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  Catherine was disconcerted, and made no answer; but Lydia, with perfect indifference, continued to express her admiration of Captain Carter, and her hope of seeing him on her next visit to Aunt Phillip’s.

  “Mamma,” asked Kitty, “why do you think we are silly?”

  “Because my dear you speak of nothing but officers. There is much to recommend a smart young man in his red coat but we have much to do each day and after our tasks are complete, then we can speak of officers.”

  “But Mamma,” protested Lydia, “they are handsome and take my breath away.”

  “My dear Mrs. Bennet,” Lady Lucas replied, “you must not expect such girls to have the sense of their father and mother. When they reach our age, I dare say they will not think about officers any more than we do. I remember the time when I liked a red coat myself very well.”

  Mrs. Bennet nodded in agreement, “I too remember enjoying the smart dress of the officers in my day. And I thought Colonel Forster looked very becoming in his regimentals.”

  “Mamma,” cried Lydia, “Aunt Phillips says that all the officers will gather at her home for cards and tea. May we attend?”

  Mrs. Bennet was prevented replying by the entrance of Mr. Hill with a note for Miss Bennet from Netherfield.

  Kitty asked, “Well, Jane, who is it from?”

  “An invitation to a party? Please Mamma, may I attend?” begged Lydia. “Jane, make haste and tell us!”

  “It is from Miss Bingley,” said Jane, and then she read it aloud.

  ++**++

  My Dear Friend,

  If you are not so compassionate as to dine to-day with Louisa and me, we shall be in danger of hating each other for the rest of our lives, for a whole day's tete-a-tete between two women can never end without a quarrel. Come as soon as you can on receipt of this. My brother and the gentlemen are to dine with the officers.

  Yours ever,

  Caroline Bingley

  ++**++

  “With the officers!” cried Lydia. “I wonder Aunt Phillips did not tell us of that.”

  “Well Jane, what do you say?” asked Mrs. Bennet. “I am certain you may use Lizzy’s carriage and greys despite the rain that threatens to fall.”

  Jane considered the invitation but then shook her head. “I could not spend my afternoon in pleasant conversation with Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley knowing my sisters worked to complete the tenant baskets. I shall write, beg their forgiveness, and offer to attend them tomorrow. And Lizzie, you must go with me.”

  “Do not forget tomorrow is the shooting party at Lucas Lodge,” Lady Lucas reminded the girls. “I hoped you would come for dinner after the shooting.”

  “Mary will attend the shooting party,” Mrs. Bennet replied. “But Kitty and I shall remain here with Lydia to discuss proper decorum for young ladies with gentlemen and officers.”

  “Oh Mamma,” sighed Lydia. “I am tired of lessons on how to behave.”

  While her sisters and mother said farewell to the Lucas mother and daughters, Jane wrote a reply to Caroline Bingley that Mr. Hill dispatched via the Netherfield servant waiting in the kitchen.

  ++**++

  Dearest Miss Bingley,

  Family obligations require my attendance at Longbourn for the entire day and I fear the rain will make travel quite difficult. My understanding is that all of the gentlemen in the neighbourhood will gather at Lucas Lodge tomorrow for a shooting party. May I suggest tea at that time? I understand that the gentlemen will all be in the fields for the whole of the afternoon.

  Sincerely,

  Jane Bennet

  ++**++

  Chapter 16.

  The Gentlemen Attend a Shooting Party at Lucas Lodge

  On the second day after the supper at the Goldings, with good weather and completion of the harvest, the gentlemen gathered at Lucas Lodge again for a shooting party. Pleased to spend time with his new neighbours, Mr. Bingley set out with Mr. Darcy after breaking his fast. Following the two gentlemen on horseback, the gamekeeper from Netherfield drove a small wagon with the rifles and bird shot the gentlemen would use.

  “Did you notice the good condition of the rifles from the store room?” Bingley asked.

  “I did,” Darcy replied. “I think that Talbert must know his way around the guns but I do not think there are many pheasants around Netherfield.”

  “He was told not to invest in the grain for cooped hens and chicks this year so the only pheasants on the place are the natural numbers.”

