“It’s not you I’m worried about.”
Jane looked torn. She wanted to pat Lizzy’s hand and reassure her sister, but she also didn’t want to spread her germs. “I don’t want our hosts to feel that we don’t appreciate their kindness. If you don’t go, I will feel obligated to, despite my illness.”
Lizzy shook her head at her sister. “You always know exactly what to say to talk me into doing something I don’t want to do. Fine. I’ll go. But only because I want you to take it easy and catch up on your sleep. You’re no good to me sick.”
Jane brightened. “Good. I’ll rest easier knowing you’re enjoying yourself.” She cast an appraising glance over Elizabeth. “You had better take yourself upstairs to take a shower and change clothes. You’re covered in sawdust.”
Lizzy shook her head and watched as tiny flecks of sawdust rained down on the carpet. She giggled as Jane squealed and backed away. “You don’t think I should go as I am?”
Jane shook her head. “Lizzy.”
Lizzy sighed. “I know. But I don’t have anything nice to wear for dinner without running home to get something, and if I did that, Mamma would start planning my wedding.”
Jane teased, “It is a sad day when an outfit that doesn’t consist of jeans and a t-shirt means you must be romantically involved with someone.”
Lizzy said, “Yes, well, you know very well that would be exactly the thought process running through Mamma’s head.”
“You are right, of course, but that doesn’t mean you should wear work clothes to dinner. You can borrow some of my clothes. We are near enough in size. I was just thinking of going upstairs myself anyway. I’ll help you pick something out.”
If it meant getting her sister upstairs and off her feet, Lizzy was more than willing to comply. She did need to shower. Whether or not she would wear something other than her trademark jeans and a t-shirt, well, that remained to be seen.
They climbed the stairs of the east wing together, and then Lizzy followed Jane down the hall to the two rooms that had been allocated to them. She was pleased to see they were next to each other, so she would be able to check on Jane when she returned later that evening.
Jane collapsed on the bed and gestured her sister into the walk-in closet. “Go ahead and rifle through.”
Lizzy did so, tentatively. “I can’t believe everything is hung up and put away. Did Charles do this, too?”
“I don’t think he did it personally. At least, I hope not. That seems rather intimate, does it not? Regardless, it was very generous of him, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. Very kind.” Lizzy found a set of pajamas on one of the shelves and tossed them out to her sister. “Here, put these on.”
“Gladly.” Jane disappeared into the on-suite bath while Lizzy continued to search through the outfits neatly put away in the closet.
“I don’t know what to wear,” she lamented. “Is it casual? Formal? Not too formal, I hope. Skirt or pants?”
Jane reappeared from the bathroom clad in her comfy loungewear. “Skirt.”
“Well, that does narrow the choices.” Lizzy perused her options and then selected an A-line skirt with a flounced hem and a bright pattern reminiscent of a watercolor painting. “How about this?”
Jane nodded approvingly. “Perfect. My blue blouse will go really well with that.”
Lizzy found the blouse after some rummaging. “Good. All done.” She started to emerge from the closet, but Jane sent her back with a giggle.
“You’re not finished yet, silly. You need shoes.”
Lizzy surveyed the array of high heels lined on a shelf. “I can’t wear any of these. I’d kill myself trying to make it up and down the stairs. I barely survived walking in the heels you convinced me to buy for the reception.”
“Don’t worry, there is a pair of kitten heels in there somewhere. Even I know better than to wear stilettos in a construction zone.”
Lizzy found them and took them off the shelf. “What happened to the steel-toe boots I bought you?”
“I wear them. When I need to.”
Lizzy came out, the hangers over her arm, and pretended to be offended. “But I bought you special pink ones.”
Jane caught the smile that turned the corners of her mouth up and grinned back, even as she reached for the tissue box placed conveniently near the bed. “And I can’t tell you how pretty I feel in them.”
“I know they’re heavy. But you really should wear them when you’re in the construction areas. Kitten heels won’t do much to protect those dainty toes of yours if someone drops a can of paint or a hammer off the scaffolding.”
