London
November 13-15th, 1811
After several days in London Mr. Bennet had two last items to complete before returning home to his loving daughters. He was returning back to Granville House after a dinner with his cousins; it was raining and all he wanted was to go rest, when his butler handed him a missive from his youngest daughter.
Papa,
Jane has fallen ill and is currently at Netherfield, Lizzy is venturing over to Netherfield now. We do not know how unwell she is. Please come home soon.
Your Loving Daughter,
Mary
The Master of Longbourn began ordering servants about to prepare for his immediate departure. His housekeeper and butler dissuaded their master from leaving at this time.
"Mr. Bennet you couldn't possibly leave now." said Mr. Robbins
"Sir it is much too dark and wet. You will catch your death, then what will the girls do? No you must stay Miss Lizzy would have sent word if Jane was very ill." said Mrs. Robbins
Mr. Bennett reluctantly agreed. "Have my things packed tonight, I want to leave at first light."
London was only a half day's journey from Meryton so Mr. Bennett arrived just in time for proper calling hours. He walked into Netherfield and presented his card to the butler when he heard voices in the foyer.
"Oh how exciting!" Lydia squealed.
Walking over towards the sound of what was surely his niece and youngest sister, Mr. Bennett walked around to the drawing room and heard.
"Too bad you will not, be able to attend." muttered by Mary
"It is time for you to take your leave." Lizzy said to the occupants of the room.
As he approached the door behind the butler, he heard his sister say "You will not kick me out of this house; you have no right, just because my sister and brother were fortunate enough to allow you both to live he-"
"Mrs. Bennett!" Scolded Mr. Bennet as he moved past the butler. He couldn't believe his sister almost told Mr. Bingley and company their secret.
"A Mr. Bennet" announced the butler who had been pushed aside.
Mr. Bennet was furious at his sister for going against his wishes. Especially after everything he did for her, when Fanny married a lying, scheming, fortune hunting cad, who wanted her money and connections and how miserable she was throughout that whole marriage. And still he tried to help her and her daughters, after her second marriage, when she had married for status and she was so pleased with her restored place in society, that didn't speak to him or Sophia for years...Until her husband died, and she was ordered out by his heir, Robert had not heard from his half sister. She did not write nor visit, after she got remarried. Since he and Sophia had helped her and the girls with their removal from Dorset, he would have never thought that she would go against them and reveal their sisters connections.
He was finished, he would let his sister do whatever she pleased and once the remains time for the will was up, he would release the £5000 to her and she would have to make due with that.
"We are leaving, everyone to the carriage now, except Elizabeth." barked Mr. Bennet
Mary and Kitty walked off, while Mrs. Bennett and Lydia protested.
"We are not finished with our call Un-."
Mr. Bennet cut off Lydia. "Lydia go to the carriage or I will lock you in your room until you are TWENTY and FIVE and firmly on the shelf."
Mrs. Hurst along with Miss Bingley, who was Twenty and Five gasped. While Darcy, had an expression of mirth.
Lydia stomped out and Mrs. Bennett followed without protest.
"Mr. Bingley, I am sorry for the intrusion of myself and my family." Mr. Bennet said and turned to Lizzy "Lizzy please escort me out."
Lizzy followed her father "How does Jane fair?"
"She will recover." Lizzy said answering her father's unspoken question "She has a cold and keeps getting slight fevers. I want to give he a rosemary infusion, but it is not in season and impossible to find."
He father leaned in to hug her and whispered "Your aunt usually keeps some on hand in the cellar."
She kissed his cheek "Thank you papa, I will see to it."
Mr. Bennet reached in his coat and produced a letter for Lizzy. "It is from your grandmother. Read it to Jane, I am sure it will do wonders to help her recover."
And with that statement Mr. Bennet was out the door to deal with his wayward tenants.
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Lizzy went above stairs to tend to Jane, who missed all the drama.
"Lizzy whatever happened? Why did I hear Lydia and Kitty here? And I surely must be hallucinating because I thought I heard father. " Jane asked worried
"Apparently our dear Aunt snuck our dear cousins out of the house. Father came here after he received Mary's express. He was not pleased to see them here. Jane I have no idea what he will do." Lizzy replied
Jane looked at her sister fretfully. "Do you think he will put them out? They have nowhere to go."
"I am not sure, Jane. I do not understand why he has not let them get their own cottage and live on the means of our Aunt's dowry. I know It is not much, but they eat up a large portion of Longbourn's profits and father is trying to buy back the land of Longbourn that our progenitor sold."
"I know I try to get Aunt Bennet to be more reasonable with what she buys. Maybe I could-"
"Jane it is not your responsibility to take care if our Aunt. I have a letter from Grandmother that Papa gave to me to read to you."
To my precious granddaughters,
I am so proud of the women that you have become, and I am looking forward to your curtsey and ball. I know your great aunt and cousins have done a wonderful job in planning everything. I know your mama would be so proud of the three of you. I just ask that you girls do one small thing, Will you all wear the lockets that your mother bought for you to your curtsey and to your ball. It would mean so much to your grandfather and me. I will see you girls at Christmas and I look forward to taking you to town with us.
