by Tiffany Ward
By this time, not only was Darcy intrigued by Elizabeth’s management, Charles was also intrigued. He had wanted to learn from Darcy, but he could also learn how to relate to his tenants from Miss Elizabeth. Caroline was becoming furious. Both of her best friends were ignoring her completely. How could this country lady keep the attention of two gentlemen from high society? She needed to watch Miss Elizabeth and demonstrate to Darcy that she was the better woman. She was determined to put Eliza Bennet in her place. To do so, she needed information about their family.
“Miss Bennet, please tell me about Meryton. We are learning to become landowners, so we will need to interact with the community. My brother is considering purchasing the estate at the end of our lease.” Caroline stated attempting to gain Darcy’s attention by addressing her other guest. Noting that neither of the men was even looking in her direction, she became even more upset with these ladies, specifically Eliza.
“There are four and twenty families in the area that comprises most of our society. Our mayor is Sir William Lucas; King George III knighted him due to service to his family. I am not sure what that service was, but Lucas enjoys his title. He is the man that arranges our assemblies, one of which will take place next week.” Jane responded to Caroline’s inquiry. “We are anticipating the arrival of the militia this fall. Their arrival date has not been specifically determined at this time. When they join our society, many events will be planned to welcome them. It is only right to welcome men that will protect our sovereign.”
Ignoring comments that would not help, Caroline focused on specific family information. “You are the eldest of your family. Miss Eliza is one of your sisters. Please tell me more about your family.” Caroline was trying to get information that might change the direction of the gathering, more specifically something that would discredit Elizabeth.
“I have four sisters in total. Yes, I am the eldest. Lizzy is my next sister at twenty. Mary just turned eighteen; she is very studious but prefers religious tomes. Katherine, known as Kitty, is sixteen. She spends time with our youngest, Lydia who just turned fifteen. My two youngest sisters are very silly. They are new to society and are learning how to maneuver in Meryton. As they grew up here, this is a good place for them to learn the rules unique to young women.” Jane was proud of her family, so she willingly gave information regarding them. “My father is the master of our estate. He is an academic who prefers reading to working on the estate. My family has owned Longbourn for over seven generations. My mother is the daughter of a country solicitor; she was raised to be a tradesman’s wife. She married our father and rose to the level of a gentlewoman. She is very protective of her daughters, but she is aware that our estate is entailed away from the female line, so she had declared each of her daughters out at fifteen to find a husband.”
“Mr. Darcy, did you hear that, five daughters out looking for husbands all at once. That is unheard of. And the Bennet’s grandfather was the town solicitor.” Caroline knew she was rude, but she wanted to ensure Darcy refused to spend time with this family in the future. They were not of his social sphere, so he needed to reminded that Miss Elizabeth was not an acceptable woman to allow around his impressionable sister. The Bennet sisters blushed and looked down in embarrassment. Georgiana was confused; these ladies were not flirting with her brother or his friend. Why was Caroline saying this? It was rude and demeaning.
“Miss Elizabeth, you were telling me about the tenants here. Yet you have not mentioned the owner of Netherfield. My lawyer stated that the owners choose to remain anonymous. Can you tell me anything without giving away the name of the owner?” Charles asked attempting to cover for his sister’s rude behavior by redirecting their conversation.
“They are a noble family who owns several estates throughout England. Due to their wealth and prestige, they have the ability to help others raise their level of society. The family encourages renting out the estate to promote new members to the landed gentry, allowing them to raise the circumstances of their birth. They visit in the spring when the property is not leased. I have befriended their daughter, as she is of an age with me.” Lizzy attempted to ignore the slight from Caroline but was still upset. How could a tradesmen’s daughter believe it was smart to cut a gentlewoman? What had she done to be insulted anyway? “If you require any other information, they would need to reveal themselves.”
“You are keeping secrets from the leasing family. That is appalling. How can you feel comfortable with these secrets? What other information would you keep from us? How could we trust that you are telling us the truth?” Caroline stated, watching to see Darcy’s reaction to her claims. Disparaging competitors for Darcy had worked in the past. He had always chosen her friendship over other ladies.
