So Long, Sentiment

by Amber Allen-King

  "I am happy...so very happy for you both," he stammered with his characteristically boyish grin. Elizabeth did not share his confidence, although she did share his joy.

  "It was a beginning, Mr. Bingley, nothing more. But it was a splendid evening, and I have you to thank for it." Elizabeth gave Mr. Bingley's hand a squeeze and went into the house. She glided down the corridor and into the parlor where her aunt and uncle had ordered tea. Elizabeth swept into the room, her cheeks aglow, and a smile about her lips, and froze as she confronted her mother's disapproving glare. Her mother stood near a window, where she had obviously been eavesdropping on her conversation with Miss Bingley.

  "Holding hands with Mr. Bingley, were you? Is there no end to your infamy?" Mrs. Bennet said in a huff as she turned her back on Elizabeth in dramatic fashion. A stunned Elizabeth exchanged glances with Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner.

  "Mama? Mr. Bingley and I were only speaking of Jane. He gave me a message to give to her, nothing more." Mrs. Bennet continued to look away. She went to a chair and sat, her eyes averted from her daughter.

  "Surely you do not think that Elizabeth was flirting with Mr. Bingley, sister," Mr. Gardiner managed to say as his wife joined him in protesting Mrs. Bennet's inexplicable treatment of her daughter.

  "I am sure I do not know what to think," Mrs. Bennet replied, with an offended sniff. She looked at Elizabeth then, and Elizabeth just shook her head and left the room. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner attempted to mollify Mrs. Bennet as Elizabeth made her way upstairs. She entered the bedroom quietly, so as not to awaken her sister, but to her surprise she found Jane wide-awake.

  "Jane! I expected to find you sleeping. Do not tell me that you also did not trust me with your fiancé?" she said with a smile.

  "What?" Jane said, as she closed the book she was reading. "What reason should I have to be jealous?"

  "No reason at all. A love that can withstand a six-month separation as yours did can surely withstand one night. Mother, however, saw Mr. Bingley take my hand and whisper in my ear, and now she is accusing me of trying to steal your future husband," Elizabeth said wearily, as she sat at the vanity and began pulling pins from her hair. Jane scrambled to the edge of the large bed to be closer to her sister.

  "And why should my future husband be whispering in my sister's ear?" she asked archly, but without the merest suggestion of jealousy. Elizabeth turned to her dearest sister and smiled.

  "Oh, he begged to me to tell you how much he missed your company this evening, and something or other about loving you passionately, or you being the light of his life...adoring you to his last breath...you know the sort of thing." The two ladies erupted into giggles. As their laughter subsided, Elizabeth returned her attention to the mirror and removed her jewelry. Her eyes were on her face, but her mind was apparently miles away.

  "Did you enjoy the opera, Lizzy?" Jane asked, surmising that the smile on Elizabeth's face meant far more than she had thus far admitted.

  "I had a lovely time," Elizabeth replied as she rose to undress. She continued to speak but her voice was muffled slightly as her dress was drawn over her head. Jane got up on her knees at the edge of the bed and helped pull the gown away.

  "What did you say? I could not hear you under all that muslin."

  "I said that I met Mr. Darcy at the theatre." Elizabeth spoke calmly, without a tremor of emotion in her voice. But Jane knew that Elizabeth could not be so sanguine.

  "Lizzy! Where...how...did the two of you have a chance to speak? Was Miss Bingley present?"

  "Jane! One question at a time!" Elizabeth teased, knowing that her sister was as eager to hear her news as she was to tell it. "Yes, we did have a chance to speak and no, Miss Bingley was not present."

  "Did you resolve...I mean...I do not want to pry, but--." Elizabeth laughed as she removed the remainder of her apparel.

  "Jane, you were always a terrible liar." Elizabeth shrugged into her nightgown and climbed onto the bed. She handed Jane a comb, and turned her back so her sister could do her hair. "We 'resolved' nothing. We did not discuss anything of import: the opera, the performers, and about the theatre itself. We behaved as two old friends who happened to meet by chance at a public place; that is all."

  "That is much," Jane exclaimed, "For two people who have not exchanged civil words since April. Now, if the two of you could only manage to 'meet by chance' again..." Jane paused, a hank of Elizabeth's hair forgotten in her hand as she began to consider the possibilities. Elizabeth reached up and freed herself.

