The next day, Elizabeth sent a letter again, informing us of Jane’s steady recovery.
“She also writes to wonder when you will send for the carriage to retrieve them,” Mary said, finishing reading the letter to us all.
“Not yet,” Mama refuted, “I shall write back to her, for I order them to stay for a week complete there.”
Mary did not find it amusing at all. She gave a pointed insistent look.
“A week?” Mary said. “But that would make Jane and Eliza too much of an imposition. Surely, you will not want them to wear out their welcome. Also, it would not benefit your plan, ultimately. To have them stay too long will make them appear as trespassers on the Bingleys’ hospitality. And it may be counterproductive to your intention. For it will lead to a display of impropriety that may affect Mr. Bingley’s perspective on Jane, and it will surely make Mr. Darcy despise us.”
“What do I care for Mr. Darcy?”
“It would do well to care for his regard, since he is Mr. Bingley’s close friend. Think, Mama. If you give offense to Mr. Darcy, then what will Mr. Bingley think? It’s very easy for one friend’s opinions to sway the other. We all can easily suffer from over-persuasion.”
“Mr. Bingley has not let Mr. Darcy’s ill humor affect him yet, therefore, he will not do so in the future. Mary, you are fretting over nothing.”
Mary looked down at her lap, her cheeks red. I could not place my finger upon the proper point, but I knew that look. Mary was being a curious character, and I knew that there was something else going on in that mind of hers. I just needed more time to figure it out.
“Would you like me to write the letter, Mama?” Lydia offered. “Or will you write it yourself?”
“You write and I dictate.”
Lydia wrote the letter and we had it sent off the same time that we were to depart.
“Where do you go?” Father asked us, with a raised eyebrow. “To visit your aunt and uncle again to be silly and see the officers?”
“We have been told of a cricket match on Mr. Cox’s fields,” Lydia explained. “Not only will the officers be there, but so will some of the farmers, the officers’ wives, and many others.”
“It is a great event,” I explained, “and it is very innocent.”
“Yes,” Mama supported, “Mr. Bennet, there is nothing at all the matter with them going to watch the sport be played when there are so many other people present. They should take every opportunity of enjoying themselves in such a way.”
“Thank you, Mama,” I replied, kissing her on the cheek.
* * *
On the way to Mr. Cox’s estate, we stopped off at Lucas Lodge to meet Maria and Liam Lucas. Both met us, excited, and we set out together.
“I have always been a little forgetful of the game and rules to cricket,” Lydia said as Mr. Lucas offered her his arm. “Mr. Lucas, can you oblige me?”
“With all pleasure,” Mr. Lucas responded, “since I will be playing today.”
“Really?” I asked, surprised. “You will?”
“Yes. It has been too long since I got the chance to play the game again. I used to love doing it. I cannot say that I was especially good, but that never stopped the game from being wonderful to me.”
“Liam,” Maria said, rolling her eyes, “you always say that you are not especially good at things, but then you always are.”
“One must never be too confident in oneself. That always leads to one taking a misstep somewhere.”
“And you already have taken a misstep,” Lydia said, “you still have not told me about the rules of the game.”
“My mistake.”
Mr. Lucas began to tell her about cricket. I listened, despite not being given any new information. I knew all about the game—very intimately, as a matter of fact.
“Cricket is a bat-and-ball game,” Mr. Lucas informed, “played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the center of which is a 20-meter pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps.”
“And you don’t want to hit the wicket,” I said.
“You know a little about cricket?”
“Yes. I daresay that I do.”
* * *
“Well done!” Maria Lucas cried in the crowd. “Absolutely well done!”
She was seated alongside us amidst the throng of spectators who were seated on blankets or chairs and were watching the game. There were eleven officers to play on one team and us town folk on the other. Among our team were Mr. Atkins, Liam Lucas, the two Cox brothers, Mr. Harville, and Mr. Dixon was there as well. He had just scored a hit and he and Mr. Walter Cox were running back and forth in between the wickets.
Mr. Cox was out, but Mr. Dixon was still on one wicket. When he stood there, he rolled up his shirtsleeves, due to the exertion. Through the crowd, he saw me, and he waved. Smiling, I waved in return.
