Chapter 7
London
The events of the Netherfield ball quickly faded into the collective memory of Meryton.
It had been a welcome diversion from the monotony of country life, but soon went unremarked upon—especially once it became clear that Mr. Bingley would not be returning.
In fact, his absence, and that of his entire party, was seen as exceedingly discourteous: none had bothered to bid farewell to anyone in the neighbourhood.
This incivility stood in sharp contrast to Colonel Fitzwilliam, who took up residence at the manor house for three weeks after the ball.
Though not as handsome as Mr. Bingley, the Colonel’s manners and presence were altogether those of a true gentleman.
He quickly became a sought-after guest at dinners and soirées, and his stories of service in the Peninsula so inspired the local young men that, much to their mothers’ dismay, many began to consider a military career in earnest. Indeed, Will Goulding, armed with a letter of recommendation from the Colonel, had already set off for the Kent coast, where he joined the Rifle Corps as a lieutenant, training at the army camp in Shorncliffe.
Elizabeth, for her part, could not help but worry that Mr. Bingley might never return, despite having assured Jane that he surely would.
As the weeks wore on, it became increasingly apparent that his sisters had prevailed; the amusements of London and their influence had proved stronger than his attachment to Miss Bennet.
“Have you heard any news of Mr. Bingley?” Elizabeth asked Colonel Fitzwilliam one evening at the Lucases’.
She and the Colonel had developed an easy rapport after their journey down the Great North Road, and she felt it within the bounds of propriety to discuss Bingley, though he was, strictly speaking, the friend of the Colonel’s cousin, Mr. Darcy.
“I am aware of Bingley’s conduct while he was here,” the Colonel replied. “Though we are not close, I know him through Darcy. That he should show such marked attention to your sister, Miss Bennet, and then leave without so much as a farewell is quite unpardonable.”
“Miss Bingley hinted, in a note to Jane, that Mr. Bingley was courting your ward, Miss Darcy,” said Elizabeth. “It pained me that I could not tell my sister just how false that claim was. All I could do was reassure her that Miss Bingley was being dishonest.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam’s expression darkened.
“What is this? So Georgiana, having already endured the shame of a thwarted elopement, is now to be painted as a flirt or a jilt, should such a rumour circulate in society? Thank you, Miss Elizabeth. I shall inform Darcy at once—any contact with the Bingleys, and Bingley’s visits to Darcy House, must cease immediately.
Even if Bingley himself is innocent of his sister’s scheming, it does not matter; Georgiana’s reputation is at stake. ”
* * *
“Darcy, is that Georgiana on the piano-forte? The tune seems bright enough—I had thought she would be playing something melancholy.” Colonel Fitzwilliam entered the study at Darcy House in London and threw himself onto a chair by the fire.
“She is much improved in spirit,” said Darcy, laying aside a letter from his land agent in Pemberley. “Her companion, Mrs. Annesley, is a marvel.”
“I trust this time, she was properly vetted?”
“Of course. I did not advertise, but sought the advice of Mrs. Gardiner, whose direction you had forwarded to me. With the utmost discretion, the lady approached several agencies and produced a shortlist of three candidates. I had the pleasure of her company during the interviews. There was little to choose between the ladies, but Mrs. Annesley is the widow of a former judge-advocate from Upper Canada. Though she has a pension, she prefers, as she put it, to be useful.”
“To confess the truth, Darcy, I scarcely anticipated you would act upon the introduction. The address, after all, was Gracechurch Street, near Cheapside.” The Colonel gave a light laugh. “I hardly imagined I should find you in such a neighbourhood.”
“So, Colonel Fitzwilliam is now above the Lord Mayor of London,” rejoined Darcy.
“The Gardiners live in an elegant town house, in a secluded court near to Lombard Street, not so far from the Mansion House. Indeed, they are very fashionable people—I would invite them to my table. Yes! Now that you are returned to Town, I might just do that. You would enjoy Mr. Gardiner’s company, for he does much trade with Portugal. ”
“I shall look forward to it. But now, I wish to see Georgiana. When last in her company, at Baldock, her eyes were rimmed red and she could not stop trembling.”
