P&P: Behind the Scenes – Mr. Bennet at the Netherfield Ball

“The prospect of the Netherfield ball was extremely agreeable to every female of the family. Mrs. Bennet chose to consider it as given in compliment to her eldest daughter, and was particularly flattered by receiving the invitation from Mr. Bingley himself, instead of a ceremonious card. Jane pictured to herself a happy evening in the society of her two friends, and the attentions of their brother; and Elizabeth thought with pleasure of dancing a great deal with Mr. Wickham, and of seeing a confirmation of everything in Mr. Darcy’s looks and behaviour. The happiness anticipated by Catherine and Lydia depended less on any single event, or any particular person; for though they each, like Elizabeth, meant to dance half the evening with Mr. Wickham, he was by no means the only partner who could satisfy them, and a ball was, at any rate, a ball. And even Mary could assure her family that she had no disinclination for it.”

But what of Mr. Bennet?


 

26 November, 1811

The night had begun as most tedious social affairs for Mr. Bennet: his wife’s shrill panics that Jane’s gown would not be fine enough to attract a man of five thousand a year, her proclamations that Lydia would be a favourite of all the officers, and of course, her concession that his Lizzy “looked well enough.”

Yet, here he stood to one side of the ballroom. How he despised the ridiculousness of the activity! Of course, balls were a necessary evil for a gentleman who boasted of five daughters and an entailed estate, especially one whose wife lacked economy, but he would much prefer the solitude of his treasured book room and a nice glass of port!

As he observed Mr. Bingley’s guests, his gaze was drawn to the dancers where Mr. Collins, exuding an air of pretentious self-importance, led Lizzy to the start of the first set. She caught his eye and rolled hers just before the music began. He pressed his lips together hard. Smirking from the side of the room never served him well.

Mrs. Bennet’s latest scheme to match Lizzy with their ridiculous cousin was not at all his preference, yet it provided an amusement he was loath to part with as of yet. It was not as if his most intelligent daughter would ever become betrothed to someone as imbecilic as Mr. Collins. He had no reason to worry, so he would find humour in the farce whilst it lasted.

Mr. Collins trod upon her toes, and he chuckled. The thin line of Lizzy’s lips and the glint in her eye indicated she was not best pleased by her cousin as a partner. Of course, Mr. Collins was as much a dancer as the king was sane!

With a groaning exhale, he glanced to the side of the room where his wife revelled in the attention of the other ladies of the neighbourhood, wearing a smug smile as she exclaimed her good fortune for all to hear. During a lull in the music, Mrs. Bennet’s voice carried across the room.

“Mr. Bingley is so charming and rich! What a fine thing for my Jane!”

“Mr. Collins may not be so rich as Mr. Bingley, but he will do for Lizzy very well!”

With a shake of his head, he made to depart the ballroom intent on some male company; he could abide no more of his wife’s effusions. He had borne them since Mr. Bingley’s arrival at Michaelmas and could bear it no more!

One last glance at the dancers revealed Lydia and Kitty giggling and flirting inappropriately with the soldiers they partnered. His foot stepped in their direction. Should he check their behaviour? Lydia might cause a scene if he interceded. His two youngest were the silliest girls in all of England; no one would expect them to behave with propriety, would they? His shoulders dropped as he pulled his foot back. Sorting those two could take the entire evening. Who had time for such a tedious chore? Certainly not him!

He turned his back to the dancers and entered the card room. Sir William Lucas and Mr. Goulding, who often amused him, were seated at a table in the far corner, so he headed in their direction.

“Bennet!” cried Sir William Lucas, as he approached. “You are joining us so soon?” Sir William passed a few crowns to Mr. Goulding who grinned.

“Of course, he is.” Mr. Goulding looked up from his winnings to Mr. Bennet. “We are all well aware he does not dance, and I was certain Mr. Bennet would seek respite from his wife sooner rather than later. She has too much to crow about tonight.”

As Sir William watched Mr. Goulding retrieve the coins from the table, he sighed. “You could not have waited another quarter hour, Bennet?”

“No,” Mr. Bennet responded with a chuckle. “Goulding always wins these wagers, so why do you continue to accept such bets?”

“I hope to win back my losses.” Sir William’s voice was a grumble.

Mr. Goulding laughed. “Do not persuade him to relinquish the habit. I enjoy surprising my wife with a little trinket or gift from my winnings.”

Mr. Bennet shook his head. “Let us not speak of wives. I have had enough of mine for the evening.”

Sir William laughed and stood. “As I have no further money to wager, I shall return to the ballroom. I have yet to compliment Mr. Bingley on such a grand evening!” He glanced about the room with a jovial grin. “Capital!”

Mr. Goulding held up the cards when Sir William departed. “Would you care for a game?”

He nodded and wasted an hour, at least, at cards before returning to the ballroom where upon a survey of the guests, his attention was garnered once again by Lizzy who stood up with none other than Mr. Darcy!