  "There is no need to think up any elaborate scheme, Jane," Elizabeth said as she finished her braid. "Mr. Darcy has promised to call here tomorrow." The smile on her lips faded as quickly as it appeared. She abruptly let herself fall backward upon the bed.

  "Oh, dear! I have forgotten about mother. Mr. Darcy cannot come here tomorrow!" Jane saw her opening and seized upon it.

  "Lizzy," she began, as Elizabeth slid under the sheet next to her, "It is far worse than you know."

  "What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked.

  "Mother told me why she came to town." Jane did not know where to start.

  "Well?"

  "She has apparently heard the rumor about you..."

  "There was no rumor. I only made it up to spite Miss Bingley," Elizabeth confessed.

  "Are you sure? Mama is quite convinced that there is a scandal...." Elizabeth, suddenly grew worried, and sat up in the bed.

  "What? Jane, tell me everything Mama said to you." Jane sat up and propped herself up with pillows.

  "Well, when you left Longbourn so suddenly, Mama was convinced that you were involved in some sort of scandal. Mary and I were finally able to calm her down, but a few days ago, when she found a man's handkerchief in your bed, she believed that her earlier suspicions had been confirmed. She resolved then and there to come to London and find out who the man was and to make him marry you." Jane reached out to take Elizabeth's hand. It was as cold as ice.

  "I lost my perfume vial. Mr. Darcy found it and sent it back to me wrapped in one of his own handkerchiefs. I kept it under my pillow. I..." Elizabeth fell silent and said nothing for several minutes.

  "Lizzy?" Jane finally said, trying to gauge her sister's state of mind. It was not until then that she realized that her sister had been crying.

  "I cannot believe it. That my own mother could believe me capable of...and tonight of all nights...when I was disposed to be so happy? Oh, Jane! I cannot, I must not allow Mr. Darcy to come tomorrow. I must not...." Her next words were lost in sobs. Jane put her arm around Elizabeth and hugged her. "She will ruin everything. No matter what he may feel about me, Mr. Darcy will never have her as a relative. I must have been crazy to even think it possible." Jane tried to quiet and calm the distraught woman, but Elizabeth would not allow herself to be consoled.

  "I had only just learned to hope, and now all is lost," she said as she turned over and, laying her head on her pillow, cried herself to sleep.

  Eight

  —

  "You know Mrs. Gardiner and I have no secrets, Fanny. Whatever you wish to say to me may be said in front of her." Mrs. Bennet seemed affronted by his reply.

  "It is a matter of a rather personal nature," she said indignantly. Mrs. Gardiner rose as if to leave, but Mr. Gardiner stayed her with a hand.

  "What is this about, Fanny?" Mrs. Bennet looked pointedly at Mrs. Gardiner before answering.

  "I am afraid that Lizzy has gotten herself into trouble with some man," she said in her affected stage whisper.

  "What manner of trouble?" Mr. Gardiner asked.

  "What man?" Mrs. Gardiner asked, though neither of them believed her for a moment.

  "I do not know who the man is. I want you to find out, brother. That is why I came to town." Mr. Gardiner's mouth fell open, while his wife had to fight to suppress a laugh.

  "What on earth made you think such a thing?" she cried. Mrs. Bennet glared at her derisively.

  "I know that the two of you quite look upon Lizzy as y
our own dear girl, but she is my daughter. A mother knows these things," Mrs. Bennet declared with a satisfied nod. The Gardiners rolled their eyes.

  "Facts, Fanny. What is it that you claim to know?" her exasperated brother asked.

  "I know that Lizzy came back to us this spring a very changed girl. She did not think I noticed it, but a mother knows these things. I noticed it the moment she came home. She was quiet and aloof--not at all her usual self. I told Mr. Bennet then that something was wrong, but did he listen to me? No! He insisted that I was being ridiculous." The Gardiners exchanged meaningful glances.

  "You must have something more than that upon which to base your suspicions, Fanny," said Mrs. Gardiner patiently. We may as well hear all of it, she thought to herself.

  "Well," Mrs. Bennet, warming to her topic and enjoying the attention she had gained from her company. "You know that Lizzy ran away from home."

