Chapter 10
Longbourn welcomed officers from the militia, including Mr. Wickham. Mrs. Bennet fed them well while they openly flirted with Lydia and Kitty—a disappointing display that would lead to no good.
When Elizabeth passed Mrs. Hammond’s and Mr. Darcy’s warning to her father, he met her with outright disinterest. “Your sisters are too poor to be an object of prey to anybody. The officers will find women such as you and Jane better worth their notice. Lydia, Kitty, and even Mary need to be taught their own insignificance. At any rate, they cannot grow many degrees worse without forcing me to lock them up for the rest of their lives. I simply could not bear them pounding on my door or screeching twenty-four hours each day if I was made to discipline Lydia, Kitty, Mary, or their mother. I would have no peace.”
Finally, she understood that her father, contented with laughing at them, would never exert himself to restrain the wild giddiness of his youngest daughters, and her mother, with manners so far from proper, was entirely insensible to the danger of flirting with grown men.
Elizabeth and Jane frequently endeavored to check the imprudence of Kitty and Lydia; but while their mother indulged the two youngest Bennets, what chance could there be of improvement? Kitty, wholly under Lydia”s guidance, had been affronted by their advice, and Lydia, self-willed and careless, would scarcely listen. The two youngest often acted foolishly. On other occasions, like their mother, they could be completely rational. When it came to the possibility of marrying, they were entirely senseless. While there was an officer in Meryton, they would tease and tempt him. With Meryton an easy distance of the militia encampment, they forever walked in that direction in hopes of happening upon the officers, if the officers were not already at Longbourn.
Lydia and Kitty’s flirting with impunity empowered them, making them bolder in their pursuit of a suitor.
Mary continued pounding at the keys of the pianoforte as if the louder she played, the more she would be praised for her efforts. It was a sad display of a heart convinced of its own merit, which would lead to nothing but forgiving nods from their friends and ridicule from the Bingley sisters and perhaps Mr. Darcy.
Into this turmoil arrived the heir to Longbourn. Mr. William Collins was a pompous, narrow-minded, silly man who held the living at Hunsford Parsonage under his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, in Kent. He was a tall, heavy-looking clergyman of twenty-five. His air was grave and stately, and his manners were formal. By the end of the first hour, Elizabeth thought him to be the most ridiculous person she had ever met.
On the day of his arrival, he announced that his primary purpose in coming was to examine his future home. His secondary reason was to find a wife amongst his cousins as the eventual mistress of his property.
Of all the stupid comments to make in front of a mother whose sole purpose in life is to marry off her girls. From that second on, Elizabeth wore a target for Cupid’s arrows being shot by Mr. Collins with Francine Bennet’s encouragement.
These occurrences served to remind Jane and Elizabeth of the fragility of their reputations. If something untoward happened to one Bennet girl, they were all affected. The outrageous conduct of the youngest would rob Jane and Elizabeth of the ability to make a match with someone of excellent character whom they could hold in affection and respect. Instead, they would be forced to accept anyone who offered their hand, whether they were kind or not.
Late that night, Elizabeth and Jane discussed the situation.
“Although we promised each other that we would only marry a man we hold in deep respect and admiration, I cannot believe this is now a wise choice.”
“Whatever do you mean, Lizzy?”
“Our situation is rendered desperate by our father’s lack of concern and our conniving mother. If we do nothing to promote ourselves or protect ourselves, we could be wed to a ridiculous man like Father’s cousin. Imagine being subservient to him for the rest of your life? He is a fool. There would be no possibility of growing close, of ever being able to hold our heads up. Instead, we would feel only shame.”
“Lizzy! Are you suggesting…well, I am not certain what you are suggesting.”
“We need to be on our best behavior. Please encourage Mr. Bingley while I will be overtly friendly with any man of worth.”
“Encourage Mr. Bingley? Do you mean that I should pretend to be more interested than I am? I do not know if I could, Lizzy.” Jane blushed in mortification.
“No, I am only suggesting that you display the measure of affection you already have for him. Do not hide your feelings, Jane. It will serve no purpose if you do not let him see your willingness to be his bride.”
Jane gulped. “Very well. I see your wisdom in this, Lizzy. I will do this. I will.”
Clasping her sister’s hand, Elizabeth was equally horrified but determined.
The day of the ball, Longbourn was in an uproar. Lydia insisted that she should be the first to bathe since she was the daughter most likely to gain a husband. Kitty, as was her wont, demanded to go second. In an unusual act of defiance, Mary took a stand against her two youngest sisters, attempting and failing to explain that since she was older and would be demonstrating her prowess at the pianoforte during the entertainment portion of the evening, she should be perfectly groomed. In providing a musical break from the monotony of dancing, hers was an important task, so it was she who should bathe first.
