Through Each Other's Eyes

by Aleena Ashe

  Mr. Collins, offered his services for the big day.

  Mr. Bennet just smiled and said, “‘Bout time my boy! I will be available all morning.”

  Elizabeth was so moved, she almost forgot that Darcy would be expected to offer congratulations as well. “Charles, I offer you my sincerest congratulations. You and Miss Bennet are well suited; I’m sure you will both be very happy.”

  As she sat there, Elizabeth realized it would not be long before she lost her dearest sister, Jane. She only hoped that she would not spend her last days as Jane’s sister trapped in Darcy’s body and living at Netherfield.

  Meanwhile, in the parlor amongst the ladies, Darcy found himself quite out of his depth. Once again he’d joined Jane and Charlotte and the topic of discussion quickly turned to Mr. Bingley. Charlotte began by turning to Jane, “Well, it is quite obvious to me that Mr. Bingley is smitten with you. However, if I were not as well acquainted with you as I am, I would not be able to say for certain whether or not you returned his feelings.”

  Jane seemed quite taken aback. “But I do!” Turning to Elizabeth she questioned with growing panic, “You can tell, can’t you Lizzy? I mean, I don’t want to wear my heart on my sleeve for fear of gossip but I want Mr. Bingley to be able to discern my feelings. You do think he understands, do you not?”

  Darcy, seeing the affection for his friend that he hoped to one day be the recipient of from Elizabeth answered her gently, “Yes, dear. I am sure that unless your Mr. Bingley is a fool, he can discern your feelings.”

  Jane let out a small, unsure laugh. “He is not my Mr. Bingley, Lizzy.”

  “Perhaps, not yet. But I cannot imagine it will be long.”

  They were unable to continue because Miss Bingley joined them. “Miss Lucas, Jane, Eliza. It’s been a lovely evening so far has it not? I do not usually enjoy such informal dinner parties but tonight has been positively... quaint.” She said this in a pleasant manner but the underlying message was quite clear: ‘Your poor, country gatherings are far below my usual entertainment, but it is better than nothing.’

  “Thank you, Miss Bingley, we are so glad you could join us. I’m sure you’re used to much larger affairs in London as I am sure your father had to entertain his business associates regularly. But we do the best we can in our little corner of the country.”

  Darcy had to cough to stifle a laugh. Bravo, Miss Lucas. Don’t let Caroline belittle you in your own home. Darcy should not have been surprised that Elizabeth’s closest friend would be clever but he had thought Charlotte was more mild-mannered than that. Tonight, he was heartily pleased to see she was not.

  The rest of the evening was spent pleasantly conversing with various guests. Upon the arrival of the gentlemen, Jane and Bingley quickly found their way to the fireplace where they could speak in relative privacy. And while Darcy wanted to speak with Elizabeth (he could hardly wait to read the letter she had given him), every time he drew near to Elizabeth, Caroline seemed to appear at Elizabeth’s side. He smiled to himself. ‘Of course,’ he thought, ‘Caroline would do anything to keep Elizabeth away from me and right now she thinks Elizabeth is me. Poor Elizabeth must be miserable’.

  When he had begun to lose hope of having another chance to speak to her before the night was over, he saw Elizabeth step out onto the terrace alone. Apparently Miss Bingley had drawn into conversation with Lady Lucas and Elizabeth had used this opportunity to escape.

  Darcy waited a moment and then followed her, careful to not be seen. The night sky was beautiful. As if she sensed his presence, Elizabeth said, “This reminds me of the night sky during the Netherfield Ball. It was so clear and bright. I wished upon a star, that night.’ She laughed a quiet, unsure laugh, “I know, you probably think that’s childish.”

  Stepping up to the railing but far enough to maintain propriety. “Not at all, as I recall, I too wished on a star that evening.”

  “Wait, you did too? And then we woke up switched the next morning! Don’t you see, that must be what happened? What did you wish for?”

  He looked uncomfortable, “Understanding.” He said it simply enough but it seemed the word was packed with a deeper meaning.

