W ithin the week, the ladies of Netherfield paid a call on those at Longbourn, and the visit was about to be returned. Mrs. Gardiner accompanied her sister-by-marriage and her nieces—although Lydia was left at home, still locked in the nursery. The youngest Bennet girl was not adapting to her new circumstances very well, and Elizabeth was relieved that the room was located in a way that Lydia’s infuriated shrieking was muffled to the rest of the house.
“I am quite looking forward to finally seeing Netherfield Park,” Mrs. Gardiner said as the estate came into view. “I have never been inside.”
“It has always been a handsome house, even when I was a girl,” Mrs. Bennet replied. “When Lucy and I were girls just coming out, there were several parties hosted by Sir Reginald, the owner. Edward would have been too young to attend, of course, but Lucy and I passed many wonderful evenings in these rooms.”
“Of course, it must be in a much different condition now,” Elizabeth said. “Having sat empty for so long, I imagine Mr. Bingley must need to do quite a bit for it. It has been empty for so long that I am surprised anyone was even interested in it.”
“There were actually quite a number of people who were interested,” Mrs. Bennet said, leaning forward and speaking in a hushed voice to add to the intrigue. “Mr. Bingley is just the one who offered the best leasing agreement.”
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. “Indeed?”
Mrs. Bennet nodded furiously. “Oh, yes, I had it from Lucy. Mr. Philips was the one to provide the papers for the contract, and he told her all about it. Apparently, the price was driven up considerably when another gentleman attempted to secure the estate in spite of the deposit being paid.”
Elizabeth exchanged an amused glance with her aunt. “How fortunate that he has such deep pockets, then.”
“I should hope so,” Mrs. Bennet said. “I only wish it had been a sale rather than a lease. That would be a true sign of permanency. But perhaps, once he realizes how much the area has to offer…” She looked meaningfully towards Jane, whose cheeks turned pink.
“The fire certainly had a tremendous effect on Hertfordshire,” Mary interjected. “I would not have thought so, given that we are so far from London.”
“We are closer to London than many other counties with large estates, and Meryton is along one of the main thoroughfares,” Elizabeth replied. “It only makes sense that estates within a half-day’s journey of London would be highly sought after.”
“I wonder how long he intends to stay,” Jane mused softly.
“I should think that depends entirely on whether a certain young lady maintains his interest,” Mrs. Gardiner said with a smirk.
Jane blushed deeply, but before Elizabeth could chime in, the carriage came to a halt. “We are here!” Mrs. Bennet squealed, causing Mrs. Gardiner to reach over and pat her hand in an attempt to calm her nerves.
Without ceremony, the part was ushered inside, where they were soon welcome by Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst, both impeccably dressed and standing with their noses in the air.
Greetings were exchanged, with Mrs. Bennet introducing Mrs. Gardiner to their hostess, and they were all civilly invited to take their seats. They spoke of the weather and other banal topics until the tea was brought in. After asking each guest how they took theirs, Miss Bingley began to disperse the cups.
“I understand you are new to the area, Mrs. Gardiner?” Miss Bingley’s honeyed tones caused the hair on the back of Elizabeth’s neck to raise.
“Indeed,” Mrs. Gardiner said smoothly, inclining her head.
Miss Bingley’s smile was all polite indifference. “How lovely. I do hope you have not found your relocation from Cheapside too… taxing. A change in status can certainly be unnerving.”
Elizabeth saw the glint in her aunt’s eyes before she spoke. “Not at all, Miss Bingley. Stoke Estate has proved a most charming place, and we are quite pleased to be its new owners.” She took a sip of tea, then added, “I trust you are finding your leasing of Netherfield to your satisfaction?”
The words were delivered lightly, but their meaning was clear. The Gardiners owned their estate, while Bingley, for all his wealth, was merely leasing Netherfield.
Miss Bingley’s smile tightened ever so slightly.
“How fortunate for you,” Mrs. Hurst interjected, forcing a laugh. “Though I cannot imagine leaving London entirely—such a sacrifice!”
“It has its advantages,” Mrs. Gardiner said pleasantly. “And with the current state of affairs in London, I believe many have found themselves desiring a quieter life in the country.”
“I daresay you must be noticing the stark contrast to town. Your husband was in trade, was he not?”
“He was.”
Miss Bingley’s nose wrinkled at the polite, yet brusque, answer. “Now, where were you residing before?”
