From Longbourn to Pemberley - Autumn 1810 Page 2

‘Yes, perhaps that is the case,’ her neighbour admitted with some hesitation; she had two nieces of marrying age. ‘But I rightly observed to my husband that a young man so well-to-do could profess to choose from the young women at the assembly and…’

  ‘I beg your pardon? You believe that his reaction was only directed at Lizzy! My dear Mrs. Long, allow me to inform you that my instinct does not betray me. This Mr. Darcy is indeed the most unsympathetic character I have ever met… and I strongly advised my daughter to keep a good distance between herself and this despicable gentleman, who, in fact, is probably not a gentleman at all!’

  And it was apparent, over the course of the evening, that Mrs. Bennet was right; Mr. Darcy only deigned to dance two times, and only with the sisters of his friend. By contrast, one had the opportunity to see Miss Thorpe wearing a triumphant smile when she danced with Charles Bingley who, faced with the barely subtle advances of the young woman, felt obliged to ask her to dance. But she became disenchanted when, a few dances later, the young man bowed a second time before Jane Bennet, who accepted his invitation with much grace. Mrs. Bennet, however, exhibited much less grace when she pointed out that her Jane appeared to be the most popular of the evening when it came to the preference shown by the charming tenant of Netherfield Park. And while one would have liked to vigorously contradict her on this point, there was nobody who was able to do so, so obvious it was to everyone present that Mr. Bingley clearly admired the oldest of the Bennet girls.

  *****

  Lydia and Kitty called on their Aunt Philips around mid-morning. They entered, jostling each other to throw themselves into the arms of Catherine Morland, who had arrived the day before for a sojourn of two weeks. They spent a good quarter of an hour laughing and exchanging news. And then, because the weather was nice, the young women decided to go for a walk through Meryton. Because Mrs. Philips had asked them to stop by the haberdashery to pick up the ribbon that she had ordered, they made this task their first. They then wandered haphazardly through the narrow streets, finally stopping to sit on a low rock wall set back from the main street, where they could talk freely, without worrying about being overheard.

  ‘Oh Catherine, how I would have loved it had you been at the assembly last week!’ exclaimed Lydia, piquing the young woman’s curiosity.

  ‘I would have liked to have been there too, but James had not yet returned from Aunt Philips’ and it was out of the question that I come alone, so I had to wait.’

  ‘We know why James did not come to fetch you as quickly as you would have liked,’ Kitty whispered into her ear.

  ‘You absolutely must tell me, Kitty Bennet, if you truly value our friendship!’ exclaimed Catherine, pretending to threaten her.

  ‘Well, Lydia, should we tell her what we saw?’

  ‘Of course! Besides, that is why we hastened to see you this morning.’

  ‘I beg you, be kind, don’t make me wait! Tell me what you saw!’

  ‘It is good that you are seated,’ Kitty forewarned her, her tone conspiring. ‘It’s about James, we are almost certain that he is falling in love.’

  ‘Unless he isn’t already at this hour!’ Lydia burst out to her friend, whose face wore a look of astonishment.

  ‘My brother, in love… Come now, this is a mistake… you must have misinterpreted his feelings,’ Catherine said, her voice faltering.

  But no! James, she learned, seemed to be fully smitten with Miss Isabelle Thorpe, from whom he had not been able to tear his eyes for a good portion of the evening, finally having the distinct honour of dancing with her.

  ‘Miss Thorpe! But then… That must be the sister of John Thorpe, a classmate of James.’

  ‘Indeed, Mr. Thorpe came to visit your brother at Aunt Philips’, and his sister, whom James had never met, accompanied him,’ Lydia concluded, triumphantly. ‘I must admit that I found Miss Thorpe elegant and very self-confident. I even said to Kitty that I would love to look like her!’

  ‘Truly? I can hardly believe that everything that you told me occurred! You know James, he is rather reserved, so you can imagine my surprise.’

  Kitty and Lydia burst out laughing before continuing with their exhaustive description of every detail, gaze and gesture of the people duly concerned.

  ‘Oh! I must also tell you, Catherine, that the new tenant of Netherfield Park was also at the ball. His name is Mr. Bingley.’