The disagreeable man who had refused to even request a set from her at the assembly must now find her tolerable enough to tempt him at the very least. A gleeful chuckle escaped his lips. How diverting it would be tease Lizzy on the morrow!

A study of the pair was interesting indeed! Mr. Darcy wore his usual serious, haughty air, yet he stared at Lizzy with such an intent gaze. Lizzy frowned, whether offended by a statement made by the gentleman or just by dancing with him was anyone’s guess.

At the end of the set, the pair went their separate ways—Lizzy to join Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Darcy to stand near the wall to the opposite side of the ballroom. The wealthy gentleman’s gaze found Lizzy through the crowd and remained fixed upon her, but naught changed—Lizzy remained with Charlotte or dancing with the officers and gentleman of the neighbourhood whilst Mr. Darcy’s eyes bored through her. How dull!

He continued to observe those around him as the night wore on, but the evening progressed as a snail up a stone wall until supper was served. What a welcome respite from the tedious evening!

Part of his humour was restored as he savoured the wine and the meal before him until a familiar shrill tone jarred him from his agreeable occupation.

“And Jane, being so well-married, will throw the girls in the paths of other rich men!”

His vision darted to his wife, but his eyes set upon Lizzy, who sat nearby, her beetroot red complexion a testament to her mortification. Her brow lifted in his direction. What did she believe he could do? He could not contain his wife! She had let slip the dogs of war and could not be stopped!

Lizzy leaned forward and whispered to her mother, who waved her daughter off with a frown.

“What is Mr. Darcy to me, pray, that I should be afraid of him? I am sure we owe him no such particular civility as to be obliged to say nothing he may not like to hear.”

Lizzy dropped back down in her seat, still red-faced, but stiff in her seat. She widened her eyes at him, but he gave a shrug as a loud cackle from his youngest daughter drew his attention to the side of the room.

Lydia and Kitty each held a glass of wine in their hand, but by their louder than usual tones, they had already imbibed more than was their wont. His youngest leant forward with her free hand upon her hip whilst the officer with whom she was flirting stared down her bodice.

He moaned and glanced back to Lizzy, who now held her face in her hands. A throbbing began in his temple, and he took a gulp of wine. Perhaps it might relieve the tension before a megrim plagued him as much as this insipid evening!

His eyes avoided Lizzy and his wife, though he could hear the latter, until the discordant tones of a pianoforte rattled his brain. With an abrupt jerk of the head, which did nothing to improve the pounding within, he turned to Lizzy. Her eyes were again wide, and she sat forward in her chair, gripping the arm with one hand until her knuckles were white.

Mary’s weak voice joined the ill sounds she made on the instrument as his brain threatened to hammer through his skull. He needed to escape, but Lizzy would never give him any peace when they returned to Longbourn if he did not intercede!

His slow rise from the chair was accompanied by a weary sigh. With a steady step, he moved to the instrument, placing his hand near the keys to garner Mary’s attention.

“That will do extremely well, child. You have delighted us long enough. Let the other young ladies have time to exhibit.”

There! It was done! Lizzy was, no doubt, content that he had handled the situation, and he could escape to the terrace for a bit of peace and solitude. He exited the nearest door as he rubbed his temples. The musicians began tuning for the second half of the ball; a low groan escaped from his lips.

He glanced to the sky as a star streaked through the heavens. He had not wished upon a star since Lizzy was a small child, even then, it was more for her benefit than his own that he took the matter so seriously. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes tight and prayed the evening would come to a swift conclusion.

As he gradually opened his eyes, he turned towards the house and the light pouring from the ballroom windows. Had God had heard his prayer? His wife’s ear-piercing screech ripped the hope from his breast as swift as that star had flown through the sky.

His wife would ensure they were the last to leave. What had he done for God to curse him with such a fate?

21 comments

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    • Margaret F on September 3, 2015 at 9:40 am
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    What had he done??? Nothing that he was supposed to do.

    This is an excellent portrait of the negligent, lazy Mr Bennet. (Why he thinks he’s so smart is a mystery.)

    1. He just wants things to be easy, but that’s not reality. I’m so glad you enjoyed the scene. Thanks, Margaret!

    • beth on September 3, 2015 at 9:47 am
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    I think Mr. Bennet is a perfect example of how the social strictures of landed gentry could strangle a man similarly as it could a woman–with no outlet for his intellect and the need to marry and raise children, even smart, witty men could turn to indolence, finding outlets for their intellect only in making sport of others. Bennet would have been a good scholar at university, I’m sure…but not such a great landowner.

    1. I could see him being a good scholar, but I could see him making sport of his students too. 🙂 You have to wonder if he found being a landowner tedious and boring. I could see him feeling that way and that was why he neglected things. Thanks, Beth!

    • Michelle on September 3, 2015 at 12:00 pm
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    Mr Bennett has a lot to answer for. However, what a lovely excerpt. Thank you

    1. He certainly does! We know he does very little at the ball, so it was fun to think of how someone with a wit and did not seem to enjoy company would view the ball. Thanks, Michelle!

