by P. O. Dixon
“You are one to talk, my friend. You have danced with Miss Bennet twice and when you are not dancing with her, you’re staring at her.”
“Indeed. You danced with her yourself. Would you not agree with my saying that she is an angel?”
“I would have to say she is quite lovely.”
“And her sister, Miss Kitty is also lovely, but I do not need to tell you that, do I?”
Darcy looked at his friend inquiringly. “Whatever do you mean, Charles?”
“You have been staring at her all evening. I would not be surprised to see you request her hand for a second set.”
“I am guilty as charged, but the reason for my interest in—did you say her name is Miss Kitty?”
Bingley nodded.
“Yes, well, there is a good reason I am so fascinated with Miss Kitty Bennet. You recall meeting my friend Lord Avery Montlake in town, do you not?”
Here Bingley nodded once more. “Indeed. He’s hard to forget, but what does that have to do with Miss Kitty?”
“And you recall meeting his sister, Lady Elizabeth?”
Bingley nodded. “Indeed, I do remember his sister.”
“Have you not noticed a striking resemblance between the two young ladies—Lady Elizabeth and Miss Kitty Bennet?”
“Honestly, Darcy, you will allow that I did not spend nearly so much time gazing upon Lady Elizabeth as you did when we were together in London.”
Darcy cleared his throat. “Trust me, Bingley, the resemblance is there, and it is so strong that I must satisfy my curiosity with these Bennets of Hertfordshire. What if?” Darcy stopped short of continuing his sentence, one that was based on the most outlandish conjecture.
“What if what, Darcy?”
“Never mind what I was about to say. It looks like Miss Bennet has a moment where she is not being pursued for the next set. You had better attend her before it is too late.”
~*~
Overall, the Bennet family attested to enjoying an exceedingly pleasurable evening. Mrs. Bennet had seen her eldest daughter much admired by the Netherfield party. Mr. Bingley had danced with her twice, which was an honor the handsome gentleman had bestowed upon none of the other young ladies in attendance.
As much as it gratified Mrs. Bennet that Mr. Darcy, who had immediately captured the attention of everyone in the room with his tall person and handsome mien, had danced twice with her daughter Kitty, the same could not be said for young Kitty herself. What difference did it make to her that he was rumored to have ten thousand pounds a year?
He was not an officer and Kitty was rather certain he did not even own a red coat. Besides, all she had ever taught herself to appreciate about a ball was that she would always have her share of partners—the more, the merrier. Had that dour Mr. Darcy not prevailed upon her for a second set, she was sure she would have had just as many partners as her youngest sister, Lydia.
Kitty’s protests met with much disapprobation from her mother. “Hush, child. You must consider what a great honor it is that a man of Mr. Darcy’s circumstances took such ardent notice of you.”
Mrs. Bennet turned to her husband. “Did you not hear that Mr. Darcy not only has ten thousand pounds a year, but he is purported to own half of Derbyshire?” She clasped her hands to her bosom. “Surely you know what this means.”
“I am afraid I do not, but I have no doubt you mean to tell me, and I am thereby obliged to listen,” said Mr. Bennet.
“Why, we shall have two daughters married. Jane shall marry Mr. Bingley, and Kitty shall marry his friend Mr. Darcy.”
Chapter 12 ~ Consideration in the World
The following morning, the topic of the assembly was just as lively three miles away at Netherfield Park. Mr. Bingley, whose manners were easy and unaffected, presided over his own table. What a proud moment this was for the young man who had inherited property to the amount of nearly a hundred thousand pounds from his father. The late Mr. Bingley had intended to purchase an estate, but did not live to do it. Charles Bingley intended it likewise. Despite his being in possession of a good house and the liberty of a manor, however, it was doubtful to many of those who best knew the easiness of his temper, whether he might not spend the remainder of his days at Netherfield, and leave the purchasing to the next generation.