Your Loving,
Grandmother
Lizzy looked at Jane in a panic. "Jane, what am I going to do? My locket is here trapped, in my old room, but I can't just waltz into the family wing and move a bed and get my locket out without some sort of explanation."
"Lizzy I'm sure Mrs. White can arrange for someone to get it."
"No she cannot, Miss Bingley fired all the old staff and tried to fire the Whites, but she cannot fire the housekeeper and butler since they are only letting . I'm sure she has the staff report everything to her."
"What are we going to do?" asked Jane treating the problem like it was her own.
"I will have to get it myself." replied Lizzy
"I will go with you."
"Jane you cannot, you are still too weak."
"Lizzy you cannot move the bed yourself."
"I'll have Mrs. White help me."
"And what about the servants?"
"I will have Mrs. White, send them on different tasks in other areas of the house."
"Lizzy you are forgetting one thing."
"What about the Bingley's and their guests?"
"I will suggest an outing and then abandon them with a headache."
"Lizzy." Jane said in a warning voice
"All will be well Jane."
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After dinner Lizzy joined the Netherfield party after dinner in the drawing room to try to implement her plan. Jane was currently well enough to join them in the drawing room.
"Miss Bennet it is a pleasure to see you doing so well so soon." Mr. Bingley said upon Jane's entrance into the drawing room.
"It is a pleasure to no longer be confined in one room."
"Is the room not to your liking? I can move you somewhere else." Bingley said quickly
"No it is perfect, I just would like to go out and get some fresh air." Jane said and then look poignantly at Lizzy.
Lizzy understood that Jane was giving her an opportunity to suggest an outing. " Oh Jane, would it not be wonderful to have a picnic at the clearing near Oakham Mount."
"Oh we have not been there is such a long time, I long to visit," Jane replied.
Bingley then chimed in right on time "We have no fixed engagements tomorrow, we should have a picnic there."
Miss Bingley rolled her eyes, but with the little unvarying society she had not been out of the house much and looked forward to an outing, even if it was with Eliza Bennet. Maybe during this outing she could show Darcy how uncouth Eliza Bennet was and how she was better for him. She would start by showing interest in the same things as him, starting tonight.
Miss Bingley's attention engaged in watching Mr. Darcy's progress through his book, instead of reading her own. She had the second volume of his book and kept making inquires to him or looking on his page. Darcy however, merely answered her question, and read on. She gave a great yawn and said, "How pleasant it is to spend an evening in this way! I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book! When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library. "She closed her book and decided to change her method of getting Darcy's attention.
She heard her brother and Miss Bennet speaking of the ball Charles agreed to host. She would make herself agreeable to Darcy by helping him with something he dislikes. Miss Bingley said to her brother "By the bye, Charles, are you really serious in meditating a dance at Netherfield? I would advise you, before you determine on it, to consult the wishes of the present party; I am much mistaken if there are not some among us to whom a ball would be rather a punishment than a pleasure."
"If you mean Darcy," cried her brother, "he may go to bed, if he chooses, before it begins—but as for the ball, it is quite a settled thing; and as soon as Nicholls has made white soup enough, I shall send round my cards."
"I should like balls infinitely better," she replied, "if they were carried on in a different manner; but there is something insufferably tedious in the usual process of such a meeting. It would surely be much more rational if conversation instead of dancing were made the order of the day."
"Much more rational, my dear Caroline, I dare say, but it would not be near so much like a ball."
With Charles thwarting her plan to impress Darcy, Miss Bingley made no answer, and stood up and walked about the room. Her figure was elegant, and she walked well. Darcy, who her show was aimed at, was still reading and had not looked up. She looked around the room and her eyes landed on Eliza Bennet who was reading. She would show him how she was most fit to become the next mistress of Pemberley, compared to that chit. In the desperation of her feelings, she resolved on one effort more, and, turning to Elizabeth, said: "Miss Eliza Bennet, let me persuade you to follow my example, and take a turn about the room. I assure you it is very refreshing after sitting so long in one attitude."
Elizabeth was surprised, but agreed to it immediately. Miss Bingley succeeded no less in the real object of her civility; Mr. Darcy looked up. He was trying to not focus on Elizabeth, so much, because the visit from her mother today reminded him she was totally unsuitable to be his wife. He had almost forgotten his duty when he saw her on Oakham Mount this morning. While he was thinking about Elizabeth, he unconsciously closed his book.
Miss Bingley said to Mr. Darcy "Would you care to join us Mr. Darcy?"
"You can only have two motives for asking me Miss Bingley, I would interfere with neither." Mr. Darcy replied.
"What could he mean?" Miss Bingley asked Elizabeth.
"Our surest way of disappointing him will be to ask nothing about it." Elizabeth said not intending on entertaining Mr. Darcy's statement.
The gleeful Miss Bingley, however, was incapable of disappointing Mr. Darcy in anything, and replied "Oh do tell us, Mr. Darcy."
