Chapter 5

"H ow dare Mr. Darcy aim such an insult at my daughter and refuse the introduction?" Priscilla railed indignantly in the coach on the return to Longbourn. "Not only is he rude and arrogant, but blind as well. And how pray tell can he, a visitor in the neighbourhood, give Lizzy consequence? I have half a mind to let him know exactly how I feel about him!"

The quickest way to cause Priscilla Bennet's enmity to be directed at someone was to hurt one of her children or her beloved husband. Her intention was to deliver a pointed set down of Mr. Darcy the first opportunity she had. She and Lizzy had many traits in common, including being quick to anger at times.

"Yes, the man was ill-mannered, but Mama, I promise you I did not take his words to heart," Elizabeth assured her mother. "In fact, the more I think about his words, the more I am convinced they were not aimed at me."

"Explain please, Lizzy," Bennet instructed.

"It in no way excuses his words, but I believe he was upset before Mr. Bingley importuned him to dance more than he desired," Elizabeth explained her thinking, "and he said whatever he could think of to convince his friend to leave him be. It worked, as no sooner had Mr. Darcy uttered the ungentlemanlike words, than Mr. Bingley left him alone and collected me for our set." She turned a smile on her older sister. "At least he was able to recognise Jane's beauty."

"Perhaps you are correct Lizzy," Priscilla acknowledged with much less venom in her tone as she calmed herself.

She was convinced Lizzy had not been injured by Mr. Darcy's uncalled for slight, and that fact alone would cause her to recede from her intention to call the man from Derbyshire to account. Cilla was going to find a way to have the Bingleys and their party evicted from her estate, but calmer heads would prevail, and she would watch and see what would happen going forward.

"You girls all danced a set with Mr. Bingley, what were your opinions?" Bennet enquired.

"A fortune hunter," Elizabeth returned.

"An empty-headed social climber," Mary opined.

"Very immature and an irresolute man who, like Mama's report pointed out, does not see beyond a lady's outward shell," Jane added.

"Did he ask about how the entail affected us?" Bennet questioned.

"He did," all three sisters chorused. They broke into giggles as they all said the same thing at the same time.

"If he pays me attention, then I know it will not be serious," Jane stated. "He thought he was being subtle, but he let on that he must marry with an eye to fortune and social standing. He claimed it was to ensure his youngest sister would make a good match."

"When I mentioned his late father's business, he was not happy I would allude to his ties to trade," Elizabeth shared.

"That is rather hypocritical of him as he does not reject the money which was earned from the carriage works," Bennet pointed out. "We will not spend more time in the company of Mr. Bingley and his party than is absolutely necessary." Bennet changed the subject. "Philips informed me the Derbyshire Militia will be billeting in Meryton. They arrive next month."

"Is that the regiment Lydia's husband commands?" Elizabeth asked.

To make sure his daughter would not be destitute, Philips had purchased his son-in-law, Jackson Forster, the rank of major. Two years past, the Colonel had died in an accident during training and Forster had been promoted and given command of the regiment.

"The very same one," Bennet averred.

"Now that her husband is the Colonel in command, we will never hear the end of how fortunate she was to catch an officer," Priscilla opined. "She is only related to Jane. That being said, unless you want to see her more, Janey, we will make sure we do not spend more than the minimum of time in her company."

In the interior of the coach, which had some illumination thanks to the moon, it was hard to miss the moue of distaste on Jane's face at the prospect of too much time spent with Lydia Forster.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Notwithstanding he had been barely thirteen when his mother was taken to heaven, Darcy could recall the conversation almost word for word. He knew he sometimes forgot the promises he made to her and treated people disdainfully for no good reason. Of one thing he was sure, his mother was looking down from heaven disappointed with him for the vile words he had uttered aimed at an innocent lady that night.

There was no excuse for his words. His desire was to cause Bingley to stop importuning him to dance, not for any other reason. Why did he not just tell his friend that? Bingley was biddable enough he would have backed off. There had been no reason, logical or otherwise, to say what he said about Miss Bennet.

As he sat and stewed about his actions in the coach on the way home, Darcy was distracted by the conversation between Bingley and his younger sister.

"Charles, did you see the coach and four which was waiting in the queue when we boarded our carriage to return to the estate?" Miss Bingley asked.

"No, I cannot say I did," Bingley replied. "Caroline, you must be mistaken. There are none in this area who could afford the type of equipage to which you are referring." He turned to Darcy who was on the rear facing bench next to him. "Did you see the conveyance my sister saw?"

"I did not," Darcy averred succinctly. He chose not to say he was too preoccupied to have noticed.