Also gathered around the table were his two sisters: Miss Caroline Bingley, who was by no means unwilling to preside at his table, and Mrs. Hurst. Finally, there was Mr. Hurst, who had little to say about the assembly. The evening had come and was now gone—what more was there? Certainly someone of his understanding could not be expected to be impressed by such inane matters when a cornucopia of excellent food lay spread on the table before him.
Darcy, on the other hand, had much that he wanted to say, but the present company tempered his doing so exceedingly. The last thing he needed was to remind Miss Bingley, who fancied herself his particular friend, of how he had admired that Bennet daughter.
Bingley said, “I have never met with more pleasant people or prettier girls in my life. Everybody was most kind and attentive.” In speaking specifically of Miss Bennet, he remarked that he could not conceive an angel more beautiful.
Darcy, on the other hand, had seen a collection of people in whom there was little beauty and no fashion. Miss Bennet he acknowledged to be pretty, but she smiled too much. It would have been pointless, however, to assert there were none for whom he had felt the smallest interest. Try as he might, his mind kept wandering back to Miss Kitty Bennet. How was it possible that she should bear such a striking resemblance to Lady Elizabeth Montlake? If he did not know better, he would have sworn the two ladies were sisters.
Perhaps they are cousins. He shook his head. Surely his friend Avery would have made mention of having relatives in Hertfordshire when he learned that Darcy would be visiting there at Michaelmas.
On the subject of Miss Bennet’s beauty, Mrs. Hurst and her sister allowed it to be so. They liked her, and pronounced her a sweet girl, and one whom they would not object to knowing more of. Regarding the Bennet family as a whole, the sisters were not so charitable.
“Did you see their manner of dress? No doubt, the Bennets would benefit greatly from the services of a new modiste.”
“As would most of the other ladies in attendance, I dare say,” Mrs. Hurst said, playing with her pearl necklace.
Bingley put his paper aside. “If you are so concerned, why do you not give them the name of your modiste, Caroline?”
Miss Bingley balked at the very idea of what her brother was saying. “Do not be ridiculous, Charles! As if they could afford Madame Lucinda’s services.”
The young lady turned to Darcy. “I dare say you would be abhorred were your own sister to don the atrocities paraded by the Bennet daughters, Mr. Darcy?”
Darcy did not even look up from his paper in response. No doubt, Caroline had gleaned his interest in the Bennets as evidenced by his willingness to stand opposite the daughters on the dance floor. Even a thump of his paper would merely serve to add to her vitriol. He said nothing.
Caroline’s contempt would not be repressed. “Did you know the Bennets have relatives in trade? You will recall meeting that dreadful Mrs. Philips last evening, I am sure. She is the Bennet daughter’s aunt—their mother’s sister. What’s more, she’s married to a Meryton attorney.”
“Oh, that is nothing in comparison to what I learned,” said Mrs. Hurst.
“Pray tell!”
“I heard they have another uncle who lives somewhere near Cheapside.”
“That is capital,” added her younger sister. Both ladies laughed heartily.
Bingley had heard enough. “If they had uncles enough to fill all Cheapside, it would not make them one jot less agreeable.”
Caroline threw her brother an exasperated glare. “Oh, Charles, must you be that way? What say you, Mr. Darcy?”
Here Darcy tore his eyes from his paper. “If what you two have heard about their uncles is true, I would say it mu
st very materially lessen their chance of marrying men of any consideration in the world.”
Chapter 13 ~ Pang of Empathy
Darcy’s interest in the Bennet family did not wane with the passage of the next couple of days. It grew and when he could, he took every opportunity afforded him to engage with Bingley’s neighbors.
That evening he had the good fortune of dining within a short walk of Longbourn with a family with whom the Bennets were particularly intimate. The Bennets were also in attendance—all except Mr. Bennet, the one person whom Darcy had looked forward to seeing again.
Without meaning to draw attention to himself, Darcy moved closer to the two youngest Bennet daughters. However, he would not allow himself to get too close, for it was certainly not his intention to speak to either of them.
The one he knew to be the youngest, Miss Lydia, said, “Did you not think that I expressed myself uncommonly well just now, when I was teasing Mr. Bingley to give us a ball at Netherfield?”
