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There was rain on the day the Bennet ladies were invited to tea at Netherfield.

Mr Bennet permitted his wife and five daughters use of the carriage and horses for the call to their nearest neighbour.

Mr Hill drove the carriage in the persistent rain, but he was protected from the wet with a large hat upon his head, a heavy wool coat around his torso, and leather gloves on his hands.

Inside the carriage, Mrs Bennet and her five daughters were dressed in their second-best gowns with woollen cloaks around their shoulders and bonnets on their heads.

Kitty wore the bonnet with the green rooster feathers, while Lydia’s was festooned with black and white feathers.

None of the other Bennet ladies wore feathers today.

Mary asked, “Will Miss Bingley wear her blue ostrich feathers this afternoon?”

When they turned into the drive to Netherfield, another carriage was ahead of the Bennet mother and daughters. They waited as Mrs Goulding, Harriet Goulding, and then Lady Lucas, Charlotte and Maria Lucas descended and hurried inside the house.

“It appears that Mrs Hurst invited several ladies for tea,” Mrs Bennet stated as she observed the other neighbourhood matrons, and their daughters enter Netherfield. “It has been years since Mrs Hobbes prepared a large afternoon tea.”

Frances Bennet caught the eye of Kitty and then Lydia before she announced, “You both will sit with me and remain silent except to say, ‘Thank you,’ or ‘No, thank you,’ this afternoon.”

“Mamma!” whined Lydia in protest though Kitty merely nodded.

“Lydia, do you wish to spend the whole tea sitting in the carriage?” asked her mother.

“No.”

“Will you do as I require?”

“Yes,” Lydia replied, her petulant tone familiar to her sisters.

Mrs Bennet cocked her head and frowned at Lydia until her youngest daughter replied, “Yes, Mamma.”

“When I was a young girl, my mother and grandmother warned me not to frown ‘fore it caused wrinkles. I love you each dearly, but I believe my wrinkles multiply daily dealing with you all,” Frances Bennet admitted to her daughters.

The Bennet carriage moved forward, and when a footman opened the door, Mrs Bennet recognised David Hill as the man holding the umbrella to protect her head.

“Welcome to Netherfield, Mrs Bennet,” the footman greeted.

“Thank you, Hill. Once inside, you and your father must visit while he is in the kitchens.”

“Only after the tea is served, ma’am. Mrs Hurst has prepared a spread such as hasn’t been seen in years in Meryton,” David explained.

The umbrella protected Mrs Bennet’s head, but her daughters walked in the rain from the carriage to the front door, a short walk that did not leave anyone with drooping feathers or a wet bonnet.

Just inside the door, Mrs Hurst stood to receive her visitors.

To one side, Alice Hill attended the guests and took their cloaks to a cloakroom off the entry door.

David remained in the entry hall and aided his sister with moving the heavy cloaks while Mrs Hurst led her visitors into the parlour.

There Elizabeth noticed Miss Bingley seated near the fireplace, leaving Mrs Goulding and Lady Lucas standing near a large window while their three daughters stood in front of a serving table with a large mirror on the wall above it.

Ignoring her sister’s aversion to engage with their company, Mrs Hurst led Mrs Bennet to the other ladies to begin a conversation.

The five Bennet sisters approached the Lucas sisters and Harriet Goulding to greet them.

Then Jane and Elizabeth separated to approach Miss Bingley and greet her.

The lady replied politely to their greeting, and the sisters attempted to draw Caroline into a conversation without much success.

After a few minutes of learning Netherfield’s history from her visitors, Mrs Hurst signalled David Hill standing at the door to serve the refreshments.

Only moments later, Mrs Hobbes, the well-respected housekeeper, appeared bearing a large tray holding many confections, including biscuits of several kinds, cakes, finger sandwiches, and a few candies.

David Hill appeared with a second tray bearing a large silver teapot, a bowl of sugar and a pitcher of cream.

Then Alice Hill entered the room with a tray of teacups, each with a saucer.

A second maid appeared with a fourth silver tray holding many plates and napkins.

There was a moment of confusion when Miss Bingley declined to aid her sister with pouring tea and serving their guests, but Mrs Hobbes immediately took the younger sister’s place as Mrs Hurst served each visitor with a cup of tea.

Miss Bingley frowned when she was the last served a cup of tea by the housekeeper, but Mrs Hobbes did not receive any thanks.

While the ladies enjoyed the fresh tea and exchanged remarks with Mrs Hurst, the parlour door opened to allow the three gentlemen in residence to join the company.

Elizabeth found her eyes following the tall figure of Mr Darcy while Jane smiled when she caught Mr Bingley’s gaze.

