Follies and Nonsense

by Martin Hunnicutt

“Really, Mr. Hurst?” Caroline challenged. “In country society, I suppose they must allow the natural child to mingle with good society and of course they accept fallen women back into their homes. They have to have every pair of hands to mind the mending, feed the chickens and help with the laundry.”

  Finally finding his voice, Charles Bingley admonished his sister, “Caroline, you are repeating cruel and unfounded gossip! Miss Bennet explained that her sister’s young husband was killed in service to His Majesty!”

  “But I am certain there is something unknown here!” Miss Bingley retorted. “Why else would there be any question?”

  Disgusted with Caroline’s gossip, Darcy rose and said the briefest goodnights without saying more. Shortly thereafter, Mr. and Mrs. Hurst said goodnight.

  ++**++

  “I suppose we should retire as well,” Caroline said.

  “Wait, Caroline. I would speak to you.” Charles rose and filled a small glass with brandy.

  “Really, Charles? Tonight?” Caroline sneered. “Can you not wait until morning?”

  Charles turned to his sister, “I am concerned that you chased Mr. Darcy around the hall this evening. It was obvious to many of the guests that you have your cap set for the man.”

  “And, what of it? This is not London where anyone of consequence was in attendance.”

  “And that dress… where did it come from?”

  “Am I to be dressed in old rags here in the country?” Caroline demanded.

  “No but after the last bill from your dressmaker, I would think you owned enough gowns to wear three different ones every day for a month.”

  “Charles, we have had this conversation before.” She sighed excessively. “As long as I am your hostess, you must maintain my wardrobe and allow me to entertain as I believe we must to establish the Bingley name.”

  “No longer; I have decided that you must live on your allowance – there will be no more raids on my purse for new gowns or trips to Bath.” The young woman frowned and her countenance grew dark as her brother reminded her of the passage of time. “This is your third season and you must accept a suitor before you are on the shelf permanently.”

  Now the young woman stood and stalked about the room. “What do you mean? Mr. Darcy will make me an offer… before Christmas if you will keep him here that long.”

  “Darcy will not make an offer for you, Caroline. I have spoken to him and he is not courting you. I am certain you noticed that he did not ask you to dance a single time tonight.”

  “You are wrong! He will make me an offer and I will not delay the marriage longer than the time it takes to purchase a special license to become Mrs. Darcy.”

  “He is not going…”

  “He will! He told me last time I visited Georgiana that he looked forward to his visit here in the country. Why else would he be here?”

  Charles shook his head, “Caroline, Mr. Darcy is here to help me with the estate. He came with me in August and we did not tell you.”

  “You did not tell me! I could have been Mrs. Darcy by now if I had come with you in August! He would have…”

  “Good night Caroline,” Charles said leaving his sister behind.

  Miss Bingley remained in the parlour for almost a half hour after her brother left and her thoughts were dark. A woman of some intelligence, Caroline Bingley had absorbed her society’s dictates that a woman must marry well for her standing came only from her husband’s position. However, she failed to understand that social standing was never an indication of happiness or respect.

  ++**++

  Chapter 12.

  The Ladies Discuss the Assembly

  Within a short distance from Longbourn – only three miles – lived the Lucas family with whom the Bennet family was close. Mr. Bennet and Sir William Lucas had known each other since childhood. Sir William made a tolerable fortune in trade and rose to the honour of knighthood by an address to the king while he was mayor of Meryton. Once knighted, he sold his business and house in Meryton and moved his family to a small estate that was renamed Lucas Lodge. He purchased additional farms and now had an estate that was almost the size of Longbourn.

  Lady Lucas was a very good woman and a valuable neighbour to Mrs. Bennet. Among the Lucas children, the eldest was a sensible, intelligent young woman, who was Elizabeth's intimate friend during her youth and loyal correspondent during the years she lived apart from her family. The morning after the assembly, Lady Lucas and her two daughters walked to Longbourn to speak and share information while they sewed.

  “I understand that you began the evening well, Charlotte,” said Mrs. Bennet. “You were Mr. Bingley's first choice.”

