Georgiana steps up next to Darcy and Elizabeth, saying, “Mrs. Bennet, we were on our way to Town and my brother thought that Miss Elizabeth might like to visit her family.”
Mrs. Bennet replies, “Miss Darcy, that is very kind of your brother to bring a servant to visit family. Tell me, does he do this for all his servants?”
Darcy hears several gasps in the room. Darcy squeezes Elizabeth’s hand, and he watches as Jane steps forward and says, “Mama, Lizzy is no servant. She is still your daughter, and I asked her to stop on her way to Town with the Darcys so that I could ask her to stand up with me at my wedding.”
Mrs. Bennet turns on Jane vehemently. “No! Absolutely not. I will not have Lizzy stand up for you!”
Darcy watches as Jane straightens her back and says, “Mama, you may plan the wedding breakfast and ball all to your wants, but Lizzy will be standing up with me, or you will not plan any part of my wedding.”
Mrs. Bennet grunts and says, “Oh, very well. It is not like Lizzy will marry well anyway.”
Darcy is stunned when Mrs. Bennet turns back to Elizabeth and asks, “Why did you have to come back, Lizzy? We were happy without you here.”
Darcy watches as Elizabeth steps forward and quietly asks, “Mama, are you not happy to see me at all?”
Mrs. Bennet sniffs at Elizabeth and turns away without answering. Elizabeth steps forward again and asks, “Mama, what would it take for you to be proud of me? Would marrying one of the richest men in England make you proud of me?”
Mrs. Bennet scoffs at Elizabeth, “Lizzy, you could never marry that well. You are not as pretty as Jane, and you will never ever marry. You want to know what would make me happy? I will tell you. I want you to leave Longbourn and never return!”
Darcy watches as Elizabeth gasps in surprise, and her shoulders sag for a moment, and then she straightens her back, and she says, “You will always be my mother, and I love you. However, I cannot make you love me in return. I will grant your request and leave. Please, excuse me.”
Darcy watches as Elizabeth rushes from the room and sees that Wickham has gone after her. Darcy turns to Mrs. Bennet, saying, “Mrs. Bennet, you have no idea what you have thrown away. Your daughter loves you so much. I can tell you that I miss my own mother, who has been gone these last fourteen years, and I know that I would love to have her back. You have the chance to still have your daughter’s love, and you are throwing it away. I hope you are pleased by your actions.” Darcy bows the room. “Ladies, please excuse me. I bid you a good day.” Darcy departs to find Elizabeth.
Darcy finds Wickham standing a few feet away and asks, “George, where is she?”
Wickham replies, “Darcy, she is in the garden.”
Darcy finds Elizabeth pacing back and forth. He watches as Elizabeth struggles with her emotions. Softly Darcy says, “Elizabeth.” Darcy opens his arms when she spins around and rushes into his arms, crying. Darcy holds Elizabeth and murmurs to her softly. Finally, Darcy releases Elizabeth and hands her his handkerchief and says, “Do not let her see you cry, sweetheart. Come, let us go.” Darcy escorts Elizabeth to the carriage, and the rest of the party exits Longbourn and return to Netherfield Park.
Upon returning to Netherfield Park, Darcy turns to Elizabeth and asks, “Elizabeth, would you like to walk the grounds with me?”
Elizabeth gives Darcy a small smile and nods. Darcy turns to Richard. “We are going to take a stroll. We will be back soon.”
Richard nods to Darcy, and they head off on their stroll. As they are walking, Darcy turns to Elizabeth and inquires, “How are you doing, love? I am so sorry about your mother.”
Elizabeth sighs and says, “I am a little surprised. I knew that I was not my mother’s favorite daughter, but it almost seemed like she actually hated me.”
Darcy stops and pulls Elizabeth into his arms and hugs her. Darcy kisses Elizabeth on the head and says, “I am sorry, my love. I wish things could be different.”
They walk together silently for a while. As they are walking past the library on their way to the front of the house, Elizabeth stops and turns to Darcy, mumbling, “Fitzwilliam, I do not feel well.”
Darcy watches in horror as no sooner had Elizabeth said this that she suddenly collapses and her whole body starts to jerk in violent motions. Darcy catches Elizabeth in his arms but has no idea what he should do to help her. Suddenly, Richard and Wickham are there. Richard commands, “Darcy, lay Lizzy on the ground. Wickham, hold her legs down. Darcy, you hold her shoulders, and I will hold her head. We do not want Lizzy to hurt herself.”