“Our house was in Gracechurch Street.”
Mrs. Hurst gave a theatrical gasp. “Oh my, was that not one of the places in Cheapside that burned down with the docks? How fortunate that you were able to afford to relocate with such…advantage.”
“My aunt and uncle were already in the process of moving,” Elizabeth said testily. “Uncle Gardiner sold his business some six months before the fire; he was quite successful at what he did.”
Miss Bingley’s teacup paused briefly before reaching her lips. “How… admirable.”
“And you, Miss Bingley?” Mrs. Gardiner asked, tilting her head. “Do you and your sister enjoy country life?”
Miss Bingley set her teacup down with a carefully measured smile. “It is… an adjustment.”
“Ah, yes,” Elizabeth smirked. “I imagine it must be quite different when one is merely visiting rather than settling permanently.”
Miss Bingley’s lips pressed together.
Mrs. Gardiner patted Elizabeth’s hand lightly, her own expression perfectly pleasant. “Yes, indeed. There is something quite different about putting down roots. I imagine you will discover that for yourselves soon enough.”
Jane, who had been looking anxiously between the two opposing sides, sought to change the topic by asking Mrs. Hurst about the lace on her gown. This put an end to the one-sided battle of wits, and fashion became of the focus of the remainder of the visit, with Mrs. Bennet and Kitty eagerly sharing their opinions.
Elizabeth sat back and watched as Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst launched into a detailed discussion of the latest styles from town, their tones notably lighter now that they were on a subject they could dominate. Mrs. Bennet, ever eager to ingratiate herself, nodded enthusiastically at every remark, while Kitty listened with rapt attention, hanging on every word about flounces, trims, and the superiority of London dressmakers.
Elizabeth, however, was not fooled. She noted the tightness around Miss Bingley’s mouth, the way she clutched her teacup just a little too firmly. Despite her attempts at superiority, the woman was rattled.
And that is what happens when you cross swords with my family.
∞∞∞
The following morning was cool and damp, with the scent of approaching rain lingering in the air. The ladies of Longbourn had gathered in the drawing room after breaking their fast, and they had just settled in when a footman entered bearing a note for Jane.
“Who is it from?” Mrs. Bennet asked eagerly.
“Miss Bingley is asking me for dinner this evening,” Jane replied, her face lighting up.
“Let me see.” Mrs. Bennet snatched the paper from Jane’s hand and read it over. “Oh, that’s disappointing; the gentlemen will be dining out.”
“It is very kind of them to extend the invitation,” Jane said. “May I have the carriage, Mama?”
Mrs. Bennet pursed her lips and looked out the window. “No, I think it will be needed on the farm today. You shall ride Nellie.”
“Go on horseback?” Elizabeth gasped, bouncing Benjamin lightly in her arms. “Mama, she will be soaked through by the time she arrives!”
“Nonsense,” Mrs. Bennet declared. “A little rain never hurt anyone! You shall ride on horseback, Jane. It will do your complexion good, and they cannot refuse to keep you at Netherfield overnight should the rain become too heavy.”
Jane hesitated. “I do not wish to put them to any trouble—”
Before Mrs. Bennet could insist further, another voice interrupted from the doorway.
“I believe I can offer a solution,” Mrs. Gardiner said as she stepped into the room, having just arrived from Stoke Estate. “My carriage is waiting outside. If Jane is to go, she may take it while I visit with you all.”
Relief flickered across Jane’s features, and she quickly accepted. Within minutes, she was bundled into her cloak and stepping outside to the waiting carriage. Elizabeth followed, still cradling Benjamin, to bid her sister farewell.
“Enjoy your evening,” she said warmly.
“I am sure I shall.”
A low rumble of thunder echoed in the distance as the carriage set off. Five minutes later, the skies opened, and rain poured down in torrents.
Mrs. Bennet, peering anxiously out the window, sighed in satisfaction. “There now, you see? Had she gone on horseback, she would have been obliged to stay the night!”
Kitty, stretching on the settee, let out a dramatic sigh. “I do wish I had something interesting to do today like Jane does. Perhaps we ought to go into Meryton.”
“You do quite enough gallivanting,” Mary sniffed, not looking up from her book. “Between the weather and the homeless, the idea of going into the village is ludicrous.”
