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“That was very pleasant,” Mrs. Bennet said to her daughters after they had paid their call at Netherfield. “Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst were so friendly.”

Elizabeth could not agree. Their visit this morning had only furthered her impressions from the assembly. She had not perceived friendliness, and even their civility had been to a lesser degree.

“I don’t know about Miss Bingley,” Lydia said. “I think she wants to steal the officers away from us. She was excessively interested in hearing about them.”

“I doubt that Miss Bingley wants an officer for herself,” Mary said. “I thought she was just encouraging you to make yourself look foolish by boasting of all your flirtations.”

“Lydia wasn’t boasting,” Mrs. Bennet protested. “She was entertaining them with interesting conversation. You might have tried to do more of that yourself, Mary. You were rather abrupt with them.”

“I don’t like being asked to tell all about myself.”

“They were just wanting to know us better. Such good-natured ladies, just like their brother. And very fond of Jane already. I’m sure the three of them are going to be great friends.”

“But they hardly spoke to her at all,” Mary said.

Lydia giggled. “They were more interested in the officers.”

“They couldn’t say as much to Jane as they would have liked because they were kept so busy getting to know all of us,” Mrs. Bennet said. “But I have no doubt, Jane, that they will single you out for particular attention the next time we meet.”

Elizabeth had plenty of doubt. Although she would have preferred Mary not to speak so bluntly, she was inclined to agree with her impressions.

From the uncertainty in Jane’s expression, it looked as though she was feeling the same way.

And with just cause, Elizabeth feared. It was looking very much like Mr. Bingley’s sisters didn’t even want her as a friend, let alone their brother’s wife.

***

“That went well,” Miss Bingley said to Mrs. Hurst.

“Well?” I thought it was awful. “Miss Lydia is the most ill-mannered girl it has ever been my misfortune to encounter, and Miss Kitty almost as bad. Their mother is coarse, and Miss Mary is appallingly abrupt.”

“And Miss Eliza impertinent. But these are just the sort of things we want to point out to Charles in order to give him an aversion to the entire Bennet family.”

“Oh, yes, I see. It is very helpful of them to have such bad manners , but I still don’t think Miss Bennet has any faults.”

“No one can be that nice,” Miss Bingley said irritably.

“It would not surprise me to learn that she is hiding some dark secret behind all that sweetness. We must endeavour to discover it. But her family alone should provide sufficient deterrent against this unfortunate entanglement. I was particularly interested to find the younger girls so obsessed with officers.”

“You seemed rather interested in the subject yourself.”

“Really, Louisa. As if I would be interested in officers. I encouraged the subject because I was gathering information about Miss Lydia and Miss Kitty chasing after them. That sort of shocking behaviour should be abhorred by any person of quality, even our foolish brother.”

“He ought to be disgusted,” Mrs. Hurst agreed, “but I doubt he will be.”

“His standards cannot be that lax. Indeed, I have hopes of succeeding this very morning at persuading Charles to give up the acquaintance. And this inferior house.”

“I am finding it quite comfortable. The rooms are spacious and well furnished, and the meals have been good.”

“But there is no one worth knowing in the vicinity. Not a single member of the aristocracy for us to invite to dinner. Not even a baronet. I don’t understand how any neighbourhood can be so devoid of people of consequence.”

“Probably because they used to live here. One of the maids told me that this was originally a viscount’s home.”

“I wish he had never left.”

“If he hadn’t, we wouldn’t be here.”

“Even better.”

It was with great delight that Miss Bingley informed her brother, after he came in from spending the morning shooting, that the Bennet ladies had been among the vast number of callers they had received that morning.

“And now I can assure you that I was not mistaken about Mrs. Bennet’s identity at the assembly.

She is indeed the person whose artfulness had me so concerned. ”

“That is absurd,” Mr. Bingley said. “I don’t know how you have managed to form such an incorrect impression of her, but as I said before, Mrs. Bennet is not like that.”

