Elizabeth hurried to her bedroom. She sat on the bed and read the contents of the letter:
Dear Lizzy,
I hope this letter finds you well. I have good news. I am pregnant. It seems I got pregnant on the night my husband and I consummated our marriage.
Lizzy, I hope you find it in your heart to look at a man not only based on love but what he offers you. I hope you’ll be able to see that love is not all that matters in a marriage.
Mr. Collins is a charming man, and I am happy once again. He gives me everything I need, and my family is pleased with our marriage.
When you have the time, please come to visit.
Love,
Charlotte
Elizabeth closed the letter and began pacing around her room. Perhaps love is not all that matters? After all, look at what happened to Jane; she loved Bingley, yet he has not proposed.
Elizabeth continued to ponder on her choices. She heard a rumor that Wickham would propose soon. If he did, she wondered whether she should consider it for love, even though he is not as financially successful as Darcy.
She sighed and whispered under her breath, “If the rumor is true, what am I going to do? I cannot go back and say yes to Mr. Darcy.”
She plopped herself onto the bed on her back, when Jane walked in and witnessed her moment of dismay. “What are you reading?”
Elizabeth’s closed shut tightly and handed Jane the letter, “Oh, a letter from Charlotte.”
Jane immediately read the contents and remarked, “Well, from the looks of things, she’s delighted. Actually, I came here to speak with you.” Elizabeth sat back up and looked at her sister expectantly, and Jane continued, “I’m thinking of going back to London to see Mr. Bingley. Perhaps if I have an audience with him, he might propose once he realizes how I feel?”
Elizabeth arched both of her eyebrows and said, “Are you sure, Jane? You cannot put yourself through that again! I am sorry to say, but even though I am your sister, I have to be the voice of reason. I will not let you get humiliated again.”
Jane tried to mask the pain heating up her face, “I understand, Lizzy. You’re just looking out for me, but honestly, I need closure. I love this man.”
“Jane, he will not respect you if you head over there on a whim. He’s going to think you’re desperate,” Elizabeth said.
Exasperated, Jane sighed, “For crying out loud, Lizzy, not everyone is strong willed like you. I am desperate. I do not want our home to end up with Mr. Collins or that dreadful Lady Catherine de Bourgh.”
“So, what are you going to say to, Mother?” Elizabeth asked.
“I will tell her I want to visit our cousins in London, that’s all. And maybe once Mr. Bingley hears of my arrival, he will pay a visit. I’m not going to visit him directly.”
Elizabeth shook her head, “You are making a mistake, Jane. Listen to me. It will not be appropriate for you to visit him unannounced. In fact, it will hurt the family name.”
Jane scoffed, “The family name? What exactly is this family name, Lizzy? We have Lydia running around town with Mr. Wick—” Jane immediately stopped herself and took a moment to gather her thoughts before continuing, “All I am saying is that—”
“What about Lydia and Mr. Wickham?” Elizabeth demanded. “What do you know?”
Jane shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, "I’m sorry. I misspoke. I do not know anything.” She paused. “People have been talking about Lydia. But, I for one, don’t believe it. All I know is I need to go to London. You must promise me, Lizzy, you will not tell anyone about this, please.”
“I still don’t think it is right for you to go.”
“You have made it very clear how you feel, but I do not want to die alone. Once I see him, we can have a discussion and then maybe it will help me move on! Right now, I cannot move on with my life. All I think about every waking moment is Mr. Bingley and what I thought was love."
“You know why he’s not calling you, right? I told you before that Mr. Darcy probably convinced him not to propose.”
Jane rolled her eyes, “Must you bring up Mr. Darcy in every conversation, Lizzy? For the last time, Mr. Bingley is an adult, who can make his own decisions. And please stop speaking poorly of Mr. Darcy just because Mr. Wickham said so. I’ll have you know that I am fond of Mr. Darcy and not just me; Lydia likes him too.”
“What does Lydia have to do with this?”
Jane replied, “Well, I heard one of the servants talking about Lydia and her affairs. It seems, dear sister, that you are the only one who has no idea of what’s going on in Longbourn.”
