Her Last Words Chapter 10, a pride and prejudice fanfic

A/N

HLW - Chapter 10, hope you enjoy.

I have noted the objection raised by some of you that the Bennets would not be inviting/visiting anywhere due to mourning. While I understand the concern, but if they do not go anywhere or someone visits them... well then there is no HLW ... where do our H/h get to meet? I have tried to walk a tight rope here... with visits for chess/conversation/relatives etc, for the story to move fwd unfortunately I cannot do away with them...

Thank you so much for the feedback and the engagement :) Do let me know your thoughts on the latest chapter.

Her Last Words

Chapter 10

Except for Mary, the sisters went to Meryton the next day to meet Aunt Phillips. Mary elected to stay at home and keep their father company.

After the initial pleasantries, the talk veered to reminiscences of Mrs Bennet, and how could any conversation about the departed lady be complete without a reference to her dearest wish? Mrs Phillips was, anyhow, eager to learn the latest news about the gentlemen from Netherfield. The men's return to Netherfield was widely known, and the fact that they had visited only Longbourn since their arrival had sparked much speculation in the neighbourhood.

"Fanny would have been overjoyed to see Mr Bingley return to Netherfield. Now if he does what she hoped he would last November, she will truly be at peace," Mrs Phillips said, and wiped her eyes with a handkerchief.

'You do not know the half of it, Sally. I shall be at peace only if Mr Bingley stops dawdling around and offers for Jane,' Mrs Bennet muttered forlornly, as she sat on the sofa next to her sister. Unfortunately, there was no Mr Darcy to hear her words and reassure her.

"I heard that they visited Longbourn the very next day after their arrival..." Mrs Phillips paused expectantly.

"Yes, aunt, they came to offer their condolences," Elizabeth replied, after a quick look at her elder sister, who sat with a carefully bland expression.

It was getting increasingly difficult to figure out what was going on inside Jane's head. Only the day before, she had stated that she and Mr Bingley had agreed to try and get to know each other better before making a decision about their future. But there was a general lack of... of enthusiasm in her demeanour toward Mr Bingley and the whole issue of her courtship. Perhaps Jane was finding it difficult to forget how Mr Bingley let others guide his actions. 'I hope she is soon able to set aside her anger and work towards her happiness.'

"Look, there goes Maria. When we went out for a walk yesterday, she said that she was going to the haberdashery today for a new bonnet. Come, Kitty, we will accompany her to the shop," Lydia said, as she pointed to one of the windows of Mrs Phillips' parlour. Maria Lucas and her younger sister Emma were walking past the house.

"Lydia...," Elizabeth began, but Lydia cut her short angrily.

"I know Lizzy, I am not going there to buy anything. Contrary to what you may think, I am fully aware of... of our situation." Despite her efforts, Lydia's voice cracked near the end.

"I just wanted to assist Maria in choosing a pretty bonnet as she had requested," she added after a moment of awkward silence. "I refused her request yesterday, but now that we are here..."

Elizabeth had only intended to remind Lydia that Aunt Phillips had already rung for tea. She would have chided her sister for her rudeness if she had not remembered Mr Darcy's assessment of her. Lydia was clearly still angry with her, and Elizabeth had to admit that it was understandable given the circumstances. She should have apologized to Lydia for her harsh words but she had been hesitant to bring up the ugly incident. Furthermore, Kitty had approached her later that day and revealed that she had already spoken with Lydia. She had assured Elizabeth that their youngest sister was much composed after the chat.

Kitty and Lydia had always been closer to each other than the rest of the sisters, and Elizabeth realized that she did not need to look for anyone to have a heart-to-heart talk with Lydia. Kitty was there for her.

Her instinct was proved right when Kitty got up and nodded to Lydia. "Yes, let us go and assist Maria. She was truly keen on your advice." As the younger girls exited the parlour, Kitty came to halt beside Elizabeth and whispered, "Lizzy, please do not worry. I will be keeping an eye on her."

Mrs Bennet, who was troubled by Lydia's outburst, chose to accompany her two youngest daughters as well.

~§§§~

As the maid entered the parlour with tea and refreshments, Mrs Phillips, who was standing at the window, exclaimed, "Jane, is that gentleman not Mr Bingley?"

Both Jane and Elizabeth turned to look out of the window. Mr Bingley was indeed one of the two gentlemen standing outside a shop on the other side of the road. Elizabeth felt a twinge of disappointment that the other one was not his friend from Derbyshire.

"Yes, aunt, those two gentlemen are Mr Bingley and the Netherfield steward, Mr Jacob," Jane replied.

"Do you think I should invite him for tea?" Mrs Phillips eagerly enquired of her niece.

