by APRIL FLOYD
Mrs. Bennet sighed, for she might have known her husband would have been too nervous to lead the two young people to an understanding.
“I am sorry, my dear! Perhaps we might have Mr. Darcy visit without Mr. Bingley’s sister coming along?” Mr. Bennet said.
“Now there is a fine idea, husband. But I believe I have a better plan,” she said, her eyes twinkling as they did when she was eager to intervene with her own magic. The match between Mr. Darcy and their Lizzy would perhaps follow once Jane was married to Mr. Bingley.
“Miss Bingley has taken a liking to Jane, but not the rest of us. She shall surely send an invitation for tea and then Jane will make her visit. I fear there may be a terrible storm as our poor Jane makes her way to Netherfield!” Mrs. Bennet said, clapping her hands happily.
Mr Bennet frowned. “Why that would never do! Poor Jane could take ill! That would certainly make her most unattractive to Mr. Bingley!”
Mrs. Bennet waved her handkerchief at her husband and in a twinkling he changed his tune.
“You always know best, my dear!” he said and then wandered off to his study once more.
Overhead, Mrs. Bennet heard the noise of her many daughters and their calls for Elizabeth to make their gowns the loveliest. She knew her second daughter had grown weary of simple parlor tricks. She called for Hill and had the woman take her books to Elizabeth’s room, with instruction that the younger girls not touch them.
She crossed the room and sat before a window, a smile forming on her lips. The skies above were a lovely gray. She was certain they would have foul weather ahead. Perhaps she might join her daughters and select the loveliest gown for Jane’s visit to Netherfield, for she was certain Miss Bingley would send her invitation come the morrow.
6
In the Bingley carriage, Caroline leaned heavily upon Mr. Darcy. The breaking of her heel was most unfortunate, for she had gotten the shoes in London only a fortnight ago.
“Louisa,” she said as she leaned across Mr. Darcy to address her sister, “shall we have Jane for tea on the morrow? I do find her to be pleasant company but the rest of her family pains me so with their horrid manners.”
Mr. Darcy leaned as far back on the bench as he might and scowled at his friend who sat opposite with Mr. Hurst. Why must the two of them leave him between the Bingley sisters more often than not?
“Caroline, I say, that is most kind of you after the tedious afternoon we have spent in their company. I would have thought Charles might remove the blinders from his eyes after listening to Mrs. Bennet and those two impertinent children prattle on for the better part of an hour,” Louisa said, glancing to their brother.
Mr. Darcy prayed the driver would soon have them delivered to Netherfield so that he might retire to the library in peace.
Charles Bingley scolded his sister for her lack of charity where the Bennets were concerned.
“Her family might be louder and merrier than our own, but I find them all to be most delightful. I believe the letting of Netherfield Park to be one of the better decisions I have made.”
Mr. Darcy nodded his agreement.
“I did enjoy my visit with Miss Elizabeth and her father in his study.”
Caroline moved away from Mr. Darcy, her anger returning.
“I cannot imagine their conversation to be more sophisticated than any you might find in the homes of their neighbors. Mr. Darcy, you surprise me with your interest in Miss Eliza.”
Louisa laughed along with Caroline and Mr. Darcy recalled the allure of Miss Elizabeth’s eyes. The sparkle and fire that danced therein enchanted him.
“Caroline, there should be no surprise that a man of my position might find the young woman interesting. Perhaps I have been too long confined to the ladies of Town who look upon me as a prize rather than a person.”
Charles Bingley covered his laughter with a sudden cough. Caroline eyed Mr. Darcy. Surely he spoke in jest! Miss Elizabeth Bennet would consider him a far bigger prize than any refined lady of his acquaintance.
“Make no mistake. Miss Eliza would indeed consider you a feather in her cap, Mr. Darcy. What has she compared to those ladies of London you so readily dismiss?”
Mr. Darcy sighed. His head had begun to ache from the incessant chattering of the jealous woman.
