by Lauren King
“Now, you do not want a gentleman to stay with you because he is guiltily obligated, do you, Miss Bennet?” Mrs. Crawford does not leave any room for Jane to respond. “He and I get along in every aspect; we will be great together if you release him from this courtship. He is too nice and honorable to say anything to you about it, but I can tell that you would not want to sacrifice his happiness by forcing him to stay where he does not wish. It would be best if you simply removed yourself from the courtship so he does not feel guilty or ungentlemanly. There is no need to make him feel bad by telling him anything other than that you have changed your mind about continuing your courtship with him. You want what is best for him, do you not?” Once again, Mrs. Crawford gazes at Jane politely with a small closed-lip smile. She does not back down from her presumption of Morgan’s wishes. She will stake her claim.
“Mrs. Crawford, you are not Mr. Morgan’s family, yet I have forbearingly listened to all that you have said. As you have had your presumptuous say, I wish for you to leave me alone, now.” Jane states most seriously with an unfeeling expression. Like Elizabeth, Jane will be brave and bold in order to deal with someone like this Mrs. Crawford who is wise to the ways of men – at least more than Jane is. Mrs. Crawford has no right to make such statements to Jane. Mrs. Crawford does not move; hence, Jane stands up to leave. “I refuse to speak with you any further, Mrs. Crawford.” Jane is never this discourteous but she cannot tolerate Mrs. Crawford a moment longer.
Jane walks to the opened sitting room to see Elizabeth joyfully playing chess with William. Jane does not want to interrupt their time with each other, thus she sits on the sofa by herself at the opposite end of the sitting room. How dare Mrs. Crawford say those things to her? That is not very lady-like, is it? She will have to speak with Mr. Morgan tomorrow to ascertain if what Mrs. Crawford said is true. Is Mr. Morgan truly only staying because he is compelled by his word to her?
Elizabeth sees Jane walk in alone with a solemn face; therefore, she is curious as to what has happened to Mr. Morgan. Did Mr. Morgan choose to do something else instead of spending time with Jane? That would be very thoughtless of him; Elizabeth does not believe that he would do such a thing, especially after what had happened. Elizabeth tells William that she is worried about Jane; she will return right after she speaks with her. Darcy is also surprised not to see Morgan by Jane’s side.
“Jane, are you well? Where is Mr. Morgan?” Elizabeth asks worriedly as she sits close to Jane on the sofa.
“I am alright, Lizzy. You go and enjoy your time with William. Mr. Morgan was summoned by his Father.” Jane bravely puts up a front so as not to worry her caring sister.
“Jane, I know you, and you do not look fine. Did something happen between you and Mr. Morgan?” Elizabeth persists.
“No, Lizzy.” Jane sighs heavily; she does not want to burden Elizabeth with her problems, but she really does want to tell Elizabeth about it. She breathes deeply before reluctantly saying, “I am just stunned by the audacity of Mrs. Crawford to speak to me on the behalf of Mr. Morgan. She is nothing except a childhood friend to Mr. Morgan, yet she feels she has the right to tell me what Mr. Morgan wishes. Is that fair of me to think, Lizzy?” Jane tells Elizabeth all that Mrs. Crawford said to her.
Unquestionably, Elizabeth is also shocked at Mrs. Crawford’s impudence to presume to tell Jane what is good for Mr. Morgan. “Jane, you have to confront her or Mr. Morgan – actually you do not have to confront her. She is not worth your time to talk to again. I have seen how she has acted towards Mr. Morgan all evening. You do not have to acknowledge such women. However, I think you should inform Mr. Morgan of this. If you want your courtship to develop and to strengthen further, then you have to be honest with him about such things. These things are too important to be left unsaid. Do you not agree?”
“I do agree with you, but I do not want to confront Mr. Morgan and embarrass him then make him feel obligated.” Jane answers with concern.
“But if you do not tell him forthrightly, then he will never truly know the problem, and it will never be resolved properly.” Elizabeth counters.
“I agree. It is just difficult for me to bring up such personal subjects and then talk about it with him.” Jane sighs deeply again.
