Chapter 36

 

June 18, 1813

 

Elizabeth awoke and nearly sprang from her bed. She was so excited she was now able to explore at will. She wanted to walk for hours to make up for the weeks that had been robbed from her, and the grounds of Pemberley were so beautiful and vast, she almost felt it was a crime to leave any area unexplored.

Elizabeth could not deny that the fact she required a guide to keep from getting lost was also contributing to her excitement. At this hour of the day, Mr. Darcy was the only other member of the household awake. Elizabeth had abandoned her requirement that a chaperone accompany them on their long meanderings. At first, she had decided that she was unwilling to wait for an appropriate chaperone to get out of bed, but very quickly she discovered that she enjoyed Mr. Darcy’s company so greatly that she did not wish to share it with the others. He was fascinating. He was well versed on nearly every topic she could think of, yet rather than acting condescending toward her, he valued her input and insights. Within the last week, in particular, Elizabeth had started to wonder if an entirely different person had taken possession of the man she knew as Fitzwilliam Darcy. His demeanor had improved greatly by simply being at Pemberley, but this past week it felt as if every wall he had built around his heart and mind had been lifted. Suddenly, she could see the funny, sensitive, and introspective boy that she had heard so many tales about. And being with this boy felt more like home to her than any building ever had.

Elizabeth rang the bell for the maid. Normally at this hour of the day, she would simply pull her hair into a bun and wear a bonnet. But yesterday she had seen Jane’s hair styled in a darling fashion, and Elizabeth found that she too wanted to take advantage of the talents of the Pemberley staff. If asked why she wanted her hair set at this early hour rather than waiting until she returned to the house, she would have said it was to ensure that her request did not interfere with Georgiana’s or Jane’s toilet. But had Mr. Darcy not been available to accompany her on her morning walk, she might not have sensed the same urgency that she now felt.

After Elizabeth was dressed, she practically skipped down the stairs into the parlor, but rather than finding Mr. Darcy as she expected, she found her mother and Lydia sitting on the couch. She stopped and stared. She blinked a few times to assure herself that they were really there, and when she found that they were, she cleared her throat and spoke.

“Mama! What a surprise. What brings you all the way to Pemberley?”

“I have come to collect you and Jane. Go run upstairs and start packing your things. You will not be staying in this house even one more minute than you must.” Mrs. Bennet looked red with irritation.

Lizzy was confused. This was not an answer that had provided her with the information she sought. In fact, the urgency in her mother’s tone made her rather worried. She looked to Lydia for nonverbal cues, but Lydia sat uncharacteristically quiet staring at the ground with her hands in her lap. “Is everything okay at Longbourn?”

“Oh, yes. A home that is filled with kind, honest people is worth dozens of these big empty houses filled with proud, stupid men.” Mrs. Bennet’s tone was laced with anger and spite.

Elizabeth was sensing her mother had taken a sudden dislike to Mr. Darcy. Not that any of the Bennets had thought very highly of the man during the majority of their acquaintance, but just before this trip, her mother had seemed to have a change of heart. Mr. Darcy had an uncanny knack for saying the absolutely wrong thing and instantly making people despise him. Maybe he had managed to offend her mother upon her arrival at Pemberley. She looked around the room, but oddly, there was no sign of him. Perhaps the estate management advice he offered Father has backfired?

“Mama, when exactly did you arrive? Have you already spoken to our host or hostess this morning?”

Lydia piped up to answer the first question, “We arrived at Lambton last night, but it was too dark to come find you, so we came to Pemberley at first light. We just arrived, and I’m starving!”

Mrs. Bennet shot her youngest daughter a look that caused her to immediately return to the somber demeanor that she had been sporting since her arrival. Then she narrowed her eyes and addressed the second question.

“Oh, I have seen that Mr. Darcy this morning, all right. But I told him, I will be speaking to your hostess if I have anything further to say. They are getting her now. You can thank and pay your respects to her before we leave this place.”

“Is Jane leaving as well?” Lizzy asked starting to panic. What exactly was happening and why? She could not remember seeing her mother in such an agitated state.

“That man said he would have someone wake her, but knowing that man’s word is about as good as dirt, why don’t you stop by her room and tell her to pack on your way back to get your things?” It was clear that her mother was finished talking for the moment. Elizabeth turned and left the room. She climbed the stairs as if in a daze. None of this was making any sense. In her confusion, she walked right past Jane’s room and continued toward her own. When she entered, she found a maid inside tidying up.

Lizzy looked at her and asked if she would start packing her things. Then, hoping her sister might have some answers, she left her room and walked down the hall to Jane’s. After a few raps on the door, Elizabeth was admitted. Jane was already awake and was getting ready as a maid was busily gathering up her things and putting them in trunks.

“Jane, you obviously heard. What do you make of it?”

Jane looked pale. Bingley had told her of Darcy’s plan, and she was fairly certain she knew exactly why their mother was here. But Mr. Darcy had sacrificed a great deal in order to protect Lizzy. Jane was not about to further torment him by telling Lizzy that he had told their parents of his intentions.

“I am as baffled as you, Lizzy. You know Mama, she can be so unpredictable sometimes.”

Lizzy looked carefully at Jane. Something in her posture or movements didn’t sit right, but Lizzy was hard pressed to place it.

