by M-C Ranger
*****
‘Let us take this roadway, it leads to a small pavilion where we can sit out of the wind.’
‘So,’ continued Louise Hurst, ‘Miss Anne has left to go on a walk by herself; she doesn’t even know the area. Are you not worried, Eliza? Does she not enjoy our company?’
‘Do not concern yourself. Anne often goes for walks around Kellynch Hall, and she wished to do the same here. She flees small talk and prefers to seek refuge in the countryside. I must admit that I don’t always understand her, and not only when it comes to going for a walk.’
‘What is it that you wish to say, dear Eliza?’ asked Miss Bingley, sniffing out a novelty that would most certainly liven up future conversations. ‘Your sister seems so discrete and collected.’
Miss Elliot let out a comedic sigh and decided to recount how her sister had refused two marriage proposals a few years earlier. Miss Bingley, who would have liked to say the same for herself, began to see Miss Anne in a different light. Two marriage proposals, and two refusals – this promised to be interesting! They thus learned that a young navy officer, in whom she appeared to be overwhelmingly in love, had asked for her hand when she was nineteen. Naturally, Lady Russell, who had been taking care of the sisters since their mother had died, was not in favour: he had neither a fortune nor a title, and she was born into nobility – well, minor nobility. Eliza’s interlocutors were immediately of the opinion that Sir Elliot placed his full trust in Lady Russell when it came to matrimonial matters. But what about the second proposal? It had come from the son of the Musgroves, neighbours situated a few miles from the estate. Eliza understood this second refusal on the part of her younger sister, who found the family respectable but not very sophisticated and without any real ties to the high society to which she was rightfully entitled to as the daughter of a baronet. Charles Musgrove then turned to the youngest of the three sisters, Mary, who dreamed of escaping the watchful eyes of Lady Russell and doing as she pleased. She therefore easily accepted and even begged her father to accept this proposal, which initially, he would not have agreed to. However, in the end, after dithering about the decision for a considerable time, Debrett’s Baronetage of England in hand, he convinced himself that this was the best way to rid himself of the complaints of his youngest, all while giving the impression that he was ceding to her request solely in her own best interests.
‘My dear Eliza, who would have thought, in seeing your sister, that she would have been the object of so much attention?!’ revelled Miss Bingley, already picturing herself recounting this tale at some socialite evening in the coming season.
*****
Settled in the library in order to verify of the documents left by Mr. Morris, the land agent who was responsible for renting the estate, Bingley and Darcy were interrupted by a silent click. The large oak door opened and Caroline Bingley entered, apologising for disturbing them at their work; tea would soon be served in the small parlour. Her brother, making use of the opportunity her presence afforded, made certain that Miss Elliott and her sister were wanting for nothing and that they were enjoying their stay in Hertfordshire. In reply, Miss Bingley assured him, quickly adding in a low voice that she and Louisa had learned that Miss Anne was perhaps not the quiet reserved young lady she appeared to be at first glance.
‘Come, Caroline, what is it that you wish to say? I find Miss Anne very charming, wouldn’t you agree, Darcy?’
‘Utterly,’ his friend replied, visibly uneasy with the turn the conversation had taken. ‘Miss Bingley, you mustn’t pay attention to everything that is whispered in confidence. You do not…’
‘That which I know comes from a trusted source, namely Miss Elliot. She entrusted us with this information,’ she interjected, clearly vexed by the doubts raised by the gentlemen.
The two young men had no choice but to listen to Caroline Bingley’s passionate account. When she had finished, her brother could not help but laugh.
‘So, there it is, the terrible revelation! Miss Anne refused two marriage proposals!’
‘Miss Bingley, you must know that a young woman is not responsible for the proposals made to her. In my opinion, anyone calling herself a friend of hers should not take offence,’ said Darcy, a slight smile on his lips.
Seeing his sister’s look of frustration, Bingley tried to draw her attention to another aspect of this situation.
