The Meryton guardsmen meeting was the basically the same as it was every month. It always began with Jim Forester making a really bad joke to lighten the mood, followed by lots of good natured groaning. He informed us that in the past two weeks, there had been three nighttime attempts to break over the fence by gangs of theives, all thwarted by the fast thinking and quick shooting of the guards. None of them ever shoot with the intent to kill, but I'm sure they've hit the occasional arm or leg. Serves the intruders right though. We're all in this mess together. Jim also told us that he wanted to hire ten extra guardsmen for the store rooms where they keep rent payments. A vote was called for, and passed with three fourths majority, and the meeting was adjourned.
I took a sip of cider and made a face. It was definitely laced with something strong; no wonder the townspeople showed up so eagerly every month. And no wonder why Kitty and Lydia kept refilling their glasses. I suppose it's one benefit of growing up with very lax government laws in place… no minimum drinking age. My mother wasn't paying any attention to either of my younger sisters, so when Kitty saw me watching her from across the room I took the opportunity to signal that I knew what they were doing, and they had better knock it off.
On the other side of the room, Jane's face lit up laughing at something Charlie whispered in her ear. Will Darcy was casually leaning against the wall behind them, looking as though he wished he could just melt in to it. He also kept looking at me. I squashed the urge to walk over to him and demand to know what his problem was, and instead turned my attention back to the conversation I was having with Jim and Charlotte.
"So you're telling me that you can't single handedly fend off a gang of half a dozen robbers anymore? Jim, you're losing your touch," I teased.
Jim chuckled. "Well, in my defense, they're getting more desperate than I've ever seen them." His expression turned more serious, "Times are getting harder for everyone, but if we let our main supply get overrun, we'll have nothing to pay the guardsmen and no way to keep our town safe. I'm surprised your family hasn't decided to move in to the fortified part of town yet."
"We can't afford to pay the rent in town. Maybe when dad's been on the council a bit longer he can work out a deal with them." I smiled, but truthfully the thought had kept me awake at night on more than one occasion.
Charlotte asked how Jim's wife was, and as he started responding I noticed that Kitty was filling her cup for at least the fourth time and Lydia was nowhere to be seen.
"I'm sorry," I said quietly, putting my hand on Charlotte's arm, "but I think I need to go have a word with my sisters."
She mouthed "good luck", and pointed to the open door of a stairwell where Lydia was giggling and sitting on the lap of a twenty-something Meryton guard with wandering hands. I was heading over bodily drag my sister home if necessary, when Charlotte's father called out and beckoned me over to him. With a warning glance at Lydia, I stopped next to Mr. Lucas who was deep in conversation with Will.
"-just the person to help you find one, I'm certain," he was saying. "Ah, Miss Elizabeth! I'm surprised you're not out tonight tearing apart some old store for it's copper wiring or something!"
"Well Mr. Lucas, I've found that it's usually easier to do that in the daytime when I can see what I'm doing…"
"Will, you must have Lizzie show you where to find the old pharmacies and doctor's offices. I'm sure they're pretty picked over, but there might be some around that aren't completely empty. There is no one with more sense or who knows the terrain better than our Lizzie." Mr. Lucas nudged Will with his elbow. "And it doesn't hurt that she's gorgeous, eh Darcy?"
Slightly mortified, I could feel the heat seeping into my cheeks. Will began to open his mouth, no doubt intending some insulting comment about my appearance or abilities, although I'd bet that he wouldn't have the backbone to say it to my face. Either way, I cut him off before he could speak. "Mr. Lucas, it's very kind of you to be looking out for me, but I can assure you I'm not seeking employment by coming over here. I was just about to pry my sister off that… gentleman… before I become an aunt. Excuse me."
As I walked closer to the stairwell, I could tell that Lydia was at least two cups beyond buzzed.
"Nono, no, I'm telling you, our car isawesome. Superfast. Weve got tons ofgas in the basement..." she giggled, wrapping her arms around her companion's neck.
