27th November

Mr Darcy followed her out of the house, handed her into the gig and watched as it moved off down the drive. His face grim, he turned to re-enter the house and went to find Mr Bingley.

He discovered Miss Bingley first, hesitated and then holding the note out to her said, 'Miss Bingley, Miss Bennet has received word from Longbourn about her mother. She had no time to inform Miss Lydia before leaving. I was wondering if you would let her know what is happening. Could you have this note taken to her and let her know that her sister will not be able to be with her today?'

Miss Bingley took the note, quickly read it and her hand crept up to cover her mouth. She nodded, silently, eyes wide.

'I thank you. I must find Bingley now, I don't suppose you know where he is.'

Her hand rose to point in the direction of the study. As she regained her composure, she managed to croak, 'I believe he said he had a letter to write.'

Mr Darcy bowed and turned to leave. He stopped dead at Miss Bingley's next words.

'Do you think…'

he turned and waited for her to finish.

'…that Mrs Bennet will survive this?'

'I can only say to you what I told Miss Bennet. It can go either way. Either the fever breaks and she survives, or…' He paused and shrugged. 'The doctor will do everything he can, I am sure.'

Miss Bingley nodded. 'I will see to Miss Lydia myself.'

As Mr Darcy left the room, he heard Miss Bingley mutter to herself and turned his head to see her with bowed head and clasped hands give a small prayer, 'Please God, let there not be another…'.

He paused briefly, then decided to give her privacy, and continued on to Bingley's study. On the way he spoke to a footman, asking that his valet, and Mr Bingley's valet, be ready to change them into riding gear, and that the horses be readied within the hour.

Once the gentlemen had left for Longbourn Miss Bingley went upstairs and knocked on Lydia's door, then waited.

'Lord, Lizzy, you don't need to knock!'

'It's not your sister, it's… Miss Bingley.'

'Oh. You'd better come in then.'

She opened the door and moved hesitantly into the room. 'I've brought you some more fashion books. Your sister informed me you were looking for something to occupy your convalescent time.' She moved over to the window and dropped the bundle of magazines onto the seat. On top of the pile were a couple of books. 'I've also brought some books. Elizabeth suggested they might interest you.'

She turned and finally took a good look at the girl in the bed. Miss Lydia was thin, much thinner than the last time she had seen her, and her face was marred with raised, crusty pustules. Not as many as has covered Louisa's face though. Her sister's face had been covered by so many pustules they had almost all run into one, and one of her eyes had been sealed closed. Lydia's marks were discrete and mostly confined to her forehead and cheeks. Lydia's arms were also covered in discrete pustules, and most of them also appeared to have crusted over. She moved closer as Lydia replied to her greeting.

'Oh, yes indeed. It's so boring sitting here day after day.' Lydia frowned, 'Where is Lizzy, do you know? She was supposed to be here by now.'

Miss Bingley reached into her pocket and fiddled with the folded paper secreted there, before pulling it out and moving over to the bed. 'Your sister was called to Longbourn. This note arrived and she wanted you to see it.'

Lydia took the note and quickly read it, tears springing to her eyes and pouring down her cheeks. She looked wildly around the room, then threw back the covers of the bed and swung her leg over the side. 'Mamma… I must go to her!'

Miss Bingley moved quickly around the bed, reaching the sobbing girl and pushing her back onto her pillows. She lifted a handkerchief from the bedside cupboard and handed it to Lydia. 'No, you must stay here and wait. You are not well enough to leave, and how would you get there? Walk in all this cold? In your weakened state? No, you must stay here. My brother and Mr Darcy are on their way to Longbourn and will bring back any news, as soon as there is any news to know.' She pulled the covers back over the girl, tucking her in. 'I will keep you company while we wait if you like. Lydia… may I call you Lydia?'

Lydia wiped her cheeks and nodded, and Miss Bingley continued, 'I'm Caroline, or Caro if you prefer. We may as well try to distract ourselves while we wait. Shall I show you what I have brought? I understand you enjoy reading about the latest fashions in town?'