Darcy watches in horror at what Elizabeth is suffering and sees that she is foaming at the mouth. Richard wipes Elizabeth’s mouth and says, “Darcy, it is all right. This is all normal. The spell will end soon.”
Sure enough, about thirty seconds later, the spell is over, and Elizabeth is unconscious on the ground. Darcy carefully lifts Elizabeth and carries her to his room, where he turns to Richard and asks, “Richard, would you please ask Bingley to send for Mr. Jones?”
Richard strides over to where Darcy is standing and puts a hand on his shoulder. “Of course, Darcy. I will return shortly.”
Darcy stands there, looking down at his wife. He is so lost in thought that he starts at a touch on his arm. Darcy turns to see Georgiana. “Fitzwilliam, go. Let Mr. Bennet know what happened. The maid and I will care for Lizzy until the apothecary arrives.”
Georgiana reaches up with her handkerchief and wipes his eyes. This is when Darcy realizes that he has been crying. Darcy wraps Georgiana in his arms. “Thank you, Georgie.”
Darcy goes into his sitting room and writes a letter, letting Mr. Bennet know that Elizabeth has had a spell and decides to ask Mr. Bennet when he visits if there are any other homes for lease in the area. With Miss Bingley still in the house, Darcy wants Elizabeth away from all the stress. Darcy welcomes Mr. Bennet to visit if he wishes. Darcy has just finished his note when Georgiana enters the sitting room. Darcy stands, and Georgiana says, “All is well, brother. The apothecary is here and is looking at Elizabeth. The maid is with her.”
Darcy turns and reenters the room where Elizabeth is and quietly asks, “How is she, Mr. Jones?”
Mr. Jones replies, “Miss Elizabeth is as well as can be, Mr. Darcy. She will probably sleep for a while. I would suggest that she rest for the next couple of days.”
Darcy replies, “Thank you, Mr. Jones. I am sorry to have troubled you.”
Darcy walks Mr. Jones to the door and hands a footman the note to deliver to Mr. Bennet and tells him, “Please tell Mr. Bennet that he can come at any time.”
The footman nods and departs.
Darcy returns to his bedchambers, where Georgiana is sitting with Elizabeth. Seeing her brother return, Georgiana asks, “William, what happened?”
Darcy exhales heavily, “Georgie, I cannot put into words what I experienced. I felt so helpless. I did not know what to do at all.”
Richard enters the room with Mr. Bennet and Jane and says, “Darcy, Mr. Bennet and Miss Bennet are here. I will be nearby if you need me.”
Richard bows and leaves. Darcy turns to Mr. Bennet. “Sir, this is my fault. I should not have let Elizabeth confront both Miss Bingley and her mother at almost the same time.”
Mr. Bennet smiles and says, “William, Lizzy would have done it no matter what you said. Do not worry, William. Lizzy will be well.”
Jane puts her hand on Darcy’s arm, “William, I usually care for Lizzy when she has a spell. Lizzy will wake a little confused and fearful. I would suggest giving her the sleeping draught that Mr. Jones left.”
Darcy nods. “Thank you, Jane. I will make sure to do that.” Darcy turns to Mr. Bennet and asks, “Sir, will you step next door with me for a moment? I have a favor to ask of you.”
Mr. Bennet nods and says, “Of course.”
Once they step into the sitting room, Darcy asks, “Sir, are there any available homes to lease for a short term? I want to remove Elizabeth from Ne
therfield Park. I am concerned for Elizabeth with Miss Bingley still in the house, and the atmosphere of the house is tense. I would like Elizabeth to be in a calm place.”
Mr. Bennet replies, “Darcy, I know of a place. Let me write to my brother, Phillips. The owner lives out of town, and Phillips can act on the owner’s behalf.”
Darcy asks, “Sir, how were things at Longbourn once we departed?”
Mr. Bennet exhales resignedly. “Darcy, there was a lot of yelling, and in the end, Mrs. Bennet was sent to her rooms. Lizzy’s sisters were all upset at how their mother treated Lizzy in company, and they were worried about her. I have not told them that she has had another spell. I only told Jane as she is closest to Lizzy and Mary, who has recently shown more concern for Lizzy. Surprisingly, Mary now wanted to come with me as well to help care for Lizzy tonight. I told Mary to stay and look after her mother. Mary actually refused to wait on her mother after the way she treated Lizzy. I have decided that after Jane’s wedding, I am going to take Mrs. Bennet on a trip. I may take her to Bath. I am going to leave my younger daughters behind. I have yet to decide what to do with them.”
