Page 12 of The Talented Daughters of Longbourn

“Mr. Bingley,” Jane said, focusing on the man seated to her left, “I hope that you are pleased with the staff at Netherfield Hall? Many of them have relations who also serve here at Longbourn and at Lucas Lodge.”

Bingley looked surprised for a moment, and then said, “Oh, as to that, my sister Caroline manages the staff, but yes, we have had no complaints.”

“I suppose managing a house is a little like being an officer in an army,” Jane mused, turning her eyes and attention back to Richard Fitzwilliam. “Or is that a foolish comparison?”

Richard peered thoughtfully at the lady and said, “Yes, it is rather like that, Miss Bennet.”

“Except that the servants are not called upon to enter a battle,” Bingley chimed in.

“Yes, though in truth, my men and I spent little time in actual fighting. Much of the war involves marching and camping, and during the winter, we are required to settle for months, since the weather is not appropriate for battle...”

/

“Do you ever wear feathers on your hats?” Lydia asked Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst, making certain that her eyes were slightly more open than usual. She knew it made her look young and eager.

“Oh yes,” Miss Bingley said, lifting her chin a trifle.

“Goose feathers, and peacock feathers, and even ostrich feathers on occasion. I suppose you do not have the opportunity to do so here in the country, but yes, my milliner often decorates my hats with lovely plumes. Perhaps I can show you one of my finer bonnets some day.”

“That would be very kind,” Lydia gushed.

“Now tell me, Miss Kitty, Miss Lydia,” Mrs. Hurst said, “do you play any instruments? Or perhaps you sketch? Or paint?”

“I fear that I am not a musician like Elizabeth and Mary,” Lydia said.

“I knit scarves and mittens and gloves,” Kitty added.

Miss Bingley tilted her nose skyward and said, “We prefer needlepoint and embroidery, Miss Kitty. They are far more sophisticated pursuits. ”

Kitty flushed, and Lydia said quickly, “I adore the scarves and gloves that Kitty makes for us. They are so very comfortable and warm!”

Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst exchanged superior glances, but Mrs. Annesley, who was always the soul of tact, asked, “What kind of thread do you use, Miss Kitty? I largely knit with cotton.”

“Oh, as to that, we have Angora rabbits,” the girl replied, a little breathlessly. “I spin the thread from their fur myself.”

“Do you indeed?” Mrs. Annesley asked, courtesy giving way to genuine enthusiasm. “I have never used angora. What is it like?”

“I have some here,” Kitty said, plucking a ball of yarn from her work basket, which was sitting on the floor, nestled between Kitty’s chair and the wall.

“Oh, how marvelous!” Mrs. Annesley exclaimed, touching the ball with gentle fingers. “It is so soft, Miss Kitty. And you actually have rabbits?”

“I do,” Kitty said. “We bought them, oh, five or six years ago…”

“So, Miss Bingley, Mrs. Hurst,” Lydia said, eager to draw the ladies’ attention away from Kitty now that her sister had someone to talk to about knitting. “I have heard about a place called… ”

She paused, as if trying to remember the name, and then said, “Vaxhill Gardens? Is that right?”

Miss Bingley gave up being disdainful of knitting and turned a smile on the youngest Miss Bennet. “ Vauxhall Gardens. Yes, a delightful place, is it not, Louisa?”

“Oh yes! At night it is a fairyland, with thousands of lights, and wonderful music, and fireworks, and…”

/

Contentment and joy filled Mary’s soul as music flowed from her dancing fingertips, even as her mind fixed on the near future. She would soon be wedded to her dear Mr. Turnball – her Isaac. He was as plain as she, and not remotely wealthy, but he was kind to her and genuinely loved her.

Her fingers flickered down the pianoforte and back.

She had much to learn before her wedding; she would need to frequent the kitchen, learning some of the arts of cooking and baking.

Before long, she would be called upon to assist her husband’s parishioners, as well as manage her own household.

It would shortly fall to her to oversee taking food and clothing and comfort to those in need .

So lost in her thoughts and her playing was she that she entirely failed to mark the sound of the door opening. She finished on a strong note, and she sat a moment poised in thought. An eruption of clapping behind her jerked her from her reverie.

Mary twisted around in surprise and then blushed deeply at the sight of Mr. Darcy, whom she had seen across the room at the Meryton assembly, and who was now standing between Elizabeth and a tall, blonde lady of some sixteen years.

“Miss Darcy, Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth said, stepping forward with an encouraging smile. “May I please introduce you to my sister, Miss Mary? Mary, Miss Darcy and Mr. Darcy.”

Mary hastily rose from the piano bench, turned, and curtsied, and Miss Darcy curtsied in return, and Darcy bowed. Miss Darcy said, rather breathlessly, “You are an excellent performer on the pianoforte, Miss Mary.”

Mary managed a shy smile in return and said, “Thank you. Are you also a player?”

“Yes, I am, and I particularly enjoy Mozart and Beethoven. Do you like those composers?”

Elizabeth waited until the two younger ladies were deep in conversation about their favorite musical scores, and then she took a step back and turned toward Darcy, who was gazing intently at his sister.

