Pride in Meryton, page 13
Later that evening, when the house was quiet, Darcy put his plan into action. He went to the stable to retrieve the bucket of cheese, which was now crawling with lovely, squirming field mice. He snuck into Caroline’s chamber, lifted the bed covers, deposited the contents into the bed, and neatly replaced the covers. “I apologize most sincerely, Sir William! I assure you that no such behaviour will ever occur again in the future!” Darcy laughed as he snuck out of the room and back to his own chamber.
When the Netherfield party returned home that evening, Charles was in high spirits, having just spent an enjoyable evening dancing. He especially enjoyed the company of one beautiful girl and looked forward to seeing her again; however, no such enthusiasm for the evening’s events was enjoyed by the rest of the party.
A few minutes later, the house went into an uproar: “Charles! Charles!”
While Caroline screamed in her chamber, Darcy chuckled to himself and had a sip of local wine: “Darcy, you are so childish!” he reprimanded himself. “Such behaviour from a grown man! Sir William would be seriously displeased!” Pandemonium ensued as servants scurried to and fro, trying desperately to comply with her demands. She shrieked and squawked, shouted and screamed. “Yes,” thought Darcy, “this is a very satisfying outcome!”
That evening before he retired, Darcy moved his signet ring to his left hand. When he finally fell asleep, he dreamt about the girl with unforgettable eyes.
Chapter 9: Enchanted Tuesday
In the morning, Darcy awoke to find his signet ring on his right hand, as he knew it would be. He rose and rang for the valet. While he dressed, he thought about his dances and conversations with Miss Elizabeth and regretted that she will have remembered none of them. All of his enjoyable encounters with her at the ball and on the path to Longbourn will never have happened. It suddenly occurred to him that she was outside walking at this very moment! He rushed down the stairs and out to the stable, requested that his horse be readied and rushed out to meet Miss Elizabeth. She was startled to see a stranger on a large black stallion.
“Forgive me Madam, I did not mean to startle you.” He dismounted and bowed formally. “I am Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley, a guest of Mr. Bingley at Netherfield Park.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Darcy. I am Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn,” obviously uncomfortable being so close to the stallion.
“Am I to assume that I am trespassing on Longbourn property?” he asked.
“Yes, Sir, I am afraid you are,” backing away, clearly afraid of the horse.
Hoping to alleviate her fears, he continued: “And this is Justice, my trusty steed! He is normally very agreeable but today he is displeased with me as I have selfishly interrupted his breakfast to take a morning ride,” he explained with a cheerful tone.
“Then he must have mine,” she said, as she pulled an apple out of her pocket and handed it to him.
“You are most kind,” he replied.
“Not at all, Sir. If I had been denied my breakfast, I would be most disagreeable, to be sure!” she insisted cheerfully.
He opened his saddle bag, retrieved a small pocket knife, cut the apple into four wedges and returned the knife to the saddle bag. “You will certainly win his affection if you feed him a sweet treat,” he said as he held one wedge in the palm of his hand and fed it to the horse. “May I?” he asked as he offered a wedge to her. She held out her hand and he placed the wedge in her palm. She offered it to the horse with slight trepidation and he accepted it greedily.
She smiled and he noticed that she was less fearful. As she fed the remaining wedges to the horse, she inquired: “May I ask how Justice acquired his name?”
“I instructed my younger sister to give him a name that would do him justice, and…” he smiled and shrugged.
She laughed cheerfully and said: “Your sister sounds delightful!”
“As her devoted brother, I must agree, but perhaps you shall meet her one day and form your own opinion,” he suggested.
“Perhaps,” she replied pensively.
“Well, Miss Elizabeth, we have imposed on you long enough. We shall take our leave.” He bowed and mounted the horse. “Will you perhaps be attending the assembly in Meryton this evening?”
“Yes, Sir, I will be there with my family,” she told him.
“I shall look forward to seeing you there,” he said with a smile. He rode back to Netherfield and fed Justice the rest of his breakfast, with an extra apple as a reward for his excellent behaviour.
When the Netherfield party arrived at the assembly that evening, Darcy suggested that they find Sir William and request introductions to the neighbours. The first introduction was to Mrs. Bennet and her five daughters, who greeted them amiably. Darcy smiled at Elizabeth, but they did not divulge to the group that they had already met. Similar introductions were made to other attending neighbours and family members.
Bingley danced the first set with Miss Lucas, the next with Miss Bennet, the third with Miss King, the fourth with Miss Maria Lucas, the fifth again with Miss Bennet, the sixth with Miss Elizabeth and the last with his sister.
Darcy danced the first set with Miss Elizabeth, the next with Miss Lucas, and the third with Miss Bennet. During that dance, he noticed Miss Mary Bennet sitting down looking forlorn. He asked his partner: “Does your sister Miss Mary enjoy dancing?”
“Mary enjoys more intellectual pursuits, Mr. Darcy,” she replied. “The gentlemen in the neighbourhood have been declined so often, they no longer ask her to dance.”
At the end of the dance, Darcy escorted Miss Bennet back to her mother and addressed Miss Mary: “Miss Mary, will you do me the honour of dancing with me?” he asked her.
