Title: Miss Bingley's Herbal Tea

Setting: Regency

Rating: T

Chapters: 13/17 (PIP)

Blurb: Mr Darcy doesn't want to drink Miss Bingley's new disgusting, sketchy, ancient-super-secret-recipe herbal tea. Lizzy does instead.


What happened in the last chapter:

I would be very happy if you could let me know about any spelling or grammar mistakes :) Thanks and enjoy the chapter!


After seeing Doctor Easton at the end of those stairs, Elizabeth fled. She was in a panic. She did not know what would happen. The knowledge that a doctor was coming had been at the forefront of her mind in the past two days but his delay had lulled her into the false sense of security that he never would.

And, of course, she was sure she would have the tea leaves in her hands by then.

The first thing she did upon reaching her room was go to the washbasin and start scrubbing her face, determined to get rid of the dog's saliva and at least some of her rage.

She looked at herself in the mirror. She had been wrong on all accounts. The doctor was there. She had ended up in Mr Bingley's chambers instead of his sister's. She had been caught in the family wing while she should have been resting in her room. It had almost been a disaster. She had thought herself infallible but had been anything but. She didn't have control of the situation anymore. Or perhaps I never had it and was only deceiving myself.

One thing was clear above all: she should have accepted Mr Darcy's help.

She had treated him so harshly that morning (had it only been that morning? It felt like a lifetime before) for not managing to follow through their plan when she had done exactly the same. The tea caddy had been in front of her eyes, almost in her arms, but she had lacked the ability or the recklessness to grasp it. How was it Mr Darcy's fault if his tea leaves had been of too different a colour to pass for the wicked ones?

Unbidden, an image of Mr Darcy flashed in her mind. No, no, no. That was neither here nor there, she needed to decide what to do now that Doctor Easton had arrived. But she felt tired. She had done nothing but swoon, fear and scheme for the last day and a half and now she had to recognize that the woman looking back at her in the mirror resembled more a madwoman than her usual posed, rational self.

She could simply let Doctor Easton do what he must. He would discover the tea. What would happen then? Perhaps the nightmares that had been playing in her mind would not materialize after all. But her sisters! She could gamble her own future, but not her sisters'.

But she couldn't do it on her own. She needed help. But not from Jane and not… not from him. Yes, he had offered that morning, but— "even if I was to be ruined!" —Had she truly said that? He must hate her now. But he hadn't seemed to when she had seen him earlier. "We shall be exceedingly happy together." She closed her eyes the memory of being held in his arms was much too powerful to be shut away. Oh, what is wrong with me?

I should have accepted his help. That's it. I made a terrible mistake. Why am I always so… headstrong and stubborn? Why did I send him away? Would he send me away if I asked for his help now?

Of course, he would. Why was she even considering the option?

Mr Bingley had said that he would store the tea caddy in the stillroom. She had until breakfast to solve the matter. She couldn't steal the tea caddy, it would attract too much attention.

She felt so distressed that she could do with a cup of her mother's herbal tea right now, which was ludicrous considering how tea was the reason for it all.

She started. Of course, her mother's herbal tea!


Jane arrived soon after Elizabeth had finished concocting her new plan, bringing news of the fact that Doctor Easton had been delayed by the roads' conditions, he would spend the night at Meryton's inn and come back in the early morning to inspect the pantry.

Jane didn't even blink at Elizabeth's plan, even if it was the most grandiose and dangerous so far. Jane simply sighed and told her to be careful. Then she took her leave quickly to go talk to Mr Darcy. She was more certain than ever that she wouldn't be able to persuade Elizabeth out of her machinations and that Mr Darcy was perhaps the only one able to save her from her own stubbornness.

Jane's swift departure left Elizabeth surprised. She wondered the reason behind it while she changed in her nightgown and said goodbye to her mother but as midnight approached and she got ready to put her plan into action her thoughts found a different object.