  “Yes; but he seemed to like his second better,” admitted Charlotte without any malice in her voice.

  Elizabeth’s maid, Sarah Barrows, entered the parlour at that time and soon Kitty, Lydia and Maria Lucas were close to Sarah, learning how to hold the material and pull the thread through without creating a tucker in the seam. Lady Lucas made almost all of her family’s clothes and she paid close attention as well.

  “And shall I tell you what I overheard Mr. Bingley tell Mr. Robinson?” Charlotte asked them. “Robinson asked Bingley how he liked our assembly, and whether he thought there were a great many pretty women in the room. Mr. Bingley answered immediately that without doubt, the eldest Miss Bennet was the loveliest lady.”

  “Well, that is very decided indeed but, it may all come to nothing, you know,” Elizabeth insisted seeing her sister blush.

  “Mama! Mama!” called the voice of a small child. Mrs. Brice entered the parlour with her charge and her bag of sewing as well. The little boy wiggled to be set down and once on the floor, grinned at his grandmother and aunts before running as fast as his little legs would allow to his mother’s side where she scooped him up.

  “Matthew, good morning!” Elizabeth greeted her son with kisses and hugs. “Did you eat well?”

  “He did madam,” Mrs. Brice replied as she took a seat and pulled out Matthew’s night dress for repairs.

  The ladies admired the child for a few minutes before returning to their conversations while the little boy remained in his mother’s arms.

  “And I shall reveal another event,” announced Charlotte. “Mrs. Bennet, had you been at the assembly, you would have taken your second daughter to task for putting herself forward and admonishing Mr. Darcy. He was unkind with a comment before she led him away and he did not return for almost an hour.”

  “I beg you would not repeat such things, Miss Lucas!” Mrs. Bennet cried. “Lizzy, whatever did you do to this Mr. Darcy?”

  “Lizzy took care of Mr. Darcy, Mamma,” said Jane. “I spoke with Mr. Bingley and he said that my sister had seen to Mr. Darcy’s fatigue with ale and food in the card room where it was quiet and he could restore his good temper.”

  “Mrs. Bennet, we were told that Mr. Darcy has ten thousand a year,” Lady Lucas told her friend. “And when the party from Netherfield arrived, he was very taciturn in the company of others.”

  “Miss Bingley did tell me that Mr. Darcy never speaks much, unless among his intimate acquaintances. With them he is remarkably agreeable,” said Jane.

  “I would not believe a word of it except that after the interval that allowed the musicians to rest, Mr. Darcy reappeared and was very agreeable. He danced with Mrs. Hamilton, Miss Kitty, Miss Mary and my own Charlotte,” Lady Lucas told Mrs. Bennet.

  “He asked Elizabeth to dance?” asked Mrs. Bennet watching as her grandson wiggled from his mother’s lap to the floor where he stared at the ladies in the room, finally selecting his Aunt Mary as his next target.

  “Yes, Mamma, he asked me to dance,” Elizabeth replied, watching Mary carefully setting aside her needle and sewing before turning her attention to her nephew. Elizabeth waited for her mother to request an examination of the conversation they had enjoyed.

  “And is he a good dancer?” Mrs. Bennet asked and while Elizabeth was silent with surprise, her sisters
answered for her.

  “Yes, Mr. Darcy is a good dancer,” Kitty replied. “He asked me to dance after Elizabeth. He told me he has a sister about Lydia’s age and he asked me several questions about what young ladies think about dances and coming out into society.”

  “Both of the young gentlemen are very fine, with family, fortune, everything in their favour. I would be surprised if they did not think very highly of their own company,” Charlotte said. “If I may express it, any young man with such circumstances and connections has a right to be proud.”

  “That is very true,” replied Elizabeth, “but I do not think Mr. Bingley has ever given offense to another person and I shall second Mr. Bingley’s opinion that his friend improves upon acquaintance.”

  “I believe that pride is a very common failing and human nature is particularly prone to it,” observed Mary as she played with Matthew.

