Chapter 14
November 15-16th, 1811
Darcy had already broke his fast and was waiting at the stables for the remainder of the party to join him. He had hoped that Elizabeth would also, be out of doors walking on the path nearest the stables, but he had yet to see her. Soon Miss Bingley joined him outdoors, he noticed her presence immediately because she was overdressed for the picnic. She was wearing a bright orange promenade dress with a matching hat and spencer, and was holding a white parasol. Mrs. Hurst came out in similar fashion, except hers was a putrid shade of green. Darcy shook his head, the ladies were overdressed for a walk in the country.
Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst ordered the readying of the curricle. Darcy interrupted them and said "Miss Bingley should you not be readying the phaeton, as the curricle only holds two people."
Miss Bingley replied only too gleefully "Miss Bennet is not well enough, as she is feeling feverish and declined to go out this morning and Miss Eliza has a headache, so she will not be joining us either.
Darcy looked disappointed, but nevertheless continued on with the plans of a picnic. Just then, Bingley and Hurst arrived and the party set out on the four mile travel to the picnic area. Darcy led the way because he was now the only one who knew, the direction they were going in. Miss Bingley in driving the curricle pulled along Darcy's left side and kept a trotting pace with him so that they may converse.
"Mr. Darcy is it not a lovely day to spend time out of doors?"
Mr. Darcy replied curtly in agreeance.
The conversation continued like that for most of the journey. Soon the clearing was insight. Near the clearing was a small pond, and a narrowing of the road. Darcy said to Miss Bingley "The road is narrowing ma'am we will have to go one at a time, allow me to lead."
Caroline had gotten so used to carrying the conversation with Darcy that she kept talking and failed to hear what he said. So when Darcy started to gallop to get ahead, Caroline increased the speed of the curricle and cut off Darcy forcing his horse to run through the slippery mud. Darcy's horse lost its balance and Darcy lost his seat. Darcy fell face first into the mud. Miss Bingley screamed and fainted.
Darcy stood up he was uninjured except for a cut on his chin, which was bleeding. Darcy checked his horse Apollo, who was unscathed, except for being covered in mud like his master.
Mr. Bingley dismounted his horse and ran up to his friend. "Darcy are you alright old man?"
Darcy grunted "I'm quite alright, no thanks to your sister."
Darcy looked over and saw Mrs. Hurst fanning her sister screaming in panic. Darcy turned to Bingley and said quite curtly "I am going back to the house." Bingley nodded and went over to check on his sister, who was unconscious.
Darcy had his horse gallop the short distance back to netherfield and reach Netherfield in less than 10 minutes.
Darcy arrives at the front doors of Netherfield and there is not a servant in sight. By luck he sees a stable boy and says "Can you see to it that Apollo gets a proper bath?"
The young boy nodded and took the horse. Darcy entered Netherfield and there were no servants in sight. He wonder where was everyone, he needed assistance. He heard laughter from the kitchen. He wanted to go see why everyone thought it was acceptable to take a break, when the master had left the house. He would speak to Bingley about that. He walked up the great staircase and turned left to go to the family wing. Bingley had insisted that his chambers be in the family wing along with everyone else, because he was doing a great favor for him and he had helped him, like he was his brother. Darcy graciously accepted. As he walked towards his room he saw a figure standing outside his door. Oh good a maid, I can let her now about the giant mess I made upon entering. I'll see that Bingley gives her a few extra shillings for diligently working, and for causing so much trouble. She was about to enter, his room when upon getting closer he realized it was not a maid, but Elizabeth. What the devil was she doing here?
"Miss Elizabeth!" he called out in anger and confusion.
"Mr. Darcy." she replied as she turned around to face him.
"Why are you trying to enter my bed chambers?" Darcy asked in a hostile voice.
Lizzy started at him blankly. He was covered in mud and completely forgot how foolish he would look.
"Sir, I was trying to find a maid and I thought I saw one come down the hall and enter here, which I assume to be your chambers." she replied after gathering herself.
Just then a maid appeared from the Hursts chambers next door.