Lydia scoffed. “Tell the truth, Mary. You are hoping our father’s cousin will ask you to dance. What a pair you would make—Mr. Collins will probably stomp on your toes, and you will trip everyone else in the set. When was the last time you danced? Do you even know the steps?”
Kitty added, “Mr. Collins can barely cross the floor without walking into something. Imagine him trying to move to music. I will certainly not stand up with him. If he asks, I will send him to you, Mary.”
Mary’s hands shot to her hips. “You should not speak about a man of God in that way. He has a most important occupation, seeing to the spiritual health of his parish. If he is clumsy, he must be distracted by his responsibilities.”
Lydia retorted, “He is too busy appraising our belongings for what they might be worth once he inherits Longbourn. I hate the entail, and I hate you, Mary. You and Lizzy will remain spinsters who will be in the hedgerows once Papa dies since no man with eyesight would want either of you. Even Jane, with her great beauty, has not attracted nearly as much attention as I have. Why, at almost twenty-three, she is already a spinster. I would die of embarrassment not to be married by her age.” Lydia pushed Mary to the side as she hurried to the bath. Kitty followed.
“Judge not, that ye be not judged, Lydia Bennet,” Mary spat through clenched teeth.
Elizabeth hurried to her side. “Do not give heed to her childish display. Our mother spoils her, and Kitty follows where Lydia leads.”
“They are headed for trouble,” Mary said as her body eased. “I will go to the music room where I can avoid Mr. Collins and practice my performance.”
“You do not want to stand up with him?” Elizabeth asked, perplexed at Mary’s defense of Mr. Collins.
“Not in your lifetime, Lizzy. You and the others may gain attention on the dance floor. I shall gain it with my talent.” At that proclamation, her chin rose unbecomingly.
When had Mary become so haughty? How had she never noticed?
Once alone with Jane, Elizabeth observed how Lydia’s words affected her sister. Jane stood, her spine erect, facing the window. One arm was across her waist. The other was stiffly at her side.
“Lydia’s words were as sharp as a two-edged sword. She is thoughtless and unkind. She speaks in ignorance,” Elizabeth offered, hoping to soften the blow while not allowing the hurt she felt in her own heart to simmer. She would recall every word said against her in the lonely hours after the ball was over when she sat at the window and reflected on how this important event might or might not affect her future.
“Everything Lydia said about me being a spinster is the truth,” Jane whispered, breaking Elizabeth’s heart a little while increasing her fury against her thoughtless sisters.
It was time to act. “I have a plan, but I need your support.” Elizabeth closed the door, allowing them privacy.
Jane spun around, giving Elizabeth her full attention.
Elizabeth took her hand. “If you explain to Mama that you would like to arrive at the ball early to stand next to Mr. Bingley in the receiving line, Mama will insist that Mary and I accompany you. I will not say a word should you suggest that Mr. Collins join us since I am quick enough to avoid him in a crowd.”
Jane’s furrowed brow began to smooth. “Yes, go on.”
“If four of us go first, our gowns will not wrinkle like they would if we all tried to squeeze into our carriage. Do share that fact with Mama, I beg you.”
“Very well.”
“The coup de grace will be reminding Mama that those of elevated rank always arrive late to social events. Being escorted on Papa’s arm along with her favorite daughter and Lydia’s shadow will draw everyone’s attention to them as the premier family in Hertfordshire.” When the ghost of a smile finally appeared on her sister’s face, Elizabeth finished with, “By the time the carriage returns for them, we will not be in their way as they preen before the entrance hall mirror here at Longbourn before departing for the ball. They will be the diamonds that will sparkle and shine rather than be rumpled and ruined.”
Jane grabbed Elizabeth’s hands. “You are brilliant. Yes, I can do this. I will do this. With the exception of Mr. Collins and even Mary, we will be dignified on our arrival, making our own first impression without the influence of others.”
“Why, Jane, I believe that is the harshest I have ever heard you speak of anyone else. Well done!”
As the valetput the finishing touches on Darcy’s cravat, Bingley burst into the room.
“I believe Caroline will faint when she sees how well turned out you are. Are you preening for someone in particular, Darcy? I’ve never seen a waistcoat woven with that shade of dark green shot with silver before. Where did you find that fabric? I have no doubt that Miss Bennet would—”
Smoothing the surface of the garment, Darcy shook his head. “You shall need to ask my tailor for he selects what I wear. I cannot be bothered.”
Bingley smirked. “Who is the lady, my friend? I need to hear her name from your own lips. Admit it!” He waved his hand. “Oh, do not bother denying it, for I took an inordinately long time trying to decide between my red velvet waistcoat and this gold silk in hopes of impressing Miss Bennet. If you were not trying to stand out, then you would not care how you looked. Nor would you be readying yourself to appear before the music begins.” He began pacing the room. “Shall I guess?”