Darcy thinks for a moment and says, “Sir, perhaps you should send Kitty to spend time with the Gardiners. Lydia could stay here and visit between Jane and her Aunt Phillips. I would like to offer to take Mary with us when we go to London. My sister really likes Mary as they both share a love of music.”
Mr. Bennet nods, “I will think on your suggestions.”
There is a knock on the door, and Jane pokes her head in, advising, “William, Lizzy is showing signs of waking. I know from past experience that Lizzy will be anxious when she awakens. You should be there when she awakens.”
Mr. Bennet puts a hand on Darcy’s shoulder, saying softly, “Go be with Lizzy, William. Jane and I will wait here for you.” Darcy nods and departs.
Darcy enters his bedchambers where Elizabeth is starting to stir. Darcy sits in the chair next to the bed and picks up Elizabeth’s hand and gently holds it. Darcy watches after a few minutes Elizabeth’s eyelids start to flutter, and then her eyes open, and she looks around in confusion. Darcy watches Elizabeth’s face as she meets his eyes, and she softly asks, “Fitzwilliam, did I . . . did I have another spell?”
Darcy leans forward and kisses her lips. “Yes, sweetheart, you did.”
Darcy sees the anguish in Elizabeth’s eyes, and she asks, “What happened, Fitzwilliam?”
Darcy sighs. “I believe that between confronting Miss Bingley and your mother not wanting to have anything to do with you, it was too much for you in such a short amount of time. We were walking the grounds here at Netherfield when you had the spell.”
Elizabeth starts to cry. “You will want to divorce me now. I told you I was too broken.”
Darcy replies, “Shh, sweetheart. I love you very much. I am not going to divorce you. I am yours just as you are mine. I will be honest, sweetheart, I felt helpless. I did not know what to do, but fortunately, Richard and Wickham arrived, and they helped me, and then your father and Jane came to see you as well. All will be well. You were doing so well. It was simply too much. Why do you not let me summon your father and sister so that you can assure them that you are well and you can see them in a few days?”
Elizabeth nods. Darcy turns to the maid to get the Bennets. Darcy turns to Elizabeth. “Sweetheart, Mr. Jones wants you to take the sleeping draught I have placed in your tea. Will you please drink it for me? I want you to rest well.”
Darcy watches as she searches his face. “Very well, Fitzwilliam. You promise you will not leave me. I am so afraid of losing you.” Darcy leans down, kissing Elizabeth again, and presses his forehead to hers, vowing, “I will not leave you, sweetheart. I love you so very much. Just rest and say a quick hello to your father and sister.”
Elizabeth nods and just as Mr. Bennet and Jane arrive on the other side of Elizabeth’s bed. Mr. Bennet leans down and kisses Elizabeth on the forehead, saying, “Well, Lizzy, you certainly know how to keep things lively!”
Darcy is happy to see Elizabeth grin at her father’s words, saying, “Papa! You know I do what I can to vex your nerves.” Darcy starts laughing when Jane cries, “Lizzy! How can you say that?”
Elizabeth, with a smile on her face, replies, “Jane, I would much rather laugh. My other choice is to cry, and Fitzwilliam does not like to see me crying.”
Darcy kisses Elizabeth on the forehead again. “No, indeed, I do not like seeing you cry. Rest now, sweetheart. I am going to show our family to the door. I will return shortly.”
With that, Darcy escorts Mr. Bennet and Jane downstairs, where they meet Bingley. Bingley turns to Mr. Bennet and says, “Good afternoon, Mr. Bennet. I just received this note for you.”
Mr. Bennet excuses himself for a moment. Darcy turns to Jane, who is standing with Bingley, and asks, “Jane, do you believe you can convince your father and sisters to visit Elizabeth in a few days? I am worried about her spirits. Elizabeth looked so sad just now.”
Jane puts her hand on Darcy’s arm and says, “William, I am so happy that Lizzy has you. Can you tell me what happened when Lizzy had her spell?”
