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In the privacy of her mind, Alice decided, ‘Miss Lydia will be like Miss Bingley when she is grown. Miss Jane would never act like this, and I am certain Miss Lizzy would box Miss Bingley’s ears if she were her sister.’

~~~

The dining room at Netherfield was neat and clean. Charles Bingley sat at the head of the table with Louisa on his right. Geoffrey Hurst sat beside his wife and would be on Caroline’s left when she arrived to take her place as hostess at the end of the table opposite her brother.

“I thought the neighbours friendly and engaging,” Hurst remarked with his wife and brother-in-law. “The nearest neighbour, Mr Bennet, will invite us to shoot this week.”

“Shoot? What will you shoot?” asked Louisa.

“Partridges, my dear,” Geoffrey explained. “It is the season that gentlemen hunt partridges on the estates. The birds are tasty after they hang in the pantry for a few days.”

Charles added, “A shooting party is a good way to become acquainted with the other gentlemen.”

“But Bennet said he would not invite all the neighbours,” Hurst declared. “Just the two of us.”

“Why not all the gentlemen?” asked Louisa.

“With just three guns, we shall have several days of shooting,” her husband replied. “Ten guns would wipe out the coveys in a single day.”

“I read in the steward’s reports that there was a gamekeeper here at Netherfield,” Charles said. “I must investigate if the man is still employed and we shall plan to increase the number of pheasants next year.”

Geoffrey nodded and explained, “Mr Bennet said the previous leaseholder did not encourage cooping the partridge hens in spring, so there are not many birds this autumn. When Darcy arrives, he and your steward can explain the arrangements to make for next year.”

Before they could discuss the opportunity for shooting in greater detail, the door opened to allow Caroline to enter the room and join her family around the table.

While Charles and Louisa called greetings to their sister, the youngest of the Bingleys did not reply.

She selected items for her plate at the buffet and then huffed when there was not a footman to carry the plate to the table for her.

After making her way to the table with her plate, Caroline complained, “Am I to pour my cup myself?”

Louisa and Geoffrey exchanged glances, but without a comment, Charles rose and went to the buffet to pour his sister a cup of tea. The cup in hand, he inquired with a great deal of cheek, “And what does madam require in her cup? It is too early to slip spirits into your tea.”

Caroline frowned and said, “Brother, after only a few days in the wilderness, you have been contaminated by the locals. We do not have proper service in the dining room.”

She paused briefly before continuing, “You know very well that I want a drop of cream in my tea.”

Louisa spoke, “Caroline, footmen in the dining room carrying a plate from the buffet to the table only occur in the king’s palace. I shall not agree to force our footman to such service when next you visit us on Olive Street.”

Charles added the cream and brought the teacup to his sister at the table. He stood there, bowed, and asked, “I did not stir it, madam. Shall I use my finger?”

In a temper, Caroline slammed her fist on the tabletop and complained, “I want to return to London! Today!”

“Sister, it is after the noon hour. The maids could never pack and get you out the door before six this afternoon, and the coach would have to travel in the dark,” Geoffrey counselled. “Perhaps tomorrow.”

Turning to her plate of food, Caroline remained silent while Louisa, Geoffrey, and Charles spoke about the assembly conducted the previous evening. The Hurst couple agreed that the families from the different estates around Netherfield had been friendly and enthusiastic.

“And such lovely young women!” Charles said with a grin. “Their presence made for an enjoyable evening.”

“I believe you danced with every girl in the room,” Geoffrey observed, ignoring Caroline’s look toward the others seated around the table.

“Charles did not dance with me,” the youngest sister complained.

“Caroline, you sat in a chair beside the fireplace and refused all introductions,” Louisa reminded her sister.

“Except for that one gentleman from London,” Geoffrey remembered.

Louisa replied, “Mr Wickham. Yes, but Charles brought him around to meet us. He was polite with a very handsome face.”

“He was a tradesman!” complained the younger sister. “Charles introduced me to a tradesman in front of the whole crowd of farmers.”

