Elizabeth spent most of the night in Jane’s room.
Early the next morning, Mr. Bingley sent a servant to ask how Jane was doing.
Elizabeth was happy to give him a reasonably good report.
A little later, Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst also came to ask about Jane.
Elizabeth told them that Jane was feeling somewhat better.
Still, she thought her mother should come and see Jane for herself.
She sent a message to Longbourn asking Mrs. Bennet to visit.
Her mother arrived soon after breakfast, bringing Catherine and Lydia with her.
Mrs. Bennet would have been extremely worried if Jane had been in real danger.
But once she saw that Jane’s illness was not serious, she was secretly quite pleased.
If Jane recovered too quickly, she would have to leave Netherfield.
Mrs. Bennet certainly did not want that to happen.
Jane suggested that she should return home, but her mother refused.
The doctor also agreed that Jane was not yet well enough to travel.
After spending some time with Jane, Mrs. Bennet and her three daughters went downstairs when Miss Bingley invited them to join the others.
Bingley greeted Mrs. Bennet warmly.
“I hope you haven’t found Jane worse than you expected.”
“Actually, she is much worse than I thought.”
“She is far too sick to travel.”
“Mr. Jones says we must not move her yet.”
“So I’m afraid we’ll have to trouble you with her kindness a little longer.”
“Move her?” Bingley exclaimed.
“Absolutely not.”
“We mustn’t even think about sending her home.”
“I’m sure my sister will agree.”
Miss Bingley gave Mrs. Bennet a polite but rather cold smile.
“Of course, Mrs. Bennet.”
“You may be certain that Miss Bennet will receive the best possible care while she remains here.”
Mrs. Bennet thanked her enthusiastically.
“I’m sure she couldn’t be in better hands.”
“Without such kind friends, I honestly don’t know what we would do.”
“She is very ill and suffers terribly, although she never complains.”
“She has always had the sweetest nature.”
“I often tell my other daughters that none of them can compare with Jane.”
“Mr. Bingley, you have such a lovely room here.”
“And the view from the windows is beautiful.”
“I really don’t think there is a better house in the countryside than Netherfield.”
“I hope you don’t plan to leave anytime soon, even though your lease is rather short.”
Bingley laughed.
“I tend to make decisions very quickly.”
“If I ever decide to leave Netherfield, I might be gone within five minutes.”
“But for now, I have no plans to go anywhere.”
Elizabeth smiled.
“That sounds exactly like you.”
Bingley turned toward her.
“You think you understand me already?”
“Oh yes. I understand you perfectly.”
“I wish I could take that as a compliment.”
“But being so easy to understand makes me sound rather simple.”
Elizabeth smiled.
“That depends on the person.”
“Being complicated doesn’t necessarily make someone more interesting or admirable than someone who is easy to understand.”
Her mother immediately interrupted.
“Lizzy, remember where you are.”
“You mustn’t talk so freely here the way you do at home.”
Bingley looked amused.
“I didn’t know you enjoyed studying people’s characters.”
“That sounds like an entertaining hobby.”
“It is.”
“But complicated people are much more interesting.”
“At least they give you more to think about.”
Darcy joined the conversation.
“In the countryside, there usually aren’t enough different kinds of people to make that sort of study very interesting.”
“You tend to spend time with the same small group of families.”
Elizabeth disagreed.
“But people change all the time.”
“There is always something new to notice about them.”
Mrs. Bennet immediately took Darcy’s comment personally.
“I don’t agree with that at all.”
“There is just as much happening in the countryside as there is in London.”
Everyone looked surprised.
Darcy stared at Mrs. Bennet for a moment, then quietly looked away.
Mrs. Bennet believed she had won the argument.
“I really don’t see what London has that the countryside doesn’t, except for more shops and public places.”
“The countryside is much more pleasant, don’t you think, Mr. Bingley?”
“When I’m in the country, I never want to leave.”
“And when I’m in London, I feel the same way.”
“Both places have their advantages, and I’m happy in either.”
“Yes, that’s because you have such a pleasant personality.”
“But that gentleman seemed to think the countryside was completely boring.”
“Actually, Mama, I think you misunderstood Mr. Darcy.”
Elizabeth was embarrassed by her mother.
“He only meant that you meet a wider variety of people in London.”
“And that is certainly true.”
