With Jane still in Town, Elizabeth found their bedchamber even emptier. If her sister were there, she would not have felt so lost. She desperately needed to speak to Jane, the person she trusted the most in the world. Her feelings—some of them silly and impossible to understand, even to her—kept her spirits low for the entire day. She might have even told Jane everything. Now, she was not sure of anything. Elizabeth sat down on the edge of the bed for a few moments and then opened her luggage. She was amazed to discover that she had carried with her the flowers she had attached to her gown on the night of the ball. They were still pretty, with a bluish colour that brought the memory of someone’s face—and eyes—to mind. Elizabeth felt her indignation rising and threw the flowers to the ground, determined not to think of him anymore.
That evening, Elizabeth spent some time with her father in the library, struggling to relate to him the amusing side of her adventure in Kent.
Mrs. Bennet demanded to know everything Mr. Collins possessed—at the same time, looking for some sign of regret in Elizabeth for having turned him down. From Elizabeth’s melancholic state of mind and the tone with which she answered her questions—sometimes with a broken voice—Mrs. Bennet deduced it was so and felt half-vindicated.
“And to think that all that could have been yours, Lizzy! Next time, a gentleman proposes marriage, you should think twice before throwing everything to ruin.”
Lydia and Kitty wanted to know every detail about the ball once Elizabeth mentioned Lady Catherine’s event. Their envy was genuine, and because of that, both Lydia and Kitty tormented Elizabeth with inquiries about the gowns she had seen, the people who were invited, and the music that was played.
As the story unfolded, she mentioned Mr. Darcy’s name a couple of times and felt her cheeks flush as she tried to remain calm. The story of the ball with such illustrious guests and the information that she had danced several sets threw her mother and sister past the edge of their patience and brought even more distress to Mrs. Bennet.
“A private ball! And you had no proper gowns! What a shame! How could you appear in such a poor state, Lizzy? From now on, you will never leave without at least two ball gowns in your luggage! So many handsome young men! A colonel and an earl—Lord Hastings, you said? And they danced with you although you were improperly attired? Can you imagine what they might have done if you had a beautiful gown? Maybe you could have secured yourself a husband! A most undeserving miracle after you refused poor Mr. Collins! God keeps having mercy on you and sending you miracles, and you are never prepared for them! Well, I am sure you will all remained unmarried, and Charlotte Lucas will threw you out of the house as soon as your father dies! This is entirely your fault, Lizzy, you know that!”
“But, Mama, I shall marry!” Lydia declared enthusiastically.
“As shall I, Mama,” Kitty cried.
But Mrs. Bennet waved her hand in dismissal. Such a distant prospect was not enough to calm her nerves for the losses she would have to bear because of her second daughter.
***
About a week after she arrived home, Elizabeth received a letter that bore Charlotte’s hasty handwriting. Elizabeth took it to her room and opened it only when she was alone for fear of what it might contain. She was not mistaken, for what she read astounded her completely.
Dearest Lizzy,
I do hope my letter finds you well. I am writing late at night. Mr. Collins is sleeping, so you will have to excuse my poor writing and the soft pen. I know it is terrible, and please, bear with me. I could wait no longer to tell you what has happened since you went away and what I found most curious.
After Mr. Collins returned from seeing you off, he was summoned most urgently by her ladyship. He was agitated on his return, so I inquired about it—alas, my curiosity—and what I found out has puzzled me greatly.
It appears that Lady Catherine’s request was all to do with you. She quizzed him about you, Lizzy! When she was informed that you had left that morning, she demanded to know your reasons. It appears that you caused quite an impression at the ball. Her ladyship wished to learn from Mr. Collins whether you talked to her nephew Mr. Darcy and what was said during your dance, but most importantly, whether you have seen each other since the ball.