“This is not a game, Bingley.”
His friend chuckled. “You are dressed to impress, my friend. And I sincerely doubt your efforts are for my sister, though she would be ecstatic should you turn even the slightest bit of interest her way. No, I suspect that your heart has been touched by someone else entirely.”
Darcy snapped to attention. “Of whom are you speaking?” His chest pounded as he strove to gain control of himself. If anyone had a clue that Elizabeth Bennet made inroads into his heart, the consequences would be devastating since it meant that he had been incautious. To raise expectations of a lady he would not pursue was not the action of a gentleman.
He would be especially negligent by showing interest in a woman should his brother attend the ball. Wickham! Darcy wanted to grouse but refrained from displaying a sour expression that Bingley, with his rosy outlook, would never understand.
In the Darcy family, not showing emotion was instilled at birth. Rules were expected to be followed without explanation. Perfection in all things was the goal. Control was exerted by placing extreme restrictions on one’s diet, activities, spending, and interactions with others.
Darcy dismissed Parker. With a final glance at his mirror, he strolled past Bingley to the door. “You do not need to guess, Bingley, for it should be as obvious as the nose on your face.”
“It is not Miss Elizabeth of that I am certain.”
Darcy paused, horrified that he could not stop himself from reacting. If only Bingley knew. Determined that he would not give anything else away, he kept walking.
“Did Miss Goulding catch your eye? Or one of the Long girls? What are their names? Miss Sally and Miss Sarah?” Bingley guessed. “It is really too bad that it is not Miss Elizabeth since she is Miss Bennet’s favorite sister. They will always want to be close to each other. I could purchase an estate in Derbyshire, and we could be neighbors. After all, Miss Elizabeth is a worthy woman who is a gentleman’s daughter, and you are a gentleman. In this, you would be equal.”
Although he wanted to, Darcy again refused to show any reaction. Why was Bingley continuing to mention her? Was his friend more observant than Darcy had supposed? Or was he fishing for something to discuss with Miss Bennet as they danced? If so, then Bingley was truly hopeless.
Bingley added, “You know, Darcy, I have been thinking. I saw the way you looked at Miss Elizabeth, and it is not with anger, as Hurst suggested. Although my first inclination was that you were enemies, upon further reflection on your time together, I believe that she has you tied up in strings. Oh, not that you are romantically inclined, of course, but I do think her wit is equal to yours. What an anomaly to discover someone as quick as you here in Hertfordshire.”
Darcy stopped in the middle of the landing before descending the stairs to the main floor, where Bingley and his sister would be greeting new arrivals. “Although you are correct that Miss Elizabeth is a gentleman’s daughter, and she is a wit, you need to work on your observation skills. Your guess could not be more wrong.”
At the arch of Bingley’s brow, Darcy shot his cuffs as he stepped down the grand staircase leading to the hall.
Bingley stopped alongside him. “We could be brothers if we wed the two eldest Bennets.”
Measuring his breath, he stopped himself from inhaling sharply. Loosening his jaw, neck muscles, and hands, Darcy replied, “Do as you are inclined with any lady of your choosing. I shall be fully engaged and entertained by mine.”
Darcy wanted to laugh when the color leached from Bingley’s face. “Good lord! You have not given in to Caroline’s desperation to be the new mistress of Pemberley, have you? Perhaps the course of wisdom is for me to kidnap you and carry you north to your estate to get you away from her grasping fingers.” He grabbed Darcy’s arm, tugging him backward. Talking rapidly, he whispered over the sound of the gathering crowd, “Let’s go now, Darcy. It is not too late. She will never make you happy because there is not enough money in the Bank of England to buy the elegance that she lacks. She will use her wiles to keep you under her control, or she will badger you until you finally give in, living as a shell of the man you are. No, Darcy! Stop this foolish course now, I beg you.”
It was about time! Not until that moment did Darcy know for certain that Bingley was not in a fog when it came to the negative attitudes and actions of others, especially his unmarried sister.
Letting him simmer in his own confusion for a bit, Darcy finally said, “I thank you for your concern. However, if you look closely, your sister is wearing bright red this evening. The lady I intend to spend time with has a soft rose gown with a darker ribbon and lace trim. She has just entered the room. If you would excuse me.”
Without looking back, Darcy strode down the stairs, his eyes not moving away from the two ladies moving through the reception line, for it was not Mrs. Hammond alone. She was accompanied by none other than Miss Elizabeth, a beautiful sight in her ivory gown with a green and silver ribbon, the perfect match for his custom-made waistcoat.
He wanted to grin like a fool. If she accepted his offer to dance, they would look good standing opposite one another.
“Welcome to Netherfield Park, Mrs. Hammond. Miss Elizabeth.”