The Assembly

Mr. Bingley moved into the neighborhood and all the gentlemen, especially all the fathers with daughters, called on him. Mr. Bennet was berated continuously by his wife and daughters to describe the young man but he was not in the habit of describing male beauty so was hard pressed to find anything to truly say about Mr. Bingley beyond the fact that he was a young, pleasant and agreeable man. Lady Lucas, their neighbor, said that her husband, Sir William Lucas, had been delighted with him. He was young, wonderfully handsome, quite a congenial fellow and meant to bring a large party to the Assembly. Mrs. Bennet entertained high hopes as to his falling in love with one of her daughters.

He was so much sought after that he, perhaps, had far too many return visits to place. While he dutifully called on Mr. Bennet, Mr. Bingley did not meet any of the daughters nor did the Bennet girls get the opportunity to see him up close. They at least spied on him from an upper window when he came to call on their father and determined he wore a blue coat and rode a black horse.

An invitation to dine, however, was declined as Mr. Bingley indicated he had to go down to London. Mrs. Bennet wondered at this sudden flight so soon after his arrival and worried he would never settle at Netherfield and be like all those tenants at Purvis Lodge who barely set foot there and one had just learned their names when they took their furniture and moved on. It was learned that this trip to London was to gather a house party, of sorts, which he was to bring to the Assembly ball. Rumors circulated that there were to be twelve ladies and seven gentlemen but Elizabeth tempered that as mere speculation as any house party strives for even numbers of ladies and gentlemen. She had learned by hearing over the years—but at a distance—about the summer house parties at Stokes.

Lydia was wild to go to the Assembly. Her attendance at breakfast in the morning improved but Mr. Bennet expressed no opinion as to her status in his eyes whenever he was applied to. He merely noted she was 'improving' but would not venture to say whether he was considering letting her go and dance. Lydia regularly appealed to Mrs. Bennet for her support but while her mother gave her a sympathetic ear, Mrs. Bennet was far more interested in ensuring Jane, Mary and Catherine meet Mr. Bingley and was involved in thoughts of what it would meant to have a daughter settled at Netherfield Hall than in seeing Lydia go.

Jane lent Lydia a sympathetic ear, but she was always kind and took time out of her day for any of her sisters. One ally Lydia did not consider was her oldest sister, Elizabeth. She and Elizabeth were of dissimilar temperaments and did not often seek each other out, but Elizabeth felt that Mr. Bennet was, perhaps, being a bit unfair in not offering any opinion on the likelihood of Lydia's being able to go to the Assembly. Since Elizabeth often ran into Lydia when outdoors with Miss Simnel and Simon for daily exercise it became a common occurrence to discuss the chances that she would get to go. The morning of the Assembly there still was no decision.

"I fear he is being too hard on you this time," said Elizabeth. She doubted Lydia caught the emphasis on the 'this time.'

"Even Miss Simnel is going," pouted Lydia. They were walking behind Miss Simnel and Simon, the latter had, as was his habit, a collection of sticks in one hand and he was bounding about the governess' feet talking, no doubt, of battles and soldiers.

"Miss Simnel is a grown lady who is twenty-seven and had her come-out," pointed out Elizabeth.

"I cannot believe she got to go to London for a Season," Lydia's tone was still peevish. "Even you had a Season and it did neither of you any good. No husband."

"With some young ladies it takes a second or a third try," said Elizabeth faintly as she watched Simon race to pick up a rather long stick which the governess rejected.

"I shall get a husband on the first try," said Lydia.

"First try at what?" Asked Elizabeth. "At going out into society, at a ball or at a Season in London?"

"At some gentleman being interested in me," said Lydia.

"You have much to learn, Lydia, if you will take the first interested gentleman. I pray that you will not," said Elizabeth.

"I don't want to end up an old maid like you and Jane," she said.

"Jane is only twenty-one. That is hardly an old maid. I may be past my dancing days soon, however," admitted Elizabeth.

"You and Charlotte!" Cried Lydia. "And yet Charlotte keeps trying and she is way older than you," finished Lydia.

"Poor Charlotte has, perhaps, more of a need to marry to secure her future. Sir William has four sons to provide for. He is best off if he can marry his daughters to wealthy men and not worry about providing for them."

"Why is that different?" Asked Lydia.

"There is only one son here, Simon; if we did not marry we could live cheaply on his good will," answered Elizabeth and she looked kindly at her youngest sister.

"We would still be old maids," and Lydia and made a face.

"Yes."

"Best if we married," said Lydia.

"Perhaps you are right," said Elizabeth and they continued trailing after Miss Simnel and Simon.

Author's Note: Dear Readers: I am excited to share that At Last is available for pre-order on Amazon and will be released on Tuesday, October 3, 2017. Search for At Last: a Pride and Prejudice Variation by Anne Morris. This story will no longer be available to be read here.