Chapter 7
During his next visit, Mr. Jones confirmed Jane was well on her way to recovery. When he informed Mr. Bingley she would need a few days more to recover before she should travel home, he welcomed the news; his sister did not, unhappy that two rivals remained in the house.
“You must be exaggerating the seriousness! Surely the Bennets could return to that hovel they call an estate without danger,” Miss Bingley spat out.
“Caroline Charlene Bingley!” Bingley remonstrated. “Mr. Jones, I apologise you had to hear that. Please be assured Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth will be treated with every courtesy while they remain as my guests.”
Darcy shook his head. If he had not long known he would never want Caroline Bingley as his wife, her utterance now would have convinced him. She had not a clue what it meant to be a hostess. All she cared for were her own selfish desires.
Miss Bingley saw Mr. Darcy’s disgust and interpreted it as she chose; she thought he agreed with her and found it insupportable the two Bennet chits were not leaving immediately.
As soon as Mr. Jones took his leave, Miss Bingley rounded on her brother. “How could you humiliate me so?” Miss Bingley demanded.
“You did that on your own. From this moment you are no longer my hostess. Obviously, you missed all of the lessons about the role of a hostess at that fancy seminary where mother convinced father to send you,” Bingley decided. “Louisa will fill the role.”
“No! You cannot do that to me. Ask Mr. Darcy. He will agree with what I said.” Miss Bingley looked at Mr. Darcy beseechingly.
“Quite the contrary, Miss Bingley. I have never seen such poor hospitality shown to a guest before,” Darcy contradicted the shrew. “In fact, I would never tolerate that sort of treatment of anyone under my roof.”
Miss Bingley opened her mouth to respond, but no words sprang forth. She turned and ran out of the drawing room; not many minutes later the slamming of her bedchamber door reverberated through the manor house.
“Please accept my apologies for speaking plainly to your sister, Bingley,” Darcy stated. “Our talk the other day did nothing to change her behaviour; I suspected it would not.”
“You have nothing for which to be pardoned, my friend. Her actions arose from our mother’s indulging and spoiling her youngest—instilling the belief that she could gain whatever she wanted just because she desired it,” Bingley explained.
“That sounds much like my aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. She only hears what fits her preconceived notions and believes everyone must bend to her will,” Darcy related.
“It would be most interesting to see the two of them in the same room, would it not?” Bingley grinned, thinking of the clash of wills which would ensue.
“As long as I am far away when it happens, I would not object,” Darcy returned. “It would lead to an explosion of epic proportions,” he clarified.
Bingley found his older sister and informed her she was now his hostess. Louisa Hurst was nervous as she knew her younger sister would not be happy about the change, but her brother assured her she would have his full support.
To recapture their sense of peace, the two friends went for a long ride after Bingley spoke to Mrs. Hurst.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Lady Matlock had interviewed four potential companions for her daughter, and so far, none of them had been a lady her daughter Tiffany would enjoy as a companion. The matter was not urgent, thanks to her niece’s residence along with her own companion.
In the meantime, until her Ladyship found a solution for her daughter, Mrs. Annesley had agreed to look after both her charge, Miss Georgiana Darcy, and Lady Tiffany Fitzwilliam.
Neither girl was troublesome, so it was no hardship for the lady to look after both of them when they were out in society without the countess or Lady Tiffany’s sister, Lady Marie Fitzwilliam, Viscountess Hilldale, who was married to the first-born Fitzwilliam son, Lord Andrew, Viscount Hilldale.
The second son of the Earl and Countess of Matlock, a little more than two years his brother’s junior and co-guardian of Georgiana, was the Honourable Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam.
Richard often accompanied Mrs. Annesley and her charges, as he was on leave from the Dragoons after sustaining a wound—thankfully not serious—while with his regiment on the Peninsula.
Lady Matlock was worried about finding a companion for her daughter, but her most significant concern was for her son, Richard. This time he had taken a bullet through his left thigh, which by some miracle missed the bone in his leg or any major blood vessel.
Lady Matlock had no use for her sister-in-law, Catherine.
That woman allowed selfish avarice to rule her; she would attempt anything to deny Richard his inheritance.