  “Who does not cherish a feeling of self-complacency on the score of some quality or other, real or imaginary?” asked Charlotte Lucas. “Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our circumstances and accomplishments, vanity to what we would excessively admire in ourselves.”

  “If I had a husband as rich as Mr. Darcy,” cried Lydia, “I should not care how proud he was. I would hire a seamstress and have a new dress every week! And I would ban small beer from my table and drink wine every day.”

  “Then you would drink a great deal more wine than you ought,” said Mrs. Bennet.

  ++**++

  Mr. Smyth approached Elizabeth in the parlour later that afternoon with a letter in his hand.

  “Good afternoon, Mrs. Hamilton,” the steward greeted.

  “Welcome Mr. Smyth,” Elizabeth setting aside the book she was reading and motioning for the steward to sit in the chair beside the sofa.

  “Thank you, madam,” he replied. “I received this letter today from the steward at Mount Pleasant. He received your letter and wrote to me for confirmation of your orders.”

  Chuckling and holding out her hand for the letter, she replied, “Mr. Tanner will come to understand that a lady will be in charge at Mount Pleasant – is in charge of the estate. But I do not want to make the man uncomfortable as we both ease into control.”

  “He will learn, Mrs. Hamilton,” Smyth said as he handed the letter to the lady.

  ++**++

  Mount Pleasant, Derbyshire

  October 18

  Mr. Smyth – I am in receipt of a letter from Lady Hamilton that I must bring to your attention. Please verify with the lady and her relatives that these directions are correct. Mr. Edgeworth – secretary to her ladyship’s father-in-law – has instructed me to follow her ladyship’s instructions explicitly.

  Lady Hamilton’s letter from 1 October states that we need a new stable for thirty grey carriage horses – two studs, twenty mares and a few yearlings. She writes that this represents an entire stable from of the Earl of Rutherford’s horses. There will need to be a second hay barn built for this larger number of horses – Mount Pleasant has all the farm horses required and a good pair of carriage horses. I understand her ladyship will bring several riding horses with her but this new stable will tax our hay supplies each year.

  Discuss these expenditures with the lady and advise to me.

  Sincerely,

  Augustus Tanner

  ++**++

  Elizabeth folded the letter and handed it back to Mr. Smyth. Her mind evaluated different responses and she glanced toward the steward.

  “It has a slightly condescending tone,” Smyth said, “but we must remember the gentleman is almost sixty years old and used to following the instructions of a man his own age, not a young woman he has never met who is many miles away.”

  “I am well aware of Mr. Tanner’s situation and I value the good service he provided these many years for the estate,” Elizabeth stated. “There is ample time for the gentleman to adjust to a new lady in the manor as well as a new steward with his hand on the plough. This time of correspondence may work to the advantage of us both.”

  Lydia and Kitty opened the parlour door and entered.

  “Lizzy, we wanted your opinion on this bonnet,” Lydia said holding forth a lady’s hat festooned with bright feathers and a new ribbon.

  “It is attractive, Lydia,” Elizabeth replied. “But I shall look at it directly – for the moment, I have business with Mr. Smyth.”

  Kitty looked toward Mr. Smyth, apologized and then turned to leave, but Lydia’s face screwed up into a pout, “But he works for you Lizzy. Mr. Smyth has to do what you tell him to do. He can wait until after we talk about bonnets.”

  Rising from the sofa, Elizabeth stepped close Lydia. “Sister, you will apologize to Mr. Smyth and then you will go to your room until I bring Mamma there to speak with you.”

  “I will not!” Lydia rebuffed her sister. “You cannot tell me what to do! I am tired of you and Jane and Mary telling me every step I should or should not take!”

  She whirled around and ran from the room. Elizabeth sighed and closed the door, turning back to Mr. Smyth.

  “I apologize, sir. My sister is fractious with the restrictions we have placed on her behaviours,” Elizabeth explained. “She does not agree with our mother that she needs another year before she can come out into society.”

  Mr. Smyth nodded. “I have a cousin who never followed his father’s rules and often felt my uncle’s hand until he left home. He went into the army and his parents hear from him only occasionally.”

