Page 6 of Longbourn’s Son (Pride and Prejudice Variation #22)
“Yes, I wish to visit the Bennets,” Georgiana stated without hesitation.
Darcy raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Are you quite certain? I do not know them well, of course, but they are not members of high society.”
Georgiana sat down on a couch in her private sitting room with a huff. “Neither is Miss Bingley, Brother, and I am currently living with her.”
Darcy gingerly took the seat next to her and asked, “Is Miss Bingley unkind to you, Georgiana? If so, I will speak to Bingley.”
“No,” the girl assured him. “No, she is not unkind to me. Indeed, she acts as if we are bosom friends and fawns over me. But I do not like her, Brother. She is always complaining about Netherfield and the people of Meryton, and she is unpleasant to Mrs. Hurst.”
“Is she?”
“Yes, because Miss Bingley thinks that Mrs. Hurst’s baby ought to stay exclusively in his nursery, and that Mrs. Hurst should only spend a few minutes a day with her baby.
I daresay Miss Bingley is correct that most highborn ladies spend very little time with their children, but I think it is beautiful that Christopher has a mother who loves him so much. ”
“I do as well,” Darcy agreed wholeheartedly. “I am sorry that Miss Bingley is bullying her sister in such a manner.”
“Well, as to that, Mrs. Hurst does not seem intimidated at all. They have had quite epic arguments on the matter, and Mrs. Hurst refuses to change her ways with her little boy, which pleases me.”
The master of Pemberley shook his head in surprise and dismay.
He did not know Mrs. Hurst very well as she had married Mr. Hurst three years previously.
On the few occasions when he had met the Bingley sisters before the elder daughter married, Miss Caroline Bingley had been the obvious leader of the pair.
The dynamic between the two sisters had obviously changed with the marriage and widowhood of the elder.
“My dear girl,” Darcy said remorsefully, “I had no idea that you were being exposed to such unpleasant scenes. Shall I escort you and Mrs. Annesley back to London and Darcy House? I promised Bingley that I would assist him with learning to manage Netherfield, but you do not need to be here.”
“Oh no! Please do not send me away! I do not like Miss Bingley, but Mrs. Hurst is a lovely lady, and I adore her little son. I also delight in spending more time with you. No, I am well enough with Mrs. Annesley at my side, and I am eager to make the acquaintance of the Bennets now that you have apologized for your...”
“Boorish behavior?”
Georgiana blushed but there was a twinkle in her eye when she said, “Exactly, dear Fitzwilliam.”
/
Darcy was pleasantly surprised by Longbourn.
It was not as large a mansion as Netherfield, but the house was built with sturdy red brick and the ivy which crept up the north face was well trimmed.
The grounds were well kept and the servants who ran to take their horses seemed cheerful.
Much could be discerned from the behavior of servants; those working for a difficult master often wore a hangdog look under an attempt at impassivity.
Bingley and Darcy presented their cards to the butler, a respectable man of middle age, who departed into the depths of the house.
The men and their sisters waited only a minute before the butler returned and ushered them into a drawing room where the five Bennet daughters, one Bennet son, and a middle aged gentleman were standing in wait.
“Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley,” the butler announced, and withdrew.
“Good morning,” the older man said cheerfully. “I am aware that you have met my children, but we have not had the pleasure of interacting before today. I am Mr. Bennet, master of Longbourn.”
“Mr. Bennet,” Bingley replied with easy courtesy, “it is a delight to meet you at last. May I introduce my sister and friends, Miss Bingley, Miss Darcy, and Mr. Darcy.”
Darcy exchanged bows with the master of Longbourn as he observed the man.
Mr. Bennet was a man of some five and forty years, dressed rather casually in buckskin breeches and an olive green morning coat.
He was of medium height, a full two inches shorter than his son, and his brown eyes sparkled with intelligence.
“Miss Darcy, Miss Bingley,” the eldest Miss Bennet said with a welcoming smile to the ladies, “welcome to Longbourn. I am Miss Bennet, and these are my sisters Miss Elizabeth, Miss Mary, Miss Kitty, and Miss Lydia, and my brother, Mr. Luke Bennet. Thank you for visiting us today.”
Following the appropriate bows and curtsies, the party arranged itself on various chairs and couches, which, while not in the latest style, were well made and comfortable.
Darcy and Georgiana sat down on a sofa near Mr. Bennet and Miss Elizabeth, who were seated with a chess board between them.
Jane, Luke, Mary and Mr. and Miss Bingley settled in another cluster, while Kitty and Lydia retired to a corner couch to toil over needlework.
“Do you enjoy chess, Mr. Darcy?” Elizabeth asked courteously of Darcy.
“I do,” the gentleman responded, observing the board keenly. Their morning call had evidently interrupted a game. “I believe white will win in five moves?”
Mr. Bennet and his second daughter inspected the board and then Miss Elizabeth sighed. “I do believe you are correct, Mr. Darcy,” she remarked ruefully. “Ah well, Father, it appears you have won again.”
“You did very well until you moved your rook,” her father consoled her. “That permitted me to take your bishop, which doomed you. But come, sir, it appears you are a player of some renown?”
“I enjoy chess very much,” Darcy responded eagerly. He was an excellent player, and it was difficult for him to find a worthy opponent.
“Would you care to play a game?” Mr. Bennet inquired enthusiastically. “Our local parson, Mr. Allen, is a very fine player but other than him, I have no worthy opponents in the area besides Elizabeth.”
