Chapter 4
Breakfast at Netherfield
Darcy was down for breakfast before anyone else the following morning and he felt frustration mounting when the dreaded Miss Bingley appeared in the breakfast room immediately after him.
“Good morning, Mr Darcy.” Miss Bingley smiled, batting her eyelids and irking him. Could the woman ever behave naturally in his presence? Was it too much to ask that she simply treat him with common courtesy rather than fawn over him at every opportunity?
“Good morning,” he said tersely.
“I hope you slept well, sir after that dreadful assembly.”
“Yes, I did, thank you, Miss Bingley.” He focused on his food and hoped in vain that she would do the same.
“I saw you leaving the assembly early and I cannot fault you for that. Charles also mentioned that your mother and sister left even before you.”
“Yes they did.”
“Without you?”
“Yes.”
“What could have caused them such discomfort that they saw the need to flee?”
Darcy winced, “they did not flee. As far as I know they assisted another guest by taking her back to her home in our carriage.”
“How insufferable! What in heaven’s name could have induced a perfect stranger to ask your mother for the use of your carriage? What impertinence?”
At that very moment Lady Anne and Georgiana entered the breakfast room. Lady Anne stopped at the door and looked at her son. He immediately stood up and walked to her giving her a small kiss on her forehead and another on his sister’s.
She had heard the comment from Miss Bingley and even if she had not, she would be able to guess what the woman meant by her dismissive tone of voice.
“Good morning Mother, Georgie,” Darcy said, feeling a little tense, “did you sleep well?”
“Yes, we did.” His mother answered with a clipped tone, “and you son? Did you sleep well?”
Darcy could tell from a mile away that his mother was not pleased with him, but he ignored her bad mood and answered with a smile, “Oh yes, like a baby.” He winked at his sister who looked nervously between the two people whom she loved best on earth.
Miss Bingley moved towards the lady and handed her a cup of tea, “Lady Anne, I have been told that a young local woman asked you for a ride to her home last night… while the assembly was still in full swing.”
Lady Anne simply accepted the cup and nodded, moving past her and sitting at the table.
“I have just told Mr Darcy,” Miss Bingley continued, “that I am astonished that the local gentry are so uncouth.” She then sat back at the table and tried to involve Darcy in the conversation again, “I did hear last night that the Bennet sisters, especially Miss Elizabeth, are considered the jewels of the neighbourhood both in beauty and intelligence. What do you think, Mr Darcy?”
Darcy snorted, “She a beauty? I would as soon call her mother a wit.”
Miss Bingley cackled maliciously.
Lady Anne put her cup down with more clatter than the usual and speared her son with a hard look, “in the same vein, I suppose, as I would as soon call you, my son, a polite young man?”
Darcy looked at his mother sheepishly, “I beg your pardon, Mother. I did not mean to disparage the Miss Bennets.”
Lady Anne raised her elegant brow at her son, “No? You could have fooled me.” She turned nonchalantly to her tea.
“So,” Miss Bingley cleared her throat and looked expectantly at Lady Anne, “what are we going to do today? I am so sorry my lady that we cannot offer you better entertainment in this pitiful county.”
Lady Anne looked at Miss Bingley and smiled as if she would enjoy the topic, “what do you find so abhorrent in Hertfordshire, Miss Bingley?”
“Well,” she looked at Mr Darcy with hope of gaining his support, but he turned his attention to his food, leaving her to face his mother’s wit alone.
Lady Anne smiled again, “I do not know how you are going to survive in Meryton since you hate it so much, Miss Bingley, but Georgiana and I will be visiting the Bennets this afternoon. Do not feel obliged to accompany us.”
“You will?” Darcy looked at his mother, surprised.
“Oh yes,” she patted his hand the way she used to when he was a boy.
“And you William, like Miss Bingley can entertain yourself elsewhere. Georgiana and I are quite comfortable with our efforts to get to know our neighbours better... by ourselves... we do not require your presence... or your approval.”
Darcy flattened his lips and looking rather displeased excused himself and left the breakfast room.
***
Lady Anne was still in her room getting ready for her afternoon visit when a sullen looking Darcy knocked and entered.
“Mother, as much as I hate to agree with Miss Bingley I have to say, in this instance… your interest in the local gentry is somewhat perplexing to me.”
His mother turned her head lazily and staring at him asked, “Why should it be? Mr Bennet has an estate the same size as Mr Buchanan in Derbyshire. The Bennet sisters are just as genteel as Miss Julia and Miss Emma Buchanan.”
He flushed red.
His mother continued nonchalantly, “I do not remember you ever opposing our friendship with them... I mean, before what happened afterwards. In fact I remember a time when Miss Julia Buchanan seemed to be a great favourite of yours.”
“Yes, and look at where that got me.”
“Are you going to paint every genteel country lady with the same brush, William?”
“However,” Darcy said ignoring his mother, “This is very different Mother, we have known the Buchanans since… I have known them all my life and Mr Buchanan was father’s closest friend.”
“So, the difference is just time then. One family we hold... or rather, we held in high esteem because we have known them for several generations and that, of course, makes them acceptable. But other families, the Bennets of Hertfordshire for example, are deemed unworthy, barely tolerable,” she stressed, “because they are a new acquaintance.”
Darcy winced and looked down… ashamed.
“Yes,” his mother’s voice hardened, “you might as well look ashamed, since your behaviour last night was utterly inexcusable.”
His head snapped up, “so she complained to you, did she? Is that why she asked to have you take her home half way through the ball, to whine to you about my conduct? I expected you to be less gullible, Mother.”
“William, if you were twelve years old I would bend you over my knee and smack you thoroughly for your insolence. But since you are a grown man all I can do is lament how I failed as a mother, how bad a job I did raising my only son.”
He gasped.
“Miss Elizabeth never asked me for anything,” she continued, “I offered. Furthermore, she never complained about you or anybody else. I heard about your rude, appalling behaviour towards her through the local gossip, since your voice was loud enough for half the room to hear. You made no effort to control your temper or the volume of your voice, a voice which you put to good use to demean a young lady whose only sin was the unfortunate mistake of choosing a seat behind you.”
He got up from the chair and paced the room, “It was not said with the intention of being overheard by others. Bingley was annoying me, insisting that I dance and so I tried to get rid of him. That is all.”
“That is all? You looked at the lady in the eye and said your despicable words quite loudly, you did not whisper gently, but instead using a firm voice you insulted the lady simply for existing, saying that she was barely tolerable and not handsome enough to tempt you.”
Darcy had the good sense to remain silent as he noticed his mother’s furious stare.
“And to add insult to injury, this morning you abused not only the young lady again but her mother also in the presence of the most contemptible social climber I have ever had the displeasure of knowing.
“I will apologise to the young lady, Mother, if that is what you want.”
“I beg you; please do not apologise simply to appease me. Unless you actually mean it, do not raise the subject with the young lady as she is not an idiot and will be able to tell that you are an arrogant fool who dissembles shamelessly, thereby rendering your word useless.”
“I am sorry if I hurt Miss Bennet, but I did not mean to, it was by no means premeditated.”
“I doubt that very much.” She glared at him, “How would you feel if a young man said such hurtful words about your sister, William?”
Darcy winced, “incensed.” He said simply.
Lady Anne did not reply to this and asked her maid to show her son out so she could complete her toilette.