Chapter XIX

T he time for the Bingley family to depart for Hertfordshire arrived, and not a moment too soon. Eager to be in the country, the three members of the little family entered the carriage for the short, four-hour journey to their new estate. While they were all excited, it should be no surprise the reasons for their eagerness depended on their characters and what they expected to find there.

? Louisa Bingley anticipated the coming time in the country, relieved to be leaving the season behind for what she hoped would be a restful time at her brother's new estate. Unfortunate though it was, however, she did not expect to find the rest she hoped, knowing that no one acquainted with Caroline could expect she would release her ambitions long enough to take in the pleasures of life, especially with the mood she had been in of late.

? Many times, Louisa had commiserated with her brother about the youngest member of the family, the relief that Caroline was not prone to tantrums or other such volatile behavior; had she tended to such, Louisa could not imagine how she might have endured her youngest sibling. It was nothing less than fortuitous that she was more inclined to confidence rather than petulance, no matter how misguided such confidence was. Though Caroline had no notion of it—or would not acknowledge it—Louisa was under no illusions about the possibility of Caroline carrying her point and persuading Mr. Darcy to agree that she was the perfect choice for his future wife. Louisa had seen his exaggerated patience or the concealed disgust he betrayed when Caroline pushed herself into his company.

? Caroline would not see it, confident as she was in her success. Charles had told her that Mr. Darcy did not favor her, but Caroline insisted her campaign was proceeding apace. If it was not so very sad, it might be pathetic. That day as they made their way to the north, Caroline again lost no time in complaining about the matter that had consumed her these past days, since Charles had returned from Hertfordshire, in truth.

? "I said this before, Charles," said she, "but I believe it would be for the best if I acted as your hostess while we are in the country."

? "Yes, Caroline," said Charles, displaying nothing of how exhausted he was with the subject, "the subject has arisen frequently since my return from Hertfordshire."

? When he said nothing more, Caroline pressed him. "Is that all you have to say, Charles?"

? "I believe I said all I must," said Charles. "Louisa has more experience. As none of us have ever managed an estate, I believe it best that Louisa remains in control of the house for the moment."

? "As Charles has pointed out," said Louisa before Caroline could press her case again, "I have not managed an estate manor before. I shall count on your support, Caroline, for it will be a learning experience for us both."

? This did not reassure Caroline, however, though only one well acquainted with her would understand her dissatisfaction. With a glance at Louisa that suggested she suspected her of betrayal, Caroline turned to the window to watch the passing houses in discontented silence. A glance between Louisa and Charles displayed their mutual understanding of the reason Caroline wished to act as her brother's mistress in the country. Laughter welling up within her breast, Louisa released her brother's gaze and turned to the window on her side of the carriage. This was another example of Caroline's rising desperation, yet Louisa knew Caroline displaying her supposed expertise would do nothing to incline Mr. Darcy further toward her.

? "Is Mr. Darcy to join us at once?" asked Caroline, turning away from the window.

? "He is not, Caroline," replied Charles.

? When she opened her mouth to protest, Charles hastened to say: "As you know, Darcy is staying with a family in the neighborhood—the Bennets are our neighbors. There is to be an assembly three days after our arrival; Darcy will meet us at the assembly and return to Netherfield Park with us thereafter."

? "Yes, I recall you speaking of this family." Caroline's gaze bored into Charles as if attempting to discover his deepest secrets. "The master of the estate and three daughters as I recall."

? "Three excellent daughters," said Charles.

? If Louisa could see the dreamy expression when Charles spoke of the ladies, she was certain Caroline could as well; given how her lips tightened, Caroline saw some danger in Mr. Darcy staying in a house with so many young ladies. Fortunately, Charles spoke again before Caroline could state her opinion.

? "As I have met them, I can say that they will be excellent neighbors and friends for you both with no hesitation."

? "They will," drawled Caroline, her disbelief unhidden. "Tell me, Charles—are they suitable friends for us?"

? "What you mean by suitable I cannot say," replied Charles. "They are gentlefolk, Caroline, people that Darcy esteems."

