Chapter Fifteen
Hey! Diddle, Diddle, The Fiddling Tune
Lizzy immediately noticed the change in Lydia.
On the first morning, after the dream, Lydia partook of her breakfast in the school room.
In fact, for the next week, she ate all her meals in the school room with only Mrs. Martin for company.
Kitty had offered to join her, but Lydia said she needed the time for self-reflection.
In Lizzy’s mind, this boded well for Lydia improving her less desirable personality traits.
Not only did Lizzy notice Lydia’s alteration, but others in the family did as well. Jane first observed, a few days later while in Lydia’s company, “Lydia seems quieter. Not as prone to laughing at inappropriate times.” All the sisters had agreed with the observation.
Within a week, Mrs. Bennet observed, “Lydia seems to have matured lately.”
Lizzy quickly agreed with her mother but gave no other response because she did not feel it necessary to mention Lydia might have suffered from a nightmare, which revealed the consequences of Lydia’s actions had Lizzy and Mary not shown up.
Even Penelope Harrington showed signs of improvement concerning her decisions about the proper use of power.
Mr. Harrington shared with Lizzy, when she paid a visit one week after binding Penelope’s magic, that his daughter spoke to him a number of times about how she could use power to help her family and neighbors.
On Lizzy’s second visit, a se’nnight later, Penelope’s ability to use power had begun to return.
Penelope thanked Lizzy for showing her how misuse of magic could cause one to lose their ability completely.
Lizzy did not correct the thought but began to wonder if she might, in some way, more permanently bind a person who continually misused nature's power.
The thought grew, and it became the focus of Lizzy’s experiments for the rest of the summer.
With autumn and harvest came the news that the estate nearest to Longbourn, Netherfield Park, had been let at last, and the new owners would take up residence the week of Michaelmas.
In addition, the annual harvest celebration would be held the second week of October that year.
The harvest that year proved more bountiful than previous years because all those in the neighborhood who had the ability used nature’s power to improve the crops and made sure every field flourished.
So, the increase in crops delayed the harvest assembly by one week.
Lizzy thought it appropriate the new family should move in at the end of a bountiful harvest for it would show them how the fields in their part of Hertfordshire could thrive. This would also allow them to see that profits from the harvest would supersede the previous year’s profits.
Mr. Bennet had already allotted some of the extra money to supplement her daughter’s dowries, and he planned to buy a few extra books with some of the surplus. Moreover, between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, it was agreed Jane, Lizzy, and Mary would each have a new gown made for the upcoming assembly.
As a result of all these factors, the neighborhood, as a whole, was experiencing a higher level of excitement than usual.
Some of the exhilaration was shared one morning when Lady Lucas and her eldest daughter, Charlotte, paid a morning call on the Bennet ladies.
“Have you heard, Mrs. Bennet! Netherfield finally has been let,” Lady Lucas gushed as their butler, Mr. Hill, let the two ladies into the front parlor. “Sir William says he is a single gentleman of five thousand a year. Is that not a fine prospect for our girls?”
Mrs. Bennet chuckled softly before adding, “Indeed, Lady Lucas; however, it is only possible for him to marry one of the girls in the neighborhood. So, maybe the prospect is not as fine as it sounds.”
Lizzy stifled her laugh. Her mother made a similar comment to what her father might have said. Over the years, she noticed how alike her father and mother had become in their sense of humor. The closeness they shared in their marriage was something Lizzy hoped to obtain when she married.
“We can only hope he becomes attracted to one of our daughters,” Lady Lucas replied.
Charlotte Lucas, who was five years Jane’s elder and one of Lizzy’s closest friends, leaned over and whispered, “He will surely choose Jane. What man would not be attracted to her beauty and kindness.”
Lizzy only nodded, for she too agreed of all the ladies in the area Jane was the most beautiful, and she was the most caring, thoughtful, young lady as well. Lizzy always saw her sister as having a radiant soul that reached out and spread cheer into every person she met.
“Do you know if he will be accompanied by any family or friends?” Lizzy asked. Brothers and male friends would always be welcome especially at the assembly since the neighborhood boosted more females than males.
