Caroline's prattle and wanted to be sure he looked extra fine tonight. When they were traveling, he had not looked his best. He hoped he had made a good impression during his visit - he had dressed and groomed himself quite carefully. You couldn't be too careful! He might have to overcome first impressions. Bingley whistled happily to himself. He really didn't think he had made a poor impression. Miss Jane Bennet was simply an angel. She was so sweet, and yet intelligent also. He could hold a real conversation with her. "Though, to be sure, she tends to keep the conversation intelligent. If she didn't I would probably just sit there and gape like a simpleton at her beauty!" Bingley thought to himself. He was in excellent spirits.

Mr. Darcy, on the other hand, was closer to being in a panic. He wasn't sure he could control what he said and did around Miss Elizabeth. His usual hauteur and the mask of manners he wore seemed totally stripped away by her fresh outlook and sharp eye. He felt like a boy again around her - shy but not afraid.

Darcy was always aware of his own feelings, and the intensity of his attachment to Miss Elizabeth was terrifying. He barely knew her, yet everything she said and did and WAS seemed to fit him perfectly. It was as if he never knew what he wanted until he met her. Darcy had always been in control of himself, and the extremity of his growing admiration and love for Elizabeth was stunning. He had spent the night before drawing up a list of pros and cons.

At a guess, she had a small dowry. Definite Con - but really, he had plenty of money. What was money to him? Really, a nil factor.

Gentleman's daughter. She and her sister proclaimed it with every word and movement. That was fine. A nil. Well, really, a Plus. After all, that was what he wanted, wasn't it? He was a gentleman. A gentleman's daughter was perfect for him.

Uncle in trade. Con for sure. But really, the aunt was so very genteel. He would never guess if he had met Mrs. Gardiner in any other circumstances that her husband was in trade. She was more naturally a lady than many a person who carried the title he had met in so-called "Polite" society!

Personal beauty - Plus! She did not have the look of the fashionable "Beauty" but she was lovely in every way. Her dark eyes, set off in a clear complexion. Her figure was light and pleasing. She was graceful in every way.

Intelligence - Plus! She held her own in conversation with him. Not giving in to his point of view because he was a man - he had to convince her - or she him! He did like a challenge. She would never be boring!

Personality - Plus. She was so considerate to her sister. She was vivacious, but not overwhelming. She was outgoing, but not flirtatious. She had sparkling wit and was charm personified.

Still, he needed to get to know her better. He needed to see Elizabeth in other situations, among other people. He needed to introduce his sister... He needed to get ready for dinner!!!

The carriage pulled up in front of the Gardiners' home about ten minutes early. Two gentlemen emerged and the bell was rung. Jane showed almost no sign of her emotions as the gentlemen were shown in. Lizzy was a little more transparent. She almost sparkled in anticipation. Their uncle watched them indulgently. He was looking forward to meeting two men who could raise interest in his oldest nieces!

Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley were announced. They entered the room and bowed to their hostess. Mr. Gardiner was introduced. Conversation was made with the uncle, but Mr. Gardiner was not fooled. They might be talking to him, but it was his nieces they were watching. Good thing they had set their interest on different girls!

Mr. Gardiner was more interested in finding out about Mr. Darcy, so he brought Mr. Darcy over Elizabeth, sat him down, and proceeded to talk to the two of them. Mrs. Gardiner did the same with Jane and Bingley. Mr. Darcy felt fairly comfortable with Mr. Gardiner and fished around for something to say. "Do you fish Mr. Gardiner?" he asked.

"Indeed I do Sir, when I get a chance at it. There's nothing I like more!" was Mr. Gardiner's enthusiastic response. They chatted a little about the sport. Mr. Darcy watched a smile come, unbidden, to Elizabeth's face. He had to ask what she found amusing.

"Your discussion reminds me of when I was younger. My uncle would bring his fishing gear with him to Longborne. This was before he was married. My father does not care much for sport, but he still enjoyed fishing at the time. He and my uncle would go out very early in the morning during the summer. I would sneak out and join them. I loved fishing. Papa and uncle would let me hold the fishing pole and would try to scare me with their worms!" She laughed a little. Mr. Gardiner and Mr. Darcy laughed as well, one remembering what a charming little girl she had been, the other imagining it.

"I remember the first fish Lizzy ever caught. She wasn't ready for it, so she was pulled into the stream. Her father was laughing so hard he couldn't pull her out. All three of us got soaked, but we landed that fish. It was a warm day, so we decided not to go in right away. When we did come in, we were roundly scolded as I recall for allowing Lizzy to ruin her dress!" They laughed some more.

The discussion changed to politics, and Darcy was fascinated to find that both uncle and niece were reasonably well informed. They had intelligent remarks to make and listened to his own with real interest.

Finally, a servant came in to announce dinner. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner asked their guests to proceed them. Each took a niece in to dinner, as it was not a formal dinner. The group sat around the table and continued to enjoy themselves. This time Mr. Gardiner paid more attention to Jane and Mr. Bingley. His wife concentrated more on Lizzy and Mr. Darcy. They reminisced on the beauties of Derbyshire. Lizzy asked questions about the neighborhood, her aunt's childhood, and Mr. Darcy's childhood as well. Her interest was obvious to her aunt. Mr. Darcy was pleased by her attention. She was not trying to flatter. She had shared a childhood memory of her own (the fishing) and so he shared a story of his own. He told the ladies of an experience he had with his father's steward's son. They had both been punished for the mess they made when the came in from fishing one day.

Dinner was followed by dessert. Soon after the ladies rose to leave. They left the gentlemen behind to go have tea in the sitting room. Mr. Gardiner brought his guests into his study. He poured each of them a brandy and the three sat down. Suddenly, the comfort and good cheer they had shared seemed slightly strained.

Mr. Gardiner decided to be direct. "My nieces have told me all about their trip to London. I must thank you for helping them. However, I must say you made some - how should I say this? - questionable decisions. Really now - cousins?" Both young men squirmed. "It seems no harm has come of it. Now that I have made your acquaintance, I can see that you meant only to help them. Their father has not been informed of the particulars of the trip. My nieces have begged me not to enlighten my brother. I have decided to honor their request."

Mr. Darcy let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding. Bingley was taken aback at their host's frankness, which left it to Mr. Darcy to respond. "Mr. Gardiner. I think you are right in saying we did not consider all the ramifications in offering to escort your nieces. However, I cannot see that we had any better choices."

"Perhaps, but I do not think you attempted enough to safeguard their reputations. Lizzy told me of the rumors that were circulating around the inn. I am glad you did not attempt to use an alias of some sort, but this could follow them. There seems to be no reason to be anxious, right now. However," and here Mr. Gardiner turned a stern eye on both of them, "if any rumors follow those girls here or anywhere else, I expect you young men to help us refute them. Now, we can leave this alone. There has been no trouble so far, and there should not be any if we are all lucky." Mr. Gardiner decided he had cowed the young men enough, and so let them make their escape back to the sitting room. It was not a role he excelled at, but he had decided someone had better make it clear to Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley that the girls did have someone looking out for their interests. He had no intention of making them get married. It looked like they might come to that point on their own! However, the proprieties had to be observed. Also, the lads needed to know that he was watching them.

He entered the sitting room to see a very domestic scene. Lizzy was sitting on the sofa with her aunt. Mr. Darcy sat on the nearest chair. He was talking to Mrs. Gardiner about his family, but once again was watching Lizzy. Jane and Bingley sat with heads together on two chairs on the other side of the room. All the ladies were doing "work". Both Lizzy and Jane were embroidering handkerchiefs. Mrs. Gardiner was knitting lace.

When it came time for the guests to take their leave, the family actually saw them into the hall. Fond farewells were shared. Mr. Bingley promised to call on Monday, and to bring his sisters. The Gardiners and Bennet sisters were all were pleased with that development.

Shortly after Mr. Bingley and Darcy left, Jane and Lizzy said goodnight and went to bed. It didn't take Lizzy long to prepare for bed, but she was not really sleepy. She slipped into her sister's room to talk.

"Jane, do you mind if I come in for a little while?"

"Not at all. Did you want to talk for a while?"

"Of course! You spent a great deal of time with Mr. Bingley this evening. Are you pleased he is bringing his sisters next time?"

"Oh Lizzy! I can't tell you how I feel. It is such a compliment. I hope they will like me."

"How could they not like you Jane! Everyone likes you. I would like to meet Mr. Darcy's sister, but she is still in Derbyshire. It doesn't sound like she will be in London soon, she is still too young to be "out" from what Mr. Darcy said."

"What shall we do about the handkerchiefs we made for them? I felt so awkward trying to find out Mr. Bingley's middle initial. Now that I have it done, how could I ever give it to him? It's far too personal. We should have thought of that Lizzy!"

"You are right. It did not seem so when we were all at the inn. I thought it was the most natural thing in the world - no different than giving a gift to Papa. I admit, I was wrong. I don't think I could just give it to Mr. Darcy either. Keep it for now Jane. We will think of something."

Chapter 11

Sunday was a quiet family day. The Gardiners and their family attended church, had lunch and then went for a walk in a nearby park.

Mr. Darcy also had a quiet day. He attended church, but then spent most of the day holed up in his library. He would have liked to get some work done in his study, but would never consider working on a Sunday. He knew nobody would bother him in the library, and so retreated for further consideration of developments.

The Bingley family slept in and decided to skip church. Mr. Bingley was in such a fog, he completely forgot it was Sunday until it was too late to attend church. His sisters seldom attended unless they had a particular reason. Bingley had reason to wish he stayed in bed when he joined the rest of his family for lunch.

