Chapter seven I thought once how Theocritus had sung

Of the sweet years, the dear and wished-for years,

Who each one in a gracious hand appears

To bear a gift for mortals, old or young;

And, as I mused it in his antique tongue,

I saw, in gradual vision through my tears,

The sweet, sad years, the melancholy years,

Those of my own life, who by turns had flung

A shadow across me. Straightaway I was 'ware,

So weeping, how a mystic Shape did move

Behind me, and drew me backward by the hair;

And a voice said in mastery, while I strove,--

Guess now who holds thee?--Death, I said, But, there,

The silver answer rang,--Not Death, but Love.

(Elizabeth Barrett Browning) Jane felt a warm presence as she was trying to wake up. Am I suffering from my nerves? What would Lizzy think if she saw me like this? A light smirk graced her beautiful lips. "She's waking up!" somebody cried. "Aurelia?" Jane whispered, hoping for her beloved friend to be near her. Feeling her hand squeezed in affirmative her breathing was calming down. Aurelia stroke Jane's hair hoping for her mother to come home soon. It had been a fainting spell but doctor's orders were rest and no stress. Jane had overlooked both of them and now she was paying the price. "I'm right here, Jane. I won't leave you." Hearing footsteps from outside Aurelia's heart leapt with joy. Mother had made it in time. Only a minute later Bess entered the room with Mr. Bingley and Dominic Darcy. The young boy was frightened and as white as a sheet. Leaving Jane in her mother's care Aurelia got up to take care of her friend. "Dominic, are you afraid?" Her voice was soft. The young boy, being barely taller than her, made a fist. "Of course not! I'm a man!" Aurelia smiled. "I know. But you need not to worry about your Auntie Jane. She'll be well. See, my Mama is taking good care of her!" Bess had wrapped Jane in a blanket and gave her some more smelling salts. Feeling her pulse she nodded to herself and started to massage Jane's slender shoulders. Relief swept over Dominic's worried face, he finally found the strength to answer Aurelia's smile with a meek one of his own. Aurelia was two years his senior and still her smile warmed his heart more than any other girl's laughing had ever done. As she embraced him he clung to her clasp as he would have done to his mother's. The faint scent of lemon and peach from her rustling skirts, her soft hands and her steady breathing reminded him of his gentle Mama. "It's alright, dear child. Auntie will be fine." she whispered gently. Normally he would have protested at being called a child but not now, not in this quiet moment of safety and bliss. ____________________________________________________________________________ ________________ Abigail wasn't better in the morning despite all treatments and her mother's love. Elizabeth bore her disappointment with ladylike calm but the strain in her beautiful face became more evident with each moment of Abby's coma. Her little fingers, normally so curious and gentle, now were white and looked crippled. Having her husband around all the time was no comfort as much as it should have been. His gesture of distrust had offended her and she couldn't bare the sight of him. "Are you alright?" she heard him ask her yet once again. "How do you want me to answer that question? With honesty or, like someone I know, with lies and hurting words?" Her words were biting. A little flame was glowing in his eyes as he looked down at her, even if he wasn't carrying his feelings on his face his eyes betrayed that she had hit the mark. "What makes you say this? What have I done?" his voice flared up to anger and hate. She saw the opportunity and jumped at it with yet another biting remark. "I remember now, you're the one who is entitled to acting as if he were haunted by an evil spirit, now aren't you?" He was silent, a black cloud was between them. "I want the truth!" She was trembling with rage, her hands on her hips, her eyes flashing. For a moment the heavy mist of red anger and hate parted and their eyes met. Hers glowing with challenge and demand, his clouded with nightmarish mystery. Tearing away from her gaze he just shook his head sadly. Then, straightening his back his shoulders tensed, he shot a glance of love and compassion at her. "No, you don't want the truth!" He spoke quietly but firmly. Without waiting for an answer he hastened to the door and slammed it behind him without looking back once. ____________________________________________________________________________ ________________