Mrs. Bennet was astonished at this invitation, but Miss Mary quickly replied: “I thank you for your kind offer, Mr. Darcy, but I am not inclined to dance this evening,” she said with polite reserve.
Darcy put his hand over his heart and cringed as though she had wounded him deeply: “Miss Mary, I beg you to reconsider,” he said with a smile.
Mrs. Bennet was not about to let an opportunity like this pass by: “Of course Mary will dance with you, Mr. Darcy!” she insisted as she pushed Mary toward Darcy and placed her hand in his. “Mary is an excellent dancer!” she boasted.
During the dance, Miss Mary tried her best to concentrate on the steps but faltered a few times and became flustered. Darcy tried to engage her in conversation, but whenever she tried to reply, she made a wrong step and became flustered again. Sensing her dismay, he told her: “You know, Miss Mary, I used to have difficulty dancing and conversing at the same time. As you see, our fellow dancers seem to have no difficulty doing both.”
“And how did you overcome this dilemma, Sir?” she asked, as she stepped on his foot. “Oh my goodness!” she exclaimed.
“Think nothing of it, Miss Mary. Practice was the best solution for me,” he told her. “I have hardly stepped on your toes at all, have I?” he teased her.
“No, Mr. Darcy, you have not once stepped on my toes!” she giggled, as she felt more relaxed.
“The gentlemen here know not what they are missing, Miss Mary! You are indeed an accomplished dancer and a delightful partner,” he complimented her. At the end of the dance, he escorted her back to her mother and thanked her for the dance. As soon as Darcy was gone, another young gentleman appeared and requested a dance with Miss Mary.
Darcy then danced the next set with Miss Bingley, then with Mrs. Hurst and the last again with Miss Elizabeth.
“Thank you for accepting a second dance with me, Miss Elizabeth. I hope the other gentlemen do not mind that I have imposed on the jewel of the county,” he said with a smile as they danced.
She laughed merrily: “So, you have already spoken to Sir William, I presume.”
“Yes, he called on us yesterday and sang the praises of his neighbours. He compared you to the brightest star on a summer night,” he said as he continued the dance.
She smiled and blushed.
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” he asked. She smiled and gazed into his eyes.
“Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;
And every fair from fair declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm’d;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest;
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this and this gives life to thee.” [7]
“Thank you, Mr. Darcy. That is one of my favourites,” she said with a smile.
“And now, it is one of mine,” he replied, returning her smile. At the end of the dance, he offered his arm which she accepted. “May I call on you tomorrow morning?” he asked as he escorted her to the refreshment table.
“I shall look forward to it,” she replied. Mrs. Bennet was waiting at the refreshment table for her daughters and their partners. She gushed over the men and complimented the excellent dancing of her daughters.
“May I offer you ladies some refreshments?” he asked, and they graciously accepted. He picked up three cups of punch, waited for a man passing by to move away from the table, and delivered the punch to Mrs. Bennet, Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth without incident. He said a silent prayer of thanks and smiled broadly while he chatted amiably with the Bennet ladies.
Most of the local residents thought Darcy and Bingley were both amiable and hoped that their daughters would be favoured with a future call by one of the two respected gentlemen. Two Bennet sisters were particularly pleased that they had been complimented by the offer of two dances with the handsome newcomers.
When the Netherfield party returned home that evening, Charles and Darcy were in high spirits. Charles had spent an enjoyable evening dancing with an angel and Darcy, with an enchantress. Caroline however, had no such enthusiasm for the evening’s events.
That evening before he retired, Darcy moved his signet ring to his left hand. When he fell asleep, he dreamt about the beautiful girl with enchanting eyes.
Chapter 10: Memorable Tuesday
In the morning, Darcy awoke to find his signet ring on his left hand, as he hoped it would be. “Finally! A new day!” He felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. He had finally appeased the cosmos, or whatever it was preventing him from advancing to this new day. Never before was he so happy to see a Wednesday morning. He made a mental note to call on Sir William and thank him for getting him to this glorious Wednesday. Of course, his first call of the day would be to Longbourn. He took special care to ensure he looked his best for his beautiful lady. Of course, she had only known him for one day, but he had no doubt that she was destined to be the future Mrs. Darcy. He would make certain that no cosmic forces would interfere with that eventuality.
The rest of the party was assembled in the breakfast parlour for breakfast and Caroline was complaining about the countryside. “Oh, Mr. Darcy! What a spectacle that was last night, do you not agree? Such unsophisticated people live here in the country. Of course, there is no comparison to the refinement found in Town. These country people are so terribly dull, with no sense of style or fashion. Oh my, they were so rude, so boisterous, obviously lacking proper manners. And did you notice their dancing? They dance like savages! There was no proper music; certainly nothing close to my taste in music,” she exclaimed. When she saw the reactions to her criticisms, she attempted to soften her comments: “I suppose there were some friendly people in attendance,” she finally stopped her tirade when she observed that she was getting no support, even from her sister.
“I found them to be quite friendly, welcoming and charming,” Charles commented.
“I found them to be delightful,” Darcy agreed. “Certainly not as self-important as some people of my acquaintance,” he added, not mentioning anyone in particular.