Mr. Bingley knew he would be interrogated by his sisters regarding his evening at the Gardiners. Who was there, how was Mr. Darcy, what did they have to eat, why would he waste time on such lowly people, whether he had asked Mr. Darcy to join them at the opera, etc. Bingley had decided before lunch that he wanted to tell his sisters about Miss Bennet. Therefore, he was fairly honest in his answers when the interrogation started. This (needless to say) upset his sisters a great deal.

"Dinner was very nice. The Gardiners have two nieces staying with them - Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Lovely girls!"

"WHAT! I mean, you never mentioned these girls before. Are they staying with the Gardiner's for long? Did Mr. Darcy know them before? Where are they from?" screeched Caroline, while Louisa's jaw dropped in shock. Neither could believe their brother of duplicity, but they couldn't believe he was capable of hiding anything from them either.

Mr. Bingley jumped in, before his sister to blabber any more questions. "I've met the ladies before. Very pleasant girls. Yes, Darcy knows them. I could be wrong but I THINK I once heard him refer to them as distant cousins. I believe their father has an estate in Hertfordshire." Before his sisters could start interrogating him again, he changed the topic slightly. "I thought you might like to meet the Gardiners and Bennets. Perhaps we should call on them tomorrow. I more or less suggested it while I was there last night."

"Charles, really!" was Louisa's response. Her husband didn't care - he never paid afternoon calls.

Caroline narrowed her eyes. "Yes, perhaps we should call on Monday. We wouldn't want to miss a visit with such FASCINATING people, now would we Louisa?"

Louisa was about to say she could definitely miss visiting people who lived near Cheapside, when the importance of what her brother had said came to her. "He said they were cousins to Mr. Darcy!" she thought. "Yes, indeed. We should visit as soon as possible!" agreed Louisa.

Caroline was more worried about potential rivals. She was afraid these "cousins" might be the reason Mr. Darcy always seemed so indifferent to her. She had heard about his cousin Anne De Bourgh, but was sure a De Bourgh would NOT be staying in Cheapside. A study of the Darcy family tree might be in the near future.

Bingley disappeared after lunch. He had enough of his sisters for a day, in his opinion. He decided to go visit Darcy, where he could talk without reserve. After the tongue-lashing Darcy had given him over the servants' gossip, he was very careful about talking about the trip to London. The only person Bingley felt he could really talk to was Darcy himself. The fact that Darcy seldom participated in these conversations in no way discouraged Bingley. It was actually a positive feature. He could be in raptures over the blueness of Miss Bennet's eyes and get little more than a grunt from Darcy. In moments of perception, Bingley had realized that Darcy just might prefer a brown-eyed brunette over a lovely blue-eyed blond. He was actually grateful for the fact. If they had both fallen for the same sister, it would have been very disagreeable. This way, they might actually be brothers some day!

Bingley popping up out of nowhere was no novelty to the Darcy staff. He was allowed to enter and told the master was in the study. The butler actually approved of Mr. Bingley. He wasn't afraid to go after Mr. Fitzwilliam (the butler had been around a long time - Mr. Darcy always recalled the present man's father) and drag him out of his black moods. Mr. Fitzwilliam had been acting quite odd lately. Perhaps Mr. Bingley would help him.

The door opened and Bingley was announced. He slipped in past the butler. Darcy was sprawled in a large chair. He looked up at Bingley. "Yes? What are you doing here today?"

Bingley sat down. He was silent for a moment, then began, "Darcy, old chap. You haven't confirmed you are going with me to look at that estate in Hertfordshire. I thought we could leave on Tuesday?"

"My, you are in a rush. Any particular reason?" asked Darcy. He knew the answer, he just wanted to see Bingley lie (badly as always).

"If the estate is as desirable as the agent says, someone else may get it first. I would hate to loose the perfect place because I was too lazy to look at it!" declared Bingley. He looked at Darcy. Darcy wasn't buying it, that much was clear.

"Whatever you say Charles. I will be ready to go first thing on Tuesday. This time we take MY carriage. I say we take our horses as well. If the weather is good, we should ride at least part of the way. Riding would be better to look over the lands with the estate anyway."

"I think that's a splendid idea!" There was a brief pause. "I say, Darcy. How do you think last night went?"

Darcy grinned. He knew Bingley would get back to the divine Miss Bennet eventually. "Very well. The Gardiners are quite unexceptionable people. Dinner was excellent and the conversation quite enjoyable - other than that lecture in the study." Darcy grimaced in remembrance. So did Bingley.

"I know, I know. But that means that the family would welcome us, if, well if... quit laughing at me!" Bingley was nonplussed. He had seldom seen his friend laugh so easily and often as he had over the last few days. Darcy often smiled, but more often concealed any feelings other than displeasure when something, or someone, was not up to the mark.

"Bingley, you are so transparent! Everyone knows what you are about. You had better be sure about what you want before you go making any offers though. Bring your sisters tomorrow, we'll go take a look at that property on Tuesday and Wednesday. Get yourself settled man, before you move on to another life-altering project!"

Bingley sputtered a moment, and then laughed with his friend. "What about you?" he finally asked, when they had settled down again. "You already have property. You are as settled as a man of 40! Why don't you..." Before Bingley could finish the thought, Darcy broke in.

"I, unlike you, make decisions based on reason, not emotion. We still know very little about the Bennet family. If you like this new estate well, I will come and help you settle in. I make no more promise than that at this time Bingley."

Mr. Bingley knew there was no point in trying to get Mr. Darcy to see reason. He might talk about sense, but he couldn't see he was completely in love with Miss Elizabeth! Instead, he turned the talk to visiting tomorrow with his sisters and asking if Darcy was going as well.

"No. I have business to attend to. If we are leaving town so soon, I must do as much as I can." was Darcy's reply.

"Perhaps you would like to attend the opera tomorrow night? I hear it's quite good. I've gone ahead an bespoken a box." mentioned Bingley.

"Bingley! You could have had my box if you wanted it! You know that." replied Darcy. He was honestly surprised.

"I know, but Caroline was hinting and I was annoyed with her. I really didn't think you wanted her in your box - again. You know what she can be like. Besides, this way we have plenty of room. I thought I might invite the Gardiners and their nieces. I won't have room for everyone in my box. I thought, perhaps, you might have Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner and Miss Elizabeth, and I could have Miss Bennet with my sisters and Mr. Hurst (if he attends, which is very unlikely)."

Darcy returned Bingley's hopeful stare with a serious one of his own. "Bingley, do you think it is wise? Your sisters will have only met Miss Bennet that very day. We want to leave early the next morning." he paused, then went on, "Your continued attentions to Miss Bennet are too much Bingley. Give the lady some time to herself. Show a little decorum! Did it ever occur to you that the family might not like all the attention? We try to suppress rumors only to have your behavior create new ones!" He didn't like doing this, but SOMEONE had to show some sense!

Bingley wilted. "Do you really think she might not want to see me again?"

"No, no, Bingley! Just not SO SOON. Miss Bennet does appear to enjoy your company. I just think you should TRY to be a gentleman. Even if she wants to see you again, after his talk to us, do you really think her uncle wants you on the doorstep every day? And to go out with you during the evening as well? Think!" Darcy was feeling more awkward. It was hard to subdue Bingley without hurting him, something Darcy wanted to avoid at all costs.

"I suppose." Bingley heaved with a sigh. He then brightened. "We will be away for several days. I already have the box. What's the harm in inviting them? They can always say no!" He turned his pleading eyes on his friend. "I miss seeing her and speaking to her already! Going a whole day without her company is becoming very difficult Darcy. Say you will come to the opera and invite the Gardiners' to share your box."

Darcy was unequal to stopping Bingley's plans. The fact that they supported his own desires did affect his decision. "Oh, all right Bingley. Only because you will keep whining until you get your way. Thank goodness my sister doesn't do that. I would disown her instantly!" growled Darcy. He turned to the desk and wrote a note, folded it and sealed it. He wrote the direction on it. Meanwhile, his friend sat and smiled, pleased with his success. He realized Darcy couldn't be bullied, therefore he must WANT to bring Miss Elizabeth to the opera!

Chapter 12

A knock on the sitting room door interrupted the ladies as they quietly read. Mrs. Gardiner called "Enter" and a maid popped in. "There's a note for you ma'am." said the girl. Mrs. Gardiner thanked her and took the note.

"Who is it from Aunt" asked Jane.

"I don't recognize the seal - oh! It's from Mr. Darcy!" was the quick reply. Mrs. Gardiner remained quiet for a moment while she perused the note. "He has invited us to the opera tomorrow night." She turned bright eyes on her nieces. "I shall find your uncle and see what he thinks. I do love the opera. It would be nice for you girls to go..." she paused. She didn't want to get their hopes up. There were as many reasons to make an excuse as there were to go. Instead, she left the room in search of her husband.

Jane looked calm, but Lizzy could see she was excited. "Do you think Mr. Bingley would be attending with Mr. Darcy?" Lizzy asked her sister.

Jane turned pink, but said, "I have no idea why you would ask me Lizzy. He didn't mention it during dinner last night, if that is what you are asking."

Lizzy smiled at her sister's attempt to deflect her. "Just wondering."

Their aunt and uncle entered the room. "I think it would be acceptable to go to the opera. We seldom get the chance, and you girls may not be back in London for some time. I will send an acceptance for all of us, if you both want to go" their uncle said.

"Yes!" "Yes" they agreed. Lizzy then turned to her aunt. "We didn't exactly come prepared for all the social activities we've had! Callers tomorrow, the opera tomorrow night! I'm going upstairs to see what can be done with my wardrobe. Coming Jane?" she said as she turned to her sister.