  She thought for a moment. “Me too, in a way. Maybe we just need to wish ourselves back!” Then she turned to look up at the sky, searching for a shooting star. But inexplicably, where thousands of stars had been visible just a moment ago, now only dark clouds remained.

  Hope faded from Elizabeth’s face. Wanting to bring her comfort, Darcy took her hand, “Perhaps we are not ready. Perhaps we have not learned what we need to learn. I am convinced this is not just a cosmic joke. There is a reason we have been placed in this situation, Miss Elizabeth. We will figure this out.”

  “At least now we know how the switch occurred.” Then she squeezed his hand and let go. “We should go back inside. Those clouds promise rain.”

  Chapter 12

  Darcy

  As soon as Darcy arrived back at Longbourn, he headed upstairs to bed citing ‘a dreadful headache’. Jane gave him a concerned look, but he assured her a good night’s sleep was all the cure he’d need. Once safely alone in Elizabeth’s room, Darcy took out the letter Elizabeth had given him at dinner.

  Mr. Darcy,

  I know it is improper to write to you but it could not be helped. This afternoon, I was in the library when Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley entered. They must not have seen me however, as their conversation was of a most personal nature.

  You may be pleased to learn that Mrs. Hurst is expecting and while it is not yet general knowledge - I am not even sure Mr. Bingley knows - she will not be able to hide it much longer. It explains her frequent bouts of illness and near constant fatigue. Mr. Hurst has been most attentive. Really, it has been heartwarming to watch.

  The rest of the conversation however, took a rather disturbing turn. Mrs. Hurst was attempting to make Miss Bingley see reason with regard to her hopes of ‘catching’ you. For this I must give Mrs. Hurst credit. Nevertheless, Miss Bingley insisted that you were likely to declare yourself to her soon especially after seeing what little the country has to offer - and here I must say I felt a personal affront - by way of suitable women. I do not mean to imply that I am a suitable choice rather that the country is not devoid of suitable ladies. Many of whom I cannot think you would find lacking.

  I digress, the crux of the matter came toward the end of the conversation when Miss Bingley alluded to the fact that “Perhaps he needs to be nudged along”. I can only conclude that she means to force your hand in some way. Would she go so far as to compromise you?

  I asked Davies to sleep in your dressing room out of caution. And do you know his response? He said, he had already been doing so for some time as he had sensed Miss Bingley growing desperate in recent weeks. Then he seemed almost embarrassed for having been so bold.

  I thanked him for his loyalty and assured him that, in the future, he should always feel comfortable bringing these concerns to my attention. I hope I have not overstepped but he was so sincere.

  Of course, I will also be on my guard to safeguard your reputation.

  Sincerely,

  E. B.

  P.S. I hope you are finding your way in a woman’s world. I must admit, it makes me smile just a bit to know that while your world is different from mine, it cannot possibly be as foreign as being in a house full of women must be to you.

  Darcy put the letter on the bed and began to undress. His thoughts were far from coherent and jumped from one to another. Of course he had known of Miss Bingley’s intentions for some time but even he was surprised by this development. And, of course, Elizabeth would not consider herself as the most suitable candidate for Mistress of Pemberley when he had begun to consider her the only candidate. How long had Davies been sleeping in his dressing room? He would have to raise his pay. He had always liked and trusted the man, but now he knew he owed him more that he had realized.

  One by one, he removed the pins from Elizabeth’s long, th
ick curls. He ran his fingers through them and pulled a curl to his face, deeply inhaling her scent - lavender and rose water. If he closed his eyes he could imagine he was himself again with his face buried in those curls. But he wouldn’t close his eyes because if he did, he would take these imaginings too far.

  His dreams, though, he could not control and he found that every night he explored those soft curves that tortured him so during daylight hours. He always started with her hair. It had tempted him since he first saw her. But then he moved to her heavenly lips, her cheeks, her long, soft neck, and on down removing her night shift so he had unfettered access to the swells of her full breasts. He cupped them in his hands, trailing kisses over them until he reached... well he need not dwell on his dreams for they only made him yearn for her more.

