I'm enjoying all of your speculation! And thanks to whoever pointed out about the bedrooms. I appreciate when you notice inconsistencies! :) And spelling errors lol.
Now, let's get Elizabeth to Netherfield, shall we? I promise the next few chapters will have more of ODC.
Chapter 12
Elizabeth awoke the following morning and looked out the window apprehensively. She had heard freezing rain sometime in the middle of the night, and she was concerned about Jane's ability to return home. If the rain had turned into snow, it would prevent a carriage from being able to travel well.
Her heart sank as she saw about eight inches of white blanket covering the ground. There would be no way for Jane to return home that day.
She dressed quickly and went downstairs to break her fast. It was earlier than usual, so no one else was in the room. Just as she was finishing her toast and jam, Hill came into the room.
"A letter from Netherfield for you, Miss Lizzy," the housekeeper said.
"Thank you, Hill," Elizabeth replied as she eagerly opened the note.
My dearest Lizzy -
I find myself very unwell this morning, which, I suppose, is to be imputed to my getting wet through yesterday. My kind friends will not hear of my returning home till I am better. They insist also on my seeing Mr. Jones a second time—therefore do not be alarmed if you should hear of his having been to me—and, excepting a sore throat and headache, there is not much the matter with me.
- Jane
Elizabeth's eyes widened in alarm as she read Jane's report. This is just how Kitty's pneumonia began, she thought desperately.
She rose from her chair and was about to seek out her father, when the Mr. Bennet himself came into the room.
"Are you quite alright, Lizzy?" he asked, his brow furrowing.
She wordlessly passed him the note. After he read it, she said, "I would like to go to Netherfield immediately."
"I supposed I should call for the carriage."
Elizabeth shook her head. "There is ice under the snow. I shall walk."
"Walk?" he exclaimed in alarm, just as Mrs. Bennet entered the room and burst out, "Walk to Netherfield? In all that mud and snow? You'll not be fit to be seen!"
"I shall be fit to see Jane, and that is all that matters," retorted Elizabeth. "This would not have been necessary if Jane hadn't gone on horseback."
Mrs. Bennet paled, then said, "She only has a cold. People don't die of trifling colds!"
"Kitty did."
Mrs. Bennet stared at Elizabeth for a moment, then burst into tears and fled from the room. Mr. Bennet gave his daughter a disapproving look. "I know you are disappointed in her, but you must remember she is still your mother and commands your respect."
Elizabeth flinched at his severe tone. "I'm sorry, Papa."
He sighed heavily. "This has been a difficult time on all of us. We will not survive this winter if we cannot get along. Otherwise, we might end up killing each other before the cold does!"
She met his wry smirk with a small smile of her own. "I still need to go to Jane."
He nodded. "Very well. I will send Danny to walk with you."
She opened her mouth to protest, but he held up a hand. "I will not take the chance of losing another daughter. We can spare Danny to walk with you there. He can wait in the Netherfield kitchens until you return home. The sky is clear, so you should be safe to go and return today."
"Thank you, Papa."
Elizabeth hugged her father and went up the stairs to collect her warmest walking clothes. On her way to meet Danny, she stopped by the kitchens where Mary and Lydia were helping Cook preserve meat.
"Don't forget to give some of that to the Harris family," Elizabeth reminded them. "One of the smaller pigs was theirs."
"Why didn't they slaughter it themselves?" Lydia asked, making a face as she picked up a strip of raw bacon.
"They don't have enough hands to get everything done for the rest of the winter," Elizabeth said, "so they asked us to do it for them in exchange for a little bit of the meat."
"I'll take it to them later today," Mary promised. She went to hug Elizabeth, then stopped and grimaced at her blood-covered hands. "Please be safe."
"I will," Elizabeth assured her sister.
Waving farewell, Elizabeth and Danny went out the door and into cold. Elizabeth had to blink several times; the sun reflecting off the snow was almost blinding. While she appreciated finally seeing blue sky, the heat caused some of the snow to melt. When mixed with dirt and a layer of ice underneath, the walk was a wet, slick one.
"Careful, Miss Lizzy," Danny said, watching as she once again lost her footing.
Elizabeth looked down at her skirts and sighed. Each time she slipped, the hems would sink far down into the melting snow. Thankfully, I have no suitors to impress at Netherfield, she thought with a wry smile.
