Dear, dear, after specifically asking that reviewers be courteous in their comments, we have our first anonymous post from Lady Catherine. If you don't like my stories, please don't read them. There are plenty of other good ones to choose from.
Thanks to those who posted supportive or informative reviews.
With regard to being accident prone, I suppose they are, but they didn't have safety standards in those days or people walking around with clipboards :)
Synopsis: Walking out to the terrace at the Netherfield Ball, Lizzy and Mr Darcy fall over the balustrade.
They had fallen a good ten feet onto the grass. Despite it being the second tumble he'd taken in a fortnight, Darcy was quite unhurt and elbowed himself up to survey Miss Elizabeth. She was lying on her back, and he could not help notice the rounded tops of her pert breasts, her white skin shining in the pale light of the moon. As he watched, her eyelids fluttered open, drawing his attention to her long eyelashes.
"Are you all right?" he asked, leaning over her with true concern.
Elizabeth opened her mouth but no sound came out. She breathed deeply and then managed, "I believe... I've just had the wind... knocked out of me."
He watched her lips form the words with fascination, and with a strange feeling of déjà vu, leaned towards them.
"Mr Darcy!" screeched Caroline from above him, making him start.
Soon after, he heard the patter of feet descending the steps and then Charles was at hand.
"Good grief, Darcy! What happened?"
"The capstone came off the balustrade and Miss Elizabeth toppled over," Darcy said. Now that Bingley had reminded him of it, he looked round for the stone, fearing for a moment that Elizabeth might have landed on it. He spotted it out of harm's way, closer to the wall. "I tried to stop her, but went over myself. I believe she is winded."
Jane now arrived on the scene with Louisa. "Oh, Lizzy," she cried. "Are you all right?"
"Yes, Jane! I am fine," said Lizzy, levering herself up.
But upon attempting to stand, Elizabeth discovered she was unable to put weight on her left foot. Obviously the waltz was her last dance for that evening.
"I'll call a footman to carry her into the house," said Louisa with cold civility.
"Oh, hang the footman!" said Darcy, scooping Elizabeth up easily. "Where should I take her?"
This action may have been less chivalrous than it appeared, for Darcy was extremely embarrassed he had not managed to save them both from the fall and was keen to depart the scene.
On the terrace, he could hear Caroline calling, "Back inside! There's nothing to see! Someone who had a little too much punch merely tripped on the backstairs! Supper's waiting!"
The housekeeper of Netherfield, Mrs Nicolls, emerged from the back door, and Louisa ushered Darcy through this and into the servants' stairs to avoid the milling throng above. Fortunately, as servants' stairs go, the ones at Netherfield were quite wide, but still Mr Darcy had to turn sideways to carry Elizabeth up them. As all the rooms on the ground floor were occupied with the ball, Louisa suggested taking Elizabeth up to a guest room.
After switching to the main stairs, Mr Darcy was able to carry Elizabeth more easily across his body, and Lizzy soon found herself in the chamber that she and Jane had occupied during their recent stay at Netherfield. After depositing her on the bed, Mr Darcy bowed very correctly before taking himself off to change his creased cravat and head back downstairs.
A cup of tea was procured for the patient, and after Jane reassured Mrs Hurst that she had everything she needed, Louisa took herself back to the festivities.
"Oh, Jane, please don't let me stop you from enjoying the ball! I feel very stupid to have had such an accident!"
"But what happened, Lizzy?"
"I merely leant on the wall to adjust my shoe and the capstone was not fixed in place. It slid out from under my hand, I was off-balance, and I toppled over the side."
"The balustrade is very low," replied Jane. "I remarked on it to Charles when we were out there earlier."
"Oh? Charles, is it now?" Lizzy teased her sister.
Jane blushed. "Oh, Lizzy, he is everything I've ever wanted in a man! I cannot believe what is happening. It is like a fairy tale!"
"So, I am interrupting your fairy tale. Go back downstairs and enjoy yourself."
"Are you sure?" asked Jane.
"Yes, just don't forget to take me home."
Jane giggled. "Perhaps Mama will insist you stay here now, and that I stay to nurse you."
"Don't you dare let her!"
"Oh, no! In fact, she may not even know you fell as she was gossiping in the supper room when a footman quietly alerted Charles to your accident."
"Then don't tell her, and we will rub on very well," advised Lizzy.
"Is there anything I can do for you before I go?"