  "She did come to town a day earlier than scheduled, but she went precisely where she was supposed to go. You can hardly call that running away, sister," Mr. Gardiner said with a hint of exasperation.

  "Yes, but why did she leave so hastily? And why did she leave a man's handkerchief in her bed?" Mrs. Bennet cried dramatically. The Gardiners were too jaded by Mrs. Bennet's histrionics to be baited by this revelation. "I think that she had an assignation in town. I think she may have planned to elope, right from under all our noses!"

  Neither of the Gardiners credited Mrs. Bennet's tale. They were well aware of Elizabeth's history with Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth had held nothing back that day a week and a half earlier when she appeared unexpectedly on their doorstep. Nor were they a bit surprised to learn that Elizabeth had not told her mother of Mr. Darcy's proposal. Elizabeth had decidedly not come to town for an assignation with Mr. Darcy or any other man of her acquaintance. She had fled to London to avoid just that possibility. The Gardiners chose to respect her privacy.

  "I cannot believe that Lizzy would do such a thing," Mr. Gardiner said with a significant look at his wife. "Nothing in her behavior has ever led us to believe that she harbored an attachment to anyone," he lied.

  "Well, I know better," Mrs. Bennet declared, rising to her feet and clenching her fists in a gesture of defiance. "And I mean to ferret out the blackguard who has corrupted my daughter." Mrs. Gardiner rose and attempted to assuage her sister's enthusiasm.

  "What makes you think Lizzy has been, uh, 'corrupted,' as you say?"

  "She had a man's handkerchief in her bed. Who is to say that he did not put it there himself?" The Gardiners rolled their eyes again, but began to fear--much as Elizabeth herself had--what Mrs. Bennet's well-intentioned but misguided meddling might cost the girl. Mr. Gardiner gave Mrs. Bennet every assurance that he would personally investigate the matter. He managed to convince his sister to let him deal with it in order to spare her any "further mortification." When she had retired for the evening, the Gardiners sat together in the parlor, worried and stunned.

  "Well, dear," Mrs. Gardiner began. "I would not have believed it if I had not heard it with my own ears. Poor Lizzy!" she said, shaking her head before resting it on Mr. Gardiner's shoulder. Mr. Gardiner reached over and lovingly patted her head.

  "Poor Mr. Darcy! He and Lizzy have only just begun again. How can he expect to court her with Fanny lurking about suspiciously?" The couple chuckled, but Mrs. Gardiner suddenly remembered something.

  "Oh, dear! I believe I heard Lizzy say something to Mr. Bingley about Mr. Darcy calling in Gracechurch Street tomorrow as he handed her out of the carriage. If he is planning on coming here--," she said, "Maybe I can manage to get your sister out of the house. Yes; I will offer to take Mrs. Bennet to the shops first thing in the morning."

  "Maybe we had better have a word with Lizzy first thing in the morning, my love. She should know about her mother's suspicions."

  "Yes. If those two are to have any chance at happiness, they will need all of the help they can get."

  • • •

  Early the next morning, the Crenshaw family sat down to a hearty breakfast. The morning meal marked the first occasion in nearly a year when Mr. Crenshaw had all of his children about him again. His eldest son, Richard, sat at his right hand next to his wife, Elise. Mr. Crenshaw's younger son, Edward had been granted a few days' extra leave to be with his family. Olivia sat next to Adam Douglass, Elise's brother, and the elder of Richard and Elise's two daughters.

  Like his father, Richard Crenshaw had made a study of the law, but unlike his father, he had never found the need to practice it, having had the good fortune to marry exceedingly well. It was not widely known that Jane Bennet had been the first object of Richard's affections, but when she did not return his love he had found solace in the arms of a very wealthy widow. He did not marry Elise Strong for her money, as many had thought at the time. He fell in love with the lady, not her forty thousand pounds. But people refused to believe it since Elise was somewhat plain. But one had only to spend a bit of time with that lady and experience her warm and personable nature to understand what Richard saw in her. And anyone who saw them together could not deny that they were deeply in love.

  Adam Douglass was his sister's opposite: as fair as she was dark, shy and soft-spoken as she was confident and gregarious. He was almost unreasonably handsome, with deep blue eyes that invariably caused the hearts of ladies in his company to flutter and men in his company to secretly envy him. Mr. Douglass had been traveling with his sister and brother on the Continent, and was to join them at their home in Kent for the remainder of the summer.

