On the first of these occasions, Elizabeth lost no time in taking Georgiana down to the river and teaching her to cross the stepping stones safely. She pointed out where the stones were unevenly spaced, and showed Georgiana which stones had been worn down at one side and so were more dangerous than the others. Georgiana moved cautiously at first, but she had soon mastered the crossing and took great pleasure in it.
In the evenings, they dined with Mr Bingley, Miss Bingley and Mr Darcy.
Elizabeth soon grew to like Mr Bingley. He was good-hearted, good-humoured and altogether agreeable. The complete opposite of his sister, in fact!
Miss Bingley was less spiteful than previously. She tried once or twice to patronise Elizabeth, but Elizabeth was the cleverer of the two women. She managed to reply in a way that silenced Miss Bingley without ever becoming rude. Mr Darcy, too, on occasion gave Miss Bingley a set-down, so that Miss Bingley at last curbed her tongue.
Mr Darcy himself intrigued Elizabeth. He was often silent, seeming to prefer listening to speaking, but he was always interested in his sister. He commended Georgiana on crossing the river safely and said that she must demonstrate her prowess to him. So it was that, not long after Elizabeth arrived at Netherfield Park, the whole party went down to the stepping stones and Georgiana demonstrated her new skill.
Mr Darcy smiled at his sister’s evident enjoyment, and Mr Bingley applauded.
As Mr Bingley called, ‘Bravo!’ Elizabeth caught sight of a gleam in Miss Bingley’s eye.
So that is the way the wind blows, thought Elizabeth. Miss Bingley wants her brother to marry Miss Darcy.
She had wondered about it before, but now she was sure.
Both Georgiana and Mr Bingley were delightful people, but Elizabeth could not see that they were drawn to each other in any special way, and she thought Miss Bingley would be disappointed.
She was less certain of Mr Darcy’s feelings. He encouraged Georgiana to spend time with his friend, but whether this was because he wanted his sister to eventually marry Mr Bingley, or whether it was simply that he wanted her to develop her social confidence, Elizabeth was not sure.
Time alone would tell.
‘Upon my word, it was a lucky day for me when I found out about Netherfield Park,’ said Mr Bingley, shortly after moving in. ‘The people hereabouts are very friendly and have made me welcome. The Lucases have called, and the Hayes, in fact almost all of my neighbours have waited upon me. And now here is further proof of their warm welcome. I have been invited to attend the local assembly.’
He was strolling through the grounds with his sister and Mr Darcy. The formal gardens were still looking lovely. The mild weather had encouraged the flowers to remain in bloom, although it was now September, and the green lawns formed a backdrop to the reds, whites and yellows of the herbaceous borders. Specimen trees broke up the vista and provided points for the eye to rest on. Beyond the gardens lay the meadows that formed a part of the estate, and running through them was the pretty river.
Georgiana and Elizabeth were not with the party. The two groups seldom mingled during the day. It was understood that the daytime was intended for Georgiana’s education, and so it was usually only at dinner they all came together.
‘One does not need an invitation to a country assembly ball. It is a public affair,’ said Miss Bingley mockingly, as she strolled along. She was beautifully dressed, as always, in a satin gown of apricot colour, and her short train trailed along the gravel path behind her. She carried a parasol in a matching shade to protect her complexion. Her hands looked pristine in their white gloves. ‘Anyone can go. The baker, the greengrocer, the local clerk – I confess I am appalled at such events. Upper and lower classes mingling as equals, the country hobbledehoys prancing about without grace or elegance, the musicians – if one can call them musicians – scraping away on their fiddles and thumping on upturned tubs.’ She gave a shudder. ‘Ugh! You cannot go, Charles. It would be humiliating.’
‘Balderdash, Caroline!’ said Mr Bingley. ‘Country assemblies? I think them charming.’
‘Mr Darcy will agree with me, I am sure,’ said Miss Bingley, looking at Mr Darcy complacently. ‘You would not like to go to such a mongrel event.’
