CHAPTER ONE
WHEN MISS ELIZABETHBennet was eighteen years of age, her mother thought of marrying her off far more often than Elizabeth herself thought of it. Elizabeth knew that eighteen was quite old enough to be married, of course, and she even indulged in some fanciful daydreams about marriage from time to time, as all young girls are wont to do, but Elizabeth was old enough and practical enough to know that they were not anything but daydreams, unlikely to ever come to pass.
She often daydreamed about some handsome and wealthy man sweeping into her neighborhood, catching sight of her, and being overcome with the desire to have her, at once. Then she might be whisked off to live in his big house on its massive grounds and to be waited on, hand and foot, by an army of servants.
But Elizabeth could not say that she believed this sort of daydream was even remotely likely to come to pass.
However, though she would never admit it to anyone, when Mr. Charles Bingley took residence at Netherfield, and it was known that he was young, likely only three years older than she was, and that he was much more well off than her own family—though obviously notthatwell off, for he was letting an estate instead of owning one, so she didn’t know if he didhavea big house with massive grounds and an army of servants. Anyway, when word came, someyouthful, girlish part of her leaped in hope that her little daydream might, in fact, prove true.
Of course, Mr. Bingley never looked at anyone except Jane, Elizabeth’s sister.
Elizabeth never begrudged Jane that. She couldn’t. For one thing, she could see that Mr. Bingley would not really do for her, that he was a much better match for Jane, and for another, Jane was one of her favorite people on earth. She could not but be overjoyed when Jane was happy. She took a great deal of pleasure in her sister’s happiness. They were very close.
But once Mr. Bingley was there, and he was often calling upon the Bennet household in the afternoons, along with his sisters, and Jane was occupied in discussions with him more often than she had been, it did mean that Elizabeth was left to her own devices more often than she used to be.
One such afternoon, she remembered that she was seated next to Caroline Bingley, the younger sister of Mr. Bingley, who was only a year older than Elizabeth herself.
“I don’t think I shall ever get married,” said Caroline.
Elizabeth glanced sidelong at her. Caroline was gazing at her brother and Jane, who were engaged in some conversation together, one that was making Jane smile and Mr. Bingley laugh, rather loudly. He kept throwing back his head in obvious mirth. Jane was more composed, but Elizabeth could see that she was pleased. “I can’t think that could be true,” said Elizabeth, who really had not given much thought to Caroline thus far.
She would have said that Caroline did not much like the Bennet family, truthfully. Though her brother and their sister Louisa, who was older than Charles, always brought Caroline along, she normally seemed quiet and a bit sullen, letting her siblings do all of the talking. On one occasion, she had loudly declared that they were going to be late for dinner, and it had been obvious both of the elder Bingleys had been embarrassed by their younger sister’s lack of good manners.
“I hope I am wrong,” said Caroline with a sigh. “But Ican’t see anything for it. Charles is clearly enamored with your sister, and then she shall wish him to settle here, and we shall never go back to London, so I shall be trapped here, where there is absolutely no one eligible.”
“It’s not so hopeless as that,” said Elizabeth.
“Oh,arethere eligible men here? What about you? Do you have any prospects?”
Elizabeth turned to look at Caroline. “Well, I am but eighteen.”
“Yes, and I am but nineteen,” said Caroline. “I think it must be horrible to reach the age of twenty and to remain unmarried.”
“Really and truly?” Elizabeth was surprised.
“You don’t agree?” said Caroline.
“I only think twenty is rather young,” said Elizabeth with a shrug. “One need not rush into such things.”
Caroline considered.
“Besides,” said Elizabeth, “if my sister were to end up with your brother, I am certain she would wish to go to London, at least sometimes. We have family in London, after all, and we all like to visit there. Not my father, true, but he is peculiar in his likes and dislikes.”
“Oh, so is my brother,” said Caroline with a sigh. “Which is why I wish to be married. If I must be subject to the whims of some man or other, it should be a husband. At least a wife has some sway over her husband.”
Elizabeth considered how much sway her own mother had over her father, decided it was very little, and then did not mention that to Caroline. “Yes, I think a wife must.”
Caroline tilted her head to one side. “Well, if Charles had a wife, then someone would have sway over him, would she not? Perhaps if my brother were married, he’d be altogether easier to deal with.”
“Perhaps,” Elizabeth allowed, though she was not sure if there was much to whatever it was Caroline was saying.
“I know what we should do,” said Caroline. “We should try to matchmake my brother and your sister.”
“Matchmake them? Why, they seem to have alreadymatched themselves, don’t you think?” said Elizabeth.
“No.” Caroline shook her head, very serious. “No, they have made no movement towards marriage, none at all.”
“They’ve only known each other for three weeks,” said Elizabeth.