“Let her play a little while longer without us disturbing her,” said Darcy. “Then we shall take nuncheon with her and Mrs. Annesley, a most genteel and agreeable woman.”
Darcy hesitated. “I must thank you for alerting me to Miss Bingley’s hints of an attachment between Bingley and Georgiana.
My comprehension of women’s subtleties is sorely lacking, for I had not observed the attentions Miss Bingley bestowed on my sister.
Their visits were frequent; I had imagined his sisters had come out of true fondness for Georgiana.
But she is so young—and after suffering the humiliation of Wickham’s false professions, she may be all the more vulnerable to kindness and flattery. ”
“On reflection, if you were to cut off the acquaintance, it might draw more notice and only distress Georgiana further. I would suggest removing her from London for a time. Pemberley? though exile to the country might feel like punishment, depriving her of all society.”
“Yes, she must leave London, but to what destination?” Darcy agreed.
“A sojourn by the sea might do her good—Brighton, perhaps. I am to be stationed there for several months; I could accompany you both, and you would have the advantage of my company as well as a wholesome change of air for Georgiana.”
* * *
The militia had left Meryton for Brighton, and though Elizabeth felt all the pleasure of not having to be embarrassed by Kitty’s and Lydia’s flirting when they visited town, she admitted that society had lost much of its enjoyment.
They were reduced to the neighbourhood’s four and twenty families, and the want of diversion, which had been provided in part by the Netherfield party and the pleasant conversation of the officers, was sorely missed.
The misery of Kitty and Lydia was extreme, and they could not comprehend the indifference displayed by Jane and Elizabeth.
The former, who still felt an attachment to Bingley, held herself in check lest she repine at his absence too much; though Mrs. Bennet would continue to say almost every day that he had used Jane extremely ill.
Elizabeth, meanwhile, found herself equally torn between relief at the quieter days and a restlessness she could not fully explain.
There were walks to be taken, letters to write, and the household to attend to, but these duties offered only partial distraction.
She missed Charlotte’s company—for Mr. Collins had indeed proposed, been accepted, and the happy couple had returned to the rectory at Hunsford.
Mrs. Bennet’s lamentations over Bingley were now matched by her complaints of the dullness of the neighbourhood.
She enumerated, with growing exasperation, the deficiencies of every local family for want of better company.
Even Mr. Bennet, usually content with his books and solitude, seemed to notice the increased monotony and was observed to sigh more frequently over his newspaper; though, more likely, he was reacting to the lamentations resounding perpetually throughout Longbourn manor.
As for Lydia, her mind was wholly fixed on Brighton, and she began, from the very morning of the regiment’s departure, to lay schemes for joining them there.
Kitty, though not as bold as her younger sister, was easily led and professed herself quite miserable at the thought of being left behind.
Their constant plotting and whispered consultations were a source of both amusement and vexation to the rest of the household, and Elizabeth, observing her mother’s blind encouragement, felt a new anxiety for her family’s future.
The storm broke when Lydia received an invitation from Harriet, the wife of the Colonel Forster, to attend her in Brighton, for she declared she so much missed Lydia’s company that she could not bear to live another day without her companionship.
Lydia was ecstatic, while Kitty was peeved, as she felt, being the older, that she should go to Brighton rather than her sister.
With some anxiety Elizabeth addressed Mr. Bennet as to the inadvisability of allowing Lydia to go.
That Mrs. Forster was barely older than Lydia, and certainly could not act as a suitable chaperone—that the temptations for Lydia in Brighton must be greater than at home. He heard her attentively, then asked,
“Tell me, Lizzie, I do trust your instincts. Is there anything you can tell me that would make me reconsider her going?”
