Chapter 2 #2
“Please wait here,” the butler drawled as he indicated the entrance hall before he closed the door. He made his way up to the first floor to the main drawing room where Mrs Hurst and Miss Bingley were seated. He announced the names of the callers.
“How dare that woman call on us?” Miss Bingley hissed. “Tell them we are not at home to them and will never be here if they have the temerity to call again…no, wait! Billings, send them up.”
After the mistress nodded her head, the butler, whose name was actually Benson, bowed and left to carry out his orders.
“Why are you allowing them to enter the house?” Mrs Hurst enquired.
“I want Miss Bennet to feel my disdain so that she will not darken my doorstep again,” Miss Bingley spat back.
Mrs Hurst said nothing about the fact that the house was, in fact, her husband’s, and her sister was not the owner nor the mistress. Like Charles, Louisa Hurst had long ago learnt that it was far better not to gainsay Caroline.
The butler showed the ladies in and announced them before he withdrew.
“Miss Bennet, why did you not write and tell us you were in the area? I would have written back to tell you how busy we are. As it is, we need to leave in just a few minutes,” Miss Bingley stated emotionlessly.
“But Miss Bingley, I did write; in fact, I posted three letters, the last of them being the one to inform you I would be in London and my direction,” Jane responded.
“I received no such epistles, did I, Louisa?” Miss Bingley prevaricated.
“Indeed not,” Mrs Hurst managed. However, unlike her sister, she was not able to look the two ladies in the eye and dissemble to them.
Maddie knew the two ladies were not being honest, but she was too well-mannered to call them out on their dishonesty. It was harder to see with Miss Bingley but very easy to tell when Mrs Hurst was lying. She would gauge Jane’s reaction before saying anything to her.
“How is your brother?” Jane asked tentatively.
“Charles is much happier now that he is in London, especially as he is much in company with Mr Darcy, and of course, Miss Darcy,” Miss Bingley reported. “I am sure you are aware that at our level of society there are always events to attend.”
“Please inform him that his friends from Meryton send their regards,” Jane requested diffidently.
“I will,” Miss Bingley dissembled and then stood. “As I said, my sister and I must away.” Before the guests could stand, Miss Bingley swept out of the room, her sister trailing behind her.
Mrs Hurst did not think that Caroline needed to be so very rude and dismissive, but as was her wont, she would say nothing to her forceful sister.
Jane stood and followed Aunt Maddie out of the room.
They descended the stairs and were assisted into their outerwear by the butler.
When they thanked him, Maddie did not miss the look of surprise on his face before he quickly schooled his features.
She was not surprised that the women she had just seen did not know how to show their staff and servants respect.
Thankfully, the carriage was ready, as Maddie had told the coachman to remain close to the house.
They had been travelling back towards Gracechurch Street for about five minutes, and Jane had said nothing, so Maddie decided she needed to speak. “Well, Jane, what did you think of the way we were treated?” She asked.
“What do you mean, Aunt Maddie? My friends were very gracious to receive us when they were on their way out to an important event. They still took the time to speak with us,” Jane stated. “I thought they were as they always were, and it confirmed my opinions that they are my good friends.”
As much as she wanted to tell Jane how much she disagreed with the assessment she was making as seen through the filter of her personal philosophy, Maddie held her peace. “And the excuse that none of your letters were received?”
“It was not an excuse; it was the truth. Caroline would never prevaricate. She is too much of a lady for that,” Jane claimed.
The truth was she was shutting out the voice screaming in her head that Lizzy had been correct the whole time, and she had been wrong in her assessment of the sisters.
Jane could not face that at this point. It would mean that all of her long-held beliefs were fallacious, and she was not ready to contemplate the results of owning that.
“You will see, in the next few days, my call will be returned when Mrs Hurst and Miss Bingley are not in a hurry, and they will be as friendly as they have always been.”
In the part of her mind she was ignoring, she had seen the signs of prevarication and had recognised the cold treatment. She just could not, or would not, allow herself to listen to that side of herself which saw the truth.
Ever since that first fight she had witnessed at the age of three between Mama and Papa, she had been protecting herself.
It was just too hard to imagine what her life would be like if she began to make significant changes.
Jane adopted her serene mask, smiled at Aunt Maddie, and sat smiling as the carriage was drawn ever nearer to the Gardiners’ house.
Seeing Jane’s mask firmly in place, Maddie knew it was pointless to try and say anything else.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Gardiner was fighting to maintain his equanimity after his wife told him about the call to Hurst House.
His first inclination was to storm into the Hursts’ house and take the supercilious sisters to task.
As much as he wanted to, Gardiner was aware that he could not do that.
He had always felt protective of his two eldest nieces, almost in the same way he did his own children.
He had calmed himself, thankful for the fact Maddie had waited until he was in his nightshirt before she shared all with him.
“You need to write to Lizzy,” Gardiner opined. “You know Jane will write to her with the version of events as seen through her own eyes. We both know that although she would never prevaricate, the truth she will tell will not be the facts.”
“I agree with you, Edward; I will write in the morning and make sure my letter is posted with Jane’s.”
“If Jane does not begin to see the world as it is, she will be hurt even more than she has already been. Maddie, what are we to do to assist Jane? I hate to see her trust being abused as you described happened earlier today.”
“We will be prepared to assist her when she is ready for it. She will have to be open to it; if we try to force her to see reality, it will do more harm than good.”
“I agree, Maddie.” Gardiner yawned. “Sorry, love, it was a long day.”
After some physical expression of the deep love they shared, each blew out the candle on his or her side of the bed, and as they did every night, fell asleep in one another’s arms.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
On Wednesday, Elizabeth received two letters, one from Jane and the other from Aunt Maddie. She read Jane’s first.
Regardless of Jane’s interpretation of the call at Hurst House, Elizabeth did not think that her sister was seeing things clearly, so she picked up her aunt’s letter, broke the seal, smoothed the paper, and began to read.
24 January 1812
23 Gracechurch Street
London
Lizzy,
How are you, my dear niece? I will not beat about the bush, as I am certain you have read Jane’s letter already.
I am sure you know those two ladies well enough to know that the way Jane needed to see things was not the way it actually was.
Miss Bingley was rude and dismissive and never allowed her sister, who is the mistress of the home, to speak except when she needed one of her lies confirmed. Miss Bingley definitely received all of Jane’s missives and destroyed them.
They did not have another appointment; otherwise, they would not have been home to callers, and she will never tell her brother that Jane called and is in London.
As to Jane’s belief that her ‘friends’ will call back, if they do at all, it will be weeks, not days, as Jane believes.
I worry for her, Lizzy. When the reality of the situation becomes clear, I know not how she will be able to address things; I hope by then you are with her. You always give her strength.
We promise to keep a close eye on Jane, with regards from me, your uncle, and your cousins,
Aunt Maddie
If she had had the wherewithal, Elizabeth would have made for London, stormed into Hurst House, and given the harpies a much-deserved setdown.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Two nights later, as much as he did not want to share a meal with Miss Bingley, Darcy accepted Bingley’s older sister’s—he knew it was from the younger—invitation for dinner.
Just like Mrs Hurst distracted Bingley the last time he and Darcy had been at the Hursts’ house, she did so again.
“That fortune hunter had the temerity to arrive at my house with her tradesman uncle’s wife in tow.
If she thinks I will call back, she is greatly mistaken,” Miss Bingley hissed quietly.
“Your brother must not know, but propriety dictates that you must return the call,” Darcy said softly.
“Well, if I must, I must,” Miss Bingley huffed. It would not be anytime soon.