Mrs Bennet ignored her two oldest daughters while coaching Kitty and Lydia to behave properly while seated on either side of her on one of the sofas in the parlour.

Mrs Bennet’s teacup sat on a small table in front of her while she ate the treats on her plate.

Her only conversation was when she directed Lydia to remain silent with a few whispers.

Upon the entrance by the three gentlemen, Caroline rose from her chair, laid her teacup aside, and proceeded to act as hostess, instructing Mrs Hobbes to pour tea for Mr Darcy and then preparing the cup herself with a drop of milk.

She handed the cup in its saucer to the man who could not refuse her.

‘The other day, he added one small sliver of sugar to his cup before he added the milk,’ Elizabeth remembered but remained silent and observant.

Ignoring her brother and brother-in-law, who depended on Mrs Hurst to prepare their tea, Caroline assisted Mr Darcy with a plate of finger foods.

Turning from the table, Miss Bingley recognised a new problem.

There was not a seat next to her chair by the fire for Mr Darcy.

She could not seat him anywhere but near the visitors.

Elizabeth ignored the pair for the moment as Mr Bingley moved to sit beside Jane on the far end of the sofa where the two eldest sisters were seated. Then everyone in the room heard Caroline suggest to Harriet Goulding and Mary Bennet that they should move to other seats.

“Mr Darcy must have a comfortable seat, and that will be your place, Miss…” Caroline paused, obviously forgetting Harriet’s name when Mr Darcy interrupted her.

“Miss Bingley!” the man declared. “I would never displace a young lady from her seat. A gentleman always gives his seat to the ladies in the room. I shall stand without discomfort.”

Charles added, “We have been riding for more than an hour this morning, and Darcy needs to remain upright.”

There were a few good-humoured snickers, but no offence was offered by Bingley’s comment.

“But I shall take Caroline’s location beside the fire to warm myself,” Geoffrey Hurst said, leaving Caroline to find herself another chair near the table. Mr Darcy placed his plate and then teacup and saucer on a table near the sofa where Elizabeth sat and engaged her in conversation.

Their conversation was of the general variety this afternoon.

Mr Darcy spoke of the weather and where the gentlemen had ridden while Elizabeth asked about the condition of the pastures and fields surrounding Netherfield.

They spoke of the calendar and the number of days until the next quarter day, which would be Christmas.

After these few minutes of conversation, Elizabeth rose to select a few more items for her plate–the sandwiches served by Mrs Hobbes were marvellous.

While standing at the table, she looked at the mirror over the table and watched Caroline Bingley slip into the seat she left beside Jane.

Miss Bingley only pretended to converse with Jane for a moment before she turned her full attention to Mr Darcy.

Embarrassed for a second time in a single tea by Miss Bingley, Mr Darcy glanced toward Elizabeth and their eyes met in the mirror’s reflection.

He grimaced when he saw the young woman cover her mouth as though suppressing a laugh.

Changing her direction, Elizabeth moved to stand and speak with Lady Lucas and Mrs Goulding.

~~~

When the time came for departures, Lady Lucas invited everyone to Lucas Lodge for supper and a few entertainments in four days’ time.

The invitation was received with great pleasure by everyone except for Miss Bingley.

When the young woman realised that she was ignored by her family and their visitors, her dissatisfaction with the situation only increased.

Charles Bingley remained beside Jane since he arrived for the refreshments, and he asked, “Miss Bennet, I am certain Lady Lucas will arrange for dancing. Will you grant me the honour of standing up with me that evening?”

Observing the smile on her sister’s face, Elizabeth missed the questioning look that Mr Darcy gave the couple.

Mrs Hurst cajoled Charles to join her at the door to say farewell to her guests.

However, Charles insisted on collecting a second umbrella to escort Miss Bennet to her carriage while David Hill escorted Mrs Bennet, the last matron to leave Netherfield that afternoon.

“I had not expected to see Mr Bingley this afternoon,” Jane admitted when asked by Kitty about the man’s appearance and attention to her.

“And Lizzy was glad to see Mr Darcy. But then Miss Bingley declared her intentions for everyone to see,” Lydia announced.

Rather than fuss at her youngest daughter’s impertinence, Mrs Bennet asked Lydia several questions about Caroline Bingley’s behaviour and how everyone in the room would exchange remarks about the lady’s rude and boorish actions.

Lydia grinned during the conversation until her mother said, “I want you to think on this carefully, Lydia. At Lucas Lodge, everyone will be watching you as well. Do you want them to be exchanging remarks about your bad behaviour?”

~~~