  It was always near this point in this most satisfying dream that he would awake, covered in sweat and breathing deeply. He noted that unlike similar dreams before this switch occurred, Elizabeth’s body had reacted very differently. Darcy felt somewhat ashamed at not being able to control his desires and therefore invading this part of Elizabeth’s privacy. But he knew there was little he could do about it. The only difference between his dreams now and the ones he had before was that now he knew what she looked and felt like and it made them all the more torturous.

  *****

  The next morning was cold and wet. Darcy had wanted to go out walking but he was not sure even Elizabeth would have gone out today. He dressed and made his way downstairs to eat. At some point today Bingley would be coming by. A little rain was unlikely to deter him from the meeting Elizabeth had informed Darcy was set for today.

  Darcy was proud of his friend. It was clear that he had strong feelings for Jane, just like it was clear that Bingley’s sisters strongly opposed the match. It was not so long ago that Charles might have been swayed by their opinion (or even Darcy’s) but he had rented Netherfield despite their lamenting the distance from London (and additionally, Caroline’s lamenting the distance from Pemberley). Darcy had to admit that Bingley still at times relied too much on his advice and, to that end, he was glad that this switch had removed the situation from his influence as he would likely have advised against the match. But the last few days at Longbourn had changed his opinion on so many things. He was now very much in favor of it.

  One and two at a time, the rest of the ladies joined him in the parlor as there was little else to do on a rainy day. Darcy sat with a book to avoid having to engage in too much conversation, especially with Mrs. Bennet or the two youngest sisters. He found he enjoyed Jane’s company and that even Mary could be amusing, although Darcy was not altogether sure she meant to be. Mr. Collins was still far too attentive and Darcy was increasingly uncomfortable by his rather less than subtle overtures and his constant staring. ‘Is this how Elizabeth felt when I ‘stared’?” For he was quite certain from all that Jane said that he had. Although, he was equally certain that - though tempting - he never stared openly at her bosom as Mr. Collins did. If that didn’t stop, Darcy would have to put a stop to it in a less than polite manner. Though he did not have his usual strength to aide him, he knew how to make his point clear to the gentleman.

  “Lizzy? You haven’t turned a page in almost half an hour. Are you well?” Mary asked with genuine concern.

  “I’m sorry. I wasn’t able to walk out this morning and I fear I am bit out of sorts.”

  “La Lizzy, you have been acting odd since the ball at Netherfield! Are you still upset that Wickham wasn’t there?”

  “Thank you, Lydia. Your concern is endearing,” Darcy answered sarcastically. And as usual, neither Lydia nor Mrs. Bennet caught on. However, Darcy did notice Kitty stifling a small chuckle. There might be hope for her yet. In a more serious tone, he added, “And, no. You know what Papa said: Mr. Wickham is not to be trusted,”

  Returning to the topic of exercise, Mr. Collins felt it prudent to add his opinion, "In your sex, manly exercises are never graceful. A tone and figure of the masculine kind are always forbidding. Men of sensibility desire in every woman soft features a form not robust and demeanor delicate and gentle Nature appears to have formed the (mental) faculties of your sex…” Mr. Collins liked to quote Fordyce whenever he could. And Mary often added her assent.

  However, perhaps today it would have been wiser for Mr. Collins to have remained silent. For Darcy had no doubt that he was the better educated of the two, even if it weren’t for the fact that he considered all Mr. Collins’ philosophies on life to be old fashioned and outdated.

  Half to himself, Darcy replied aloud, “Taught from their infancy that beauty is woman's sceptre, the mind shapes itself to the body, and, roaming round its gilt cage, only seeks to adorn its prison.”

  Mr. Collins looked aghast! “Cousin Elizabeth, did you just quote that heretic Mary Wollstonecraft? I hardly think that is suitable material for a gentlewoman. If we are to wed, Wollstonecraft will have no part in our household!”

