Miss Bennet & Mr Bingley (7 page)

Jane felt her eyes filled with
tears. ‘Oh, Lizzy, please do not go. I feel so much more comfortable with you
here.’

There was the rustle of skirts and
Miss Bingley appeared at the bedside. ‘Miss Elizabeth, it is obvious that Miss
Bennet would be happier with you here. Please, will you not stay at Netherfield
for the present?’

‘I am most obliged, Miss Bingley.
Thank you, I should feel more sanguine here, with Jane, whilst she is so
poorly. Could I presume upon your kindness and ask you to send a servant to
Longbourn to collect clothes for Jane and me? I shall pen a note to my family
so that they are not unduly alarmed.’

‘I shall have the carriage sent
for. You shall find writing materials in the escritoire in the sitting room.’
Miss Bingley leant down and smoothed out the rumpled sheets. ‘You must not
concern yourself, my dear Miss Bennet. Mr Bingley is most anxious that you
should be made comfortable and says that you must not consider returning home
until you are fully recovered.’

 
* * * *

Mr Bingley was reluctant to leave Netherfield until the apothecary had
declared that Miss Bennet, although very poorly, was in no danger.
He
had been imagining the worst for a sore throat, if neglected, could lead to a
putrid sore throat, and such a condition could prove fatal. But
she had, as Darcy had supposed, contracted only
a feverish cold. He wished that he could go up and see for himself how she did.

The day seemed interminable and he could settle at nothing. Reports from
the sick room were not encouraging. He could not bear to think that Miss Bennet
was suffering and he unable to alleviate it. He went to see Nicholls to ensure
that everything that could be done for the patient was in hand. ‘Did the
flowers and fruit go up as I instructed? Did my note go as well?’

‘Yes, sir, they did. I can assure you that everything is in place to
ensure that Miss Bennet is comfortable at Netherfield.’

All day Darcy remained at his side offering encouragement and
distraction in equal measures.

 
Mr Bingley sent a second note up
and on receiving word that Miss Bennet was resting he allowed himself to be
enticed into a game of billiards with his friend and Hurst.

‘It is getting dark, Bingley, you had better send for the carriage. Miss
Elizabeth cannot be expected to walk home.’

‘Good heavens! I shall do so at once, thank you for reminding me.’ He
met Caroline in the hall.

‘I was just coming to find you, Charles. Miss Bennet wishes her sister
to stay and I have come down to send the carriage to Longbourn to fetch what
belongings they might need.’

‘Is the patient worse?’

‘No, but she is no better for sure.’ She rang the bell and the butler
appeared and she gave her instructions. ‘Now, Charles, do not look so worried.
I am certain that our guest shall be recovered in a day or two.’

Mr Bingley returned to the billiard room and explained the new arrangements
to the other gentlemen. He could not tell from Darcy’s expression whether he
was pleased or not by the news that Elizabeth was to remain at Netherfield with
them.

At half past six Louisa sent for their guest to join them for dinner.
When she entered he bowed and took her hand. ‘Miss Elizabeth, how is your
sister doing? I am hoping to hear good news this evening.’

‘She is much the same, Mr Bingley. It is most generous of you to
accommodate us in this way, and I thank you for it. My sister is rarely ill,
you know, that is why it was such a cause of alarm to me to hear she had
succumbed so quickly.’

‘I cannot tell you how excessively I dislike being ill myself, it is
indeed shocking to have such a bad cold.’ Caroline said, but then turned her
attention back to Mr Darcy.

As soon as the last cover was removed Elizabeth excused herself and
returned upstairs. The rest of the party removed themselves to the
drawing-room. Immediately Caroline spoke out against their unexpected guest.

‘I do declare, Miss Elizabeth is nothing like her sister. Do not you
think, Mr Darcy, that her manner is a very bad indeed, a mixture of pride and
impertinence? She has no conversation, no style, no taste and little beauty.’

