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Elliot too intended to have a talk with his younger brother, but he and Christian had escaped early to walk to Meryton and visit with their aunt and uncle—the aunt being Mrs. Bennet’s younger sister who had smartly mated with the clerk who had succeeded their father into business. All the Bennet boys were close with these relatives but Christian and Louis spent an inordinate amount of time with Mrs. Phillips and returned with news and happiness related entirely due to the recent arrival of a militia regiment in the neighbourhood. It was to remain the whole summer through to the autumn, and Meryton was the headquarters.
To Jack, Elliot and Marc, the arrival of the officers was an interesting piece of gossip but no more than that. Jack was entirely consumed with his thoughts of Mr. Bingley, Marc with a pianoforte piece he was attempting to master—much to the pain of the whole family, as it was sadly beyond his talents—and Elliot, well Elliot did not quite know which direction his thoughts were taking, and he was spending more time than ever tramping around the Longbourn estate and often beyond.
To Louis and Christian, young, excitable, desperate for something interesting to happen that did not involve the monthly assembly, nothing could have given them more joy than the arrival of officers. They could talk of nothing but them, and Mr. Bingley’s large fortune, the mention of which gave animation to their mother, was worthless in their eyes when opposed to the regimentals of an officer.
After listening to their effusions on this subject day after day for the better part of a week, Mr. Bennet coolly observed, “From all that I can collect by your manner of talking, you must be two of the silliest boys in the country. I have suspected it some time, but I am now convinced.”
Christian was disconcerted, as he so often was when chided by their papa and made no answer. But Louis, with perfect indifference, continued to express his admiration of Captain Carter, who he had wandered off with at the Lucases’ ball.
“I am astonished, my dear,” said Mrs. Bennet, “that you should be so ready to think your own children silly. If I wished to think slightingly of anybody’s children, it should not be of my own.”
“If my children are silly, I must hope to be always sensible of it,” Mr. Bennet said.
“Yes, but as it happens, they are all of them very clever.”
“This is the only point, I flatter myself, on which we do not agree. I had hoped that our sentiments coincided, but I must so far differ from you as to think our two youngest sons uncommonly foolish.”
“My dear Mr. Bennet, you must not expect such young men to have the sense of their father and mother. When they get to our age, I dare say they will not think about officers any more than we do.” Mrs. Bennet paused and let out a small sigh. “I remember the time when I liked a red coat myself very well, and, indeed, so I do still at my heart. And if a smart young colonel, with five or six thousand a year, should want one of my boys, I shall not say nay to him.”
“Officers, colonels included, are unlikely to be seeking husbands or wives here,” Elliot said, as he was finding the talk of officers and their intentions as vexing as his papa, though, unlike his parents, Elliot was also a little concerned. “Indeed, I would imagine that whenever they billet, they are inundated with young men and women swooning over them. We should be sensible of that fact,” he added. “And refrain from encouraging thoughts in that direction.”
Mrs. Bennet was prevented from replying by the entrance of the footman with a note for Jack. It came from Netherfield, and the servant waited for an answer. Mrs. Bennet’s eyes sparkled with pleasure, all thoughts of officers forgotten, and she eagerly called out, while Jack read it.
“Well, Jack, who is it from? What is it about? What does he say? Well, Jack, make haste and tell us!”
“It is from Miss Bingley,” said Jack. “She invites me to dine with her and the Hursts.” A pause and then. “The gentlemen are to dine with the officers.”
“With the officers!” cried Louis. “I wonder my aunt did not tell us of that.”
“Dining out,” said Mrs. Bennet. “That is very unlucky.”
“Can I have the carriage?” asked Jack.
Mrs. Bennet walked over to the window. It was not the best view of Netherfield, showing the park and then the agricultural fields beyond which were currently water-logged, as it had rained near constantly for three days and nights. She paused there before turning with a satisfied expression on her face. “No, my dear, you had better go on horseback, because it seems likely to rain, and then you must stay all night.”
Elliot sighed. “That would be a good scheme if you were sure that they would not offer to send him home.”
“Oh! but the gentlemen will have Mr. Bingley’s chaise to go to Meryton, and the Hursts have no horses of their own.”
“How do you even know that?” Elliot asked and Mrs. Bennet gave him a satisfied sort of smile.
“With five sons to see mated it is my business to know these things!”
“I had much rather go in the carriage,” Jack said quickly.
“But, my dear, your father cannot spare the horses, I am sure. They are wanted in the farm, Mr. Bennet, are they not?” she asked. “Especially given the acres of mud out there!”
“They are wanted in the farm much oftener than I can get them.”
“They are not needed in the farm today,” Elliot said quickly and not least because he had overseen them yesterday and there were no plans for additional activity today, not given how much it had rained. “Jack can have them.”
“Jack can have one,” Mrs. Bennet said. “And go on horseback as I have instructed.”
“But—”
“As instructed,” she said.
Mrs. Bennet happily waved Jack off some hours later and there followed her cheerful proclamations of bad weather to come. Her hopes were answered almost immediately. Jack had not been gone long before it rained harder than it had in the days previously. Elliot half expected his brother to return home, given he was closer to Longbourn than Netherfield, but he did not, and Elliot was left feeling uneasy. Jack was not the most accomplished rider, and he would be taking the slow route and getting thoroughly soaked on his way! Mrs. Bennet however was delighted. The rain continued the whole evening without intermission. Jack certainly could not come back without a further drenching.
