Elizabeth jumped to her feet, clapping her hands. “Oh, Papa, I am so happy! Thank you! I am sure it will be wonderful.”
Mr. Bennet stood up, too, and leaned over his desk. “But we must be cautious. They will be watched closely. If I fear they are up to no good, they will be thrown from our house faster than you can imagine. Am I clear?”
Elizabeth nodded. “Oh yes, Papa. Thank you!”
“Do not mention this to your sisters until I confirm it with your mother. I am sure in, say, a fortnight should do?”
“Oh, can we arrange it for sooner instead, Papa? A fortnight is too far away.”
“All right then. I will speak to your mother. That will give her four days to prepare the staff. I am not sure she will appreciate that.”
“Mother is always up to the task. Do not worry. I am sure it will be all right. She is not as up in arms as the rest of the family. She has spoken kindly about the topic before.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, at breakfast this morning, she was saying it was not a fight she wished to continue. Or something of that nature. I cannot remember exactly what she said now. I am so excited!”
Elizabeth rounded the desk to throw her arms around her father’s neck. He laughed and hugged her back. “I did not realize this would mean quite so much to you.”
“Yes, it really, really does, Papa. I am very excited.”
“Well, run up and get ready for dinner. I’ll talk to your mother after, so do not mention it during dinner.”
“It will be hours before dinner is prepared, Papa.”
He chuckled. “In that case, I have a lot of reading to do so you must go find something to occupy your mind until dinner. I will let you know what she says after dinner. All right?”
“Yes, Papa, thank you again!” She kissed first one cheek and then the other, squeezing his broad shoulders in her small hands.
He continued laughing, watching his daughter float across the room to the door. He shook his head as she went out and closed the door behind her.
Elizabeth was on cloud nine. If her father would agree to invite Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy to a dinner party that meant both she and Jane had an opportunity to find out if the men were interested in courting them. She knew Jane already had her foot in the crack of the door. She wanted to know if her turn was next.
This weekend! She clapped her hands together, running up the stairs. Jane was not in her room. She wondered where her sister was. She hadn’t been there for lunch either. She turned and went back down the stairs quickly. She would look for her in the garden and the surrounding field. Maybe she took a horse and went for a ride.
She decided she would go looking for her sister. If she did take a ride, there was another horse she could use. She would find Jane and tell her the good news.
She changed into her blue riding habit, cut in military fashion. Even if Jane was not going for a ride, it seemed like a fun idea. The sky was blue, there were few rainclouds and the air was warm. It would be a beautiful ride.
She went through the front door and down the front porch steps. She was on her way to the stable when she saw dust rising in the distance. Someone was on horseback, coming her way. She stopped and waited to see who it was, hoping it was Jane.
It was not Jane. It was the man from the street, who had stopped to compliment her and Charlotte. He had a black hat on, a dark suit, and a look on his face that matched the darkness of his suit. He spotted her and led his horse toward her. She looked up at him.
“Miss Elizabeth?” he said.
“Yes?”
“I am Mr. Darcy. You need to come with me.”
Chapter 15
Chills covered her body. It was him. The man on the street who had stopped to talk to them was Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. He was so handsome, she could barely take her eyes from him.
“I was just going to saddle up a horse and go for a ride to find Jane,” she managed to say without stuttering.
He nodded. “Do hurry.” He jumped from his horse and walked quickly with her to the stables. “You there, saddle Miss Bennet’s horse immediately.”
“Please, David, it is urgent.”
“Yes, miss.” David hurriedly saddled a small brown mare for her and then readied a gray thoroughbred for himself. “We’ll be ready in just a moment, miss.”
Elizabeth blinked for a few minutes before taking Darcy’s hand and allowing him to toss her up onto the mare. Her body had pressed up against his for a moment and her heart thumped wildly. She had to calm herself quickly so she did not spook the horse.
They waited only a moment for David to mount, and then he followed them as they took off down the path.
