Chapter Four
You must visit the new tenant of Netherfield Park at once,” Mrs. Bennet instructed her husband. “Invite him to the assembly ball.”
Mr. Bennet was on his horse directly, headed to Netherfield Park.
He was admitted by the butler, Mr. Howard, who had been butlering at Netherfield for as long as Mr. Bennet could remember.
Mr. Howard greeted him, and began to lead him to the drawing room.
Before they reached it, though, Mr. Bennet put a hand on Mr. Howard’s arm to stop him.
“Tell me,” Mr. Bennet whispered. “What sort of man is this tenant?”
“Young,” Mr. Howard replied, speaking softly. “Well-looking. Pleasant-mannered. Though I cannot say the same for his sisters.”
Mr. Bennet heaved an enormous sigh of relief.
He had been fearing all sorts of things.
What if this tenant was – well, old? Or had the looks of an ogre?
Or the manners of –Here Mr. Bennet’s imagination failed him.
Lydia had the worst manners of anyone he knew, but no gentleman could be that bad and still merit the title of ‘gentleman’.
But hearing that the man was young, handsome and pleasant made all these machinations a good deal easier. Surely Lizzy could find it in her heart to like such a man well enough to marry him!
In the drawing room, Mr. Howard announced him. “Mr. Bennet of Longbourn.”
Mr. Bennet took a step inside, paused, bowed, and then straightened in time to see his host rise and advance toward him, hand outstretched.
“Mr. Bennet! Welcome! I am Charles Bingley; this is my older sister, Mrs. Hurst; her husband, Mr. Hurst; and my younger sister, Miss Bingley. Mrs. Hurst will be my hostess.” Mr. Bingley was glad he had not succumbed to Caroline’s pleas to serve as hostess; she could not be trusted to be polite to neighbours.
Mr. Bennet took the man’s hand. “Welcome to the neighbourhood, Mr. Bingley.”
The Hursts rose; the gentleman bowed and then laid back on the sofa with a sigh of relief, evidently unaccustomed to this much exercise; his wife curtsied politely and smiled.
The younger sister dropped into the shallowest curtsey Mr. Bennet had ever seen before sinking back down into her chair and looking pointedly away.
“Is the house to your liking, Mr. Bingley?”
“Very much so! It looks as if it has been well cared for.”
“It is unfortunate that one cannot say the same for the library,” Mr. Bennet said, hoping for some sort of reaction from Mr. Bingley.
But the man only shrugged.
Alas, Mr. Bennet thought, he is not a reader, then.
Mrs. Hurst asked, “What can you tell us of the social life here?”
“It is not London, certainly,” Mr. Bennet replied. “But there are card parties, dinner parties, afternoon teas for the ladies, as well as monthly assemblies. In fact, I come today to particularly invite all of you to the next assembly, on the tenth of October.”
Miss Bingley made a big point of yawning and barely covering it. Her brother sent her a reproving look before turning back to Mr. Bennet. “We will all be delighted to attend, of course. Tell me, do you hunt, Mr. Bennet?”
Mr. Bingley’s look of eagerness had Mr. Bennet sighing inside.
A man who said nothing about the state of the library and brought up hunting before all else was not likely to have a good deal in common with his Lizzy, but he did not allow his dismay to show on his face.
“Of course; pheasants, partridges, hare, rabbits. And there is good fishing to be had, as well. If you are a sportsman, you will not lack for exercise.”
“Do you hunt and fish yourself, Mr. Bennet?”
“I enjoy the quiet solitude of fishing more than hunting, though I hunt for the family table, of course. Mrs. Bennet particularly likes pheasant, and our cook has a deft hand with it.”
Mr. Hurst, who Mr. Bennet had thought asleep, now opened his eyes and sat up. “I am fond of pheasant myself.”
Mr. Bennet replied, “Then I will certainly have Mrs. Bennet invite all of you for a pheasant dinner as soon as may be.” He winced when he contemplated the expense of such a dinner, but it would be best to have Mr. Bingley meet Lizzy as soon as possible.
Upon being assured of their ready acceptance of such an invitation, Mr. Bennet took his leave.