They both set out with haste, but neither of them avoided the rain. Before long it came down in a torrent. Jane, being on horseback, at least had the benefit of avoiding the mud, but Elizabeth arrived at Netherfield in a filthy state with six inches of mud on her petticoat.
“I do not know what Miss Bingley will think of my appalling state,” she muttered to herself as she approached the door. “Perhaps I shall be sent home in disgrace.” She laughed and knocked upon the door.
If Miss Bingley thought anything of the petticoat, she did not say so. All her concern was for her friend’s welfare. Elizabeth was sent to dry herself thoroughly and change into one of Mrs. Hurst’s dresses with the assistance of her maid. Miss Bingley expressed sorrow that she could not provide one of her own dresses for her friend’s comfort, but there was too great a difference in height between them. She declared herself envious of her sister for having a shorter stature and being able to claim the honour of loaning a dress.
Dinner was as dull as Elizabeth had expected, but she kept up her share of the conversation with reasonable spirits. The rain did not let up all evening, and as Mrs. Bennet had predicted, an invitation to stay the night was given and accepted.
“It would not surprise me if Jane is also staying with the Longs,” she said, having earlier mentioned her sister’s dinner engagement.
Miss Bingley now felt herself quite capable of offering a smidgeon of hospitality to the elder sister. “It will be too muddy for her to ride home. We shall send the carriage to collect her first thing in the morning and one of our servants can fetch her horse later in the day,” she said. “You will have breakfast with us while the coachman goes to get your sister, and he can return for you afterwards.”
Elizabeth protested that she could save time by going to the Longs, but Miss Bingley insisted that she must be allowed to enjoy her breakfast, so she allowed her hostess to settle the arrangements her own way.
In the morning, Elizabeth was again provided with one of Mrs. Hurst’s dresses and the assistance of a maid in putting it on. She was directed to the breakfast room and found only Mr. Darcy in it, other than the servants, of whom there were generally many in evidence in this household.
“I am always the first one down,” he said, “but you shall be safe enough with only me for company. I do not bite.”
“I would not fear your bite if you did,” Elizabeth replied evenly, choosing a chair directly opposite his to demonstrate that she did not lack courage. “Did you have a pleasant dinner with the officers yesterday evening?”
“Very pleasant. We had great fun placing bets on all manner of ridiculous things.”
“It sounds exactly like an evening calculated to amuse you. Did you fare well in your bets?”
“Not at all. I do not seem to have a flair for it, and Mr. Bingley let me down grievously. I did think that he could manage to walk on his hands. Oh well, I can afford to lose a few shillings, and no doubt some of the officers were happy to receive the money they won off me.”
“Just shillings,” Elizabeth observed. “I am sure Miss Bingley will be relieved to hear it.”
Mr. Darcy’s expression suddenly changed to a serious one, and looked directly at her. “It is absurd to keep up this act with you who know so much already” he said. “To tell the truth, I am not in the habit of gambling. Yet, I did have an amusing time yesterday. There was silliness, but it was of a completely harmless sort, and there was a great deal of laughter without any of the malice which has so frequently been associated with the sort of laughter I often hear. There was, however, sensible and intelligent conversation as well. I like the officers, and I enjoy being in their company. What I said the other night was true. I think of them as real friends and am very glad of it.”
The appearance of the others made it impossible for him to say any more, but Elizabeth was left appreciating his honesty with her. She was even entertained to hear the exploits of his evening now recounted with ludicrous details, which she suspected to be false. When those shillings were suddenly turned into pounds for Miss Bingley’s benefit she caught Mr. Darcy’s eye and had to stifle a grin. He gave her a little smile in return, and suddenly Elizabeth felt the validity of something which he had said when they last talked. If it was true that an engagement had been forced upon him, their situation was similar, except that his was far worse. She of all people, ought to be capable of comprehending what he felt. In that moment, she felt some strange solidarity with him.
