Page 18 of New World Tea Company
Darcy grimaced. ‘What will her father and mother say?’
Imagining the parents’ reactions, Darcy decided,‘I should find myself declared to be engaged before I could escape Hertfordshire.’
~~~
During supper at Longbourn, Mr Bennet discovered how his second daughter had come to know Mr Darcy by name before that day. He was only moderately concerned about their introduction at the mercantile, and when Lizzy explained about Lady Lucas receiving a set down for hypocrisy, he considered the subject settled.
Mrs Bennet ignored the conversation between Lizzy and her father to question Jane about her conversation with Charles Bingley. The eldest sister reported that she thought Mr Bingley to be a kind gentleman who asked her opinions and shared his ideas for the gardens at Netherfield next spring. Mary kept Kitty interested in talking about the three gentlemen visitors while Lydia pouted to be ignored so completely.
~~~
“Lizzy, what was it you talked about with Mr Bingley’s friend?” asked Jane. The two eldest sisters were in their bedchamber and took turns brushing the other sister’s hair.
“There is a book…”
“Of course, there is a book,” replied Jane good-naturedly.
Elizabeth ignored the comment and continued her explanation, “In the newspaper, there was an article about a book by a parson named Gilbert White. The book is titled The Natural History of Selborne. The newspaper article stated there was some new controversy about the man’s descriptions of thesummer of 1783 filled with meteors and storms. The sun was veiled, and the light was reflected.”
“Lizzy, how could a volcano in Ireland have affected England?”
“Not Ireland, Jane. Iceland…an island north of Scotland and halfway to the new world.”
Shaking her head, Jane asked, “I recommend you discuss the book with our father or Mr Darcy again.”
As she finished brushing Jane’s hair, Elizabeth said, “Perhaps I shall ask Miss Bingley for her opinion when next she objects to our family.”
~~~
Chapter 7.Tea at Netherfield
There was rain on the day the Bennet ladies were invited to tea at Netherfield. Mr Bennet permitted his wife and five daughters use of the carriage and horses for the call to their nearest neighbour. Mr Hill drove the carriage in the persistent rain, but he was protected from the wet with a large hat upon his head, a heavy wool coat around his torso, and leather gloves on his hands.
Inside the carriage, Mrs Bennet and her five daughters were dressed in their second-best gowns with woollen cloaks around their shoulders and bonnets on their heads. Kitty wore the bonnet with the green rooster feathers, while Lydia’s was festooned with black and white feathers. None of the other Bennet ladies wore feathers today.
Mary asked, “Will Miss Bingley wear her blue ostrich feathers this afternoon?”
When they turned into the drive to Netherfield, another carriage was ahead of the Bennet mother and daughters. They waited as Mrs Goulding, Harriet Goulding, and then Lady Lucas, Charlotte and Maria Lucas descended and hurried inside the house.
“It appears that Mrs Hurst invited several ladies for tea,” Mrs Bennet stated as she observed the other neighbourhood matrons, and their daughters enter Netherfield. “It has been years since Mrs Hobbes prepared a large afternoon tea.”
Frances Bennet caught the eye of Kitty and then Lydia before she announced, “You both will sit with me and remain silent except to say, ‘Thank you,’ or ‘No, thank you,’ this afternoon.”
“Mamma!” whined Lydia in protest though Kitty merely nodded.
“Lydia, do you wish to spend the whole tea sitting in the carriage?” asked her mother.
“No.”
“Will you do as I require?”
“Yes,” Lydia replied, her petulant tone familiar to her sisters.
Mrs Bennet cocked her head and frowned at Lydia until her youngest daughter replied, “Yes, Mamma.”
“When I was a young girl, my mother and grandmother warned me not to frown ‘fore it caused wrinkles. I love you each dearly, but I believe my wrinkles multiply daily dealing with you all,” Frances Bennet admitted to her daughters.
The Bennet carriage moved forward, and when a footman opened the door, Mrs Bennet recognised David Hill as the man holding the umbrella to protect her head.