Elizabeth, who was fully expecting Jane to demur, was surprised to see her sister nod. "Why not, Aunt Phillips? I am sure he would be delighted to join us for one of your very refreshing cups of tea."

Without further ado, the maid was dispatched to deliver the invitation to the gentleman.

The three ladies in the parlour watched with interest as the maid relayed the message from her mistress. Soon Mr Bingley was taking his leave of his steward and walking towards Mrs Phillips' house.

Once the civilities were exchanged and Mr Bingley was handed a cup of hot tea, Elizabeth found herself asking him, "Mr Darcy did not accompany you today, Mr Bingley?"

Before answering, Mr Bingley cast a brief glance at Jane and, as Elizabeth watched with great interest, the two exchanged a sweet, secretive smile.

"Darcy was preoccupied with some correspondence from his steward and declined to join Jacob and me. But I am sure that he will regret his decision once I tell him that I had such pleasant company for tea." Bingley and Jane shared another smile.

'Jane and Mr Bingley seem to be getting on much better than I had anticipated.' The thought pleased Elizabeth very much.

She was not the only one who had noticed the shared glances and smiles. Mrs Phillips was equally observant when it came to her niece and her beau. Recollecting that her late sister was a great proponent of the importance of shared walks, preferably in the pleasant surroundings of well-manicured gardens, in hastening the courtship of young couples, she immediately asked Jane to show Mr Bingley the beautiful flowers in her garden.

The couple went out readily enough. Since the small garden was completely visible from one of the parlour windows, the need for a chaperon was not felt.

Elizabeth observed Jane strolling on Mr Bingley's arm, and she sat back in her seat with a sigh of satisfaction. Even as she watched, Mr Bingley bent his head, listening intently to something Jane was saying. They made a very attractive couple, and Elizabeth's throat tightened as she thought of her mother. Aunt Phillips was correct – if Mr Bingley and Jane came to an understanding, mama would be delirious with joy, wherever she was.

Elizabeth looked away from the couple straight into her aunt's pleased eyes. The ladies exchanged a happy, knowing smile, similar to the one Mr Bingley and Jane had shared just moments before in this very room.

'This has become possible only because Mr Darcy chose to reveal the truth to Mr Bingley.' The thought came to her mind unbidden, leaving her with a strong desire to share today's development with the man. Had she paused to reflect, she would have been very much disconcerted to realize that in a matter of days she had begun to look forward to sharing confidences with a man she had refused to have anything to do with just a few weeks ago.

~§§§~

Later that day, a messenger arrived from Netherfield with an invitation to a game of chess the next day for Mr Bennet. The invitation was also extended to any of the Miss Bennets who were desirous of enjoying some fresh air and sunshine in Netherfield's picturesque rose garden. Mr Bennet immediately enquired about his daughters' willingness for the plan. While the younger three girls politely declined the invitation, Elizabeth accepted it eagerly. Her reasoning was simple; she would invite Jane to accompany her, giving her another opportunity to spend some time with Mr Bingley. Little did she know that it was Jane who had requested Mr Bingley to issue the invitation, with exactly the same goal in mind for her and Mr Darcy!

It was the oddest situation in the Bennet household at the moment. The three people who had been most embarrassed by Mrs Bennet's compulsive matchmaking were now all involved in matchmaking efforts of their own. While Jane and Elizabeth were trying their best to make opportunities for the other sister and her beau, Mr Bennet was finally willing to bestir himself from his study for the sake of the happiness of his two eldest daughters. Mr Bingley's interest in Jane was already known to him, but he had been very intrigued to notice Mr Darcy's preoccupation with his Lizzy on the day they had played chess together.

Given the tumultuous history between Lizzy and the aloof gentleman from Derbyshire, it was difficult to believe his own observations, but he had seen what he had, and was interested enough to investigate the situation further. Especially since what he had seen and heard of Mr Darcy in London and now in Meryton convinced him that the young man was more than just an arrogant gentleman. So, he immediately sent his acceptance and that of his two elder daughters, to Mr Bingley.

If Mrs Bennet had been able to read her husband's mind that day, she would have been shocked and delighted at the same time at drastic change in his attitude.

~§§§~

That night, as Elizabeth was getting ready to retire, she heard a knock at her door, and Kitty peered inside. "Can we talk, Lizzy?"

"Of course, Kitty," Elizabeth said as she brushed her hair.

Kitty dashed inside and made herself comfortable on Elizabeth's bed. When she remained silent for quite some time, Elizabeth prompted her, "Kitty? What did you want to say?"

"Oh, Lizzy. I am so confused... I am not sure if I should be saying this because it is just a feeling that I have...," Kitty paused uncomfortably.

