Chapter 14

In order to escape Miss Bingley’s cloying attentions to the three eligible men, a riding party to view the estate was organized for the next morning. As the aforementioned lady was the only one who was unable to ride, much to her disgust, she was left to her own devices at the manor house.

While their mounts were being made ready, Hurst approached the three men who he knew were all targets for his sister-in-law’s marriage, social climbing, and fortune hunting aspirations. Making sure Bingley was out of earshot while engaged with the two younger men and Miss Darcy, Hurst addressed the three men. “When we ride will you form a party with my wife and me please?” he requested. “We have some disturbing news to relate to you.”

All three nodded. They could not imagine what the Hursts desired to tell them that, from what they could see, they did not want Bingley to hear. The cousins looked at one another and shrugged. They would hear what it was soon enough.

Once all nine horses were tacked and ready, the two ladies were assisted onto their side-saddles first, then the seven men mounted. Jamey had spoken to his brother and younger cousin before the party departed the stables so Saul and Philip joined Bingley who was leading the ride. After a nod from William, Giana attached herself to the group riding ahead.

As soon as the Hursts were sure there was enough space between them and Bingley, they slowed their horses a little, the three men matched their speed. “As much as it pains me to report this to you, Caroline’s maid told me of a conversation between her mistress and my brother in the coach on the way here,” Mrs. Hurst began.

“Should she not be sacked for breaching her betters’ privacy?” William who was already greatly annoyed with his parents’ note and at Miss Bingley’s machinations combined, asked haughtily.

“Why do you not hear Mrs. Hurst out and make a judgement afterward,” Jamey suggested with a hard edge to his voice. He turned towards the lady in question and his visage softened as he addressed her. “I am sure you would not relate what you are about to unless you have very good reason to do so. Please proceed.”

William did not miss the undisguised rebuke in Jamey’s words. He closed his mouth and with no good cheer decided to listen first. There would be plenty of time to crow about the rectitude of his sentiments afterwards.

“Thank you for your indulgence my Lord,” Mrs. Hurst inclined her head. “My sister told my brother that she would be engaged to one of you before you all depart the estate. Her preference is you and your title Lord Hadlock, by any means—fair or foul. She is prepared to compromise whoever she needs to, so she does not return to London without a fiancé.”

“Surely your brother told her none of us would ever submit to being entrapped into marriage?” Richard responded.

“Bingley has never told her that, Fitzwilliam,” Hurst added. “You know how Bingley hates confrontation, and he knows how his younger sister reacts when told that which she does not desire to hear.”

“If that was all, it would not be so bad,” Mrs. Hurst sighed.

“What could be worse?” William enquired. He understood and endorsed Mrs. Hurst’s recitation and owned that rather than being sacked, the maid should be rewarded. He cogitated about what Mrs. Hurst meant. There was only one thing he could think of and he sincerely hoped it was not what was being spoken of. “Please tell us, Mrs. Hurst.”

“My brother did request that she garner an offer of marriage the honourable way…” Mrs. Hurst started to say. When Richard interjected.

“Is he as delusional as your younger sister?” Richard shook his head. “Please grant me your pardon, Mrs. Hurst. I know he is your brother, but how can he think we would propose to her? We have told him, more than once, as clearly as the English language will allow, that there are no circumstances under which we would ever offer for her, compromise or not!”

“Your words do not give me offence,” Mrs. Hurst assured Richard. “What I was about to reveal was that as much as it pains me to do so, Charles did say he would hope, if it came to that, the one of you who was compromised would do the honourable thing. He will not actively assist her, but as you can tell by his not warning you, neither will he do anything to impede her.”

The three men were shocked into silence for some moments. It was Richard who recovered his ability to speak first. “Between them, they will be ruined and not only that, but for myself, I will break with Bingley if he sits passively by without a word to those who are supposed to be his good friends.”

“The same for me,” William insisted. “I am most grieved about this.”

“That William is why your idea of remaining at the estate rather than attend the local assembly is not a good one,” Jamey stated. “I would wager anything you like that the shrew, sorry Mrs. Hurst, but she is one, will choose to remain with you. Giana has Mrs. Annesley with her and we can post Johns in the hall outside the door for added security if you feel we need it. Who would try anything with him standing there?”

“No need to apologise my Lord, it is nothing Harold and I have not said on more than one occasion,” Mrs. Hurst inclined her head.

“Then I suppose I will attend the infernal assembly,” William agreed peevishly. “What are we to do about Bingley?”

