An Alternate Perspective

by Wynne Mabry

  “I know. It does sound absurd. But I did see it, and Mr. Hurst’s continued absence has given me a fear that he was somehow carried off.”

  “Like a tornado picks up things and carries them away?” Mr. Bingley contributed.

  “Very unusual to have a tornado indoors,” Mr. Darcy observed. Then he added, “but if anybody could cause that to happen, it is Mr. Hurst.”

  “Only where could it have gone?” Elizabeth said. “I have already looked at the windows and none of them are broken. The door was open, but I cannot imagine a tornado going down the hall and letting itself out the front door.”

  “It does sound strange,” Mr. Darcy agreed, “but I do think that it would be worthwhile to conduct a wider search in case he is somewhere in the grounds with an injury.”

  “I shall get the servants again,” Mr. Bingley said, already hurrying to the door.

  Mr. Darcy went after him, but he paused to say to Elizabeth, “I would always believe you. Please do not ever hesitate to tell me anything.”

  She was left with a feeling of guilt. He had been so kind to her, and she did not want to cause him pain. But she could not go on being engaged to him. Not when she could not even remember having agreed to it.

  While they were gone, she decided to conduct another search of the library. Earlier she had been looking only for signs of Mr. Hurst. Now she was seeking anything which might contribute toward understanding his disappearance.

  She looked inside a box which was near the machine and learned that it was filled with coal. The fires at Netherfield were fuelled with wood. Coal was becoming the standard in London, as she had learned on her last visit to her aunt and uncle in Gracechurch Street, but it was not widely used in the country.

  Could this coal perhaps be used to fuel the machine? She recalled that there had been warmth emanating from it when she had briefly examined it yesterday. That could have been from a fire which had just burned out. She studied the machine again and guessed that it was steam-powered.

  This was interesting, but it could not help to find Mr. Hurst. She looked along the library shelves next and came across a stack of papers and a small book, which she picked up. It had a curious title: Alternate Planes of Existence.

  Whatever could that mean? What exactly was an alternate plane of existence? She opened the book and began to read, with her eyes growing wider as she comprehended the subject. Was this really possible? Was it why Mr. Hurst appeared to have disappeared? Was he actually on another plane?

  Taking the papers over to a table, she sat down and started looking through them. They were covered with notes which were largely incomprehensible to her, but some of the phrases showed that they pertained to the same subject as the book. There were also some very interesting diagrams. Many of them could be matched to the machine which stood in the middle of the room.

  Here at last was an answer. All the indications were that Mr. Hurst had built a machine which somehow accessed other realities. Elizabeth could hardly believe that she was thinking such a thing, but the evidence supporting it was in front of her.

  Obviously, he had not meant to vanish into another reality. He was too fond of his wife to do that. His disappearance must be the result of an accident. Indeed, his notes suggested that he had only wanted to observe, as though through a window.

  A window, she thought, making a sudden connection. Perhaps a window that looked like a vortex of light? Was that what she had seen?

  It seemed that something had gone wrong and Mr. Hurst had been pulled by the force of the vortex into the place at which he had been looking.

  Just as she had been pulled into a vortex?

  That thought was interrupted by the return of Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley. This time she did not hesitate to speak up.

  “You need to read these notes,” she said. “They might explain what has happened to Mr. Hurst.” Still feeling flabbergasted from what she had just read, she stood up to give Mr. Darcy her chair. “It is all so astounding, but he seems to have believed it possible. I cannot explain it myself. You have to read his account. And this book. I have no idea how any of this could be possible, but it is what Mr. Hurst was working on. You can tell from the diagrams.”

  Mr. Darcy took her chair. Mr. Bingley pulled up another one and picked up a paper full of diagrams.

  “I shall leave you to make this out,” she said. Her own thoughts were still whirling with this information and the idea which she had just been on the verge of trying to comprehend.

  They wished her good night, and she went upstairs with her mind much occupied. That book had mentioned differences and similarities between different planes of existence. The author had speculated that there could be many versions of the same people.

  She thought of differences like a nice Mrs. Hurst. A Mr. Hurst who invented things. A sister who thought herself engaged to Mr. Bingley. A Mr. Darcy who was apparently engaged to her. Different bedchambers. Different paintings. The brass which had not been taken away. A pile of junk which had been removed, although she had never known anything of it. Differences out in the wider world.

  But it was incredible that she was actually considering this notion. Where were these other realities? How was it possible for them to exist? Or for somebody to move between them? How had Mr. Hurst managed to create a machine which apparently allowed that to happen?

  It had to be possible though. This was the only answer to all her questions. She was also on a different plane. That vortex had pulled her into this reality and sent Mr. Hurst into hers.

  And another Elizabeth, she realized. Otherwise there would be two of them here. She had not just seen Mr. Hurst in the vortex. There had also been the figure which she had presumed to be a reflection. It had not been a reflection. The other Elizabeth had been thrown into her reality the same time that she had been cast here.

