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The third afternoon following the assembly, Louisa Hurst and Caroline Bingley called on Mrs Bennet at Longbourn.

The Bennet sisters were with their mother in the parlour when Mr Hill announced the two visitors.

All six Bennet ladies stood when the guests entered the parlour and were greeted warmly.

However, Caroline sneered when she noticed the sisters were variously employed with mending garments or decorating bonnets with rooster feathers.

Mrs Bennet sat aside her knitting to welcome Mrs Hurst and Miss Bingley and order a tea tray.

While they waited, Mrs Bennet spoke at length about the lovely gown Miss Bingley had worn to the assembly.

Caroline accepted Mrs Bennet’s compliments but looked uncomfortable receiving the accolades of the local gentlewoman.

Mrs Hill, the Longbourn housekeeper, brought the tea tray herself, and Mrs Bennet summoned her daughters to serve the beverage.

Jane and Mary poured, fixed, and delivered cups to Mrs Hurst, Miss Bingley, and Mrs Bennet before fixing cups for their sisters who remained at the table with their mending or bonnets.

Then Jane and Mary joined their mother and the visitors to converse as they drank tea.

“Why do your other daughters not sit and speak with visitors, Mrs Bennet?” asked Caroline when she noticed that Elizabeth continued with her sewing, while Catherine and the youngest daughter remained at the table, working on bonnets.

“Miss Bingley, I assure you my girls take every opportunity to enjoy company,” answered Mrs Bennet.

Smiling gently, Jane explained, “There are garments to mend and bonnets to refresh, but with five sisters, we can crush visitors with questions. To prevent guests from being overwhelmed by our number, some of us come forward, and others hold back when there are only a few visitors.”

Mrs Hurst said, “That is very thoughtful of you, Miss Bennet.”

“Our sister, Elizabeth, suggested the practice when our youngest sisters left the nursery.”

“Yes, the two youngest sisters are out,” Miss Bingley observed. “All five are out without any of you being married.”

At the table, Elizabeth frowned but said nothing as she guided Kitty and Lydia. After a glance at the table, Caroline asked, “Are they not very young? “

“Indeed, Catherine is only six-and-ten, while Lydia is four-and-ten,” Mrs Bennet revealed.

“I shall be five-and-ten years in December!” declared the youngest daughter from her place at the table.

“Five daughters, Mrs Bennet. What were you thinking?” asked Miss Bingley, trying to sound clever.

Mrs Bennet smiled and replied, “Miss Bingley, when you marry, God determines how many children you give your husband and how many are girls. Mr Bennet and I would have welcomed sons with our girls, but I cannot imagine the world without our five daughters.”

“But it seems excessive to have so many girls.”

Mary asked, “You are the youngest, are you not, Miss Bingley?”

“Indeed,” the lady replied.

The middle daughter continued, asking, “And have you considered that your parents discussed not having another babe after Mr Bingley was born and proved healthy?”

Louisa Hurst caught her sister’s eye and watched Caroline’s face turn red. The older sister rose from her seat and approached the table where the three sisters sat to distract everyone. She admired the bonnets and complimented Kitty and Lydia’s work with rooster feathers to refresh the hats.

“We have new ribbons as well,” announced Lydia, indicating the items available to decorate the bonnets–ribbons, dried flowers, and rooster feathers of various colours, including dark green.

With some astonishment, Louisa asked, “Where did you come by green feathers?”

As Louisa held up four green feathers, Elizabeth replied, “When our housekeeper dyed yarn this summer, we also dyed several white feathers in the vat. Once they dried and were gently brushed, they proved to be eye-catching.”

Caroline sneered and said, “Green rooster feathers? How very strange.”

At the end of her patience with the rude visitor, Elizabeth entered the conversation and declared, “Green rooster feathers are no stranger than blue ostrich feathers, Miss Bingley. My sisters are creative and will garner attention at some gatherings with their refreshed bonnets. Much like you did at the assembly with your blue ostrich feathers.”

“My ostrich feathers are naturally blue,” Caroline replied.

Jane glanced at the visitor and said, “Miss Bingley, the ostrich feathers that come to London on merchant ships are white. There are many shops in the city where milliners dye flowers, leather, feathers, and other things to decorate chapeaus for ladies. Nature does not create blue ostrich feathers.”

Attempting to steer the conversation, Louisa asked, “How do you know this, Miss Bennet?”

