Chapter 46 Bingley
By the time Bingley arrived on Monday afternoon, Mrs. de Bourgh and Mrs. Bennet looked to any outside observer like they had always been the best of friends.
Mrs. de Bourgh's implacable calm proved a good compliment to the excitable fluttering of her hostess.
They both enjoyed talking of weddings and planning the futures of their children, although Mrs. de Bourgh saw no weddings in her son's immediate future and was happy enough anyway.
Bingley certainly thought their friendship was of long standing from what he saw when he and his sister Caroline presented themselves at Longbourn and were introduced to the ladies presiding over the parlor.
His surprised look was comical when Mrs. Bennet corrected him after he made a comment about how pleasant it was to have old friends on hand for a special event.
"Oh, Mrs. de Bourgh is a new friend, having only arrived here for the first time on Saturday," Mrs. Bennet said happily.
"Mr. Bennet invited some connections of Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam, and I am very glad they came.
Mrs. de Bourgh is the widow of the cousin of Mr. Bennet's late friend Sir Lewis de Bourgh, so we have some connections to them as well. In fact, Sir Lewis was Jane’s godfather.
Mrs. de Bough's son, Sir Phillip, who inherited the title from Sir Lewis, is out walking in the garden with my daughter, Kitty.
My Lizzy and Mr. Darcy are out with them as well, of course. "
The four walkers just named had the chance to enjoy Bingley's look of confused amazement.
They had been walking in the garden as Mrs. Bennet said, but on seeing guests arrive by carriage, had come in through the side door to join the newcomers in the parlor.
They arrived at the doorway just in time.
Miss Bingley, who had not yet decided whether to regard the older women with condescension or contempt and so was exuding a mix of both, shifted to interested attention on learning that Mrs. de Bourgh had a son with a title.
While she had not intended to join her brother on his first foray into running an estate, nor was she particularly interested in meeting the family of her brother's lady love, circumstances beyond her control had made it the most palatable of the options open to her.
Of course, she approved of Miss Mary's connection to Lord and Lady Sheldon, but she considered the Bennets to be country bumpkins of no consequence.
Had Mr. Hurst not been called home to his father's estate in York, she would have stayed in London to continue her pursuit of Mr. Lollard, even though things there were not going quite to her liking either.
Louisa Hurst had invited Miss Bingley to join her on the journey north, but that was out of the question.
Meryton might be a country village of no importance, but it was much closer to London than Scarborough was.
In addition, she thought her brother would soon tire of Miss Mary on seeing her in her home surroundings.
Then he could move on and return to helping Miss Bingley with her own pursuits.
In the back of her mind, Miss Bingley cherished a faint hope that the guest list for the coming nuptials between the eldest Miss Bennet and Sir Barnaby Linton might include some titled, single friends of the groom.
The possibility that there might be titled, single friends of the bride's family had not crossed her mind until this moment.
When the small group entered the room, she discounted Mr. Darcy at once. She had tried to interest him for years and knew it was a losing cause. Her attention was focused, with an intensity that was hard to miss, on the young man she hoped was Sir Phillip.
Darcy had not noticed Miss Bingley's presence in the room in his amusement over the reaction from Bingley after Mrs. Bennet's comment.
After all, Bingley had intended to come alone, so Darcy assumed he was alone.
That meant Darcy's surprised expression was almost as comical when Miss Bingley spoke from her seat off to one side of where he stood.
"Mr. Darcy, may we be favored with an introduction to your companions?"
"Miss Bingley? What are…I mean, of course," Darcy said, recovering himself, although not soon enough to avoid being the target of silent amusement from Lizzy. He proceeded to make the necessary introductions.
In response to Darcy's questioning look and eye roll towards Miss Bingley when the introductions were complete, Bingley explained to the group, "My sister Caroline decided to join me when our older sister, Louisa Hurst, and her husband were unexpectedly called back to Scarborough for a Hurst family affair. "
"I could hardly stay in London alone," Miss Bingley added with a slight huff.
"And the Season was nearly over, after all.
What better way to spend the summer than as hostess at my brother's estate?