"Oh, Jane, these stays are so uncomfortable when I am lying down. Can you help me take them off?"
Jane helped peel off Lizzy's dress to the waist to remove the stays. Because of the low-cut square neck of her gown, Elizabeth was not wearing a chemise, only a petticoat, tied at the waist. Once the offending stays were removed, she was much more comfortable, and Jane refastened the back of her sister's dress.
"Anything else?"
"The pins in my hair?"
"But Lizzy! After all our work in putting it up!"
"I am sure it is half-fallen down at the back anyway, Jane; and the pins stick into me when I lay my head on the pillow!"
With a sigh, Jane complied, letting Lizzy's tresses down at the back.
"Is that all?" she asked.
"A book?" Lizzy requested timidly.
Jane might have been at a loss to fulfil this request, but she noticed a volume of Cecilia, which Lizzy had been reading aloud during Jane's convalescence, was still sitting on the bedside table.
"Will this do, or did you finish it?"
"That will do nicely. I only got half-way through. Now, go!"
"Thank you," said Jane, kissing her sister; and in a rustle of silk she was out the door.
Elizabeth settled down to read with the music from the ballroom forming a pleasant accompaniment; but while her eyes followed the text down the page, her mind was definitely elsewhere. She was thinking how wonderful it had felt to be in Mr Darcy's arms, to be lifted as if she were a feather. She'd never been carried like that as an adult before. She'd been careful not to look at him as he carried her, but she could not forget the feeling of his hard chest against her arm, and his warm arms around her. If she had thought he smelt good when they waltzed together, she'd had every opportunity to appreciate his wonderful scent as he carried her upstairs, his exertions no doubt contributing to it. She'd never been that close to a man before.
Once the discomfort of her stays had been removed, Lizzy soon became aware that her ankle had begun to throb. Reaching down, she tried to untie the ribbons of her left slipper, but as bending was also rather painful, she only managed to turn the bow into a knot.
Not a quarter of an hour after Jane left, there was another knock. When Jane did not immediately appear, Elizabeth thought it might be one of the Bingley sisters, or worse, her mother; and it was with some trepidation that she bid the person enter.
She was speechless when Mr Darcy slipped into the room, closing the door behind him.
"Mr Darcy!" she said, levering herself up.
"Are you all right?" he asked. "Can I get you anything?"
Elizabeth wondered where this new, solicitous Mr Darcy had come from. She noticed he was wearing a fresh cravat and had also changed his coat.
"No, thank you. I'm fine."
"Some punch?" he asked, stepping forward; his eyes roaming over the discarded stays.
"I believe I've already been accused of drinking too much of it," Elizabeth smiled.
"You heard that? I'm sorry. Caroline is a bit much sometimes."
"No matter, but you had better take yourself off before she finds you in here."
"I had to come back..." he explained as he removed his hand from behind his back.
"...I somehow ended up with this," he said, proffering the cameo.
Elizabeth's hand flew to her throat in surprise. She hadn't noticed her necklace was missing.
"Thank you," she said, accepting it.
Lizzy had no sooner done so than they heard voices in the hall. She saw Mr Darcy mouth a swear word.
Darcy knew he could not be caught alone with a lady in a bedchamber. He should have called a maid, but they were all preoccupied with the ball. Glancing around desperately, he hid behind the brocade curtain.
Lizzy quickly laid back down on the pillow.
With a peremptory knock, Louisa entered with Lizzy's mother.
"Oh, Lizzy! What have you been doing?" wailed Mrs Bennet.
"I twisted my ankle, Mama. It is nothing."
"But it is not nothing!" exclaimed Mrs Bennet. "You may have broken it! I don't think you should be moved until Mr Jones has checked it! It could be broken!"
Lizzy was keen that Mr Jones not be consulted. After his medical opinion had kept Jane at Netherfield far longer then Lizzy believed her sister's cold merited, she was fairly sure the Meryton apothecary was colluding with her mother.
"No, you see?" she said, brandishing the other foot. "It is perfectly fine."
They were interrupted when Caroline walked into the room.
"Have you seen Mr Darcy, Louisa? We are engaged for the next set."
"I believe he went to change his cravat, Caroline," replied her sister.
Caroline walked out and Elizabeth could hear her hallooing down the hall.
"Honestly, Mother, I am fine," reassured Elizabeth. "Now go enjoy yourself downstairs. Balls at Netherfield only happen once in a blue moon."
