Putrid Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 3

Mrs. Bennet and all five of her daughters attacked Mr. Bennet with barefaced questions as well as more subtle statements and pondering. Despite their efforts, he refused to speak of anything more concerning Mr. Bingley. Neither the man's appearance or mannerisms were drawn from Mr. Bennet, leaving the women without a satisfactory picture as to what to expect, and eventually they turned to their neighbour Lady Lucas for information.

Her report had been mostly favourable, and Sir William had been delighted with him. Mr. Bingley was fairly young, handsome and surprisingly agreeable despite no doubt having to slaughter hundreds of the dead. Her only point of dislike was him carrying a pistol in his belt, and his eyes never being able to meet another's for too long, even though Sir William had thought it a sign of a man 'prepared and willing to live within a fantasy that all still remained as it was'.

But these trivialities were overshadowed, with the news that he was to attend the next assembly with a sizeable party, and the hope of falling in love increased dramatically with the revelation of his interest in dancing.

"If I can see a single of my daughters settled at Netherfield, and the others equally well settled in such a turbulent time" Mrs. Bennet said to her husband, "I could be bit and suffer the living death, and still be joyful"

A few days passed before Mr. Bingley returned Mr. Bennet' visit, and to the mans chagrin saw not a single of the reputedly beautiful daughters, and instead sat with their father for the duration of his visit in the library. The ladies entertained much better luck, and were able to observe his arrival atop a black horse from a window.

An invitation was dispatched for dinner, and Mrs. Bennet had determined the courses before the ink had even dried. Yet her work was soon made obsolete, with Mr. Bingley informing them of his absence due to a trip into the town.

As was her nature, Mrs. Bennet began to fret and question as to what would call him away from Netherfield so soon after his arrival in Hertfordshire. Mr. Bennet reasoned that it was a habit learned from his old residence, and that looking into the surrounding area was to simply determine how frequent the dead would appear. His wife took it that Mr. Bingley may never be settled at as he should and fretted doubly to what she had been prior to his explanation.

Lady Lucas's words were those that calmed Mrs. Bennet, as she proposed that it was likely his going to London was only to get his large party for the ball; for it would have been incredibly rude to make his friends travel such long a way across dangerous land. A further report stated that he was bringing twelve ladies and six gentlemen, much to the disheartenment of the girls because of the number of ladies in attendance. But a day before the ball they were comforted by the fact it had been misreported, and only six ladies would be arriving from London; several of his sisters and a cousin.

Upon the party entering the ball, it was found to consist of only five individuals altogether, Mr. Bingley himself, his two sisters, the husband of the eldest, and another young man.

Mr. Bingley's mannerisms were as reported, he was gentlemanlike and had a pleasant countenance, to the extent were most simply glanced over the pistol at his side when they caught view of it. His sisters were equally fine, with an air of decided fashion though they too shared some of their brothers quirks, and his brother in law Mr. Hurst merely looked the gentleman; but his friend Mr. Darcy drew the attention of the room.

Both his height and handsome features, though the latter was somewhat marred by an old scar across his right cheek, and the report of his earning of 10,000 a year, served to make him an object of interest. The gentleman were quick to pronounce him a fine figure of a man, and the ladies followed in suite declaring he was much handsomer than Mr. Bingley, and more gentleman-like with the absence of a pistol. He was favoured for half the evening, till his manners revealed his character and turned the tide of his popularity; for he was discovered to be proud, and looked down on any he was not already acquainted with as if they were the dead, when compared to Mr. Bingley the disgraceful nature of his mannerisms were only amplified. Not even his grand estate in Derbyshire or fortune could reverse the disgust at his mannerisms, and his continuation of them made it clear that he held no wish to even try reverse the impression.