Of course, Mr. Collins—who is in the dark about the unfortunate events of which we were both a part—knew nothing of any encounter you might have had with Mr. Darcy prior to or after the ball, and therefore, he was unable to produce a reasonable answer for her ladyship. She was in an uproar due to the fact that Mr. Darcy left Rosings in such haste. And thus, the reason for Lady Catherine’s distress was unwillingly revealed. Her ladyship wanted to convince Mr. Darcy to declare himself to Miss de Bourgh, but he refused even to discuss the matter and declared that he urgently needed to return to Pemberley. You and I both know that his haste must be related to the incident we witnessed at the ball, but no other soul knows that.
Her ladyship was furious at her nephew’s departure, and I was told she seeks reasons for it. Not a single person is now allowed in her presence except Mr. Collins when she calls for him.
Lizzy, I know you have your reasons to be vexed about Mr. Darcy’s behaviour—although I do hope time has alleviated some of your distress towards him—but it appears you have saved Mr. Darcy from an imminent marriage. On the whole, this is rather curious, do you not agree?
Yours, CC
Elizabeth re-read the letter several times. Her emotions changed from curiosity to utter shock. “This cannot be!” she exclaimed and then reviewed what she had learned. That Lady Catherine wished to see her daughter married to Mr. Darcy was not a secret or a surprise to Elizabeth. That the gentleman did not desire it was revealed in her conversation with the colonel. But that Lady Catherine considered her responsible for her nephew’s departure and inquired about her conversations and encounters with him was disturbing, and she wondered whether her behaviour had in any way betrayed her confused feelings about Mr. Darcy. And what was there to betray? He was nothing to her, just as she was nothing to him—only casual acquaintances who had spoken on a few occasions and argued each time.
Sitting in her bedchamber, entirely removed from her family with the letter in her hand, Elizabeth thoroughly considered for the first time the meaning behind Mr. Darcy’s conversation with the colonel. His sister had been in some danger from which she had barely been saved. This strange affair also involved a man. What had Mr. Darcy discovered about his sister? In what way was that man a threat to Miss Darcy? And who was the man allowed into her proximity? Elizabeth knew several situations were possible, but not one gratified her curiosity. Of course, she knew too little of Mr. Darcy and his sister to be able to find an answer to such a complicated query, so she was forced to cease the attempt. But her curiosity and distress remained.
Most of all, Elizabeth understood that silence upon this subject was imperative. Regardless of the circumstances, Mr. Darcy and the colonel considered it grave and tormenting for Miss Darcy. For a moment, she feared that Charlotte might mention something to her husband, which would surely pass the information to Lady Catherine.
Such a scenario was dreadful, and Elizabeth wondered how she could respond to Charlotte’s letter that would settle the matter for good without increasing her friend’s curiosity. The more she thought of it, the more reasons she found for Mr. Darcy’s behaviour: his restrained manners and wish for privacy. What she could not forgive was his misjudging and undeservedly offending her.
I could forgive his pride if he had not hurt mine, Elizabeth thought. And I can find no humour in this.
Charlotte’s letter had a beneficial effect. The problems between Mr. Darcy and his aunt had nothing to do with her. She only happened to be there at the wrong time. She was now at liberty to conclude that Mr. Darcy had become an accidental acquaintance and was slowly beginning to disappear into the far corners of her mind. She was content that she would never see him nor hear from him again, and she was confident that, in a short while, h
e would be forgotten entirely.
As far as his wedding to Miss de Burgh was concerned, Elizabeth hoped she had no real influence on his decision, and she would not allow herself to dwell on it any longer. Thus, with her heart at ease once more, Elizabeth replied to Charlotte’s letter, thanking her for the information she provided and pleading with her once again to forget the incident and never mention or even think of it again. She than offered details about the novelties of Meryton without once mentioning Mr. Darcy’s name.
***
With Jane’s arrival days after Charlotte’s letter, life improved for the better. Jane returned with an animated heart and many small gifts and stories from Town.
She told them of her lovely time with her uncle and aunt and mentioned she had attended a few small parties and even one theatre premiere. Mrs. Bennet immediately inquired after possible gentlemen whom she might have met on her journey, demanding to be told everything. Jane shattered her mother’s hopes with a single word.