“I am not mistaken,” Miss Bingley insisted. “I saw how she was looking at you, and Mr. Darcy. Like opportunities to be taken advantage of. And what is more, Louisa and I found her dreadfully vulgar this morning.”

“Her manners are perhaps a little unpolished, but I think it rather much to describe her as vulgar.”

“I don’t. The things she says are appalling.

It is no wonder that her daughters have no manners and no sense of propriety.

We have learned that the two youngest Miss Bennets go to Meryton almost every day for the sole purpose of seeking out and flirting with the officers.

Without a chaperone. Their parents allow them to run wild.

You must agree that this is shockingly neglectful. ”

Without showing the slightest sign of concern, he replied, “You are not in possession of all the facts. Miss Kitty and Miss Lydia are not unsupervised. They go to Meryton to visit their aunt, and the officers often call upon her just as they call at many other houses. There is nothing untoward in that.”

“Everything about their behaviour is untoward. And what about Miss Mary? I have never met anyone as rude as she is.”

“She is sometimes a bit blunt, but—”

“I think it must be all the time. And Miss Elizabeth speaks her mind with astounding boldness.”

“I find her refreshingly open. I thought you and Louisa would particularly like to be friends with her and Miss Bennet.”

“What a dreadful notion. How could you want us to have such unladylike friends? We are accustomed to associating with the best sort of people.”

“Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth are not unladylike,” Mr. Bingley angrily declared. “They have excellent manners and are not in any way wanting for propriety. And they are very agreeable company. What more could you want in a friend?”

“A certain something in her air and expressions. An elegant manner of carrying herself and a refined tone of voice. A thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, and the modern languages.”

“A talent for painting tables and covering screens,” Mrs. Hurst contributed.

“Quite right,” Miss Bingley said. “And a respectable situation in life. In addition to lacking accomplishment and a proper education, which they readily admit, Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth are very likely to be disgraced at any moment by their younger sisters, who are determined to get themselves husbands by any means. Louisa and I do not want friends who will, at best, be dull company, and at worst, entangle us in their sordid affairs. I don’t know how you can make such a suggestion to us, or take the risk of being associated with them yourself. ”

“You really do have the wrong end of the stick,” he said lightly.

“Miss Lydia and Miss Kitty are not going to disgrace themselves. I don’t see a point in saying any more at the moment, but I would appreciate you giving the Bennets a chance to show you how agreeable they are and how wrong your impressions are.

And now if you’ll excuse me, Darcy is waiting for me in the billiards room. ”

He was out the door before Miss Bingley could think of any suitable reply.

“That did not go well,” Mrs. Hurst said. “I don’t think Charles can be persuaded against the girl.”

“You cannot give up so easily.”

“I am not giving up. Although I wonder if we might have to accept the inevitable.”

“Do stop thinking of defeat. We have only just begun.”

“It wasn’t much of a beginning.”

“I disagree. We have given him some food for thought—”

“Which he refuses to chew.”

Miss Bingley frowned. “That is a dreadful metaphor, Louisa. I think you are allowing yourself to be too much influenced by Mr. Hurst. We have given Charles some information to mull over, and now we must continue to impress upon him the unsuitability of continuing any acquaintance with the Bennet family. When we go out, we must keep a close eye on them in order to observe more examples of their faults to report to Charles. It should be easy to find a great many.”

“I expect it will,” Mrs. Hurst agreed. “But I doubt that he will be bothered, no matter how many examples you can produce.”

Miss Bingley looked at her sister with disappointment. “It doesn’t seem as though your heart is in this, Louisa. Do you want to have Miss Bennet for your sister?”

“Believe me, Caroline, I want to put a stop to this business is much as you do. But I think it will be harder to persuade him than you believe. He seems to have already made his mind up.”

“Then we must unmake it,” Miss Bingley said firmly. “We cannot fail. He has been blind to the family’s faults, but we must make him notice every single one and shudder in horror. And if Miss Bennet doesn’t have any, then we shall make some up.”

“I doubt he will believe us.”

“He won’t if you don’t put your heart into it. I can do all the planning, but you must buck up and follow my lead.”