Mrs. Bennet was not convinced.
“Of course there are more people in London.”
“But there are plenty of people around here.”
“I can think of at least twenty-four families we regularly have dinner with.”
Bingley struggled to keep from laughing.
His sister, however, gave Darcy an amused look.
Elizabeth quickly changed the subject.
“Mama, did Charlotte Lucas visit Longbourn after I left?”
“Yes, she came yesterday with her father.”
“Sir William is such a pleasant man, Mr. Bingley.”
“Don’t you think he is very fashionable?”
“He is so polite and charming.”
“He always knows exactly what to say to everyone.”
“That’s what I call good manners.”
“People who think they are important but never say anything at all clearly don’t understand good manners.”
“Did Charlotte stay for dinner?”
“No, she went home.”
“I suppose she had to help with the mince pies.”
“I always make sure my servants know how to do their jobs.”
“My daughters are being raised differently.”
“But everyone has their own way of doing things.”
“The Lucas girls are very nice, though.”
“It’s a shame they aren’t prettier.”
“Charlotte isn’t really that plain, of course.”
“But she is a close friend of ours.”
Bingley smiled.
“She seems like a very pleasant young woman.”
“Oh yes, she is.”
“But you have to admit she’s rather plain.”
“Even her own mother says so.”
“Lady Lucas is always jealous of Jane because she’s so beautiful.”
“I don’t like to boast about my daughter.”
“But Jane really is exceptionally pretty.”
“Everyone says so.”
“I’m not simply saying it because I’m her mother.”
“When Jane was only fifteen, there was a young man staying with my brother in London who was completely in love with her.”
“My sister-in-law was convinced he was going to propose before we left.”
“But he never did.”
“Perhaps he thought she was too young.”
“He did write some poems about her, though.”
“They were very pretty.”
Elizabeth sighed impatiently.
“And that was the end of his love.”
“I imagine many romances have ended the same way.”
“I wonder who first discovered that poetry could be used to make people fall out of love.”
Darcy smiled.
“I’ve always thought poetry was supposed to feed love.”
“It can, if the love is strong and healthy.”
“Strong feelings become stronger when you give them more encouragement.”
“But if the feeling is weak, I think one good poem could easily destroy it.”
Darcy simply smiled.
For a moment, no one said anything.
Elizabeth became nervous, afraid that her mother might say something embarrassing again.
She wanted to speak, but she couldn’t think of anything that would safely change the subject.
Mrs. Bennet finally began thanking Bingley again for taking such good care of Jane.
She also apologized for Elizabeth having to stay at Netherfield.
Bingley politely assured her that neither of them was a burden.
He even managed to get his younger sister to offer a polite response.
Miss Bingley did so, although without much warmth.
Mrs. Bennet was satisfied.
Soon, she announced that it was time for them to leave and ordered the carriage.
As soon as Lydia heard this, she stepped forward.
She and Catherine had been whispering together throughout the visit.
They had been planning how to bring up something very important.
Lydia was only fifteen, but she was confident, lively, and used to getting attention.
Her mother adored her and had allowed her to attend social events from a young age.
The officers especially liked Lydia because she was cheerful and easy to talk to.
Their attention had made her even more confident.
So she had no hesitation about speaking directly to Bingley.
“Mr. Bingley, you promised us a ball when you first came here.”
“You haven’t forgotten, have you?”
“It would be absolutely terrible if you broke your promise.”
Bingley laughed.
“I have every intention of keeping my promise.”
“As soon as your sister is completely recovered, you may choose the exact day.”
“But surely you wouldn’t want to hold a ball while she is still sick.”
Lydia was satisfied.
“Oh yes, of course.”
“It’s much better to wait until Jane is well.”
“And by then, Captain Carter will probably be back in Meryton.”
“When you give your ball, I’m going to make sure the officers give one too.”
“I’ll tell Colonel Forster that it would be a disgrace if he didn’t.”
Mrs. Bennet and her daughters soon left Netherfield.
Elizabeth immediately returned to Jane’s room.
She had no idea that after she left, Miss Bingley, Mrs. Hurst, and Darcy would discuss her behavior.
Miss Bingley made several clever remarks about Elizabeth’s beautiful eyes, hoping Darcy would join her in criticizing Elizabeth.
But Darcy refused to say anything against her.