I rolled my eyes at Lydia's ridiculous exaggerations. We had a car all right. There weren't very many parts left on the inside since we had pawned most of them off a few years ago, so unless someone had a gassed up tow truck it wasn't going anywhere "superfast". And there definitely wasn't any fuel in our basement. Though I decided not to expose her dishonesty in front of her new friend, I did decide that she had more than enough to drink, and I wasn't sorry to tell her it was time to leave.
If you're wondering how long it takes to half drag, half carry a drunk sixteen year old home, the answer is an hour longer than it should. Next time (though I yelled at her long enough that there better not be a next time) I might leave her there to sleep it off.
"Okay, how do I look?" Jane spun around once, and looked at me anxiously. She had let her hair dry in curlers overnight, and it hung in soft honey blonde waves down her shoulders. Combined with the soft blue cardigan and dark grey trousers, she looked like she had walked straight out of an old clothing catalogue .
"You look beautiful, as always," I told her, "though I'm not sure I see the point in all the effort if you're just having lunch with Charlie's sisters."
"Oh I know. But I want to make a good impression, and maybe he'll be back before I leave their house."
"If he knows you're there, I'm sure he'll make every effort to return quickly."
"I hope so Lizzie," she said with a smile.
My mother walked in to the room just as Jane was pulling her rubber boots on. "Oh, no Jane, you'll look like a cow herder. I'll get you a pair of Lydia's dress shoes, you need to look your best! Take those off!" she demanded.
"Mom! Netherfield is practically four miles from here, and the roads refroze last night," I pointed out, "You can't expect her to walk all the way there in a pair of poorly made shoes with no traction, and Lydia's feet are two sizes bigger than Jane's…"
"Don't be ridiculous Lizzie. It is extremely important that Jane looks fashionable and impresses the Bingleys. Now put these on," she said shoving a pair of black kitten heels into Jane's lap.
Jane looked at them apprehensively, but put them on without comment. I held my tongue, but I couldn't help but feel nervous as Jane gingerly stepped out on to our walkway and began heading towards the road. "See you tonight!" she said brightly, then disappeared from view.
I hate always being right. My instincts proved to be correct when one of the farmhands from Netherfield came banging on our door a mere two hours later, delivering a note from Jane. I unfolded it and read it aloud as the rest of my family gathered in our living room.
"Don't be worried, but as I was walking to Netherfield, I hit a patch of ice on the road and slipped-" I stopped reading to glare at my mother, "Fortunately, Charlie and Will were coming in the other direction and helped me walk the rest of the way to the house. I'll be fine, it's just a few cuts and scrapes and probably a fractured ankle, and I won't be able to walk on it for a few weeks. The Bingley's have been kind enough to let me stay here until I'm well enough to leave…" I stopped reading. "I hope you're happy Mom. What if no one was going by her? She could have been out there for hours in the cold before anyone went looking for her."
"Well Allison, If she limps for the rest of her life, at least you'll be reassured to know it was all to impress the Bingleys," my father quipped.
My mother took the letter from me, and scanned it over looking absolutely delighted.
"Did we not read the same letter?" I asked incredulously.
"It's exactly as I planned! Now she'll get to spend lots of time with Charlie and he'll fall head over heels in love with her!"
I made an exasperated sound and starting rummaging around our entryway closet for my coat and boots.
"Lizzie, what are you doing?" Kitty asked.
"There's no way I'm leaving Jane by herself in a house full of people we don't know, and I want to make sure she really is okay," I said as I shoved some extra clothes for Jane into my pack and headed out the door. If any of them had tried to stop me, they would have been sorely disappointed.
Walking in the cold brisk air helped to calm my frustration, though it did nothing to ease my worry for Jane. I practically jogged there and by the time I arrived, tendrils of my hair had escaped my messy updo and were sticking to my forehead. Combined with the glossy sheen of sweat that was now... well, everywhere... I'm sure I looked terrifying, but I really didn't care. I just wanted to see my sister.