    • HelenJC on September 3, 2015 at 12:16 pm
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    You’ve really brought out the can’t be bothered-ness of Mr Bennet very well Leslie. Even when he does eventually decide to act, he chooses the easiest option – getting Mary to come away from the pianoforte. One, he knows she will comply, and secondly, without a fuss.

    I’ve wondered at what kind of relationship Mr Bennet and Darcy would have after his and Lizzy’s wedding. Darcy is intelligent and scholarly, like his father in law, but would the indolence and apathy of Mr Bennet drive him to distraction?

    1. I do believe Darcy would tolerate Mr. Bennet for the sake of his wife, but I can’t see them being the best of friends. I would hope that Lydia’s elopement did change Mr. Bennet to some extent–that he was more mindful of his daughter’s and their behaviour after. Thanks, HelenJC!

  1. Mr. Bennet’s unwillingness to do anything to curb the excesses of his family are certainly blameworthy, both at the Netherfield ball and definitely beforehand. He bemoans having a wife with no sense of economy, yet who holds the purse strings in the family? The one time he does intercede, he does so badly…although he thought that he had finally helped to mitigate Lizzy’s embarrassment.

    But it’s his willingness to allow himself to be amused at Lizzy’s expense regarding Mr. Collins, his unwillingness to curb Lydia and Kitty (or even allow such “silly girls” to attend), and most of all, to refuse to teach his wife any kind of economy or decorum–these are the main areas in which he is to blame. We see his selfishness and his indolence very clearly in this vignette.

    Excellent and insightful writing, Leslie!!

    Warmly,
    Susanne 🙂

    1. I love Mr. Bennet’s wit, but it’s easy for me to be critical of him as a father. For whatever reason, he has chosen the easy route and allows the sisters after Elizabeth free rein. I think quite a few people want Mr. Bennet to be this perfect father when it comes to Elizabeth, but while I find him humorous, he is far from ideal! Thanks so much, Susanne!

    • TLeighF on September 3, 2015 at 5:16 pm
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    Great scene! I had not considered before that Mr. B would have noticed Lizzy’s embarrassment multiple times during the evening and that his chastisement of Mary was to assuage his guilt in not doing more. Interesting insight!

    1. I don’t know about assuaging his guilt. He knew he would have no peace if he didn’t stop Mary from playing. Lizzy would give him grief. That was self-preservation on his part! He wanted his peace and quiet when they returned to Longbourn! Thanks, TLeighF!

  2. I agree with previous posts regarding Mr Bennet’s character, you have demonstrated it so very well. I look forward to each installment of this series. They are all so well written and have such intriguing insights. That they are written by so many different authors is remarkable. There is both consistency of approach and variation of concepts. I hope that an actual volume of this blog is eventually published. Perfect to curl up with before falling asleep!

    1. What lovely compliments! Thank you! These stories will be published in a nice large volume for everyone to have on their bookshelf. 🙂 So you can plan on having your very own copy. Thanks, Sue!

    • Deborah on September 4, 2015 at 7:22 am
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    Mr. Bennet has just given up. Maybe he’s tried in the past. He seems very unhappy with his life, except for his Lizzy. He’d rather stay in his man cave and read….In some ways I feel sorry for him, but I feel sorrier for Lizzy. How mortifying. Very well done. I feel as if I was standing there watching this scene.

    1. I love that you feel as if you were in the room! Thanks so much, Deborah!

  3. Yes, if he had taken his wife in hand from the beginning, he would not be regretting this evening. Shame on him for not being the man he should have been. This will costs him greatly later to his family’s everlasting shame.

    1. Taken her in hand and perhaps not dismissed her. Even in canon, he is dismissive of her and belittles her. It would do nothing positive for her nerves to have a husband who is that way. Thanks, Patty!

    • BostonSheryl on September 4, 2015 at 10:02 pm
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    Delightful excerpt from the point of view of someone we do not often consider! This makes it very difficult to respect Mr. Bennet. One wonders about him – he’ll stop one daughter from playing music, but not take action to keep officers from leering at another daughter??! Yet I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone’s reputation being ruined from music!! Too bad for Lizzy and Jane that he does not exert more effort. Thank you for this wonderful insight.

    1. I think he was less likely to get backlash from Mary than Lydia and Kitty to be honest. He says about Brighton that there will be no peace unless Lydia is allowed to go. I don’t think he’s considering reputations as much as his own comfort in the days to come. Thanks, Sheryl!

    • Sheila L. M. on September 8, 2015 at 12:30 pm
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    As other have observed Mr. Bennet is indolent. He only wants to sit in his library and read. Yes, he likes to find humor in his neighbor’s behavior but then takes no steps while they laugh at him and his in turn. I have no respect for him. He makes no effort for the future happiness of even his favorite daughter…only his support when she turns down Collins. With a little economy he could have even added to the dowries. Tsk! Tsk!

    Well written. Thank you.

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