The carriage was heard returning as they were finishing their meal, and Jane was announced in a moment. Upon seeing her in the doorway, Elizabeth thought that her colour was very bright. Jane took two unsteady steps into the room and then collapsed. While his sisters remained seated. Mr. Bingley rushed to her aid. So too did Mr. Darcy, but he was in a closer position, and immediately threw himself forward so that his hands cushioned Jane’s head and kept it from striking the floor.
Mr. Bingley reached her a second later, along with Elizabeth, who discovered that her sister was burning with fever.
“She must be taken to lie down at once,” Mr. Bingley said.
Miss Bingley agreed, although with noticeably less enthusiasm, and Jane was soon settled into a bed, with both gentleman assisting as much as propriety allowed. At Mr. Bingley’s insistence, the apothecary was summoned; and Mr. Darcy made the offer of fetching a doctor from London if one should be needed.
Emotion welled up in Elizabeth’s heart and tears in her eyes. Her supposed friends had done so little, but Mr. Bingley was so thoughtful, and Mr. Darcy had proven himself the sort of person Charlotte had claimed him to be. His hasty action in the dining room, throwing himself to the floor without regard for his clothing or dignity, had demonstrated genuine caring. What a man did when there was no time to think was a great indication of his true character. This was not something she would soon forget.
She blinked away the tears and sat beside Jane’s bed to wait for the apothecary, who was not long in arriving. He diagnosed a violent cold and recommended several days of bed rest at the very least, but had no serious concerns. This was repeated to the gentlemen who were waiting outside the room, ready to act in any way necessary. They looked noticeably relieved, especially Mr. Bingley.
Mrs. Hurst sat with Jane while Elizabeth went to write a note which would explain the situation to her mother. Mr. Darcy brought her writing materials while Mr. Bingley insisted that she should have a cup of tea to settle her nerves. Again, there was such friendship and kindness that emotion threatened to overcome her.
She thanked them both, and while Mr. Bingley was ringing the bell to arrange for tea, she communicated to Mr. Darcy her particular gratitude for his hasty actions.
“Jane might now be in a much worse state if you had not acted so swiftly and efficiently,” she said.
“I am glad to have been of use.”
“Perhaps one might credit such agility to your frequent exercise on the dance floor,” she said, intending her remark as an offer to cease hostilities.
He offered something in return. “Then I am pleased that my sore muscles have suffered for a worthwhile purpose. I do believe, however, that my dancing days are over. I am too old for this sort of foolishness.”
They exchanged smiles as Mr. Bingley rejoined them. It was a truce, and perhaps something more. It might be the beginning of friendship, Elizabeth thought. The note was sent, the tea drunk, and she spent the rest of the day sitting with Jane. When the clock struck three, she reluctantly felt that she must go, but fortunately Miss Bingley was very unwilling to part with her.
“The carriage is at your disposal if you should wish it,” she said; “however, it would be wonderful if you would choose to stay, and your presence will be such a comfort to your poor sister. Together, we shall nurse her back to perfect health, and I shall take great pleasure in having your company in the evenings, if she can spare you for an hour or two. I daresay we may have a whole week together, for I will not hear of Miss Bennet being moved a mom
ent too soon. Does that not sound like a delightful prospect, my dear friend?”
“Delightful indeed,” Elizabeth replied, thinking she would not mind if Jane could not spare her very often.
She did not see her ‘dear friend’ again until dinner at half past six. The idea of sharing the nursing did not take any practical form that day. At dinner, both sisters expressed themselves to be grieved about Jane’s condition, and said it was a shocking thing to have a bad cold, but Miss Bingley was more concerned that her dear Eliza might wear herself out by attending to the invalid.
“You must not do too much,” she repeated three or four times, displaying an indifference as to Jane’s condition.
Mr. Bingley, as could be expected, was more genuinely anxious for the invalid, and expressed great pleasure upon learning Elizabeth thought only of her sister’s health. Mr. Darcy had a blend of concern for both, which was gratifying. Mr. Hurst said very little, being intent upon his own comforts in the form of food and drink.