  ‘He has two sisters,’ Lydia continued, ‘one of whom is married. I must confess that they are ‘ladies from the city who do not wish to mingle too much with country folk’, you know what I wish to say, don’t you?’

  ‘Yes, I can very well imagine what that means. But their brother does not seem to be the same type of person.’

  ‘Indeed, he is a pleasant young man, and… we believe that he was charmed by our sister Jane.’

  ‘Your sister! The gentle and charming Miss Bennet is, in my opinion, utterly worthy of such admiration. My word! So much has occurred in a week.’

  ‘However, we should finish our account of this evening with a less pleasant fact…,’ began Kitty.

  ‘But no,’ her sister interjected, ‘you forget that Lizzy laughed when we mentioned it again.’

  It is indeed true that Elizabeth had responded to her mother in a tone that she wished to be nonchalant when the latter mentioned to her husband how little regard Mr. Darcy had shown to her second oldest daughter. Mr. Bennet, who was not accustomed to seeing his favourite daughter scorned, declared this Mr. Darcy to be the last man in the world to whom any attention should be granted. Because after all, what interest could he have if he had not immediately appreciated the qualities exhibited by his Lizzy?

  ‘It appears that this gentleman is extremely rich,’ Kitty acknowledged. ‘He is said to have a magnificent estate in Derbyshire. But that is of little importance to us; he is haughty and not very pleasant, so we would be most happy to leave him to Miss Bingley who, it appears, seems to be extremely interested in him.’

  ‘But what about you, Catherine, do you not have any news to share?’

  ‘Nothing quite so exciting, I must admit. You know how it is to be the eldest daughter in a large family… I love them all, but I must admit that I am quite happy to leave them for two weeks. Thus, when I return to Fullerton, I will be more inclined to take care of them, as I will have missed them. However, I must tell you that yes, indeed, I do have real news to share with you!’

  ‘Catherine, don’t keep us in suspense!’ Lydia exclaimed, grasping the young woman’s hand.

  ‘Well, here it is. I shall be spending several weeks in Bath!’

  ‘In Bath!? What a surprise! Catherine, how wonderful. All the same, are you not going with the entire family?’

  ‘No, neighbours, friends of my parents, are taking me there. Mr. Allen has been suffering ill health and has decided to settle in Bath as soon as winter is over. As I get along famously with his wife, he asked me to accompany them, in order to make their sojourn there easier.’

  ‘Bath! Oh, how I should love to go there! But it is not our father who would take us there,’ commented the youngest of the Bennets, a hint of bitterness in her voice.

  ‘Come, Lydia, let us not spoil Catherine’s joy. We also will probably have some novelty in our lives. Who knows? You, the one who has always been dreaming of going to London, perhaps you will find yourself there in the coming year!’

  ‘Come Kitty, do not utter such foolishness, you know full well that not much happens between Meryton and Longbourn.’

  ‘Let us call a truce and end this discussion,’ Catherine interjected spiritedly. ‘Come, I see Maria Lucas in the company of her sister, Charlotte. It has been an eternity since I have seen them. Let us go say hello!’

  Chapter II

  In which Anne Elliot comes

  to the realisation that

  that which one sees cannot

  always be explained because

  one believes or vice versa…

  ‘My dear Eliza, I am happy t
hat you were able to accept my invitation!’ exclaimed Caroline Bingley, extending a warm welcome to Miss Elliot, who was a few years older than she and one of her study companions.

  ‘Caroline, it is so gracious of you to have thought of inviting me, it has been almost nine months since we have seen one another.’

  ‘But the pleasure is mine. Imagine that Charles has decided to rent an estate in this forgotten corner of Hertfordshire and we dearly miss real company,’ declared Miss Bingley, a hint of boredom in her voice.

  Then, turning towards her second guest, she quickly changed her tone.

  ‘Oh, Miss Anne, how are you? It is so nice of you to have accompanied your sister all the way here.’

  ‘Thank you, Miss Bingley. When I heard that the residence was in the country, I accepted your invitation with enthusiasm. Mrs. Hurst, I believe we already had the pleasure of meeting two years ago.’

  ‘Indeed, Miss Anne. Mr. Hurst has family in the region of Wessex, not far from your Kellynch Hall estate. We were on our honeymoon when we stopped in your beautiful part of the country.’