“On a trip to London to visit our uncle and aunt, we visited a warehouse filled with cloth from India, spices from the East Indies, and ostrich feathers from Africa,” explained Jane.

Disturbed by this revelation, Caroline asked, “You have relatives in trade? In London?”

“Yes. My brother is very successful with his business,” Mrs Bennet assured her guest.

“Louisa, I have a headache,” declared Caroline. She rose and left the parlour without attempting to thank Mrs Bennet or make any farewell. However, Louisa did thank the hostess for the tea and conversation, spoke politely to the five sisters, and issued an invitation to come to tea in three days.

The two ladies departed quickly, and the ladies of the Bennet household discussed pleasant Mrs Hurst and prickly Miss Bingley for many minutes.

~~~

During the carriage ride back to Netherfield, Caroline spoke exclusively of the reasons why the Bennet family was not suitable because of their association with someone actively involved in trade. Her objections continued during dinner.

“Charles! There is a great scandal that we must make known to the savages here in the wilderness!” Caroline declared at dinner that evening.

His face exhibiting his concern, Charles asked, “What scandal, Caroline?”

“The Bennets! They have relatives in trade! Mrs Bennet told Louisa and I she has a brother in trade in London. The man has a warehouse filled with spices, cloth, and ostrich feathers!”

Mr Hurst remarked, “Ah, Charles, perhaps you can apply to the man for relief from the expense of Caroline’s feathers?”

Ignoring the jest by Geoffrey, Charles asked, “And what complaint do you have against relatives in trade, sister?”

“Persons of quality do not participate in business or trade!” Caroline stated as though it were a commandment from the Bible.

Aware of his brother-in-law’s continued ownership of the Bingley family business, Hurst asked, “Are you certain?”

“Everyone knows the lords and ladies of the first circles do not build ships to import ostrich feathers,” insisted Caroline.

Geoffrey glanced at his wife, who pursed her lips and explained, “At Longbourn this afternoon, the sisters shared the idea of dying rooster feathers at the same time they coloured yarn. They had lovely green feathers to festoon some straw bonnets. Caroline decried the green feathers and was taken aback when informed by Miss Bennet that her blue ostrich feathers are dyed blue.”

Not to be deflected from her discourse, Caroline elicited Mr Darcy’s opinion, “Mr Darcy, what do you think of women who dye rooster feathers to decorate their bonnets?”

“I believe it would be a proper activity for young ladies from families in the countryside, but my sister would not attempt such a thing in London,” Darcy replied. “Do they knit stockings?”

“But they have an uncle in trade!” Caroline declared. “And spoke of him while in our company!”

Fitzwilliam Darcy looked confused momentarily before he replied, “Miss Bingley, I do not avoid acquaintances who are sons of men in trade.”

Aghast, Caroline placed one hand on her chest and denied the man’s words, “Surely not! Do you claim acquaintances in trade? In business?”

Glancing at Charles, Darcy smiled and explained, “Miss Bingley, if I did not seek acquaintances with families in trade, I should never have met Charles Bingley at university. And we became friends while your father still lived and operated his pottery in Stoke-on-Trent.”

Caroline fell silent when she learned Mr Darcy knew the origins of her family’s fortunes. She asked, “You knew Charles was still in trade while you were at university?”

“I did. And any man who wants his family fortunes to grow will have his hand in trade or business,” Darcy explained. “We do not speak of it in the company of the ladies…unless pressed in a private moment such as this.”

Caroline retired early that evening and mourned that there was no one but her sister with whom she could discuss this revelation.

Since her marriage to Geoffrey Hurst, Louisa had changed; she deferred to the man’s decisions in public while assuring Caroline that she had discussed the matter with her husband beforehand.

The three men were busy for an hour after dinner, cleaning the guns in the office and looking over the bird shot available for the next day. There was no discussion of trade, land, or status while Darcy, Bingley, and Hurst worked with a knowledgeable footman named David Hill.

~~~

The next morning, Caroline entered the dining room to find the three men animated in their discussions about a shooting excursion later in the morning. She learned they were to ride out before ten of the clock and not return until late in the afternoon.

“Did Hill go over to Longbourn with the guns already?” asked Hurst.

Charles nodded and said, “He rode over this morning with a cart from the barn. He said that Longbourn does not have such a conveyance, and each man must carry his gun the entire time.”

Displeased to be ignored, Caroline asked, “What will you be shooting? Cows or sheep?”