Mr. Darcy spoke over his shoulder as they rode, “Your sister is at Netherfield. Did you know?”
Elizabeth shook her head. “I was not aware that she planned to visit the Bingleys today.”
“I believe Bingley invited her for lunch. Unfortunately it appears something she ate did not sit well with her and she has taken ill. Or perhaps she may have already been sick when she came this morning? Though, I admit she did not look unwell until after lunch.”
“She’s ill?” Elizabeth feared for her sister. “Oh dear. That’s terrible. I should tell my parents.” She started to rein in her mount.
“I do not think that would be a wise decision for anyone.” Darcy shook his head. “We have not yet had an opportunity to meet with them. Our families…we have not gotten along for generations.”
Elizabeth nodded. “I know. I have become aware of that.”
“They told you about our family history?”
“They did.”
“All of it?”
“I suppose so. I do not know why they would leave anything out.”
“Our family is to blame for much of the tension between us. Unfortunately, when my father attempted to end the feud, he was unable to get solid ground before he died. He sent peace offerings to your family. They were well-received, but it did not change some of the hard feelings that were already there. Other things have happened to make a dark mark, prolonging the feud.”
Elizabeth wondered what he was talking about. “Whatever do you mean?”
He shook his head. “We will speak more about it when we get to Netherfield.”
She did not say anything else. She held the reins loosely as she followed behind Darcy. Before she knew it, they were on the path up to Netherfield. She lifted her head and looked at the huge estate.
“What a beautiful home.”
Darcy did not say anything. She did not know if he even heard her. Nothing more was said until they pulled up in front of the house and a groom met them. He held up one hand to help Elizabeth down and took the reins after she had dismounted. “Thank you. David will see to her, I am sure.” Elizabeth nodded at her groom who had dismounted and walked over to take her reins.
“Yes, miss.”
Darcy dismounted, handing his reins to the groom and placed one hand lightly on Elizabeth’s back. He pressed gently to make her go up the stairs.
“I think it is best we hurry. Your sister did not look well last time I saw her.”
“I am so glad you came to fetch me.”
Darcy looked down at her. He stopped her before they went in the door and whispered, “You may not have a nice reception from the Bingley sisters. While it is perfectly logical that they would take care of Jane, I felt it would be best to have one of her family members. You are the logical choice, seeing as how your sister speaks nonstop about you.”
Elizabeth smiled up at him. “She does?”
He grinned back. “Yes, she does. She speaks very highly of you. I want to warn you though, to brace yourself against the behavior of Bingley’s sisters. They are highly unpleasant individuals.”
Elizabeth giggled. She had heard the same from others. Only Jane seemed to have favorable things to say about them.
Darcy leaned forward and opened the door, ushering her in. There was no one in the foyer, whic
h was somewhat surprising. Elizabeth had expected a butler or a footman at least. But it was almost silent.
“Come along,” Darcy led the way. He took her down the hall to a small set of narrow stairs. He pushed open a door at the top of the stairs and they went through into a little room with a bed and a lit fireplace.
He stepped to the side and let Elizabeth go in front of him. She approached the bed and looked down at her sister’s ashen face. “Oh dear.” She resisted the urge to cry. Her sister had looked nothing like that at breakfast. “She looks truly ill.”
“That she is,” Darcy said quietly.
“Where are the Bingleys? I thought they were taking care of her.”
Darcy shook his head when she looked at him. “I do not know where they are, Miss Bennet, but I am fairly certain they will be back shortly. Someone will. They are not so callous as to leave your sister without attention for long. Perhaps they’ve gone to fetch a doctor.”
“I do hope so. I would like to know what happened to make her this way. It was raining this morning. Do you think she may have caught something while out walking?”
Darcy gave her a blank look. “I really do not know, Miss Bennet.”
Elizabeth bit her lips together and sat on the edge of the bed. She wanted to touch her sister but was afraid she would contract whatever Jane had. She spotted a cloth and a water basin on the table next to the bed.
