Caroline Bingley paced the length of the ballroom at Netherfield unable to hide her irritation. Her sister Louisa Hurst spoke with the butler and dismissed the man from the room before turning to watch her sister throw wide the terrace doors. “Caroline, you must show restraint as the mistress of Netherfield. Though your time is short here, there is much to be done for our brother’s wedding.”
Whirling away from the doors, Miss Bingley glared at her sister. “I must plan an engagement ball and see him wed, Louisa, but I must not enjoy a moment of it to see it properly done. I care not for the staff of this horrid place or what they may think.”
Louisa shrugged her shoulders as her hands fell to caress her increasing middle. “You may say such now but where else might you go? You cannot live at Hurst House forever, not with a little one coming.”
Miss Bingley resented the fact that her sister was settled in a lovely townhouse in Grosvenor near Darcy House expecting her first child while she passed each season without an offer of marriage.
Netherfield would become her home and she would be made to play the part of spinster sister instead of mistress. Miss Jane Bennet would hold that title and the idea of it gave Miss Bingley vexation. She would be forced to live far from Town and have not an important role in the home with which to amuse herself.
Her chin rose in defiance. “Perhaps I shall take a trip to visit friends in Kent or travel to Scotland? Charles will not be eager to have me installed upstairs permanently when he and his new bride have finished their wedding trip.”
Louisa dearly wished Caroline might travel, for perhaps a suitable gentleman would appear and solve the problem of the housing and upkeep of her sister in one lovely chance encounter. “And how might you have the funds for an adventure in Scotland?”
Miss Bingley eagerly shared the story of her cunning. “Why, from our dear brother of course! The other night at dinner, when I spoke of how I hated the country, he began to think that perhaps he would hate it as well if it involved listening to my daily laments on the matter. He came to me in the parlor just yesterday with the suggestion of a trip since he was to be married and you are to become a mother. A bit of fair play he called it.”
Louisa attempted to hide her relief at their brother’s quick thinking. He was an amiable and sometimes daft gentleman but where his youngest sister was concerned, the man did try to please her so as to make life easier for himself. Still, there was a most advantageous match to be made at Netherfield if only Caroline might be persuaded to endure Hertfordshire a few more weeks.
“Wouldn’t you rather wait until Charles is home from his wedding trip? Mr. Darcy shall stay until then. Perhaps this will be an opportunity to snare the man you’ve spent the better years of your life chasing?”
“I could not, Louisa. Not even for Mr. Darcy. The way he watches Miss Eliza as she crosses a room is simply abominable! Remember the Lucas soirée? He spoke of her fine eyes. I cannot stay and watch him fall in love with her!”
Miss Bingley turned and stomped out of the room at the upset she caused herself over Mr. Darcy and Miss Eliza Bennet.
Mrs. Hurst sighed and turned away as the maids from downstairs arrived to do her bidding. The floor of the ballroom would require a thorough polishing and there was still the matter of the musicians to be hired.
Irritated at her spoiled sister for her show of useless histrionics, Louisa struggled to remain civil with the servants as they began to clean the floor. Charles would owe her a great deal for having arranged both the engagement ball and the wedding before she returned to London.
As Miss Bingley rushed from the ballroom in a fit of temper, Mr. Darcy appeared at the bottom of the stairs with her brother. He dared not approach Miss Bingley when she was in high spirits and so he turned away and whispered to his friend before making a swift exit. “I shall be in the library, Charles.”
Mr. Bingley frowned as Miss Bingley attempted to push past him on her way to her rooms. He wished to join his friend in the library and avoid certain unpleasantness with his sister but at present she was supposed to be preparing for the wedding ball. “Caro, whatever is the matter? Where is Lou?”
Miss Bingley’s words were clipped and delivered with much irritation. “She is in the ballroom shepherding the help. I must go up and lie down for a time. This entire business has me most upset.”
Mr. Bingley was accustomed to his sister’s dramatic proclamations and her dislike of the Bennet family but he would not abide her throwing her responsibilities onto Mrs. Hurst. “You are the mistress of Netherfield, not Lou. Turn and march yourself back into that ballroom or forget about your holiday in Scotland. Lou, in her condition, is the one who ought to be lying down this time of the afternoon. Really Caro, you are much too old to behave as a spoiled child.”
Now livid at being spoken to so harshly, Miss Bingley began to argue. Instead of humoring her temper, Mr. Bingley rested his hands on her shoulders and turned her around as though she were a wayward child. “Back to the ballroom and handle the staff, sister dear. You must only remain at Netherfield until the wedding breakfast has ended.”
Flouncing off, Miss Bingley cried out petulantly. “I shall never return to this awful place Charles! Never!”
Mr. Bingley could hardly contain his laughter at her childishness. How he wished his sister would remain in London far from Netherfield Park. He and Jane would lead a much happier life.
Turning to make his way to the library, Mr. Bingley thought of his angel Jane Bennet. Soon they would be wed and happiness beyond measure would be their portion in life. To think he had nearly given up on coming to Hertfordshire and letting the property he now meant to own!