Lizzy turned to her " Oh Jenny, there you are I would like to make a rosemary and thyme infusion for Jane, Can you check and see if we have some,-?'
"It is not in season I doubt we would have any." Darcy interrupted
"Jenny, you should be able to find some dried rosemary in the cellar." Lizzy replied to Jenny, while glaring at Darcy.
Jenny replied in the affirmative and walked to the servants passageway, carrying the bed linens.
Elizabeth stared at Darcy with an expression of mirth, curtseyed and walked off.
Darcy was taken aback at at her expression and then remembered his state. He needed a bath and quickly. Darcy kicked himself for not asking the maid to send someone to prepare his bath since the entire staff was likely below stairs. Darcy walked in his room and rang for his valet and waited a few minutes passed by and he rang again and a few more minutes before he showed up. To his surprise his valet entered his room from the servants passageway.
"Sorry sir, the servants were treated to refreshments, and the butler and I had a wonderful conversation about Staffordshire, he is from a town near where I grew up and I ran into Mrs. White on my way up here and she was going down, but it is a narrow passageway, so I had to go down to let her pass. Oh dear." James replied finally taking in his master's presence.
A few footmen knocked bringing up water for Mr. Darcy's bath.
Darcy was taken aback at their presence. "Who ordered my bath?" Darcy asked
"It was Miss Elizabeth, sir." replied the footman
Darcy dismissed them and had his valet help him undress for his bath. Darcy tried to relax in let the grime wash away, but he could get Elizabeth off of his mind. He was more attracted to her than ever, but she was hiding something. Her presence in the family wing did not sit well with him and he did not know why. She stated her reasoning, it seemed sound, because he couldn't find a soul upon his entrance to the house. Still he could not shake the nagging feeling he had.
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Darcy decided to get his mind off of Miss Elizabeth by going to the library to read for a short while. He entered Bingley's library, picked up the book he was reading last night, and sat on the chaise that was furthest away from the door and blocked by two shelf of books. Darcy could see, if Miss Bingley peeked in, to see if he was there, but she could not see him. Soon the library door opened. He held his breath as the new occupant, walked in. He saw, the new occupant was the woman that he was trying to get his mind off.
Miss Elizabeth stopped at the first set of book shelves and found a book to her liking very quickly. She sat on the couch and settled into a comfortable position. After about 20 minutes of staring at her and debating if he should stay or leave. Darcy realized he was stuck, he could not make his presence know to her now, he should have alerted her when she first entered.
Elizabeth stood up because she had tired of the current book she was reading, and wanted to find another book. She went around to the second shelves of books and saw the book she wanted was on the top shelf. She tried to pull out the book, but knocked down a few books in her endeavor. To her surprise, she saw Mr. Darcy lounging on the chaise staring at her, through the hole of books she knocked down.
At that moment, she was determined to call him out, when Miss Bingley burst through the library doors. "Miss Eliza." She said with no degree of civility.
Elizabeth still staring at Mr. Darcy saw him cringe at the voice of Miss Bingley. Elizabeth returned her greeting without turning around to face her "Miss Bingley."
Miss Bingley did not want to be in her presence, but having looked everywhere for Mr. Darcy to apologize for the accident earlier, swallowed her pride and asked the chit "Have you seen Mr. Darcy?"
Darcy shook his head and silently pleaded with Elizabeth to not reveal his presence.
Elizabeth replied "Yes, of course I have-" Darcy glared at her. And she continued "has not everyone in this house seen Mr. Darcy. He is a guest here at Netherfield, tall, brooding, and some would say handsome, but not handsome enough to tempt me." Elizabeth said mockingly, while Darcy was staring at her scowling.
Miss Bingley was irritated with Elizabeth's game "No, Miss Eliza not have you seen him EVER have you seen him TODAY?"
"Oh yes, I saw him earlier, he was covered in mud from head to toe, though I think I was him and cannot fully be certain." Elizabeth replied
Miss Bingley was furious at her reminder of the accident and stalked off to the drawing room.