This meal was more comfortable than the last dinner in the same company had been. Mr. Darcy did not once provoke or disagree with Miss Bingley, except to agree with Elizabeth when she said that could not join the others in the drawing room as she wished to return immediately to her sister. This was accepted and as Elizabeth was departing the room, she heard Miss Bingley declare that she was the sweetest girl and the most generous sister.
“Sweet,” she exclaimed with disgust in the hallway. “It makes me feel quite sick,” she muttered to herself on the way up the stairs. “But then, I’d better not become ill, or poor Miss Bingley might feel herself obliged to nurse me and that would never do. For either of us.”
There was more to come in the drawing room when she felt the necessity of making a brief appearance later in the evening.
“I hope your dress has been returned to you,” Miss Bingley said.
“It has been and is beautifully clean. I thank you.”
Miss Bingley turned to address Mr. Darcy. “You never saw anything like the quantity of mud Miss Bennet picked up by walking here yesterday. I know I shall never forget it. In her eagerness to oblige Louisa and me, she thought nothing of sacrificing her own appearance and risking irreparable damage to her dress. What a great mark of friendship. I feel honoured to have inspired her to walk across three miles of muddy fields. It shows an affection for me that is very pleasing.”
“It was nothing,” Elizabeth said. “I do like a good walk.”
“You are too modest. It was a great deal more than nothing.”
Elizabeth could not argue that point. She had, in fact, gone to a very great effort to accept Miss Bingley’s invitation to the most informal of dinners, but she had had enough of praise, and of protesting it, so it was a relief to turn the conversation over to Mr. Darcy who remarked that it was a strange thing to judge friendship by the quantity of dirt on a person’s clothing. With a few more amusing remarks on that subject, he directed attention away from her, but a small smile in her direction led her to believe it had been done as a favour, and she was grateful for it.
She picked up a book to pass the time since the others were playing cards, but now Mr. Hurst had something to say. In a tone of astonishment, he observed it was rather singular of her to prefer reading to cards.
Miss Bingley came at once to her friend’s defence. “Miss Eliza in no way despises cards,” she declared. She is a great reader, but takes pleasure in many other things.”
“I do not deserve such praise,” protested Elizabeth. “In truth, I am not a great reader. You are correct, however, in observing that I enjoy many things. A variety of activities is always to be preferred.”
“Mr. Darcy is a great reader,” Mr. Bingley contributed. “He has a fine library.”
“The finest in the country,” Miss Bingley enthused. “Everything about Pemberley is exceptional. We must have you to visit us there some day so that you can see for yourself what a splendid place it is. Do you not think that an excellent idea, Mr. Darcy?”
He agreed that it was, but Elizabeth saw torment in his eyes, and changed the subject for his benefit.
“I understand that Mr. Darcy is also a great prankster these days,” she said. “Mr. Chamberlayne recently told me a very amusing story.”
Mr. Bingley laughed. “That was a good joke,” he said.
Mr. Darcy looked doubtful. “I do not know what you must have thought of me.”
“That you are a man with an excellent sense of humour,” Elizabeth assured him. Speaking of which, I have had an idea. I understand that you are not very good at walking on your hands,” she said to Mr. Bingley. “Would it not be a fine joke if you were to secretly practice and master the skill.”
“I doubt I could,” he said dubiously.
“Please do not encourage them, Eliza,” Miss Bingley cried. “They are much too capable of being foolish without any assistance.”
“But apparently not so capable of walking on their hands,” Elizabeth said blithely, enjoying the freedom of being more like herself in Miss Bingley’s company. “It seems that you need have no fear of that happening.”
For the third time that day, she and Mr. Darcy looked at each other and smiled.