“You should come with us next time, Mary,” Kitty said mischievously. “If only to look at the latest fabrics. Perhaps a new gown might suit you.”
“Indeed, Mary,” Mrs. Bennet agreed, clasping her hands. “You are always dressing so plainly. We must find you something a little more… fashionable.”
As Kitty and Mrs. Bennet began discussing ribbons and trims, Elizabeth noticed Mrs. Gardiner shifting in her seat, her expression slightly troubled.
“What is it, Aunt?” she asked quietly, adjusting Benjamin against her shoulder.
Mrs. Gardiner exhaled, shaking her head as though trying to dispel a troublesome thought. “I should not worry you with it, my dear.”
Elizabeth arched a brow. “Now you must tell me.”
Mrs. Gardiner hesitated, then leaned in slightly. “The inspector coming next week has me feeling a bit uneasy.”
Elizabeth frowned. “Why should he? It is ridiculous to think that you or Uncle Gardiner would be under suspicion.”
Mrs. Gardiner sighed and folded her hands in her lap. “It is not so much what he has said but what has been implied. When we first received word that an inquiry was being made into the fire, I thought nothing of it—surely it was to determine the extent of damages, perhaps to root out fraud among the insurance claims. But now, Elizabeth…” She hesitated before continuing in a lower voice. “Now, it seems the authorities believe the fire was not an accident.”
Elizabeth’s heart gave an uncomfortable lurch. “What do you mean?”
“They believe it was arson,” Mrs. Gardiner admitted grimly, her voice barely above a whisper. “Not carelessness, not misfortune—arson. Deliberate destruction.”
A chill ran down Elizabeth’s spine, though the drawing room was warm. “That is absurd. Who would do such a thing?”
Mrs. Gardiner shook her head. “That, they do not yet know. But, Elizabeth… we were among the first to flee.”
Elizabeth sat up straighter. “Because we knew about the fire first.
“Precisely. The inspector finds it curious that we were able to escape so quickly while so many others perished. He wishes to know how we became aware of the fire before others.”
Elizabeth felt a flash of indignation. “We knew because I smelled it! Because I woke up and raised the alarm before it spread too far! Surely that is not suspicious?”
“Perhaps not to those who know you,” Mrs. Gardiner allowed. “But to an outsider, to an investigator looking for someone to blame? They might not find it so innocent. They may think we were forewarned.”
Elizabeth’s stomach twisted. “Forewarned? Do they believe we had something to do with it?”
Mrs. Gardiner lifted a shoulder in an uncertain shrug. “I do not know, my dear. But when men search for answers, they often look first to those who were fortunate when others were not.”
“That is absurd,” Elizabeth said hotly. “You lost your home! How could anyone believe you had a hand in such a disaster?”
Mrs. Gardiner sighed. “It is not about logic, Lizzy. It is about appearance. And the truth is, we survived and fled early, while others did not. We were seen arriving at Hyde Park before many others had even realized what was happening. We must be prepared for difficult questions.”
Elizabeth swallowed, glancing at Benjamin, who was gurgling happily against her shoulder, blissfully unaware of the dark conversation unfolding around him.
“I cannot believe this,” she murmured. “To think that instead of mourning the dead, some seek to cast blame where none belongs.”
Mrs. Gardiner gave a sad smile. “Human nature is often uglier than we would wish.”
Elizabeth exhaled, nodding determinedly. “Well, if this investigator wishes to know why we fled so early, I shall simply tell him the truth: I smelled the fire before anyone else. If he is not satisfied, he is welcome to test me himself.”
“He very well might. The investigators are searching for patterns. I cannot shake the feeling that this will not be an easy matter to put behind us.”
Elizabeth stared at her aunt, processing the implications. She had always assumed the fire was a tragic accident, a consequence of crowded conditions and misfortune. But if it had been deliberate? If someone had started the fire that had taken so many lives?
For the first time since that awful night, she felt something close to fear.
Several hours after Mrs. Gardiner’s carriage returned and took her back to Stoke Estate, a note arrived from Netherfield from Jane.
My dear Lizzy,
Do not be alarmed when I do not return to Longbourn tonight, due to some clumsiness on my part. As I was stepping into the carriage Miss Bingley so kindly offered, I lost my footing and took a rather inelegant tumble.
Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy had just returned from their dinner in town and were most insistent that I not attempt the journey home with my ankle in such a state. Mr. Bingley called for a maid to assist me upstairs, and Miss Bingley has assured me that I am welcome to remain here until Mr. Jones can examine me in the morning.