“Oh, yes! We shall have such fun. But I should hope that his friend, Mr. Darcy, will not prevail on me to dance more than one set, for should he ask, I will be obliged to dance with him, and then there is no telling what Mama will say or do.”
Miss Lydia placed her finger to her lips. “Kitty, you must be careful, for he is standing just over there. I am sure he can hear every word we say.”
She merely shrugged. “Let him hear us, if he will. I do not know what Mama is thinking to suggest that he and I are to be married.”
Darcy’s countenance took on a shade of disgust judging by the speed in which he found himself attended to by Sir William Lucas. “Sir, I beg you not to take offense at anything either of those two young ladies may have said.”
“Pardon me, sir?” asked Darcy.
“I could not help overhearing young Miss Kitty’s remark to her sister. As much as I hate to say it, those two want for nothing but proper parental guidance.” The portly man looked around to see the young girls were no longer in hearing distance. His tone guarded, he said, “Their father is a bit of a recluse. The reason, I fear, is owing to a most unfortunate circumstance some fifteen years ago and their mother, why I would have to say, she does the best she can.”
“A recluse you say. I recall having made his acquaintance at the assembly. I believe he called on my friend Bingley soon after he arrived in Hertfordshire as well.”
The older man nodded. “True, but I assure you he suffered no pleasure in doing so.”
Darcy’s interest in the Bennets was piqued before his arrival at Lucas Lodge that evening. How fortuitous to find himself conversing with someone who appeared eager to satisfy his curiosity.
“What manner of tragedy beset the family that has them so affected nearly a decade and a half later?”
“It pains me to confide that the family suffered the loss of a most beloved child.”
A pang of empathy poured over him. “The loss of a child is heartrending.”
“Indeed. However, it is not simply a matter of the loss of a child under natural circumstances. It is the fact that the child vanished in the middle of the day that proved most devastating for her family. For years, they returned to the place she was last seen. Everything that could be done was done, and yet all efforts were in vain. To this day, I would say that poor Mr. Bennet believes his daughter is alive. Indeed, it is his greatest wish.”
~*~
Elizabeth sat in the leather armchair and waited with bated breath for her grandfather to conclude his estate business with his steward and then get back to the business of running her life. When finally the duke dismissed the gentleman with stern instructions on how to carry out the settled upon task, he took his chair behind his large, imposing mahogany desk.
“Pardon the interruption, my dear. As you likely surmised, it could not be helped.”
She acknowledged her grandfather with a slight nod and a smile.
“Very well, let us get on with the reason I wished to see you this morning.”
Here it comes, Elizabeth surmised. No doubt, Grandfather wants to remind me of my duty to marry Lord Robert Frawley. After all, it has been a full week since he last told me. She awaited his speech in silence.
“Lady Elizabeth,” he began, “the news we’ve all been waiting for arrived this morning. Lord Frawley will soon set sail from the continent. He’s coming home.”
With cool collectedness, Elizabeth said nothing. However, she was anything but composed. This was worse than she thought. It had been easy enough to dismiss the whole notion of her marrying Lord Robert Frawley when he was but the name of some nondescript, unimposing gentleman who was far away on the continent. The prospect of his arrival being imminent – the prospect of her being forced to meet him face-to-face cast an entirely different light on the matter.
“My dear, do you know what this means?”
“Yes, Grandfather,” she said, again with a slight nod.
“Capital! Then, I take it that you have come to terms with the fact that you are soon to be married.”
“No, Grandfather.” This response did not meet with the duke’s approval. She could see his temper rising. How she wished it did not have to be that way.
“Lady Elizabeth Montlake, I will not have this conversation with you, yet again.”
She inwardly huffed. What conversation was that? All he ever did was espouse the benefits of the would-be alliance and decree that it shall be done, and all she ever did was say that it would not. She did not dare argue the reasons for her stance - not to the duke. Doing so would have only lent credence to its possibility.