Mr Darcy was just about to say that he would not, for he disliked country assemblies as much as Miss Bingley. But then Miss Bingley, never sensible enough to leave well alone, added for good measure, ‘You would not like to see your sister there, I am sure.’
Mr Darcy paused and unconsciously glanced towards the stepping stones, which could be seen in the distance. They reminded him forcibly of the difference in his sister, now that she was allowed a little more freedom. Was it perhaps time for her to start mingling more? She was too young yet to be out at formal functions in London. She had only just turned sixteen, and young ladies of her class did not customarily start going to balls until they were eighteen. But perhaps a country gathering would give her an opportunity to meet more people and start to discover how to tell good from bad.
The idea did not appeal to him. He was a proud man, very aware of his exalted station in life, and aware of his sister’s social position, too. He thought the Darcys too good for such an affair. But at the same time, he reflected that his policy of protecting his sister from all harm had not turned out well. He had chosen her friends and chosen her activities for her. He had created a safe bubble, full of genteel people, and he had thought that, in doing so, he could keep her safe.
But he had not kept her safe. On the contrary, he had made her vulnerable. When her previous companion, Mrs Younge, had encouraged her to meet secretly with Mr George Wickham, Georgiana had been too trusting to wonder if Mrs Younge had an ulterior motive. She had instead accepted Mrs Younge’s assurances that she was doing no wrong, and that her brother approved. She had also believed Mr Wickham when he made love to her and told her she would make him the happiest man alive if she would marry him.
It had never occurred to his innocent sister that the two of them were in league; that they were rogues, and that Mr Wickham wanted only her dowry; that, once married, he would abandon her and run off with her money.
Mr Darcy felt a cold shiver run through him as he thought of what would have happened if he had not, by chance, paid a surprise visit to his sister and discovered what was happening.
If he allowed her to mix more, with a wider variety of people, then she would learn how to tell good from bad; how to weigh people’s words and see if they rang true. She would learn how to be cautious around untrustworthy people. In protecting her less, he would in fact be protecting her more.
All these thoughts went through his head in a brief moment.
Miss Bingley was looking at him, waiting for him to reply to her question. What was it she had said? ‘You would not like to see your sister there, I am sure.’ No, he would not like to see his sister there. But he thought that, for her own good, perhaps he ought to let her go. Although she was not yet out, country assemblies were family affairs and her age was no bar to her going. He would be there with her, and he could begin to teach her about the wide variety to be found in people, so that she would be better able to protect herself in future.
‘I think Bingley must go, at least’ said Mr Darcy. ‘It will allow him to meet all of his new neighbours.’
‘Oh, no, Mr Darcy, how can you say so?’ asked Miss Bingley, with ill-judged coquettishness. ‘I was relying on you to forbid him to go. Now he will not stay away.’
‘You make it sound as though I am Darcy’s puppet!’ said Mr Bingley, as he stooped to smell one of the roses. ‘I can assure you I do not need his permission to do anything I want to do.’
‘Fine words, Charles,’ said Miss Bingley, ‘but you know as well as I do that you rely on Mr Darcy’s opinion. And rightly so.’
‘In this case there is no contest,’ said Mr Bingley, straightening up and catching up with his companions. ‘I have Darcy’s permission, and my own desire to go, so I will order the carriage to be
made ready on the night of the assembly. You will come with me, Caroline.’
‘What! Am I to be ordered about in my own home?’ she asked, raising her eyebrows.
‘I notice you do not say whether or not you will go, which means you have not decided, and I dare say you will not decide until you see what Darcy does,’ said Mr Bingley teasingly.
Miss Bingley looked at him angrily.
‘Really, Charles, what nonsense you talk.’
‘I think we must all go,’ said Mr Darcy, making up his mind.
‘Very well,’ said Miss Bingley. ‘Louisa and Mr Hurst will be here by then and they must go with us, too. Our party will be large enough to protect us from unwanted familiarities. I am sure none of us want the local farmers scraping an acquaintance with us.’