With this encouragement Mrs Bennet was swayed. "I'll come back to check on you later, dear. I'm still not convinced you should be moved. It is a pity Mr Jones is not here to give an opinion."
After the door closed behind the ladies, Mr Darcy emerged from the draperies causing Elizabeth to stifle a giggle.
"What is so amusing?" he asked, noting her chestnut tresses arrayed on the pillow.
"It is like a bad play. Your name isn't Squire Squeezem, is it?"
"Ho, ho," retorted Darcy while thinking, Damn, she got me again! "That is the gratitude I get for bringing your necklace back!"
"I'm sorry. You had better go before Caroline has kittens."
"Are you sure there is nothing I can do for you before I leave? I'm only going to stand against the pillar downstairs anyway. Well..., after I've danced with Caroline."
"There is one thing..."
"Yes?"
"Would you mind removing my shoe? I should have taken it off earlier. My attempt to untie the ribbons with one hand has only knotted them."
Darcy crouched down next to the bed to examine the knot and began to pick at it. "You cannot bend over? That is not a good sign. Perhaps there is something broken?"
"I don't think so. I believe I am just sore, but I guess I will find out in a day or two when the swelling goes down. I will put some arnica on it when I get home."
"Surely that should go on sooner rather than later?" Darcy commented, still worrying the knot.
Lizzy was regretting troubling him. Clearly, only Jane's nimble fingers could deal with such a Gordian knot. She wondered how a man like Darcy managed to write with such large hands. But the next moment, she saw she had misjudged him: a loop appeared and then was enlarged. In a trice the knot had yielded, and Mr Darcy slipped off her shoe.
"Shall I remove the other?" he asked. "You can put your feet under the covers then."
"It is not necessary..." she began.
But he'd already started untying the other ribbon. Clearly Mr Darcy's question was only rhetorical.
He slipped off the second shoe and set it aside. Still holding the stockinged heel of her good foot in his warm hand, he looked up. Their eyes met and engaged for a moment before he looked down and lowered her foot to the cover.
"I'd better go," he said, just as Caroline's voice rang out again.
Miss Bingley was coming back down the hall.
Elizabeth looked slightly alarmed but Mr Darcy didn't look fazed. He got up silently and slipped into the dressing room. She heard a door click and realized Mr Darcy was going down the servants' stairs.
The door to the hall opened and Caroline stepped into the room.
"I hope you are feeling better after your little adventure?" Miss Bingley asked.
"Tolerably so," replied Elizabeth with an ease she was far from feeling.
"Have you seen Mr Darcy?" asked Caroline.
"I believe he went to change his cravat," prevaricated Elizabeth.
"Hmmph," said Caroline, retreating to the door. "His valet said he left a good ten minutes ago."
Elizabeth settled back down to read her book but she could not help wondering how often Mr Darcy slipped into and out of ladies' boudoirs, as easy as he had been with the process.
A quarter of an hour later there was another knock on the door. Elizabeth could only be glad she had not attempted to take a nap. This time it was a young maid with a tray.
The abigail put down the tray on a side-table and, with a quick curtsey, announced: "Please, ma'am, there's crab patties and cucumber sandwiches and punch; and Mr Darcy said you were wanting the arnica too."
Elizabeth thanked the maid kindly before the girl retreated and closed the door softly after herself; no doubt she was busy with the business of the ball. After partaking of her little feast, Elizabeth managed to apply some of the arnica haphazardly to her foot.
She must have drifted off sometime later, because the next thing she remembered was being woken by Jane. Rousing from her slumber, Lizzy could still hear the band playing below.
"What time is it, Jane?"
"Two in the morning, Lizzy. They are dancing the last set below, but I came up early to ease our departure. Mr Darcy expressed some doubt to Charles that you would be able to walk to the carriage."
"No, I don't think I can, Jane."
"That's all right. Charles has called for our carriage first, so after we tidy you up, Charles will summon two footmen."
With some effort on Jane's part, and a lot of discomfort on Elizabeth's, the stays were replaced.
"Oh, please don't do up the middle catches, Jane, it hurts too much."
"Very well," said her sister. "Let me twist your hair up at the back."
A respectable appearance was achieved and two footman summoned. They appeared with a sturdy carver and after Jane helped her into it, Elizabeth was spirited down the stairs like the Queen of Sheba.
Jane's timing was immaculate. The vestibule was still largely empty as the band performed a flourish to end the set. Neither of the ladies noticed Mr Darcy, who was watching their progress clandestinely from a curtained alcove.
