Nobody slept well that night at Netherfield: Jane from the obvious reason of her affliction of the head, Bingley from his affliction of worry for Jane, Darcy from his newfound affliction of lovesick for Miss Bennet, Caroline from her affliction of tears that kept her up most of the night, and Elizabeth from affliction with her company. The household servants didn't sleep well because, being very intuitive persons, they picked up on the ill manner of the house and were all afraid that they would be blamed for something. So it was not really surprising that everyone at Netherfield got up a little earlier than normal to begin their day. Caroline Bingley and Elizabeth Bennet were the first to rise and after they had dressed they each set out from their rooms to walk the corridors of Netherfield.
Lost in thought, Caroline and Elizabeth walked aimlessly through the dim hallways each thinking about what needed to be done that day and what had unfortunately conspired on the previous day. They walked slowly which caused their feet in their house slippers to make no sound on the carpeted halls; they rounded a corner.
"Oh! Oh Miss Bennet, forgive me, I'm sorry." Caroline had practically jumped out of her skin when the phantom of her dreams had suddenly materialized before her so unexpectedly on a less traversed hallway. It was only after she had said it did she realize that she hadn't actually apologized to anyone in years, if ever.
"Excuse me, Miss Bingley, I didn't think anyone else would be up…I hope I haven't kept you awake." Elizabeth said after composing herself; but from the look she was receiving Caroline could tell that Elizabeth knew very well that it had been exactly that that had kept her awake, and she thought Elizabeth enjoyed this fact.
"Not at all, I often take morning strolls; they help me clear my head."
"Really, hmmm? I find that morning strolls often cause more reveling than they do clearing." If Caroline didn't know better she would have sworn that Elizabeth was baiting her. She felt vulnerable without her feathers and jewels to hide behind, so she fidgeted with a strand of her lose hair.
"How is your sister?" She asked, quite correctly. However, Elizabeth's face showed a hint of amusement at the sudden introduction of a new topic and so said,
"Oh, so obviously the stroll has done its job by ridding your head of all of yesterdays somber events…my sister's health not included?" Caroline twisted her hair around her finger and placed her other arm protectively across her waist.
"I don't know what you're insinuating Miss Bennet, and frankly I don't care enough to try and find out,"
"Oh come, come, Miss Bingley, don't pretend you don't know?" Elizabeth said mockingly leaning in to Caroline slightly. Caroline took an instinctive deep breath, she could smell lavender soap on Elizabeth, which made her pleased because she knew it was the soap from her own room. Elizabeth was wearing her soap…wearing her. "I'm simply referring to your engagement to Mr. Darcy," Elizabeth said confidently. The words took a moment to register with Caroline who was still holding her breath,
"What!?" She released. Elizabeth smiled encouragingly and took Caroline's elbow. The weight of her hand killed Caroline.
"Oh, you needn't be afraid to admit it to me, we are friends after all." Elizabeth put a funny emphasis on 'friends' and then let her brown eyes drift down to her hand still clutching Caroline's elbow. Despite the pleasant distraction of Elizabeth's hand, Caroline could still tell when she was being made fun of. Annoyed she jerked her arm out from under Elizabeth's touch.
"I don't know what you're talking about, but I'd prefer it if you left me out of your sordid country gossip." Elizabeth raised her eyebrows,
"So, then, am I to understand it that you're not engaged to Mr. Darcy?"
"What is it to you if I am or if I am not? What business is it of yours?"
"Oh, forgive me, I wasn't trying to be impertinent…I simply assumed that the information was solid. I was merely trying to congratulate you."
"What information? Who told you that Mr. Darcy and I were engaged?"
"Nobody, naturally," Elizabeth said with a grin,
"Nobody?" Caroline asked, perplexed.
"From the way you were acting, I thought it was obvious," Elizabeth said with a shrug. Caroline felt her whole face burning with embarrassment, there had only been one instant in her life when she had felt as humiliated and ridiculous as she did at that moment and it had been the first time she'd had to appear at a ball in a dress. Still, a fire ignited in Caroline's stomach, a dangerous one. She was seized with the desire to humiliate Elizabeth back…to get her back…to show her…to possess her. And so Caroline did the unthinkable, in the early daylight hours in an open hallway at Netherfield, Caroline shoved Elizabeth Bennet up against the wall and kissed her.
It was a hard bitter kiss, meant to be painful. Elizabeth was at first too shocked to do anything but then, quite unexpectedly, she was kissing Caroline back just as fervidly as Caroline was kissing her. Their teeth tore at each other's lips and their tongues dueled for dominance. Caroline's hands that had been used to pin Elizabeth's shoulders to the wall were now descending roughly down Elizabeth's arms to enclose upon her wrists, she brought the trapped wrists up to drape around her own shoulders. Elizabeth pulled Caroline closer to her and kissed her more forcibly in reply, occasionally letting a stray gasp escape from her lips. There was no time for thought, rational or erratic, only a desperate need in both women to conquer. Caroline brought her now free hands up to begin tearing at the buttons of Elizabeth's dress. Elizabeth began the same pursuit of Caroline's buttons, while Caroline's knee came up to hold Elizabeth firmly against the wall. The knee, however, turned out to have a duel effect; Elizabeth actually drew blood from Caroline's lip from pleasure when she felt the knee press into her. At first Caroline thought she had hurt her and was about to pull back but Elizabeth dug her nails into Caroline's chest and managed to say,
"Don't stop…please…" Elizabeth whispered against Caroline's bloody lips. So Caroline put her knee back, and more forcefully this time causing Elizabeth to groan. They had both managed to unbutton all the buttons by this point, and their dresses were sliding away to revel their under shimmies. Caroline stepped out of her dress without breaking contact from Elizabeth's mouth; she brought her full body up against Elizabeth's and pressed her knee full force into Elizabeth. Elizabeth responded pressing herself into Caroline, and entangling her hands in Caroline's hair.
"Oh my goodness!" came the shrill voice of Sophia from the other end of the hallway.