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“That is not true, Miss Lizzy…” Fanny stopped when her husband raised his hand.

“I saw Mr Hill after you told him to send the note to Netherfield Park, Mrs Bennet. He wanted to make sure I had nothing to add. I did not. However, I did read the missive, and it was word for word as Lizzy said. Jane and Lizzy did not disobey you. We will not hear any more talk about either of them doing so.” Bennet saw his wife was about to begin to caterwaul. He held up his hand. “Not another word, Mrs Bennet, unless you would like to forego one or two of the next quarter days without your allowance!”

Even though she thought her husband was being very high-handed, Fanny closed her mouth. She could see that her husband was serious in this. Hence, she was not willing to risk her pin money.

Bennet did not like to exert himself. Under normal circumstances, he would have allowed his wife to continue making a cake of herself; however, she was accusing his favourite daughter of that which she did not do. Besides, he would soon have more sport than he knew what to do with. It was only about a sennight before the entertainment arrived.

Chapter 9

On Friday, Kitty and Lydia Bennet were doing what they often did since the regiment of the Derbyshire militia arrived to encamp in Meryton. They were walking to the town, ostensibly to purchase ribbons from the haberdashery; but in reality, they—meaning driven by the forceful Lydia—were seeking officers to flirt with.

Lydia was well pleased to see Denny, Saunderson, and Pratt walking along the other side of the street. “Denny!” she yelled out as she crossed the street with Kitty following.

“Miss Lydia, Miss Kitty,” Denny intoned as he bowed, as did the other two lieutenants. “It is a pleasure to see pretty girls in the town.”

Both girls blushed at the compliment. Of course, Lydia thought it was aimed mostly at herself. “Why have you not called at Longbourn of late?” Lydia queried with a pout.

“Unless your mother invites us, it would not be proper for us to arrive at your home,” Saunderson explained.

“Then, I will make sure that Mamma issues an invitation to all of the officers. If she does, then I expect to see all of you at Longbourn for tea on the morrow,” Lydia demanded, her arms akimbo while she batted her eyes at the officers.

“The others will be able to come, but I am afraid I will not be here,” Denny stated with put-on sorrow. Even though Miss Lydia had the hallmarks of a lightskirt, she was only fifteen and the daughter of a gentleman. He would flirt with her but no more than that. He did have standards. Seeing Miss Lydia’s lower lip pushed out, he elucidated. “Colonel Forster asked me to go to London with Chamberlayne to recruit more officers. We depart in an hour from now. Hence, it is not that I would not like to visit your estate, but I will be unable to thanks to having to perform my duties. That is until I return.”

What Denny said placated Lydia’s bruised feelings. She was glad the handsome officer had a good reason why he would not be able to call at Longbourn. Thankfully, there were more than enough officers remaining while the two lieutenants went to London.

They chatted for a while longer. Lydia used all of the techniques of flirting her mother had taught her.

“Lyddie, we must go buy some ribbons,” Kitty said after the officers had bowed and moved off. “You know there will be questions if we arrive home with nothing. After all, purchasing some ribbons was our stated reason for coming into Meryton.”

“I suppose we must,” Lydia huffed. “You will need to pay; I have spent all of my allowance for this quarter already.”

Kitty said nothing. She was used to Lydia claiming she had no money.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Darcy was troubled. He could not evict the impertinent Miss Elizabeth from his thoughts and dreams, as he had been sure he would once she was no longer before him. She had not been present at Netherfield Park for almost a sennight, and his tender feelings for her had not diminished. He had tried to convince himself it was merely an infatuation and it would fade. It had not. It had strengthened, and as much as he did not want to own it to himself, Darcy had gone and fallen in love with her.

He found that he missed her presence, her pert opinions, and her expert way of politely turning the barbs flung at her by both Mrs Hurst and Miss Bingley back towards them without them knowing what was occurring. In addition, he also missed just seeing her magnificently fine eyes.

She was not worthy of a Darcy of Pemberley, so how could he be so weak as to be falling in love with her? It was a conundrum to which he had no answer.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by Miss Bingley’s grating voice.

“Charles, you were not serious about holding a ball for the country mushrooms hereabouts, were you?” Miss Bingley whinged.

“As I have told you before, yes, Caroline, I am,” Bingley replied exasperatedly. “I gave my word that there would be a ball here at Netherfield Park, and here a ball there will be.”

“Charles, surely you must take your guest’s feelings about holding a ball into account,” Miss Bingley said, directing a coquettish look at Mr Darcy.

“If you mean Darcy, he is welcome to remain in his chambers during the ball,” Bingley returned.

“Tell him, Mr Darcy, how insupportable it will be to hold a ball in this backwater for the country bumpkins.” Miss Bingley batted her eyes at the man she wanted to marry. “Surely you would not lower yourself to do such at Pemberley?”

“Miss Bingley, almost all estates are close to market towns, just like this one,” Darcy replied. “We have two near Pemberley. Lambton to the south and Kympton to the northwest. My late mother had an annual ball for those in the local area, many of them minor landholders like the ones around Meryton. Hence, what your brother is planning is no different from what my late, honoured mother used to do.”

It was horrifying that not only did Mr Darcy not agree with her, but he seemed to be intimating that she was denigrating what his late mother did. Caroline Bingley did not know which way to look. “I-I meant n-no disrespect to the late Lady Anne,” she managed.

“Given Mr Darcy’s preferences, should our ball not feature discussion rather than dancing?” Mrs Hurst interjected to give her embarrassed sister some moments to recover her equanimity.