"You were mistaken. Darcy would have noted the coach if it existed," Bingley claimed. "Hurst is in his cups, so I am sure he did not notice anything. There is no reason to wake him." Bingley told Caroline as she leaned over to wake their brother-in-law. With an audible huff, Miss Bingley sat back against the squabs.

Hurst, who was not in his cups—he only acted that way to avoid Bingley and Miss Bingley at times—had noticed the Bennets' coach, but he chose not to say anything to his brother-in-law knowing how the information would cause him to pay unwanted attention to the Bennets. Keeping his eyes closed, he smiled inwardly, Bingley was so predictable.

With the conversation completed, Darcy thought back on the way the local gentry had received them. He had noticed how almost every family represented at the assembly had attempted to push their eligible daughters forward, as happened to him in London at any event he attended. As he went over the events, he realised there was one family who had not acted in that fashion. As he searched his memories, Darcy realised it was the Bennets who had been a glaring exception to the rest of their neighbours.

It was strange that a family of minor gentry would not be interested in Bingley, or for that matter himself. Other than a hard stare as she passed him after his indecorous words had been spoken, Miss Elizabeth Bennet had paid him no heed and he had not heard his words repeated to anyone else. Quite singular.

Mayhap he should have had the knight introduce him to the Bennets.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

In the two weeks after the assembly ball, Darcy and his hosts had seen the Bennets three times at events held at the houses of some of their neighbours. Rather than answer his questions regarding the enigmatic family, Darcy found he had more.

At each of the soirees Bingley had approached Miss Bennet. She had been unfailingly polite to him, but no more. On the one hand, he knew Bingley was not serious about his attachment given the Bennets' lack of wealth and connections, but he could not explain why Miss Bennet seemed immune to Bingley's charms, especially given his reputed wealth.

When he analysed what he had observed, Darcy decided it was not such a bad thing for Bingley to discover he could not charm any lady on whom he set his sights. As far as he knew, Bingley had never crossed an irrevocable line and taken unwanted liberties with a lady, but at the same time, he did raise expectations he did not intend to honour. That was not gentlemanlike behaviour. Did knowing he owed Bingley much, possibly his life, mean he should excuse his friend's sometimes almost rakish behaviour? Further, Darcy started asking himself if he would accept the same behaviour in another had he not felt indebted as he was to Bingley for saving him from serious harm or worse. It was a quandary, the answer with which Darcy wrestled.

That evening they were on their way to Lucas Lodge; Bingley had received an invitation from the Lucases. As they arrived, Darcy happened to be looking out of the window on his side of the conveyance when he noticed a coach and four being driven away from the entrance of the manor house. It seemed Miss Bingley had not seen things, but he said nothing as he did not want to rehash that discussion between the siblings once again.

He had finally admitted to himself that he was enchanted by Miss Elizabeth. Each time he saw her his attraction to her grew. It had begun shortly after the assembly at a dinner at the Gouldings. It was the night he had finally been introduced to the three Bennet sisters, but still not the parents. He had listened to a conversation she was having with her father and some of the men of their neighbourhood. It was the first time he had discovered just how intelligent and well-read she was. She was anything but a female in the ilk of Miss Bingley and so many daughters of the Ton whose only interests where the weather, fashion, who had more money than who, and gossip. She was not a passive participant in the discussion about various farming methods, but knowledgeable and an active contributor. Darcy had been charmed, not only was she a beautiful lady, but her best attribute was her mind.

The more he observed her at the subsequent events they attended in common, the more fascinated and enthralled he became. Best of all, she never sought out his company or fawned over him in any way. An additional advantage was the behaviour of her family. From her father on down to the youngest daughter, their comportment was exemplary. No vulgar effusions like some in the area, always gracious and what one would expect from well-bred members of the gentry. If he did not know better Darcy would have sworn that they were members of the Ton . However, he had never seen or heard of Bennets from Hertfordshire in polite society.

Invitations had been received from almost every estate surrounding Meryton, and even some farther afield as well, except to date from one family. So far there had been no invitation to the Bennets' estate. That perplexed him even more. Why was that family of an inconsequential country squire with, according to Bingley, an entailed estate with an income around two thousand pounds per annum, not trying to attract wealthy men like himself and Bingley to their daughters?

Although he had been meaning to apologise for his words at the assembly, he was yet to find a good time to do so. Richard was to join him at Netherfield Park in a few days. As his cousin was much better with people than he was, Darcy intended to ask Richard for his advice and how and when to apologise as well as his observations regarding the Bennets. He was not sure he would relate his burgeoning feelings for Miss Elizabeth yet.

After all, he was expected to make a brilliant match, was he not?

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Jane and Elizabeth were standing with Charlotte when they were hailed by Jane's cousin, Lydia. "Jane and Lizzy," Lydia Forster called out way too loudly to be polite. "Come meet my Jackson and some of his officers."

