Pride and Prejudice: An Amorous Retelling

5 :: Accompished Ladies

At five o'clock the two ladies retired to dress. At half-past six Elizabeth was summoned to dinner. She brought them the news that Jane wasn't better to which Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst declared three or four times, "How grievous!"

"How shocking it is when one has a bad cold."

"Terribly uncomfortable."

"I dislike it excessively when I'm ill."

Then they thought nothing else of it and were so indifferent to Jane now that she wasn't in the room that Elizabeth felt the fullness of her dislike for them return, washing away any patience she'd felt from their earlier solicitude. After that, the ladies became engrossed by Darcy, directing all of their attention and conversation toward him. Elizabeth found her observation confirmed that Mr. Hurst was an indolent man who lived only to eat, drink and play cards. He talked of little else, when he talked at all, and he certainly had little enough to say to her.

Only Bingley gave her any notice and she spent the whole of the dinner engaged in conversation with him. She felt Darcy's gaze on her on several occasions as she and Bingley talked, but he said nothing to her the whole of the dinner and when it was over, Elizabeth escaped and returned to Jane with a sense of acute relief.

As soon as she was out of the dining room, Miss Bingley began abusing her.

"To think when we came into Hertfordshire that we were told Miss Eliza Bennet was a famous local beauty! She has no style, certainly no beauty, and no conversation."

"She's nothing to recommend her but being an excellent walker. Why, she looked positively wild this morning!" Mrs. Hurst added.

"She did indeed, Louis. I could hardly keep my countenance. Very nonsensical to come at all! Why must she scamper about the country because her sister had a cold? Her hair! So untidy and blowsy!"

Darcy remained silent, his thoughts of Elizabeth Bennet not the sort one shared.

"Yes, and her petticoats, Caroline. Six inches deep in mud."

Bingley added gamely, "I thought Miss Elizabeth Bennet looked remarkably well when she came into the room this morning. Her dirty petticoat quite escaped my notice."

"You observed it, Mr. Darcy, I'm sure," said Miss Bingley, "and I'm inclined to think that you wouldn't wish to see your sister make such an exhibition."

"Certainly not."

"It seems to me to show an abominable sort of conceited independence, a countrified indifference to decorum."

"It shows an affection for her sister that's very pleasing," Bingley retorted. He found himself bewildered as to where this animosity to Miss Elizabeth Bennet arose from when he'd thought his sisters had an eager interest in befriending Jane and her favorite sister.

"I'm afraid, Mr. Darcy," observed Miss Bingley, "that this adventure has rather affected your admiration of her fine eyes."

"Not at all," he replied in an offhand manner, "they were brightened by the exercise."

There was a moment's pause before Mrs. Hurst began again. "I've an excessive regard for Miss Jane Bennet, though. She's really a very sweet girl, and I wish with all my heart she were well settled. But with such a father and mother, and such low connections, I'm afraid there's no chance of it."

"Their uncle's an attorney in Meryton, isn't he?" Miss Bingley asked, though both sisters knew perfectly well he was.

"Yes, and they've another who lives somewhere in Cheapside."