‘Well, my dear Caroline, if I were to put myself in the shoes of these young men, I cannot help but think of how difficult this situation must have been for them, even if gentle Miss Anne most certainly exercised all the diplomacy of which she is capable so as to diminish the effect of her refusal. I would not like to experience such a predicament as this, for all the gold in the world. In any regard, of one thing we can be certain, Darcy, is that this will likely not happen to you!’ Bingley concluded, laughing.
‘Come, Charles, do not cover yourself in ridicule by spouting such nonsense,’ exclaimed Caroline Bingley, outraged by the suggestion made by her brother.
This made her brother laugh, whereas Darcy barely smiled. However, despite their very different temperaments, Bingley and Darcy were bound by a steadfast friendship. The latter appreciated Bingley’s confident and conciliatory constitution, two dispositions that were very foreign to his own nature. Bingley, on his part, placed the greatest trust in Darcy and highly respected his judgement. Hence, regardless as to where Charles Bingley was, he was most certain to please, whereas the demeanour of Fitzwilliam Darcy, which was haughty and distant, and whose attempts at courtesy were disheartening, too often estranged him from others.
*****
‘Have a safe trip home. What a pleasure it will be to see each other tomorrow at Lucas Lodge for a little evening among neighbours!’ exclaimed Miss Bingley in a tone that carried a hint of mockery.
And the voices faded as the carriage disappeared along the gravel roadway. Miss Bennet and her sister Elizabeth had come to pay a courtesy call on the ladies of Netherfield. They were introduced to the young Elliot ladies, and what a surprise – Miss Anne and the younger Bennet sister already knew each other. It was learned that Anne Elliot, on her morning walk, had made it as far as the fork leading to Mount Oakham. She had followed this path for another good quarter of an hour and then, having noticed a large tree stump that could serve as a bench, decided to stop there for a short rest. She had barely been there for two minutes when she heard the sound of footsteps, and a young woman, lively and spirited, her cheeks rosy from exercise, came to sit beside her. And thus, she came to know Miss Elizabeth. They quickly came to like one another, as both enjoyed walking outdoors. When they met again at Netherfield, theirs was a rather amicable gathering, in which Anne Elliot continued with the conversation she’d had the day before with Elizabeth Bennet, relieved to not have to listen to Miss Bingley’s and her sister’s polite and often condescending conversation.
As soon as the guests had left, Caroline Bingley began to describe their hosts for the following evening. The young Elliot women thereupon learned that Sir William Lucas, who had been relieved of his burden of doing business and trade, could meditate on his importance at leisure and devote all his time to becoming the most courteous man in the whole of England. It was whispered that his new title of Knight had, far from making him arrogant, caused him to multiply his considerations towards everyone.
‘Clearly, Sir William is inoffensive and rather obliging; it is, one could say, in his nature. And since his presentation at St. James, there is no doubt that he has become a perfect gentleman!’ finished Louisa Hurst, a slight smile of feigned admiration crossing her lips.
And then the conversation turned to Lady Lucas, who was described as being a good person, at the head of privileged offspring. It could have been added that the average ability of Lady Lucas allowed her to live amicably next to Mrs. Bennet, but that this could become less pleasant when it came to matrimonial business, as both women had daughters to marry.
That evening, when the gentle
men joined the ladies for coffee, they found them discussing Miss Bennet. On hearing this name, Bingley turned to Anne and Elizabeth Elliot and inquired as to whether they had enjoyed the presence of the guests that afternoon.
‘I found Miss Bennet utterly charming,’ declared Miss Elliot. ‘She appears to be an accomplished young woman, and it was a pleasure to make her acquaintance. It seems that we will be able to continue our conversation tomorrow, as she and her family will be in attendance at Sir Lucas’ tomorrow evening.’
‘Is this true, Louisa?’ asked Bingley, a smile of delight on his face.
‘But of course, you seem to have forgotten that Miss Elizabeth is a dear friend of the oldest of the Lucas daughters; it comes as no surprise that these families spend time together.’
‘Precisely, and on the subject of Miss Elizabeth, it is said that she has a certain beauty. Are you of the same opinion, Mr. Darcy?’ asked Caroline Bingley, attempting to make her question sound trivial.