? "Can they assist us in society?" was Caroline's blunt question. "Do they maintain a presence in town? Do they possess the wealth and connections to make them appropriate acquaintances?"

? "If that is all one considered, perhaps some of the haughtier members of society might turn up their noses at them." Charles regarded Caroline, his gaze quelling. "I know of no presence in town, and I can say nothing of their wealth, though given the estate is not the equal of Chatsworth or even Netherfield, I cannot suppose they are as wealthy as Darcy.

? "Yet there is one important virtue they can boast, Caroline: Darcy esteems them, as does Miss Darcy. That alone would make them acceptable to me. For the rest, we Bingleys are not high enough in society that we may count them as naught, and I would not do so anyway, because I do not see people that way."

? "To your credit, Charles," said Louisa before Caroline could press her case.

? For her part, Caroline considered Charles for several moments before she replied.

? "Of course, we shall not shun them," said Caroline, choosing her words with care. "Good people are good people regardless of their origins. However, you know we must discriminate in our choice of friends if we are to fulfill our father's wishes, and country people will not assist us in that. We may associate with them in the country, but I do not wish to allow their country manners to influence us."

? "I noted nothing amiss with their manners," replied Charles. "They were as amiable as anyone I have ever met."

? "Yet they cannot be sophisticated; you know that those in town demand a certain something in the behavior of their peers." Caroline smiled at her brother. "I do not doubt they are decent people, and I am not opposed to becoming acquainted with them. I simply do not wish to allow them to distract me from my purpose."

? That purpose included capturing Mr. Darcy by any means necessary, holding herself up as superior, climbing to the heights of society—which their father never wished, despite Caroline's assertions—and returning to London as soon as she could browbeat them into doing what she wished. Again, Caroline was nothing less than transparent, regardless of the pains she took to ensure others saw her as "superior."

? "Now, what can you tell us about them, Charles?" asked Caroline.

? "Hmm... I am certain I have told you all I know," replied Charles. "But I shall offer what I can."

? For some time thereafter Charles amused them with his impressions of the Bennet family, the only residents of the neighborhood he had met while in Hertfordshire. While his description of Mr. Bennet was succinct, and two of the daughters equally so, Charles spoke in more detail of the eldest daughter, and Louisa agreed that she sounded like an angel. A consequence of his obvious approbation, however, was in betraying his incipient interest in Miss Jane Bennet, a significance that Caroline would not appreciate.

? "I shall tell you again, Charles," said Louisa when he fell silent some time after the carriage left London behind. "They sound like a perfectly lovely family. I find myself eager to make their acquaintance."

? Caroline fixed Louisa with an expression filled with exasperation. "Louisa, you are not thinking as you should. Whether or not they are excellent people, the fact remains that their origins and current circumstances are decidedly common. If we are to improve our situation in society, we cannot become friendly with such people."

? "In saying so," said Charles, "you discount our origins, which are decidedly more common than theirs. Remember, Caroline—our ancestors were tradesmen, and some of our family still manage the family business."

? "I forget nothing," snapped Caroline, though Louisa was certain she would have done just about anything to disregard such inconvenient truths. "From what you told us, Mr. Bennet is naught but a parson."

? "A parson risen to the status of a gentleman," rejoined Charles. "In case you forgot, parsons outrank tradesmen on the societal scale. We have nothing of such a background to recommend us."

? Caroline shot a hard glance at Louisa. "If our sister had married Mr. Hurst as she ought, we would have that connection at least."

? "At the risk of repeating myself, Caroline," said Louisa, "the decision was mine and mine alone. Mr. Hurst does possess an estate, though his position is not so high as you might wish. The most salient point is that Mr. Hurst is a bore, and I want more from a marriage than standing and wealth."

? With a disgusted shake of her head, Caroline retorted: "Your sensibilities will end in you being an old maid, Louisa. When you enter that despised estate, then I suspect you will regret the choice you made."