"I believe that is a good idea. I will come up presently to help if I may." their aunt said as the ladies left the room. Their uncle sat down and wrote a brief reply thanking Mr. Darcy for the invitation and accepting on behalf of his wife, nieces and himself. After the note was approved by his wife, he sent it off.

The next morning saw the ladies of the Gardiner household out shopping. They had decided on their clothes for the afternoon and evening. Both ladies wanted a few trifles to dress up with for the evening. Their aunt was more than willing to accompany them. They returned shortly after, as they had a clear idea what they wanted and their aunt knew where to find it.

They settled down after lunch with their sewing. Jane was adding some lace to a simple blue gown she was going to wear for the evening. It would then match the shawl she was going to wear. Lizzy was working on the sleeves of her gown. They finished the work quickly and put their dresses away. They then worked on the more "acceptable" items - bonnets and embroidery - while waiting for Mr. Bingley and his sisters. Lizzy hoped Mr. Darcy might call as well, but was aware he had not stated he would, as Mr. Bingley had.

Every time they heard a carriage out on the street or the doorknocker go, the sisters flushed and looked at each other. Finally, the maid announced their visitors. Mr. Bingley entered first and greeted them all. He then presented his sisters, first to Mrs. Gardiner, then to Jane and Elizabeth.

All three were a little overcome. Mrs. Hurst dressed very fashionably. She was a fine looking woman, though a little overdressed. Miss Bingley was also dressed very finely. In her case it was in questionable taste. She was wearing more jewelry than an unmarried woman ought to, and the dark colors were not very proper, especially for an afternoon call in the summer.

Everyone accepted the necessary introductions, then sat to make conversation. Miss Bingley was perfectly charming. Jane fell for it, but Lizzy and her aunt both caught the undertone of superiority and Miss Bingley's snide manner. Mrs. Hurst seemed uninterested in being there at all. She basically just echoed or agreed with her sister. Mr. Bingley was so busy speaking to Miss Bennet that he paid very little attention to his sisters, unless they were addressing Jane. He did give Caroline one sharp glance when he caught her being a little impertinent to Jane, but otherwise seemed oblivious to his sisters growing dislike of the family they were visiting.

Caroline Bingley was annoyed. No matter how hard she tried, she hadn't pried out what relation the Gardiners or Bennets were to Mr. Darcy. They certainly didn't SEEM rich or important. Why, neither of them dressed better than little Georgiana, and she wasn't even OUT yet! They were both clearly old enough (and past) to be out, so what did they mean by dressing like a pair of young misses?

The maid interrupted by announcing another visitor. Mr. Darcy entered the room. He was immediately discomforted to see every eye turned in his direction. He politely greeted Mrs. Gardiner first, even though Miss Bingley stood and obviously expected a greeting from him immediately. He then (very properly) turned and greeting Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth. Only then did he greet Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley. Darcy then (thankfully) said hello to his friend Bingley and took a seat next to Mrs. Gardiner. He had no intentions of getting caught up in conversation with Miss Bingley, and she had THAT LOOK that said she expected his attention. He always found her attentions annoying, but it had become unbearable recently. Far better to chat with his hostess. The fact that he could watch Elizabeth from where he sat had to (conscience) effect on his choice of seat. He talked about the opera with Mrs. Gardiner and was pleased to find her knowledgeable and appreciative. He enjoyed the conversation. It was with surprise that he heard Miss Bingley break into the conversation.

"Really sir! You astonish me. I was not aware you were attending the opera tonight with the Gardiners. Brother - I am surprised you didn't mention it to me!" she said as she looked at Mr. Bingley.

"Caroline, I was not aware that it concerned you!" was Mr. Bingley's harsher than usual reply. He was getting very tired of his sister's behavior. Her "I own Mr. Darcy" act was past annoying and had quickly become intolerable.

Darcy decided it would be most prudent to ignore the outburst. Instead he informed Mrs. Gardiner that he would be happy to call for them in his carriage. He knew it would be comfortable enough for the short ride to the opera house. He had no idea what kind of equipage the Gardiners might own, and thought (fleetingly) it might be nice to be crowded in the carriage with them (especially Elizabeth).

Caroline noticed Mr. Darcy was avoiding her, but since he didn't seem to be wasting his attentions on either of the Miss Bennets it didn't bother her - much. She was too busy planning ways to finagle her way into the Darcy box that night to annoy be anything but automatically polite for the rest of the visit.

Bingley hummed to himself. He was as pleased as he could be. They were to meet the Gardiners at the opera. He was fairly sure he could convince Mr. Gardiner to allow Miss Bennet to join him and his sisters after the interval. His box would have only three and his sisters would be there to chaperone. Darcy could not object, he was sure. He would (hopefully) be too busy looking at the lovely Miss Elizabeth to even notice!

Bingley kept his eyes open as he escorted his sister through the foyer to the planned meeting spot. Mrs. Hurst had decided to stay home, so he only had Caroline to deal with, which only made the evening better in Bingley's opinion. He turned as someone clouted him on the shoulder. "Well done Bingley! Oh, I say, you've got your sister with you. Well, you have to tell me all about it at the club later!" The gentleman, an acquaintance of Mr. Bingley's, took himself off after that very puzzling statement.

Bingley shrugged at his sister's inquisitive glance. "Don't ask me," he said. "I haven't the faintest idea what that was about. Must have me mixed up with someone else." He looked eagerly around and was rewarded with the sight of his friend and guests. He dragged Caroline over and greeted everyone with enthusiasm. "You must spare a couple of your guests to me, Darcy! Caroline and I will rattle around in my box otherwise." He looked hopefully at Jane. "Miss Bennet. Surely you wouldn't object to being separated from your party for part of the evening?"

Miss Bingley was appalled. If Jane came alone to their box, she would have to stay with her brother and watch him coo over this upstart! She wouldn't have a chance to sit with Mr. Darcy. Nobody would see HER with Mr. Darcy, they would see that brown-haired snippet, Miss Elizabeth instead. It would undo some careful hints she had dropped to friends as to the closeness of Mr. Darcy to herself as well as her brother. Unfortunately, she couldn't come up with an objection quickly enough. Mr. Darcy and the Gardiner's gave their permission and Mr. Bingley was escorting his sister on one arm and the lovely Miss Bennet on the other to their box. He sat Jane in the middle and proceeded to monopolize her attention until the music started. Miss Bingley could not see Mr. Darcy's box from where she sat. She sat, fuming, throughout the opera.

Elizabeth was a little surprised by Mr. Bingley's forwardness, but admitted to herself that it was perfectly all right. He was now an accepted acquaintance, and had his sister chaperoning them. Besides, they were at the opera. As far as she could tell, everyone attended as much to see and be seen as to hear the music. She sat next to Mr. Darcy, with her Aunt and Uncle seated behind them. His proximity was very pleasant. He politely offered to share his libretto with her, which gave him plenty of reasons to lean over (when turning pages) or to keep his head close to hers (when reading). At this point, only her aunt and uncle directly behind him kept Mr. Darcy from severely improper behavior. He was very glad at the break (and yet disappointed) to move away from Miss Elizabeth when he got up to stretch. The ladies left to refresh themselves. Mr. Gardiner and Mr. Darcy were left to themselves. They discussed the opera until a knock at the door was followed by a "yoo-hoo".

Miss Bingley sauntered into the box immediately after. She was taken aback to see Mr. Gardiner there. She had noticed Mrs. Gardiner and Elizabeth moving away from the box and thought they were accompanied by Mr. Gardiner. She had HOPED to get Mr. Darcy alone, even for a moment. "Mr. Darcy, Mr. Gardiner. The performance is sufficient, considering the time of year." She moved to the front of the box and looked out. "The view is far superior from your box Mr. Darcy. Charles is impossible about these things!" She rolled her eyes. Mr. Gardiner and Darcy suppressed the desire to do the same.

"The box is only three over from mine. I cannot imagine the view is noticeably different." was Mr. Darcy's cool reply. Mr. Gardiner smiled to himself at both her predictable attempts and at his practiced deflection. His admiration of Mr. Darcy continued to grow. The younger man's aplomb was amazing!

A knock followed by Mr. Bingley and Jane interrupted whatever Caroline would have said in reply. "Hello there! Caroline, I was very surprised that you ran off by yourself. You should know better - its very easy to get separated or lost here, even if it's not as crowded as usual." He turned to Mr. Gardiner. "I hope you don't mind if Caroline and I keep Miss Bennet for the rest. It was very enjoyable having someone who so appreciates music with us - wasn't it Caroline?"

Miss Bingley ground her teeth. Once again, outdone by her brother before she had an opportunity to "arrange" things HER way. "Of course Charles." she said. Her response was polite, but her expression and tone indicated otherwise. Her brother ignored her, so the others did as well. Mrs. Gardiner and Elizabeth returned and indicated that the show was about the start, so Bingley returned to his box with his sister and guest. Everyone in Darcy's box breathed a sigh of relief when they left.

Darcy escorted his guests out to his carriage and said a fond good night to Bingley. He gave Miss Bingley a polite farewell and promised to pick Bingley up early the next day. "You can sleep in the carriage Bingley!"

He climbed into the carriage and was pleased to see Elizabeth was directly in front of him. He smiled at her the entire way back to her Aunt and Uncles' home. He handed each of the ladies out, said goodnight and accepted their thanks for the evening. He climbed back in and proceeded home. He went directly to bed, but had an (oddly) difficult time getting to sleep...