Should she or shouldn't she ask for Mr Darcy's help? She couldn't decide. She had a vague idea of where his room was located. She would have to walk directly in front of it, it would only take her a couple of minutes to knock on his door and offer an olive branch. She didn't think he would fault her for going to his room (they were way past that) but she could only imagine what his reaction would be to being woken up in the middle of the night or what he would think of her scheme.

It all came down to her willingness to swallow her pride. She didn't need his help, not really. If everything went her way, she would be able to retrieve the tea without any problems. But nothing seemed to be going her way lately. What if she didn't ask him and it became a disaster?

What was risking being rejected after all the risks she had already taken?

The clock struck midnight. It was time to act.

She put on her dressing gown and went to the door to listen for any noise but there was only silence. The first phase of her plan was to get past Mrs Bennet's room without waking her. Elizabeth had enough experience visiting the kitchen in the middle of the night to know that her mother was an extremely light sleeper.

She opened the door and slipped outside. The lock clicked behind her. Elizabeth flinched and stood very still, listening again for any movements from her mother's room. She heard nothing but loud snoring and sighed in relief.

Holding her slippers in one hand and the tea leaves safely stored in a pocket of her dressing gown, Elizabeth held her breath and tiptoed away from her room, her ears focused on that blessed snoring.

Only another step, another step and she would consider herself out of—

"Miss Bennet. What luck finding you here."

To Elizabeth's ears, Mr Darcy's voice was like a tree falling in the middle of a cemetery. She startled and let out a loud gasp as he walked towards her wearing leather boots, which crunched at every step.

"I have come to—"

She held a finger in front of her mouth and moved her other arm, trying to silence him. He stopped, looking confused. Elizabeth ran (but still tip-toeing) to her mother's door and put her ear against it, listening. It didn't seem like her mother was waking up, yet.

Mr Darcy moved towards her. "Miss Bennet, may I inquire—"

She hushed him as silently as possible.

"Miss Bennet!" Replied an indignant Mr Darcy taking his last step towards her.

Elizabeth heard the snoring stop. Her mother's bed creaked.

Without another word, Elizabeth grabbed Mr Darcy's arm and pulled him back into her room.


Mrs Bennet heard herself snore, which could only mean that she was awake. Why was she awake? She slowly blinked her eyes, trying to remember why she was not in her room. Oh, yes, Elizabeth and Jane and Netherfield.

Had Elizabeth called her, perhaps? She slowly got up from her bed and put on her dressing gown, moving toward the door. Just as she was about to open it and go to Elizabeth's room, she heard a faint sound again.

But it wasn't coming from the hallway.

What? She thought, moving now towards the windows. She opened one and looked down at the park. Ah, there it was. A cat meowing to the moon with all its might.

It looks like Jane's cat. What is he doing here? She yawned. Oh, I will think about it tomorrow. Stupid cat.

And with that thought, she closed the window and went back to sleep.


In the last two days, Mr Darcy had gotten used to finding himself in improper situations but this one had to beat all of them.

Elizabeth had pulled him into her room and hurriedly led him towards— the bed?!

"Miss Bennet—" He began to protest but was soon stopped.

"For the sake of all that is holy, do not speak!" She hissed.

He fell silent, too struck to react and a part of him perversely wanted to know where all of this would end.

Elizabeth did lead him to the bed but then she continued towards the opposite wall, where there was a closet. She opened it.

"If I tell you, you are to immediately hide in here." She was still hissing.

"But—"

"This is not the moment, Mr Darcy!"

So here they were now, near the open closet, in silence. Elizabeth was still grabbing his arm with force, keeping him close to her. She was wearing a dressing gown and to avoid thinking about what may or may not be underneath it, he allowed his eyes to roam around the room.