“Well, perhaps Georgiana knows something. I believe Mama is harboring a grudge against Mr. Darcy. I am not entirely sure why, but I intend to find out.”

Before Jane could say anything further, Lizzy had hurried down the hallway. She nearly bumped into her hostess who was in the process of exiting her bedchambers. Georgiana greeted her quickly. Clearly in a hurry to speak to the guests waiting in the parlor, Georgiana appeared unwilling to engage in further discourse. Lizzy decided to accompany her downstairs, hoping that something new might be revealed once her mother addressed Miss Darcy. As they entered the parlor, Mrs. Bennet looked annoyed.

“Lizzy, I thought I asked you to go upstairs and pack.”

“Yes, Mama. Someone is in the process of packing my trunks as we speak. I came downstairs as I wanted to say goodbye to Georgiana.”

Mrs. Bennet seemed satisfied with the response and turned her attention to Georgiana. “Miss Darcy, I cannot thank you enough for your kindness in allowing my daughters to visit. I understand you took excellent care of my Lizzy after her fall. You would be most welcome at Longbourn anytime, should you ever decide to visit.”

“Believe me, Mrs. Bennet, the pleasure has been all mine. But,” Georgiana paused. She was nervous but knew she had to ask. “Their visit was not scheduled to end for another three weeks. Might I ask, why it is being cut short?”

“Oh, it is nothing of importance, Miss Darcy. We received word of happy tidings and I understand congratulations are in order,” Mrs. Bennet could see her meaning was not entirely understood by the young girl standing before her, “Your brother’s marriage to your cousin Anne de Bourgh. My husband received a missive from your brother that alluded to the exciting news. I am sure with a new Mistress of Pemberley arriving soon and wedding preparations to be made, it is too much to ask to have company visiting. I am sure they had a lovely visit, and we do not want to continue to impose on your hospitality.”

Both Georgiana and Lizzy stood in shock. Lizzy felt as if a weight had just landed on her chest. She paled and turned to Georgiana.

“I just remembered, I did not give the maid instructions regarding the packing of some of my things. If you will excuse me, I must go speak to her.” With that, Lizzy exited the parlor and hurried up the stairs. Her mind was a whirl of thoughts and emotions. She felt hot tears pooling in her eyes but was not entirely sure why. As she sped past Jane’s room an audible gasp escaped her mouth. She threw her hands over her mouth to try to stifle the sound, but Jane, who sat in her bedroom, was attuned to the signals that showed Elizabeth’s distress and the noise did not escape her notice.

The door to Jane’s bedchamber opened, and Lizzy was stopped in the Hall by the call of her sister’s voice, “Lizzy, what is it?” Before she could answer, Jane hurried down the hall, wrapped her sister in a hug, and held her while her tears grew into full-blown sobs. Jane quickly scanned the hallway. Fortunately, they were alone, but she knew that at any moment someone could pass by. Elizabeth was in no state to be seen. Maids were busy packing their things, so rather than bringing Lizzy back to one of their rooms, she gently ushered her into a spare room she had discovered one day while searching for her own accommodations.

Jane sat with her sister on a small bench and stroked her back waiting for Lizzy to calm down enough to talk. At last, with tears still streaming down her cheeks, Lizzy managed to speak between jagged breaths. “Jane, I did not know. I did not…”

“Know what, dear?”

“How I felt. And now it is too late. I… I thought I had just grown to care about him… like… like a brother, but it’s too late!” The sobs broke free once more and they sat in silence. Jane continued to try to console and comfort, all the while wishing desperately that she had been carrying a handkerchief. Jane’s mind raced trying to understand her sister’s words.

“Do you mean Mr. Darcy?”

Lizzy nodded. After a moment, she calmed down enough and stammered, “Oh, Jane! I love him!”

A bright, excited smile settled upon Jane’s face. “That is wonderful, Lizzy! He loves you too.”

Lizzy looked at her sister and shook her head violently. Through gasps and tears, she told her of Mr. Darcy’s engagement to Anne. Once she had finished, Jane took her sister’s hands in her own and told her of Mr. Darcy’s blunder and what he had done to try to spare her from her mother’s wrath.

“Do you mean he is not really engaged?”

“No. He could not marry another when it is you who has captured his heart.”

“He…he just said that because he has already asked Papa for my hand?”

“Yes. I know it was foolish of him…”

Before Jane could finish, Lizzy cut her off. “Oh, no! It was most efficient and helpful of him. I have watched how you and Mr. Bingley have been walking around since he proposed, waiting until he can ask Father for permission. That small uncertainty has seemed almost unbearable for you. Mr. Darcy was so thoughtful to ensure there would be no impediment to our joy. I must go to him. I must find him!”

Jane looked at her sister in shock. She could not believe the words that had just come from her mouth. If she had questioned the strength of her sister’s feelings before, this reaction left her with no further doubts. Lizzy was in love. There was no other explanation for her praise of Mr. Darcy’s actions. After processing her shock, Jane realized that she had not yet mentioned her engagement to Bingley. “Lizzy, how did you know I was engaged?”

Lizzy was already on her feet and had nearly opened the door enough to slip out. “It was obvious, Jane. You have been simply glowing, and when you look at each other, it is as if the rest of the world melts away.” Jane had no opportunity to respond for Lizzy had rushed out the door and was quickly running down the steps.