She picked up the cloth and dipped it in the water. After squeezing it out, she dabbed it against her sister’s face. “Oh you are so hot, my dear. Oh Jane.”
Jane opened her eyes slightly and looked at Elizabeth. “Lizzie!” she exclaimed in a weak voice. “What are you doing here? How did you…”
Elizabeth shook her head, resting the damp cloth against Jane’s lips. “You do not need to speak right now, Jane dear. I will fill you in when you are better. Right now, you must get some rest and wait for the doctor to come. I am sure they will have a remedy for you.”
“I… I do not know what happened, Lizzie. I was standing in the garden and…” She shook her head, unable to continue.
Elizabeth shushed her again. “No speaking, Jane. You will be fine. We will be fine. I am here and I will take care of you.”
“We can take care of her.” A young woman’s voice came from the doorway.
Darcy and Elizabeth turned to see Miss Bingley, holding a tray with tea and a large bowl of soup on it.
Elizabeth nodded, remembering Darcy’s warning words. “I know you can. And I am so happy that you have offered. I am glad to be of assistance in my sister’s recovery. I am sure with all of our efforts, she will recover very soon and will be running through the garden before you know it.” She said the last part looking down at Jane in the bed.
Jane tried to grin but she looked tired and in pain. “I will not be running through the garden even when I am well,” she managed to say.
Darcy chuckled and Elizabeth turned to smile at him.
“Did you bring her here?” Miss Bingley whispered loudly to Darcy, as though the Bennet sisters would not be able to hear her.
Darcy nodded. “She needs her sister. She is in a strange place with strange people. I wanted her to feel comfortable.”
“I am not a strange person.” Miss Bingley lifted her nose in the air and huffed. She marched over to the table, purposefully standing as close to Elizabeth as she could while she made room on the side table for the tray. Elizabeth scooted back and then got off the bed altogether, not wanting the woman’s rear end in her face. She gave Darcy an exasperated look as she rounded the bed and sat on Jane’s other side. The look he gave her back made her have to keep herself from giggling.
She took Jane’s hand in hers and held on to it. “Everything is going to be all right, Jane, dear. You get some rest.”
“You need to eat this soup.” Miss Bingley picked up the bowl and lifted the spoon from it. “It will help you get better faster.”
“I am not hungry right now,” Jane said weakly. “Please leave it there for me and I will eat it later.”
“It will get cold if you leave it here,” Miss Bingley whined. She made to lower the spoon into Jane’s mouth, but Jane turned her head away.
Elizabeth did not know what to say. She did not wish to make her hostess angry, but on the other hand, she did not want Jane to be upset by being force-fed.
“Let me get that.” Darcy came forward and gently took the bowl from Miss Bingley’s hands. Miss Bingley looked up at him as if she wanted to smack him, but she did not. She stood up and went to the door without looking back. Darcy and Elizabeth watched her and then shared a look over the bed.
“I do apologize for her behavior. I think your presence here surprised her.”
“It is not you who should be apologizing,” Elizabeth said quietly.
“Let’s not talk about it with Jane feeling so bad. We do not want to add to that.”
“I agree. You get some rest, Jane. That’s what you need. And when you want to eat, I am here to help you. All right?” Elizabeth looked down at her sister, taking the damp cloth she had used before from Darcy and gently rubbing it over Jane’s forehead. “You are going to be better soon, Jane. I just know it.”
Chapter 16
When Jane fell asleep, Darcy gestured to Elizabeth and they quietly went out the door. Jane had not eaten any of the soup. but she did drink some of the tea, with Elizabeth’s help.
The two stepped out of the doorway and into the stairwell. Darcy closed the door lightly behind him. When Elizabeth was about to speak, he put his finger to his lips and shook his head. He gestured to follow him and Elizabeth did so, going down the stairs on silent feet, imitating his stride. At the bottom of the stairs, he turned to let her through the bottom door and closed it, as well.
