“Mama, this is one of Jane’s favourite gowns!” Elizabeth protested at once.
“No matter; the Gardiners have given her new clothing, you recall. What is important right now is for you to make the best possible impression on Mr. Bingley! And you, Mary, are to wear that brown thing that you got two seasons ago.”
“It hardly fits me now, Mama,” Mary said.
“No matter. The worse you look, the better Lizzy looks beside you, do you not see?”
“Mama,” Elizabeth began, her voice hard.
“It is all right; I do not mind,” Mary said, quietly, tugging on Elizabeth’s hand.
***
“Miss Bennet, Miss Mary Bennet,” Mr. Howard intoned. He winked at the Bennet girls, both of whom he had known for most of their lives, as he announced them to Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley, who sat stiffly in the drawing room.
Mrs. Hurst introduced the Bennets to her sister, who rose, executed a brief curtsey and sat back down.
“Thank you for coming,” Mrs. Hurst said, doing her best to sound sincere. Charles would not wish for her to alienate their new neighbours and Caroline would not be at all helpful in thisregard, so it was up to her. “As you know, my family has never owned an estate, and so we are not at all certain as to our responsibilities. We are grateful that you are willing to share your own experience with us. Are we not, Caroline?” She shot a hard look at her sister.
“Grateful, indeed,” Miss Bingley said. Her tone was caustic.
Elizabeth immediately understood Miss Bingley to be an enemy to her campaign to marry Mr. Bingley, and thus determined to do her best to win the woman over. “Miss Bingley, we were sorry not to see you at Longbourn last week; I hope you are finding Netherfield Park to your liking?”
“The country is dirty,” Miss Bingley replied, flicking her skirts as if shaking out dust.
Mary shot an astonished glance at her sister, but Elizabeth nodded at Miss Bingley, saying, “It is, indeed. I am not at all surprised that a young woman of refinement, such as yourself, is unhappy to find herself in such circumstances. But we women must do our best to accommodate the men in our lives, must we not?”
“It seems so,” Miss Bingley replied, thawing ever so slightly.
“At least Netherfield has a lovely pianoforte! I believe your sister mentioned that you play.”
“I have had the benefit of London’s best masters!” Miss Bingley said, straightening her shoulders.
Mary, who had by now caught on to Elizabeth’s stratagem, said, “How I envy you, Miss Bingley! I play a little, but I am certain my playing could not possibly compare with yours. How I long to hear you play!”
“Well, I shall certainly play for you one day,” Miss Bingley replied, with something that might have been a smile on her face.
“Oh! You are here! Louisa, I thought you would let me know when the Bennet ladies arrived!” Mr. Bingley walked into the drawing room.
“They have just now done so, Charles,” Mrs. Hurst said.
Mr. Bingley bowed to Elizabeth and Mary, asked after their health, and then seated himself as near to Elizabeth as the furniture arrangement permitted.
“We are just getting to know your youngest sister a bit, Mr. Bingley,” Elizabeth said. “I understand that she is a superior performer, and Mary and I both long to hear her play.”
“She is,” Mr. Bingley said. “Though I was very much charmed by your own performance, Miss Mary, and by the enchanting sound of Miss Bennet’s alto!” He grinned widely at them.
Elizabeth was aware of the danger of allowing Miss Bingley to hear too much praise of her abilities, so she turned the conversation at once. “May we discuss the tenants of your estate?”
“By all means,” Mrs. Hurst said. “I have writing materials at hand.”
“Very well.” Elizabeth took a deep breath before continuing. “Netherfield Park has twenty tenant farms. There is room for another five, but the absence of a landlord in residence has made it difficult to rent them out.”
“Why is that?” Mr. Bingley asked, leaning forward.
“Because when there is no permanent estate owner, there is no guarantee of support from the estate. We girls were able to bring food, clothing, and what medicines we can make ourselves, but we do not have the funds to repair roofs, raise fences, or do anything that requires actual money. So you can understand that tenant farmers will not wish to move into a tenancy that will not include such repairs.”
Mr. Bingley turned to his sisters. “Darcy is always talking about roofs, adding on rooms, and the like.”