The Netherfield house was a giant white monstrosity, with double hung oak doors in front. It's the kind of house that doesn't need a description other than "that huge white house" for townies to know which one you're talking about. Charlie answered when I knocked, and after taking my coat and boots, led me in to a livingroom with a large blazing fireplace. Both Bingley sisters were sitting demurely on a couch playing solitare, and Will was sprawled out on a matching loveseat reading an old medical journal. All three looked surprised to see me. Will sat up hurriedly, marking his place in the journal with his index finger.
"I'm so sorry to intrude… it's just, I don't think my sister would want to be alone… and… how is she?" I asked.
"Oh, she'll be fine. I'm sure she could have walked home, but Charlie wouldn't have it," one of the sisters shrugged and peered at me, "It's Eliza, right? You look like a disaster! Whatever possessed you to come running here so quickly?"
"I would think that you would care enough about your sister that you would do the same in a situation like this, wouldn't you?" I asked her, trying to keep the annoyance out of my voice.
"Jane's not fine, Caroline, but I promise we will take excellent care of her, Lizzie. That's why I keep Darcy around," Charlie said with a grin at Will.
Ah yes, Will the neurosurgeon who may or may not have other skills needed in the medical field. I turned my attention to him. "You really think her ankle is fractured?"
He cleared his throat, " Well, yes… maybe. It difficult to tell without an x-ray, but given the location and immediacy of the pain, it's a safe bet. There doesn't seem to be any dislocation though, so it should heal cleanly."
I think Will Darcy just doubled the amount of words he's ever spoken to me.
"Can I see her?"
"Of course! She's just down the hall, I'll show you," Charlie continued walking through the living room, and through another set of doorways. As he shut the doors behind us, I could hear peals of high pitched laughter from within. Nice sisters indeed.
A Jane-sized body was bundled up under several blankets on a bed, one left foot wrapped in towels and ice and elevated on top of a pillow. I came around to the side of the bed and knelt down beside her, stroking her cheek. She sleepily looked up at me, smiled, and murmured something about dancing before dozing back off.
"We gave her a bit of brandy for the pain. It made her really tired though," Charlie murmured, looking at her wistfully.
"So I see… she's always been a bit of a lightweight when it comes to drinking. Runs in the family," I said, tucking the covers more tightly around her.
"Once she's more awake we'll start giving her willow bark tea, Darcy says it basically works like aspirin."
"Okay, that sounds good. Do you mind if I just sit with her for a while?"
"Of course. And Lizzie, if you want to stay with her until she's recovered, then please do. I think she'll be much happier with you here."
I let out a breath that I'd scarcely registered holding. "Thank you Charlie. I'll go grab some of my things from home… you won't even know we're here."
"Nonsense! You're our guests! If you need clothes, Caroline and Louisa have plenty to borrow from, and you can dine with us, sleep here, anything you need, just ask. And one of the farmers is heading into town this afternoon, so I'll have him stop by your house and let your family know you're staying here."
"Charlie, you're the best," I said with a relieved smile.
Jane slept for hours, only waking briefly when I added fresh ice to the towel around her swollen ankle. Charlie stuck his head in the room and invited me to dinner with the rest of them. As much as I wanted to curl up with my sister and avoid everyone, my stomach was rumbling in protest and I'd have to spend time with them eventually. I made sure Jane was comfortable and put a glass of water on the nightstand by her bed before making my way down the hall.
The Netherfield house boasted two dining rooms, and I found Will, Charlie, and his sisters sitting in the smaller of the two. When I say small, I only mean that it was smaller than the enormous banquet hall a few rooms down from it. It was still three times the size of our family's. I sat down in one of the two empty dining chairs and served myself a piece of what looked like chicken pot pie. A matching set of oil lamps illuminated the table, making the situation feel much more intimate than I was comfortable with.
"So Eliiiiiza," Caroline purred, "how is your sister doing?"
I decided to be nice. "Still about the same, thanks. Hopefully she'll be a little more awake in the morning."
"I hope so too. And again, Lizzie, if there's anything I can do just let me know," said Charlie.
I caught Caroline rolling her eyes at Louisa.
It suddenly occurred to me that if Jane's ankle didn't heal quickly and I was stuck here for more than a few days, someone would probably be leaving in a body bag.