  Elizabeth glanced toward the closed door but returned to the sofa. Once he sat back down, Mr. Smyth asked, “Now, how shall we respond to Mr. Tanner?”

  “Do you understand what I am doing?” Elizabeth asked.

  Nodding his head once, Mr. Smyth explained, “I have known the Rutherford obsession with horses my entire life, my lady. We had the bays in Kent at different times.”

  “Shortly after I arrived at Rose Briar, I learned of the earl’s obsession with his precious horses,” Elizabeth replied. “But I have a good reason for purchasing the grey carriage horses. They are part of my son’s heritage and they provide the earl with reason to visit Mount Pleasant in the coming years.”

  Nodding his head, Mr. Smyth agreed. “And the greys are beautiful. When the horses pull your carriages through Derbyshire, people will notice and want to purchase teams for their carriages.”

  “I know the horses may be expensive at first but we can change the crops in some fields or purchase an additional farm for hay and grain.”

  “We will need two additional farms to raise enough hay and grain for that many horses,” Smyth said. “And we may need more – I do not know how well the fields produce in Derbyshire.”

  “Then we shall look for additional farms for purchase once we are in residence,” Elizabeth said. “Next year we shall procure grain and hay.”

  “I recommend when we take residence in Derbyshire that I speak to landowners and farmers in spring to engage their grain and crops before the seed is scattered in the field.”

  Elizabeth’s face asked questions that steward answered, “It is a practice I learned from Earl Rutherford. In years when he hasn’t sold enough of last year’s foals, he will engage local farmers for their hay and grain early in the spring.”

  Mr. Smyth replied to Mr. Tanner at Mount Pleasant with the following letter.

  ++**++

  Longbourn, Hertfordshire

  Mr. Tanner

  Thank you for the letter discussing Lady Hamilton’s directions for construction of a new stable for thirty horses. Next year, the countess takes possession of a breeding stable of grey coated carriage horses that her husband’s father, the Earl of Rutherford has bred. She plans to stable and breed the greys for the Earl of Bailey to have as reminders of his father and grandfather in future years.

  While it is too late in the fall to start construction this year, Her Ladyship direct
s that you locate the local craftsmen and labourers, and the necessary materials this winter to begin construction in the spring. If the stable can be completed before we begin grain the harvest, we may be able to keep the same teams of labourers at our disposal for several months.

  Please advise us both as you gather materials and engage the craftsmen.

  Most cordially,

  Oliver Smith

  ++**++

  Chapter 13.

  Rules of Courting and Flavoured Vinegar s

  The ladies of Longbourn soon waited on those of Netherfield and the visit was returned in due form. As Miss Bennet's pleasing manners grew on the goodwill of Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley; a wish of being better acquainted with them was expressed towards the eldest.

  Jane received this notice with greatest pleasure, but Elizabeth still saw superciliousness in Miss Bingley’s treatment of everybody, including her own sister, Mrs. Hurst. While she found it difficult to be pleasant with Miss Bingley, Elizabeth appreciated Mrs. Hurst’s kindness to Jane and she attributed that kindness in all probability from the influence of Mr. Bingley’s admiration. It was generally evident whenever they met, that Mr. Bingley did admire Jane. To Elizabeth it was equally evident that Jane was yielding to her preference for him.

  The second Bennet sister hoped these feelings could lead to deeper affections for her sister but she feared that the world would not divine Jane’s affections for the gentleman because her elder sister did not display her feelings for the world to see. Unsure how to venture forward, Elizabeth mentioned her concerns to Charlotte Lucas at Longbourn one afternoon as they finished storing dried herbs gathered the previous summer.

  “It can be a disadvantage for a lady to be guarded. If she conceals her affection, the lady may lose the opportunity of fixing the gentleman’s affections,” Charlotte said.

  “But how does a lady fix a gentleman’s affections within the bounds of propriety, Charlotte?” Elizabeth asked as the two ladies worked in the stillroom where the air was scented by the herbs hung from the rafters.