Then he realized: she was wearing a dressing gown and he was with her in her room. What were they doing?! She didn't seem that bothered by it. She had her eyes closed, turned towards him, like if she was waiting for something, and her lips were slightly open, like if…

Before Darcy could find the nerve to convince himself that she was waiting for a kiss, Elizabeth opened her eyes.

"She has gone back to sleep." She whispered with relief.

"Who?"

"My mother. She is in the next room."

"Your mother?!"

Elizabeth hushed him again.

This was more serious than he had thought. After a whole afternoon and evening spent pursuing Mrs Bennet's good opinion he could not be found in her daughter's room.

"She is a really light sleeper." Elizabeth further explained.

"Then why did you pull me into your room?"

"Because one moment more and she would have found us in the hall."

"It would have been better than being discovered in your room!"

"Mr Darcy, it is not I who came looking for me in my room. Again."

Darcy could not find fault in her reasoning but still persisted. "It is not proper for a gentleman to be in the room of a maiden in the middle of the night, discovered or not."

"Oh, please. It's not as if we have any other rule of propriety to break."

The look in his eyes reminded her that indeed there were many rules of propriety yet to be broken and she blushed to the point of her ears. It was better if they were not left to meditate too long on the subject.

"Mr Darcy, what are you doing here?"

"I came— I was wondering if you could use some help, tonight."

"How did you even know that I—"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Let us call it intuition."

Elizabeth gave him a sharp look and he knew that she was preparing to throw him out of the room, so he rushed to add: "Miss Bennet, I also came to apologize for what I said at that public assembly. And for every time you have felt insulted or slighted since the beginning of our acquaintance."

Elizabeth felt like laughing at that sudden outburst of civility but saw that he was in earnest and moderated her mirth. "Why, Mr Darcy, I thank you."

"Miss Bennet, I am serious. Will you forgive me?"

Elizabeth hesitated. In all her considerations she would have never imagined him apologizing. She averted her gaze. "Only if you will forgive me for my incivility last night. And for what happened this morning. I was… Unjust and now I'm mortified."

"No, you were right. More right than you could imagine."

Elizabeth shook her head but said nothing.

They stood there, both embarrassed.

"I don't come empty-handed…" He stopped and significantly looked at his arm, still grabbed with force by Elizabeth. She released it as if it was burning and Mr Darcy took a parcel out of one of his jacket's inner pockets. "I have brought you tea."

Stunned, Elizabeth took the packet and looked at it with wonder. "How did you manage it?!"

"At Mr Lawrence's shop."

"Oh." She suddenly seemed very disappointed and gave him the package back. "I thought this was… Miss Bingley's tea."

Dammit. Why haven't I thought of that? "No. No, I fear that that is yet to be retrieved. I brought the right brownish colour this time."

"Well, I thank you but—" But I already have the tea.

She weighed up Mr Darcy's package in her hands. He had probably gone to buy it in the afternoon after she had so harshly refused his help and rejected his almost proposal. And it also meant that he had waited for her to come downstairs all evening, only at last resolving on going to look for her at night. Had he waited till midnight for her to come out of the room too?

She had considered asking for his help but a part of her had always known that she wouldn't be brave enough to. Now it was being offered to her with earnest eyes.

"You will have to take off your boots." She answered breathlessly.

"What?"

"You can not walk with those boots around the house. We can't have you wake up the whole neighbourhood. You can leave them in your room on our way.

He frowned. "On our way to where Miss Bennet?"

"To Miss Bingley's room, naturally." She smiled. "We have a key to steal."


Mr Darcy stood in the middle of the family wing's hallway without his boots on, wondering if he was as ridiculous as he was feeling. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Not that there were any mice at Netherfield. At least he hoped so. Why, oh why had he taken his boots off?

Elizabeth had been right, though: without shoes on, they had arrived at Miss Bingley's room unnoticed. It had been years since he had had to be quiet while walking through a house. At Pemberley, he was the master. He had the right to go wherever he wanted whenever he pleased. Elizabeth, instead, moved with the grace of who is used to sneaking through the house at all times. He wondered what could bring her to do that at Longbourn.