‘It’s true, Darcy. Do you recall that I wanted Miss Bennet to introduce you, but you did not seem to be willing?’
‘Is this true, Mr. Darcy?’ asked Miss Elliot, who, through her question, kept Miss Bingley from repeating her question.
‘Miss Elizabeth Bennet a beauty? I should as soon call her mother a wit!’ he replied, poking at the logs in the hearth in order to hide the smile of satisfaction that he could barely contain when he heard the laughter of Bingley’s sisters and Miss Elliot.
His friend’s reaction, however, was entirely different. Angry, the latter shot him a look heavy with reproach. As for Miss Anne, she had raised her eyes from the anthology she was reading and looked at him, not saying a thing. Somewhat unsettled by this reaction, he joined her while the game of cards started at the other end of the drawing room.
‘Miss Anne, did I say something that might have offended you?’
‘Mr. Darcy, because you have chosen to ask, I will tell you what I think: you were unjustly and deliberately cruel towards Miss Elizabeth with your comment.’
She completed her sentence and returned to her reading of Lyrical Ballads, rather taken aback by the thought that she had too clearly expressed her feelings, but somewhat comforted that it had been solicited through a question. As she avoiding catching her interlocutor’s gaze, she had no idea how he had taken her comment. It wasn’t until just before retiring for the evening, when she bid goodnight to her hosts, that she looked at him again, but she was struck by his imperturbable and distant air. She was surprised to feel a certain sense of relief; her first thought had been that he had reacted too strongly to the question asked by her sister and that it seemed to hide an unacknowledged interest. But she had simply been mistaken, her comment had barely moved him.
For nothing in the world would Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire have allowed an emotion such as this to appear on his face following the comment by Miss Anne Elliot. However, at two o’clock in the morning, he was still awake; he hated himself for having made a remark such as this. Admittedly, his intent was to elicit laughter and to eliminate any doubt regarding his interest, or rather his lack of interest, in the young lady. In fact, he was unable to keep himself from revisiting the moment in which, after he had shown his friend his lack of enthusiasm towards Miss Elizabeth, he had walked in front of her, and their gaze had met. The mischievous twinkle in her eye had unsettled him, and then he noticed the hint of a smile on her lips and her raised eyebrow, which gave her a mildly provocative air. Lastly, once he had crossed the room to retreat to a quieter area, he felt the weight of her negative opinion of him and, he knew not why, it mortified him. Lost in thought, he covered himself back up and his gaze was drawn to the far-off stars in the night sky. He never drew his curtains; a habit he’d had since childhood and which had stayed with him. And so, when he was unable to sleep, he could always lose himself in the darkness of the night and, early in the morning, he preferred to be awoken by the first light of dawn and not by his valet.
*****
Elizabeth adjusted one of the hairpins holding in place her curls, which were always a bit unruly. She thoughtfully looked at her reflection in the mirror and comically smiled at herself. No, she would never be as pretty as Jane, something her mother reminded her of now and again. However, wearing this ivory-coloured muslin dress, she thought herself more than pleasing. Then, recalling the words of Mr. Darcy at the evening at Meryton, she grimaced. At this exact moment, her older sister stopped in the doorway, asking her to come downstairs, as the carriage was at the door. Yes, Jane really was the prettiest, and Mr. Bingley had very much noticed. It also seemed clear that Jane was increasingly yielding to the affinity that she had felt towards him from the outset. Fortunately, very few people would have taken notice because, possessing a great deal of sensibility, her oldest sister was able to unite equal parts spirit and a mastery of herself, thereby protecting her from indiscrete inquisitiveness. Which was far from being the case with regards to the two youngest of the family.
‘Lydia! You will never be ready on time! Where did you put your hat and your gloves?’
‘Oh, come Kitty, is it because there will be several officers in attendance that you are so rushed?! Unless you simply wish to admire the dresses of the Netherfield ladies.’