“Sir, you know that I have little knowledge of our family’s future, that my gift does not extend to my sisters, nor to yourself or Mrs. Bennet.
But there is something that I cannot grasp, perhaps not a great wrong, more like a cloud that gathers on the horizon.
Whether it bespeaks rain, or merely a passing shower, that I cannot tell. ”
Mr. Bennet laughed. “Can you see me deny Lydia’s pleasure, or your mother’s expectations, merely because of a little rain? Surely, we have weathered more discomfort here at Longbourn. We survived the militia, and, I daresay, Lydia will likewise survive Brighton.”
“Excuse me, father,” said Elizabeth passionately.
“Lydia has exuberant spirits; currently she is a determined flirt, without any attraction beyond youth and boldness. Jane and I have tried to guide her, but our mother appears ignorant that both Lydia and Kitty are vain, idle, and often uncontrolled. Indeed, on more than one occasion, I have been forced to apologise or defend their behaviour. And that is in our own neighbourhood, where our neighbours take little offence at their improprieties.”
“Do not make yourself uneasy, dearest. I had considered the points you raise and approached Colonel Forster, who is a sensible man, to keep Lydia out of real mischief. He is aware his wife is but young. Then he made a suggestion I should consider. It appears that the neighbourhood’s respect for you and Jane, and yourself in particular, had come to his notice.
He suggested that it would be a great benefit if you could accompany Lydia and Mrs. Forster to Brighton. ”
“Me? Why ever should I wish to do that? Surely you did not suggest that I act as a companion to Mrs. Forster, though I daresay it would be to her favour?”
“Not at all, Lizzie. It would be to accompany her as a friend, and also as the sister of Lydia. You may not realise it, but Meryton has become too dependent on your presence. Each day, you see to the cottagers and tenants, not just those of Longbourn, but of the other estates as well. You also visit the families of those in trade—the baker, butcher, blacksmith. I could name them all. Often, I see them waiting for you to make their decisions for them; though I know yours is an ability to guide, rather than proclaim the future. No, Lizzie, it is time they saw a future without your presence in Meryton. They cannot repine, for the town has grown prosperous—indeed, their investments can only grow in value. There is little need for your intervention—and if a child should fall from a tree, or a cow become lost in the woods, let them sort it themselves.”
With this, Elizabeth was forced to be content; but she knew he was right, that it was time to let the neighbourhood take responsibility for their own families, their own futures. Though she did not relish the prospect, she would accompany Lydia to Brighton.
“I do not see why Lizzie should go to Brighton,” Kitty protested. “She’s not even a friend of Mrs. Forster—why, I’ve hardly seen them speak. I have just as much right to go, if not more, since I’m nearer her age.”
“Well, my dear,” Mr. Bennet said gently.
“It was not Mrs. Forster who requested Lizzie to attend her; Colonel Forster, aware that his wife was full young, preferred an older lady to accompany them. His duties will take him away for much of the time, and Lizzie, though not a companion, has agreed to act as chaperone for both Mrs. Forster and Lydia. It may be unusual for a married woman to need such oversight, but Colonel Forster understands the importance of propriety. Lizzie is nearly of age, and I trust her sense more than that of a young woman barely out of the schoolroom, married or not.”
Lydia was rather put out that her elder sister would accompany her, for she had wished to escape the constraints she knew Elizabeth would impose upon her behaviour. Moreover, Mr. Bennet had declared that after Colonel Forster, Lydia was to obey Elizabeth’s instructions as though they were his own.
“But what fun is that,” she complained, but the risk of remaining at home, and the allure of Brighton, were sufficient to rein in her complaints, and she began to plan how she would enjoy society in Brighton without so much as a thought of Lizzie’s censure.
She was sure that once Elizabeth had tasted the delights of a town filled with officers, she, her sister, would rapidly come to the same opinion as Lydia herself: that there could be no better way to pass the summer than dancing and promenading with the handsomest of young men, and, perchance, to attract the attention of the Regent himself.
* * *