  ‘Louisa, we persist in talking and talking, but our guests have a long journey behind them. Let us give them an opportunity to retire to their rooms to freshen up. We will have all the time in the world to share our tales a bit later.’

  Miss Bingley and her sister had been educated in one of the best seminaries. Of course, they did not claim to have been educated at the “Ladies Eton” run by the Misses Stevenson in London’s Queen’s Square, but…implications are so quickly interpreted. Furthermore, they each had a dowry of twenty thousand pounds, insinuating that they could spend freely without counting their pennies, and frequent high society. They were born into a family that resided in the north of England, a fact that they recollected more readily than the fact that their fortune was made in trade. It is for this reason that the company of the two Elliot sisters, daughters of a baronet of Somerset, was even more gladly received.

  ‘If only you had seen these young country women dancing to the discordant sounds of a little village orchestra, my dear Eliza, you would have, as was the case for Louisa and me, felt rather discouraged! I must attest that the evening was very much unlike an evening at Almack’s.’

  ‘But despite that,’ interrupted Louisa Hurst, on seeing her brother enter the small parlour where tea was to be served, ‘we attended to oblige Charles, and isn’t that what counts, after all?’

  ‘What do you mean, to oblige me? Louisa, you danced for a good part of the evening and you met some very pleasant people there.’

  And then, turning to his guests, Bingley continued, in an affable tone, ‘I would like to welcome you to my new place of residence. I hope that the comments made by my sisters will not prejudice you, because I must admit that I found the evening charming.’

  ‘A charming evening… Come, Charles, be honest, what you wish to say is that you found one of the young ladies extremely charming,’ resumed Caroline Bingley.

  ‘Mr. Bingley, I am happy to see you again. Please allow me to present my youngest sister, Anne. As she very much likes the countryside, she accepted my request to be accompanied.’

  ‘I am delighted, Mr. Bingley, to make your acquaintance. Please know that it is a pleasure to sojourn in Hertfordshire,’ Anne Elliot said sweetly, accepting the cup of tea that Mrs. Hurst held out to her.

  ‘And so, Miss Anne, you love the outdoors, unlike my city-dwelling sisters,’ he acknowledged, happily. ‘I do not know how I will manage to make them appreciate the joy of a life that is simpler than that of the city. Fortunately, my friend Darcy, who shall be joining us shortly, is an amateur enthusiast of the great outdoors, and…’

  ‘Charles, you seem to have forgotten that Mr. Darcy was not among the most enthusiastic during the Meryton ball,’ chided Miss Bingley.

  ‘I have not had the honour of meeting Mr. Darcy, but Caroline has spoken highly of him on several occasions.’

  ‘You shall soon meet him, Miss Elliot. I must admit that my sister is somewhat correct with respect to the evening. Indeed, I do not always understand Darcy; several charming young ladies were present, and he could have danced the entire evening, as I also did.’

  ‘You are making a mockery of nothing; you should not be surprised that people, shall we say… somewhat more cognizant of their status, may have found the evening rather trying,’ commented Miss Bingley, in a knowing tone that confirmed that she fully concurred with the eldest of the Elliot sisters.

  ‘Ah, there you are, Darcy! Please help me. My sisters are criticising everything: my choice of Netherfield, the ball in Meryton, the people in the neighbourhood… I could go on.’

  ‘Mr. Darcy, allow me to present my dear friend, Miss Elizabeth Elliot, and her sister, Miss Anne. They shall both be spending some time with us. Do you not agree that they are most welcome and that they will undeniably elevate the quality of our neighbourhood?’ asked Caroline Bingley in a mocking tone, while looking at her brother.

  ‘Miss Elliot, Miss Anne, I am delighted to make your acquaintance. I hope that you will have as much pleasure as I do in discovering the beauties of Hertfordshire.’

  ‘I most certainly hope so, Mr. Darcy, because I truly love the outdoors,’ admitted Anne Elliot, giving him a smile. ‘Incidentally, I believe that come tomorrow, I shall explore the surroundings on foot.’

  ‘Come, Anne, perhaps Mr. Darcy was not thinking about that type of beauty,’ retorted Miss Elliot, hoping that her comment, which she wished to be witty in nature, had reached its target.

  She did not see the acerbic look directed her way by her friend, Caroline Bingley. The latter interjected before Mr. Darcy was able to explain himself.