  “Then we must make the most of the shooting today and enjoy the dinner with our hosts,” Darcy stated.

  As the afternoon progressed, Darcy realized with some surprise that he was enjoying himself walking across the fields and pastures of Lucas Lodge with Bingley and the local gentlemen. While none of these men were as wealthy as Bingley, they were active outdoorsmen, concerned with their estates and families; and Darcy admitted to himself that he was more comfortable shooting in the fields than he would be drinking or gambling with the members of his club in town.

  Bingley was quick to notice who was accurate with their shots and who let their guns range wide. Mr. Goulding only took the occasional shot but Sir William and his son were excellent shots. Fielding father and son were good shots and generally quiet, talking of weather, crops and prices in the London markets.

  The gamekeeper from Netherfield followed the young gamekeeper from Lucas Lodge around, giving direction that confused both Darcy and Bingley until they learned the two young men were brothers.

  Sir William Lucas explained, “The Talbert family has provided excellent gamekeepers in Hertfordshire for several generations. Their father is a tenant at Longbourn and I imagine Charlie Talbert, your gamekeeper at Netherfield, will return to that lease and take up the gamekeeper role at Longbourn when his father is too old. And I want to put young Freddie into one of my tenant farms before some lord learns how good the family is with the hounds and birds.”

  Darcy noticed the gamekeepers did have excellent control of the dogs as they flushed out the pheasants and the men took turns shooting. When Sir William called a halt to the hunt, they had brought down enough birds to feed the Lucas family and their neighbours that next day.

  ++++++

  Returning to Lucas Lodge after shooting, the party was ushered into an informal dining room for a supper of only two courses. At the table, Charlotte Lucas sat between Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley, while on Mr. Bingley’s left sat Miss Mary Bennet and John Lucas, heir to Lucas Lodge. The young man and woman seemed to have eyes only for each other which necessitated Mr. Bingley’s imposition on the conversation between Charlotte and Darcy.

  “How do you like Hertfordshire, Mr. Bingley?” Charlotte asked as they dined.

  Smiling broadly, Bingley replied, “I find I like it very much. The society is pleasant, the game is ample and the crops are bountiful. I think Netherfield will be the proper place to learn to manage an estate.”

  “Will you have shooting at Netherfield, Mr. Bingley?”

  “I don’t think there will be much hunting in my park this year,” Bingley explained. “The gamekeeper did not coop the pheasants this spring and there are not many coveys this fall.”

  “My brother and the Talbert brothers believe you have a problem with foxes,” Charlotte said. “There were no hunts at Netherfield in the last two seasons so the foxes have grown in number.”

  “Then we shall have a fox hunt, but I will miss the pheasants at dinner,” Bingley lamented. “The cook at Netherfield – a portly gentleman named Nicholls, is very good with game.”

  “I believe that earlier this week, Miss Mary discussed a shooting party at Longbourn with my brother, John. Old Mr. Talbert acts as gamekeeper there and he has excellent skills with the cooping the hens and keeping every chick alive. Miss Mary reports that their coveys are very numerous. There would be game on many tables after that day.”

  “That would be very pleasant,” Mr. Darcy admitted. “I enjoy well-turned pheasant.”

&nb
sp; Mr. Bingley leaned in a little closer to Charlotte and commented, “I am surprised that Miss Bennet and Mrs. Hamilton are not here today, Miss Lucas. With Miss Mary present, I thought her sisters would join us.”

  Charlotte paused for a moment before explaining in a clear voice so that Mr. Darcy could hear as well.

  “We did invite them but Miss Bennet and Mrs. Hamilton sent their regrets. They were to visit Netherfield for tea with your sisters, Mr. Bingley.”

  “My sisters did not mention the ladies were to visit today. Miss Bennet’s original visit yesterday was put off by the rain.”

  “They have carriages,” Darcy mentioned. “Why would the rain keep them from an engagement?”

  “I believe Miss Mary mentioned that they spent the afternoon preparing baskets for the tenant families and with the rain, it seemed the best time to complete the work.”

