Elizabeth laughed softly. “Yes, that would be lovely. I am keen on getting out into the fresh air. The weather has not been agreeable to such things in the last few days.”
“That is true, Miss Bennet,” Mr. Bingley said. “We have been plagued with rain for a week.”
“Perhaps we should all get out and enjoy the sunshine today,” Miss Bingley said, standing up when Elizabeth did. This prompted the three men to stand up.
Elizabeth had a feeling the walk would not be the same as the one she took in the park with Darcy, when Jane and Bingley were there with them. The presence of the Bingley sisters put a dark cloud over her otherwise sunny day.
Darcy was the first to reach the door, and held it open for the rest of them. Elizabeth hung back so that she was the last one through the door. The Bingley sisters were chatting as they walked to the front door.
Darcy took small, slow steps, putting distance between him and the Bingleys. Elizabeth reached the front door and looked back at him. He approached and said in a low voice, “You did not want to have the Bingleys on our walk with us, did you?”
Elizabeth wondered if he was getting to know her perhaps a little too well. She shook her head. “I do not mind them, truthfully, but I was hoping to have some time to talk to you and sort things out.”
“Oh? What is it you want to sort out?”
“I…” Elizabeth looked out at the Bingleys, who seemed to have forgotten that she and Darcy were there. They did not wait for the couple, but continued down the path to their lavish garden without hesitation.
“I have come to the conclusion that you are a very observant and wise man, Mr. Darcy,” she said, stepping out onto the porch. He followed her and closed the door behind him. He folded his hands behind his back and they walked down the steps. He kept his eyes focused on the ground, listening to her. She folded her arms comfortably in front of her chest and slowly walked down the path. “I must tell you of my appreciation for what you have done for me.”
“It is my pleasure.”
“It is not just that you came here to help with Jane… I do suppose you came to keep me company, did you not?”
“I did.” He gave her a sweet grin.
“And that you have given me an opportunity to relieve myself of the duty that was about to be imposed on me… I have no words that can fully express my gratitude. I truly don’t.”
“You must not worry too much about it. I am happy to offer my services.”
Elizabeth wondered if he was truly interested in being her husband. She looked up at his profile, and when he turned to look at her and their eyes met she knew that her opinion of Mr. Darcy was quickly changing.
Chapter 14
Elizabeth sat in the chair by the bed, pulling it closer so that she could lean over and fold her hands into her sister’s. Jane was lying on her side, looking comfortable and not as ill as she had for the past week.
“How are you feeling today, Jane?” she asked, tilting her head to the side, her eyes sympathetic.
Jane nodded, mussing up her hair in the process. “I am feeling better, Lizzie, much like my old self. I really cannot wait to get up and move about again. My bones are feeling weak.”
“It is your muscles that are weak, sister.” Elizabeth smiled to show she was teasing. Jane smiled back.
“Yes, I suppose you are right.”
“I brought you some soup for lunch.”
“You did not need to stay here, Lizzie. You know that I am being taken care of.”
Elizabeth shook her head dismissively. “Perish the thought. You are my sister, and I will be here for you during any hardships. You must believe that.”
Jane’s smile remained. “Seeing as you are sitting here before me, when you could be many other places, does make me believe, Lizzie. Thank you for being here. And I suppose Mr. Darcy came to check up on me, as well?” Now it was Jane’s turn to tease.
“Oh, Jane. It is so strange and confusing.” Elizabeth squeezed her sister’s hand and let it go, sitting back.
“Why? The man is clearly in love with you. He would not have come all this way if he was not.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “I do not see it that way, Jane. Bingley is a good friend of his and I am here, yes. He did seem genuinely worried about you. I do believe he was checking to make sure you are all right. It was devastating finding you had taken so ill and you were not at home to be taken care of properly. That is why I came.”
“The Bingleys were taking good care of me.” Jane’s voice was soft but defensive. “I so appreciate all they have done for me.”