  “Then it is fortunate that we are not to wed, as I have already explained!” With that, Darcy got up from his seat and made his way out to the garden. It may be a little damp still but at least it was quiet. Before he was fully out of the room, Darcy looked back to see Mary and Mr. Collins speaking quietly to one another sporting equally disapproving scowls, Mrs. Bennet looked fit to be tied, and Jane looked concerned. She feared that if Elizabeth was not careful, she may find herself in the middle of a war between their Mother and Father. If that became the case, Jane was not sure how long their Father would fight for Elizabeth.

  That is when it came to him… Mr. Collins would be happier with Mary! How he had not seen it before was beyond him. But, now that he had, Darcy would do all he could to steer Mr. Collins in that direction.

  However alike they were, Mr. Darcy could foresee one, rather large, hurdle: Mary was plain; not altogether unattractive but she did absolutely nothing to put herself to an advantage. Darcy began to formulate a plan.

  Chapter 13

  Darcy

  Darcy was pretty pleased with himself. Not only would his plan rescue Elizabeth from the clutches of the ridiculous Mr. Collins, but it would also bestow - what he could only view as - a kindness upon Mary, whom he viewed as the often overlooked Bennet sister. Re-entering the parlor, Darcy managed to make eye contact with Jane and silently urged her to join him at the window seat.

  “Have you quite recovered from your earlier temper, Lizzy? Not that it was unwarranted, but you know Mama will have some choice words for you later.”

  “That is what I wanted to talk to you about, Jane. I have a plan. A rather brilliant one, if I do say so, but I will need your help. Have you not noticed how well suited Mr. Collins and Mary are for one another? I know, you will say she is young but, really, she is 19 and I think they would do well together. They think so alike. I believe that the only obstacle in their path is that Mr. Collins sees her as ‘the plain sister.’ If we could convince Mama that Mary would be the better choice, do you think mama would allow us to make Mary over?”

  Looking at Lizzy with more than a little concern, Jane questioned, “Make her over, how? She is lovely as she is.”

  This may be harder than he thought if Jane didn’t even like the idea. “I know she is and you know she is but Mr. Collins is a man and sometimes they need help seeing inner beauty. I don’t want to change who Mary is… I just want to accentuate her positive qualities.”

  Smiling, “When did you become such an expert on men, Lizzy?” Adding after a short pause, “I love the idea. It is high time someone made Mary feel as special as she is.”

  “I agree. But, Jane, I think you should speak to Mama about it tonight before dinner. Mama always listens to you more than me. And that way, she can help us plan how to get Mary to agree to go shopping with us.” With that, Darcy and Jane set about making plans for what needed to be done. New ribbons to retrim her dresses and perhaps even a new bonnet would need to be purchased. Mary’s bonnets were the oldest of any of the sisters so
their need of being replaced was unlikely to be questioned. Jane even thought to include Kitty in their plans as she really had a talent for picking flattering colors and cuts for ribbons and bonnets. Even Lydia tended to ask Kitty’s opinion, though she always pretended that her opinion had been just the same.

  Later that afternoon, with Mary practicing the piano forte in the front room, Mr. Collins writing yet another letter to Lady Catherine, and Mrs. Bennet and Lydia each napping, the three ladies (Jane, Lizzy, and Kitty) met in the parlor to plan the next steps. They debated asking Lydia to join in and had almost decided against it, fearing that her over exuberance would make Mary hesitant to take part at all, when Kitty pointed out that Mama would not stand for the others to have a secret that her favorite was not a party to. So Kitty was dispatched to quietly retrieve Lydia. The latter was none too happy until she realized why she had been woken up and quickly her annoyance turned to excitement. For even Lydia needed a fresh diversion now and again.

  There was one detail they had not yet worked out: how to get Mary to allow herself to be made over. Surprisingly, it was Lydia who pointed out the obvious, “La, you lot are so thick! Mary is desperate for Mr. Collins’ approval - though I can’t see why; he is so…”