‘I agree, Caroline,’ Louisa said. ‘She has nothing, in short, to
recommend her, but being an excellent walker. I shall never forget her
appearance this morning. She really looked almost wild.’

‘She did indeed, Louisa. I could hardly keep my countenance. Very
nonsensical to come at all! Why must she be scampering about the country
because her sister has a cold? Hair so untidy, so blowsy!’

‘Yes, and her petticoat; I hope you saw her petticoat, six inches deep
in mud, I am absolutely certain; and the hem which had been let down to hide it
not doing its office.’

Mr Bingley had heard quite enough of this. ‘Your picture may be very
exact, Louisa, but this was all lost upon me. I thought that Miss Elizabeth
Bennet looked remarkably well when she came into the room this morning. Her
dirty petticoat quite escaped my notice.’

‘But you observed, Mr Darcy, I am sure,’ Caroline said, turning to his
friend. ‘I am inclined to think that you would not wish to see your sister make
such an exhibition.’

‘I certainly would not.’

‘To walk three miles, or four miles or five miles, whatever it is, above
one’s ankles in dirt and alone, quite alone! What could she mean by it? It
seems to me to show an abominable sort of conceited independence, and a certain
indifference to decorum.’

‘What it shows, in my opinion, is a degree of affection for her sister
that is very pleasing,’ Mr Bingley said to his sister.

‘I am afraid, Mr Darcy,’ Caroline continued in a half whisper, ‘this
adventure has rather affected your admiration of her fine eyes.’

‘Not at all,’ he replied, ‘they were brightened by the exercise.’

His friend was taking a very particular interest in Elizabeth’s
appearance. This was not the first time he had admired her eyes. Could the
impossible be happening? Was Darcy becoming attached to her?

 
Darcy nodded at him, as if to
reinforce this point and to tell him that he did not join in this general
criticism.

‘I have excessive regard for Jane, she is really a very sweet girl, I do
wish with all my heart to see her well settled. With such a father and mother,
and such low connections, I am afraid there is no chance of it.’

‘I think I have heard you say, that her uncle as an attorney in
Meryton.’

‘Yes, and they have another, who resides somewhere near Cheapside. I
think that is capital!’ added Caroline, and both his sisters laughed.

He jumped to his feet, he was heartily sick of this conversation. Miss
Bennet was everything she should be, and was hardly her fault her family did
not live up to the exacting expectations of his sisters. ‘If they had uncles
enough to fill all Cheapside it would not make them one jot less agreeable.’

‘It must very materially lessen their chance of marrying men of any
consideration in the world,’ Darcy commented, his face serious.

Having heard enough on the subject for one evening, Mr Bingley moved
away from the group to stand alone at the far end of the room, lost in thought.
He had not considered until that moment more than that he found Miss Bennet a
delightful companion, that she occupied his every waking moment. It was not
until Darcy had said out loud that he did not believe her to be a suitable
match, that he had considered the future.

His friend’s opinion gave him pause for thought. He trusted Darcy’s
judgement in everything, but in affairs of the heart he believed
he
had
the more experience. It was not until Miss Bennet had become so unwell that he
had understood how much she had come to mean to him.

He stared unseeing at a particularly hideous portrait hanging to one
side of the fireplace. What was it about her that made his pulse beat faster?
In his mind’s eye he saw her smiling up at him, her eyes were a curious mix of
green and brown, she often had a few shining curls escaping at the nape her
neck, and her lips parted revealing two rows even teeth. He shuddered as he
remembered when, several years ago, he had fancied himself in love with the
squire’s daughter.

She had lovely golden hair, big blue eyes and a perfect figure; but what
he had liked especially about her was the fact that she did not talk overmuch,
but listened intently to everything he had to say without interruption. It was
not until he had been in her company several times that she laughed out loud, a
lovely sound and he turned in delight. To his horror he had seen that she had a
mouthful of ruined teeth - it was small wonder the poor girl had been told to
keep her mouth closed. He sat in the window seat and gazed down the room at his
friend who was now reading a newspaper.