“Jane, I believe that we forgot to finish our duties to our father this morning. I think that it is time for us to return home so we can be honorable to our family estate. Miss Darcy, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley, it has been a pleasure getting to know you. Miss Bingley, I believe it is time for us to take our leave.” Elizabeth rose and left with her sister following behind. Lizzy was furious with the new lady. She had purposely insulted Elizabeth.
Feeling that Miss Elizabeth could be dangerous, Caroline decided to befriend Jane when they met at future events. She might give more information to discredit her sister at a later date. Georgie had sat near Elizabeth. Georgie’s behavior demonstrated that she felt comfortable with Miss Elizabeth. While Georgie was usually shy with strangers, she was able to talk to Elizabeth as if they were old friends. Caroline noticed that Georgie preferred Elizabeth’s company during their tea. Caroline had to refocus her friend, so she had interrupted their conversation multiple times.
Elizabeth recognized the poor behavior but remained polite until Caroline attacked her honesty, then Lizzy decided that tea was over. Charles and Fitzwilliam looked at each other, confused. They did not understand why Caroline invited the Bennet sisters if she did not want them at Netherfield. They also did not understand why Caroline had attacked one of her guests. This situation needed to be monitored closely.
That evening, Elizabeth and Jane discussed their interactions with the new neighbors. “Lizzy, I know that Miss Bingley was rude at the end, but I thought she was very elegant. I am sure that she did not understand that her words were hurtful.” Jane felt very comfortable with Miss Bingley, and she was attracted to Mr. Bingley. Jane did not want her sister to cut her new friend. She wanted the opportunity to see if there was a chance at being courted by Mr. Bingley.
“I believe that the Darcys can become excellent friends. Mr. Bingley was handsome and polite. He kept looking at you sister.” Elizabeth realized that Jane would never understand the concept of someone purposefully being hurtful. “I believe that Miss Darcy could be a good friend. Mr. Darcy seems shy, but he listened to the discussion while not interacting very often.” Elizbeth needed to state her position very clearly to her sister. “Jane, I know that you want to spend time with the Bingleys. I cannot attend these meetings if Miss Bingley is present. She is not a good woman. I will turn down further invitations from Miss Bingley.” Elizabeth wondered if there was an attachment between Caroline and Mr. Darcy, she did not want to interfere. Though when he was introduced, it was as a friend of Mr. Bingley, so he may not be interested in Miss Bingley.
“Lizzy, this was the first time we spent time with the two families. Please hold your judgement until we have spent more time in their company.” Jane knew that her sister’s beliefs were correct. She could not agree without putting herself out of contact with Mr. Bingley. Jane was already twenty-one, there had not been any men in the area that had wealth or connections. Mr. Bingley was her first opportunity to marry a landed gentleman.
“I know that you feel Miss Bingley could be a friend and you like Mr. Bingley, but I cannot accept any further invitations to Netherfield while his sister is present. Her behavior was condescending and insulting. She stated that I was a liar. You know that the owners of Netherfield wil
l reveal themselves if they feel the tenants are honorable. That alone makes me wonder if the Bingleys are trustworthy and honest. I am sorry Jane, I will not willingly spend time with Caroline Bingley.” Elizabeth worried that Caroline would fool her sister. Jane would follow her mother’s advice. Mrs. Bennet had already declared that Jane’s beauty would cause Mr. Bingley to fall in love with her. Jane would believe her mother’s prediction and attempt to make it come true.
“If Mr. Bingley shows a preference to me, then you would need to spend time with Caroline. Elizabeth, for my sake, you will need to try to be friends with Caroline Bingley.” Jane stated firmly, and she was determined that Elizabeth would follow her directions and allow her to fall in love with Charles. As the older sister, she would order Elizabeth’s compliance if necessary. If she did not do this, Jane would inform their mother. Fanny Bennet would force her sister to comply. “Besides, you were enjoying talking to Miss Darcy. If we spend time with the Bingleys, you might focus your conversation on Miss Darcy and try to ignore Miss Bingley. Or you could just sit quietly and allow me time to speak to her brother.”