Chapter 13

Darcy stared at his companion, sitting peacefully asleep across from him in the carriage. Bingley was relaxed. He somehow was pulled upright, shaved, fed, and stuffed into his clothes and managed to go back to sleep with almost no effort at all. With a sigh, Darcy admitted it to himself it was probably preferable to his own state of being wide awake as soon morning came - no matter how little sleep he had the night before.

He had spent the night restlessly tossing and turning. It had been warm, but that wasn't the problem. It had not affected him during the evening, but when he got home he couldn't forget some of the odd looks he had received. Darcy had been totally caught up in Miss Elizabeth's presence. He had said as little as possible (and still be polite) to the Gardiners. He had only seen Miss Bennet in the carriage to and from the house. So why were those odd glances and smiles from members of the ton disturbing him?

When Bingley awoke, Darcy fully intended to question him. Perhaps he had heard something, or noticed something. Surely those blasted rumors hadn't started to make the rounds?

The carriage, well sprung as it was, still jolted somewhat as they made their way. With any luck they would be in Meryton in time for luncheon. They would then go look at the estate - Netherfield was it? - for the afternoon. They could look over the grounds tomorrow and Bingley could then make a decision. Darcy himself would never make such a hasty decision, but he knew Bingley would. Not normally a fan of London, Darcy was anticipating a quick return. He wanted to be sure all was right...

Meanwhile, in London, the Bennet sisters were playing with their younger cousins in a park. The children had been a little rowdy. Jane wanted to spare her aunt some trouble. Lizzy was looking forward to a chance to run around without being scolded for improper behavior. They had a marvelous morning and returned in plenty of time for lunch. The girls refreshed themselves while their aunt heard all about the fun in the park from her happy offspring.

After lunch the ladies intended to pay a call on the Bingley sisters. Jane and Mrs. Gardiner had agreed that it was only polite. The Bingleys had called on them, it was their turn to call on the Bingleys. Mrs. Gardiner was not very impressed with either sister, but knew the importance of keeping up the social niceties. With Jane clearly falling in love with Mr. Bingley, it was important that they keep on good terms with his sisters. There should be no reason for reproaches. Lizzy was not very eager to go, but agreed to, "On the principle that at least we will outnumber the Bingleys." Her comment made her aunt laugh and her sister mildly protest.

They dressed and called for Mr. Gardiner's carriage. They entered the house and were shown to a very fine parlour. Miss Bingley was by herself. Her sister had a headache from the heat. Miss Bingley was not disposed to be polite, but her desire to learn more about the Bennets outweighed any other consideration. She therefore used her not inconsiderable powers of wit and charm. Mrs. Gardiner and Elizabeth were surprised, but also pleased. They had a very enjoyable visit. As they left, all agreed that Miss Bingley could be a very pleasant hostess.

"I have seldom been half so entertained by a society lady as I have today by Miss Bingley." declared Mrs. Gardiner as they climbed back in to the carriage for the ride home.

"She certainly improves upon further acquaintance!" agreed Lizzy.

Jane had little to say, but it was obvious she was pleased that Charles Bingley's sister seemed willing to be an acquaintance and welcomed them into her circle.

Letters from Meryton awaited the ladies when the arrived home. Lizzy disappeared to read a letter from Charlotte. She was still displeased with Charlotte's choice, but had mostly reconciled herself to it. She knew it was either that or lose all contact with her friend.

Jane sat down with her aunt to read a letter from Mrs. Bennet. It was full of the usual exclamations and contradictory advice. Mrs. Bennet longed to see her sweet daughters, but if they were being visited by any young men (of fortune of course) they could certainly be spared a little longer. Jane smiled to herself when she realized that for once their mother was right on the mark. They had indeed been visited by young men of fortune. She could only hope that they would be visited again!

The rest of the day passed quietly in home duties.

Mr. Bingley was quite enthusiastic about EVERYTHING. He liked Meryton very well indeed! A very charming place! He approved the lane leading to Netherfield. The house was most happily situated! A fine place! The interior was furnished - how very convenient! A pleasant mix of styles and good taste prevailed within. Excellent! and so on, and so on. Mr. Darcy was heartily tired of it. It was clear that Bingley was going to take the place, no matter what it looked like or it's condition. Fortunately, it was the closest thing they had seen as of yet to meeting Bingley's needs. They retired to the inn, both eager to go over the grounds tomorrow by horseback.

Morning found them enjoying their ride (after an indifferent breakfast). "The first thing you will need to do, Bingley, is get a decent housekeeper and steward. They can hire the rest of the staff for you, since you are in such a rush! I can recommend a man for steward. He is a cousin to my own man. Very solid."

"Darcy! I didn't say I was going to take it, not yet at any rate." was Bingley's reply.

"Bingley, the only thing you did not do is shout "I must have it!" to the region at large. I'm sure the agent is writing up the agreement as we speak. It was clear yesterday that you came prepared to take the place."

"It's no Pemberley, I'll give you that. But I must settle somewhere!"

"The house is acceptable. I'm sure your sisters will help you with a little redecorating. The grounds need some work, but nothing unusual. The property is pleasant enough, I'll give you that. I was thinking yesterday that Netherfield is the closest we've come so far in meeting the criteria you listed before we started hunting for your estate. You had better take it."

"Thank you! I will." and with that Bingley spurred his horse to a trot, then a gallop. Darcy easily caught up, and the two enjoyed a good ride together. They then returned to Meryton. Bingley satisfied the agent that he would take the contract. He signed the prepared paperwork. The two men paid their bill at the inn and left early. They had enough time to make it back to London before it got too late. Neither was interested in spending any more time at the Meryton inn.

"Charles! You are home early. We did not expect you before tomorrow. I take it the property is inappropriate? You should look for an estate further north - Derbyshire is so lovely!" was Caroline's greeting to her brother.

"As a matter of fact Caroline, the estate was excellent. I have taken Netherfield for a year, with an option to buy it if I remain pleased. I will spend tomorrow hiring a steward. Darcy has suggested a man to me. If he suits, I just need to hire a housekeeper and let her find servants. I was thinking of asking White to move to the new estate and having the new housekeeper keep the town house. We know Mrs. White, and she has always been dependable. I think she would like to move away from London. What do you think? And when is supper?" Bingley brushed past his sister and bounded up the stairs without waiting for a reply. He wanted to wash and rest a little before dinner.

Miss Bingley's voice followed him up the stairs. "Why didn't you bring Mr. Darcy for dinner? His own staff will not be ready to feed him properly! CHARLES!"

Mr. Bingley, used to his sister, continued bounding up the stairs without so much as a pause, and did not reply.

Mr. Bingley joined Mr. Darcy at their club for luncheon the following day. Darcy had spent the morning doing business. Bingley had settled with his housekeeper that she would go take care of the new country house and would see to the servants. The place had some already, and a few more could be spared from the town house. They would manage. Mrs. White was a pleasant and well-organized woman. She would go to a couple of agencies that afternoon to see about hiring some more staff and everything would be all right. She did ask her employer that she could see the house for herself before she could commit to when it might be fit for the master to move in. She was reasonable to his joy and admitted that even if the place was a mess she could probably shift things to suit by Michaelmas.

They enjoyed a hearty lunch, and talked of their morning's work during it. After lunch, over a glass of wine, Bingley finally spoke on another matter. "What do you say, Darcy, to visiting the Gardiners this afternoon? I thought I might invite them to dinner, seeing that they've had us over already. A fellow has to do something with his time. White has the move well in hand. I doubt there will be much more for me to do for about a week now!"

"I sincerely doubt the Gardiners want us on their doorstep every single day we are in town Bingley," was the collected reply.

"Darcy! They were very friendly. And the young ladies are uncommonly pretty! You can sit around here all afternoon if you like. I think I will go ask a couple of very nice ladies to join me for a walk!"

"I did not say I would object to a walk, Bingley. I just pointed out that daily visits, now that we have returned, might be a little much."

The two rose from the table. Just as they were about to leave, the same acquaintance who had importuned Bingley at the Opera stopped by. "Bingley, old chap! No time at the opera, but I simply must hear all about it! How did you manage to lease the Grange in Surry? I've been trying for simply ages to get them to sell to me!"

Both men looked confused at Mr. Northington's comments. Bingley replied quite politely, "No, Northington, I've leased a place in Hertfordshire. I just leased it yesterday, so any report you had before that was very premature. I did look at a few places in Surry, but I don't remember any place called the Grange. What about you Darcy?" Here Bingley turned to his friend.

"No, I've heard of the Grange but we never looked at it. We visited Greenfields (dreadful place, don't bother Northington) and the Ashington Oaks (the name indicates all - full of pretension that it couldn't live up to). So you are looking for a place Northington?"

"Just a place to stay until the pater turns the main house over to me. He says it will be a few years yet before he's ready to move to the small house. With the wife and children, we need more room now - and you know my father. He's king of the roost. I would like to put my feet under my OWN table!" with a grin at his friends, Northington moved on, hailing a new friend who had entered his line of vision.

Bingley crooked his finger to Darcy and the two exited before anyone else could interrupt.

Chapter 14

Lizzy and her aunt were turning out the attic. It was a tedious job, but not terribly difficult. They had a maid to do the heavy cleaning. Mrs. Gardiner was a good manager and kept things tidy. She normally did this job later in the fall, but Lizzy's jitters had finally affected her aunt. Jane stayed below and taught her oldest niece to embroider.