He could well imagine Darcy’s reaction if he was to tell him he intended
to offer for Jane. (Although she must still be Miss Bennet when he addressed
her, in his heart she was already
his Jane.
)

Darcy would raise his eyebrows and say, ‘I do not believe you have
considered this as you should. Think about her background; do you really wish
to be associated with such a woman as her mother?’

Or perhaps he would say something more conciliatory, but still as
damning. ‘My dear Bingley, Miss Bennet is a beautiful woman, is everything you
could possibly wish for in a wife.’

He would leap to his feet in excitement waiting to be given his friend’s
blessing and then Darcy would continue; ‘However, she is not the woman for you,
her relations are intolerable and after all you have not known each other more
than a few weeks, hardly time for Miss Bennet to make a lasting attachment.’

 
Indeed, now that he thought of
it, although she was always delightful company, and smiled warmly at him when
they danced, she was not the sort of young woman to make a show of her
feelings. He would have to go on his own instincts and believe that she held
him in high esteem. Perhaps he was imagining there was more to their
relationship than there actually was. He knew
his
heart to be engaged,
but perhaps Miss Bennet did not feel the same way ?

Well, not yet, anyway. But they had the whole winter before them, that
was ample time to get to know each other, and he thanked God for the whim that
had brought him down to Hertfordshire.

 
It was quite late when Elizabeth
rejoined them. ‘How is Miss Bennet? Is she resting comfortably?’

‘Yes, thank you for enquiring, Mr Bingley. She is finally asleep.’

‘I am sure you have pleasure in being with your sister, and I hope it
will soon be increased by seeing her quite well.’ Charles wished his sisters
would not speak so severely about Elizabeth. He thought she was most agreeable.

‘Thank you, Mr Bingley, it is gratifying to know that you hold my sister
in such high regard.’

 
He watched her walk towards the
table upon which there were a few books. Perhaps there were not enough for her
to find something that she liked? ‘Miss Elizabeth, I shall go at once to fetch
you something else if you cannot find anything to read on the table. I have a
library, but I wish my collection were larger for your benefit and my own
credit; but idle fellow that I am, although I have not many, I have more than
I
ever looked into.’

‘It is kind of you to offer, Mr Bingley, but I shall find something that
will suit me perfectly from what is available in here.’

‘I should like to choose a book for your sister to read when she is
feeling well enough. What sort of thing does she like?’

Elizabeth picked up the books on the table, examining the spines. ‘She
prefers a novel, she has recently read a book called
The Mysterious
Protector
, it was in the circulating library. We both enjoyed that novel.
She also enjoys books on the flora and fauna of different countries.’

‘I have a far wider choice in the library, let us go there immediately
and select something together that you may take up to her.’

‘I am astonished,’ his sister Caroline called, ‘that our father should
leave so small a collection of books. You have such a delightful library at
Pemberley, Mr Darcy!’

Mr Darcy looked up from the newspaper he was perusing. ‘It ought to be
good, it has been the work of many generations.’

‘And then you have added so much to it yourself, you are always buying
books.’

‘I cannot comprehend the neglect of a family library in such times as
these.’

‘I am sure that there is nothing that can add to the beauty of that noble
place. Charles, when you build your house, I wish it may be half as delightful
as Pemberley.’

He laughed at his sister’s comment. With all his fortune he knew he
could never build anything to rival Darcy’s estate.

‘I would really advise you to make your purchase in that neighbourhood,
and take Pemberley as your model. There is not a finer county in England than
Derbyshire,’ Caroline cried.

He grinned at his friend. ‘I will buy Pemberley itself if Darcy will
sell it.’

‘We are going to the library; I wish to choose something for Miss Bennet
to read when she is feeling a little better.’