Page 28 of New World Tea Company
With Fitzwilliam Darcy following behind, Charles Bingley directed his steps toward Jane Bennet in Lucas Lodge. Elizabeth caught a glimpse of that man’s smiling face and directed her sister’s attention in Bingley’s direction. The blinding smile she gave the recent arrival in Meryton certainly captured another piece of his heart.
Bingley greeted Jane, saying, “Miss Bennet, I am pleased to find you here tonight.”
“I am glad to see you here as well, Mr Bingley,” Jane replied. Graciously, she continued, “And it is pleasant to see your friend, Mr Darcy, as well.”
“Good evening, Miss Bennet, Miss Elizabeth,” said Darcy, including both sisters in his greeting.
“Darcy?” Charles asked as though he had forgotten his friend existed. Glancing behind and finding Darcy with raised eyebrows and a stern stare, Bingley said, “Yes, Mr Darcy accompanied me and Mr and Mrs Hurst to the supper tonight.”
There was one moment of silence before Elizabeth said, “Jane, perhaps you should ask Mr Bingley to escort you about the room and make certain he remembers everyone from the assembly.”
“Yes, Miss Bennet, walk with me and remind me of the names of everyone gathered here tonight,” Charles said. “An excellent suggestion, Miss Elizabeth.”
Bingley offered his arm, and once Jane took it, they walked around the parlour to greet the different groups of ladies and gentlemen. Now, Elizabeth found herself left with Mr Darcy, and she dared to meet his eyes and ask, “Did you have a pleasant day, sir?”
Inclining his head slightly, he replied, “I did. And I worked with Bingley through the previous year’s accounts for Netherfield and the quarterly payments by the tenants.”
Hearing this news, Elizabeth’s face grew serious as she said, “I encourage you to look back three years for a more accurate report. For the last two years, Mr Simmons did not work closely with the tenants, and their rents fell. Mr Simmons was in poor health and did not provide sufficient coin to hire labourers for planting or harvesting. The wives and children of the tenants were forced into the fields both years and while they worked diligently, they are not men with enough strength to handle heavy sheaves of corn.”
“Indeed?” asked Mr Darcy. “And how do you know this?”
“Netherfield is the nearest estate to Longbourn,” Elizabeth reminded the gentleman. “My family and our tenants supported the tenants at Netherfield in the winter when their food stores ran out.”
“When did Simmons leave Netherfield?” asked Darcy abruptly.
“He left in May, and the gentleman who owns the estate did not respond to my father’s letters asking for relief for the tenants.”
Darcy’s face mirrored his distaste to intrude on this unnamed gentleman’s life. “That was officious of Mr Bennet to interject himself into the affairs of another estate.”
With a stern expression that matched any the man could muster, Elizabeth fussed, “Mr Darcy, in Derbyshire, do not the gentlemen support the poor house? When an estate fails because of a gentleman’s death or a dispute over the estate, are you not required to support the tenants when they are ejected from the farms? The sheriff does not care that the rents were not paid because of the master’s death.”
“You are correct, Miss Elizabeth. Your father’s actions were appropriate for the situation,” Darcy said before he bowed and turned away.
Elizabeth found herself standing in the middle of the room with a strange look on her face as the gentleman walked toward an empty corner. More than one person noticed her expression, but it was Charlotte Lucas who arrived at Elizabeth’s side and asked, “Whatever did that gentleman say to leave you perplexed, Eliza?”
“Mr Darcy appears to be a very reserved gentleman, Charlotte. We spoke of books and tea leaves when I first met him, but I have spoken with him twice since then. First at Longbourn when he had been shooting with my father and at Netherfield at the tea with Mrs Hurst,” Elizabeth said. “And each time, he speaks little but seems to watch everyone and everything.”
“Like he watches Mr Bingley and your sister?”
Looking around, Elizabeth did find Mr Darcy watching Jane and Bingley speaking with Mr and Mrs Goulding. She asked, “Is that not strange?”
Offering her opinion, Charlotte said, “Perhaps Mr Darcy is afraid of your conversation, Eliza.”
The surprise on the face of Elizabeth Bennet made the eldest Lucas daughter smile, and she continued, “Or your beauty already captures him, and he fears how it makes his heart tremble.”
“My beauty? Charlotte, be sensible,” fussed Elizabeth.
The older woman was watching the guests and turned to step away. She called, “Forgive me, I must see to one of our guests.”
Elizabeth watched as Charlotte approached Mr Collins, standing beside an elderly lady who looked very uncomfortable while the man spoke. Charlotte carefully approached the parson, asked a question, and led him toward another part of the room. At the same time, he began some or other recitation, no doubt on the greatness of Lady Catherine de Bourgh.
Looking around for her father, she found him standing beside Colonel Foster, the commander of the militia camp. Her mother chaperoned Lydia and Kitty, who talked with officers in red coats, Mary had moved back to speak with John Lucas, and Jane was walking between groups of individuals with Mr Bingley at her side.
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Chapter 11.Wickham at Lucas Lodge
George Wickham watched everyone attending the supper at Lucas Lodge carefully. He cultivated the gentlemen with careful questions about their estates and ambitions for themselves and their children. He spoke with each of the matrons and flirted gently with their eligible daughters. After losing his patron, Old Mr Darcy, Wickham learned to control his passions and avoided situations with angry fathers because their daughters were despoiled. With his handsome face, he never lacked feminine company, and many women in London shared their favours with him.