Fearlessly, she swiftly walked the last half mile to Netherfield. The sky was clear, but there were a few clouds in the distance that bothered her, and she wanted to spend as much time with Jane as possible.
She sent Danny around to the servants' door, then tapped the knocker on the main entrance. The door was immediately opened by a footman, and she was given admittance. Once she explained who she was, the servant showed her into the breakfast room where the entire Netherfield party was gathered.
"Miss Elizabeth!' cried Mr. Bingley jovially, standing up with the other gentlemen. "Do please come in! Have you eaten yet?"
"I have, thank you," she said, giving him a warm smile. "I have come to inquire after my sister. How is she doing?"
"You came on foot?" Miss Bingley burst out.
Elizabeth looked down at her petticoat, which was at least six deep in mud, and her grin widened. "As you see. The thick ice underneath the snow made it inadvisable to come by carriage, and I am not much of a horsewoman."
The way Miss Bingley's mouth opened and closed speechlessly reminded Elizabeth of a fish, and she bit her lip to hold back a laugh.
"Your sister is somewhat feverish," Mrs. Hurst spoke up kindly. "I will have the maid take you up."
She eyed Elizabeth up and down with a critical eye, and Elizabeth braced herself for another backhanded comment, but instead the lady said, "You and I are much the same size, although most of my gowns no longer fit. I will send one to you so you are not uncomfortable while you visit your sister."
"That is very kind of you, thank you," Elizabeth said with surprise.
Mrs. Hurst smiled kindly and placed a hand on our her stomach. "I hope one day that my child has a sister as loving as you."
"Sisters are quite wonderful - when they are loving, that is," said Bingley with a side glance at Miss Bingley.
"No need to call for anyone," interrupted Georgiana. "I would be happy to show you to your sister, Miss Elizabeth, as I have finished eating and was going to check on her myself shortly."
"Oh, Miss Darcy, you shouldn't put yourself at risk!" gasped Miss Bingley.
Georgiana shrank back a little, then turned to her brother. Everyone waited with baited breath as Mr. Darcy finished chewing his food, took a sip from come his cup, and finally spoke. "I think Georgiana should be fine to see Miss Bennet. Is it not as if the woman is contagious, after all; she fell ill due to a freezing rain, and I cannot see how she can cause Georgiana to suffer the same fate indoors."
Hurst let out a bark of laughter, while Bingley snickered into his cup. Georgiana gave her brother a broad smile, then stood, smoothed her skirts, and walked over to the door where Elizabeth waited.
Miss Bingley watched with narrowed eyes as the two young ladies left the room. Before the door could finish closing, Elizabeth heard her exclaim, "What a hoyden!"
Georgiana looked at Elizabeth in alarm, but Elizabeth was laughing quietly. "Are you not mortified?" Georgiana asked in a whisper.
Elizabeth shook her head. "No. I do not care enough about Miss Bingley for her opinion to hold any weight with me."
Eyes shining in admiration, Georgiana whispered, "I hate being talked about."
"Does it happen often?" Elizabeth asked curiously as she climbed the stairs.
"Oh, yes," Georgiana nodded vehemently as they climbed the stairs. "I was at school until this last summer, and I hated it. The girls only cared about my brother's interests so they could have a chance to marry him once we all came out."
They reached the top of the stairs, and Elizabeth began to turn right towards the guest wing. To her surprise, Georgiana turned left instead.
"Jane was put in the family wing?" Elizabeth asked in confusion.
Georgiana blushed slightly. "We are all staying in the same wing. This way there will be less of the house to heat and maintain."
Elizabeth nodded approvingly. "We have done something similar at Longbourn. Although, with my aunt Gardiner having arrived today with her four children, we are using just as many rooms as we did before!"
The conversation fell away as they approached Jane's room. If she was asleep, they did not want to disturb her. Georgiana knocked softly, and a maid opened the door a few inches.
"Miss Bennet's sister is here," Georgiana whispered. "Is she awake?"
The maid nodded. "Yes, Miss Darcy."
She opened the door further, and Georgiana and Elizabeth entered the room.
"Lizzy!" cried Jane, bursting into tears.
"Oh, dear Jane."
