“Poor Edward,” Lady Rebecca scoffed. “Phillip says the man is constantly pestering Miss Bennet, for his mother wishes him to court her – or rather, to court her fortune. What sort of potato-brained popinjay would think to woo a lady after making love to her cousin? I can hardly fathom your family holding such regard for an unprincipled imbecile.”
Marianne laughed, though it was bittersweet. “He was kind to us in our grief, which is more than I can say of his sister and her husband, my odious half-brother. I believe I am put off by the entire male sex, perhaps forever.”
“What have you heard of Mr. Willoughby, then?”
“I have only heard his praises sung,” Marianne said in a huff of exasperation. “Jane finds him perfectly charming, which I think is very disloyal of her.”
“Thatisshocking – especially when she has been so unforgiving of Charles.”
“I had not thought of that, but you are perfectly right. Bah! Elinor has Jane’s letter, or I should show you her unfeeling comments. But I have had another letter fromhim.”
Lady Rebecca smirked. “May I?” When Marianne handed it over, still neatly folded and unread, her friend tore it in half and then moved to toss it into the fire. Marianne watched it burn with a swell of vengeful satisfaction.
“Let us be done with so much grief and vexation,” Lady Rebecca declared. “Come, your aunt may believe Charles to be her daughters’ rightful property, but I daresay he is in want of rescue. Besides, you have promised to help us plan a very grand fete, and I am ready to begin directly.”
***
The following day, Elinor and Marianne were invited to Netherfield. Lady Rebecca sent her carriage, along with a note explaining that Mr. Bingley was occupied in estate matters, and she was in want of company as she planned an extravagant party at Netherfield.
Their aunt had already admonished them for monopolizing the company of the gentlemen, who ought to take notice of her own daughters, though Mrs. Dashwood in turn observed that this sounded very like Lady Lucas’s recent remarks. Mrs. Bennet threw up her hands in a great huff and declared that if her nieces had any glimpse of the gentlemen, they ought to take every chance to speak well of Kitty and Lydia.
Elinor and Marianne were grateful to be away from the disorder of Longbourn, for there had been no peace since Lydia was invited to Hampshire, and despite his sister’s efforts, Mr. Bennet seemed likely to capitulate, if only to restore order in the household.
For the first hour of their visit at Netherfield, the three ladies took tea and refreshments together and conversed idly, and Lady Rebecca began to take the same interest in Elinor as she had shown Marianne. The fete was not discussed until Mr. Bingley came to join them, and then an animated discussion ensued.
The Dashwoods had enjoyed little society with other young people at Norland, and even less since removing toDevonshire; they both listened with relish as Mr. Bingley and Lady Rebecca described some of the lavish events they had attended in London and at various country estates belonging to their acquaintance.
Though Elinor listened with sedate appreciation, Marianne was soon enthralled by so many grand notions for their celebration. She and Mr. Bingley became increasingly animated, gesturing wildly and talking over one another as they expounded upon their ideas.
Elinor enjoyed their mad speculation, though she shook her head to admonish their outlandish plans. “Ice skating, a lavish luncheon, cards and parlor games, musical performances by every talented lady in the county, a poetry reading – really, Marianne – and to cap it all off, a night of dancing? My goodness, we shall be very well entertained. Tell me, Mr. Bingley, shall you hire tumblers and jugglers, and send abroad for some elephants and zebras to complete the circus?”
Mr. Bingley pretended to give this some serious consideration, and Marianne gave him a playful shove before recollecting herself; she swiftly withdrew her hands and moved away from him on the sofa, and entreated Lady Rebecca to ring for more lemon cakes.
They leisurely enjoyed their refreshments, distracted for a time by the wistful notions of how they might arrange a full-day pleasure party if only it were summer, when all their pleasant pastimes may be done outdoors.
“Imagine a ball, if the ballroom were out of doors,” Mr. Bingley said, spreading his hands wide as if to illustrate the notion.
Lady Rebecca gave him a dubious smirk. “I think you are just describing an open field.”
“No, no,” cried Marianne. “The dance floor a bed of soft moss, trees in every golden shade of autumn gathering at all sides, lanterns suspended from the branches – like something from a faerie kingdom.”
“How very pagan,” Lady Rebecca cried. “Whatever gothic romance you have been reading, you must let me borrow it!”
Marianne raised a hand to Lady Rebecca’s ear and whispered something that caused her friend to blush and sputter with laughter, and Mr. Bingley begged to know the secret, to no avail.
Elinor thoroughly enjoyed the hours they spent together, though more than once she caught herself privately lamenting that the colonel was not present, for he seemed to belong to their little set. The four merry companions occupied themselves very gaily, making lists of who to invite to the Netherfield fete and negotiating how many activities they could reasonably delight their neighbors with before they would all collapse in merry exhaustion.
The hour grew late, and Elinor was privately lamenting that she and her sister must return to Longbourn without having seen the colonel, when the man himself arrived. Elinor did not believe for an instant that Lady Rebecca had truly forgotten their dinner engagement, for she fixed Elinor with such a smile as she invited the sisters to stay for dinner, that Elinor felt as if her own secret wishes had been laid bare before the cunning woman.
Marianne accepted the invitation to stay for dinner before Elinor could express any hesitation, and Lady Rebecca grinned brightly.
“Excellent. Charles, would you kindly send word to Longbourn, so their relations do not worry for them. We shall send you home in my carriage after dinner – unless you had better stay the night? No? Well, we shall decide later. But comeupstairs with me, for we are all of a near enough size, and I shall lend you each something to change into. Have no fear, I shall not dress you as wickedly as I did Miss Lucas!”
Upstairs, Lady Rebecca showed Marianne into a guest room and then led Elinor to her own chamber. She selected a fine blue gown that would suit Marianne well, and sent a maid to attend her. When they were left alone, Lady Rebecca gave Elinor leave to borrow whichever of her frocks she liked best, and Elinor selected a simple ivory silk.
When Elinor went behind a screen to change, Lady Rebecca’s cheerful chatter turned serious. “My brother is quite afraid of you, Miss Dashwood.”
Elinor flinched as she pulled the gown over her head. She attempted to recall whether he had looked displeased by her staying for dinner, and her mind was awhirl with panic that perhaps her aunt was correct, that she had erred in putting herself forward with the colonel.