  This meant that everybody here thought she was somebody else. She was not really the person they knew. The two of them had the same face and the same name, but they were not the same. They might be similar, perhaps even identical in their natures, but they were still two different people.

  And in her reality that was a person who looked like her but was not her. Had that other Elizabeth taken her place, or did the people at the Netherfield in her world think that she had vanished? Some of them would not mind if they thought she had. Miss Bingley would probably be delighted, but at least her kind brother would be concerned.

  And so would Jane. She would be shocked and greatly distressed by such news. Elizabeth could only hope that her other self had undertaken to preserve her own sister from such an ordeal. She thought back to the identical clothing and the affection which this Jane had shown for her. These signs indicated that the other Elizabeth was like her, so she probably would have been concerned for a Jane who was not her own.

  What might things be like at Longbourn? Was her dear father any different? What about her mother? Any change in that quarter might well be for the better. Perhaps the other Elizabeth was not so often mortified by her family’s behaviour. How fortunate for her if that were the case.

  Elizabeth began to imagine quiet, modest variations of Kitty and Lydia. A Mary with good sense. This was assuming that the three of them existed at all. Jane was here, but the others might not be. There could be other completely different sisters in their place. Or none at all. Perhaps there were brothers. It would certainly have made this Mrs. Bennet happy if there was an heir to Longbourn and no worry about the entail.

  There were so many possibilities. Elizabeth could not help being curious to find out the answers to her questions, but more than anything, she was wanting to go home. It did not matter if this other Elizabeth’s mother was the sweetest-natured person, and her sisters all models of ladylike behaviour. It did not matter if there was an heir to save them from losing their home, or any manner of wonderful things to please her at Longbourn.

  She did not belong here. Wherever here was. She belonged on her own plane of existence. But was
it possible for her to return?

  PART TWO

  A Hope of Being Rescued

  Elizabeth did not sleep well. Her thoughts were too much occupied with what could be happening in her own world. Her friends would be dreadfully worried, and she hated to think of the particular distress which Louisa and Fitzwilliam must be suffering.

  So would Jane if she knew what had happened, but Elizabeth had hope that she did not. She doubted that the others would want to tell Jane after she had just been ill. If the other Elizabeth was taking her place, just as she had done in this world, then at least Jane would not have to suffer anything.

  She was also thinking of her other self with sympathy, which felt quite strange. And on top of everything, she was missing Fitzwilliam.

  First thing in the morning, Elizabeth went to see how Mr. Hurst was doing. After double-checking that there was nobody in the hallway, she quietly knocked and announced in a low voice that it was her. He unlocked the door and let her in. On the table, she saw a pile of papers, as well as a glass and a plate.

  “You see that I did eat,” he said, following her gaze. “And I slept as well. This room was much more comfortable than the attic would have been. That was a good idea of yours.”

  “You did not feel the cold?”

  “Oh no. That pile of blankets you brought was more than sufficient. I had a very good night. Before going to sleep, I finished my calculations, and this morning, I have been making a list of the places where I found the parts to build the machine. Hopefully they can be found in the same places here. There is one difficulty though. Some of them were junk that people let me have, but I purchased quite a few things as well. Unfortunately, I do not happen to have any money with me.”

  “It is very likely that I can get some,” she told him. “If the other Elizabeth is like me in not spending her allowance, then there should be a decent sum in her room at Longbourn. And I do think she is like me. Our clothes are alike for one thing, and there seems to be the same sort of relationship between her and Jane.”

  “But we cannot take her money,” he cried.

  “I believe we can. You see, I would not mind if it were the other way around. In fact, I would want her to take it so that we could all get back where we belong. Naturally I would not normally think of taking anybody else’s money, but in her case, I have the comfort of being certain that she would approve. Remember, until you build another machine, she is also stranded on the wrong plane. Everything we do will be for her benefit as well.”

  “So it will. Much as I dislike the idea, I suppose we have no choice but to use her money. Luckily, I did not purchase anything very expensive, and perhaps I could even bargain for some lower prices.”

  “I am sure she will appreciate that,” Elizabeth said with a smile. It was very thoughtful of him, but she could not imagine kind Mr. Hurst being a very shrewd negotiator. “I will write her a note to explain and apologize, but I am convinced that she will only be glad to be back where she belongs at any cost.”

  “I expect she will, and as soon as possible. I do hope that this situation has not been too distressing for her.”

  “It is more likely to have been astonishing. It was probably astounding for her to find Fitzwilliam and Louisa so different, but at least they are nicer than the people she knows. It would be far worse to encounter the opposite situation without having any idea what had happened.”

  “Perhaps she does have some idea.”

  “I was thinking about that. She cannot have failed to see the machine and must be wondering what it does, but it would be impossible to guess. Does anybody know? Did you tell Mrs. Hurst?”

  “No. I was too keen on keeping it a secret. I wish I had said something now, but they might work it out. My notes were in the library, as well as the book I told you about. I think it very likely that they have looked at them by now.”

  “But will they understand them?”