  "I do hope we will have a chance to see Miss Bennet while we are in town," Richard was saying. "It is a pity our numbers forced her to flee to the Gardiners." Olivia assured her brother that Elizabeth promised to visit very soon, and Mr. Crenshaw suggested that the Gardiners be invited to dine with the Crenshaws during his son's visit.

  "It has been a long time since our families were all together. The last time was just after your mother's passing," he said softly. A sad quiet fell over the room for a few moments.

  "Edward tells me that you received a puppy as a gift from your fiancé," Elise said, breaking the tension. Olivia smiled as she buttered her scone.

  "Yes. That is why we call him the Little Colonel." Mr. Douglass laughed and asked if Colonel Fitzwilliam approved of having a dog named after him. "Well, to tell the truth," Olivia replied archly, "I did give him another name but the Colonel liked that one even less."

  "What was it?" six-year old Eleanor asked.

  "You must promise not to tell a soul," Olivia said dramatically, before realizing that such a promise could not be exacted from a child, much less her older brothers, notorious teases that they were. She promised to tell Eleanor later, when they were alone.

  "So, you are to marry Richard Fitzwilliam," his friend of the same name said. "I would never have imagined the two of you as a couple. When did it happen?" Olivia tried to suppress the flush of color that she felt rising in her cheeks.

  "I must admit that I first became infatuated with the Colonel when he came home from school with you many years ago. But I would have to say that I first came to his notice at a winter ball two years past."

  "That was the ball where she wore that disgusting gown that left absolutely no doubt as to her sex," Edward interjected. Elise's mouth fell open as did her husband's. "You were there, Adam. You remember it, I am sure."

  "I...I was there, and as I recall Miss Crenshaw looked very lovely," Mr. Douglass managed, reddening almost as much as Olivia.

  "Exactly what sort of gown was this?" Elise queried her sister.

  "It was pink," Mr. Crenshaw intoned. "Fashionable, flattering, modest, and very, very pink," he said in a manner that put an abrupt end to Edward's insinuations. Olivia glared at her younger brother triumphantly.

  "So, when is the wedding to take place?" Richard asked, returning to his original line of discussion.

  "We have not yet set a date. Richard's...the Colonel's parents have arrived in town
and we are all to dine with them in a few days. I think that we may set a date after we have consulted with them."

  "Your letter said Jane Bennet is also to be married," Richard continued. If he still felt anything for Jane when he said those words, he gave no outward sign.

  "Yes. She is engaged to Charles Bingley. Do you know him?" Olivia asked.

  "I know the name...I am certain that we must have met at some time or another. A friend of Darcys' is he not, father?"

  "Yes. Bingley and the young Mr. Darcy are as thick as thieves. I do not believe their families were acquainted, however," Mr. Crenshaw replied. The two men fell into a conversation about the Darcy family, leaving Olivia and Elise to talk. Although Elise and Olivia rarely had a chance to spend much time together, they were very fond.

  "You must be very excited," Elise said with a knowing smile. Olivia told Elise and Mr. Douglass, who knew too little of the Darcys to find interest in the men's conversation and was more inclined to follow his sister's lead in most things, the long and winding story of her courtship with the Colonel.

  "Then you were expecting his proposal?" Mr. Douglass asked softly when Olivia concluded.

  "I will not say that I was expecting it," Olivia laughed.

  "She will also not say that she was desperately hoping for it," Elise added, and both ladies giggled, much to Mr. Douglass' bemusement. When breakfast was done, the family went about their separate tasks; the ladies repaired to the parlor, where they took up their sewing and continued their conversation. Edward and Adam went up to Edward's room to discuss things military, and the older two men went to the study. Eleanor was carted off by her nurse.

  "Perhaps we should call on Lizzy today," Elise suggested. "She did promise to call on us, but since we displaced her I think that we owe her the courtesy of a first visit." Olivia was happy to see her friend regardless of the circumstances, and seconded the plan. A short while later, Richard, Elise, Olivia and Mr. Douglass arrived at the Gardiner's door. Inside, a nervous Jane and a panicked Elizabeth waited.