"I have not the smallest objection to explaining them," said he, as soon as she allowed him to speak. "You either choose this method of passing the evening because you are in each other's confidence, and have secret affairs to discuss, or because you are conscious that your figures appear to the greatest advantage in walking; if the first, I would be completely in your way, and if the second, I can admire you much better as I sit by the fire."
"Oh! shocking!" cried Miss Bingley. "I never heard anything so abominable. How shall we punish him for such a speech?"
"Tease him—laugh at him. Intimate as you are, you must know how it is to be done." Elizabeth replied.
"But upon my honour, I do not. I do assure you that my intimacy has not yet taught me that. Tease calmness of manner and presence of mind! No, no; I feel he may defy us there. And as to laughter, we will not expose ourselves, if you please, by attempting to laugh without a subject. Mr. Darcy may hug himself."
"Mr. Darcy is not to be laughed at!" cried Elizabeth. "That is an uncommon advantage, and uncommon I hope it will continue, for it would be a great loss to me to have many such acquaintances. I dearly love a laugh."
Darcy looked unhappy with Lizzy's reply and in turn said "Miss Bingley, has given me more credit than can be. The wisest and the best of men—nay, the wisest and best of their actions—may be rendered ridiculous by a person whose first object in life is a joke."
"Certainly, there are such people, but I hope I am not one of them. I hope I never ridicule what is wise and good. Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies, do divert me, I own, and I laugh at them whenever I can. But these, I suppose, are precisely what you are without." Lizzy said smugly.
"Perhaps that is not possible for anyone. But it has been the study of my life to avoid those weaknesses which often expose a strong understanding to ridicule." Darcy replied challengingly to Elizabeth.
"Such as vanity and pride." Elizabeth accused.
"Yes, vanity is a weakness indeed. But pride—where there is a real superiority of mind, pride will be always under good regulation." Darcy defended.
Elizabeth turned away to hide a smile. She wanted to laugh at his statement of his pride, for he was the most proud man she had ever encountered, and he thinks he has it well regulated.
"Your examination of Mr. Darcy is over, I presume, and pray what is the result?"Miss Bingley said interrupting their tete-a-tete.
"I am perfectly convinced by it that Mr. Darcy has no defect. He owns it himself without disguise." Lizzy said mockingly.
"No," said Darcy, "I have made no such pretension. I have faults enough, but they are not, I hope, of understanding. My temper I dare not vouch for. It is, I believe, too little yielding—certainly too little for the convenience of the world. I cannot forget the follies and vices of others so soon as I ought, nor their offenses against myself. My feelings are not puffed about with every attempt to move them. My temper would perhaps be called resentful. My good opinion once lost, is lost forever." Darcy said supporting his statement that his pride was well regulated.
"That is a failing indeed!" cried Elizabeth. "Implacable resentment is a shade in a character. But you have chosen your fault well. I really cannot laugh at it. You are safe from me." Elizabeth said conceding.
"There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil—a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome." Darcy said thinking of the man his father helped, but wasted his opportunities.
"And your defect is to hate everybody." Lizzy said accusingly
"And yours," he replied with a smile, "is willfully to misunderstand them." Darcy said crossly.
"Do let us have a little music," cried Miss Bingley, tired of a conversation in which she had no share. "Louisa, you will not mind my waking Mr. Hurst?"
Her sister had not the smallest objection, and the pianoforte was opened. Darcy, was starting at Elizabeth after a few moments' recollection. He was grateful for Miss Bingley's interruption, of his tete-a-tete with Elizabeth.He began to feel the danger of paying Elizabeth too much attention, her liveliness and quick wit were very tempting for Darcy.
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The next day the planned outing for a picnic at the clearing near Oakham Mount was missing two Bennet sisters, Jane had an awful cough with a sore throat and actual headache, while Lizzy who was perfectly well feigned a headache and begged the Netherfield party to go on without her.
Miss Bingley along with Mrs. Hurst happily obliged, Mr. Hurst did not care, Mr. Bingley was sad to see the sisters feeling so unwell and Mr. Darcy was disappointed that he would have to put up with Miss Bingley's excessive fawning without a pair of fine eyes to give him reprieve.
Once the party had been gone for a half hour and she was sure no one was coming back soon, she went to Mrs. White.
"Lizzy, all the servants have been given refreshments from Mr. Bingley per my suggestion and afterwards will be completing tasks for the upcoming ball, Mr. Bingley announced yesterday. Mr.White will distract Mr. Darcy's valet. No one should notice our presence in the family wing."
"Splendid." Lizzy said as they walked down the long hallway to her old bed chambers.
Once they arrived Lizzy scanned the hallways to make sure no one was lurking about, Mrs. White had entered the room. Lizzy walked towards the door and was about to enter, when a demanding baritone voice said "Miss Elizabeth!"
Elizabeth turned around to the voice she recognized all too well "Mr. Darcy."
"Why are you trying to enter my bed chambers?" Darcy asked in a hostile voice.
Lizzy started at him blankly.
AN: From one cliff to another.