“Good luck!” I cried to him.
“Do you like him?” Maria asked me, referring to Mr. Dixon.
“Me?” I remarked, surprised. “Not at all.”
“Does he like you?”
I chuckled at that. “Wrong on both counts. Maria, that’s absurd. Mr. Dixon is our postman. He does not care for our family any more or less than any other family in the county.”
“I cannot help but see it all differently. Men are such strange creatures. Then again, they probably think we are strange as well.”
“Aye,” Mrs. Long said, who was also near us. “I am sure that they do. Both sexes often cannot help but vex each other, because no matter what we do, our spirits will never be fully the same. What do you say to that, Miss King?”
Next to her was a young woman who I had never seen before in the whole of my life.
The woman looked confused.
“Well,” she replied, her face squinting from not knowing how to answer, “I am sure that I do not know. Our bodies are so very different. That could make all the difference, of course. I think, at least.”
“I just realized that you ladies are not acquainted,” Mrs. Long said, “that gives me the pleasure of making introductions. Miss Mary King, this is Miss Maria Lucas, Miss Kitty Bennet, and her sister over there, the one who is cheering for the officers, that is her younger sister, Miss Lydia Bennet.”
“Nice to make your acquaintance,” Maria said.
“I agree,” I admitted, trying to avoid sounding redundant. “Welcome to Hertfordshire.”
“Thank you,” she said, indifferent.
“She is from the North,” Mrs. Long continued, “and is staying here with her aunt and uncle, Mr. King on Nelson Street.”
“Ah, of course,” I said, “and how do you find staying with your relatives? Are you enjoying your time in our town?”
“It is well,” Mary King replied, and she looked away from us altogether and focused on the game. There was a proper rule of sentences that you said when you first met someone, but Miss King seemed not to care. She didn’t seem to care about us, but I suppose it was to be expected. After all, the game was more exciting than Maria and I. Either way, I do not think that I liked her much at all. Unless her character was very different than how she was when we first met her, I would prove to have reason to still not like her.
As the game continued, I looked at Miss King, curious about her. She had freckles, and was not pretty at all, in face or figure. Truly, every woman has something to recommend them, or to make up for where one of their features are lacking. But not her. She was very plain—much plainer than my sister, Mary, but she was new. That usually lends someone to be of interest to everyone around them. However, I doubt that I would see much of her over the time that she was here, and we would mean nothing to each other.
The game continued and Maria, Lydia and I were enjoying ourselves immensely. Included amongst the players were the officers Denny, Captain Carter, Sanderson, and of course Lieutenant Finlay just could not stay away. The sight of him repulsed me, but due to the joys of the game, I didn’t have to dwell on the sight of him for very long.
Until Mr. James Cox got called away, because a letter arrived for him that his fiancée needed him for details about marital advice.
“What sort of a woman calls a man away for that reason?” I overheard Miss King groan to Mrs. Long.
“They are to be married soon,” I explained, “she probably just got excited and didn’t think. Besides, he was just as happy to leave, so he clearly wants to oblige her.”
“If I were ever married, I would not call a man away over such frivolous things.”
Like anyone would ever marry you, I thought. I didn’t say it, no, but really, I did think it.
“Oh, and now we are short a player,” Liam Lucas announced. “One of us will have to repeat.”
“If you need another player,” I called, “I can always help.”
All the men suddenly turned to me, surprised by this. Seeing their eyes upon me, my blood ran cold. I didn’t even realize that I was proposing something that was quite out of the question.
“Unless, of course,” I rushed out, “if you do not want me.”
Everyone in the crowd turned to me as well, also surprised by this.
“What are you doing?” Maria whispered to me, frantic.
“I don’t know,” I replied. “It just came to me.”
“Well,” Mr. Atkins called, ignoring the eyes around me, “we are short a player, and we need a hitter. Miss Kitty, we accept.”
Happy that I didn’t get rejected, I began to stand up, when Lieutenant Finlay stepped forward.
“Atkins,” he rebuked, “what are you thinking of?”
“I am thinking that the good lady offered, so I accept.”
“But she cannot play.”
“Why not?” I asked, without thinking. “Mr. Atkins knows that I know how to play.”