Elizabeth rushed across the room and sat next to her weeping sister. She smoothed Jane's hair and murmured reassurances, trying to hide her alarm at how hot Jane felt to the touch. Looking up, she saw Georgiana standing awkwardly across the room.
Jane looked up and followed Elizabeth's gaze. "Oh, Miss Darcy!" exclaimed the eldest Bennet. "I am not usually such a watering pot. Please forgive me." She mopped at her face with a handkerchief beside the bed.
"Nonsense," Elizabeth said firmly. "A bad cold is almost always more miserable than a severe illness. After all, there is much to be done for painful ailments, such as laudanum. Other than willow bark tea and its foul taste, there isn't anything to alleviate a cold's symptoms."
"I feel so foolish," Jane whispered.
"Oh, you mustn't!" Georgiana blurted out, before coloring. "Excuse me, I should not have intruded on your private conversation."
She turned to leave, but Elizabeth's kind voice stopped her before she could take her leave. "Nonsense to you as well, Georgiana! You are more than welcome to join us."
Georgiana smiled shyly and came to sit by the bed.
"That's better," Elizabeth declared. "Jane, you are not foolish. You had no way of knowing the weather would turn so suddenly. And Georgiana, you are not intruding. Jane would not have said anything in your presence that she would not want you hear or respond to."
Both girls smiled at Elizabeth, who continued her mild chastising. "Now, let's see what we can do to make you better, Jane."
The three girls spent the rest of the morning in heartfelt conversation. Georgiana spoke more about her experiences at finishing school, as well as her disappointment to miss a summer at Brighton. In turn, Elizabeth and Jane shared what it was like growing up in a large household of sisters.
A light lunch was brought up during the conversation. Georgiana and Elizabeth continued visiting with one another when Jane dozed off, lulled to sleep by her fever and hot broth. Elizabeth was grateful that Netherfield's cautions did not prevent them for keeping Jane's fire blazing.
Their tête-à-tête was interrupted when Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst came to check on their guest. Mrs. Hurst brought the promised dress, and Elizabeth quickly changed out of her soiled gown so it could be cleaned. Elizabeth was forced to admit that Miss Bingley was quite the conversationalist when discussing events and scandals in town. They were kept very entertained until the clock in the hall chimed for dinner.
Elizabeth regretfully announced she would need to leave in order to return home. Miss Bingley offered use of a carriage, but Elizabeth reminded her that the thick ice on the roads, coupled with the melting snow, would not be safe. This, coupled with Jane's distress at her sister's departure, forced Miss Bingley to change the offer to one of accommodation until Jane had recovered.
Although it was quite clear from Miss Bingley's pinched expression that she had little pleasure in the situation, Elizabeth was sincere in her gratitude. She had felt uncomfortable leaving an obviously ill Jane, and with the roads in such poor condition, it would be difficult - if not dangerous - to regularly travel back and forth from Netherfield to Longbourn each day.
"Would you like another dress to wear for dinner, Miss Elizabeth?" Mrs. Hurst asked kindly as the ladies withdrew to change for the meal.
Elizabeth looked down at the borrowed gown she wore. While it was simple, the cut and quality of the fabric demonstrated its superiority to her own wardrobe.
"I think that I will be fine in this one, Mrs. Hurst, but I appreciate your offer."
Mrs. Hurst smiled kindly and placed her hand over her increasing stomach. "Of course. I have many gowns that are simply taking space in my closet right now that no longer fit. After this babe, I doubt they ever will!"
"Do you mind if I ask when you are due for your lying in?" Elizabeth inquired tentatively.
"According to my calculations, and the midwife agrees, the babe will probably come sometime in February."
"Will you still be at Netherfield?"
"Most probably," Mrs. Hurst replied. "The town air, especially in the winter, has not agreed with me."
"I am sorry to hear that," Elizabeth said genuinely.
"It will all be worth it if I can present my husband with an heir," Mrs. Hurst said with a smile.
"Then I truly hope you have a son!"
"A daughter could inherit as well. There is no entail on the Hurst estate."
"Then you are very fortunate," Elizabeth replied grimly.
"Yes, Jane mentioned something about that yesterday. It is a difficult situation."
Elizabeth said nothing but responded with a smile. Their conversation was halted when Miss Bingley returned and said sharply, "Louisa! You haven't begun to change?"
"Please excuse me," Mrs. Hurst said graciously.