While they worked, Mrs. Gardiner and Lizzy discussed Mrs. Bennet's latest letter. She had written her daughters with a demand for their immediate return home. Mrs. Phillips had related to her that an entire regiment was to be stationed in Meryton, and Mrs. Bennet wanted her daughters at home and ready to take advantage of the situation. They had permission to stay only long enough to get a new gown each (no point in those dreadful nieces of Mrs. Long getting ahead!) and were then expected home. Mr. Bennet added a brief note requesting their return for the sake of his sanity. It was clear that Mrs. Bennet was willing to ignore the failure of her two oldest daughters to catch Mr. Collins. She was too excited about the fine young men in the lovely red coats! The time passed quickly and they were soon done going through the old trunks and boxes. There was no moth damage, everything that needed to be dusted had been, and the whole lot was reorganized. Mrs. Gardiner and Lizzy headed downstairs to have tea.

Jane looked up to see her aunt and sister descending from above. They both looked hot and dusty. "Jane, dear. Go ahead and call for tea. You shouldn't wait for us any longer. Lizzy and I will be back as soon as we've cleaned up."

The doorbell rang. The maid answered it while Mrs. Gardiner and Lizzy were in the front hall, about to ascend to refresh themselves. Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy entered. Mr. Bingley said a cheerful hello. It was unlikely he noticed anything amiss. Mr. Darcy, on the other hand, immediately noticed that the ladies in the hall were not prepared to receive visitors.

Mrs. Gardiner immediately rectified the situation. "Gentlemen. Please go join my niece Jane for tea. We will be with you shortly." She shooed Lizzy up the stairs and went to clean up and change as quickly as possible. She was not as fast as her niece. Lizzy was already downstairs, hair tided, face washed, and fresh dress on (looking charming). It was all Mrs. Gardiner could do NOT to laugh.

Over tea, Mr. Bingley enthused over his trip and the lovely estate he had leased. He decided to tease the ladies and wouldn't tell them the name of the estate or the village it was situated near. Instead he waxed eloquent over the fields, the pretty stream, the work to do on the gardens, the ballroom. When they turned to Mr. Darcy to get a straight answer, he demurred. "It is not my place to enlighten you if Bingley chooses not to. You will have to wait until he is tired of his nonsense!" Darcy smiled and the ladies continued questioning Mr. Bingley. All were in good humor and enjoying the banter.

When tea was finished Mr. Darcy decided to bring up the original reason for the visit. "We were wondering if you would like to go for a walk. It is very fine out today. It's a shame to waste the day within doors."

Jane and Lizzy agreed, and went to prepare themselves for the walk. Mrs. Gardiner suggested that they go to the park just down the street and recommended a return time. Even Bingley could not ignore the gentle orders. The men realized they were still on probation (as a manner of speaking) with the Gardiners and were expected to behave so.

The Bennet sisters came down and off they went. Various topics were discussed, sometimes as a group, sometimes in pairs. When they were on the way back, each member of the party protested that the walk had been most refreshing and company very congenial. Mr. Bingley (with a triumphant look at his friend) suggested that if the weather was fine, a walk on the following day would be possible. Jane smiled at him and thanked him, but replied "I'm afraid we must defer. We are going to pay calls with our aunt tomorrow."

"Well then, perhaps the day after?" Bingley asked.

"Perhaps." was all Jane said.

Elizabeth felt a better answer was necessary. "We may be going home soon. Our father is eager for us to return to Longbourn. Our mother wrote to us asking for a definite date for our return. We intend to write back and leave Monday at the latest."

There was a moment of silence as they passed another group of walkers. Then Mr. Darcy said, "I shall be sorry to see you go. I don't, however, blame you for going home. I think I will be leaving soon also. London is not the best place to be in summer. A country estate is definitely to be preferred."

Lizzy laughingly agreed. Mr. Bingley's long face proclaimed his feelings on the subject. He forgot entirely for a moment that his new estate was quite close to the Bennets and that he could see them when he moved in.

They came to the Gardiner's door. The ladies thanked their escorts and farewells were exchanged. Just as they were about to leave, Jane decided to be a little more forward than she normally would be. "I hope your sisters are usually in on Friday? We were hoping to include them in our calls tomorrow." This was as large a hint as Lizzy had ever heard her sister give. Hope blossomed on Mr. Bingley's face.

"Oh yes! They will most assuredly be home tomorrow! Caroline told me how much she enjoyed your call on Tuesday." He was finally dragged away by Darcy, who didn't want to keep his coachman waiting any longer.

The following afternoon found Mr. Darcy finally paying his (in Caroline's estimation) long overdue call on the Bingley ladies. He had dropped by for lunch and showed no signs of leaving. Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley exchanged many pointed glances. It might take Mr. Darcy time to come to them, but he evidently had a hard time leaving again! All was as it should be.

Then the Bennet sisters and their aunt arrived. Mr. Darcy, who had seemed somewhat abstracted after lunch, came down to earth immediately. He and Charles were immediately involved in conversation with the Bennets, leaving Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst to entertain Mrs. Gardiner. This time all the visitors noticed a distinct lack in their hostess. Caroline was furious and did a very poor job of hiding it. Once again those Bennet chits had stolen all the attention! It was insupportable! Her malicious comments were easily deflected by Elizabeth and missed or ignored by Jane. Their aunt carefully attempted (sometimes with success) to return the conversation to more polite channels. When the Bennets rose to leave, Mr. Darcy rose also.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Miss Bingley, Mrs. Hurst. I will take my leave as well." This was the final blow for Miss Bingley. It was now obvious to her that he and Charles had been expecting the Bennets and that was the only reason Mr. Darcy had called. She was out for blood and was going to find it.

Mr. Darcy gave his leave to the ladies as he helped them into the Gardiner carriage. They continued on to a dressmaker's. There they tried on the dresses they had ordered. After the fitting they returned to Gracechurch Street. There, they finally felt free to talk.

"I cannot believe the difference in Miss Bingley! She was so charming, so friendly, so amusing during our last visit! This time, she was so unpleasant!" exclaimed Lizzy to her sister and aunt.

"Perhaps she was unwell, or had a headache coming on." was Jane's charitable answer.

"She was definitely discomposed today. Mrs. Hurst was also. I can only think it was the presence of the gentlemen that made the difference today," said Mrs. Gardiner. "You recall, when we first met them, they were much the same. Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley were with them here."

"Yes, there was something of jealousy about them. I can only think that they want someone of more distinguished family for their brother!" Lizzy said. She was very annoyed at the way Miss Bingley had continuously attempted to demean them.

"Lizzy! They have only met us. Perhaps when we all get to know one another better.." Jane was unsure how to finish the thought. She wanted to think well of Mr. Bingley's sisters, but the reality was she was perfectly aware of the inconsistency of their behavior. Jane had no simple (nice) way to really explain it.

Mrs. Gardiner added, "I rather think it is not jealousy over their brother's prospects, Lizzy. I think they are not fond of being overshadowed. It could be as simple as that." She thought it was more than that. Mrs. Gardiner was a shrewd observer. Miss Bingley was jealous over Mr. Darcy's attentions to Elizabeth, not Mr. Bingley's to Jane. Miss Bingley had almost constantly referred to Mr. Darcy's sister. Her apparent intimacy with Miss Darcy was ignored by the group except when a polite response was required.

Elizabeth and Jane went to play with their cousins and the conversation ended.

Meanwhile, at the Bingley townhouse...

"I cannot believe it! She has no fashion, no manners, no looks, and apparently no family of importance! I haven't been able to find any connections to the Darcys of Pemberley. I have worked too hard and too long to lose him to some upstart hussy!" screamed Miss Bingley to her sister.

"Of course you have my dear. And that Jane Bennet! With her low relations in Cheapside, she thinks she is worthy of our Charles!" Mrs. Hurst seemed to forget, as did her sister, that their own father had been in trade. They preferred to remember that their mother was from a respectable North Country family and they were rich (even if the money did come from trade).

"Indeed! When Charles could have Georgiana Darcy! I'm sure Mr. Darcy looks upon the match quite fondly. After all, he encourages Charles to visit them, has introduced Georgiana to us! We are all quite fond of one another. What more could he ask for?"

"Yes, sister. I think we should make sure those Bennets are aware of how things stand."

Miss Bingley looked quite happy. "We shall visit them tomorrow. We will make it quite clear to them that Mr. Darcy is almost engaged and so is our brother. After all, they are going home to their insignificant country house, and we are moving to Charles new estate soon. They will soon be nothing more than a bad memory!" They settled down to plan the most plausible conversation they could create for the following day.

Saturday morning found the Bennet ladies once more at the dressmakers. They each tried on their new dress and found they were fine. They paid the seamstress and returned home with their purchases and packed them immediately. They intended to leave early on Monday. Jane and Lizzy felt it would be inappropriate to do most of their packing on Sunday. This way they would only have to put a few things in the trunk on Sunday evening.

They had lunch with the Gardiner family and settled in to enjoy the afternoon with their aunt. All were surprised when Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst were announced. Mrs. Hurst entered first, and her simpering replies to their welcome puzzled Lizzy. Miss Bingley was in great humor and was very gracious at their greeting her.

Mrs. Gardiner rang for tea and general conversation progressed. They were once again the pleasant, charming and entertaining ladies they had been in the past. Before Lizzy's puzzlement changed to suspicion, Miss Bingley attacked.

Chapter15

Miss Bingley smiled and leaned towards Lizzy. "I understand you know Mr. Darcy quite well, but have not yet been introduced to his sister?" At Elizabeth's nod, Miss Bingley continued. "Georgiana is SUCH a lovely lady. She is very fond of her future sister, Anne De Bourgh. Of course, they are cousins. Such a lovely custom, don't you think Miss Elizabeth?" She sat back and smiled.