“You do?” Mr. Dixon remarked.
“Yes, she does,” Lydia said, laughing, “I keep forgetting that you learned.”
“It was your cousin that taught me, Lieutenant Finlay,” I responded. “Do you doubt his skill at being a teacher?”
Finlay turned to his cousin.
“You taught her?” he asked.
“I saw no harm in it. Now let her play, for the game is being interrupted for too long as it is.”
“But she cannot,” Finlay responded sharply.
“Sir,” Denny countered, “surely you are being ungallant.”
“Yes,” I whispered to Finlay, who was closer to me. “You must stop being cruel to me right now.”
“On the contrary,” he rushed out. Then he faced the others. “I am merely worried about her safety.” He turned back to me. “I cannot stand by here and watch you possibly injure yourself.”
“Thank you,” I replied, my eyes on fire as I wished that I could shoot flames through him. “But the only thing I will suffer is if I make a fool of myself by not helping. But I will try to help.” So, I turned to Mr. Atkins and Mr. Dixon. “And, well, you are accepting of my offer.”
“Yes, we are,” Mr. Dixon supported me.
“Miss Bennet,” Mr. Atkins said, “welcome to our team.”
The men on their team cheered for me, as I took the cricket bat, and stood in front of the wicket. Raising the bat up, I braced myself.
“I shall be kind,” Captain Carter said, pleasant, “but not too kind.”
“I am prepared,” I called to him. Watching him as he was winding up, prepared to throw, I felt my insides freeze over. What if I embarrassed myself? What if I didn’t hit the ball? If I didn’t help at all, then Mr. Atkins and Mr. Dixon’s support of me would be for nothing. But I knew how to hit. If there was one thing that I knew how to do was hit the ball and run.
Captain Carter and I stared at each other. Next, he raised his arm, I tensed up and waited.
He threw the ball.
Closer it came to me and there was no time to think. I swung the bat.
I hit the ball! It went flying, through the air, and the officers had to run after it.
“Run, Miss Kitty!” Mr. Dixon called. Mr. Atkins and I ran back and forth, between the wickets, and soon, Denny came with the ball.
“Run, Kitty!” Lydia called out to me. “Denny is getting closer to you!”
And she was right. If he caught up with me, then I would not score. With a surprising effort, I quickened my speed, and was only two meters away from safety—I made it.
“You did it,” Maria cried, “you did it!”
“Ha!” Lydia cried, running up and embracing me, to the sound of cheering. She raised up my hand, to put me in the forefront of the viewers. “This is my sister! Kitty helped!”
I blushed, chuckling as I looked down at the ground. Mr. Dixon and Mr. Atkins rushed up to me, animated and proud.
“Miss Kitty,” Mr. Dixon replied, his face alight with admiration, “I never knew that you had such ferocious determination. This was wonderfully astonishing. You play well.”
“She better have,” Mr. Atkins chuckled, “we sometimes were short in number whenever we played before.”
“Mr. Atkins has been teaching me since we were children,” I informed Mr. Dixon. “I haven’t had the chance to play in months, so this was a scary venture for me.”
The officers also came up to me and congratulated me as well. Amongst them all was Finlay. He remained on the outskirts of the group and was silent until Mr. Atkins turned to him.
“Well, Shaun,” Mr. Atkins said, “what do you say to our noble heroine, here?”
Finlay stepped forward, his face still serious.
“You must understand, Miss Kitty. I just did not wish for you to be harmed in any way.”
“Yes,” I replied, “I know.”
“Hertfordshire residents,” he announced to them all, “the game is yours. Let it not be said of us officers that we are sore losers. Congratulations on your victory.”
The audience cheered again, and Maria came up to us.
“How brave, Kitty. You are not afraid to be different. I hate myself now. I wish I could do that. To be so daring.”
I laughed and took her hands. Before the gentlemen went off to do other things, I turned to Mr. Atkins.
“I have my title now,” I laughed, “Jane the beautiful. Elizabeth the interesting and charming adventuress, Mary the accomplished student. Lydia the favorite youngest one. And Kitty, the one who does not fear being different.” Mr. Atkins laughed. “Tell Uncle Philips that. It will amuse him.”
“Yes, I daresay that it will.”