? "It may be as you say, Caroline," replied Louisa, maintaining her calm without difficulty; it had been many months since Louisa had concerned herself with her sister's opinion. "No one among us, as they say, can claim freedom from regret—we all claim a measure of disappointment. I will remind you, however, that I am but five and twenty, and still have time to find a man to suit me. As such, I hope you will forgive me if I claim a better understanding of my character and assert marriage to Mr. Hurst would not have suited me."

? "Then I pity you," said Caroline, a hint of a nasty undertone splashing against Louisa but not hurting her at all. "I do not mean to end in your situation."

? "There is little reason for spite, Caroline," remonstrated Charles. "Louisa is not an old maid. Should she refrain from marrying, I am certain she will be content in her life."

? Caroline shook her head. "Shall I remind you both that Mr. Darcy is staying with a family that boasts three daughters? Though I cannot imagine any such unsuitable ladies turning his head, it may distract him, when I mean his stay with us to witness my crowning achievement."

? Charles regarded Caroline, his earnest manner an imitation of Mr. Darcy rather than his usual jovial state. "Perhaps you do not know Darcy so well as you think, Caroline. Regardless, Darcy has agreed to stay at Netherfield to assist me in managing the estate, not to put himself in a position where he might propose to you."

? Saying so much was tantamount to a declaration that Mr. Darcy had found an agreeable woman among Mr. Bennets' daughters. Louisa regarded him, surprised he said such a thing in front of Caroline, wondering if he had seen something when he visited that led him to suppose an engagement was in the offing. Charles was not a forceful man and Louisa most reticent herself—it was a foundational truth in their family, for it allowed Caroline to think she was in control of them all, despite their disinclination to do as she wished. While Louisa might hope that Charles would say something to Caroline if he had seen something of Mr. Darcy's interest in one of the Bennet ladies, Louisa could not blame him if he refrained. She might do the same herself if she were in his place.

? "That may be what you expect," replied Caroline, clinging to her ambitions, "but that is not what I know will happen. I have seen something in him of late that tells me Mr. Darcy is nearing a proposal. How could he resist? I am everything he could ever want in a wife."

? "Given how Darcy behaves around you," said Charles, a hint of wryness provoking Caroline's frown, "I might assume he is equally likely to propose to Louisa as to you."

? "Mr. Darcy has never so much as looked at me twice," was Louisa's cheerful reply.

? In truth, she was not at all put off by Mr. Darcy's politeness but complete disinterest in her as a potential marriage partner. He was a handsome man, a man any woman would feel fortunate should they provoke his regard, but Louisa knew he did not suit her as a potential husband. Louisa preferred a man who was not so... intimidating as Mr. Darcy.

? The anger with which Caroline regarded them threatened to spill into an argument. Louisa was thus relieved when Caroline's better nature took hold of her, preventing her from venting her spleen. While Caroline could do so with the best of them, her sister possessed restraint.

? "You shall see," muttered Caroline as she turned to the window and looked out on the passing landscape. "You will both see when my triumph is complete."

? Charles darted a glance at Louisa, and she shook her head at him, to which he nodded and fell silent, his attention also turning to the outside of the carriage. There was little point in attempting to contradict Caroline, for she had a singular ability to see what she wished, allowing for no disagreement. Where she had gotten this superciliousness of character and desperation to climb to the heights of society Louisa could not say, for neither of their parents had been ambitious to Caroline's extent.

? Perhaps it was Charles's friendship with Mr. Darcy that provoked her to such dizzying heights of folly. If it was, she would not be the first to espouse unrealistic dreams for a reason so flimsy as that which plagued Caroline. Perhaps this visit would bring about an end to all her pretensions—if it did, perhaps then Louisa would regain the sister she had loved before Caroline had become consumed with wealth and advancement. Louisa could only hope.

? They made good time to the north, and for much of the journey, silence reigned. Not disposed to reading in a carriage, Louisa occupied her time looking out the window, enjoying the greenery resulting from the summer that had now arrived. When they had been traveling for a little less than four hours, they reached a small town near their destination.