“I would be honored.”
Elizabeth Bennet rose with a smile to cede her place next to the board, and Darcy sat down while Mr. Bennet arranged the chess pieces into their initial positions.
Darcy felt a twinge of guilt; in his enthusiasm to play a good game, he had forgotten that Georgiana would no longer have her brother at her side.
To his delight and relief, Miss Elizabeth promptly took his place and engaged his shy sister in gentle conversation.
By the time Darcy had played three moves, the vibrant Miss Elizabeth had coaxed Georgiana into discussing her enthusiasm for music, and by the time Darcy was halfway through what was proving a most challenging match, his sister was at the Bennet’s pianoforte.
Georgiana was too timid to actually play in front of strangers, but while Miss Elizabeth played, she watched eagerly and turned the pages for her new friend.
/
“Longbourn seems a pleasant estate,” Mr. Bingley commented, his eyes fixed on Miss Bennet’s glorious countenance.
“Thank you, sir,” Jane responded. “The Bennets have lived on the estate for more than one hundred and fifty years, and we treasure the land and her people.”
Miss Bingley peered at Jane arrogantly and asked, “Whatever do you mean by her people? Surely your family owns Longbourn?”
“She means the tenant farmers, Miss Bingley,” Luke explained. “Those who work the land are of vital importance to our own position as a gentle family, after all.”
“Surely you have a steward who manages such details as caring for the peasants,” Caroline said disdainfully.
“We do not employ a steward,” Jane answered repressively, and turned as the butler stepped into the room. “Yes, Hill?”
“Jackson requests your presence, young master,” Hill said to Luke. “I believe he wishes to discuss the fencing in the south field?”
“Oh yes,” Luke responded, leaping to his feet. “Miss Bingley, it was a pleasure to meet you. Jane, I need to assist Jackson but will be back by dinner.”
“Very well, my dear, I will hold you to that. If you are too late, I will send out a search team. I will not let my little brother starve himself, after all.”
Luke grinned at this teasing and left with haste. He far preferred working on the estate to entertaining guests in the drawing room.
Miss Bingley watched him leave with open scorn. Longbourn must be quite a paltry holding if the heir was forced to build fences.
“Do you find Netherfield to your liking?” Mary inquired as the tea tray arrived and Jane began pouring for her guests.
“I do!” Charles Bingley responded. “The house is very pleasant and the gardens and grounds are charming, though I believe they need some work. As for the tenantry and the land, I feel I am back at school; there is much for me to learn, and while Darcy is a great help, his expertise is with the land and climate of Derbyshire. Perhaps your father might be willing to discuss crop rotation and animal husbandry and the like?”
Mary and Jane exchanged quick glances, and Jane said, as she handed Bingley his tea cup, “In truth, you would be better served to speak to my brother. Father is an intellectual with a great love for books, but Luke has a passion for livestock and farming.”
“I will do so as soon as possible,” Bingley said jovially. “I am delighted to have such knowledgeable neighbors nearby.”
Caroline Bingley tightened her lips at this enthusiasm and bestowed a saccharine smile on her hostesses. “My dear Miss Bennet, I do not believe I met you or your sisters during the last London Season, but I suppose that is no surprise; so many of the balls and parties were such crushes.”
“None of us have had a London Season,” Jane replied with composure. “Our father dislikes London exceedingly, you see.”
“Oh, and I daresay the expense would be a bar given that you have so many sisters?” Miss Bingley suggested snidely.
Charles Bingley cast a horrified look at his sister and said hastily, “I regret that you have never had the opportunity to enjoy a Season, Miss Bennet, but I rejoice that the lease of Netherfield has permitted us to meet you all.”
“We always enjoy new acquaintances,” Mary Bennet declared, carefully snipping a piece of thread from her own needlework.
“Yes, with such a confined and unvarying society, you must relish newcomers,” Caroline said.
Her brother sighed. His sister was in a rare temper, but at least Mr. and Miss Darcy seemed to be enjoying themselves.
/
“Well, Darcy, did you enjoy your chess game?” Bingley asked as the Bingley carriage pulled away from Longbourn.
“Very much. I won against Mr. Bennet, but it was a close thing. He tells me that Mr. Allen, the local rector, is even more skilled. I look forward to making the man’s acquaintance.”
“I am pleased you have found a worthy opponent, Mr. Darcy,” Caroline Bingley said disdainfully, “but the rest of the family is not of particular interest. They are simple country folk and apparently quite poor. Would you believe that young Mr. Bennet is forced to fix fences?”
Darcy looked outside with a thoughtful frown and said, “I do not believe you can be correct, Miss Bingley. Longbourn is well run and tended, and must yield a substantial income. It seems more likely that the heir chooses to assist in mending fences rather than being required to.”
“That is hardly the conduct of a gentleman,” the lady said loftily, “especially when he is entertaining guests.”
Bingley glared at his sister and said, “I believe we were well entertained by the rest of the Bennet family, and young Mr. Bennet is, according to his eldest sister, devoted to the cares of the estate. That is a fine thing.”
“What do you think, Mr. Darcy?” Caroline asked, turning a simpering gaze on the man she hoped to wed. “Do you think that a true gentleman abandons his visitors to engage in manual labor?”
“As your brother said,” Darcy replied coldly, “we were well treated by the rest of the family. Given how many young heirs are idle and extravagant, I can only applaud young Mr. Bennet’s dedication to the estate.”