Later that evening, in the solitude of their room, Elizabeth and Jane finally had time to enjoy each other’s presence.
“Oh, Jane, I have missed you so much! There was not a single day that I did not wish for your company.”
“I missed you dreadfully too, dear Lizzy. But I would have imagined that Mr. Collins was company enough for you not to think of us.”
The two sisters laughed, reminding themselves of the times Mr. Collins was in their house, preaching to them from his Book of Sermons. Then Elizabeth gladly recalled the events during her first visit to Rosings and the adventure of Charlotte, Mr. Collins, and her landing in the muddy terrain. The story caused another moment of sound laughter in Jane, which Elizabeth enjoyed since she loved to see Jane so animated.
Elizabeth, however, made no mention of Mr. Darcy’s presence at the scene for fear that she would have to think more of him. And suddenly, the memory of Mr. Darcy’s eyes, looking at her with the intensity she had often seen in them, was too much for her. Her countenance became less lively before she heard Jane speak again.
“I hope Charlotte has a comfortable home,” her sister said kindly.
“I dare say she has. She seems content, and she knows how to manage everything to her liking.” Elizabeth smiled. “She seemed content with her lovely house and the proximity to Rosings, which allows her to dine there frequently.”
“How interesting. I hope you had the chance of meeting the famous Lady Catherine. And what about the two nephews Mama mentioned today? Mr. Darcy—the gentleman Mr. Collins spoke of frequently when he first visited us—and, I believe, a colonel? I recall you mentioned them in your first letter, but then you wrote nothing else.”
Elizabeth hesitated for a moment before she spoke—feeling her cheeks suddenly burning and hoping Jane did not observe it.
“Yes, I did meet Lady Catherine—more often than I would like.” She laughed nervously. “And her two nephews are…quite interesting characters. I am rather relieved that I shall not see any of them again.”
“Really? But what about Mr. Darcy of whom we heard so much? In your letter, you said that he was everything Mr. Collins described. Do you still hold that opinion now that you have come to know him better?”
Elizabeth paused before she spoke again and considered carefully what she could tell her dear sister without feeling as if she were lying to her. “I can hardly say that I came to know him better, Jane, but I would say he is no better than we first imagined.”
Jane saw that Elizabeth was uneasy, and although she was curious, she chose to approach her with a more soothing tone of voice.
“Oh, I am sorry to hear that, dearest. Since you danced with them, I hope that Mr. Darcy and the colonel were at least handsome enough and proved to be good dancers.”
“In each of those respects I have no reason to complain; of course, neither of them compares to Mr. Collins’s dancing skills.” She attempted a joke while her voice trembled slightly. Jane laughed soundly, resting her hand on her chest. Elizabeth turned to her, fearing Jane was on the verge of asking something she would rather not answer and simply said, “Now, let us sleep, dearest; you must be tired.”
Jane rested her head on the pillow and, before closing her eyes, said peacefully, “Good night, Lizzy. I am glad to be home.”
Elizabeth turned to her side of the bed to hide her distress from Jane as she whispered. “I am glad too, dear Jane. Very glad indeed.”
Chapter Eight
A full month passed before anything remarkable happened to bring renewed agitation to the Bennet ladies’ daily life. Thus, on a fine morning in August, Lydia, followed by Kitty, ran up the stairs to her mother’s chamber, calling in gay voices.
“Mama, Mama! You will not believe it!” Lydia quieted her sister with just one word then continued. “Netherfield Park will have a new lessee!”
Mrs. Bennet, who had not had a reason to feel joy in a long time, sprang from her bed, forgetting the headache that had kept her prisoner in her chamber for the past two days, and demanded to be told more.
“Truly? Are you absolutely sure? Will it be leased or purchased? Who will take it?”
“I do not know, Mama. I have heard the news in Meryton; everyone speaks nothing else! They say that Sir William has met with the gentleman and that he promised to move in as soon as possible. It will be such fun! Oh, and maybe there will a ball! I hope he is handsome and likes to dance. And I hope he is not married!”