“Voices echo through this house, especially in that room,” Darcy murmured in a quiet voice. “I am quite certain Bingley asked for her to be put in there himself because she will be able to hear people in the house and will not feel so alone. There is a large vent that comes up from the parlor that allows the heat to come up into the room from the fireplace. It also allows voices to carry up into that room.”
“What if Jane hears something she does not want to hear?” Elizabeth voiced the question without thinking about it. She was amused to see Darcy’s smirk.
“One encounter with the young Miss Bingley and you have them figured out, do you not?”
Elizabeth raised one eyebrow. “Well, at least that one. I have not met Mr. Bingley’s other sister yet.”
“She is married, but she and her husband are here all the time. You have not met them yet, have you?”
Elizabeth shook her head. “I do not believe I have.”
“You are in for a treat.” Darcy did not make it sound like she was in for a treat.
She giggled.
They went to the parlor door, hearing voices on the other side and the sound of a pianoforte. Darcy opened the door and let Elizabeth go in front of him. She stepped into the room and immediately felt uncomfortable.
There was a petite young woman with long dark hair sitting at the pianoforte, playing beautifully. She looked small and delicate and shared features with Darcy. Elizabeth looked up at him. His eyes were on the piano player. He leaned over to say quietly. “That is my sister, Georgianna. Isn’t she beautiful?” He stood up straight. “Georgianna, my dear. How beautiful. When did you arrive?”
“Mrs. Annesley and I arrived while you were gone, brother.” The girl got up, a look of pure delight on her face. She crossed the room in several strides and he met her in the middle. They hugged.
“It is always wonderful to see you. This is my new friend, Miss Elizabeth Bennet. I do not believe you two have met?”
Georgianna moved to Elizabeth, a large smile on her face and one hand outstretched. She and Elizabeth shook hands softly, barely touching each other. “How lovely. It is good to meet you, Miss Bennet.”
“And you, Miss Darcy.”
“You
’ve met Miss Bingley,” Darcy said, passing his hand over the young woman, whose face was naturally formed into a small scowl, which did nothing for her pretty face. “And this is Mrs. Annesley.” He held his hand out to the slightly older woman and kissed her hand.
Elizabeth smiled and held her hand out to her as well. “It is a pleasure, Mrs. Annesley.”
“The pleasure is mine, Miss Bennet, though I do wish we were meeting under better circumstances.”
“As do I.” Elizabeth nodded.
Darcy took her elbow and guided her across the room. “This is Charles Bingley.”
“Miss Bennet.” Mr. Bingley had risen when she entered and bowed in her direction. “Lovely to meet you. You have a delightful sister, I am so sorry she has taken ill.”
Elizabeth smiled at him. He did not seem like a terrible person. In fact, neither he nor Mr. Darcy seemed like the monsters they were made out to be. She had been told they were swindlers and hustlers. She did not see it when she looked at either of them. Her father would like them, if he ever deigned to forgive and forget old feuds.
“Have you eaten? Are you hungry?” Darcy asked her.
“It is approaching dinnertime,” Bingley said. “I hope you are famished. Cook is making a big dinner. It was supposed to be for Jane, but since she has taken ill, we will celebrate having Georgianna and a new friend visiting us. Miss Bennet…” Bingley seemed to be asking her if that was all right with her.
She felt at his mercy to respond in the positive and did so, smiling. “I would be remiss to leave when I only just arrived and I will not leave without my sister.”
“Understandable.” Bingley nodded. “I would not leave if one of my…” He glanced at Miss Bingley and stopped his words.
Darcy found this terribly amusing and burst out laughing.
Miss Bingley scowled even deeper in his direction. “It is not funny, Mr. Darcy. I certainly expect my brother to be there by my side if I am ill, just as Miss Bennet has come to see to Jane.” She looked at Elizabeth. “Even though we can take care of her here at Netherfield without any trouble.”
Elizabeth and Darcy: A Romeo and Juliet Twist: A Pride & Prejudice Regency Variation Page 8