"Two heads are always better than one." Elizabeth encouraged her with a smile. However, when Kitty continued to look doubtful, she said seriously, "Please, my dear, tell me what it is. If we find that it is nothing to be concerned about, it will remain between you and me and no harm will be done."

"It is about Lydia and... Mr Wickham."

"Mr Wickham!" Elizabeth exclaimed sharply, then cursed herself when she saw Kitty flinch. "Kitty, I am sorry for shouting, but that man is..." She left the rest unsaid, but her tone was enough to convey her meaning to her sister.

"So, I understood it correctly that Jane was challenging Mr Wickham to speak his allegations in front of Mr Darcy... and that he was not particularly eager to do so?"

A mischievous smile lit Elizabeth's face for a brief moment. "That is one way of putting it," she said dryly, before asking, "But what were you saying about Lydia and Mr Wickham?"

"He appears to have made it a habit of showing up whenever we are out walking. He and Chamberlain joined us when we went out with Maria yesterday, and both gentlemen met us when we came out of the haberdashery today."

"But..." Elizabeth began to object but fell silent when Kitty raised her hand.

"Wait, Lizzy, let me explain what I suspect. On both days, Mr Wickham offered his arm to Lydia and... I am not sure how he managed it, but he and Lydia were separated from the rest of the group. As a result, I could not hear what they were saying. I did not think much of it then, but when it happened again today, I was concerned, especially since Jane had challenged him that day."

Kitty paused for breath and added thoughtfully, "I found his behaviour unusual for another reason – before now he had never bestowed any special attention on Lydia. So, why should that happen now?"

"You did the right thing by telling me, Kitty. I am not at liberty to tell you how I came about the information, but I can tell you that Mr Wickham is not what he seems. Let me think what we can do about him, but in the meantime, try to ensure that Lydia is never alone with him." Kitty's eyes widened as she listened to Elizabeth, and she nodded mutely.

Elizabeth was more troubled than she let on, after all Mr Darcy's letter had made her aware that Mr Wickham was capable of great mischief. She was also impressed by Kitty's argument – why had Mr Wickham begun singling out Lydia?"

"Did you speak to Lydia about him?" Elizabeth looked enquiringly at Kitty.

"No... no, I did not. Lydia has always had a soft spot for Mr Wickham, so I wanted to speak with you first. To... to find out if my intuition about him was correct. I felt sure that if Jane knew something about him, you would too."

Elizabeth could not help but smile at Kitty's simple but perfect logic. "And you were right. For now, just keep an eye on her and let me know if you notice anything that concerns you."

"I will. I will also talk to Lydia to discover what he has been saying to her. However, it may be difficult to convince Lydia of Mr Wickham's villainy. She will demand proof," Kitty said apologetically and stood up to leave.

"Hmm..." Elizabeth realized Kitty was correct; unfortunately, she could not reveal what Mr Darcy had told her in confidence, particularly about Miss Darcy. She had had to tell Jane about it as she had seen Mr Darcy's letter in Elizabeth's hand.

She snapped out of her reverie to hear Kitty addressing her. "All right then, good night, Lizzy." Kitty left after bestowing a quick kiss on her cheek.

~§§§~

Once Kitty left, Elizabeth blew out the taper and lay down, but found that sleep was eluding her. The information Kitty had shared disturbed her more than she wanted to admit. She needed to talk to someone about it, and the only person who came to mind was Mr Darcy. She did not know how she knew it, but she felt certain that if he could help her... help them, then he would. She decided to speak to him on the morrow when they visited Netherfield.

She considered telling her father about it but was not sure how seriously he would take the whole tenuous story. All Mr Wickham had done at the moment was to join her sister and her friends on their walks! Unfortunately, Elizabeth was not in a position to share the evidence she had against him.

All of a sudden, she missed her mother with an intensity that left her gasping for breath. She knew that mama would have believed them. When it came to her daughters' wellbeing and safety, their mother was like a lioness with her cubs. As soon as she discovered that Miss Bingley had purposefully lied about Jane's visit, nothing would do for her but to set matters to rights. Elizabeth also recollected how upset mama had been with Mr Darcy for slighting even her least favourite daughter. He was to be shunned for the offence, notwithstanding his twelve thousand pounds per annum.

Elizabeth smiled at the memory, not realizing tears had started slipping out of her eyes. Suddenly, feeling overcome with grief, she buried her face in her pillow. Despite her continuous attempts to suppress it, the painful thought finally surfaced – her last words to her mother had been an angry exchange. She never got an opportunity to apologize for her harsh words. She hugged her pillow tightly and whispered, "I am sorry, mama."

~§§§~

Her Last Words