Louisa was her sister, and Mr Hurst was Louisa’s husband. They had not arrived at Netherfield with Mr Bingley, as he had been impatient to take up residence and had arrived early, but they would soon be joining the Netherfield party.
‘There will be five of us, then,’ said Mr Bingley. ‘Good! Not because the size of our group will protect us from mingling, as I am determined to do just that. But because I dare say we can all squeeze into one carriage.’
‘There will be no squeezing, if you please,’ said Miss Bingley with a shudder. ‘My gown will not survive.’
‘There will be seven of us,’ said Mr Darcy, surprising the Bingleys. ‘My sister and Miss Bennet will also attend.’
‘Your sister?’ asked Mr Bingley in surprise.
‘Yes. It is time Georgiana started going into company. She must learn to mix with people from all walks of life, and as I will be escorting her she will come to no harm. An informal gathering such as a country assembly will be suitable, if I am with her.’
‘Miss Bennet?’ gasped Miss Bingley, at the same time as her brother asked, ‘Your sister?’
‘Miss Bennet is my sister’s companion. Of course she will attend,’ said Mr Darcy haughtily.
Miss Bingley went a strange colour and stopped walking. She twirled her parasol nervously in her hands, making it spin above her head. She had always had an instinct that Miss Bennet was a danger to her. She could not understand why, for Miss Bennet was unremarkable in every way. Miss Elizabeth Bennet was not particularly beautiful, and although she was clever, gentlemen did not like clever women – or so Miss Bingley believed. Miss Elizabeth Bennet had no accomplishments to speak of. She played the pianoforte badly, with lots of wrong notes, and sang with a sweet but untutored voice. She was not tall – here Miss Bingley unconsciously pulled herself up to her full magnificent height – and her figure was not fashionable. She had far too many curves! And yet, for all that, Miss Bingley had seen Mr Darcy’s eyes resting upon Miss Bennet with a most alarming expression.
If his eyes had rested on her in that way, she would not have found it an alarming expression. She would have found it encouraging – so encouraging she would have ordered her wedding clothes!
But he did not look at her in that way. Even worse, he was now saying that Miss Bennet must accompany them to the assembly.
After her first shock wore off, however, Miss Bingley began to see the opportunities this offered. Miss Bennet would inevitably be in an old, shabby gown, whereas she herself would be in a magnificent creation from the finest fashion house.
The more Miss Bingley thought about it, the more she thought it would be a good thing after all. Mr Darcy would be able to see Miss Elizabeth in her natural setting, and his attraction would turn to repulsion. He was a fastidious man, and he loathed unpolished society. Let him see Miss Elizabeth tapping her toes to scraping fiddles; let him see her dancing with the butcher and greengrocer and local attorney, and he would realise where she belonged: with the lower end of society. A gentleman’s daughter, yes, but a country gentleman’s daughter. A young lady without polish or accomplishments. The kind of young lady he could never, ever introduce to his relations as his wife.
Her lips curled into an unpleasant smile. She had once met Mr Darcy’s aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, in London, and she knew that Lady Catherine was one of the haughtiest women alive. Lady Catherine would never welcome Miss Elizabeth Bennet as a niece-in-law. Moreover, Lady Catherine would never allow Mr Darcy to marry her.
Attending the assembly was therefore a good idea after all.
‘Of course Miss Bennet must attend,’ said Miss Bingley, echoing Mr Darcy’s last words. ‘As you say, she is Georgiana’s companion. I am sure she will like to see all her friends from Meryton, and let us hope she enjoys herself at the gathering. As you and I, Mr Darcy, will be there to assist Georgiana, perhaps you will allow Miss Bennet to dance and mingle with her own friends?’
‘Upon my word, what has come over you, Caroline?’ asked Mr Bingley jovially, as the party reached the end of the formal gardens and turned back towards the house. ‘You are not usually so concerned about ladies’ companions. You and Louisa used to pay terrible tricks on yours! I remember the time you put a frog in Miss Watson’s desk, and the time you and Louisa hid for an afternoon, so that poor Miss Ellison was running round the park looking for you, fearing you had been drowned! I thought she would have had an apoplexy when you jumped out of the cupboard as she returned to the house.’