No matter how much Lady Catherine tried to hide the information, it was known within the family that Anne had never started her courses, and even if she had, she was far too weak to perform the duties of a wife—becoming with child would be a death sentence for her.
Elaine Fitzwilliam was a lioness protecting her cub and Lady Catherine was trying to harm him.
As with any lioness, she would never allow that.
The upcoming Easter of 1811 would be a shock to Lady Catherine’s system as she would receive unexpected visitors in addition to William and Richard.
Lady Elaine smiled as she thought about Lady Catherine’s reign of terror over her fiefdom soon coming to an end.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
That evening, after the two Bennet sisters enjoyed trays in their sitting room, Jane Bennet joined the rest of the party in residence for the first time during her stay.
She knew she was well enough to return home on the morrow, but when Elizabeth had raised the issue, Jane told her she still felt weak and it would take another two to three days.
Elizabeth had not been pleased, but she would endure even Mr. Darcy for her beloved sister’s wellbeing.
“Welcome, Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth,” Bingley received the sisters warmly.
Elizabeth smiled as he guided Jane to a sofa near the fire and away from the door. Before Mr. Bingley sat next to her sister, he called a footman over and instructed him to build the fire higher so there would be no chill in the air.
For Jane’s part, she was not happy as the seat her host showed her to was as far from Mr. Darcy as possible. As she could not refuse, she made sure her serene facade was firmly in place.
Darcy did not miss Miss Bennet’s momentary disappointment when she was not seated anywhere near him. He had taken to sitting in a solitary armchair, far from the other seats, that gave him a good view of the room.
While Miss Bingley was still mistress of Netherfield Park, and after Darcy had chosen the same solitary seat each time they entered the drawing room, she ordered the furniture rearranged.
Darcy noticed it, and immediately applied to his friend, who ordered the housekeeper and butler to return the furniture to its original configuration, stating no one was authorised to move Netherfield’s furniture in the future without his approval.
Darcy smiled inwardly, remembering the look on Miss Bingley’s face when she entered the drawing room.
She made for a chair she expected was positioned near Darcy.
However, to her consternation, the seating was exactly as it had always been.
She had started to shriek for the butler, until Bingley had informed her of his orders regarding rearrangement of furniture.
The shrew marched out of the drawing room and up the stairs, thereafter, slamming her door.
Soon the sounds of breaking bric-a-brac could be heard from within Miss Bingley’s chambers.
While thoughts of the thwarting of Miss Bingley’s ridiculous plans were amusing, he was not happy at the look of anger Miss Elizabeth directed at him when she entered behind her sister. She sat as far from him as possible, picked up a book, and never looked in his direction again.
Darcy had not wanted to raise her expectations; obviously he had succeeded in that, but it was never part of his plan to provoke her open dislike.
When he stood to refresh his coffee, before Miss Bingley could attempt to do it for him, he walked past Miss Elizabeth.
He asked what she was reading and was met with stony silence.
‘Good,’ Jane told herself, ‘Lizzy hates him. Any admiration he feels for her will be gone soon.’
A little later, Miss Bingley initiated a discussion about the attributes required for an accomplished woman.
It was a transparent attempt to highlight her abilities versus those of the Bennets—in her mind every requirement she described as necessary for an accomplished woman was something in which she believed she excelled.
Elizabeth fumed when she suspected Mr. Darcy was mocking her.
‘Extensive reading an accomplishment he says, that was a direct slight to me as he knows I like to read,’ Elizabeth told herself.
‘He is one of those men who want a mindless woman without a single original thought of her own. Why does the man stare at me all the time? He must be looking at me to find fault!’
Jane was almost certain Mr. Darcy intended to pay her sister a compliment, but Lizzy was so convinced of his disdain for her that Jane could see Lizzy thought he was insulting her again.
Even though Lizzy obviously hated the man, he still seemed to be attracted to her, so as far as Jane was concerned, she had succeeded in but half of her aim.
Miss Bingley, seeking Mr. Darcy’s attention, stood and started to take a turn about the room. Mr. Darcy still steadfastly refused to look at her. She decided that what Mr. Darcy needed was to see her next to Miss Eliza, then he would see for himself how the hoyden paled in comparison to herself.
“Miss Eliza Bennet, will you not join me in taking a turn around the room?” Miss Bingley asked.