A Shoulder in the Night
CHAPTER 1
Lizzy managed two steps before she broke down completely.
For four days she had been at Netherfield with Jane nursing her through her illness, for the last three days she had not left her side. At first Jane had seemed to be making a steady recovery, but in the early hours of the second morning she had taken a turn for the worse. She had slipped into unconsciousness with a terrible fever and had been fitful in her slumber. Mr Jones, the apothecary had been called and upon examining Jane had declared that she was suffering from pneumonia. There was little he said that could be done but try to keep the fever down and wait. Lizzy who had not left her side since that terrible morning, watched as her sister tossed and moaned in her sleep, trying to offer what comfort she could. She was finally forced on the evening of that third day by the maids to get some rest before she succumbed to illness as well.
Two steps away from Jane's room and she had crumpled to the floor as the sobs racked her body. She had managed to hold back the tears while she had been attending to her dearest sister but now that she was alone she could keep them in check no longer.
For the second time in her life Lizzy was forced to watch a sister suffer from this illness. For the second time she could do nothing but pray for a sister's health to recover. And for the second time she could feel the fear of loosing a beloved sister claim her heart and seep into her soul.
As she sat on the floor trying to muffle the sounds of her distress she could vaguely hear someone's voice close by but she could not discern the words through the overwhelming pain tearing through her body.
Lizzy was lost in her grief when she felt a hand rest lightly on her shoulder and looked up in shock into a pair of familiar eyes.
Mr Darcy was crouched beside Lizzy looking at her with concern and understanding. He tried to press a handkerchief into her hand but when she would not take it he instead wiped away the tears from her face. The surprise of his gentle actions helped to calm her down enough to understand the words he was speaking.
"Miss Bennet, Elizabeth it will be all right. Your sister is strong, she will be fine." He said in a soothing voice.
He continued to speak comforting words in the same soothing tone but try as she might she could not stop the sobs from tearing from her body and quickly gave up trying.
Lost in her pain Lizzy did not realise Darcy had lifted her into his arms until he had already carried her the remaining few steps to her room.
"M... Mr Darcy wha..." She just about managed to force out.
"Hush we will be there in a moment." He interrupted Lizzy. He somehow managed to open the door and close it behind them before carrying her over to the bed and gently placing her down upon it.
He pulled a chair over to the bed and took Lizzy's hand gently in his, while resuming the comforting words from before.
Eventually Lizzy's sobs calmed and she was able to gain control of herself once more. She looked up at Darcy's face and saw the concern and something else in his eyes for a moment before she suddenly realised she was alone in her room with Darcy who was holding her hand and talking to her gently.
She sat up swiftly and pulled her hand from his grasp.
"Mr Darcy I I..." She stuttered.
Shock flashed across his face before he leaned towards Lizzy and once again took her hand.
"Miss Bennet are you well." He asked quickly.
"I am feeling better now thank you sir." Her voice came out in a rasp where her throat had been left raw from her crying.
Darcy swiftly stood and fetched her a glass of water and watched intently as she drank deeply. Once she had finished he took the glass and rested it on the bedside table.
"Miss Bennet are you sure that you are okay, is there anything I can get for you."
"No sir, I am fine now." When he did not look convinced she repeated her reassurances.
"Really sir I am fine, it is just after going through this before with Lydia I..." She stopped as tears began to fill her eyes once more.
Darcy once more took Lizzy's hand and stroked soothing circles with his thumb.
"Shh Miss Elizabeth, Miss Bennet will be fine." He waited while a few moments while she composed herself before continuing. "You need to rest, I will leave you now. Shall I send up a maid for you?" Lizzy shook her head. "Very well Miss Bennet goodnight" He went to let go of her hand but to the surprise of both, Lizzy would not allow him to remove it.
"Could you stay a little longer?" Lizzy asked him timidly looking down at their joint hands unable to look at his face as she made her request. "I do not wish to be alone right now."
"If that is what you wish, I shall stay until you fall asleep" He said as gently as before but there was surprise as well in his voice now.
She laid down as relief filled her that she was not to be alone, but she was puzzled as to why it was Darcy she wanted when she could have had a maid stay with her.
They sat in silence for few moments before Lizzy realised that she had not thanked him for all he had done for her.
"Mr Darcy," She said startling him in the quiet. "Thank you for looking after me tonight and for staying with me."
"Not at all I know what it is like to watch a loved one be taken ill and to fear losing a sister. I would not like to be alone tonight either." He reassured me.
"Mr Darcy of whom do you speak when you say you know what it is like to watch a loved one be taken ill." Lizzy said without thinking as a pain flashed across Darcy's face. "Oh! I am sorry sir I did not mean to pry it has been a long few days and I have quite forgotten myself." She said blushing furiously.
"Do not worry yourself Miss Bennet. I speak of my mother. Shortly after my dearest sister, Georgiana was born my mother fell gravely ill and died a few short weeks later." Lizzy could see the pain on in his eyes and squeezed his hand tightly. "It was a most painful time and I would not have been able to get through it alone." He looked into her eyes and she knew then that he understood her pain completely.
The stayed like that for a long time, staring into each other's eyes seeing the pain and sympathy reflecting back at them. After a few more minutes Lizzy realised that she was staring and looked away.
Darcy cleared his throat and asked Lizzy what she meant about Lydia. Lizzy flinched internally at the thought of facing the pain and her fears. However Darcy had not only comforted and stayed with her (against all propriety) but he had also told her about his mother. So she pulled herself together and looked him in the eye.
"When Lydia was five she broke vase that had belonged to my maternal grandmother." She began after taking a deep breath.