“Is something wrong, Mr. Darcy?” she asked.

Darcy started slightly and said, “No, no, not at all. It is merely … well, I have not seen my sister so comfortable with a new acquaintance in some time.”

“She is a little shy?” Elizabeth suggested.

“Yes,” Darcy admitted.

“Mary is as well,” Elizabeth said. “Mutual shyness and a shared love of music can be a wonderful start to a friendship.”

Darcy hesitated and then nodded. “That is true.”

He looked again at his sister, who was now studying pieces of music on the pianoforte, and lowered his voice to say, “Miss Elizabeth, I wish to take this opportunity to apologize for my discourtesy at the assembly a few days ago. It was rude and very poorly done of me.”

Elizabeth was surprised, but she said quickly, “I forgive you, sir. I was discourteous in return, and I apologize for that.”

“I deserved it,” Darcy declared .

Elizabeth laughed and said, “Perhaps you did. In any case, I accept your apology, and I hope you accept mine, and perhaps we can start fresh?”

Darcy looked into the lady’s dancing eyes, brown with flecks of gold, and her beautiful face, and at her chestnut curls, and he could feel his stomach twist oddly.

“I would like that,” he said fervently, and Elizabeth felt her cheeks warm at his intent gaze.

“Please, will you not sit and allow our sisters to converse in moderate peace?” she asked, gesturing toward a couch against the outer wall.

Darcy checked his sister one last time and, observing her eagerly turning over music alongside Miss Mary, obediently took his place on the sofa.

He looked around the music room thoughtfully; it was not particularly large, but it was a pleasant room with green carpet and light green curtains, and the furniture, while old-fashioned, was well dusted.

“This seems a fine room,” he said, searching for a topic of discussion.

“It is,” Elizabeth agreed, looking around complacently.

“We had the furnishings updated a few years ago and replaced the windows with larger ones, so it is considerably lighter than it was. I am glad for Mary’s sake, as she spends so much time here.

She works very hard and practices often, whereas I find myself too distracted by books, and the out of doors, to devote myself appropriately to the instrument. ”

“What kind of books do you like?” Darcy asked curiously.

“Oh, Shakespeare, and histories, and Gothic novels, and even agricultural treatises when I have nothing else to read. My father is a great reader, you see, and of all of us, I am the one who appreciates the written word the most.”

Darcy found himself sitting up with a modicum of eagerness. “Which of the Shakespearean plays do you like the most?”

“Let me see – I am fond of Macbeth , though many of the other tragedies are irritating to me. Oddly, I like Henry IV …”

/

Dining Room

Netherfield

That Evenin g

“Really quite charming girls, though unsophisticated,” Miss Bingley said. “Miss Kitty spins her own wool, can you imagine? These country folks!”

Georgiana swallowed a bite of bread and turned toward her hostess. “I thought that spinning was done with machines nowadays?”

“Generally yes,” Mrs. Annesley replied, with more animation than was common.

“The spinning mule revolutionized the spinning industry, but a few souls continue the old ways. It seems that Longbourn raises angora rabbits, and Miss Kitty spins thread from their wool herself. It is an unusual accomplishment, certainly, but an interesting one.”

Georgiana looked thoughtful and said, “It sounds like a very practical skill.”

“Practical, yes,” Miss Bingley continued with a supercilious smirk.

“I understand that Longbourn is entailed away from the female line and will go to one of the Bennets’ uncles – the one in trade, presumably.

None of the girls are well dowered, so I suppose it is wise for the ladies of Longbourn to pursue more .

.. sensible accomplishments given their station in life. ”

Bingley finished chewing a bite of ham and said warmly, “They are charming and lovely ladies, and I am thankful to have them as our neighbors. ”

“Miss Mary is an excellent performer on the pianoforte,” Georgiana volunteered, which surprised and pleased her brother. His sister was often too shy to speak in even the most welcoming company.

“That is, at least, a most acceptable accomplishment,” Mrs. Hurst said. “If she is pretty like her sisters, her musical abilities might well win her a husband.”

“As to that, Miss Mary is already engaged to a local curate,” Darcy said.

“It seems odd that we have not yet met Mr. Bennet,” Bingley mused aloud.

“I believe the old gentleman has gout,” Fitzwilliam volunteered. “Mrs. Bennet mentioned that.”

The former colonel speared a piece of beetroot and continued, “Given how much my own father suffers when he has an attack of gout, I can understand why Mr. Bennet stays away from company.”

“Certainly,” Caroline Bingley agreed absently. She swirled her wine a little in its glass and said to her sister, “Louisa, I would like to have the youngest Misses Bennet visit us soon. Miss Lydia was so very interested in our gowns and bonnets; would that not be a special treat for the girl? ”

“It would indeed,” Louisa said. “Yes, perhaps when the gentlemen are otherwise engaged, we could invite the young ladies here?”

She turned her attention on Georgiana and said, “But only if you do not mind, Miss Darcy.”

Georgiana blushed and said, “Oh, that would be very pleasant. Perhaps ... perhaps Miss Mary could be invited as well? I would be glad to talk more of music with her.”

“Of course!” Caroline Bingley replied.