Rather than cut Jane's boisterous, and often vulgar cousin, the two eldest Bennet sisters sighed and with Charlotte, approached their cousin and the three officers standing with her. When Jane looked across the room where her Uncle Philips and Cousin Elias stood, she did not miss the chagrin on their faces thanks to Lydia's loud effusions.

They assumed the one whose arm she was clinging to was Lydia's husband. "Cousin," Jane inclined her head.

"Mrs. Forster," Elizabeth said in greeting.

"Come now Lizzy, we are cousins, you need not be so formal with me," Lydia claimed. She wanted to impress her husband and his officers with her connection to the leading family in the neighbourhood.

"In point of fact, we are not related," Elizabeth responded evenly. "You are a cousin to Jane, but as she was the only child your late aunt birthed before she passed, that makes her your only Bennet cousin.

Mrs. Forster did not like being contradicted, but she remembered how easily Lizzy could confound her verbally, so she kept her peace. "Well, I always felt like we were cousins," Lydia dissembled.

"Would you introduce your husband and his officers to us?" Jane requested.

"Jane, Lizzy, and Charlotte allow me to present my dear husband, Colonel Jackson Forster, his adjutant, Captain Carter, and lastly, Captain Sanderson. Jackson and captains, Miss Jane Bennet, Miss Elizabeth, and Miss Charlotte Lucas, who is the eldest daughter of our hosts," Lydia chirped.

There were bows and curtsies, and without more to say to Lydia, Charlotte, Jane, and Lizzy excused themselves and returned to where they had been standing before they were so rudely summoned.

Elizabeth noticed Mr. Darcy watching her intently as he did at any event they attended in common. At least Mr. Bingley seemed, or so they hoped, to have finally understood Jane had no interest in him, as he had not tried to attach himself to her side as yet that evening. It was the first time he had not since the assembly.

For Darcy's part, he was rather taken aback at what he had heard Miss Elizabeth say in rebuke to the crass officer's wife. Had Bingley and his unmarried sister not insisted the Bennet sisters' mother was the daughter of a solicitor? It seemed that was only true of Miss Bennet. It explained what he had noticed regarding Mrs. Bennet whenever he had seen her. She behaved with decorum and was nothing like what the Bingleys had claimed.

As he ruminated about all of this, he wondered if his insult to Miss Elizabeth was the reason there had been no calls from the Bennet ladies and no invitations to attend an event at Longbourn.

"Come Eliza, you promised to exhibit this evening," Charlotte cajoled.

"You are a very strange creature by way of a friend! Always wanting me to play and sing before anybody and everybody! If my vanity had taken a musical turn, you would have been invaluable. As it is, I would really rather not sit down before those who must be in the habit of hearing the very best performers." Elizabeth's eyes shifted to indicate Mr. Darcy who was listening intently.

"Lizzy, you know very well you play better than most, except mayhap for Mary, and your voice is second to none," Jane challenged, "What happened to my sister who claims her courage always rises when she feels intimidated?"

"Very well, you have hoisted me on my own petard, so I will keep my word." Elizabeth followed Charlotte to the instrument. It was not nearly the quality of the one at Longbourn, but it was in tune and sounded well when played.

Miss Bingley could not understand why everyone, except the officers and the woman with them were in anticipation of Miss Eliza Bennet's performance at the pianoforte. Her question was answered after the first few bars. How was it a young lady from this backwater corner of Hertfordshire played as well as, if not better than Miss Darcy?

After raucous applause at the end of the song, she began to play another and this time her perfect contralto voice rose in song, singing in Italian as well as any native speaker would.

Like Miss Bingley, Darcy was beyond surprised. When he heard Miss Bennet encourage her sister to play and sing, he had thought she had used hyperbole to convince Miss Elizabeth to exhibit. If anything, she had understated her sister's abilities. Anna would love to play and sing as well as Miss Elizabeth did.

No matter how much those present urged an encore, Miss Elizabeth demurred in favour of Miss Mary. Surprisingly, her playing was even better than her older sister's. Her soprano voice, even if it was good, was not in the same class of singing as when Miss Elizabeth had raised her voice in song. If Darcy was confused by what he had heard versus what he noted of the Bennets before, now he was downright confounded. No one performed as the two Bennet sisters had without years of training with music and voice masters.

He heard a comment from his left that Miss Bennet was as talented as her sisters, except she played the harp. Due to the fact the Lucases did not own one, she would not exhibit.

Darcy knew he was losing his heart to Miss Elizabeth, but he needed to speak to Richard first. Would his family accept such a match, and what would it do to Anna's prospects? He had much about which to think.