The rumours of the turmoil Lydia and Kitty had stirred in the house attracted more members of the family into Mrs. Bennet’s room, ready to hear the news as well. Elizabeth stopped at the entrance while Jane advanced into the room, sitting on the edge of the bed.
No sooner had Lydia finished speaking than Mrs. Bennet sighed deeply and began to choose a gown to wear. Without looking at any of her daughters, she said, “Oh, Lydia, I should have known that you would not ask the right questions, child. I shall now have to rely on my sister Philips or Lady Lucas’s intelligence on the matter. Lady Lucas’s company gives me little pleasure since her daughter tricked Mr. Collins into marrying her, but I have little choice in the matter.”
Mr. Bennet fixed her attention on her gowns and, turning to her daughters, said, “Jane, would you help me dress? I must go to Meryton at once. I believe a short ride will be beneficial for my nerves. Kitty, fetch John and ask him to prepare the carriage. Mary, write a note to Lady Lucas and tell her we shall call on her in the afternoon. Send a servant with it this instant.”
“Mama, may I come with you?” Lydia cried again.
“You may not; I shall only take Jane and Lizzy with me.”
“But, Mama…” Lydia protested, “it is not fair. I am the one that heard the rumour!”
“Hush, Lydia, I shall take you tomorrow. Now tell Hill to bring us a tray with some refreshments. I am rather hungry, and I am sure Lady Lucas will not offer us much except for tea. She has never had a generous character, and her daughter is the same. I wonder whether she fed Lizzy at all during her stay in Hunsford.”
An hour later, all was prepared for Mrs. Bennet‘s visit, including her nerves that were much at peace after she enjoyed some cheese, cold meat, and biscuits. The promising news had raised her interest as well as her appetite. Her enthusiasm, however, was diminished when the servant returned with a written answer from Lucas Lodge. Mrs. Bennet read the note impatiently, then her eyes widened in displeasure.
“Lady Lucas says she is rather busy and would be pleased to have our company tomorrow at noon! What is this? Tomorrow? She must have guessed the reason for my call and purposely postponed it ’til tomorrow to keep me at my wits’ end.”
Elizabeth tried to pacify her. “I doubt Lady Lucas has any idea that you intend to glean information on a subject that interests you.”
“You have no idea how that lady’s mind works, Lizzy! I have known her longer than you have, and I can honestly say that she does it on purpose to vex me. I think she has a plan in the works; I am sure she would be h
appy for both Mr. Bennet and me to die so Charlotte can throw you all out and move in here!”
“Mama, that is quite unfair.”
“No, it is not, Lizzy. And you are no better; had you married Mr. Collins, I would have no reason for such distress now. I am still very upset with you! But I shall go to see my sister Philips. She will know the details too; even better, I am sure she knows the name of the gentleman. One thing I am sure of: Lady Lucas cannot keep a secret to herself!”
“But even if Lady Lucas knows the identity of the new owner of Netherfield Park, how can she use it to her advantage? Why would she keep it secret?” Jane asked, confused by her mother’s logic.
Mrs. Bennet had already ceased to listen to any arguments and hurried to the window, shouting as she saw that it had started to rain. She complained about the unfairness of the world and of fate that kept her trapped inside, so far away from what interested her most. She threw down her bonnet, abandoning her travel plans.
Disappointed, she sought the attention of her husband in the library and barged in, followed by all five daughters, who were not allowed to enter. After delivering the good news as if it were something of the greatest importance—“Mr. Bennet, have you heard? Netherfield Park is taken at last! How extraordinary is that?”—she attempted to convince him that he should meet the owner as soon as possible to be among the first in the neighbourhood to make his acquaintance.
Mr. Bennet seemed deeply annoyed to have his peaceful reading interrupted and spoke as calmly as he could.
“Mrs. Bennet, if someone truly takes Netherfield and if that person moves in at some point and if it is reasonably a man, I shall go and see him when I have the chance. But let us not behave foolishly and make this young gentleman run back to London. The poor man wishes nothing but peace, which is why he has decided to come to the country.”
Meant to Be: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Page 10