" She conveniently ignored the fact that most in the room were perfectly aware Bingley was leasing the estate on a temporary basis.
"Of course, she will defer to Mrs. Damask and Lady Sheldon while they are visiting," Bingley said, earning a nasty look from his sister. "Both of them have the practical experience in household management that Caroline lacks."
"I have been your hostess in London since Father died," Miss Bingley said sharply. "I know how to manage a household."
"I am certain your brother meant no offense," Mrs. Bennet said cheerfully.
"No doubt you have been an excellent hostess at his townhome.
However, acting as mistress of an estate requires a little more effort and knowledge to be a success.
That is the practical experience Mrs. Damask and Lady Sheldon can share with you, and of course I would be happy to help as well.
After all, in town you will never have had to visit tenants or see to their charitable needs or oversee the size of staff needed to make an estate run smoothly.
It can be very challenging until you learn the ways to track and handle the work.
Many women are simply thrown into it when they marry and must learn from their failures.
You have an opportunity to bypass that frustration so you can truly shine after they leave, and you are on your own. "
Miss Bingley felt combined parts of offense that Mrs. Bennet thought she had anything of value to offer and gratitude at the offhand compliment paid to her current skills.
Her tone softened slightly as she said, "Of course I am delighted to have the advice of our noble guests to guide me as I take on this expanded role. "
While Mrs. de Bourgh and Lizzy both raised eyebrows at the delivery of her comment, any frostiness in her tone was completely missed by Mrs. Bennet, who replied, "You will do fine, Miss Bingley.
Any woman who dresses with such elegance must have the necessary eye for details.
That lace on your overskirt is exquisite. You must tell me where you found it."
"Perhaps I should take Mr. Bingley in to meet Mr. Bennet?
" Darcy said quickly, not wanting to be drawn into a discussion of fashion.
Bingley, also recognizing the warning signs, rose from his seat with alacrity.
Before Mrs. Bennet could formulate a response, the two men were out the door, followed closely by Sir Phillip.
"You had better be careful," Bingley quietly warned the younger man as soon as they were out of earshot of the parlor. "My sister will set her cap at you if you provide even the least encouragement now that she knows you have a title."
Sir Phillip raised his hands in an involuntary gesture of protest. "What? No! I am too young to marry yet. Even if I were not, I much prefer Miss Kitty. Oh, no offense meant, Mr. Bingley."
The other two laughed, but all three suddenly jumped as Lizzy, who had left the parlor just behind them said, "Watch where you say such things, Sir Phillip.
If Mama heard even a rumor of such a statement, she would have you and Kitty married, or at least betrothed, before you could blink.
She has already been watching you with interest."
"You will not tell her, will you?" he asked in alarm.
Lizzy shook her head. "Not a word," she said, but then added, only half teasing, "So long as you do not lead my sister to believe you feel more than you do or hurt her by your attention."
"I promise," Sir Phillip said seriously.
"Then your secret is mine," Lizzy confirmed with a smile.
By this time, they were at the study, and Darcy had knocked and received permission to enter.
As they did, he gestured for Lizzy to take first turn at the miniature chessboard.
After Bennet dictated his reply, Lizzy handed the tweezers to Sir Phillip for his turn, confusing Bingley.
His confusion increased as Darcy followed Sir Phillip and then offered the tweezers to Bingley.
"What do I do?" Bingley asked as he automatically accepted them.
"You take the best move you can given the game in play," Darcy said, winking at Bennet from an angle Bingley could not see.
Bingley looked at the board doubtfully, considered for a few moments, then made a move.
"And what did you play, young man?" Bennet asked from his place by the fire. Bingley told him the move. "Very well, please make my response."
Bennet told Bingley his move. Once it was made, Bingley stood, tweezers still in hand, looking utterly baffled. Lizzy took pity on him and gently relieved him of the tweezers, putting them back down as she explained.
"You have just been playing on behalf of the late Mr. George Darcy.
This board belonged to him. In honor of the many games they played together by post, your friend sent it to my father when the elder Mr. Darcy passed on.
My father added the Darcy nameplate and started a tradition that anyone who visits the study can make one move in the game per visit on behalf of his former partner. "