Lydia frowned up at her. 'Why are you being so nice? We all know you dislike us intensely.'

Miss Bingley looked about, then pulled up a chair and sat. 'I am as surprised as you are. I suppose I recently had a very hard lesson to learn. I would hope I am able to learn as well as the next person, when I need to.'

Lydia sniffled and blew her nose. 'I too. I have not told anyone how I got…' She gestured at her arms and face. 'I was so stupid, I guess papa is right when he calls me silly. I wish I'd listened to Jane and Lizzy more, rather than mamma.'

'I assumed you were infected at the Lucases party, as everyone else appears to have been.'

'I think it was when I sneaked in to see Maria two days after the party… I wanted to tell her something private, so went up the servant stairs when no-one was looking. They all thought it was just chicken pox and I had them when I was six years old.' Her words ended on a wail, and tears erupted down her cheeks once more. 'N…Now I…I'll never find a h…husband,' she hiccoughed.

Miss Bingley patted her leg through the covers, 'We all make mistakes, you were not to know.'

'B…but when I think back, it was such a stupid thing I wanted to tell her… It was not worth all this. It hurt so much, Caroline.'

'Are you in pain now? Do you need anything for your relief?'

'No, it is much better than it was. It is just so itchy now and hard to remember not to scratch.'

'Distraction. That's what you need.' Miss Bingley stood, retrieved the bundle of books and magazine she had bought and dropped them onto the bed. 'Let us look at these and you can help me pick out some designs for my new mourning gowns.'

Soon they were immersed in the contents of the current edition of La Belle Assemblée, Lydia adamant that one particular design would make a wonderful new gown for Miss Bingley.

'…with just a small addition of some black lace around the neckline.'

'You may be right, my dear. I don't know about you, but I am parched. I will ring for a tea tray.'

When the tray arrived, it bore a note from Longbourn. Things were unchanged there with Mrs Bennet, and the gentlemen appeared fixed for the duration.

'She still breathes, that is the main thing,' Miss Bingley reassured a sniffling Lydia. 'Now, drink some of this tea. It will make you feel better. We shall have dinner in here tonight, where it is cosy. I understand you have read The Monk. Tell me, did you find it as shocking as I did?'

'Oh yes, although Antonia was a deadly dull heroine. I used to wish I had a magic myrtle bough, so that I could sneak into locked places…'

An eerie silence reigned over Longbourn as Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley entered. They had never known it so quiet and still. They followed the housekeeper to the parlour, where two of the ladies of the house were sitting quietly side by side, clutching hands. Waiting. Miss Catherine, clutching a handkerchief, sniffing as silent tears ran down her cheeks.

Shortly after, Mr Bennet joined them.

'Ah, Mr Darcy, Mr Bingley, I was not expecting to see you, but I am glad you are here.' He turned to Mr Bingley. 'Jane has been up with her mother most of the night, despite the nurse being there. She will not listen to me, so I would hope you could convince her to take some rest now Lizzy is here. I have asked Hill to bring her down.'

'I would be glad to, sir', Mr Bingley replied, eagerly.

Mr Bennet turned to Mr Darcy, 'Can I tempt you into my study for a small glass of refreshment?'

Mr Darcy assented, and followed him down the hall. Once they had settled in the study, glass in hand, he spotted the chess board in the window. 'Do you play chess?'

'I do indeed, sir.'

Mr Darcy smiled. 'Well then, shall we toss for White?'

Author Note:

I had a query about use of The Monk. The Monk was a book that Lydia and Kitty had been caught giggling over by Elizabeth before the events of this story (Lydia reads so little, that it stuck in her mind). The fact that a section of it mirrors (although not completely) Lydia's situation is not accidental.

I also had another comment about using the wrong names - with an example scene mentioned.

I went back through the section after Mr Collins' assault, when Bingley goes to Longbourn, the Colonel removes Collins from the room and Darcy and Lizzy are left alone with a sleeping Jane, but cannot find that I used Bingley instead of Darcy. Can you be more specific? Do you mean a different scene?

If anyone spots any similar issues, please let me know.