  ‘In speaking of beauty, Charles will assure you that there is no one more charming than Miss Bennet, with whom he danced twice. But what about her sister, Elizabeth, who is named Lizzy by those close to her? Were you not, Mr. Darcy, at a certain moment in the evening, in close proximity to this young lady?’

  ‘I was not close to her, Miss Bingley, she was simply sitting close to where I was and was conversing with a young woman, Miss Thorpe, who, gracious me, did not wish to go unnoticed… If I may express myself thus,’ he replied, maliciously, instantly rebuffing a very insistent Miss Bingley from a subject which he had the least desire to discuss.

  ‘Eliza, did you hear that? Mr. Darcy noticed Isabella Thorpe. It must be said that it was rather difficult to ignore her; her lack of education was obvious,’ clarified Caroline Bingley, in a tone that she hoped was more detached. ‘Imagine, her brother dared ask me to join him in an Allemande, but I feigned to be suffering from excessive heat and I quickly distanced myself from him.’

  ‘You will not have to meet her, Miss Elliot. When we go to Lucas Lodge tomorrow evening, this brazen young woman will not be there,’ concluded Mrs. Hurst.

  ‘I beg your pardon, Caroline, will we finally be going to visit the Lucas family?! I am delighted, truly delighted,’ exclaimed Bingley, turning towards her.

  ‘I had refused the invitation, explaining to Lady Lucas that we had visitors. She has therefore graciously extended the invitation to include you, Eliza, and you, Miss Anne. Sir Lucas seemed very pleased to be able to welcome such well-born ladies to his home. Therefore, how can we refuse them? Aren’t country people so charming!’ Miss Bingley noted, with sarcasm.

  ‘Indeed,’ replied Anne Elliot, not noticing the sarcasm in her interlocutor’s voice. ‘That is most obliging on their part.’

  ‘And you, Mr. Darcy,’ inquired Louisa Hurst, stealing a complicit glance at her sister, ‘will you join us on our adventure to Lucas Lodge?

  ‘But most certainly, Mrs. Hurst, what I wouldn’t do to accompany the ladies here on their country excursions.’

  This comment did not particularly please Caroline Bingley, who wondered, with some apprehension, whence came the sudden interest Mr. Darcy was showing for “country excursions”. But she then convinced herself that a gentleman such as he assuredly made it hi
s duty to accompany them or, of course, to accompany her. Finding this thought comforting, she was able to continue in her role as gracious hostess.

  *****

  Anne Elliot was tying the ribbons of her hat when her sister burst into her room. She was surprised to see her ready to leave so early in the morning.

  ‘Anne, what are you doing? Are you not coming to join our hosts in the dining room?’

  ‘I don’t think so, Eliza, as I’ve already eaten and have decided to get some fresh air. The morning promises to be splendid.’

  ‘But what will Caroline and Louisa think?’

  ‘They will remember that yesterday, I mentioned the fact that I would go for a walk, and…’

  ‘But you are not familiar with the area, you might get lost!’

  ‘Come now, Eliza, I’m no longer a child. I asked the butler to suggest a nice path that is easy to follow. I’ll walk a mile or two and then I’ll return the way I came, does that suit you?’

  Anne did not take the time to listen to her sister’s reply. She gave her a smile and dashed towards a service stairway that came out close to the path that she was looking forward to exploring, far from the gossiping that had somewhat exasperated her the day before. No matter how much she told herself that Eliza was her sister, she could not help but find her haughty and pompous, just like her friend, Miss Bingley. Forgetting the disparaging comments made by the fairer sex of Netherfield Park, she left the gravel roadway and headed onto the small path that was bathed in the sun’s golden light. The leaves sparkled with droplets of dew, as though nature had transformed the landscape into crystal, which greatly pleased the young woman, who drew deep breaths before attacking a small slope and disappearing from the sight of anyone who might have thought to look in that direction. But it was not in this direction that Charles Bingley and his friend Darcy were headed. In fact, they were not far from a hill that was on the estate, and they were inspecting the fences as well as the state of the surrounding land, taking mental note of what needed to be repaired, changed or better drained. They then finished their walk by stopping in on three farmers, in order to consult them on the most viable and efficient way to execute this work.