“Give him the benefit of the doubt,” Richard proposed. “If Miss Bingley makes an attempt, we will act according to the way he does. In other words, give him enough rope to hang himself, or act honourably.”

There were nods from the other four. With nothing more to discuss, they sped up and joined the four riders ahead of them. They rode until they reached a fence which was a little higher than one demarking fields on the same estate. “I believe this is the border between Netherfield Park and the neighbouring estate, Longbourn,” Bingley informed the rest. “Before you arrived I had an opportunity to ride with the steward and he indicated this to me.”

The riders had stopped and were looking across the fields of the other estate when they heard a tinkling laugh born on the wind. A few hundred yards beyond the fence two riders, on horses anyone who knew horseflesh could see were thoroughbreds, one possibly an Arabian, were seen racing across the distant field, a very large footman or groom following behind them. They were ladies, one had blonde hair being restrained by her riding hat, the other, dark hair trailing behind her as she was without a hat.

The Netherfield Park residents watched as the two wheeled their horses, and after slowing a little, began to ride in the direction from whence they had come. When William noticed the direction of Richard’s eyes, he suspected the blonde lady was Miss Bennet.

Unlike William, Richard was in great anticipation of the public ball that evening. He could not wait to be able to request a set from Miss Bennet again. Contrary to his Carrington and Rhys-Davies cousins, Richard had not seen the dark haired lady much at all as he was too busy looking at Miss Bennet.

The two Carringtons and one Rhys-Davies believed she looked familiar to them. None of the three verbalised their thoughts as they decided it was a trick of the light and the distance between them.

Soon enough they were reluctantly on their way back to the manor house. As much as there was little appetite to be in Miss Bingley’s company, she could not be avoided forever. It did take quite a long time to reach the stables as those in the lead, Jamey, Richard, and William, had slowed their horses to a walk.

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

Having slowed Venus and Penny to canters allowed the two eldest Bennet sisters to discuss their observations of the large group of riders they had observed across the fence on Netherfield Park’s land.

“It seems what Papa learnt about the size of the party was close to the truth,” Elizabeth noted. There must have been between seven and ten riders, and I did not see any grooms among them.”

“They were too far distant in order to make any of them out,” Jane noted. She thought she recognised one of the men from two years ago. She did, it was indeed Mr. Fitzwilliam. Mr. Wickham’s information had been accurate, he was indeed one of the party. But why had he been staring at her? Not being able to divine a reason, Jane decided to think no more about it.

“If they all attend the assembly then we will be able to see them better,” Elizabeth teased.

“I dare say you have the right of it,” Jane averred.

What would she do now that Mr. Fitzwilliam was in the neighbourhood? By his actions had he not indicated his disinterest in her? Just then Jane admonished herself. ‘Do I not always tell Lizzy she at times bases her decisions on assumptions? Am I not the one who does not?’ Jane thought. ‘If that be the case and Mr. Fitzwilliam approaches me, then surely I owe it to myself to not prejudge the situation!’ She felt self-chastened. All she would be able to do was to act as she always did and see what would be.

Elizabeth was also rather contemplative. She had excellent eyesight and she could swear one of the men looked like a younger version of Papa. She soon dismissed her thought telling herself it was too far to see who he looked like and as far as she knew, other than the ridiculous buffoon of a parson—the one who would arrive in five short days—any family related to the Bennet side of the family, resided at Longbourn.

Lizzy was correct in her assertions; Jane would be able to see the Netherfield Park party from much closer at Meryton’s assembly hall in a few hours. It was unfortunate that Papa had taken a summer cold which would keep him home at Longbourn that evening. Mama knew she was safe from the entail but she still fretted about the health of anyone connected to her family, especially her husband.

Elizabeth was doubly sad her father would miss the assembly as she would have liked to have heard Papa’s impressions of the new members of the local society.

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

Miss Bingley had been frustrated in her designs to impress the three men. However, no matter what, one of them would be engaged to her before they left her brother’s house in this wild backwater.

They had all broken their fasts before she had made her entrance into the empty dining parlour, then they had ridden out on their dangerous, smelly beasts. On their return, she had only seen them briefly for the midday meal. Thereafter they had gone to the billiards room and remained there, except for a brief meal, and then headed to their chambers in order to change for the assembly.

She had been so sure Mr. Darcy would remain at Netherfield Park with that mousy sister of his. Not only that, but she had believed none of the highborn men would attend this ‘local yokels’ ball. As she was having her maid dress her in her newest and most fashionable outfit, she owned her error regarding the night’s entertainment. Except for Miss Darcy, all of the party were attending so she soon forgot her determination to remain at Netherfield Park and keep the men company. Time was no object so Miss Bingley primped and preened as she slowly got ready. She was determined to make an entrance into the drawing room to demonstrate her superiority over all the bumpkins who would be present at this insipid dance.