‘Jane told me that they have guests and that Lady Lucas extended her invitation to them, so we shall make some new acquaintances.’
‘I don’t know if this is something to be happy about. Don’t you think that they will be the object of the officers’ attention?’
‘These are nobly born women, Elliot ladies. I believe their father is a baronet from the region of Somerset,’ clarified Kitty, bounding down the stairs to join her sisters in the foyer.
‘Well now I’m relieved,’ added Lydia, following close behind. ‘No one shall stand between us and Denny, Carter, and the other officers. They will be exactly like Miss Bingley and her sister, and will only deign to associate with people such as Mr. Darcy, puffed up with pride and…’
‘Pride,’ interrupted Mary, who took pleasure in her knowledge of psychology, ‘is a very widespread feeling. It is something we all possess naturally, and very few among us elude this indulgence, which we cultivate due to one quality or another, most often imaginary.’
‘Oh Mary, stop teaching us a lesson. Tonight, we are going to enjoy ourselves!’
‘Lydia, could you not be nicer to your sister?’ intervened Mrs. Bennet, as she joined her daughters. ‘As for you, Mary, please stop these moralistic discussions, you will end up becoming vain, and that will never get you anywhere.’
‘Mother, vanity and pride are two different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.’
‘Mary is right,’ Elizabeth whispered into Jane’s ear while they were getting into the carriage. ‘I wonder what Mr. Darcy would think. Jane, do you find him vain or proud?’
‘Lizzy, while it is true that Mr. Darcy was not courteous towards you, perhaps you should give him a second chance before you judge him irrevocably.’
‘Dearest Jane, always tempering my judgements. What would I do without you? And I must concede that, as he is the close friend of you know who, he must be a good person – at least, I hope so,’ concluded Elizabeth, in a mildly amused tone, watching her sister blush slightly when she alluded to the charming tenant of the neighbouring estate.
When the Bennet family arrived at Lucas Lodge, the evening was in full swing. Kitty and Lydia were snatched up by some young, cheerful officers. Mary went straight to the piano, which fortunately – or unfortunately – was not occupied at that particular moment. Jane had barely crossed the threshold when Mr. Bingley came towards her, a smile on his face. As for Elizabeth, she joined Charlotte Lucas, who was in discussion with a guest.
‘Mrs. Weston, can I introduce you to my dear friend, Elizabeth Bennet?’
‘I am
delighted to make your acquaintance, Miss Bennet.’
‘As am I, Mrs. Weston. I learned that you recently married; please allow me to wish you all the best,’ Elizabeth replied, warmly.
‘Thank you, that is most kind of you. I had the great fortune to meet a charming man, and here I am in a new life.’
‘A new life… yet Father told me that you still reside near Highbury.’ Charlotte Lucas felt she should mention this.
‘In fact, after having spent more than seventeen years in Hartfield, near my dear Emma, I moved to Randalls, not far from there. I thus have the pleasure of still being able to spend time with the people dear to me! Kindly allow me to return to your mother, Miss Lucas, as she had promised to introduce me to two of her friends,’ said Mrs. Weston, nodding to them before departing.
Charlotte Lucas informed Elizabeth that Mr. Weston had known her father for several years and that he had written to him recently to inform him of his marriage to Miss Emma Woodhouse’s lady companion, Anne Taylor. Sir Lucas immediately invited him to stop for a few days at Lucas Lodge when he would be passing through the region with his wife.
‘Oh, there you are, Miss Anne. What a pleasure to see you again!’ exclaimed Elizabeth, pleased to see her new friend once more.
‘Miss Elizabeth, Miss Lucas, this evening is truly wonderful. How kind of you to have invited us!’
‘The pleasure is ours. It seems that more than one person is finding the evening delightful,’ stated Charlotte Lucas, discretely looking towards Charles Bingley, who was deep in conversation with Jane Bennet.
‘You are correct, Charlotte; I believe that my sister is aware of the attention being bestowed upon her by Mr. Bingley, but you know her, she does not readily show her emotions. And she needs to take time to get to know him better.’
