“Yes? What secret is trembling upon your lips, my dear, that you could not speak before your mother and sisters?”
“Papa, Jane and I heard… well, there is a rumor that Netherfield Park is to be let.”
Mr. Bennet’s brow furrowed as he slipped off his spectacles, tapping them thoughtfully against his book. “Let, you say?” He seemed to weigh the notion, glancing toward the window as though the news had drifted in from the grounds outside. “It is news to me, though I cannot say it is entirely unexpected. There has been gossip for some time, but I had heard nothing certain. Things may not be as rosy for the baronet as they once were.”
Elizabeth hesitated, her fingers curling together. “Do you suppose it could have anything to do with… his activities?”
A grim smile tugged at the corner of her father’s mouth. “That would be a fair assumption. When one chooses to shoulder such burdens, there is always a cost.” He let out a long breath, his gaze distant. “He had ample resources, or he did at one time, but perhaps he has encountered more setbacks than he anticipated.”
Elizabeth sank into the chair opposite him, her stomach suddenly twisting into a sick emptiness. “It would be a terrible loss if he is forced to shutter Netherfield,” she murmured. “To… everyone.”
“Yes,” Mr. Bennet agreed, his tone softening. He watched her for a moment, then leaned forward, his voice taking on a gentler edge. “But let us not dwell on such morose matters, Lizzy. You’ve only just returned from London. I expect some sort of tale to entertain me, as long as it does not involve dancing or lace or any description of the endless gowns and bonnets.”
Elizabeth managed a small smile, clasping her hands in her lap. “Very well, I shall do my best to spare you tales of ribbons and feathers, though you will miss hearing about the most extravagant hats on Bond Street. Aunt Gardiner and I agreed one in particular could serve as a garden trellis.”
Mr. Bennet chuckled, his eyes twinkling. “Indeed, I am most grateful to be spared. What else occupied your time? Surely, not all of it was spent gawking at outlandish headgear.”
Elizabeth leaned back, glancing at the fire. “Not at all. Uncle Gardiner took us to the British Museum, where Jane and I saw a curious collection of Egyptian artifacts, including a very stern-looking statue that Aunt said resembled a distant cousin of ours. And I had the pleasure of introducing Jane to an unexpected admirer.”
Mr. Bennet’s brow arched. “Oh?”
She smiled, suppressing a laugh. “A young poet—one who recited a verse for her on the spot. Aunt Gardiner quite feared he would follow us all the way back to Cheapside.”
He shook his head with a wry smile. “I see it was a most eventful journey, indeed.”
“Very much so.” Elizabeth was suddenly beset by a yawn and found her eyelids growing heavy as the long journey finally seemed to be catching up with her. “Papa, I fear I am far more fatigued than I realized. Perhaps I should tell you more of London in the morning.”
He patted her hand in a gentle dismissal, his eyes crinkling with affection. “Yes, yes, off with you, Lizzy. Go rest your weary head—you have given me enough amusement for one night.”
Elizabeth rose, turning toward the door, but just as her fingers brushed the handle, her father called after her, his tone sly.
“Oh, Lizzy. You missed quite the spectacle while you were away. I suppose you are sorry to have missed my cousin Collins’s visit. Believe me, my dear, you would have found him vastly amusing.”
She stopped, glancing back at him, a slow grin creeping over her face. “Such a pity,” she said, her eyes gleaming with mirth, “that Aunt and Uncle invited Jane and me to London just as Mr. Collins was expected.”
Mr. Bennet chuckled dryly, his smile widening. “Yes, a pity indeed.”
Seven
“This is silly,” Bingleyannounced as the footman put down the step in front of the Meryton inn. “We’ve still almost an hour of daylight left. I say we drive on and have a look at the house this evening rather than putting up at the inn to do nothing.”
“We do not have an hour,” Darcy countered as he regarded the horizon. “Half an hour, at best, and you propose to drive three or four more miles, look about the property, and then return before nightfall?”
“What care we for whether it is dark when we come back? The horses can see the road well enough, what with the lanterns, and besides, I am quite too restless to simply cool my heels in a taproom. Driver! Take us to Netherfield, please.”
The footman took back the step and closed the door, the carriage lurched, and they were in motion again. Darcy leaned back, tapping his foot on the floorboards. Bingley was fairly bouncing in his seat, glancing out the window at every bend with an almost boyish eagerness that Darcy could not quite fathom.
Some while later, they made a turn at a brick-layered post that probably once bore a sign of some sort, but now stood as a mute, unmarked sentry. They must be on Netherfield’s lands now. Twilight was settling over the landscape, casting long shadows that swallowed most of the finer details of the property.
“Tell me, Bingley, you did inform the owner of our impending arrival?” Darcy asked, already dreading the answer.
Bingley shifted, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. “Not… exactly. The agent only gave me the specifics about the property this morning. By the time the lease terms reached me, there was hardly a moment to spare before we set off. The agent assured me that I could call at the property directly, leave my card, and speak with the owner—who is, I might add, quite desperate to secure a tenant. Surely, he will not object to our presence.”
Darcy’s eyebrows shot up. “You intend to knock on the door of a man’s home at dusk, completely unannounced, and discuss tenancy? Have you lost all sense of propriety, Bingley?”
Bingley’s smile didn’t falter, though he did pull his coat tighter. “I may not have scheduled an audience, but the agent seemed quite confident that any prospective tenant would be most welcome here.”
Darcy huffed in disbelief. “Perhaps next time, you will simply post an invitation for him to host you to tea on your terms.” He gestured to the sky, already deepening to a dark slate. “And you expect to view the property before nightfall?”