Please do not worry—though I am in some discomfort, I am well looked after. Mr. Bingley has been very kind, and Miss Bingley, though somewhat flustered at the unexpected turn of events, has made certain that I have everything I need. I will write again after Mr. Jones has seen me.
Give my love to Mama and the rest of the family, and please assure them that I am in excellent care.
Yours always,
Jane
Elizabeth frowned as she read the letter a second time, concern creeping into her chest. Jane, ever the optimist, was unlikely to complain even if she were in great pain. A twisted ankle could be a minor inconvenience or something far worse.
She folded the note carefully and turned to her mother, who was already fluttering with nervous energy.
“Oh, my poor Jane!” Mrs. Bennet cried, wringing her hands. “What if her ankle is broken? What if she is left with a limp? Oh, how dreadful! She must stay at Netherfield as long as necessary—yes, as long as necessary! I knew sending her in the carriage was the right choice; had she been on horseback, she might have been thrown and suffered far worse!”
Elizabeth pressed her lips together to keep from pointing out that Jane had slipped on the carriage step, not from any treacherous horseback ride.
Kitty and Lydia, meanwhile, were whispering together. “Do you think she will have to stay for days?” Lydia asked with a giggle. “Perhaps Mr. Bingley will be so overcome with concern that he will propose!”
Kitty smirked. “Or at the very least, Miss Bingley will be in fits over the inconvenience.”
Elizabeth ignored them, instead turning to her father, who was still reading his newspaper. “Papa, do you think I might walk to Netherfield in the morning to check on Jane?”
Mr. Bennet lowered his paper slightly, peering over the top of it. “You may do as you like, my dear, provided you do not expect me to send the carriage after you if it should rain.”
Elizabeth smiled faintly. “I shall take my chances.”
Mrs. Bennet, meanwhile, had already begun planning aloud. “Yes, Lizzy, you must go and report back on Jane’s condition. And if she must stay longer, well! It can only be to her advantage. She will have the opportunity to further endear herself to Mr. Bingley. Oh! What if he insists on nursing her back to health himself? What a charming romance it would be!”
Elizabeth barely refrained from rolling her eyes. “I hardly think Miss Bingley would allow that.”
Mrs. Bennet sniffed. “Miss Bingley may as well resign herself to the inevitable. Mr. Bingley likes Jane—I could see it in his eyes! And now he has the perfect excuse to dote on her. And with one daughter so well situated at Netherfield, we will no longer be in danger of the hedgerows when your father is gone.”
“But Mama, the Gardiners have already promised they will be of assistance to us,” Elizabeth protested.
“Only if your sisters behave, though.” Mrs. Bennet glared at her younger two. Kitty looked abashed, but Lydia frowned spitefully. “With Lydia’s lively spirits, I am certain Mr. Gardiner will change his mind. If she does not learn to hold her tongue and behave properly, we may all be turned out into the hedgerows after all!”
Lydia scowled. “I do not see why I must be the one to change. You are all so very dull, sitting around and discussing who should behave this way or that way. If I were at Netherfield, I would bring far more life to the place than Jane ever could.”
Elizabeth arched a brow. “Yes, I imagine Miss Bingley would love that.”
Lydia tossed her curls over her shoulder. “Well, she is no fun at all! I would be far more entertaining than she is.”
“You would be far more something,” Mary muttered under her breath.
Mrs. Bennet threw up her hands. “Oh, enough of this! Lydia, you will mind your behavior, or I shall have your aunt take you in hand again.”
Lydia shrank back at the warning, and Kitty let out a soft snicker.
Elizabeth, meanwhile, turned back to her mother. “Regardless of Miss Bingley’s feelings, Jane would not want to be viewed as an invalid any longer than necessary. I shall go in the morning and see how she fares.”
Mrs. Bennet nodded, but her eyes sparkled with excitement. “Yes, and do make note of everything! Tell me how Mr. Bingley looks at her, whether he inquires after her comfort, whether he—”
Elizabeth sighed. “Yes, yes, Mama, I shall do my best to observe everything of importance.”
With that settled, Mrs. Bennet finally allowed the subject to drift toward other matters, though Elizabeth suspected she would not hear the end of it until Jane returned home—with or without a proposal in hand.