She left the room with her sister. Elizabeth took a few minutes to make sure Jane was comfortable and to leave instructions with a maid before going downstairs to the drawing room. It had been many years since she had been in Netherfield, as the previous owner had left about a year after her come-out, but she was still familiar with the layout of the public rooms.
Darcy, Bingley, and Georgiana were already in the room when she arrived.
"Ah, Miss Elizabeth!" Mr. Bingley cried, jumping to his feet. "How is your sister?"
"A little better, sir, thank you. Her fever is not quite as high as it was."
"Wonderful! I'm delighted to hear it!"
Miss Bingley swept into the room just then, followed by the Hursts. Noticing that everyone was gathered, the butler came in and announced that dinner was ready. Bingley offered his arm to Elizabeth and his sister, who gave Darcy a lingering look before taking it. Darcy brought in his sister, and the Hursts followed below him.
Once everyone was settled in their seats, the first course was brought out.
"What is this?" exclaimed Miss Bingley in dismay.
Elizabeth looked at her bowl of soup to see a simple broth with some vegetables.
"I believe it is beef stew, ma'am," said the butler.
"But there is hardly anything in it! A house with such highly ranked residents should not be expected to eat from the dregs of the pot!"
"Ahem." Bingley cleared his throat and gave his sister a quelling look. "I am the one who gave instructions on how much food should be used."
"You?!" Miss Bingley fairly shouted at her brother. "Charles, planning the menus is the job of the mistress!"
"Yes, but I have repeatedly asked you to change the recipes to match the economies we are making. You have not listened to me, so I took it upon myself to speak to the housekeeper and the cook about my expectations."
Miss Bingley's face grew red with fury, clashing horribly with her hair. "You had no right -"
"I had every right," Bingley retorted, cutting his sister off. "I have warned you many times, Caroline, but you refuse to understand. I've finally had it. As of now, you are no longer mistress of Netherfield. Louisa," he turned to his sister, "will you please act as mistress?"
Mrs. Hurst looked down at her rounded stomach, apprehension on her face.
"She can't! How can she do everything required to run a household in her condition?" Miss Bingley crowed. "You need me, Charles."
"Yes."
Everyone turned to look at Mrs. Hurst. "Yes, Charles, I will act as mistress. That is, if Miss Darcy would be willing to assist me."
Georgiana, who had been looking anxiously down at her soup, turned very red. "I can help you," she managed to squeak out.
Darcy gave his sister a smile of approval, which caused her to straighten her shoulders.
"Well, I can see when I'm not wanted," Miss Bingley huffed.
She threw her napkin and silverware on the table, knocking over her full glass of wine, which fell over on the table and onto her lap. She shrieked hysterically and leaped from her seat. "My gown! It's ruined!" She turned a heated glare on her brother. "This is all your fault, Charles! I will not stay in this house a moment longer! I will return to London immediately!"
She strode from the room in fury. There were several moments of long silence, then Hurst let out a snort of repressed mirth. The room dissolved into laughter, with the exception of Elizabeth. She allowed a smile, but a part of her could not help but feel sorry for Miss Bingley. Her refusal to see the truth about life reminded her much of Mrs. Bennet, and she could not quite laugh as freely. She looked around the room and was pleased to see that the Darcys had not entirely joined in the hilarity, either.
When the room settled down somewhat, Bingley looked over at his guests and said, "Miss Bennet, Darcy, Miss Darcy: I am so sorry for the unseemly display you have witnessed at dinner."
"I think we all have some relatives who have given us grief at one time or another," Elizabeth smiled. "Please do not worry yourself."
Across the table, she saw Darcy mouth "Aunt Catherine" to his sister, who giggled. Then he said, "Yes, Bingley, do not concern yourself. We are all friends here, and it is as Miss Elizabeth said. Every family has one or two connections that cause us to blush."
Bingley gave a sigh of relief. "Thank you for your generosity of spirit."
"What do you think she'll do when she realizes the London house is completely closed?" Hurst asked with a smirk.
Bingley groaned and buried his face in his hands. This time Elizabeth and the Darcys could not hold back their laughter, either, and the remainder of the dinner continued in a lively manner. The merriment only ended when Elizabeth immediately excused herself for the night in order to care for Jane, and the rest followed suit.