"I'm afraid I don't quite understand, Miss Bingley," was Elizabeth's reply. "Is Miss Darcy engaged to a cousin? I thought from what Mr. Darcy said that she was still a little young for marriage."

"Only a little young for marriage, but not too young for an engagement. But no, I was speaking of Mr. Darcy's engagement to his cousin, Miss De Bourgh. She's Lady Catherine De Bourgh's only child and heiress to the De Bourgh estate, as well as being the granddaughter of an Earl. An excellent match for both of them! Dear Georgiana is a little shy - she will be so much happier with a sister she knows well and is fond of." Miss Bingley, of course, knew everything she was saying was a lie. Her brother had once mentioned that Darcy disliked visiting his aunt because she kept throwing his cousin Anne at him. Darcy had said that only his cousin Anne was more opposed to the idea than he was!

Elizabeth was shocked at this revelation. It more than hinted that either Mr. Darcy was engaged or was soon to be engaged. "His behavior is not that of an affianced man." Lizzy thought to herself. She gained strength from the thought. "Mr. Darcy has often spoken of his sister. We have not conversed at length about all his relations," was Lizzy's composed response. If Miss Bingley hoped to upset her publicly, she would have to do better than that!

Miss Bingley dropped the subject and moved one. She had planted the seed. Now Elizabeth would wonder why he didn't speak much about his relations, and would hopefully think he was taken (or dishonest) and would leave him alone! Instead they chatted about the newest fashions, on which Miss Bingley was an expert.

On the other side of the room, Mrs. Hurst was talking, less subtly, about Miss Darcy. How sweet she was! How charming! What good friends the Bingleys and Darcys all were together! How dear Georgiana admired Charles, and how Charles thought she was the most adorable young lady of his acquaintance! Mrs. Gardiner was a clear-headed and experienced woman. Mr. Bingley was clearly interested in Jane, therefore this talk of Miss Darcy was meant to be misleading or was wishful thinking. Jane was less experienced and more likely to think kindly of others. The longer Mrs. Hurst spoke, the more upset Jane became, though outwardly Jane was quite collected.

After doing all the damage they thought they could, the Bingley sisters made their farewells and left to make another call. The Gardiner household went back to its regular afternoon behavior. Mrs. Gardiner went to check on dinner and the Bennet sisters went back to packing. Once they were along upstairs, Lizzy quite holding herself in check. "You wouldn't believe what that awful Miss Bingley was saying to me! She implied that Mr. Darcy is already engaged to his cousin, an heiress by the name of Anne DeBourgh! Isn't that the name of that horrible Mr. Collins patroness?" She looked hopefully at her sister. "You don't think it's true, do you Jane? Mr. Darcy certainly didn't act like an engaged man! He told us about his sister and his parents being dead and a little about his home. He would have mentioned if he was engaged, or even likely to be, wouldn't he?"

"Mr. Darcy has been nothing but the most correct of gentlemen to us." agreed Jane. "I cannot believe it. Miss Bingley must be misinformed, or has incorrectly understood something Mr. Darcy or Miss Darcy has said."

"Oh Jane! That is just like you! I doubt, from they way she said it, that she was unaware of what she was implying. I wouldn't put it past to her misinform me on purpose!" Lizzy then looked more closely at her sister. "What did Mrs. Hurst say to you and Aunt Gardiner, Jane? Aunt looked annoyed, if you can believe it, at one point! You are upset. What is wrong?"

Jane looked down at the items she was packing. "I can only hope that Mrs. Hurst was also misinformed. She definitely implied that Mr. Bingley is shortly to become engaged to Miss Darcy."

"Miss Darcy! I cannot believe it! Mr. Darcy would never allow it. Did you not hear how he spoke of his sister? He described her as very shy and sweet. He talked about her as a child, not a woman about to be married!"

"Mrs. Hurst did say she was full young to be married, but not too young to be engaged. You know yourself, Lizzy. She is no younger that Lydia, who is out. It sounded to me as if Miss Darcy is out as well, or will be when the Season starts. I thought he liked me. I saw no deception in Mr. Bingley - or in Mr. Darcy."

"No, of course you didn't Jane! You would be the last person to detect deception! I did not either. I don't know if it is because there is no deception, or because I'm deceiving myself."

"Lizzy, do you mean to say you are falling in love with Mr. Darcy?" Jane exclaimed. She had never known her sister to show such partiality for a man, but for her to admit it seemed extraordinary.

"I don't know! I like him - I like him more than I have ever liked any man I've met! But we have only known one another for a few days, really. It's too soon to say. What about you and Mr. Bingley? I have detected more than admiration in you where he is concerned!" Lizzy's tone turned teasing with the last declaration. Jane blushed and admitted her partiality.

"He is everything a young man should be." she finished.

"As well as being handsome and rich, which a man should be if he possibly can!" laughed Lizzy. "I give you leave to like him! You have liked many a stupider person."

The two sisters smiled at one anther. Both felt better for having discussed their feelings. They both knew they had support and love from their sister. They had discounted, as much as possible, the nasty insinuations of the Bingley sisters. All they could do now was hope that, if the gentlemen's intentions were real and honorable, that they would find a way.

Mr. Darcy had decided to call upon the residents of the Gardiner house on Sunday afternoon. He usually avoided making calls, and even more so on Sunday. That being established, he was unwilling to lose an opportunity to visit Miss Elizabeth one last time before she left town. He comforted himself with the knowledge that he was invited to Bingley's new place in September.

When Darcy agreed to come, he considered the situation, and had decided to bring Georgiana with him. It would do her good to get out among people again. He wanted to spend more time with her. Georgiana seemed to think he blamed her for the "incident" at Ramsgate. If they spent more time together surely she would realized he was not angry with Georgiana. Pleasant company and society was just what she needed to take her out of herself!

Without meaning to, his thoughts once again turned to Miss Elizabeth. She was so kind, so thoughtful. Darcy knew she would be gentle with his sister, and that Georgiana would like, would APPROVE of Miss Elizabeth. It was too soon yet, but he knew his feelings were beyond anything he had felt before. If Georgiana liked her, and if his feelings were the same in a few weeks time (when he showed up at Bingley's new house) then he would be sure she was THE ONE. He could make the acquaintance of her family and do things properly.

Darcy nodded to himself. Yes, everything was working out beautifully!

Chapter 16

Sunday, immediately after lunch...

Fitzwilliam Darcy and Charles Bingley were rather taken aback by the Bingley sisters' enthusiasm and downright glee when their butler announced that the Misses Bennet were calling upon them. Charles had assumed he would sneak out later in the day with Darcy to pay a last call upon Jane and Elizabeth. Charles tended to think the best of most people, but even he was suspicious at his sisters' pleasure in visiting with the Bennets. Darcy, who was more realistic, was pleased to have the after-lunch tedium reversed by the Bennets, but he was worried about the sudden interest Caroline (in particular) was showing in Jane and Elizabeth.

The call started out in the most unexceptional way with discussion of the weather and traveling conditions for the Bennets' trip home. Lemonade was served (due to the warm weather tea was considered inappropriate). While sipping on her lemonade, Elizabeth was surprised when her arm was jogged by Miss Bingley, who was vigorously fanning herself. "Oh! How clumsy of me! My dear Miss Elizabeth, I've ruined your lovely dress."

"Thank you for your concern, Miss Bingley. As a matter of fact, I spilled very little. It seems to have soaked into my gloves and reticule, however. If you would be so kind?" Lizzy rose and moved towards the door. She needed to rinse out her gloves and empty her reticule immediately, before everything was ruined!

Miss Bingley insisted on escorting Lizzy to a guest room where she could rinse her gloves, wipe up any other spilled lemonade, and check on her reticule's contents. Caroline Bingley never passed up a chance. She had hit Elizabeth on purpose, trying to make her look silly, drenched in her drink. Instead she had to be sympathetic. Still, maybe she could turn this "accident" to her own advantage.

Lizzy dropped her gloves in the washing bowl provided and instructed the maid in rinsing them while Lizzy emptied her reticule. Lizzy set out all the items quickly, splitting them into the "dry" pile and the "damp" pile. She pulled out the items that needed checking, leaving the others on the bed. While Lizzy and the maid looked over Lizzy's belongings, Caroline took a quick look at the "other" items. Suddenly, Caroline Bingley spotted something that took her breath away...

Downstairs, the conversation continued. Mrs. Hurst didn't dare be too snide or make pointed comments about Miss Darcy in front of her brother and Mr. Darcy. Darcy was heartily board with Mrs. Hurst and just wanted to spend time alone with Elizabeth - something he knew was impossible, but wanted anyway. Jane continued to chat with Bingley, Bingley actually FLIRTED a little with Jane.

The group was relieved to be rejoined by Miss Elizabeth and Miss Bingley. Darcy suggested a walk (in a futile attempt to spend more time with Elizabeth and less with Caroline Bingley). His suggestion was greeted with enthusiasm by everyone but Mrs. Hurst. Jane informed her aunt's coachman that they would not need the coach for an hour and off they went. There was a park nearby, so they moved off down the nearest path in search of shade and amusement.

There was a warm breeze in the park. It tossed the ladies curls and ruffled their skirts. Caroline liked to draw attention to herself as much as possible. She therefore spent a large amount of time complaining on how the breeze was mussing her skirts, ruining the tilt of her hat, ruffling the feathers on said hat or tanning her delicate skin. Caroline mistakenly believed that she could hold Mr. Darcy's attention this way. All she did was bore him and annoy her brother. Jane and Lizzy would look at one another in disbelief at each of Caroline's more strident complaints. They compared Miss Bingley unfavorably to their younger sisters and some of the sillier ladies they knew. Darcy just was glad his sister and Miss Elizabeth were not noisy and annoying. Charles, who was somewhat inured to it compared her to Miss Jane Bennet and wished she had declined a walk.