? "That is Meryton," said Charles, confirming Louisa's conjecture. "The driver will take the east fork heading north out of town which will lead us to Netherfield."

? "It is not much, is it?" said Caroline. By the tone of her voice, Louisa did not think she meant it as a comment to her siblings, but Charles took it as such.

? "No, it is quite small. Then again, according to Darcy, there are many such towns in every corner of the kingdom. I do not think that Meryton is any more or less than any of them."

? Caroline offered an absent nod. Louisa looked out over the cluster of buildings, noting a few shops among their number. It was not a bustling town, though Louisa could see townsfolk hurrying along on their business, as well as several groups of people better dressed, in the attitude of sharing some sort of gossip or conversation. No doubt the gentlefolk that lived nearby.

? Upon passing through the town, they entered a road as Charles had suggested, wending its way to the north amid fields of sprouting grain and strands of trees. It was perhaps fifteen minutes later when the carriage crested a rise and the manor house that was to be their home appeared before them. It was not a handsome building, rather squat, and built with red brick. But it appeared solid and well-built, a dwelling constructed to protect its inhabitants rather than from any undeserved notion of proclaiming its superiority.

? Grateful to be free of the carriage, the travelers stepped out onto the drive, Charles descending first and offering his hand to Caroline and then Louisa. As Louisa descended, she noted Caroline's eyes roving over the house before them, her manner unreadable.

? "It is not Pemberley, is it?"

? Charles exchanged another glance with Louisa and turned to hide a smile. "Few houses can boast to be the equal of Pemberley, Caroline. If Netherfield Park was one of those, I dare say I could not afford it, even if it was available for lease. Come, sisters, I will show you our new home."

? With that, Charles led them into the house, their new residence. It was strange, but Louisa felt as if this were some significant event, one that presaged changes in their future. Perhaps it was the interest she had seen in Charles for the eldest Bennet daughter. Whatever it might be, Louisa could not shake the feeling, for it rooted within her breast and took hold.

"Is that a letter from Bingley?"

? Darcy looked up from the mess that Bingley called a letter and grinned at his host. "It is, Bennet. Bingley's penmanship is atrocious, but if I am deciphering this correctly, I believe it is his announcement of their arrival to Netherfield Park."

? "Then they kept to their plans," said Bennet with a nod. "It will be good to have a neighbor to the east, for there are a few things I believe I must discuss with young Bingley."

? "I am certain he will be eager to do so when he enters society here."

? "Do you suppose we should pay them a visit?" asked Miss Bennet.

? Darcy noted the look Miss Elizabeth shared with her father. It was the former who responded to her sister.

? "Perhaps it would be best to refrain, Jane. It will take them some time to settle into the house, after all. We would not wish to impose."

? "As it was for us," added Miss Mary.

? "The gentlemen will visit to introduce themselves to Bingley," observed Bennet. He laughed and added: "I cannot but suppose Bingley will find himself very popular in the district at once, being a single man of good fortune. No doubt many of my fellows are eager to introduce their wives and daughters to his acquaintance hoping he will favor one of them. For that matter, the young men of this neighborhood will find his sisters interesting I will warrant."

? "Yet Mr. Darcy escaped much of that notice," said Miss Mary. "Now, why do you suppose that is?"

? "Because everyone could see that he favored Lizzy," said Miss Bennet, much to the mirth of the rest of the company.

? "As a visitor," said Darcy, smiling at the eldest sister, "there was no need for the gentlemen to visit me to introduce themselves as they will to Bingley. Even so, more than a few have tried to recommend themselves to me."

? "As Geraldine Goulding proved when we were at the Robinsons," said Miss Elizabeth, turning her laughing eyes on him. "Tell me, Mr. Darcy—would I gain more of your favor if I were to develop a tick in my eyes, such that I fluttered my eyelashes every time I was in your company?"

? "I had thought her fluttering might induce her to fly!" exclaimed Georgiana, again bringing them all to laughter.