  “The family is involved with their tenants then?” Bingley asked.

  “Longbourn has tenants on many farms and the Bennet family provides some clothing and food for each family. Each tenant has a stable for a goat, a pig and chickens with their horses for farm work, and a garden plot but many times the tenants’ wives are busy with children and chores and they do not have large gardens.”

  “At Pemberley, many of my tenants have similar arrangements and my family provides clothing and food – especially when the men and boys are needed in the fields for late hours.”

  Bingley listened closely to the conversation as Charlotte agreed, “It is the same here at Lucas Lodge. My father’s estate only encompasses ten farms but we have a large number of fields that our family works ourselves. My brothers are often in the fields with our tenants.”

  “Do you have a steward here at Lucas Lodge?”

  Shaking her head, Charlotte replied, “My father invested the expense in John’s education and acted as his own steward for many years. John has stepped into the role in the last year and I believe he will prosper.”

  “And the Fieldings?” asked Mr. Bingley.

  “They lease a small estate on the edge of Meryton and they deal largely in livestock. They pasture cattle and pigs to fatten and then drive them to London. They have a large flock of geese that will grace many tables in London for Christmas dinner,” Charlotte explained.

  Darcy asked, “Are all young ladies in Hertfordshire as informed on estate matters as it appears? I marked that the ladies at Longbourn manage the estate with the assistance of a steward and then today here at Lucas Lodge, I find that you are well informed on all the surrounding estates.”

  Sitting back in her chair, Charlotte glanced between the two gentlemen with a small smile on her face. “Following the assembly the other night, Mrs. Hamilton commented on your intelligence, Mr. Darcy. She said that you were very sharp and that Mr. Bingley was equally intelligent.”

  She tilted her head. “Tell me, are you modern gentlemen who believe that a lady on an estate should be a fixture on her husband’s arm? Or do you think ladies should be involved with the day-to-day tasks that keep food on the table?”

  Darcy glanced at Bingley before replying, “I have heard of such ideas and seen it in among the ton and newly rich. But I know of few estates where the lady sits and does needlepoint all day.”

  “What has happened at Longbourn?” asked Mr. Bingley. “Why are the ladies so involved with the estate’s day-to-day activities?”

  “Mr. Bennet left just over year ago to travel to the West Indies. In late spring, the steward at Longbourn passed away but because Mr. Bennet remained absent, the family worried that the tenants would miss the guidance of a good steward. Mrs. Hamilton’s relatives provided a steward trained on their estate. Mr. Smyth will serve as steward until Mr. Bennet returns and can hire his own man.”

  “Where is Mrs. Hamilton’s estate?” asked Charles.

  Miss Lucas replied, “I do not know – she has lived with her husband’s father in Wiltshire for several years and only this summer returned to Longbourn to visit for the first time.”

  “I understand Mr. Bennet sailed to the West Indies to settle an estate or inheritance,” Darcy said. “And he has been away for a long time?”

  “Yes, it has been a year complete since Mr. Bennet left. They received a letter in March that raised expectations of his return this fall but there has been no word since then,” Charlotte said.

  “The Bennet ladies are refined young women,” Charles said to direct the conversation.

  “And the family offers pleasant company,” Charlotte stated, a small smile on her face for Mr. Bingley. “Mr. Bennet is a congenial host and Mrs. Bennet sets an excellent table for their guests. Miss Bennet, Miss Mary and Mrs. Hamilton are intelligent women who have many friends. Miss Catherine is coming out and there is the youngest daughter at home, Miss Lydia.”

  “And Mrs. Bennet did not attend the assembly ball the other night.”

  Charlotte nodded, “She stayed home to entertain her youngest daughter and Mrs. Hamilton’s young son.”

  “So, has Mrs. Bennet withdrawn from society?” asked Mr. Darcy.

  “No, she receives guests in her home but she is focused on her family. Two years ago, Mrs. Bennet and Jane went to Mrs. Hamilton for her confinement. But the neighbourhood noted a remarkable change in Mrs. Bennet when she returned to Longbourn.”

  “What was the change?”