“For you, I will try this. However, if she is rude, I will leave as I did today.” Lizzy refused to accept the situation, even for Jane. Lizzy loved her sister, but knew that Jane was only looking out for herself currently. “You could accept invitations and state that I am unable to attend, and then you could spend time with both Bingleys without my presence. If I am to be friends with Miss Darcy, we will have to find time away from the Bingleys.” Pausing, Lizzy wanted to ensure that Jane was paying attention to her next statement. “Please promise me that you will keep what happened today in your memory. I do not trust Miss Bingley, remember her actions today and do not trust her fully.”
“The assembly is next week. I do not see any reason to be in Caroline’s presence until then.” Jane stated. “I will see what happens at the dance, then make decisions about spending time with our new neighbors.” With this plan in place, the sisters drifted off to sleep. Elizabeth tossed and turned, her dreams were of meeting Mr. Darcy at the altar and Caroline loudly objecting. Had she already fallen in love with him? Turning over, Lizzy attempted to fall back asleep.
A completely different set of conversations were taking place at Netherfield that evening. In the study, the Bingleys were discussing Caroline’s inappropriate behavior towards their neighbors. Upstairs, in the sitting room, the Darcy’s were also considering the same topic. Georgie was worried that the Bennets would not allow her to spend time getting to know Elizabeth after the way Caroline had treated her.
“Why were you rude to Miss Elizabeth? She had some wonderful ideas on how to care for the tenants at her estate. She has been taking care of the tenants here on this estate for quite a while. The owners of the property have placed her visits as part of our lease. Your behavior was rude and unacceptable towards any guest. If you do not care for her, then do not invite her to our home. However, there is no excuse for rudeness in my home.” Charles wanted to understand his sister, but he was concerned that she was going to cause problems for him. This was his first opportunity to raise his social standing, and he would not allow Caroline to mess up this chance. He had wanted to fulfill his parents dream for a long time, Caroline would not stop his ambition. “As my hostess, it is your responsibility to make all of our guests feel comfortable when they have been invited to our property. Why did you invite her if you did not want her company?”
“I liked Miss Bennet, but Miss Elizabeth had to be the center of attention during our tea. She was openly flirting with Darcy. She is clearly a fortune hunter. We cannot let our good friend become attracted to this woman.” Caroline was adamant that they needed to protect Darcy. “It is our responsibility to protect our friends, not worry about new people we meet who are not our social equals. Besides she was keeping secrets about the owners of this property. I feel that with her propensity for secrets, she is dishonorable.” Caroline had never been called on her rudeness before. What was happening to her brother, why was he not supporting her position?
Unable to understand his sisters need to attack Miss Elizabeth, Charles changed to the topic and addressed the concerns of Lady Matlock as Darcy had spoken of earlier in the week. “Caroline, are you jealous of Darcy meeting the Bennets? He is a friend of ours. He will not marry you for any reason. You are not compatible with him as anything other than a friend. This has been discussed many times before. Darcy has been honest; he will never marry you for any reason. Have your feelings changed towards Darcy?” Bingley asked, worried that his sister would alienate his closest friend. “He wants to marry for love; he does not love you. You are only his friend. Besides, his family includes the peerage, and they have made it clear that they will never accept you as part of their family. You are the daughter of a tradesman. You are not his social equal. The Bennet sisters are at a higher level of society than we are; they are the daughters of a gentleman. While they do not have the wealth that we do, they are still Darcy’s equal, as he is the son of a gentleman.”
“No, I do not have feelings for Darcy. He is only a friend.” Caroline responded angrily, worried that she had been overt in her actions. “Why would you think that I like Darcy for anything else? How could you say the Bennets are socially superior to me? They are poor; they are nothing. Why are you speaking to me like this Charles?”