Jane reached up to wrap her in a hug as Lizzy came to stand beside the bed. “You are such a good sister, worrying about my toes. But for now, I need you to worry about getting out of my room and getting cleaned up for dinner so I can rest.”
Lizzy laughed, a twinkle in her eye. “Yes, Jane.” She pulled the covers back and saw her sister tucked in before she took herself off to her own room to shower and change.
Half an hour later, she was feeling much more refreshed after a lingering soak in the tub to relax the tension from her tired muscles. She enfolded herself in the fluffy robe she had found hanging on the back of the bathroom door and wrapped her damp hair up in a towel.
Jane had evidently included a number of things for Lizzy on the list she had given Charles of things they needed from home. There was a great deal more stacked on the shelves of her closet than the few pairs of jeans and t-shirts she kept in the tub in their office. Someone had taken the time to fold and put away all her things, as well, which was a little unnerving. Lizzy had done her own laundry from the time she was old enough to reach the knobs on the washer. She wasn’t quite sure what to think of someone else, especially a nameless someone else, touching her unmentionables.
She dressed in the skirt and top her sister had helped her pick out, and then ran a brush through her curls, letting them dry naturally. There had been a hair dryer in the bathroom cabinet, but Lizzy had more experience with a nail gun than she did with a hair dryer. She wasn’t sure the end results would be worth the effort.
Finally, she was as ready as she was ever going to be, and the hour for dinner was almost upon her. She decided to head on down to the kitchen and see what was going on. Maybe she could help put out plates or something.
Charles and Darcy were unpacking the contents of two large sacks when she emerged from the hallway into the kitchen.
“Hey, Lizzy!” Charles greeted her. “Is Jane feeling any better?”
She took a seat at one of the stools at the kitchen island. “Unfortunately, no. She’s feeling too ill to come down for dinner. I tucked her in upstairs to get some sleep. Thanks for giving us a place to stay, by the way. I feel a lot better knowing she’s actually going to get some real sleep, and I know Jane really appreciates it as well.”
Charles grinned at her. “You are welcome, but I cannot take all the credit. It was Darcy’s idea.”
Lizzy cast him a surprised glance as he bustled away to pull out plates, his cheeks hot. He said gruffly, “I just thought she would be more comfortable.”
“She is. Thank you.”
He nodded to acknowledge her gratitude and sought about for a topic that would take the focus off him. The perfect choice was sitting right in front of him. “I hope you like Italian. Charlie had it brought in from the quaint little place in town.”
“You mean Giuseppe’s? Yeah, I love it.”
“Great! I’ve been looking forward to trying it.” Charles was ever enthusiastic.
“I think you’ll like it.” She glanced at Darcy, who was still rummaging around in the drawers for silverware. “Do you need help with anything?”
He glanced up. “No.”
“We’re just waiting on Caroline,” said Charlie with a reproving frown at his friend.
“Where are we eating? In here?” she asked.
“No. The makeshift dining room, which is through that door.�
� He gestured at a door that was through one wall. The original dining room in Netherfield Park had been on the opposite end of the house and was currently under construction.
Lizzy grabbed the stack of plates off the counter. “Great. I’ll just take these in there.”
Darcy followed her in with the silverware, scowling. “We don’t expect our guests to work.”
Lizzy raised an amused eyebrow. “Isn’t that exactly what I’m here to do?”
He stopped in his tracks, astounded, and then barked out a laugh. “I guess you’re right.”
She grinned at him as she dished out the plates, placing one at each of the four chairs they would use. That laugh had caught her off guard. Darcy didn’t seem quite so imposing or critical when he was laughing. He seemed almost…likeable. And nice. Which was weird.
She tried to ignore the tumble her stomach took at the sound. She gestured at the table. “Are you going to put the silverware down?”
“Sure.” He was a little startled by her abrupt question. He started putting out the silverware as Charles came into the room carrying the food, his sister empty-handed behind him.