Diana woke up with a bitter aftertaste this morning. Remembering yesterday's rather unplanned scene she could have slapped herself for her stupidity. But there was no use in crying over spilled milk. Jumping out of bed she rang for a maid and started looking for her most beautiful dress for casual use. The white satin gown gave her a look of innocence and made her hair glow but it also made her look pale. The pink chiffon dress with the white lace was lovely but too girly for this endeavour. The black velvet dress was glorious but made her look older than she wanted to appear. Finally she decided to wear the buttercup yellow silken dress with its simple gaze flowers and a few frills. Descending the stairs she heard a door slam upstairs and suddenly felt a person at her side rushing down the stairs. Stretching out the arm she caught hold of his sleeve. "What an earth is after you?" He halted for a moment, totally enraptured by the shining yellow beauty before him. Then he brushed away her hand as if she were a snake. "Excuse me!" Her eyes were following him has he rushed towards the main entrance and slammed it shut. ____________________________________________________________________________ ___________________ "Mistress Jane, what are these letters about?" Bess asked in a moment of privacy after carrying her upstairs to her room. Jane's face fell at this question. "Fetch Aurelia and Mr. Bingley and I'll tell you all. Will you, please?" Bess nodded with a gentle smile. "Sure. I'll be right back. And you'll stay calm and quiet!" Going downstairs she saw her daughter was still holding one of the Darcy- children. The time had come to talk to her or otherwise misunderstandings were bound to happen. "Mr. Bingley, Mistress Jane wants to speak to you. She asked for Aurelia and me as well." Seeing Aurelia move away from Dominic she was glad and decided to talk to her daughter after hearing about the letters from Jane. "No, Dominic, Mistress Jane asked only for the three of us." Bess explained to Dominic whose hope of follwing Aurelia was written plainly on his face. ____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________

Jane greeted them with a warm smile. "Please, have a seat. What I have to say is most dreadful but there is no way around it." She took a deep breath. "I received two letters today. One came from Longbourn..." her voice faltered slightly. Squeezing Bingley's hand she continued. "Father wrote to me. He had a heart-attack several days ago. He says he felt that his time has come and he asks for me..." "Say no more, my love. We understand." Bingley rocked his sobbing wife. "But there is another letter which came today. A letter written by my brother in law. It came from Pemberley today. Lizzy's daughter Abby fell into the lake and is suffering from frostbite and a coma. Nursing her must be most dreadful to my poor sister. Two people I love so much are asking for my help. What shall I do?" Her face looked forlorn. Burying her head at her husband's chest she cried quietly. Bingley's and Bess' eyes met sorrowfully. "Now, now, we're all here to help you. Don't, please don't cry! You know I can't bare to see you crying." "I'll go to Pemberley!" Aurelia declared. All eyes were on the young girl. "Yes, I shall go to Pemberley and take care of Abigail. Mama and Mr. Bingley can accompany you to Longbourn!" She smiled weakly. "Are you sure that you're up to it?" Bess asked her daughter. Aurelia nodded, her face was beaming. "Mama, I've learned a lot from you. I'll do my best and write to you every day." Jane was completely stunned. There was her friend offering her the easiest solution, thus taking a burden from her shoulders that would have brought down a horse. "Thank you, Aurelia. May God bless you for this!" she said, thus putting into words what everyone was thinking of Aurelia. ____________________________________________________________________________ __________________ The day passed quietly without any incidents. Abigail had not risen from her coma, the water-treatments had not reduced the frostbite. Elizabeth felt as if a cold hand had grabbed her hand in a clammy grip, she had not eaten since breakfast and she felt no desire to eat whatsoever. Her husband had been away for the entire day only to check on Abby every two hours but he was avoiding her presence. Still, she didn't forbid him to sleep in their bed. For Abby's sake of course, there could be no other reason. That evening she went to sleep with a dreadful sense of foreboding. Holding Abby in her arms she finally found some moments of sleep until a piercing shriek cut the air. She felt a chill as she recognized her husband's voice. He was suffering from a nightmare. The meaning of his scream was veiled to her but she had understood every word. Leaning over him she felt his face dripping with sweat and tears, he was burning up. And still those words haunted her, chilled her, and froze her heart. Tom! No, it was an accident! To be continued