An Appearance of Goodness

Chapter Two

The weekends were not much different than the weekdays at the Bennet house, save for the fact that Mr. Bennet was home a bit more. Most weekends he spent out in manly pursuits or holed up in his library for much-needed silence and solitude. Jane worked some days at the library, helping the old librarian out where she could. Saturdays in the summer were her favorite; most weekends she tried to plan activities for the children in town, whether it be a reading or a special visitor.

It was dark and cool in the small library. A two-room block building, the blinds were usually closed enough to keep the heat of the sun out, but open enough to provide light for reading, if you were close enough. In the back shelves of the building, one had to squint to read some of the titles on the faded spines of the old books. It reminded Lizzie of a strangely comfortable cave. It was pleasantly cooled but with little air circulation, stuffy in the way of a grandparent's attic. The smell of dusty books was almost oppressive, yet it welcomed and calmed her as soon as she stepped through the door. It was practically a second home to her and Jane, close enough to walk to, they'd been coming on their own since they were very young, walking the short distance under the watchful eye of everyone in town.

In the summer the library provided lunches for the kids who would normally get their food from school. Lizzie liked helping out with the children, giving them meals that they couldn't get at home. The two sisters were just cleaning up when Lydia and Catie poked their heads in the library door. "Wait until you hear our news!" Lydia cried before running off again, leaving the door banging behind her. Lizzie and Jane smiled and looked at each other, shrugging, knowing they would hear whatever news it was as soon as they made their way home.

"Mr. Bingley has moved into Netherfield!" Lydia announced later, once her full audience was gathered in the living room.

Catie couldn't keep quiet. "And Mr. Lucas has gone to see him!" She exclaimed, ignoring the irritated look her younger sister shot at her.

There was a dramatic sigh from the corner of the room, where Mrs. Bennet was curled up with a gossip magazine. "I don't even want to hear it! Why do we care what Mr. Bingley says or does since we're set to be strangers forever?" Lizzie covered a smile at her mother's antics.

A loud sneeze interrupted the conversation and all eyes turned towards Catie. "Heavens to Betsy, Catie, do you have to sneeze so violently?" Mrs. Bennet chided.

"I don't do it for fun!" Catie cried indignantly between sneezes.

Lydia ignored both of them, continuing on with her news. "And he has a personal chef and a chauffeur!" Jane raised her eyebrows delicately at that.

"He told Mr. Lucas that he loves dancing!" There was no end to the proclamations of the two silliest Bennet girls, each one trying to one-up the other.

Now they were talking over one another- "And he promised to come to the next First Friday!"

"Next week!" The shrieking was growing to an earsplitting decibel.

Mrs. Bennet had had enough. "Girls! Please! Y'all stop talking about Mr. Bingley since we will never know him anyway!"

Pouty faces were instantly directed her way. "But mom!" Lydia cried as if it were the end of the world.

"I am sick and tired of hearing about Mr. Bingley!" Mrs. Bennet proclaimed, slamming down her magazine.

A sly smile slid over Mr. Bennet's face as he lowered the newspaper he had been pretending to read. "That's too bad," he said quietly. Every pair of eyes in the room turned towards him. "If I'd have known sooner, it would've saved me the trouble of visiting him."

There was a pause while his words sunk in. "You've been to Netherfield?" Mrs. Bennet asked in disbelief.

"I'm afraid we can't avoid the association now," Mr. Bennet said, raising his newspaper back to hide his smile.