* * *
Just as Mrs. Bennet anticipated, Caroline Bingley sent an invitation for Jane to tea the next afternoon. The skies had gown darker as the day progressed and as Jane descended the stairs, they could hear the rain begin in earnest.
“Oh, mother! What shall I do? I must not ride to Netherfield in such awful weather. Mr. Bingley would believe me to be quite daft.”
Mrs. Bennet hushed her lovely daughter’s words and brought out a great cloak with a deep hood that would keep her gown, and her lovely hair, perfectly dry.
“Elizabeth,” she called as she wrapped the cloak about Jane and secured it with an ornate silver clasp.
“Yes, mother,” Elizabeth replied as she examined the fabric of Jane’s cloak. The downy softness draped well and Elizabeth saw it was enchanted by one of her mother’s spells of protection.
“Once the rains have passed and Jane is trapped at Netherfield by the washed out lanes between Longhorn and Mr. Bingley’s estate, you shall make your way towards the grand house in search of your dear sister.”
Elizabeth caught her mother’s eye and smiled.
“You are a loud and excessive woman, mother, but what many will miss when they judge your character is your absolute brilliance when planning a campaign to catch a man for one of your daughters.”
Jane’s unease had lessened and she laughed at her sister’s words.
“We are fortunate to have such a lady as our mother, Lizzy, for without her guidance we might be as missish as the Bingley sisters.”
Elizabeth nodded her agreement and walked with her sister to the front door. The stable boy brought the horse as close to the house as possible and Elizabeth helped Jane to gain her seat in the saddle.
Jane waved to her as the horse slowly trod through the growing puddles in the lane. Shivering at the cool air, Elizabeth stepped back and turned to enter Longbourn.
Mrs. Bennet was busy with her cloak and Elizabeth stayed to watch and listen to her mother’s instruction. She was determined to discover more regarding the strange feelings whenever she and Mr. Darcy touched.
“Mother, I wondered if you have known of a witch feeling a connection when taking a man’s hand?”
Mrs. Bennet smiled. “Do you mean more than the romantic spark of love, my dear?’
Elizabeth blushed. She had danced with John Lucas and several of the officers encamped at Meryton but had never felt the fluctuation in the air about her as she did with Mr. Darcy.
“Mr. Darcy is a mystery to me, mother. You know I cast that enchantment spell at the assembly to tease him for his unkind words only to find he was unaffected. He must be interested in someone there, likely Miss Bingley. The same happened with Mr. Bingley. I imagine he must have already been smitten with Jane, and who might blame him?”
“It is possible Mr. Darcy is interested in Miss Bingley or one of the young ladies present at our assembly but how are we to know with the way he held himself apart from the rest of us?”
Elizabeth finished the cloak with her mother, her thrill at learning about the magic her mother could work causing the bond between them to grow.
“I sent Hill upstairs yesterday with those books. They will not open for the other girls. I would have you spend a portion of each day studying them. There may be answers hidden there to questions you haven’t considered yet.”
Elizabeth embraced her mother and hurried upstairs so that she might be ready to follow after Jane when the Bingleys sent notice that she would not be able to return home through the storm.
7
Elizabeth became the second Bennet sister to set her foot towards Netherfield Park that day. Her cloak was amazing in its service, never allowing the mud to dirt
y her skirts nor the rains to dampen her boots. The book her mother urged her to take along for this visit fit easily into her skirt pocket. She wondered that such a small book could hold the secrets she wished to know.
She met Mr. Darcy on the lawn of the great estate, his eyes registering his surprise to see her traveling on foot in such inclement weather.
“Come, Miss Elizabeth, you must not wander about in such foul weather.”
Elizabeth smiled up at him, her face aglow from the exercise of walking the distance between Longbourn and Netherfield Park.
“I find the weather as invigorating as the walk, sir. And my cloak is of a kind you may never have encountered. Our mother fashioned them for Jane and myself. I am most comfortable on such a stormy day.”