“I must say, Miss Bennet is pretty but her sisters are rather ordinary, in my estimation. I saw nothing to recommend them. And did you notice the horrendous behaviour of the youngest Bennets? They were left to their own devices all evening without any thought of propriety! Quite unsuitable, those girls are!” she remarked, in an obvious ploy to highlight the flaws of the Bennet family.
“They were quite free-spirited, but I saw nothing improper. They certainly enjoyed the evening, to be sure!” Charles noticed. “Perhaps we should hold a ball here at Netherfield! What would you say to that, Caroline? Would you agree to be the hostess of the finest ball Netherfield has ever seen?” he asked her.
~~~
Caroline carefully considered this possibility: “What if we did hold a ball? It would certainly be a more civilized event than the debacle we attended last night. No country ball would ever compare to it. I might even educate those unsophisticated country folks on how a proper, cultured ball should be conducted. Also, it would allow me to demonstrate my skills to Mr. Darcy. He would certainly see that I am the best choice for Mistress of Pemberley,” she imagined. “Perhaps, Charles,” she replied, not wanting to agree too readily. She would have to give this idea more consideration before agreeing.
~~~
The Bingley carriage left Netherfield later that morning to call on Longbourn. The two gentlemen were eagerly anticipating their visit with their new acquaintances: Charles Bingley with his beautiful angel and Darcy with his enchanted star.
“I suspect that yesterday may have been one of the most memorable days of my life,” Darcy observed. “A day that I most certainly will always cherish,” he thought to himself.
“I am hoping that today will also be one of those days,” said Charles.
“Charles; ever the optimist!” Darcy silently observed.
As they made their way to Longbourn, both gentlemen were certain that many more memorable days would be in their futures.
~~ ~~ ~~
Hedgerows
Jane Austen Quotes:
“About a month ago I received this letter…It is from Mr. Collins, who, when I am dead, may turn you all out of this house as soon as he pleases.” (Mr. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 13)
“The Collins will turn us out before he is cold in his grave!” (Mrs. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 47)
Chapter 1: Misfortune
==o==
3 February, 1812
Dear Mr. Collins,
It is with the deepest sadness that I inform you of the most terrible news from Hertfordshire. Our beloved Mr. Bennet has suffered a grievous injury from an unfortunate accident. The outlook is quite dire; he is not expected to survive.
I implore you to break the news to my dearest Charlotte in the most delicate manner possible as she has always held the greatest affection for the entire Bennet family.
Yours respectfully,
William Lucas
==o==
Reverend William Collins could not believe his good fortune! He was about to become a member of the landed gentry! The second son of a second son, who had once only aspired to earn a humble living as a country parson was now about to be rewarded for his patience and perseverance. His connections to the family of de Bourgh had served him well; however, now he was about to be a landowner and his station in life was about to be elevated. “Lady Catherine will be so pleased!” he said aloud as he hurried up the path to Rosings. His patroness had bestowed many kindnesses upon him and offered such excellent advice in his pursuit of a wife; surely her opinion on this matter would be of infinite use. He was shown into the empty drawing room where he was informed that her Ladyship would join him momentarily. He sat in one of the brocade chairs, then thought better of it and stood in the centre of the room to await the gracious Lady’s arrival.
“Good morning, Mr. Collins. I hope everything is well,” Lady Catherine de Bourgh said upon entering the drawing room.
He bowed deeply, displaying his respect and servitude to the Lady. “A gracious good morning to you, Lady Catherine. Yes, everything is perfectly well and I hope you and Miss de Bourgh are enjoying the best of health this morning,” he said with a nervous smile.
“Indeed we are; I thank you. To what do I owe your early morning visit? Is there a problem with a parishioner that needs my immediate attention?” she asked as she sat in her favourite chair without offering him a seat.
He had not previously notified the Lady of his visit and shuffled nervously from one foot to the other. “No, my Lady, indeed my news is not at all related to Rosings; instead my news is related to Longbourn in Hertfordshire,” he told her; his smile twitched nervously while he absently wrung his hands together.
“Is that not the estate that you are to inherit?” she asked.
“Yes, Lady Catherine, indeed it is and it seems as though my inheritance is quite imminent. A letter arrived in this morning’s post informing me of the impending demise of my beloved cousin, Mr. Bennet. It seems as though he has suffered a serious injury and is not expected to survive,” he said gravely.
“I see,” she replied pensively. “The title to the estate shall of course pass to you upon the expected sad event,” she observed.
“Indeed it shall, my Lady,” he replied, trying desperately to maintain a grim countenance, all the while bursting with excitement at the very idea of owning his own estate.
“You must travel to Hertfordshire immediately to claim ownership upon the death of your cousin, Mr. Collins,” she said, bestowing her advice on the parson.
“Yes, of course,” he eagerly agreed.
“It should come as no surprise to Mrs. Bennet that the estate is about to change hands and if she is wise, she will be prepared for that eventuality upon your arrival. I suggest that you watch the Bennets most carefully to ensure that no effects are taken from the estate without your knowledge,” she cautioned him.