  “There were some things which were quite plainly written. Anybody might understand the basic idea, and if Darcy read my notes and looked over my calculations, he is likely to have understood a great deal more than most people would. He was a brilliant scholar at Cambridge, but perhaps you already know that.”

  “I do not. He has told me many things about his life, but he did not mention that.”

  “He is too modest,” Mr. Hurst said, “but I assure you that he is capable of understanding everything very well, including how the machine works. Indeed, I should have thought of this sooner. It is quite possible that he has worked out how to use my machine and is trying to find us. Perhaps he has already opened a portal to this reality, and we were not there. How stupid of me not to consider this yesterday. Instead of making calculations and lists, I should have been in the library waiting.”

  “If he did open a portal, he would not have given up just because we were not there,” Elizabeth said comfortingly. “If he has tried once, then he will try again. And he will keep on trying.”

  “Of course he will,” Mr. Hurst said with relief. “But we shall need to be in the library to use it, and I do not know how that can be managed. There is nowhere for me to hide in case anybody comes into the room, and I do not think it is a good idea to risk being discovered.”

  “I could spend some time in the library today. If he does create a portal, perhaps I could throw a note into it, telling him to open one again in the middle of the night, when it will be easy for you to be downstairs. Or would I be heard if I just shouted?”

  “You need not do either. If there is a portal at any time today, you must go through it at once. Then you can tell Darcy that I will be there late tonight. Say about 2:00.”

  “But I cannot leave you.”

  “I will be fine. You said yourself that nobody will look for me here, and even if I am discovered, I will just have to explain the situation and hope to be understood. This Mr. Darcy might not be a pleasant person, but perhaps he is just as intelligent.”

  “I think he is. But what if ours cannot open the portal again?”

  “All the more reason for you to go through while you can. I can still build a machine and get myself home eventually.”

  “But I should be here to help you.”

  “Perhaps the other Miss Bennet will do that. You said that she was like you, so we can assume that she will be just as thoughtful toward me. And she will be wanting to return as well. If Darcy opens a portal, she will probably come through it, so you should go back, or else you will have to hide as well.”

  “I suppose so,” she said, but still with some hesitation.

  “You must not worry about me, my dear. It makes sense for you to go when you can, and you know that Darcy will be worrying about you and wanting you back as soon as possible.”

  “He will. Very much.”

  “So it is settled then. If there is a chance to go, you must take it. You might leave a note in your room for the other Miss Bennet, asking her to help me if she will.”

  “I am sure that she will. Very well then, I shall go if the opportunity arises. If nothing happens today, then we can both wait in the library tonight.”

  “And if that hope fails, then I will start building another machine tomorrow. I am very hopeful though. Mr. Darcy is just the person to rescue us. It certainly will be convenient if he does succeed. Much faster than if I have to build another machine, and we can get the other Elizabeth home sooner.”

  “The sooner, the better,” Elizabeth said. “Every time I talk to this Mr. Darcy, I keep wondering what she would have said. I do not really know what sort of relationship there is between them. Her sister seems to think that she detests him, but I cannot help hoping that is not really the case. Perhaps she does like him a little, in which case I should not take any chance of offending him. Anyway, I find it hard to be anything other than nice to somebody who looks like my Fitzwilliam, no matter how he behaves.”

  “It is a safer course to be pleasant to him,” Mr. Hurst observed. “That sort of impression is ea
sier for her to undo than if you were to be unpleasant.”

  “My thought exactly. If she wishes to give him an aversion to her, I am sure she will have no difficulty undoing any positive impression I may have made. I hope that she does not though. I cannot help thinking that they belong together.”

  “You must try not to concern yourself with their fate.”

  “I know, but it is not so easy. And I think that he does like her. It would be nice if they did get together.”

  “Apparently not from her point of view. Do be cautious, my dear. She may not want what you want for her.”

  “She might if he behaved a little differently, and I have seen a hint of some resemblance to my own Fitzwilliam. But of course, you are right. I should not care about what happens to them. It is rather difficult though when I think how happy I am. But I will be more careful.”

  “It must be a trying experience to be around him,” Mr. Hurst observed. “I am sorry that you have to deal with this. It is all my fault for being so curious.”

  “I am coping with it,” she assured him, “and it will only be for a little while. Even if Fitzwilliam does not manage to operate your machine, I still have complete confidence in your ability to get us back.”

  “Well, I shall start collecting my materials first thing tomorrow if we do not receive any indication of rescue today. That may take a little time since there are many places where I shall have to go, but I promise to work as fast as I can.”

  Standing outside the door, Mr. Darcy heard Elizabeth say that she was going to make an excuse to Jane about needing to do some things which would keep her away for a good part of the day. As she opened the door to the chamber, he retreated back into the stairway, thinking it incomprehensible that any Mr. Darcy could have proposed to an Elizabeth Bennet, even if she did have the same exceptionally pretty eyes and entrancing liveliness that had captivated him.

  The disadvantages of the match should have made it impossible. This had astounded him even more than the idea of alternate realities.