Disdain, Agony, Hope, and Love #Wattys2020

Chapter 3

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Over the next fortnight, the Netherfield party saw one or other of the Bennets five times.

Darcy came down one morning to find the two eldest Miss Bennets and their mother visiting Bingley and his sisters. He said a polite greeting then walked to the window, from where he could observe the scene unfolding in front of him.

Bingley began talking to Jane, and Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst joined him. Miss Bingley and Miss Bennet seemed to get along quite well, and soon began to call each other by their first names. Darcy privately thought Bingley's sisters were only befriending Miss Bennet because their brother approved of her.

Mrs. Bennet would not keep quiet and Darcy did his best to ignore her and her not-so subtle comments on his behaviour at the Meryton Assembly. He cared not what she thought, but the woman was getting on his nerves. She rambled on about the wonders of Netherfield, praised Mr. Bingley and his sisters to the skies, and reminded Bingley of his saying that he would hold a ball at Netherfield.

Darcy turned his attention to Miss Elizabeth, who stood and watched her sister conversing with her new friends. She frowned as she observed the Bingley sisters.

He looked at her closely, still trying to determine the meaning behind the look she had given him at the assembly. But he could find no inspiration.

His opinion of her had not changed. She was still only tolerable. There was hardly a good feature in her face, her figure was not perfect and she had quite a sharp tongue, he noticed in her playful, teasing comments.

She at least, had the sense to be embarrassed by her mother's behaviour, and sometimes looked as if she wanted to be far away.

Darcy took no part in any of the conversations, and thankfully, Miss Bingley did not talk to him either. He kept his position, and watched everything with a critical eye. After a while, he saw Miss Elizabeth glance at him, raise her eyebrows and smile.

He got the distinct impression she was still laughing at him.

Miss Bingley had extended an invitation to the eldest Miss Bennets to dinner, and this dinner took place two days later.

Whether by accident or design, Jane had sat to Bingley's left, with her sister beside her, and Hurst beside Elizabeth.

Darcy found himself in between Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst, and across from Miss Elizabeth.

As the dinner progressed, Darcy added another criticism to his list. He found that Miss Elizabeth's manners were not those of the fashionable world; at times he thought they were downright impertinent.

Music was called for after dinner, and when Jane was asked to perform, she replied that she did not play or sing. Darcy saw that Miss Bingley sniggered. Miss Elizabeth seeing this asked if she could hear Miss Bingley play, and the lady complied.

She performed quite admirably, but he privately thought that his sister was still the better. Miss Bingley concluded with a smile towards him and said, with false modesty, that Miss Darcy was the most wonderful performer, and that she was nothing to her. As if to play up her performance, she requested that Miss Elizabeth to entertain them with a song.

Darcy listened with a critical ear. In comparison to his sister, Miss Elizabeth was by no means capital, but her unaffected playing was enjoyable to listen to.

"So, what do you think of them, Mr. Darcy?" asked Miss Bingley, that night after their guests had departed.

"I confess that the eldest Miss Bennet is quite pretty, with the deportment of a lady of rank," he replied. That night he had finally conceded that Jane was a wonderful lady, and he could see why Bingley was taken with her.

Mr. Bingley looked pleased with Darcy's opinion.

Looking at his friend, Darcy decided to let things run its course. In time, Bingley will forget the girl, and so there was no need to interfere.

"I must say that I find Miss Eliza quite . . . insolent at times," mused Miss Bingley. She looked at him, as if she was worried that she might have a rival for his affections. No doubt she had noticed his preoccupation with Miss Elizabeth.

Miss Bingley did not need to worry.

"She has hardly a good feature in her face, though her manners are not as you would describe them, they are sometimes not what I would call polite."

Miss Bingley looked content.

That night, he wondered why he was taking so much of an interest in the second Miss Bennet. He realised that she was an intriguing creature, and . . . . . different to other ladies he knew.

Mrs. Bennet had been very eager to have them all over for a dinner at Longbourn, and so the Bennet's visit was returned.

This was also the first time they had met Mr. Bennet. Darcy looked at the man and decided that he was a person of sense and intelligence. Soon after the dinner (Mrs. Bennet had placed Bingley beside Jane), Mr. Bennet had retreated to his library, which Darcy could approve of. He did not approve of the way Mr. Bennet teased his wife with sarcastic remarks, which she was too ignorant to understand, though Darcy did admit he found it quite amusing. Nor did he approve of the fact that Mr. Bennet refused to rein in the wildness of his two youngest daughters.

The youngest, Miss Lydia if he remembered correctly, behaved in a way he found shocking. She would shout across the room or whisper in the corners to her sister Catherine and laugh, or interrupt while people were talking. Nor was her conversation worth listening to - all she could speak of were the officers of the militia that had encamped in Meryton.

Throughout the evening, he had said little, but spent the time looking at Miss Elizabeth. Being so different from ladies like Miss Bingley, she was a puzzle.

"Will we see you at the Lucas Lodge party, Mr. Bingley?" asked Mrs. Bennet.

"Yes, I wouldn't miss it for the world. It will be wonderful to meet those of whom I made an acquaintance with at the assembly," replied Bingley.

"And I do hope that we shall see you dance, sir," added Mrs. Bennet.

"Of course."

"Ah, of course," she repeated, "Unlike others, you enjoy the pastime and do not think it beneath you to dance with those who are not of your position," said Mrs. Bennet, with a significant look towards Darcy.

Darcy, again ignored her. He was looking at Miss Elizabeth's face.

He was forced to acknowledge that her face was actually quite pretty, especially by the expression of her dark eyes, which made her look quite intelligent. With her dark hair, she seemed the opposite of her sister, especially with her easy, playful disposition in comparison to Jane's quiet and sweet temper.

They left soon after. Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst laughed over the behaviour of the Bennets, but amended their criticisms with lavish (and sometimes insincere) praises of the eldest daughters.

The two eldest Bennet girls dined in the company of the Netherfield party two more times. Darcy watched as his friend seemed to become even more enchanted by Miss Jane, but most of his attentions were upon the sister.