Miss Bingley soon became tired and demanded they sit for awhile. Lizzy, who was a great walker, suggested the party break up and meet again. She was far from tired. "I will be spending most of tomorrow sitting in a carriage. I would prefer to take my exercise while I can, if anyone would care to accompany me."

Mr. Darcy instantly volunteered to go with her. Jane (reluctantly) said she would rest with Caroline. Bingley agreed to stay with Miss Bennet and his sister. As soon as she realized Elizabeth would have Mr. Darcy all to herself, Caroline stood and said she had enough rest while they argued over the matter and latched on to Mr. Darcy's free arm (much to that gentleman's annoyance). By this time Mr. Darcy would have cheerfully drowned Miss Bingley if she hadn't been his best friend's sister. He had no idea his friend was contemplating something similar.

They walked on. Lizzy had great endurance, the gentleman were used to walking, riding and hunting and were comfortable. Jane walked a great deal at home (though not as much as Lizzy). Caroline Bingley was simply exhausted. She NEVER walked any farther than across a shop or street. She considered the Bennet's joy in the walk as vulgar and unfeminine. Darcy and Bingley considered it admirable. Nothing could come between Miss Bingley and her victim, so she kept up with the others, complaining all the way, rather than sit down and let Darcy be alone with Elizabeth.

The group finally turned back. Jane and Lizzy were handed into their carriage and sent home. Goodbyes were given, but no indication of Caroline writing to her "dear friends" was mentioned. This was not quite the blow Caroline intended, as Bingley and Darcy KNEW they would see the Bennet sisters again.

"What is the matter with you!" demanded Mrs. Hurst. She was tired of Caroline's stupidity that evening. "You keep playing with your handkerchief. You are never ill, so it cannot be a cold coming on!"

"No, not a cold. Look at this handkerchief Louisa." was Caroline's reply to her sister.

"It's a man's handkerchief!" Louisa exclaimed. Taking a closer look, she saw initials on the corner. "FD - Mr. Darcy! He gave you a token! Oh, Caroline, how wonderful! You have caught him at last!"

"I found it in Elizabeth Bennet's things when she emptied her reticule this afternoon. How do you suppose she got it?" asked Caroline.

Louisa was silent for a moment, trying to understand what her sister had said. Then she burst out - "Elizabeth Bennet! It cannot be! Why would he give her a handkerchief?" Louisa simply could not take it in. She finally stopped gibbering to look closely at her sister.

"I will have to turn her completely against him, or all might yet be lost." was all Caroline would say. She took back the handkerchief, and went to bed.

Neither sister considered the fact that by taking the handkerchief, Caroline had turned thief. Society was very strict in public, but almost any behavior, as long as you didn't get caught, was acceptable.

"Do you suppose mama has really forgiven us?" Lizzy asked Jane as they traveled home.

"Mama only wants what is best for us. She just didn't understand that neither of us could care for Mr. Collins." rationalized Jane. She knew she hadn't answered Lizzy's question. There was no good answer to it.

Instead they watched the scenery. Both thought about the trip to London. They had seldom looked out of the coach - they had been too busy talking, laughing, watching (not directly of course) the gentlemen across from them. Now it was just the two of them. They had plenty of time together over the past week. They had no confidences to share (or, more specifically, that they were willing to share). Jane sat passively and pretended to watch the countryside. She was really considering if she wrote to Caroline if Caroline would write back. Jane liked Mr. Bingley very well indeed and was worried that she would lose contact with him.

Lizzy really did look at the scenery. She was attempting to distract herself from the thoughts circling through her mind. She knew it was unlikely she would see Mr. Darcy any time soon. He had told her he wanted to introduce his sister, Georgiana, to her. She was very sensible of the compliment. She just wanted to know when and how it could possibly happen. Chiding herself for her silly, romantic, thoughts, Lizzy decided to really look at the beautiful countryside and the haying that was going on. Perhaps that would keep her mind off of him...

Chapter 17

"Oh my dear girls! You are home at last!" shrieked Mrs. Bennet. Jane smiled sweetly at her mother. Lizzy could not (quite) restrain the roll of her eyes, but took her mother's enthusiastic greeting in good humor. At least she was happy with them again.

The trip home had been uneventful. The entire Bennet family turned out to greet them on their return. Lizzy thought to herself, "You would think we had returned from an overseas voyage of a year from mama's antics!".

Mr. Bennet gave his eldest daughters a quiet greeting and ushered them in to the house. Their mother immediately started to give them particulars on all that had occurred while they were gone.

Mrs. Bennet's incessant chatter was constantly interrupted by Lydia, with occasional comments from Kitty, on the militia regiment. They had just arrived and were setting up quarters. The girls were simply wild about them. Mary contributed (unheard by her mother or younger sisters) disapproving remarks.

The travelers went upstairs to refresh themselves and rejoined the rest of the family for dinner. In some ways, it was as if the trip to London was just a dream. Lizzy sat through dinner and listened to her mother repeat her entire conversation from earlier in the day. Her sisters continued their annoying squabble. Her father tossed an aside here, remark there, that stirred things up again whenever the ladies started to settle down. It was all so depressing after the elegance of the trip with Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley and the simple pleasures of being with the Gardiners. "What would he think of us! Mr. Darcy is so refined, so correct! He would despise my mother, find my father at fault, and deplore the behavior of my younger sisters. We simply MUST do something!"

In vain, Lizzy attempted to civilize the conversation. She soon quit, since it only drew attention to her. She did not want to talk too much about London. It was far better to allow the Bennet family to assume the visit had been as boring and unremarkable as previous visits had been. Jane and Elizabeth had agreed before they left for home that it would be best if nobody at Longbourn knew of Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy. "After all, we have no assurance of ever seeing them again. If Mama finds out about them, she might do something drastic." Jane had agreed with Lizzy's assessment, though with a more gentle interpretation. Jane said she would not lie. "It will not be necessary. We can laugh or make a joke if they mention anything about us meeting a gentleman in London. We can turn away questions, or just not answer. If we are careful, there will be no direct questions. Most of mama's questions are rhetorical anyway. We will be fine." was Elizabeth's reply.

Accordingly, when she retired for the night, Elizabeth slipped into Jane's room for a short chat. They had weathered dinner and the evening with their family, but it had been a tiring experience. Neither enjoyed being on guard and coming very close (too close for comfort) to falsehood. Lizzy wanted a little reassurance that they had done the right thing.

Jane was kind, as usual. She had a few doubts about their decision before they had returned to Longbourn, but had changed her mind over dinner. "Mama and Papa truly love us. They do not realize how their disagreements and mama's...conversation... would appear to others. I could not bear it if she started loose talk around Meryton." Both sisters were silent for a moment. There had been a couple of suitors in Jane Bennet's past. Jane herself had not been in love, but then, she had not had an opportunity. While Jane was still making the acquaintance of the gentlemen, deciding if she liked them enough to consider something more serious, her mother had stepped in. Without ever saying it, Lizzy knew her older sister regretted their mother's interference. Mrs. Bennet, with her crudities and bullying and toadying, had caused the young men to flee in terror. They loved their mother. She did try, but her behavior was getting worse each year. In another family, the man of the house would have put his foot down and made Mrs. Bennet and the younger girls behave. Their father preferred to ignore the women of his family unless they really pleased him (Lizzy and Jane) or really annoyed him. When they annoyed him, he either turned it into nonsense to amuse himself or escaped into his library. At no time had Jane or Elizabeth seen their father actually control their mother. Some of his jokes worked to do so, but not in a fashion that his daughters could admire.

Lizzy curled up on Jane's bed and admired Jane's hair as Jane brushed it. Lizzy heaved a sigh and leaned back. "Lizzy?" said Jane. She was puzzled by Elizabeth's moods.

"I was just thinking Jane. We can do nothing, except try to get our father to rein in Lydia and Kitty. Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy know our direction. They are now friends of our Aunt and Uncle. If we are to see them or hear from them, we must wait for them to initiate it. I can wish it was not so, but there we are!"

"Miss Bingley was very friendly before we left. Perhaps she will write to us."

"I very much doubt it Jane. I suspect we were returned to her favor near the end of the visit simply so she could be politely nasty to us. Perhaps Mr. Bingley constrained her to be pleasant. I would not count on her favor."

"I am not counting on it Lizzy. I simply remarked that she might write. If she and Mrs. Hurst want to continue to be "politely nasty" as you put it, they must have a vehicle."

Lizzy's eyes widened. "Jane Bennet! I cannot believe it of you! You actually realize that Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley actually ENJOY being rotten! Good for you!"

Both sisters started to laugh helplessly. Mrs. Bennet burst into the room to tell them off for behaving in such a manner. "How am I going to get husbands for you if you don't get some beauty sleep! Acting in such a wild manner, Lizzy! Get off that bed and into your own room this minute!"

Elizabeth stood, curtsied to her mother, and said, "I would worry more about Lydia's wild behavior than mine mum. Mine at least is indulged only in private!" She turned and went to her room. After she blew out the candle, Elizabeth waited to the house to become quiet. Finally, it was safe to think about Mr. Darcy! Before she went to sleep, Lizzy replayed their conversations, the looks he had given her, the feel of his arm in hers...

When morning came, Elizabeth decided she really couldn't speak to her father about the disgraceful behavior of her younger sisters. Who was she to give her own father orders? Instead, she and Jane attempted to curb them with a quiet word here, a small comment there.