A pliable maid had told Elizabeth that Miss Bingley always left the mistress' keys in her dressing room, which was easily accessible by a servants' second entrance.

So now Mr Darcy was keeping his guard high out of that same servants' door, while Elizabeth looked inside for the key to the tea caddy. What came after that, Darcy did not know yet. Both Miss Bennet and Elizabeth had been rather deficient in their explanations.

But why hadn't she come out of the room, already? He did not have his pocket watch with him — a mistake almost as unpardonable as taking his boots off — but she had been in there for what felt like an eternity.

As if conjured by his thoughts, Elizabeth emerged from the room.

"I can't find it. Come help me." She whispered.

"What? But you said—"

At first, Darcy had wanted to go with her in the room. Elizabeth had explained that her being found in Miss Bingley's dressing room would have been a problem, but to be found together would have been a disaster.

"I know what I said, but I looked everywhere and found nothing. Please, come and help me."

Darcy hesitated and then followed her inside. He had never been in a lady's dressing room, except for Georgiana's and her mother's so he could only notice that this one seemed minuscule compared to those. In a corner, looming darkly at them, there was the door that led to Miss Bingley's room.

"I can't find it anywhere." Said Elizabeth starting again to frantically look through the vanity table.

"Please, stop. You are too distressed to think rationally."

Her eyes flashed in anger. "We have to find that key or the whole plan falls apart." Elizabeth went to the open wardrobe. "What colour was she wearing this evening?"

"What?"

"Sally said that Miss Bingley always keeps the key in her gown."

"Who is— It doesn't matter. Perhaps orange?"

"There are no orange gowns in here!"

Darcy moved quickly towards her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Don't raise your voice." He whispered. "We will find it, do not worry."

She shrugged his hands off and moved away, towards the long mirror. Mr Darcy tried to speak in a conciliating tone. "Just think. Where would you put your key?"

Elizabeth felt foolish and useless. This had been her great plan? And she thought could do it by herself? This time, she had at least made sure that it was Miss Bingley's room before entering it but they would have to renounce at the first difficulty only because she had not foreseen that Sally might be misinformed.

She looked at Mr Darcy through the mirror. He was patiently waiting for her to gather her thoughts. She forced herself to turn around and examined her surroundings one last time, before concluding, her eyes full of determination: "It is not here. She must have left it in her room."

Darcy was stunned. "You are not going to slip into Miss Bingley's room."

"We need that key. We are already here."

"It is madness! I will not allow it."

"I am not asking your permission. We are here to get that key and I will get that key. If you do not approve of that, you can find another solution or leave!"

At that, Mr Darcy seemed to enrage. His complexion became pale and the disturbance of his mind was visible in every feature. He was struggling for the appearance of composure, and would not open his lips, till he believed himself to have attained it. The pause was to Elizabeth's feelings dreadful.

Then, without saying a word, he marched out of the room.

Elizabeth was so surprised that she did not even think of following him. Then she became enraged herself.

Well. He had left her alone, in the end. After all his prattling about how he wanted to make amends to her and help her and saying that they would be exceedingly happy together, still— he had abandoned her!

What had she been thinking? That he was not the proud snob that she had always known he was? That she needed him? That he cared for her?

Oh, the herbal tea could stay where it was. He would be forced to marry her and that would be punishment enough.

Just as she approached the servants' exit, Mr Darcy knocked on Miss Bingley's door.


Author's note

I am back! The exam went well, thank you again to everyone who wished me good luck. I can't believe I'm saying this but only 4 more chapters to go!

Now that I am free from school for a while I will try to update more than one time a week. My goal is to post the last chapter two weeks from now at the latest but we'll see. I started working on this story in July 2020 so frankly I can't wait to be done with it and start working on the next one. So stay tuned for an irregular but hopefully speedier updating schedule :)