? "Not at all, Miss Elizabeth," replied Darcy in an offhand manner. "I much prefer to see your beautiful eyes than have your eyelashes in the way."

? Darcy might have thought he would embarrass her by saying as much. As it was, however, she did nothing more than watch him, a half-smile tilting her lips.

? "Tell me," said Mary, "does Miss Bingley flutter her lashes?"

? Georgiana hiccupped she was laughing so hard. "That may be why she has failed! How unfortunate that no one ever informed her of the insufficiency of her fluttering!"

? "The matter of Lizzy and Darcy does not concern me," said Bennet. "Darcy is as impervious as a brick wall, and I know Lizzy's mettle; she may withstand anything that Miss Caroline Bingley will try to gain Darcy's attention. In all honesty, I am much more put out by the thought of losing my able assistant. Would you not much rather stay here at Longbourn?"

? "I would prefer it very much," replied Darcy. He offered an exaggerated sigh. "Unfortunately, I promised Bingley my support and shall not renege on that promise. On the day of the assembly, I am afraid I must move to Netherfield."

? "That is unfortunate," replied Bennet. "Then again, considering the speed with which you approach an understanding with Lizzy, I suspect it is not advisable that you continue to live in my house."

? "By the strictest definition of propriety, you may be correct." Darcy grimaced. "That will not make me wish any less to continue as we have, but it is likely for the best."

? Bennet nodded. "Then I shall thank you for all your assistance and wish you a pleasant stay with our neighbors. I will, however, also remind you to remain alert. It may be best to warn your man and ensure he is watchful for anything untoward."

? "In advising me thus," said Darcy, returning a wry smile, "you suppose Snell is not already determined to safeguard my virtue. He is far more vigilant than even I am."

? The rest of dinner they continued to speak in the same sportive way, leading Darcy to reflect on how he would miss the warmth of their regard when he needed to leave for Bingley's estate. Georgiana appeared no less than smug that she had prevailed upon the Bennets to continue to host her; had Darcy not wished to keep her away from Miss Caroline, he might have adhered to the maxim about misery loving company.

? When they gathered after dinner, Darcy sat beside Miss Elizabeth as usual. While it was a circumstance that mirrored many other evenings in the weeks he had been at Longbourn, that evening he had a particular purpose in seeking her company.

? "Tell me, Miss Elizabeth, do you and your sisters enjoy dancing?"

? "As much as any other young lady. It is a subject about which many a lady may wax eloquent with very little provocation."

? "I am just hoping to enjoy myself," said Georgiana. "Thank you, Brother, for allowing me to attend."

? "Not at all, Georgiana," replied Darcy. "You should thank the Bennet ladies, for I could not deny you with so many arrayed against me."

? "At least Mr. Darcy understands his impotence," said Mary sotto voce.

? "Just so long as you confine yourself to Bingley, Bennet, or myself, Georgiana. You are yet only sixteen."

? "Do not concern yourself, Mr. Darcy," said Miss Bennet. "My sisters and I shall also stand up with Georgiana."

? Darcy nodded and turned back to Miss Elizabeth. "It occurs to me that I have not yet secured one of your sets."

? Miss Elizabeth regarded him, diverted. "I had wondered when such a critical matter might cross your mind, Mr. Darcy. Which one shall I reserve for you?"

? "Not one, Miss Bennet," replied Darcy, enjoying their game. "I wish to claim your first set and your last set, if you please. If I could have them all, I would take them, but I would not want to scandalize every lady of the neighborhood."

? "Or Miss Bingley!" exclaimed Georgiana with glee.

? "Very well, Mr. Darcy," said Miss Elizabeth, pleased with his attention. "I shall reserve those sets for you. It is no hardship, for as newcomers, I doubt my sisters and I will be popular partners."

? "On the contrary, Miss Elizabeth, I suspect the men of the neighborhood—unless they have difficulty with their eyesight—will line up to escort you and your sisters to the dance floor. Yet I shall bask knowing that I secured your most important sets."

? With that, Darcy settled into a more desultory, but no less interesting conversation with his lady.