“Now the mother and the other sisters are here. Are we to be invaded by every Bennet in the countryside?” She spat exasperated.
True enough, they had barely composed enough before the door opened to admit Mrs. Bennet and four of her girls trailing behind her. Scott instantly rose from his chair and bowed.
“Mrs. Bennet! You are most welcome. I hope you did not find your daughter worse than you expected” He had underestimated Mrs. Bennet. She looked very anxious and wrung her hands in apparent distress. Her voice too was pitched in her apparent worry.
“Indeed I do sir! She is very ill and suffering greatly!” Of her tone, you would think Jean was dying. Ororo shut her eyes briefly. Dear Lord.
“Even though she has the greatest patience in the world, because she has the sweetest temper Mr. Bingley, I am afraid she is a great too ill to be moved. We must trespass a bit longer on your kindness” The nerve of her mother! But Ororo could say nothing.
“But of course!” Bingley consented.
“Miss Bennet will receive every possible attention, madam” Emma forced out and Tessa nodded.
“You are very good” Mrs. Bennet complimented, and then looked around the fine room.
“Oh well…you have a very sweet room here! I think you never want to leave Netherfield now?” She commented, now her tone entirely different
“I should be happy to live in the countryside forever!” Scott agreed earnestly. Mrs. Bennet beamed at him, but her features turned sour when Scott asked Mr. Darcy what he thought about living in the countryside.
“I would find the society confining and a bit unvaryingly Bingley”
“Confined and unvaryingly? Indeed it is not!” Mrs. Bennet answered angrily, her voice rising.
“The country is vastly more pleasant than the city, whatever you may say about it” She continued. Mr. Darcy did not reply, and Mrs. Bennet sniffed, walking stiffly around and then sat without a by your leave on the chair Mr. Bingley recently had occupied.
“Mama you misunderstand Mr. Darcy’s meaning” Ororo tried to smoothen things over. Her mother would hear none of it
“Do I? Do I? He seems to think the country as nothing at all!”
“Mama!” Ororo whispered, trying to get her mother to calm down.
“Confined! I will let him know that we dine with four and twenty families!” Her mother continued. Behind them, Emma and Tessa snorted contemptuously, but tried unsuccessfully to stifle it.
Desperate to change the subject, Ororo asked about her friend
“Have you met Betsy Lucas when I’ve been away?”
“Indeed, she called yesterday with Sir William” Her mother nodded, and then cast a glance at Mr. Darcy
“What an agreeable man he is. That is my idea of good breeding. And those persons who consider themselves very important and never open their mouths quite mistake the matter!”
Ororo wanted to sink through the floor. Anna-Marie stepped forward, eager to ask something from Mr. Bingley
“I was just wondering if you remembered that you promised to give us a ball.” She asked hopefully
“It would be very ill if you took back that promise”
Scott lit up, happy to change the subject
“I have not forgotten it Miss. Bennet, and as soon as your sister is well enough, you can set the date!” This generous offer went well with the youngest Bennet sisters that started giggling, and whispering.
“Oh there Anna-Marie!” Mrs. Bennet squealed delightedly
“That’s generosity for you! That is what I call gentlemanly behavior” Her last barb flung at Mr. Darcy, she was smugly satisfied.
Mrs. Bennet and her youngest daughters did not stay long. Ororo stayed the few days it took Jean to recover. She never noticed Mr. Darcy much unless during the evenings. But whenever he had the chance, he observed her when she walked around the grounds, talking to the servants, or playing with the dogs. Emma was becoming more and more infuriated by this, and the morning when Jean and Ororo left Netherfield to finally return to Longbourn, was not soon enough.
“Finally!” She sighed at her sister. They had said their short farewell to the Bennet sisters, and watched from inside, down on their brother as he took farewell of Jean. He had leant the sisters a carriage, and even if Ororo sat next to Jean, Scott did not seem to notice her. Jean was still a bit weak, but strong enough to ride home.
“Give your parents my greetings. And tell your father he is welcome to hunt with us any time you please! Scott told Jean
“Thank you sir, you are very kind” Jean replied, blushing and smiling. Scott smiled radiantly in return
“Well...goodbye!”
“Goodbye” Jean whispered, and leaned to watch him as the carriage lurched forward. He waved at them.
“Oh Jean. I am sorry to say it, but not counting on your excellent Mr. Bingley, I have never been so pleased to leave a place in my entire life!” Ororo admitted. Jean hugged her and they laughed, both glad to be on their way home.
A few floors above, Mr. Darcy was standing like a statue, watching the carriage disappearing from view.
“It is so good to have the house by ourselves again” Emma sighed contently, but then cast a daggered look at Mr. Darcy
“But I think Mr. Darcy is mourning the loss of Miss ‘Roro Bennet’s snide remarks and fine eyes?”
“Quite the contrary I assure you” He calmly replied, still staring out the window at the road the carriage went by.