Elizabeth pushed away a feeling of disgust and tried not to let it show. Jane knew her sister too well, however, and patted Elizabeth’s arm.
“You are unhappy. I know you want to go home. I do, too. I will be well enough in the next day or two. Then we will go to Longbourn and resume our normal lives again.”
“You will return here, though.” Elizabeth tried to keep herself from sounding whiny.
“Of course. Why would that not be so?”
“I know you are falling in love with Bingley,” Elizabeth said. “I just do not want you to get hurt, Jane. You deserve so much and I do not want you to be hurt by those who do not want to give it to you. Or by those whose face they show is not their true self. Their true self is kept hidden. I fear you will fall into a trap that will break your heart.”
Jane shifted in the bed, breaking Elizabeth’s words with her movement. She turned onto her back and slowly pulled herself into a seated position. Elizabeth was quick to fluff up the pillows behind her and straighten the covers to make her sister more comfortable.
Though she was somewhat breathless, Jane said, “Why are you so worried about me? I believe Bingley loves me the way I love him. He is all I think about during the day and night. When he is with me, I feel complete and whole. When he is gone from me I feel empty, and have such a deep longing in my heart that I cannot help but write to him or make a special trip to see him.”
“Surely it cannot be convenient for him to have you showing up whenever you choose,” Elizabeth responded quietly. “He has business to take care of that you have no part of.”
“I have never interrupted anything important.” Jane’s voice deepened, and Elizabeth realized she was upset. She decided to change the subject entirely to avoid causing additional stress to her already weak sister.
“I know you have not. I can tell you that Darcy has interrupted important things when he just shows up unannounced and uninvited.”
Jane’s face relaxed a bit and her shoulders lost some of their tension. “Has he done that to you?”
“He has. On several occasions. Showing up here at Netherfield, for instance. I must ask myself, why would a man who barely knows me and shows such a strict, arrogant attitude towards nearly everyone he meets want anything to do with someone like me?”
Jane shook her head. “You say that as though you are a beggar or a pauper on the streets. Just because we are not wealthy like Darcy and the Bingleys does not mean we are less of a person inside.”
Elizabeth sat back once more and folded her arms over her chest, after brushing a strand of hair from in front of her eyes. “You know how Mr. Darcy is, though. He can have his pick of the ladies of the ton and he chooses to set up this scheme with me? To save me from possibly having to marry one of the most unlikable men in all of England?”
“Oh, Lizzie!” Jane giggled, covering her mouth with one hand. “How can you say such a thing about our cousin?”
Elizabeth sighed. “I do not mean to be petty and bitter. But I am not going to hide my feelings. Mr. Collins… I have no love for him, and I do not perceive I ever will. There is nothing he can do that can change my feelings. I feel no spark, feel no attraction toward him. I want to be married to a man who makes my skin light up with pleasant goosepimples, not one who makes my stomach churn when I am forced to be in his presence.”
Jane shook her head. “It is a blessing that Mr. Dar
cy discovered your feelings, and has offered to keep you from marrying a man you clearly loathe.”
“I do not… I do not loathe him. I am just… repulsed by the thought of becoming his bride.”
Jane giggled again. “That is obvious.”
“I do suppose I should be more grateful to Darcy.” Elizabeth looked across the room, lost in her thoughts. She wanted to tell Jane that Darcy was against her and Bingley having any kind of relationship, but it wasn’t the right time. She would have to wait. The problem with that was that every day, Jane’s feelings for Bingley grew stronger. She wasn’t about to walk away from him because Elizabeth thought it would be best. She was going to follow her heart. Although Jane had proven herself to be a practical and logical girl many times in the past, she was a different person with Bingley. She lost herself in the man, and wasn’t recognizable to Elizabeth anymore.
But that was whimsical thinking, she chided herself, and turned to gaze at her sister. “You are looking so much better, you truly are. It makes me so happy to see you sitting up.”