Darcy sees Jane and Elizabeth with worry and displeasure on their faces, so he approaches them. “Is everything alright, Lizzy? Jane?”
Elizabeth looks questioningly at Jane and when Jane nods, Elizabeth explains to William about what happened between Jane and Mrs. Crawford. “What do you think Jane should do, darling?”
“Jane, do you want to make this decision yourself or do you want other’s opinions?” Darcy asks thoughtfully.
“I want your opinion, William.” Jane replies kindly. Jane respects and admires William as a gentleman and as a brother-to-be. She values his viewpoint.
“I think you should let Morgan know. Mrs. Crawford is over stepping her boundaries as a childhood friend. Her admittance of her feelings for Morgan is clear enough. She is not speaking from the standpoint of a simple, concerned childhood friend anymore when she makes those sorts of statements directly to you. I do not think Morgan is aware of her strong feelings for him or at least he has never acknowledged them. I think it will be better if you tell him. He will not know how to protect you or your relationship if he does not know that there is something wrong, especially when it involves other people like this. I am certain that he would have never guessed that Mrs. Crawford would ever do such a thing as to confront you directly like this – or at all, for that matter. That was very brash of her.” Darcy articulates confidently. “If this was Lizzy and me, then, most definitely, I would want Lizzy to come to me and let me know immediately.” Without thought, Darcy caresses Elizabeth’s arm fondly. He is used to being in contact with her thus it was instinctive that he reached out to her to show his affections.
“I agree with you, William. I will tell Mr. Morgan about all of this. Thank you both for understanding and supporting me through all of this.” Jane says appreciatively as she holds Elizabeth’s hand. “It is not as if you two do not have your own problems to deal with, yet you are still handling my problems too.”
“Jane, we are family; of course, I will always help you if I can. You would do the same for me.” Elizabeth exclaims most naturally.
“Yes, I would, Lizzy. You are the best sister anyone could have. Thank you.” Jane says softly.
“Jane, you will be my sister too. I do not want to see you hurt.” Darcy says considerately.
“Thank you, William – you are genuinely a good person. I am so very happy that you two are together now and forever. I will always have the best brother in the world.” Jane states genuinely. Jane takes a deep breath a final time before standing up. She knows what she must do with Mr. Morgan. “I will talk to him tomorrow; I do not want to have such a serious, personal conversation here and now.”
If Mr. Morgan still wants to remain friends with Mrs. Crawford, then Jane will retreat from their courtship immediately. She does not want to force him into giving up his longtime friend. If he still feels that Mrs. Crawford is someone that he could associate with, especially after he knows what Mrs. Crawford has done, then she does not have to be in this relationship to endure Mrs. Crawford’s discontent. Jane has learned that some mistakes are forgivable and forgettable but some will remain as hidden thorns in your side waiting to poke you at a later date. She positively does not want to worry about someone that could potentially hurt her at any time. She does not want to be constantly on guard with people.
Jane does not want to be harsh or think badly about anyone but Mrs. Crawford reminds her of Miss Bingley; someone bitter, spiteful, jealous, and envious like Miss Bingley who will not likely change or truly change. On the surface, Miss Bingley may try to be civil but her condescending attitude and sharp tongue indicates to Jane that her effort would only be surface deep. Had Jane remained with Mr. Bingley, under the accordance that Miss Bingley would act appropriately, Ja
ne would have to have been on guard with Miss Bingley at all times. That is not a good way to live with your sister-in-law. On the other hand, at least Miss Bingley is Mr. Bingley’s sister; Mrs. Crawford is merely Mr. Morgan’s childhood friend. She has no right, whatsoever, to say those things to Jane.
Just as she turns to walk out of the drawing room, Mr. Morgan walks in with a small smile directed at her.
“Miss Bennet, here you are.” Morgan notices the somber mood on all three people. Did something happen? Is Miss Bennet upset about something? Is she upset that he left her side? “Would you like some punch, Miss Bennet?”
“No, thank you, Mr. Morgan.” Jane smiles serenely.
“Is everything alright? Did you want to remain here with Miss Elizabeth and Darcy for some peace and quiet?” Morgan asks thoughtfully.