Mr. Darcy touched the cloth of her cloak, smiling when he recognized it for what it was. The cloth was enchanted so it might repel moisture thus keeping the wearer warm and dry within its folds.
He knew Caroline’s gossip about Mrs. Bennet to be true and the power had fallen to Elizabeth and not Jane. How interesting!
The rains lessened as they stood under a great tree and talked. Elizabeth could not recall the details of their conversation later, but what she did mark was the way Mr. Darcy held her attention and kept her in his company far longer than she would have expected.
The indifferent man who had stood against the wall at the assembly was gone and replaced by a man who seemed to believe she was someone he must know.
Elizabeth wondered for a moment if he held any magical powers, for there were not many men, except her father, who might hold a lovely conversation with her without becoming distracted.
Mr. Darcy took her hand and placed it upon his arm and began to walk with her to Netherfield. The connection between them was a gentle hum then, as though it had been satisfied of their intentions.
“Miss Elizabeth, do you see your life here at Longbourn always?” Mr. Darcy said as he stopped their progress and looked away across the countryside.
Elizabeth thought for a moment wondering at such a question from a man she hardly knew.
“I cannot say, Mr. Darcy. My family home is under a situation most vexing and should my father pass,” she paused and turned her head away, not able to speak of the day her father might no longer be in her life.
Mr. Darcy pulled her closer, his heart betraying him as he longed to protect her.
Elizabeth sighed with a deep contentment. Standing in the cool air with Mr. Darcy sent a tremble through her body. She stepped away then, her brow creasing.
“I long for Jane’s company. We shall return to Longbourn before the light fades.”
Mr. Darcy led her inside and they met Charles in the entry.
“Miss Elizabeth, how fortunate that you have come. Jane has gone up to lie down. I fear she is not well.”
Mr. Darcy bit his tongue to keep his laughter from escaping. Mrs. Bennet had sent Jane out in a torrent with every intention of having Elizabeth follow behind. The woman was well versed in the art of matchmaking, unlike her poor husband.
Mr. Darcy watched as Elizabeth ascended the grand staircase with a maid. She and Jane would be situated at Netherfield for the night at the least. He turned to his friend Bingley and clapped the man on his back.
“Come, Charles. Miss Bennet shall rest well now that her sister has arrived. Caroline spoke of a love spell the night of the assembly. I believe the arrival of the Bennet sisters might cause her to speak of it again before they have returned to Longbourn.”
Charles Bingley appeared amused by his friend’s speech.
“Darcy, Miss Bennet has no need of such sport. She has won my affections without trickery or deceit.”
Darcy nodded, knowing his attempts to quell his friend’s devotion to the lady would be for naught. How might he influence Charles against the temptation of Miss Bennet when Miss Elizabeth was beginning to tempt him more with each meeting?
The two gentlemen retired to the library sharing the hope of love for each Bennet sister just out of reach upstairs.
* * *
Jane Bennet smiled when Elizabeth entered her room at Netherfield. Their mother’s plan had worked thus far.
Elizabeth hastened to Jane’s side, her hand quickly upon her sister’s face to be certain she was not truly ill.
“For a moment, I worried for you Jane. I do not wish for mother’s plan to fail. Mr. Bingley will surely be drawn closer now. The poor man was most distraught to think of you lying in his house taken ill.”
Jane hushed her sister.
“It is not myself nor Bingley you ought concern yourself with Lizzy! Mr. Darcy shall be here for a few days before he returns to London. There is plenty of time for the two of you to become better acquainted.”
Lizzy sighed as she sat by Jane.
“I did have a wonderful time with him under the trees when we met on the lawn just now.”
Her eyes were dreamy and Jane teased her for it.
“Lizzy Bennet! For all that you are unsure of the man, there is a certain happiness to your countenance when you speak of him.”
Lizzy rose and paced the room, her hands caressing the fine fabrics of the furnishings as she passed them.
“He did not react to my enchantment spell, Jane, and that has me confused. I suppose it must be Miss Bingley as she is usually in his company.”