Jane nodded. “I do feel so much better, Lizzie. And, as much as I love being here at Netherfield with Bingley, I am ready to go back to Mother and Father and our sisters for a while. I miss being home. I wonder if it will feel this way when we marry and leave Longbourn for our new homes.”
Elizabeth hadn’t thought about that. She had spent her life at Longbourn. “I will surely miss Longbourn,” she said quietly. “I will miss Mother and Father. But I suppose there comes a time in every girl’s life when she has to leave behind the comfort and security of home to make a new one for herself and her new family.”
“I will enjoy decorating my home. Do you think I will live here at Netherfield, or will Bingley purchase a home just for us?”
The very idea made Elizabeth uncomfortable. She raised her eyebrows and lowered one side of her lips in a half-frown. “I really cannot say.”
She wanted Jane to be happy. She did look happy with Bingley, and the man looked just as happy to be with her. And he had never been anything but courteous to Elizabeth. She asked herself why she was taking the opinion of Darcy, a man she barely knew, so seriously. So much so, in fact, she was willing to give her sister unpleasant thoughts about the man she loved.
Elizabeth shook her head. Darcy had struck her as the kind of man who would manipulate others in order to get his way. She had heard stories, in fact, about such doings through mutual friends. But if that was what he was doing, a man intent on breaking up a possible love affair between his friend and her sister, what could be his ultimate gain? On one hand, he was adamant about his feelings in regard to Jane and Bingley. On the other hand, he was speaking to her parents about marrying her, and treating her as though that was truly his intent.
Why would he be so opposed to Jane and Bingley, when he was willing to mesh his own life with Elizabeth?
Chapter 15
Both the sisters were all smiles two days later, when they were readying themselves to return home. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet had sent along clothes and personal items for them to use at Netherfield, though the Bingleys vehemently stated they had everything the girls could possibly need.
As the coach pulled up in front of Longbourn, Elizabeth stuck her head through the window. Her smile was wide. She could see her mother sitting on the porch with Mary. Both women stood up and waved. Elizabeth reached out through the window and waved back. When the coach halted, she jumped down and ran up the porch to give her mother and Mary a tight squeeze and a kiss on the cheek.
“Oh, my!” Mrs. Bennet smiled at her daughter. “You behave as though you have not seen us in years. Was it that unpleasant at Netherfield?”
Elizabeth shook her head. “I was very worried about Jane the whole time. But it was not unpleasant, mind you, it just was not a holiday for me.”
Mrs. Bennet nodded and moved to greet her eldest daughter, her arms spread wide to receive a hug. “Jane, I am so glad you are home; you must come in and tell us what happened. We know very little detail, and have been curious what it was that caused you to become ill so quickly.”
“The doctor said I caught a bacterial infection. I do not remember much of it. I just remember thinking how hot it was and sometimes how cold I was, shivering uncontrollably. But I am better now, and do not wish to recall any of it again.”
“Come in and sit. We’ve made fresh tea, and were waiting for you so that you can enjoy these delicious pastries Caroline made. She is a wonderful baker. We are so blessed to have her here in our home, cooking for us.”
Elizabeth and Jane followed their mother and Mary into the house. They went to the parlor and the women sat comfortably in a small circle, surrounding the short table that held a large oval platter filled with pastries. A tea set sat next to it.
Elizabeth picked up one of the pastries and analyzed it. The filling appeared to be strawberry jam. The pastry that surrounded it was soft and crisp at the same time. One bite filled her mouth with a taste explosion. She closed her eyes. “Oh, it is the little things in life, is it not?”
“Truly.” Her mother’s smile was wide. “That was how I reacted. They are terribly delicious.”
“Yes, they are. Jane, you must try one.” Elizabeth picked up another pastry and held it out to her sister. Jane looked at it with longing, but set one hand on her stomach and shook her head.
“I do not think I can stomach strawberry jam after being so ill.”
“But your illness had nothing to do with food or eating,” Elizabeth responded gently. “Here, you must at least give it a try. You have to get back to doing things normally.”