In a measured tone, the duke said, “It does not do for you to suppose that I shall not have my way in this matter, young lady. This alliance will be the means of uniting two great families. Elizabeth, my dear, you shall be exceedingly happy with Frawley. He is a good man—an honorable man.”
Who is to say whether Grandfather’s commendations are true? No one has seen the wandering viscount in years, she wanted to say but did not—determined not to engage in any manner of discussion about the gentleman that would give her grandfather to suppose she might actually be entertaining his officious arrangement. Later, she would speak on the matter with her mother. Her mother knew and understood Elizabeth’s feelings and should things come to a head, Lady Sophia would be on her side. Of that, Elizabeth was convinced.
The duke stood. “I had hoped the news of Lord Frawley’s return would have been met with acceptance on your part. I had hoped you would be reasonable, but no matter. All is decided. The two of you shall marry by special license shortly after he arrives to claim your hand. Preparations are underway, as we speak.
“Your second Season in town will be quite unlike your first Season, young lady. Next Season, you shall be introduced as Lady Elizabeth Frawley.”
Chapter 14 ~ How Lasting the Effect
Darcy may not have liked the idea of his friend Bingley hosting a ball for his Hertfordshire acquaintances. That did not, however, stop him from accompanying Bingley and his sisters when they came to Longbourn to give their personal invitation for the long-expected ball at Netherfield, which was finally fixed for the following Tuesday.
The two ladies were delighted to see their dear friend, Miss Bennet, again, called it an age since they had met, and repeatedly asked what she had been doing with herself since their separation. To the rest of the family, they paid little attention. They avoided Mrs. Bennet as much as possible, and they said nothing at all to the others. Soon rising from their seats with an alacrity that took their brother by surprise, Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley prevailed upon Bingley and Darcy to join them in taking their leave. Both men declined the request in unison, which must certainly have pleased Mrs. Bennet exceedingly. Unbeknownst to her, however, the two men had decidedly different reasons for wishing to stay.
Bingley had not seen Jane for many days, and it was his intention to make up for his lapse by inviting her and her sisters for a walk to Oakham Mount.
Dar
cy was not unaware that his ardent interest in the Bennet family of Longbourn had given rise to the notion of his being attracted to one of the Bennet daughters.
He huffed. As if such a thing were even a possibility. He could not even imagine himself aligned with such a family. It was unfortunate enough that Bingley had taken an eager interest in the eldest daughter, who in Darcy’s opinion smiled too much. Darcy soon began to wonder if there was a reason behind what he now surmised could be nothing more than mere pretense. After all, if what he suspected were true, then Miss Jane Bennet would have been six, at least, when her sister disappeared. Surely she would have been old enough that the pain would have been palpable. No doubt that would have made for a traumatic and most unforgettable experience. Who is to say how lasting the effect?
With that in mind, Darcy decided he would be lenient towards Miss Jane Bennet. If his friend chose to adore her - just as was his wont to do with other young women of Miss Bennet’s character - while they were here in Hertfordshire - Darcy saw no harm in that. If he knew anything about his friend, it was that Bingley would soon come to regard his decision to let Netherfield Park as one that was based more on impetuosity and eagerness and not particularly sound. Bingley’s family is in the North, so why would he not wish to settle there as well, Darcy concluded.
On the other hand, should circumstances suggest that Bingley was in danger of forming a serious attachment to Miss Jane Bennet, who seemed to tolerate his presence more than anything and likely at the behest of her mother, then Darcy would indeed know how to act.
Darcy, having spoken with a knowledgeable person about the tragedy that beset the Bennets of Longbourn, now had further confirmation of his suspicions of a connection between Lady Elizabeth Montlake and the Bennets. He was determined to have an audience with the master of the house in order to know how to act upon his suspicions. Not willing to chance the possibility of Mrs. Bennet forcing her silly daughter to walk with him to Oakham Mount with Bingley and Miss Bennet, Darcy spoke rather hastily. “I am of a mind to speak with Mr. Bennet if I may prevail upon you to inform him of my wishes.”