CHAPTER 12
Jane had a tolerable night and was not so very ill in the morning, but Elizabeth felt it best to defer to her mother’s opinion and sent another note to Longbourn after breakfast. In a short time, Mrs. Bennet arrived, in company with Kitty, Lydia and Mary who gave Jane their best wishes in thoughtfully quiet voices which Elizabeth appreciated. She feared that her mother’s much louder voice would be easily overheard, something which was extremely undesirable considering the nature of her conversation.
“It was very clever of you to wait until you reached Netherfield before succumbing to illness,” she congratulated her daughter.
Jane made a faint protest, but her mother’s voice easily overwhelmed hers.
“You must make certain to stay as long as possible and take advantage of this opportunity,” Mrs. Bennet instructed.
Sitting in the morning room afterward, she pursued this object with Mr. Bingley by pronouncing that Jane was very ill, and insisting it would be impossible to move her for some time. Mr. Bingley’s ready agreement with this was gratefully received and it helped to sooth Elizabeth’s discomfort at her mother’s behaviour.
Fortunately, Kitty and Lydia, whom she had rather expected to indulge in their usual giggles with Mr. Darcy, instead very politely thanked Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst for their kindness to Jane. Even more surprisingly, there were no shrieks of excitement from them when Mr. Bingley mentioned the ball which he had once spoken of holding.
“When your sister is fully recovered, I shall have to make some definite plans,” he said.
“That will be a pleasant occasion,” Kitty said politely. “We shall look forward to it.”
“It is very thoughtful of you to wait until Jane can properly enjoy it,” Lydia added.
Elizabeth was more astonished. Her sisters’ manners were irreproachable for the first time ever. Unfortunately, her mother’s manners were not so fine. Mrs. Bennet made several awkward remarks, but each time the conversation was diverted elsewhere by something that one of her three sisters said. Elizabeth had the oddest feeling that this was consciously done. Somehow, they seemed to have developed remarkably improved judgement and social skill, as well as good manners, for which she was grateful, although she could not imagine how it had happened. Perhaps Mr. Darcy had not been such a bad influence over them after all. She looked at him curiously, and he caught her glance before she could hastily turn away. She blushed, but he smiled pleasantly.
Her mother seemed disinclined to leave in any hurry, but that too was smoothly dealt with. Her sisters made reference to having a great many things to do, made charming farewells, and whisked their mother out of the room, leaving their sister to wonder what had brought on this remarkable change in their behaviour
Again, Elizabeth spent the m
ain part of the day with Jane. Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst each came for a short visit with the invalid, and then she did not see them or the gentlemen until dinner. During the meal, Mr. Darcy was again perfectly behaved and did not indulge in even the smallest disagreement, despite a certain amount of provocation.
In the same pattern as yesterday, Elizabeth went upstairs after the meal but then spent some time in the drawing room a little later. She found Mr. Hurst and Mr. Bingley playing cards, with Mrs. Hurst watching, and Mr. Darcy writing a letter with Miss Bingley watching him. It made for an interesting scene.
She sat down with some needlework, and listened as Miss Bingley made an uncharacteristic attempt at flattering Mr. Darcy. She praised the neatness of his handwriting, the evenness of his lines, the length of his letter, and the remarkable speed at which he wrote. He said nothing, but Elizabeth could imagine how readily he might have replied to these compliments just a few days earlier. In her mind, he declared that his handwriting was untidy, his lines uneven, and his letter short. “I write rather slowly,” he said in her imagination, and a little laugh slipped out.
They both looked at her, and she pretended to cough.
Miss Bingley carried on with her comments, turning her thoughts to the number of letters that Mr. Darcy might write in a year before offering to mend his pen for him. He politely refused this, as well as her requests for him to include lengthy messages from her to his sister. It was almost a picture of happy domesticity, but Elizabeth could guess what was hidden beneath Mr. Darcy’s calm exterior.
At breakfast the next morning, it was again just the two of them at first, and Elizabeth took another opportunity to speak openly.
Mr. Darcy Dances: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Page 8