“I don’t…”
“Come now, just a bite.” Elizabeth was still holding out the pastry, gazing at her sister.
Jane tilted her head to the side, leaned forward, and took the pastry. She eyed it a little longer before taking a small bite from the end. Elizabeth would have sworn she saw more of the rosiness in Jane’s face than she had before.
“It is good, is it not?” she asked.
Jane grinned and nodded. “Yes, Lizzie. Thank you.”
Elizabeth watched with satisfaction as Jane took a larger bite and closed her eyes as she chewed. Then she turned to her mother with a rather large smile. “It is so good to see her up and about, enjoying delicious food. I will pour us all some tea, shall I?”
“Thank you, Lizzie, that would be wonderful.”
Elizabeth talked as she filled the glasses one by one, and handed it to her mother and her sisters. “Netherfield is a remarkably beautiful place. I am always amazed when I visit. It has such style and elegance. And yet being there, in all its elegance and beauty, did not keep me from wishing for my own bed here at Longbourn, where my family is.”
“I am glad you were able to be with Jane, Lizzie,” her mother said, nodding at her with a serious look on her face. “She needed someone from the family there with her.”
“The Bingleys were taking good care of me,” Jane said. “But I was glad to see Lizzie when I was able to think straight again. I was not aware of anyone’s presence for a week. Not that I can recall.”
“You were quite delusional for a time,” Elizabeth said. “But truly, let us change the subject. I do not want to remember seeing you that way. I would rather speak of more pleasant and positive things.”
“I agree with you,” Mary said, speaking for the first time since saying hello upon their arrival. “It cannot be a good memory for you or for Jane.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “It is not.”
Mrs. Bennet smiled at her. “I am curious, Lizzie. Where is your sidekick? Your delightful Mr. Darcy? He was at Netherfield with you, was he not?”
“He was at Netherfield,” Elizabeth acknowledged. “But he was not there with me. That is, we did not go together nor leave together. We were simply there at the same time.”
“And you know why he was there,” Jane’s teasing voice returned. “He was there to see you and to keep an eye on you.”
&n
bsp; Elizabeth lifted her eyebrows. “Whatever do you mean?”
“Bingley told me that Darcy said he is comfortable only when he is able to keep an eye on you.”
Elizabeth was instantly irritated. Darcy needed to keep an eye on her? For what reason?
“What could be his possible reason for wanting to keep an eye on me?” She had assumed he had come because he missed her or wanted to spend as much time with her as he caould. That was the impression he gave.
Jane shrugged. “I think it is cute the way he popped up like that. He obviously adores you, Lizzie.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “He does not adore me. He is simply pla…” She halted her words. She’d been about to say, “playing his part”, but her mother was sitting only a few feet away, listening to the conversation. She fumbled for words for a moment before saying, “He is playing games with me, I am quite sure of it.”
“What would give you that impression?” Mrs. Bennet queried, her voice turning harsh. Elizabeth realized what she had chosen to say didn’t help her cause.
“He likes to tease me, Mother,” she said, thinking quickly. “I believe it is his process of getting to know the woman he has pledged to spend his life with… eventually.”
Mrs. Bennet looked uncomfortable. “If you are having trouble with Mr. Darcy, you must say so before you are betrothed. Before you vow yourself to him. You should not hesitate. You have other options.”
Elizabeth shook her head vigorously. “No, Mother, we must not go back to the thought of Mr. Collins and me marrying. I do not want to marry him.”
“I know you do not want it, but if you are going to be unhappy with Mr. Darcy I do not know why you would put yourself in a position where you will have to answer to him for the rest of your life. Do you trust him?”
“I do trust him. I trust him to be exactly who he is every moment.”
“But you were saying you were confused just a few days ago, Lizzie,” Jane said softly. “Does he confuse you? How can you tell he is to be trusted?”
A Convenient Darcy Marriage Page 7