Page 17

“Allow me to show you, Miss Bingley,” David said, stepping around the angry woman and leading her down the hall.

He opened the door and stepped inside, allowing Caroline Bingley entrance to the kitchens.

Seated around a long table were the servants who fetched water, dusted the furniture, and served the meals.

At the head of the table sat Mrs Hobbes, the housekeeper who ruled over the kitchens.

Rising from her seat, Mrs Hobbes motioned the others to remain seated while approaching Miss Bingley.

“How can I help you, Miss Bingley?”

“My brother left me behind.”

When Mrs Hobbes did not comment, Caroline continued, “Order the other carriage out. I shall not be left behind.”

The housekeeper looked convincingly contrite when she replied, “There is no one here with authority to order Mr Darcy’s coach out, Miss Bingley. That gentleman is very protective of his horses and coach.”

Stamping her foot, Caroline raised her voice, “I am Miss Caroline Bingley! You will do as I say, or you will be dismissed.”

At the table, Mr Harris rose and approached the unhappy gentlewoman, “Miss Bingley, I am Mr Darcy’s valet, and I assure you that no one can order out the Darcy coach and horses except for Mr Darcy himself.

“But this is a matter of some urgency,” Caroline argued. “My brother is among the savages of Herefordshire without me!”

“Savages, miss? Are we savages in Hertfordshire?” asked the housekeeper.

“Yes, of course, you are savages in your huts.”

Mrs Hobbes glanced about the sturdy walls of Netherfield and suggested, “Miss, I can send a message to Mr Bingley asking for direction. A footman can reach Lucas Lodge and return in an hour or so.”

“An hour!” screeched Caroline. Her anger again bubbled up, and the young gentlewoman declared, “All of you will be dismissed tomorrow morning! All of you!”

Mrs Hobbes nodded and said, “Miss Bingley, I suggest you return to your chamber. It will take you several hours to unfasten your buttons without help from myself or the maid.”

“What? No! Send that girl to help me now.”

“I shall not do so, Miss Bingley. You just declared that we are all fired as of tomorrow morning.”

Caroline looked around the room but did not recognise any familiar items except plates and cups that she could throw.

However, the servants blocked her from reaching any of them.

Frustrated to be thwarted, Caroline turned and fled from the kitchen.

In the hallway, she did grab several decorative items on the small tables, though none of them broke when they hit the walls, and she stomped up the stairs to slam the door of her chamber three times.

Struggling to pull the tight dress over her head with the buttons still fastened, Caroline forgot about the ostrich feathers in her hair and broke the shafts of three of the four blue feathers.

She rang for service, but no one attended her, and she was forced to make do with cold tea and three stale biscuits as the only supper she had that evening.

“Tomorrow, they will all be turned out! Without a reference!” Caroline swore as she dressed for bed.

~~~

With Fitzwilliam Darcy following behind, Charles Bingley directed his steps toward Jane Bennet in Lucas Lodge.

Elizabeth caught a glimpse of that man’s smiling face and directed her sister’s attention in Bingley’s direction.

The blinding smile she gave the recent arrival in Meryton certainly captured another piece of his heart.

Bingley greeted Jane, saying, “Miss Bennet, I am pleased to find you here tonight.”

“I am glad to see you here as well, Mr Bingley,” Jane replied. Graciously, she continued, “And it is pleasant to see your friend, Mr Darcy, as well.”

“Good evening, Miss Bennet, Miss Elizabeth,” said Darcy, including both sisters in his greeting.

“Darcy?” Charles asked as though he had forgotten his friend existed. Glancing behind and finding Darcy with raised eyebrows and a stern stare, Bingley said, “Yes, Mr Darcy accompanied me and Mr and Mrs Hurst to the supper tonight.”

There was one moment of silence before Elizabeth said, “Jane, perhaps you should ask Mr Bingley to escort you about the room and make certain he remembers everyone from the assembly.”

“Yes, Miss Bennet, walk with me and remind me of the names of everyone gathered here tonight,” Charles said. “An excellent suggestion, Miss Elizabeth.”

Bingley offered his arm, and once Jane took it, they walked around the parlour to greet the different groups of ladies and gentlemen. Now, Elizabeth found herself left with Mr Darcy, and she dared to meet his eyes and ask, “Did you have a pleasant day, sir?”

Inclining his head slightly, he replied, “I did. And I worked with Bingley through the previous year’s accounts for Netherfield and the quarterly payments by the tenants.”

Hearing this news, Elizabeth’s face grew serious as she said, “I encourage you to look back three years for a more accurate report. For the last two years, Mr Simmons did not work closely with the tenants, and their rents fell. Mr Simmons was in poor health and did not provide sufficient coin to hire labourers for planting or harvesting. The wives and children of the tenants were forced into the fields both years and while they worked diligently, they are not men with enough strength to handle heavy sheaves of corn.”

“Indeed?” asked Mr Darcy. “And how do you know this?”

“Netherfield is the nearest estate to Longbourn,” Elizabeth reminded the gentleman. “My family and our tenants supported the tenants at Netherfield in the winter when their food stores ran out.”

“When did Simmons leave Netherfield?” asked Darcy abruptly.

“He left in May, and the gentleman who owns the estate did not respond to my father’s letters asking for relief for the tenants.”

Darcy’s face mirrored his distaste to intrude on this unnamed gentleman’s life. “That was officious of Mr Bennet to interject himself into the affairs of another estate.”

With a stern expression that matched any the man could muster, Elizabeth fussed, “Mr Darcy, in Derbyshire, do not the gentlemen support the poor house? When an estate fails because of a gentleman’s death or a dispute over the estate, are you not required to support the tenants when they are ejected from the farms?

The sheriff does not care that the rents were not paid because of the master’s death. ”

“You are correct, Miss Elizabeth. Your father’s actions were appropriate for the situation,” Darcy said before he bowed and turned away.

Elizabeth found herself standing in the middle of the room with a strange look on her face as the gentleman walked toward an empty corner.

More than one person noticed her expression, but it was Charlotte Lucas who arrived at Elizabeth’s side and asked, “Whatever did that gentleman say to leave you perplexed, Eliza?”

“Mr Darcy appears to be a very reserved gentleman, Charlotte. We spoke of books and tea leaves when I first met him, but I have spoken with him twice since then. First at Longbourn when he had been shooting with my father and at Netherfield at the tea with Mrs Hurst,” Elizabeth said.

“And each time, he speaks little but seems to watch everyone and everything.”

“Like he watches Mr Bingley and your sister?”

Looking around, Elizabeth did find Mr Darcy watching Jane and Bingley speaking with Mr and Mrs Goulding. She asked, “Is that not strange?”

Offering her opinion, Charlotte said, “Perhaps Mr Darcy is afraid of your conversation, Eliza.”

The surprise on the face of Elizabeth Bennet made the eldest Lucas daughter smile, and she continued, “Or your beauty already captures him, and he fears how it makes his heart tremble.”

“My beauty? Charlotte, be sensible,” fussed Elizabeth.

The older woman was watching the guests and turned to step away. She called, “Forgive me, I must see to one of our guests.”

Elizabeth watched as Charlotte approached Mr Collins, standing beside an elderly lady who looked very uncomfortable while the man spoke.

Charlotte carefully approached the parson, asked a question, and led him toward another part of the room.

At the same time, he began some or other recitation, no doubt on the greatness of Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

Looking around for her father, she found him standing beside Colonel Foster, the commander of the militia camp.

Her mother chaperoned Lydia and Kitty, who talked with officers in red coats, Mary had moved back to speak with John Lucas, and Jane was walking between groups of individuals with Mr Bingley at her side.

~~~