While Miss Bingley was having her maid change her coiffure and the feather in her turban for the third time, the rest of the party, minus Giana who was in her suite with her companion, were impatiently waiting for Miss Bingley to make an appearance.

Jamey looked to his brother, cousins, and Darcy as they communicated silently. The other four all nodded. “Bingley, we prefer to arrive on time so we will depart in my coach,” Jamey drawled while Philip made his way to the butler to inform him they needed the Carrington conveyance.

Bingley felt the quandary keenly. His younger sister would be furious, subjecting him to a tantrum when she did not find the men waiting to admire her. However, how was he, the son of a tradesman to tell a Viscount he was barred from departing whenever he chose. He felt some drops of sweat run down the back of his neck as he tried to decide what to do. Before Bingley could make the social faux pas of trying to cause the five men to remain in the drawing room to placate his younger sister, Mrs. Hurst put a restraining hand on her brother’s forearm and shook her head. Bingley said nothing as the five men took their leave.

“Louisa, you know how Caroline will…” Bingley began to say before his older sister cut him off.

“Charles, if you do not check her, she will cost you your friendships with your guests. If you cannot see how our sister’s behaviour disgusts them, then you brother dear are as selectively blind as Caroline.” All Mrs. Hurst could do was pray her brother would extrapolate her warning to his silent acquiescence of Caroline’s designs on one of the men. “I will go inform her they have departed. In the meanwhile make sure your carriage is ready to depart.”

The look of relief on her brother’s countenance that he would not have to be the one to break the news to their sister would have been comical had it not been so pathetic. Mrs. Hurst looked to her husband who sat shaking his head at his brother-in-law’s obtuseness.

Louisa Hurst decided there was no use beating around the bush. After climbing the stairs, she pushed her sister’s chamber door opened and entered.

“Louisa, you can help me decide which shade of orange my feathers should be,” Miss Bingley stated when she noted her sister’s presence. “I should be ready to make my appearance in a half hour.”

“In that case, I am sure Charles will admire you, except for Harold and me, no one else is here,” Mrs. Hurst related evenly.

“WHAT!” Miss Bingley screeched at the top of her lungs. “How could you allow them to leave before they had a chance to ad…” Miss Bingley started to rant when her sister interjected.

“Caroline, how many times have you been told none of the men here appreciate your tendency to be fashionably late so you can make an entrance. They find it quite rude as evidenced by the fact they are no longer here. Rather, they are on the way to the assembly hall in Meryton.”

Miss Bingley wavered between expressing her outrage and the fact the men thought her rude. In the end, her desire to be in their company won out. “Let us depart,” she announced.

“Before we go, hear this warning,” Mrs. Hurst blocked the exit from the room. “If you want to be cut by the men, begin discussing what you believe their incomes are, or that of their families. I will not repeat this, but you will suffer the consequences if you ignore what I am telling you.” With that Mrs. Hurst swept out of the suite followed by a none too happy Miss Caroline Bingley.

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

“How are we to be introduced?” Jamey asked. “Without Bingley who has met some of his neighbours we are unknown.”

“Good,” was the succinct reaction from William. “If we are not introduced then we have no need to interact with our social inferiors.”

“William, you can be an arrogant, hypocritical horse’s arse,” Jamey barked. “Tell me something. Are we, or are we not, being hosted in the home of the son of a tradesman? If this market town is like most others in the realm, then we will be surrounded by gentlemen farmers, which need I remind you is what you are, and their wives, and offspring!”

Before he refuted what Hadlock said, William felt the burn of anger and closed his mouth. His conscience told him he should feel shame, but he obstinately ignored the voice of reason.

“I will be able to introduce us to someone who will then be able to do so to her neighbours…” Richard explained how he knew Miss Bennet. He gave William, who rolled his eyes, a pointed look which froze any comments, which he was about to make, in his craw. “And if I do not see her, Wickham works as the clerk of the local solicitor, so we will be introduced either way.”

“That will solve our problem,” Jamey agreed.

‘As long as she is not too angry with me and does not cut me,’ Richard thought hoping it would not be so. Then he thought back to the character of the lady he had met two years previously and admitted it was not the way she would behave. She may be distant, but he was certain she would be polite. If she wanted nothing to do with him, he would rely on Wickham to effect the introductions.