“Look who I found,” he announced.
Caroline sniffed haughtily. “I cannot believe you guys bought Italian. I can’t eat all those carbs. I’ll puff up like an adder.”
Darcy and Charlie shared a glance. Charlie responded, “Don’t worry Caroline, we made sure we got you a salad.”
“I’m glad you had the decency to think of someone besides yourselves.” Caroline plopped herself down in the seat at the head of the table.
Lizzy raised an eyebrow and shook her head. She was glad Jane got along with the woman, because she wasn’t sure she could handle very much more of the ungrateful wench. She certainly couldn’t imagine the possibility of having her as a sister-in-law.
They all took their places around the table and settled in to eat their meal. Caroline did ask after Jane, alleviating some of Lizzy’s annoyance with her. Lizzy could never be completely upset with someone who showed genuine concern for her beloved sister.
The conversation quickly moved to more general topics, and before dinner was over work had somehow managed to worm its way back into the discussion. Darcy was suspiciously quiet during the meal, but Lizzy discovered the likely reason after dinner when they retired to the great room to relax.
Caroline showed an unusual interest in her brother’s friend- an interest he did not return. Lizzy found those circumstances to be quite amusing, and was tempted to linger to enjoy the show. But she decided she had better retire to her room after only a short time in the great room. She used her sister’s health as her excuse, and took herself off to see to it.
Caroline began abusing her as soon as the door had closed behind her. “I cannot believe any woman with a modicum of self-respect would do her job. You pay people to do the things she does. Did you see her this morning? She was covered in sawdust from head to toe. I could hardly keep my countenance.”
Bingley and Darcy exchanged glances. Darcy suddenly wished he had taken himself off to his bedroom instead of lingering in the great room on the off chance Lizzy would decide to rejoin them.
“I admire what she does. It takes a strong woman to do her job and earn the respect of her workers,” said Darcy.
“You cannot tell me you would want your sister to do her job.” Caroline was disbelieving.
“Well, no. I would hope Georgiana would choose a career that is a little less labor and time intensive. I do enjoy her company after all.”
She sniffed, as if that statement confirmed they were of the same opinion when it came to Miss Elizabeth Bennet. “It is simply abominable, that is all. I cannot imagine a man would look at her twice in that getup she wears to work in. Why I hardly recognized her as a woman! It is a wonder she gets asked out at all.” She fluttered her lashes at Darcy. “But then again, we are in the country here. The men probably don’t realize there are real women available. You must find her to be so, Darcy.”
Darcy snapped the book he had been trying to read closed. “Indeed, I do not. Lizzy is much more than a pair of fine eyes in a pretty face, and I like that. I like that she is independent and a hard worker. I respect her choice of career. She is very good at what she does. I never would have hired her if I believed otherwise.”
Caroline looked astounded. She choked out, “You think she is pretty? With fine eyes?”
Had that been the only thing she heard of what he said? He scowled, fed up with the entire conversation. “Yes. I do. And I think the activity that comes with her job brightens her eyes and lends her countenance a glow that no amount of makeup can reproduce.”
Caroline’s eyes went from filled with horror to a flicker of maniacal laughter. “Why, Darcy, you cannot be serious!” She laughed, loud and long. “Pray, when am I to wish you joy? You will have a very charming mother-in-law indeed, and of course she will always be at Pemberley with you.”
Darcy’s scowl only deepened, and having only a very small acquaintance with Mrs. Bennet, he could not fathom the mirth with which Caroline squealed. “Just because I think she is pretty does not mean I am thinking of marrying her. It is just like you to jump to conclusions. I should have expected it. Women have such imaginations, jumping from admiration to love, then love to matrimony within a moment.”
“Oh, Darcy, it is too good! It is too good!”
Rather annoyed with her excessive entertainment at his expense, and confused by his defense of a woman he had begun to realize he found very attractive, Darcy quit the great room in search of his own bedroom.
