Jane looked about the room and realised that everyone's eyes were on her. She pushed her eyes back to her sister and realised that she was in shock, she had still not told her the reason why he was not himself.
"Lizzy do not worry, father has no illness that sends him to his bed." Jane said.
"Then what is it?" Elizabeth asked.
"Kitty called on me yesterday and told me that Father has been retreating more often to his library away from his daughters and his wife who's nervous complains have accelerated amazingly." Elizabeth looked at her.
"But Father always retreats to his library, he always used to." Jane shook her head.
"It seems that it has increased a great deal since you left Hertfordshire Lizzy. I feel that he is missing you already."
"Jane it has only been a few days."
"I know Lizzy," She interrupted.
"How often does he go to his library?" Darcy asked Jane.
"He leaves to eat and sleep." Lizzy put her head down. "Nothing else, I called on him yesterday afternoon and he would not even let me into the room."
"He refused you entry?" Elizabeth said in shock as she looked up at her sister.
"He did, I confess myself taken aback by such radical behaviour." Elizabeth looked across at Darcy and he saw her pleading eyes.
"We must go to Longborne at once!" Darcy said.
"But Darcy you have just arrived, you should have some rest." Charles protested.
"Thank you Charles but no, it is only midday we shall return soon." Charles nodded. "Georgiana, Jane and Charles will entertain you until we return will you not?"
"Of course we will." Jane said quickly. Darcy nodded his head to her and walked out of the room, Elizabeth behind him. They stood in the entrance hall to the Bingley's house and waited for the carriage to be brought up.
"I think I need to thank you Fitzwilliam." Elizabeth said. Darcy turned to her.
"You do not need to thank me for anything, I saw the pain in your eyes the moment you looked at me." Elizabeth sighed. "Do not worry yourself Lizzy, your father will be perfectly fine, it may have been a misunderstanding on Kitty's part." Elizabeth hoped that it was but as she entered the Longborne estate she immediately realised that the library door was closed, signalling that her father was inside.
"Lizzy, Mr Darcy!" Her mother's voice boomed through the room as she walked over.
"Good day Mrs Bennet." Darcy said.
"Elizabeth is something wrong?" Her mother asked. Elizabeth looked away from her fathers library door and looked to her mother.
"Excuse me mother." She said before she turned to her father's room and walked toward it.
"I imagine Jane told her about Mr Bennet?" Mrs Bennet said to Mr Darcy. Elizabeth did not listen as she pushed her father's door open and walked in.
"I did not hear you knock!" Her father's voice said from a chair. He was sitting with his back to her, looking into one of his many books.
"I did not think that I had to knock upon your door father." Lizzy said quickly. Mr Bennet stood up immediately and turned around to look at his favourite daughter.
"Lizzy!" He cried with admiration. "What are you doing here, close the door." Elizabeth looked at Mr Darcy and her mother before closing the door and walking over to her father.
"Now, Lizzy. What is the nature of this visit, you have only been his wife for a few days. Are you regretting it?" Mr Bennet said.
"No Father, we were invited to Jane's home for a while."
"Then what is your business here?" Her father asked in curiosity.
"You know what my business is here father, why do you rely on such solitude?"
"Lizzy, this is the best solitude I have now that you have left me. I feel that with you leaving with Mr Darcy that I would not longer see my beloved Lizzy."
"Father."
"No Lizzy listen. I felt that I could sit in my library and ponder over the memories I have of you, forgetting that you no longer wanted to be with me." Elizabeth started to cry as her father stopped.
"Father, I would never leave you, you know that I will always visit you despite my living so far away. I could never go through one day without thinking of you, I could not live through my days if I thought that you were unwell or sheltering yourself in here." Elizabeth looked about the room. Mr Bennet looked down at the floor in shame of his actions.
"I can now see what effect this must have on my daughters and my wife's nerves. I am truly ungrateful to what my family has been given."
"Will you now leave this room father, knowing that I will always be writing to you or standing in front of you." Mr Bennet smiled.
"My Lizzy, my dearest Lizzy. I want you to be happy, I do not wish to see you discontented by the ramblings of an aged man." Elizabeth laughed.
"I will always listen to that aged man you speak of." Mr Bennet smiled at his daughter. "Now will you leave this room?" Mr Bennet nodded slowly.
"With you by my side Lizzy." Lizzy stood up and took her father's arm.
Mr Bennet sat with his family in the drawing room drinking tea, he looked across at his daughter who was talking to her husband. He did not wish to ruin the happiness she had, the happiness which she deserved. He felt inside that he would no longer mourn his daughters happiness with the admirable Mr Darcy but instead he would hold his head up and mention to anyone that would listen that he was proud to have such a daughter.