With such a mother, their attempts were doomed to fail.

The days went by, and the militia settled in to Meryton. The excitement of the militia was nothing to Mrs. Bennet's news one morning, as the family left church.

"Mr. Bennet! Mr. Bennet! Such news!" Mrs. Bennet went on to tell her family that a young man from the north, a SINGLE young man of LARGE FORTUNE had let Netherfield. He was to take possession and was expected to be there by or shortly after Michaelmas. Lizzy joked about it, until her mother turned on her. "It is very possible that Mr. Bingley might fall in love with one of you!" Here Mrs. Bennet looked fondly at Jane.

Jane had turned pale, then pink at the mention of Mr. Bingley. Lizzy knew she had to shield her sister. "I can smell breakfast from here" she said. Immediately Lydia and Kitty started clamoring, describing how hungry they were. Mr. Bennet, sharper than the rest of the family, had noticed Jane and Lizzy's reaction to the name. He decided to find out more about this Mr. Bingley.

Chapter 18

Mrs. Bennet was in a sour mood. Mr. Bingley had been in the neighborhood for 3 whole days, and yet Mr. Bennet continued to insist he would not visit the man! Her delight knew no bounds when, after teasing his wife a little, Mr. Bennet announced that he HAD visited Mr. Bingley. He then retired into his library to save himself the fatigue of Mrs. Bennet's pleasure.

Before he had gone on the visit, Mr. Bennet had sent for his favorite daughter. "Lizzy, I must pay a call upon Mr. Bingley. I do not like to be made a fool of by anyone but my own family. Pray, what is he to Jane?"

Lizzy briefly considered lying to her father, but decided an edited version of the truth would serve them better. "Mr. Bingley is an acquaintance of Uncle Gardiner, papa. He was invited to dinner while we were in London. I think he was becoming fond of Jane. I know she likes him. He is a very pleasant young man. We greatly enjoyed his company." She paused, then rushed out, "Papa. Jane and I knew who he was when mama mentioned him the first time. We decided before we returned to Longbourn to not mention it because mama is so, so, overpowering! Please, papa! You simply must try and control Lydia and Kitty's wild behavior, and keep mama from being vulgar and overbearing to Mr. Bingley. He has two sisters who think very well of themselves. It would be terrible if Jane's closest family became responsible for ruining her chance at happiness."

Lizzy knew she had most likely overstepped the bounds of her relationship with her father. She was too worried about Jane to stop herself.

"Indeed! Such a squeamish youth, that cannot stand a little folly, is not worth a thought my dear Lizzy!" said her father. He fully expected Lizzy to rally and tease him back. He was very surprised at how earnest she was.

"No, papa! I think Mr. Bingley can, and would, stand a LITTLE folly. But mama is too much. Lydia has become simply disgraceful since the militia arrived. Mary WILL perform in public, though she is not equal to it. Father, can you not see how humiliating it is for us? Forgive me, but I must speak plainly. We have no dowry. We are not from a particularly distinguished line. All we have to recommend us is our own charms. What man would ally himself to a family that acts disgracefully? Would we not be branded as adventurers or gold-diggers? This is too important. Please, papa. I know controlling mama is difficult. If you would only do what you could with the younger girls. They can still be molded to become what they should. If you leave it much longer, it will be too late. Lydia will be the most determined flirt that ever made herself - and her family - ridiculous."

Mr. Bennet was torn between being touched and angry. He sometimes regretted his own indulgence in his wife's whims. He knew that he should take more pains with his younger daughters, but it had been so much easier to leave them to their own devices. Now, he recognized the truth in Lizzy's impassioned speech. "My dear. I am sorry that you feel so. They are not so bad, just a little silly."

"But that is it papa! There are plenty of silly girls in society. They are more than silly, they actually behave quite improperly sometimes."

"What, you mean like running away on a public coach with no servant or chaperone, to get away from a suitor?" asked Mr. Bennet.

Lizzy turned scarlet and made an inarticulate noise. Mr. Bennet immediately regretted his flippancy. He had not meant to hurt Lizzy, but he could tell from the look in her eyes that he had. He immediately apologized.

"Lizzy, I'm sorry. That was uncalled for, and only proves what you were trying to say. If I had sent Mr. Collins packing - if I had told your mother that she would get no new gowns until she quit bothering you both about it - you would not have had to leave in such a headlong fashion. Instead, I supported you enough that you could turn him down, but did little to stop Mrs. Bennets' recriminations. I should have, and I'm very sorry."

Elizabeth was surprised by her father admitting his failings. She gave him a hug. "Do not think I am unappreciative of all the care and wisdom you have shared with me. I have never doubted your love."

Mr. Bennet returned the hug. "So, to get back to business. Jane has a young man. You may as well tell me now (as we all know these things are catching) - do you have one of your own?" Lizzy blushed. "Ah hah! Tell all, who is the gentleman? Should I prepare your mother for felicitations?"

"Papa! There is nothing to tell you." was Lizzy's (unconvincing) reply.

"Elizabeth Bennet! I expect the truth from you, young lady!" teased her father. Lizzy decided she would rather have him on her side, so she gave him the basic facts.

"His name is Mr. Darcy, and he is a friend of Mr. Bingley's. He has an estate in the north - Derbyshire I believe. He is tall and well-spoken. I found his conversation interesting." She looked anxiously at her father. "You aren't going to tell mama are you? She will give Jane and me no peace if she knows!"

"When do I tell your mother anything?" Lizzy laughed a little at her father's rejoinder. He continued, "Is this Mr. Darcy likely to accompany his friend to Netherfield?" Elizabeth shook her head in a negative. "Why not? Do you think it is only chance that Mr. Bingley has leased property in this area? Do you know, was it before or after he met Jane?"

Lizzy blushed again. "I'm fairly certain Mr. Bingley leased the property after he met Jane." Her father quirked an eyebrow at her, so she answered the other question "Mr. Darcy said he was going home to his own estate when we left London. I therefore think it unlikely we will see him."

"Too bad." was her father's reply. "I would like to know him."

"Really?" exclaimed Elizabeth. She was surprised. Her father seldom cared to meet strangers.

"Of course. I would enjoy the company of anyone who appreciates my Lizzy!" was the firm reply. He smiled at her. Elizabeth was moved by her father's unexpected support.

"Thank you papa." She smiled at her father one more time, then left the library.

Some time later, Mr. Bennet headed out on his visit. He slipped out quietly, not wanting the rest of the family to know until after the visit.

He arrived at Netherfield and was announced. He was shown into the study where Mr. Bingley was writing letters. Bingley had already been visited by many of the local gentry and had several invitations to accept to decline. The visit, and invitation, he had been hoping for since he arrived had not yet occurred. Still, Bingley made the most of what he had. Sir William Lucas had visited and invited Bingley and his party to an Assembly in Meryton. Bingley was hopeful that he would see Jane Bennet, so he happily replied with an affirmative to the invitation.

When the butler announced Mr. Bennet of Longbourn, Bingley nearly upset his inkpot. He desperately tried to straighten his desk and make himself presentable. Mr. Bennet, Bingley had already heard, was an Original. Calling early was only to be expected of him, since it was so very UNEXPECTED!

Mr. Bennet saw a cheerful young man of about three and twenty. He had fair hair and a pleasant countenance. Bingley hopped out of his seat to welcome his guest. He reminded Mr. Bennet of a good natured, eager puppy. Bingley was clearly a little apprehensive at the meeting but so full of good will that it overcame his nerves.

Mr. Bennet sat down and refused any refreshment. Instead he set a gimlet eye on Mr. Bingley. He stern tones he mentioned that he thought Mr. Bingley was acquainted with his brother in law, Mr. Gardiner of Gracechurch Street, London. Bingley perked up immediately. "Yes, indeed! I have the very great pleasure of knowing Mr. Gardiner and his family. They were very well when I left London earlier this week." Bingley tried to be casual. "I had the good fortune to meet two of your daughters, I believe." Mr. Bennet's reference to the Gardiner's led Bingley to believe that the Bennet sisters had not told their parents much about their trip to London, for which Bingley was very grateful. Unfortunately, the serious mien of his guest led him to believe that Mr. Bennet had somehow taken a dislike to him.

Mr. Bennet affected surprise. "Really? You know my daughters? Which ones?"

Bingley did a poor job of hiding his relief. "Miss Jane Bennet and Miss Elizabeth. I met them in August." Nothing was going to make Bingley elaborate on that particular topic! Instead, he launched into a general conversation on what was currently happening in town. He then moved on to the joys of living in the country and how much he was liking Hertfordshire. Mr. Bennet sat through the spiel and laughed inwardly. It was clear that Mr. Bingley WAS interested in courting Mr. Bennet's approval. As he listened, Mr. Bennet drew several conclusions. Mr. Bingley was clearly a pleasant fellow. He was as good-humored as he looked. He was still somewhat young, but that was all to the good since he also seemed unspoiled by his wealth. He was unself-conscious and reasonably intelligent. Mr. Bennet decided to ease off on the young man. He ended the visit with mentioning the assembly. Bingley informed Mr. Bennet that he had already been invited and intended to go with his sisters and a brother-in-law.

"I hope my friend Darcy and his sister will be here in time. If so, I am going to ask permission to bring them as well." finished Bingley as he saw his guest out.

Mr. Bennet was sized by a sudden urge to pump young Mr. Bingley on "my friend Darcy" but decided that pleasure could wait for another day. He was quite certain that Bingley would return his call on the morrow, if only to get a glimpse of Jane. Ah, the folly of youth! Mr. Bennet was quite diverted....

Continued in Next Section