Mrs. Bennet stepped into the room, and before they knew it, she instantly interrogated Elizabeth, “Oh, my dear Lizzy, have you accepted Mr. Darcy’s proposal yet? Accept his proposal. I will not have my daughters stay single for life. Don’t be so stubborn. You already turned down Mr. Collins, and now your best friend, Charlotte, is his wife. Now that she is married, she will walk ahead of you now, Lizzy.”
“Mother, I think you need to calm down,” Elizabeth said firmly, and Jane nodded in agreement.
Suddenly, Catherine and Mary walked into the room, joining them. Jane and Elizabeth both asked almost at the same time, “Where is Lydia? Isn’t she here?”
“Catherine?” Jane asked, looking puzzled.
Catherine looked at Mary, as they both tried to concoct an excuse. Catherine nonchalantly mentioned Lydia would soon be home.
Mrs. Bennet’s eyes widened, and she asked the same question, “So where is she?”
Mary and Catherine looked at each other and shrugged.
“Is she missing?” Mrs. Bennet’s voice grew louder.
The girls shrugged again and shook their heads.
Mrs. Bennet brought her hands in the air and exclaimed, “This is just great! My life is already in shambles, and now my daughter’s name will be ruined. People will gossip about her behavior. It is unfortunate that I did not bear a son. He would have been the Master of Longbourn. Instead, God gave me five stubborn daughters! Catherine, Mary, find her at once. Your father must not hear about this.”
“Don’t bother,” Mr. Bennet’s voice boomed as he came in and walked toward his wife. He proceeded to ask, “What is this I hear? Where is Lydia?”
Mary and Catherine exchanged worried expressions, but then Catherine spoke up, “She was right behind us during our walk, Father. She should be home soon.”
Mrs. Bennet became hysterical, crying out, “No daughter of mine shall bring shame to this house. My dear, Mr. Bennet, if our daughters would get married, we wouldn’t have this issue. Lydia will be in a man’s house.”
Mrs. Bennet began sobbing, but at that very moment, a familiar voice called from outside the door. “I am right here, Mother,” and Lydia emerged into the room with a sly smile on her face.
Mrs. Bennet clutched her chest with relief, “Thank God you are okay!”
Mr. Bennet then demanded in a stern voice, “Where have you been, Lydia?”
Lydia stopped smiling, “I was right behind Mary, Father. I stopped to pick up a flower. See?” She stretched her hand out to reveal a daisy then turned to Elizabeth directly and cooed, “Isn’t it wonderful how flowers bloom?”
Mr. Bennet was unsure of what to say to his carefree daughter. He folded his arms and looked at his wife, who was drying up her tears and tried her best to ease the tension, “At least she is here, dear.” Mrs. Bennet knew it would be unwise to tempt her husband when he was angry, because he could get temperamental.
She turned back to Lydia and said, “That’s nice, dear. Now that you are all back home, we should get ready for dinner.”
Elizabeth turned to her mother, wanting to convince her to reprimand Lydia, but instead, she did not say a word. She turned to her father, who looked weary from a long day, so she decided it wasn’t the right time to add to her father’s burden.
The Bennet sisters obliged their mother’s request and made their way to the to the dining room for dinner.
Jane stopped Elizabeth and whispered into her ear, “I’m going to tell Father about my plans to visit London tonight after dinner.”
Elizabeth’s eyes widened, “You can’t be serious, Jane. You know it is not proper for a woman to visit a man’s lodging. It’s just not done.”
“I am not going directly to his place. I will wait ‘til he calls on me.” Despite her explanation, Jane could see the brewing disapproval on Elizabeth’s face. “I need closure, Lizzy. I need to know how he feels so my heart can move on.”
“I think it’s best you stay here. Wait for him to call. If he wanted to propose, he would have made it known by now.”
Jane tried to vet a good excuse, “He is probably preoccupied with business. Or he might be on some trip—”
“Or he might not be interested," Elizabeth quipped.
Visibly hurt, Jane dropped her gaze to the floor. Elizabeth wrapped an arm around her sister. She hated being blunt, but Jane needed to understand the consequences of her whimsical decisions and what was at stake: her pride and the family name. The last thing she wanted was for her sister to get tangled in something that would hurt her even more.