Darcy stood up and walked over to help Elizabeth pick up the books "Miss Elizabeth, thank you, for your assistance." She nodded coolly, in response.
Darcy pulled the book that she was trying to reach the rest of the way out and inspected it. It was Much Ado About Nothing. He looked down at Elizabeth and remembered her saying that she dearly loved to laugh, so her choice was not a surprise. Elizabeth tried to take the book from his hands. Darcy would not let go.
"Mr. Darcy, may I have the book please."
Darcy did not realize he was holding on to the book still, for he was greatly distracted about being this close to Elizabeth "Forgive me."
"Thank you, sir." and with that she quickly walked away from him and back to Jane.
How much did he have to dislike her, to rather than to talk to her, hide in the corner. Tomorrow she and Jane were leaving, being in Netherfield was becoming a trial.
That evening at dinner, he was determined to ignore Miss Elizabeth and stay away from Miss Bingley's prattling. He was of course given Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst as dinner companions. He completely ignored Miss Bingley at dinner to converse with her older sister and she was furious. He thwarted Miss Bingley's attempts to talk to him at every turn. Elizabeth watched the exchanged throughout dinner with and expression of mirth on her face. Miss Bennet and Mr. Bingley were at the other end of the table in their own world, while Hurst's full attention was on his plate.
Everyone retired shortly after dinner, Elizabeth did not want to deal with her hostess or Mr. Darcy and retired immediately, Darcy retired because without Elizabeth there was no one to talk to, Miss Bingley retired because there was no point in staying up if she couldn't use the time to gain Darcy's affection, Mrs. Hurst wouldn't be without Miss Bingley, Mr. Hurst was going to sleep anyways and Miss Bennet could not stay with Mr.Bingley alone.
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The next morning the Bennet girls awoke early to break their fast. They were joined by Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley. Darcy was relieved that Elizabeth Bennet would not be so close anymore, but disappointed, that he would not see her everyday. Bingley and Miss Bennet were softly speaking at their side of the table leaving Elizabeth and Darcy to talk. They sat in silence with Darcy staring at her a great deal, until Elizabeth finally said.
"Mr. Darcy, can you pass the cream please." Elizabeth said, she wanted to add "And stop staring it is rude.", but refrained.
Darcy gladly obliged. Darcy was enjoying the last moments he would be in her presence like this, except he was imaging her at Pemberley with him quite alone, eating in Pemberley's grand dining room, her reading a portion of his newspaper, a smile upon her lips as he kissed her, before he left her to handle estate business.
His thoughts were interrupted "Darcy!" called out Bingley.
Darcy looked up at his friend and the sisters standing by the doorway.
"Are you coming with me to see the Bennets out?"
"Yes, of course." Darcy replied
The foursome waited outside for a few moments before they saw the carriage pulling around the driveway of Netherfield, which arrived promptly at 10 o'clock with a surprise passenger. Who jumped out of the carriage and onto Jane, who back was turned to the carriage .
Jane shrieked.
"Marianne Ellen Bennet, What are you doing here?!" Elizabeth shouted at her younger sister.
"I needed to get out of Longbourn and I was so desperate for your company." Mary replied dramatically.
Darcy and Bingley smiled at the sisters exchange.
"Miss Bennet I'm glad to see you're well." Darcy said.
"Thank you, Mr. Darcy."
"Mr. Bingley, thank you for letting us stay here." Jane said and curtseyed.
"Your welcomed anytime you feel the least bit poorly." Bingley replied and bowed.
Elizabeth said and curtseyed "Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Bingley."
"Miss Elizabeth, it was a pleasure." Mr. Bingley responded and bowed.
"Mr. Darcy." Elizabeth said a curtseyed.
"Miss Elizabeth." Darcy said and bowed
Mary curtseyed to both gentlemen and climbed back into the carriage, first. Bingley, then handed Jane in. Last, Darcy handed Elizabeth in, though Darcy let his hand linger on Elizabeth's. Elizabeth noticed this and gasped in shock. Darcy walked back inside Netherfield immediately.
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