Mr. Darcy Came to Dinner--a Pride & Prejudice farce by Jack Caldwell

Author:Jack Caldwell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: White Soup Press
Published: 2013-03-10T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

At breakfast, Elizabeth learned Mr. Bingley had arranged a shopping expedition to Meryton that morning. Jane, Mary, and Kitty were to go with Miss Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam. Georgiana invited Elizabeth, but she declined as Charlotte was expected to visit. Lydia’s name was not mentioned. Due to her behavior the evening before, she was forbidden to leave Longbourn or entertain visitors for the next two days.

At the appointed time, a carriage appeared containing only Mr. Bingley. Colonel Fitzwilliam chose to ride alongside on his tall charger. Neither Miss Bingley nor Mrs. Hurst accompanied their brother, and Elizabeth began to worry about Miss Bingley’s state of mind. Obviously, Caroline had taken the colonel’s words very hard, and in her mortification, she could not face the outside world, even to visit Miss Darcy.

The party was assembled, and Elizabeth noticed the presence of Mr. Darcy’s manservant. As Bartholomew helped the ladies into the coach, Elizabeth assumed the man was running errands for his master in the village. Mr. Bingley stood by his horse, heretofore secured to the back of the carriage, having a private word with Jane, when there was a squeal from the house.

“What is going on?” cried Lydia. “Where is everyone going?”

Jane answered her wayward sister. “We are all to Meryton. Mr. Bingley was kind enough to take us shopping — ”

“I want to go, too! Wait there and I will get my pelisse and bonnet.”

Mrs. Bennet stopped her. “You are indeed not going, young lady! You know very well you are to stay in the house until Friday. Now, be a good girl and return inside.”

“But, Mama, pleassse! I will be good! Mr. Bingley, please tell Mama you want me to come!”

Mr. Bingley was clearly uncomfortable. “It is not my decision to make.”

Elizabeth stepped over to her sister and tried to calm her down. “You must listen to Mama and go inside. Pray stop making a scene.”

Lydia would have none of it. “But I want to go! Mary and Kitty are going!”

“Because we were invited,” Kitty shot back from the carriage. “Mary and Georgiana are to select music while I will shop for a set of watercolors.”

Elizabeth did not know what surprised her more: Kitty’s familiar use of Miss Darcy’s name or that her submissive sister had stood up to Lydia.

“You should not expect nice things when you are so mean to people,” Kitty continued. “Please stop. You are embarrassing our guests.”

Kitty’s rebelliousness shocked Lydia silent, and Mrs. Bennet took her youngest by the arm. “Yes, Kitty has the right of it! Go inside the house this instant! Oh, what you do to my nerves!”

Lydia looked about but only beheld stern expressions or averted glances. With a sob, she turned and ran back indoors. The shopping expedition left under a small cloud of unpleasantness, and Elizabeth could only marvel at the changes at Longbourn.

Mama punishing her favorite? Kitty challenging her idol? Mary willingly going shopping? What was happening to her world?

* * *

Darcy was in the sitting room across from the parlor, attending to his correspondence.

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