Jane sighed, “Why does this always happen?”
“If I had the answer for why things happen, I would be rich. I’m sorry for my harsh words. If you are so determined to go and see Mr. Bingley, then go, but please be discreet. Perhaps once you get to London, you can convince Uncle to pay him a morning call?”
Jane smiled, “Oh, Lizzy. You are incredibly wise. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
“Let’s go. We do not want to keep Father and Mother waiting.”
Jane nodded in agreement, and the two sisters made their way to the dining room to have dinner with their family.
Jane didn’t hesitate to talk across the table during their meal, “Father... if it is not too much trouble, I would very much like to visit the Gardiners in London.”
Lydia laughed out loud, “Are you sure, dear sister, you will be with only the Gardiners?”
Mrs. Bennet gave her daughter a stern look.
Elizabeth added her support, “That sounds like an excellent idea.”
Mr. Bennet spoke evenly, “Well, you are in luck, because the Gardiners will be visiting in a few days. If you desire to visit London again, you can return there with them. In fact, your uncle already requested that one of you visit. I was going to suggest Elizabet, but you seem more interested.”
“Yes, Father,” Jane bowed her head.
"Then it is settled. You will return to London with the Gardiners,” Mr. Bennet concluded, anticipating a reaction from Mrs. Bennet.
“Father, may I accompany Jane?” Lydia asked, and Jane shot her a dark stare.
“That might be a bit much for the Gardiners to handle. Perhaps some other time?”
“Yes, Father,” Lydia pouted.
“You will go soon enough, Lydia. Let’s go ahead and finish eating so we can have piano lessons before bed.” Mary and Catherine rolled their eyes; they did not want another music lesson. Luckily Mrs. Bennet did not notice then, and when she turned towards them, they smiled.
Elizabeth was quite amused by their behavior. In the past, she would have said something about Mary and Catherine to their mother, but now she looked forward to evenings playing the Marriage of Figaro on the piano, because not only was it written by Mozart, her favorite composer, but it provided the much-needed distraction from the tension at Longbourn.
Once dinner was over, they proceeded to the music room to begin piano lessons. Catherine, Mary, and Lydia seemed bored during them. In their minds, bedtime could not come fast enough. However, Elizabeth could play the piano all night long. She had dreamt of someday becoming a concert player, but she understood that in reality, that might never happen. She also knew that any dreams of singing on the concert stage would never happen either, because a woman of her stature, more often than not, looked forward to becoming a wife and a mother.
It also didn’t help know her mother’s view of women who worked for a living. Mrs. Bennet was always quick to remind Elizabeth that good women find husbands who can afford the 500 pounds yearly allowance.
“Oh, my dear Lizzy, you play so well,” Mr. Bennet noted to her delight along with the chagrin of her sisters.
“Yes, let’s hope you can use this skill to impress a suitor!” Mrs. Bennet remarked, looking directly at Elizabeth.
Ignored her mother’s comment, she kept on playing the piano, continuing to get lost in the melody of the song. Once she finished playing, Jane took over from her until eventually piano lessons ended, and the Bennet sisters hurried off to bed.
Later on, that week, the Gardiners paid a visit to Longbourn.
Lydia was up to her usual tricks, sneaking out of the house whenever she got the chance to do so. Elizabeth caught on and became more and more worried about her younger sister. One day, she stopped Lydia trying to sneak out, placing her hands on her waist, asking, “Where are you going? And why are you dressed that way, Lydia? We can practically see your breasts.”
Shocked, Lydia said in a trembling voice, “If you must know, this is... the mother, erm, sent me on a task and this is the way people will dress in the future. I am merely setting a trend, that is all.”
Elizabeth shook her head, “Lydia, you cannot go out dressed that way. What would people think? They will say the Bennet daughters are not suitable for marriage.”
Irritated, Lydia retorted, “You must not concern yourself all the time with what people think, Lizzy. Do more of what you want to do, not what the world desires from you. For once maybe we should be equal to men. After all, that is all you talk about, right?”