“That will be fine, Mr. Morgan. I will remain here. You go help your family entertain your guests.” Jane is surprised that he would leave her again, but it is not his fault; he does not know what has happened. He has a houseful of guests that he must help host, so she cannot expect him to give her all of his time. She ponders about whether William would leave Elizabeth alone; she does not think William would, on his own accord.
Both Elizabeth and Darcy move back to the chess table, but when they hear Morgan’s question to Jane, Elizabeth turns around and says, “Mr. Morgan, Mr. Darcy and I will remain here with Jane.” Elizabeth and Darcy are surprised that Morgan would not want to remain with Jane at this point, but they do understand his hosting responsibilities.
“You both misunderstand me, Miss Elizabeth, Miss Bennet.” Morgan turns back to Jane. “I would like to stay here with you, Miss Bennet. You and your family are my guests; everyone else is my parents’ guests.”
“Oh…but if you would like to join the card tables or the other guests, then please do not let me detain you. I will be fine here with Lizzy and Mr. Darcy.” Jane is trying to give him every chance possible not to feel duty-bound to her. She wants him to enjoy his evening too, and if he has enjoyment with others, then she would not want to hinder it. She would just have to recognize that and be prepared for it if she is willing to stay in this courtship.
“I would like to spend the rest of my evening with you. Will that bother you, Miss Bennet?” Morgan asks considerately; he senses something is not right.
“No, sir; not at all.” Jane answers with a small smile and hidden delight but is still disturbed with what happened with Mrs. Crawford.
As Elizabeth and Darcy continue their chess game, Jane and Mr. Morgan continue their conversation. Morgan finally remembers that he had told Miss Bennet that he would have Mrs. Crawford speak to Miss Bennet as proof that he was only doing her a favor when he escorted her around town the last few weeks. Mr. Morgan asks, “Miss Bennet, will you allow me to bring Mrs. Crawford to explain to you about our outings?”
Jane is alarmed; she, emphatically, does not ever want to speak with Mrs. Crawford again. “Mr. Morgan, I believe you when you explained everything to me last week. I, absolutely, do not wish to speak to Mrs. Crawford.” Jane emphasizes her last statement. She hopes that he will not insist on proving his innocence by bringing Mrs. Crawford over.
“Thank you for understanding, Miss Bennet. I would have hated for our courtship to be adversely affected because of my lack of thought. It would be no problem for me to ask Mrs. Crawford to speak to you.” Morgan volunteers willingly.
“I understand, Mr. Morgan, but I do not wish to speak to Mrs. Crawford. I want to trust you because of you not because of her.” Jane says decisively. She never thought she could be this firm, but she is trying to be more like Elizabeth so that she is not taken for granted by others.
“I thank you for your confidence.” Morgan is more certain, now, that there is more to what Miss Bennet has said. “Are you uneasy about something, Miss Bennet?”
“It is nothing that we could not speak of tomorrow. Let us enjoy this evening, alright, Mr. Morgan?” Jane expresses confidently.
“I would enjoy this evening better if I knew that you were happy in all things. I would not hesitate to help you in any way to achieve that goal because you being happy would bring me joy, Miss Bennet.” Morgan responds smoothly. He is worried that there is some misunderstanding again that can go awry if they do not discuss it right away.
“I think it would be more appropriate if we speak tomorrow, Mr. Morgan. I will tell you everything, and then you can decide.” Jane tries to speak of other subjects so that she can divert Mr. Morgan’s attention.
Morgan reluctantly agrees to wait for tomorrow’s conversation. He is worried that it will be bad news. What has happened, now? Oh, God…did Diana say something to Miss Bennet? What could she have said that would upset Miss Bennet?
The Bennet group is the first to leave the Morgans’ dinner party. After all the thanks and farewells are conveyed, Morgan escorts Miss Bennet to Darcy’s carriage and hands her in after Darcy hands Elizabeth in. Darcy stands to wait as Morgan bends over Jane’s hand before she steps inside the carriage. Darcy looks up and sees that Mrs. Crawford is standing behind the closed gilded glass door looking out at Morgan. Darcy seldom sees such a bold lady. He will speak to Morgan if Morgan is still ignorant of Mrs. Crawford’s intentions after tomorrow.