  From Mr. Darcy’s left side, Mary Bennet joined the conversation. “Two years ago, my sisters both lost husbands who served in His Majesty’s armies. Jane’s fiancé was killed a month before their wedding and Elizabeth’s husband was killed just four months after their wedding. The grief my sisters experienced changed my mother, gentlemen.”

  “Your sisters were betrothed at an early age then?” asked Mr. Darcy.

  “Indeed, they were, sir.” Mary explained, “Our father had many friends from his university days and in his correspondence two of these friends mentioned that they wanted their children to marry to ally their families but neither gentleman had any daughters – only sons. My father had five daughters and no sons, so his friends suggested that our father’s daughters marry their sons, thus uniting the families.’

  “And so, three years ago, Jane was betrothed to Colonel Hurley and Elizabeth to Major Hamilton. Colonel Hurley was killed in January and Major Hamilton died in July.”

  “Miss Bennet did not marry,” Mr. Bingley observed.

  Charlotte explained, “She did not – but regardless, Miss Bennet had grown attached to Major Hurley – I have known her my entire life and she does not show her emotions for the world to see. She has only this summer begun to enjoy society once again.”

  “How did Mrs. Hamilton come to be married so quickly?” asked Mr. Darcy.

  Charlotte frowned and Mary answered, “I fear that was our mother’s doing sir. My eldest sister was stripped of her marriage settlement by the Colonel’s brother and Mamma was determined to protect Elizabeth so she pressured Father to allow the wedding.”

  “Elizabeth and Matthew married privately in the church at Longbourn with just the parson, my parents, our aunt and uncle from London, and our sisters present. They left after breakfast and Lizzy had not been home since until this summer.”

  Charlotte concluded the tale for Bingley and Darcy. “Mrs. Bennet and Jane went to Elizabeth for her confinement and the birth of her son that Christmas. When she returned home, Mrs. Bennet had changed – rather than worry about marriages for her daughters, now she focused on their felicity and proper manners at all times.”

  ++**++

  After animated conversation regarding the day’s shooting and gifting of birds for everyone’s supper, the gentlemen reached agreement to gather for another shooting party at Purvis Lodge in three days and at Longbourn in six days. They watched the Netherfield gamekeeper leave with the guns and birds in the back of the wagon but before Bingley and Darcy could take their leave, John Lucas surprised the two gentlemen with questions regarding the variety of potato that Mr. Darcy’s tenants planted o
n the farms in Derbyshire. That discussion led Darcy to ask about the local breed of sheep and Bingley to ask about the suitability of the local hay for horses during the winter.

  The gentlemen ceased their conversation as a pair of grey horses pulling a fine carriage approached the front of Lucas Lodge from the stables. When Mary Bennet exited Lucas Lodge, John excused himself to help the young woman into the carriage under the bemused gaze of Bingley and Darcy.

  “I believe the young lady has enchanted Mr. Lucas,” Bingley observed but then his attention was captured by the fine horses. “What a well-matched team! Darcy, look at their colouring and size. Do you suppose they are twins?”

  “Fine horses and a very fine carriage,” Darcy agreed. “Longbourn must be rich to support such horses.”

  “If Miss Mary had the carriage this morning, how did Miss Bennet and Mrs. Hamilton journey to Netherfield, I wonder?” Bingley asked. “Do you suppose the Bennet family has two fine carriages and two teams of horses?”

  “It would be a great expense for a small estate to keep so many horses and carriages to carry the ladies about,” Darcy commented.

  Taking their leave of John Lucas, Darcy and Bingley mounted their horses and rode away.

  ++**++

  At Netherfield, Louisa Hurst awaited the arrival of Jane Bennet and Elizabeth Hamilton for afternoon tea. Her husband had remained at Netherfield rather than attend the shooting party to rest after several busy days working with Charles and Darcy with the tenants. The young couple, married only two years, recently began discussing establishing their own residence in town or in a small house on the Hurst family estate that Mr. Hurst would inherit.

  “My mother writes that she had the servants open and clean the dower house, Louisa. It is pleasantly situated away from the main house and we could enjoy a peaceful winter there.”