With a long, heavy sigh, Elizabeth countered, “There are ways of being seen as equal to men, but it is not exposing your private assets. It’s by–”
Lydia interjected, “By what? Having relations with dear Mr. Darcy? Surely you must have heard.”
Frozen, it took all of Elizabeth’s willpower to not pick up the vase next to her and fling it at her sister. She clenched her fist instead, “I don’t believe you! You are lying! You couldn’t possibly have been in Mr. Darcy’s bed.”
“Who said it was his bed, dear sister? You do realize there are inns around Longbourn. Maybe that is where Mr. Darcy and I met. He is definitely what every woman desires in a man; strong, successful, incredibly talented—”
Before she knew it, Elizabeth’s hand flew across her sister’s face. She would never slap her sister, but she couldn’t help herself.
Lydia stumbled and clutched her face in horror.
“I’m sorry, Lydia. I don’t know what came over me but tell me you are lying. It is highly improbable that you did anything of the sort with Mr. Darcy!”
“How dare you hit me! I am pregnant with Mr. Darcy’s child!”
The magnitude of Lydia’s words stunned Elizabeth, silencing her instantly. After a moment of digesting it, she asserted, “There’s no way you are pregnant with Mr. Darcy’s child.” Before her sister had the chance to provoke her once more, she turned and walked away, passing Mrs. Bennet who had come over after hearing the commotion.
Mrs. Bennet asked, “What is it now?”
Elizabeth turned around and shouted, “Mother, you need to speak to Lydia. She has something to say.”
Mrs. Bennet sighed and turned to Lydia, “Oh? Well, go on, Lydia. I don’t have much time for nonsense, so out with it.”
Lydia only twirled her fingers, staying silent.
“Lydia, will you not speak?” Mrs. Bennet asked again impatiently. She had a lot of things to do, for the Gardiners would be leaving soon with Jane back to London. The last thing she needed to worry about was a sibling dispute.
“Oh, Mother, don’t believe everything Lizzy says. I think she’s envious of me, because I am a lot younger than her!”
Exasperated, Mrs. Bennet tried to maintain her frustration, “If you two are merely arguing about frivolous things... Then I need to get
Jane ready for her journey. Hurry, Lydia. See to my errand.”
“Yes, Mother,” Lydia said, smirking at Elizabeth as she walked out the door.
“I can’t believe you did not question Lydia’s indecent attire.” Elizabeth rested her clenched fists on her hips.
“Oh, Lizzy, please. She will be fine. I heard it is a new style these days. Well, if you’ll excuse me, I do need to see to Jane. Lizzy make sure the Gardiners have everything they need before leaving.”
Elizabeth sighed and respectfully said, “Yes, Mother.”
As Elizabeth walked in a different direction, Mrs. Bennet went to Jane’s chamber.
“You look happy, Jane,” Mrs. Bennet said, slipping aside a stray hair off her face.
“Indeed, I am happy, Mother. London will certainly lift my spirits.”
“Hmm, yes. And maybe you will hear from Mr. Bingley once you arrive in London.”
“Oh, Mother, have you heard anything?” Jane asked.
“Not a whole lot. But I see no harm in your trying to get an audience with Mr. Bingley. It is only right, and I simply want what is best for my darling daughter.” Mrs. Bennet smiled lovingly at Jane. “Well, get ready, child. You do not want to leave anything behind. Plus, you must be ready to go before the Gardiners. It is only proper.”
“Yes, Mother,” Jane said with a glint in her eyes. She could hardly wait to leave Longbourn with the Gardiners, riding off in a carriage towards her London adventure.
Chapter Nine
At the Bingley Estate in London, Bingley, his sisters, and Darcy were deep in conversation.
“I’ve heard some news. One of the Bennet sisters is here in London. Apparently, she is staying with the Gardiners,” Bingley’s sister, Caroline, remarked. “What was her name again?”
“Jane. Her name is Jane,” Darcy irritated replied.
“Well, are you sure she is the one, Mr. Darcy?”
“Yes,” Darcy said as he pressed his lips together.
“Is there any decency with that family? Seems desperate to find a man. Surely, they must know that our brother is not interested in her. What do you say, Darcy?”
From Pemberley With Love Page 6