“At least it was not at Almack’s where your brother committed such a faux pas,” Geoffrey replied as he laid down his knife and fork. “Can you imagine the words in the newspaper if such an event occurred in front of the tonne?”

“Charles would never…Almack’s does not welcome tradesmen!”

“And that is why Charles has never been invited on his own worth,” Geoffrey replied. “And neither have my lovely wife and I. My position as a member of the gentry with a small estate…”

Interrupting Hurst, Caroline declared, “I am certain that Mr Darcy is invited regularly!”

“Yes, Caroline. But Darcy does not attend,” Charles reminded his sister. “He has no desire to display himself before the ladies seeking rich husbands for their daughters.”

“After he marries, Mr Darcy’s wife will have a permanent ticket to Almack’s!” declared Caroline.

“If she wants it,” Charles replied.

“Of course, I shall want…”

In an unusually grave tone, Charles interrupted his sister. He said, “Caroline, my friend has made it clear on more than one occasion that he has no intention of addressing you. Not yesterday, today, or tomorrow.”

“But I am the perfect wife for the Darcy estate! I am elegant and lovely.”

“And you arrange the menus and place cards around the table very well,” Geoffrey added. “I believe you have told him this while seated at his dining table on at least three occasions. Still, he does not ask for your hand.”

The glare directed at Mr Hurst would have set the man on fire if Caroline’s wishes were granted. Clearing her throat, Caroline said, “Charles, we must return to London.”

“London?” asked the gentleman. “No, there’s nothing in the city to attract my notice this autumn.”

“You promised me that Mr Darcy would join us here in the wilderness. He will mourn the loss of society with me and rescue me with a marriage proposal. The same week he proposes, I shall marry him by common license and return to London in triumph.”

Geoffrey looked at his wife and recognised Louisa’s concern at Caroline’s declaration. He patted Louisa’s hand and said, “Your sister has not had enough sleep, my dear.”

“I slept fitfully, but I know that I want to return to London without any doubt,” Caroline insisted. “The country holds no appeal to me.”

Charles shook his head. “Caroline, there is no house in London for you or even a suitable chaperone. Do you have any friends who will give you house room?”

“No one is present in London of worth except for Mr Darcy!” his sister declared.

“And he would not house you,” Charles insisted.

“When I am Mrs Darcy, none of you will be invited to Pemberley ever again!” threatened Caroline.

Charles sighed and sat his teacup on the table. He said, “Sister, write to your acquaintances, and if one will give you houseroom, I shall have the coachman deliver you and your trunks to their doorstep within days of the letter arriving here.”

Glaring at her brother, Caroline was silent as she considered if there were any quality families still in the capital at this time of year with whom she could seek refuge.

‘I shall have to pay them to allow me to stay with them,’ she knew. Finally, she realised that no one of worth would be in London as October began. Only after the new year would anyone return.

“Charles, the farmers here are not worthy of your company,” she announced. “I shall not call on any of them, nor will I issue any invitations to tea for the wives of these ploughmen.”

Glancing at Louisa, Charles sighed and said, “Then I shall ask Louisa to act as my hostess here at Netherfield. I shall not impose the company of these people upon you.”

Setting her teacup on the table roughly and spilling some of the contents in her saucer, Caroline replied, “Yes. Let our sister can deal with Mrs Hurdle and these rough servants while you pretend to be a farmer.”

Louisa Hurst smiled at her brother and said, “Charles, I shall be glad to act as your hostess. May I plan a small tea for the ladies I met last night?”

“Certainly, sister,” Charles said. “And I would ask you to speak to Mrs Hobbes about preparing the rooms nearest my own for Mr Darcy. I expect him to arrive at Netherfield tomorrow. His business in town is complete, and he will stay with us until Christmas.”

“What?” shouted Caroline. “Mr Darcy is coming after all! Why did you not tell me?”

With a look of confusion, Charles replied, “Sister, I did tell you…several times.”

~~~