Darcy thinks back reflectively, “We were walking the grounds here at Netherfield and were just returning past the library when she told me that she did not feel well. The next thing I knew, Elizabeth just collapsed. I managed to catch her, and she started convulsing in my arms. I had no idea what to do. Fortunately, Richard and Wickham came upon us, and they were able to help me until the spell had passed. I carried her upstairs, and the rest you know.”
Jane looks up at Bingley and then to Darcy and asks, “Forgive me for asking this, William. Do you feel any differently about Lizzy now that you have seen what can happen to her? Lizzy has always felt that she was not good enough, but I always felt that she was wrong. I know this was one of her biggest fears and why she was so certain that she would never marry.”
Darcy smiles at Jane. “I am not upset, Jane. You would not be Elizabeth’s favorite sister if you did not look after her best interests. I will be honest in that I felt helpless, and I told her as much. I guess more than anything I wished I knew what to do. My ignorance of how to handle a spell was my concern, not that Elizabeth having one was a problem. I always knew that there was a chance that she could have more spells. I have always been afraid that in marrying me, I would be bringing Elizabeth to more stress. I love Elizabeth very much and will do whatever I must to convince Elizabeth of this as well.”
Jane nods, and Mr. Bennet returns and informs Darcy, “William, I have heard back from Phillips. There is a place that you can lease for a few days or weeks as you need. The place is called Pulvis Lodge and is about five miles away and shares the west border with Netherfield Park.”
Darcy shakes Mr. Bennet’s hand and asks, “Thank you, sir. Do you know when we will be able to move in?”
Mr. Bennet replies, “William, I just sent a message off to Phillips to hire the most basic of staff for tomorrow. The rest will come in a few days. Some of the staff will be in place this afternoon to start preparing it for you. You should be able to move Elizabeth into sometime tomorrow morning.”
Darcy takes a deep breath. “Thank you, sir. I admit that I will feel better with Elizabeth away from everything. I hope you and your daughters will visit Elizabeth in a few days. I will send word when she is ready for visitors. We will stay here until Elizabeth is well enough to return to town, and we will return in time to watch Jane and Bingley marry. Hopefully, by then, I will be able to announce my own marriage.”
Mr. Bennet smiles and says, “Of course, William. We look forward to hearing from you. Please do not hesitate if you need anything. I will see you soon, and I cannot wait to see everyone’s surprise when your marriage to Elizabeth is announced. Come, Jane. Let us return before your mother gets upset.”
Chapter 23
Darcy returns to his bedchamber to see that Elizabeth has succumbed to the sleeping draught and is resting peacefully.
Darcy turns to Georgiana, who is sitting with Elizabeth and says, “Georgie, if Elizabeth wakes, please send word. I am going downstairs for a few minutes.”
Georgiana replies, “Of course, Brother. I do not believe she will awaken for a while. I will watch over my sister for you.”
Darcy returns downstairs, enters the library, and pours himself a brandy. He crosses the room to stand in front of the window, looking out to the spot where Elizabeth had her spell. After a while, he is just staring there blankly when Richard and Wickham enter the room. Richard clasps Darcy on the shoulder. “Darcy, how is Lizzy?”
Darcy takes a deep breath and turns facing Richard and Wickham, saying, “Richard, she is resting peacefully at the moment. When Elizabeth first awoke, she was nervous, and then she was afraid that I would divorce her now that I had seen her have a spell.”
Richard responds, “Darcy, that is a normal reaction. I think you know that the best thing to do is what you have always done. Treat Elizabeth like nothing is wrong just as you have always done.”
Darcy nods and says, “Richard, George, I want to thank you both for your quick actions when Elizabeth had her spell. I had no idea what to do, and I was terrified for her.”
Wickham replies, “Darcy, that is not a surprise. Watching someone have a spell is difficult for anyone, but when it is someone you love, that makes it even more difficult—especially as much as you love Miss Elizabeth.”
Darcy looks at Richard and Wickham and asks, “Is it really that easy to see how much I love Elizabeth?”
Wickham replies, “Not really, Darcy. You have to remember that Richard and I know you better than most.”
Darcy nods in understanding. “Mr. Bennet has found another residence for me to move Elizabeth to. I will be able to move her tomorrow. I will feel better if Elizabeth is away from this place. I am sure it now has a bad memory for her. I hope you will join us. Mr. Bennet assures me that there are plenty of rooms.” Darcy watches as Richard and Wickham look at each other and then back at Darcy.
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