Charlotte looked over at her mother and then quietly replied, “Father heard he would be accompanied by a married sister and her husband, and an unmarried sister who would act as his hostess.”
“Let us just hope they are congenial additions to our community,” Lizzy whispered back. “Do you remember the last gentleman who leased Netherfield?”
“How could I forget,” Charlotte replied.
No one in the neighborhood would remember that family kindly.
“They felt nothing but contempt for what they viewed as low society. Why they ever decided to leave the city is beyond my understanding,” Charlotte added.
“At first, I heard they came because of the health of their youngest child.” Lizzy then covered her mouth as she laughed softly.
“They thought all their children were suffering from delusions because of Netherfield’s brownies.
Butterbell said the brownies would only show themselves to the children, but I suspect they played numerous tricks on the parents.
Mrs. Nash was always complaining about something she found missing from her room.
The poor servants suffered as she always blamed them when items went missing. ”
“Yes, only to have the item show up in her room a day or two later,” Charlotte added.
“On one of mother’s visits, Mrs. Nash made the comment that Meryton society lacked all sophistication and fashion, and that she preferred the countryside around Bath better, but her husband would not locate his family that far from town because of his business. ”
“We can only hope this gentleman and his family will provide better company than that of the Nash family. Although, I will admit, I enjoyed their children. I would often come across them on my walks while they were outside with the nanny playing.”
“Did you see the brownies around them as they played?” Charlotte, although their family home did not house brownies, knew how much brownies enjoyed playing with all children.
“Yes. Five or six would always appear when the children arrived out of doors. The nanny, however, was unable to see them.”
Charlotte looked over at her mother pulling Lizzy’s eyes in the same direction. “Mama is ready to go,” Charlotte said as she stood up. “If I overhear anything else about our new neighbors, I will let you know,” Charlotte whispered.
“And I, if I hear anything,” Lizzy replied in a whisper.
The time between Lizzy first speaking to Charlotte about the new neighbors and the night of the assembly passed swiftly.
With new gowns, even Mary showed excitement about attending the event.
Usually, Mary found it more entertaining to remain at home and read, but this evening, with something new and flattering to wear and the prospect of new neighbors, Mary expressed a desire to attend.
Even Mr. Bennet appeared more animated about attending, but because of meeting his newest neighbor.
Mr. Bennet had met Mr. Bingley, the gentleman who leased Netherfield, two days after he arrived to set the house in order.
In fact, all the landowners in the area paid a brief visit to the gentleman, and in proper neighborly fashion, Mr. Bingley repaid all the visits during the following two days.
Then he returned to London so he could accompany his sisters and brother-in-law to Netherfield.
All the landowners, including Mr. Bennet, shared how congenial they found the young man, exciting the expectations of all the neighborhood mothers even more.
As Lizzy helped both her sisters finalize their appearance, Mary speculated, “I believe this Mr. Bingley will ask Jane for the first dance.”
“We do not know that, Mary. He may find some other lady that he believes is more attractive,” Jane retorted as Lizzy put the last pin in her hair.
“Finished,” Lizzy declared. Then she added, “If he finds anyone more beautiful than you,” she stared at Jane’s reflection in the mirror, “I might need to recommend he look into obtaining glasses.”
Mary and Jane both laughed at Lizzy’s comment.
“Are we ready?” Jane asked, deflecting any more comments about her looks.
Jane often pointed out her greatest hindrance was her so called beautiful looks.
Lizzy often heard Jane saying she wished men looked at her inner self rather than the outer shell.
She often felt sympathy for Jane when she watched men ogling her and then speaking to her as if she had little sense or knowledge.
Lizzy generally interrupted gentlemen like that who tried to monopolize her sister’s time, giving Jane time to escape and find someone else to speak with.
Generally, Jane would seek out Charlotte Lucas because then if a gentleman approached her, he would hear her holding a more intellectual conversation.
As all three girls walked down the stairs to join their parents, Robbie stood at the bottom of the stairs and stared up at his sisters.
Lizzy laughed at his round eyes and open mouth. “Did no one tell you, Robbie, that if you keep your mouth open like that you will catch flies?”