Outside, the carriage was ready, and Jane climbed aboard to assist Lizzy inside as the footmen held the carver steady at the door.
After helping her sister settle on the bench seat, Jane climbed out again. "I'll just go back to say goodbye to Charles," she said, disappearing into the night.
Elizabeth waited patiently for what seemed like half an hour. John Coachman had to move the carriage several times to allow other vehicles to pass in the drive. Finally Lizzy heard her mother approaching, directing parting salutations left and right in an overexcited voice.
Mrs Bennet climbed ponderously into the carriage, followed by Mary and Jane, and after yet another scuffle, the two youngest Bennets. The step was put up, and they were finally on their way.
It was well past three by the time the carriage arrived at Longbourn, the occupants regaled all the way by Kitty's and Lydia's exposition of their marvellous evening.
The ladies all piled out, with Lizzy alighting last, making use of Jane's shoulder.
"How now! What is this?" said Mrs Bennet, noticing her daughter's circumscribed movements. "Your foot certainly doesn't look fine to me!"
"It has swollen a little, but I expect it will be all right in the morning," replied Lizzy.
"Oh! Did you do that when you fell off the balcony with Mr Darcy, Lizzy?" asked Lydia.
There were occasions when Lizzy had uncharitable thoughts about her youngest sister and her loud mouth, and this was one of those moments.
"Fell off the balcony?" declared Mrs Bennet. "Whatever were you doing? Was he kissing you, Lizzy?"
"Mama!"
"But come now, Lizzy. This is good!" cried Mrs Bennet. "He must have changed his opinion of you! I knew it! He has seen the bliss Mr Bingley is enjoying with Jane and is jealous of his friend's good fortune! Ooh! Ten thousand a year! And with Mr Bingley's five thousand, who cares if Mr Collins has no taste! Though he did dance with you once, Mary!"
"Mama," objected Lizzy, "it is nothing of the sort! We were merely talking while we waited for the supper line to diminish and I slipped. Mr Darcy tried to rescue me but wasn't successful."
"Oh, come, Lizzy!" retorted her mother. "Do you really expect me to believe that? But you can tell me all about it in the morning. Lord! I am so tired!"
Mrs Bennet made her way to the front door, which was opened by Mrs Hill, dressed in her nightgown with a shawl wrapped round her shoulders. Kitty and Lydia trailed after her, suddenly enervated by thoughts of the nearness of their beds. Mary and Jane made a chair of their arms for Lizzy and brought up the rear.
"Has Mr Bennet retired yet, Hill?" asked Mrs Bennet as she mounted the steps.
"No, ma'am. He's still in the study, waiting up for you," replied Hill as she lit more candles to light the ladies to bed.
Mrs Bennet quickly forgot her yawns at this unexpected solicitude on her husband's part and made straight for Mr Bennet's refuge to share her news. Her three eldest followed her; Jane and Mary depositing Lizzy at the entrance so that she could lean against the doorpost.
"Oh! my dear Mr Bennet," Mrs Bennet exclaimed as she entered the room, "we have had a most delightful evening, a most excellent ball. I wish you had been there. Jane was so admired, nothing could be like it. Everybody said how well she looked; and Mr Bingley couldn't take his eyes off her. I was sure that he was going to announce their engagement, but it cannot be far off! Everyone assured me so!..."
But at that point, Mrs Bennet finally noticed her husband had fallen asleep with a book in his lap and his glasses on the end of his nose.
"Oh, Mr Bennet. Do wake up! We have ever so much to tell you!" she said, and she leant over to give him a shake.
Then, with a shriek, she fainted dead away to the floor, knocking her husband's glass of port to the carpet.
"Mama!" said Jane in alarm, starting forward.
Before her daughter could reach her, Mrs Bennet revived and promptly burst into a fit of hysterics.
It was then that Jane looked at her father. "Oh dear! Lizzy..."
Ignoring the pain in her chest, Lizzy hopped towards her papa. She reached out to touch his hand. It was cold and clammy. Distraught, barely able to control her facial contortions, she looked at Jane.
The aftermath of their discovery had been painful. With the help of Hill the sisters had sedated Mrs Bennet. Mary and Jane had taken their mother to her bed and finally managed to encourage her to settle down after giving her enough laudanum to anaesthetise a horse.
After her sisters had gone off, Lizzy had sat down on the floor at her father's feet, rested her head against his knee, and cried.