Netherfield Park bustled with activity as the master and his new mistress were finally home as far as the staff was concerned. Jane Bingley steadied her breath, gazing out over the grand entryway, remembering the home alight with glorious candlelight the evening of her engagement ball. She nodded at a number of maids and footmen she had long since known growing up in the village together. Elegantly descending the stairs, she had an appointment with Mrs. Cunningham in the dining room to inspect the silver.
A few new faces made her uneasy, but for the most part she felt confident in her role as Mistress of Netherfield Park. The only hitch in her peaceful existence was educating Miss Caroline Bingley as to the changes in the household she wished to affect. One week home in Hertfordshire and she sorely regretted offering Charles' unmarried sister a visit to the estate. It made no sense that the young woman was heart-set on returning to the country just at the height of the Season in London. But Jane was unprepared to parry her sister-in-law's manipulations when they rested for a day at the Hurst town home on their trek home from Bath.
After inspecting the silver service, Jane set the perfectly polished spoon down upon the table and nodded to Mrs. Cunningham. "Please tell the maids I am most pleased with their efforts. Their work has not gone unnoticed in supporting my first dinner party as Mr. Bingley's wife."
"Yes ma'am. The girls will be happy to hear they pleased you."
"Has the meat arrived from Mr. Alberts?"
"Aye ma'am, Cook has the supplies downstairs as we speak."
Jane stared out the dining room window at the expansive grounds beyond bursting with spring bounty. It was the first morning since their return that her husband had dressed and sought a morning ride. He promised Jane to seek a mount for her use so that she might join him in enjoying her home countryside. One of the few Bennet girls who dearly loved to ride, her family's horses had often been needed in the fields. Jane turned her attentions back to the housekeeper.
"Shall we go to the kitchens then?" Jane held up her hand as the housekeeper began to politely protest. "Fear not, Mrs. Cunningham, this is not to find fault. I merely wish to see that all is well and there is no detail I cannot see to." Jane Bingley offered her housekeeper a shy smile, a rare occurrence in all of Mrs. Cunningham's years. She had heard the Bennet girls were raised in a household where the servants were considered family, but in all her years of serving London's elite, she had never seen such manners.
"As you wish, Madam." Mrs. Cunningham motioned for the footman to open the door to admit Mrs. Bingley down towards the servant areas in the kitchens below.
To most it would appear as only perfect cracks in the wall, but then again, Jane was learning Netherfield Park had numerous improvements her family home of Longbourn could neither afford nor institute with it’s Tudor-styled layout. Not a day went by that Charles did not speak of the dreams he held in building their own home. But Jane was not so sure all of their leased estate's features would make her list of necessary amenities. She did not like secret doors and hidden halls.
With Mrs. Bingley on her way to the kitchen, Mrs. Cunningham instructed the footman to carefully restore the silver to its proper storage when Miss Bingley strolled into the dining room. Shoulders back, nose in the air, Caroline did not so much as deign to acknowledge the servants of the room before hastily snatching a fork off the table and holding it up to the light of the window. With an exaggerated huff, she finally looked to the housekeeper.
"Do not tell me this service is what you intend to show Mrs. Bingley as passing muster for her first dinner party! Why this fork is positively filthy." Caroline released the fork from her hand so it tumbled to the table.
In months past, Mrs. Cunningham feared angering the sister of Mr. Bingley. The entire staff walked on eggshells to avoid being fired on the spot, many times without notice. Netherfield's staffing situation had become so alarming that it impaired Mrs. Cunningham's ability to attract proper candidates when posts were emptied.
“Mrs. Bingley herself just approved the service, Miss Bingley. Perhaps if you would like to make your opinions known to her, I should be happy to instruct the maids to polish once more if my mistress requests." Mrs. Cunningham smiled sweetly at Caroline.
"You're telling me a falsehood. No mistress of the house would approve such shoddy work. I'm off to find my sister-in-law at this moment to disprove your lies."
The housekeeper nodded towards the footman who again opened the secret door to the kitchens. Caroline cocked her head to one side and folded her arms in front of her chest, clearly confused at the movement.
"Mrs. Bingley went to see to the kitchens not a moment ago. I'm certain you might catch her if you'd like." Mrs. Cunningham extended her arm with an open hand to invite Miss Bingley down to the kitchens, a place she knew the young woman only went when absolutely forced to go.
"That's quite all right, I shall wait for her in the sitting room. Or perhaps I shall go inspect the suites above stairs. With this weather, one can never be sure if guests will be remaining with our family overnight." Caroline said through clenched teeth and stormed out of the dining room. She did not add she would bet that Mrs. Bennet would find some trifling reason to extend their stay, and that she'd risk money on that eventuality if she only had anyone with which to make such a wager. As Caroline Bingley stormed the stairs, she felt the closest emotion to missing her own sister, Louisa, as she could.
The former mistress of Netherfield Park had left the dining room for not a moment before the poor young footman began to snicker. Mrs. Cunningham gave him a sharp look, then found herself highly amused as well. The new Mrs. Bingley might be sweet and serene as could be, but in a test of wills, Cunningham's loyalties lay firmly in belief the Bennet girl could soundly trounce the Bingley one.