Jane frowned.
“I cannot say I have noticed any particular favor shown to the woman by Mr. Darcy. If anything, he prefers his own company.”
Lizzy noted the pallor of her sister’s face and begged Jane to lie back and try to sleep. They would have to stay a night or two with the Bingleys, there was nothing to be done about it. Elizabeth knew her cloak had not failed but perhaps Jane had not been well when she left Longbourn.
Once Jane was settled, Elizabeth took the small book from her pocket and sat down to read.
She went immediately to the pages concerning enchantment spells, for those were the ones she desired to master sooner rather than later. She noticed a name, faded but still legible, on the inside cover of the book. Anne Redfearne.
Elizabeth knew her story well and supposed that as her book had passed down through generations of the women in her family, this Anne must be the ill-fated relation who was hanged in the 1600’s. She trembled as she turned the pages, imagining herself or her mother suffering such punishment.
Over the course of an hour, she came across the spell she used at the assembly and began to read.
If a man be immune to the spell, then he is one of two things, a man already smitten, or a mage of great power.
Elizabeth thought upon the words of the book. Mr. Darcy, a mage of great power? She supposed it might be true and wondered if her mother would know. Surely she would.
But then again he simply might be a man smitten. With the likes of Caroline Bennet. She found that explanation to be as unlikely as the first. There came a knock upon the door and she dropped the book as she stood guiltily.
A maid entered and Mr. Darcy stood at the door.
“Miss Elizabeth, would you care to join us for dinner?”
Elizabeth glanced to Jane.
“The maid will see to her every need, you have my word. If Jane requires your attention the maid will fetch you from the dining room.”
Elizabeth turned away, smoothing her skirts whilst taking a moment to arrange her hair.
Mr. Darcy stepped into the room and saw the book upon the floor. It vibrated at his approach and he held out his hand. The book flew to him as a bird to its nest. Elizabeth turned as he held out the book.
“You seem to have dropped this.”
She took it and placed it upon the dressing table, glancing again at Jane before she left the room with Mr. Darcy.
“Pardon me, Miss Elizabeth, but that is unusual reading for a young lady. Perhaps you found it here at Netherfield?”
Elizabeth smiled at him. What was his interest in her small book? “It is my mother’s, and her mother befor
e her, and so on.”
Mr. Darcy nodded, his eyes darkening. “I have not seen one like it for many years. How interesting to find it in the hands of such a lovely young woman.”
Elizabeth blushed. Her hand went immediately to her pendant and for a moment she wished she might disappear. But she stopped herself before she might work that trick.
Mr. Darcy knew her thoughts, as young as she was and not yet as strong as she would one day become. She must be ready to learn more of her talent and heritage. She was most certainly on a mission to catch a man, for her mother’s excellent plan had landed two of her most beautiful and marriageable daughters in the confines of a grand house with two wealthy, eligible gentlemen.
8
The dining room of Netherfield was the grandest in all of Hertfordshire and Elizabeth was happy she had taken a moment to fix her hair and work a bit of magic on her dress as she followed Mr. Darcy down the hallway.
Their connection seemed broken, for Elizabeth did not feel the usual current between them and she wondered at the peculiar sensation once more.
Her mother had sent her with the one book and so it must contain all she would need to know in order to capture Mr. Darcy’s heart.
He walked along with Elizabeth’s arm on his and wondered how she might begin her tricks. He recalled that her hand was often at the pendant round her neck and thought it must be a talisman of sorts.
They arrived downstairs in time for dinner to be served and Mr. Darcy was pleased to see Caroline Bingley seated beside her sister and across from Mr. Hurst. That left the other end of the table for he and Elizabeth to share.
He pulled out her seat and smiled warmly as she sat. Her eyes shone as brightly as the many candles that were placed about.
Charles entered the room and saw Elizabeth at the other end of the table. His smile gave her confidence. The idea of Caroline being his sister was one she might never fully understand, for their temperaments were so vastly different.
