“His appearance caught your notice.” Mr. Bennet smirked. “Be strong, my darling. Be strong! He railed against all women. Strike back; find some claim that will bite him — for the honor of the fair sex!”
“Papa, we shall not fight merely for your amusement.”
“Ha! I wish you to fight merely foryouramusement.” Papa squeezed the last button of his jacket closed. “I ought to lose a stone or so. This coat does not fit as it did when I had it made.”
“You might have the stomach let out.”
“Admit defeat? Not yet.”
He held out his cheek and Elizabeth kissed Papa’s bristly sideburns. “Revel in the violent death of birds.”
“I shall revel in the conversation of your favored antagonist.”
Mr. Bennet went out the front door and closed the door quickly behind him, a breeze of cold air shivering in behind him. He leaped onto the back of his horse with a surprising spryness for a gentleman who had from a young age preferred study and books to more sportly sports.
Elizabeth watched her father through the drawing room window. She loved her father; when he was gone she picked up a book to read while she waited.
It was no great duration of time until the Netherfield party rolled up the road, ensconced in their large fine carriage, and pulled by two pairs of matched bays and with a resplendently dressed coachman with a jaunty cap seated neatly in the driver’s seat.
Mrs. Bennet smiled out the window contentedly, eager for Bennet and his small friend to arrive. Besides Jane, Mary had a child, but as she was settled some twenty miles distant, Mrs. Bennet could not dote upon that granddaughter the way she doted upon her beloved Bennet. Kitty’s most recent letter announced she was expecting, and the babe had quickened. The pile of Bennet descendants was to increase.
Elizabeth and Mrs. Bennet bustled to the front door. Mrs. Bennet opened the door wide, letting in a draft and preempting Mrs. Hill’s role as the housekeeper. “In! In! Out of the cold! The children could catch cold.”
“Grandmama! Grandmama!” Bennet rushed up to Mrs. Bennet and widely hugged her.
“See—” Bennet pointed at Anne. “My friend! With me! Wheeee!”
Mrs. Bennet knelt to kiss Anne’s cheek. The girl shrank away, and then giggled when Mrs. Bennet tickled her. “Sweet children. In, in — do not catch a cold!”
Elizabeth examined Georgiana Darcy, trying to trace how this shy, quiet and proper girl could be related to the frank and arrogant man Mr. Darcy was. Both were tall, they had a similar cast of features, and they preferred not to speak in groups of people.
When they were scuttled into the drawing room, the children attacked the toys Mrs. Bennet kept in a chest for Bennet.
“Many of these toys are from when we were girls.” Elizabeth smiled at Georgiana. “The doll was brought down in hopes of entertaining Anne.”
“Oh!” The young woman clapped and knelt on the Persian rug to pick the moderately beaten wooden girl up and stroke the horsehair head. “Sweet creature —mygirlhood dolls are kept about my rooms. I hope this is not too dear an object, Anne can be rough. I assure you sheisthe sweetest natured and never means to—”
“A pet! A sweetling!” Mrs. Bennet exclaimed. “I know children. I raised so many! You need not defend your Anne, I am smitten with her.”
Georgiana blushed and looked down. “Thank you, Ma’am.”
“None of that formality. No, no, no! I adore you as much as your daughter — if only the neighborhood had not been so foolish as to refuse to admit you to the assembly.” Mrs. Bennet growled. “We shall make a success of you, and prove them all wrong.”
“No, I assure you,” Georgiana shook her head vigorously, “I am content. I do not desire to be forced upon anyone who—”
“Nonsense! You are a young girl. You want your share of party and entertainment. You have been horribly, horribly abused by your brother keeping you from such things.”
“Fitzwilliam is a perfect brother. He has done what he could. I do not deserve to participate in society.”
“Deserve! Of course you deserve. Sweet thing. You are Jane’s friend! Society will recognize you! My consequence willnotbe spurned — Jane, you and Bingley must hold a great dinner. Invite everyone. Everyone except Lady Lucas — I have cut her the past week for convincing the committee to ban Georgiana.”
“They just did what they thought was right…” Georgiana quietly spoke to her hands. “Fitzwilliam would not like it if we made a pest of me to your neighbors.”
“Mr. Darcy!” Mrs. Bennet growled. “I would never say anything against a friend of Bingley’s, every friend of my son is a friend of mine, but I shall despise him forever for saying my Lizzy looks old.”
“That isnotwhat he said,” Elizabeth replied for Georgiana’s sake.
“Please don’t,” Georgiana whispered. “Fitzwilliam is very good — it was all my fault, and—”