He ran into Elizabeth in the hallway. She was clad in her pajamas, a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt that had obviously seen better days, and yet clung to her softly rounded figure in all the right ways. She was just coming back from the library, an antique book clutched in one hand.
She clearly hadn’t expected to run into anyone on her little sojourn. She could not simply walk by him without acknowledging his presence, and he had stopped in the hallway, waiting for her to reach him. She couldn’t imagine what he wanted to say to her.
She paused as they met in the hall, clasping the book to her chest and suddenly shy to be caught in her night clothes. “Darcy.” Although what she was wearing was not immodest, it did seem rather intimate to be standing before Darcy in the clothes she wore to bed.
He gave her a stiff nod, his gaze dropping to the book she held. “I see you like to read. I had no idea the library here was so…extensive.” It wasn’t the word he was looking for, but it would do.
She was cautious in her answer. “I do.”
He gestured to the bestseller in his hand. “I do as well, although my taste is clearly not as classic as yours.”
The book she held was a first edition Jane Austen. A smile turned up the corners of her mouth. “You cannot go wrong with the classics. I always know what to expect.”
“I take it you don’t like surprises?”
“Not particularly.” She raised an arched brow. “I always like to know where I stand.”
He wondered what she meant by that statement, but was unable to follow it up. She moved passed him to gain her bedroom door. “Goodnight, Darcy. I shall see you in the morning.”
Bingley, gaining the top of the stairs, waylaid her before she could open the door. “Lizzy! I am so glad I have caught you. How is Jane? I presume you have looked in on her?”
Lizzy was touched by his concern for her sister, and the smile she bestowed upon Bingley was enough to curdle Darcy’s stomach with jealousy. He wanted that smile turned on him.
“I am afraid she is no better. Indeed, she is quite worse.”
“Shall we send for the doctor?”
“No, I think not. If she is not better in the morning I shall reconsider, but Jane is of hearty stock. She shall be well again soon.”
“If she is not feeling better by morning I shall insist she see a doctor. I cannot have one of my employees falling ill.”
“She will be touched by your concern, I assure you. I shall be sure to inform her that you asked after her. Please do not worry.”
“I shall speak to the housekeeper. If she needs anything at all, please do not hesitate to ask.”
She thanked him very prettily for his concern and took herself into her bedroom with nary a glance back at Darcy, although he was still standing in the hall observing their interaction.
After the door had closed behind her, Bingley advanced toward him. “I hope you are not being too difficult, Darcy. You know those two young women have a lot on their plates right now. They don’t need to deal with your mood swings, too.”
Darcy scowled. “I do not have mood swings. You make me sound like some irritable pre-teen.”
Bingley laughed. “Sometimes I think you are, the way you hold on to your grudges. I’ll see you in the morning.”
He started to pass Darcy, but he stopped him with a hand to his arm.
Darcy offered a gentle warning of his own. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Charlie. I know how quickly you fall in and out of love. I would hate to see you hurt Jane when this project is finished and you return to London and your office there.”
His friend frowned. “I am not toying with her, Darcy. I have never met another woman like Jane. She could be the one.”
Darcy was astounded. “But you have only known her for a few weeks!”
“Sometimes, that is all it takes.” The smile he gave his friend was dreamy.
Darcy shook his head. “Well, I cannot stop you, but I will caution you. I am not certain Jane returns your feelings, and unless you are convinced she does, you would be wise to cut your losses before your heart becomes too attached. She’s a nice girl, but she doesn’t come from our world, Charlie.”
“I know she doesn’t, but that doesn’t mean she wouldn’t fit in it.”
“Just be careful,” Darcy replied. “I would hate to see either of you hurt.” With that, he bid his friend goodnight and sought the solace of his own bed.
Chapter 5
Jane wasn’t feeling well enough the next morning to work, but she was feeling well enough to refuse Charles’ very kind offer of a doctor. Lizzy insisted she rest, and shouldered the heavy burden of both their work herself.
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