Jane looks out at Mr. Morgan as her carriage pulls away. Mr. Morgan walks up his front steps and Mrs. Crawford happily comes to his side with a bright smile and speaks animatedly while taking his arm to go back inside.
“My goodness, Mrs. Crawford is determined to get Mr. Morgan.” Jane comments casually as she turns back inside the carriage.
“What do you mean, Jane?” Elizabeth is surprised at Jane’s comment. Jane is not usually so forward with her statements about others.
Jane tells Elizabeth what she just saw and Elizabeth shakes her head disapprovingly. “I will bet that she will be the last to leave the party. Well, if Mr. Morgan truly likes you and wants your courtship to progress, then it will not matter if she is tenacious. To be honest, I just hope Mr. Morgan can fend off her advances. He had said he was not interested in her, at all; I hope he was truthful. I am sorry, Jane; I just want you to be aware and prepared.”
“I know, Lizzy; thank you for always protecting me.” Jane says appreciatively and warmly. Jane looks over at William who is gazing proudly and lovingly at Elizabeth, and then he reaches out to pat her hand. William and Elizabeth smile at one another affectionately. That is what Jane wants with Mr. Morgan, but maybe it will not come to fruition.
CHAPTER 5
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 29th
The Gardiner household is noisy, again. Female voices fill the house. Of course, Mr. Bennet is nowhere to be seen; he is in Mr. Gardiner’s study with the door tightly closed. Mr. Gardiner has gone to his warehouse for the day. Mrs. Bennet is bustling about with Lydia to ask Mr. Bennet if they can be taken to shop on Bond Street because Lydia wants to buy a new bonnet.
“Lydia, you have extra money to go shop on Bond Street, now? Does your husband know what you are doing?” Mr. Bennet inquires seriously. He is annoyed that Lydia would dare go shopping if she is always complaining that she and Sergeant Denny have to be so frugal with their money.
“John gave me enough money just for one bonnet this month, Papa.” Lydia answers meekly; she does not want to upset her Father here.
“I cannot take you shopping. Mr. Darcy has invited me to luncheon at his club today.”
“Ooohh, Mr. Bennet! How nice of Mr. Darcy; that is very fancy is it not? I wish that I could go to such an impressive place. I think I will tell Lizzy to take me to Darcy House. I want to see how fancy Mr. Darcy’s home is. From what you all said last evening, it must be superbly grand. My goodness, how lucky Lizzy is! Come, Lydia. Let us go get Lizzy. She must take me to Darcy House. I also want to see about the wedding breakfast to make sure that it is done properly.” Mrs. Bennet expresses herself with self-proclaimed expertise and entitlement.
“Mrs. Bennet,
I will remind you to be mindful of how you act and what you say in front of Mr. Darcy, his family, and his staff. You are not to go over there and dictate your ways. That is his home, not yours. You will have people look down upon Lizzy and our family if you act inappropriately. I will not allow that, Mrs. Bennet.” Mr. Bennet states firmly. “You should not command or demand anything from Mr. Darcy or Lizzy. She will be the mistress of his homes in two days; she is intelligent and sensible enough to know what she is doing or else she will ask the appropriate people. Please, do not embarrass her over there.”
“Of course not, Mr. Bennet. I am her Mother, and I just want to see where she will live; that is all. She knows nothing about running a household or putting together a wedding breakfast, so I will see what can be done.”
“Mrs. Bennet, please be careful with how you do it. Do not insist on your way.” Mr. Bennet firmly reminds his wife.
“I will go find Lizzy, now.” Mrs. Bennet says enthusiastically. “Come, Lydia. Darcy House must be very grand, indeed!” Mother and daughter hurriedly and enthusiastically leave to seek out Elizabeth.
“Ahh, Lizzy, there you are. When will you be taking me to Darcy House for a tour?” Mrs. Bennet asks importunately.
Elizabeth stops her conversation with her Aunt and Jane to look up at her Mother sauntering into the drawing room with her demand. Elizabeth cringes at her Mother’s question; she knew she could not escape this day. She knew she should have asked William to come for her earlier this morning. How is she going to get out of this, now?