Mr Darcy raised his eyebrows at this.
‘That was a long time ago,’ said Miss Bingley, turning red. ‘Childish pranks that are best forgotten. I am a woman now. Besides, I have a great deal of compassion for Miss Bennet,’ she lied. ‘She has had a sad tragedy to bear and I would like to see her enjoying herself with her friends.’
‘It is settled then,’ said Mr Darcy. ‘We will all attend the Meryton assembly together.’
Chapter Eleven
The following morning, Mr Darcy summoned Elizabeth to his presence. He wanted to make sure the Meryton assemblies were respectable occasions before making the final preparations to attend. If he found otherwise, he was prepared to change his mind and remain at home.
He waited until Georgiana was with her tutor and then sent one of the footmen with a message to Elizabeth, asking her to join him in the library.
She soon arrived. He was conscious of some danger as he asked her to sit down. Miss Elizabeth Bennet had managed to intrigue him. He knew not how it had happened. She made no attempt to attract him. She was bold and confident when speaking to him, and if he had not been her employer he thought she could very well be mischievous, even impertinent. And yet there was a sweetness in her manner which made her hard to resist.
He had never met anyone like her before. She had no desire to win his favour. She did not say what she thought he wanted to hear. She was her own woman. In being so, she attracted him more than he cared to admit.
He told her of the invitation to the assembly and then said, ‘I think it would be good for Georgiana to attend, but I want to make sure they are respectable gatherings before telling my sister we will go. If there is anything dubious about them, I will change my plans.’
‘You need have no fear,’ said Elizabeth. ‘They do not have the refinement I am sure you are accustomed to, but the people are all respectable and Miss Darcy will come to no harm. I think it is a good idea for her to attend, particularly if she will often be at Netherfield Park. It will be appreciated by everyone in the neighbourhood. Will you allow her to dance?’
‘What is your recommendation? Do you think I should?’
Elizabeth considered.
‘Yes, I think so. She will have a chance to practise her dance steps without the pressure of a formal ball. A first ball can be daunting,’ she explained. ‘A young lady can feel very much on display. Here, she will be able to go into a small gathering and acquire some confidence before she has to perform in a more polished arena.’
This very much accorded with Mr Darcy’s own views on the subject.
‘Are there any undesirable people I should particularly guard her against?’ asked Mr Darcy.
He saw Elizabeth’s look of surprise,
but she answered readily enough.
‘No. Undesirables are not welcome at the assemblies. Indeed, they are not permitted there and would not even try to gain entrance. You may rest assured that she will come to no harm.’
Mr Darcy nodded.
‘Yes, of course. You will attend the assembly with her. Mr Bingley and his family will also attend, and I will be there to escort her,’ he said.
‘I will be glad to attend. I can introduce her to some of the younger people whose company she might enjoy.’
‘Good. Then I will arrange it.’
The interview was at an end and Elizabeth stood up.
Mr Darcy stood up, too, but he felt reluctant to let her go. Her company was stimulating and so he prolonged matters by saying, ‘I hope your new gown will be ready in time for the assembly.’
‘Yes, it will. I will not disgrace Miss Darcy,’ she assured him.
‘I am sure you will not,’ he said with warmth.
He found that he was looking forward to seeing her in a new gown, instead of the shabby gowns she had brought with her from Longbourn. He suspected she had had nothing new since her parents’ death and several of her gowns were patched. They all showed signs of wear and none of them did justice to her lightly tanned complexion and womanly figure. He thought she would look very well in something new.
Realising he could not detain her any longer without it looking odd, he made her a bow.
Elizabeth curtsied and left the room.
As she made her way back to the drawing-room she found herself looking forward to the assembly. She would be able to see all her friends and neighbours, and she would see her beloved sister, Jane.
A Companion For Miss Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Page 11