“Your actions demonstrate that you are interested in Darcy. I believe that you are attempting to deceive me. In the future, you need to remember that this act of deception will only cause you harm.” Bingley stared at his sister to make her understand that she would not have his support. “If you cannot act as a proper hostess, I will send you to stay with the Hursts. You have turned away many suitors in the past few years. We have spoken about this before. You need to understand that if your behavior does not improve significantly, I will arrange a marriage for you with Mr. Frank Lowry. He is a good man who likes you. He has an income of seven thousand a year. His standing as a minor gentleman raise your standing so you would ben you equal to the Bennets. It would be best if you thought about your future before I have to decide your future for you. If you cannot act appropriately, I will act in your stead. I am going to contact Mr. Lowry to arrange marriage the next time you are rude and inappropriate with any of our guests. As your guardian, this is my right and my duty to ensure that you marry a man fitting with your social standing.” Caroline stood and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her. How could her brother do this to her? Why did Darcy not stand up for her? He would marry her, right?
In the sitting room attached to Georgie’s room, the Darcy’s were also discussion Caroline’s behavior. “Why did Caroline attack Miss Elizabeth? William, I don’t understand why she was so mean to our guests. She spoke over her, then attempted to belittle Miss Elizabeth. I did not notice that Miss Elizabeth did anything wrong, so why would Caroline be rude?” Georgiana was upset and determined to understand what had happened with her friend. “Caroline has been a companion for several years, but I like Miss Elizabeth. I can talk to her more easily than I can talk to Caroline. I was hoping that she would be my friend. Why did Caroline force Elizabeth to leave early?”
“Before we left London, Aunt Adeline expressed her concerns regarding Caroline’s attachment to me. She told me that she felt Caroline had given up some good suitors to pay special attention to me. I explained that we are only friends and that I would never marry Caroline. Our conversation with our staff last week showed that Aunt’s observations were valid. Is it possible that Caroline is jealous of Miss Elizabeth?” Darcy wanted to remind Georgie about their conversation and their relatives concerns. “Would she attempt to ruin your and my friend if she thought that I could fall in love with the lady? If it is not Miss Elizabeth, would she ruin another lady if I paid attention to her? Is Aunt correct? If so, we will need to distance ourselves from both of the Bingleys until Caroline marries someone else. We need to be prepared for an attempted compromise. I will have our footmen p
lace diligently during the evenings.”
“Brother, we need to watch Caroline. From what I observed; she does not love you. She is only a friend, but is she a good friend? She may be jealous because Elizabeth is the first lady that held your attention for more than a dance. You were focused on Miss Elizabeth’s ideas. You praised her for her positive interactions with the tenants.” Determined to ensure that her brother remains free, Georgiana stated all of her concerns to William. “I will watch Caroline and her interactions with the Bennet sisters in the future, but I do not want to have Miss Elizabeth here at Netherfield if she is going to be disrespected. Could you visit the Bennets and see if her father would allow me to go on tenant visits with her at Longbourn? I feel that I could learn more about tenant interactions from her. She is a very intuitive lady.”
“Why don’t we visit the book store on Monday morning? According to what Mrs. Jones told us, we may run into Miss Elizabeth there. If so, we may find an alternate manner for you to spend time with Miss Elizabeth without involving Caroline. She has been a friend, but if she insults a woman that could be our friend or more, we may have to cut the association. Do you understand what that means?” Darcy worried that Georgie would be harmed if they cut ties with Caroline. She had relied on Miss Bingley after their father died.
“Yes, I understand fully. If Caroline does insult other friends or harms them, I am willing to step away from her.” Georgiana declared, wanting to keep her new friend. “She has guided me in the past, but anytime that I disagreed with her, she became very condescending and argumentative. As long as I agree with everything she says, she remains a good friend. Whereas, Miss Elizabeth has encouraged me to think for myself. I believe that my friendship with Miss Bingley has progressed beyond my needs. I will support your decision with the Bingleys.”
