A Plethora of Peers: A Regency Romp inspired by P&P by Sydney Salier

Author:Sydney Salier [Salier, Sydney]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-07-31T22:00:00+00:00

16 Who do you think you are…

As Caroline was still smarting from the comment at the assembly regarding her family’s wool and cotton mills, she was determined to show those mushrooms how fashionable, elegant and sophisticated a lady should be. As a consequence, she ignored not only that they were in the country, but also the temperature which had plummeted due to the storm and donned an elaborate evening gown suitable for the most elegant ballroom in town but not for a small dinner.

When Miss Bingley made her entrance in the drawing room before dinner, Elizabeth and Mary were indeed impressed by how elegantly Miss Bingley could shiver in her silk gown. Meanwhile the Bennet sisters were warm in their elegant but sensible dinner gowns, which Mrs Bennet had sent for them. The dresses were made from very fine wool, sourced, ironically, from the very mills which used to belong to the Bingleys.

Louisa was learning that in the country, when at home, people were generally more interested in comfort than dressing to impress. As that appealed to her, she was also attired in one of her less ostentatious but comfortable dresses.

Therefore, the only people who stood out were Miss Bingley in her very fashionable silk evening gown and Colonel Fitzwilliam in his bright red regimentals. Fortunately for the Colonel, his uniform was made from a wonderfully warm wool fabric supplied by Hainsworth.

~PoP~

There was one pleasant aspect to Miss Bingley’s show of elegance and sophistication.

For most of the evening she proved that she could hold an agreeable conversation about the happenings in London which was amusing when she displayed her discerning observation without resorting to her usual denigration of people.

Since none of the people outside her own family had any particular interest in the doings of society, which could contradict her, Miss Bingley was allowed to shine.

~PoP~

Alas, that situation was too good to last.

By breakfast, Miss Bingley had reverted back to her usual self. In her own inimitable fashion, and, buoyed by her success the previous evening, she tried to score points against the Bennet sisters.

After their morning meal, the party had assembled in the drawing room to while away the day as the weather would not permit any excursions outside, except for dire need. Miss Bingley directed the conversation.

‘When you go to town, do you enjoy attending all those balls of which tradesmen are so very fond?’ Caroline asked with a saccharine smile.

As the older sister, Elizabeth felt that she needed to protect Mary from the sniping, and therefore it was she who answered. ‘Miss Bingley, surely you must know perfectly well that we do not move in the same circles… since we never encountered each other.’

For a moment Caroline looked exceedingly satisfied until she came to suspect that Eliza Bennet had intimated that the Bingley’s attended balls given by tradesmen, rather than admitting the opposite. To her credit, she recovered well and said, ‘Yes, it is a pity that we never encountered each other in London. I suppose that with such a small estate it must be difficult to afford a season in town.

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