27th November

The sun had set and the full moon was high in the sky, when Elizabeth heard the carriage arrive. She was in her mother's room, which was front facing, so she moved to the window to watch as the Longbourn stablehand, holding a flaming torch, gestured to the coachman to follow him around to the stables. As the carriage moved out of sight and she turned from the window, her mother stirred.

'Lizzy?' the quavery voice called.

Elizabeth hurried over to the bed, taking her mother's hand in hers. 'I'm here, mamma. I didn't realise you were awake.'

'Thirsty…'

Elizabeth helped her mother sit up to drink and then settled her back onto her pillows. 'Could you eat anything? Some broth, perhaps?'

Mrs Bennet nodded and gave her a weak smile. 'I do feel somewhat improved enough for food. Something light will suffice.'

Elizabeth rang for a maid and requested a light meal and some tea to be brought up, then sat and smiled at her mother. 'You had us all very worried, mamma.'

Mrs Bennet patted her daughter's hand. 'You cannot get rid of me so easily. I have five daughters to marry, you know.'

Elisabeth laughed. 'So you do, mamma. So you do.'

Mrs Bennet slipped into a light doze, but was re-awakened by Hill's arrival with a large rattling tray.

'Miss Lizzy, I've brought you summat to eat as well as your mamma. You've barely touched ought but a bit of bread and jam today. You eat while I help your mamma with her broth. There's a bowl for you and some bread, fresh out of the oven.'

Elizabeth was about to demur but one look from Hill dried up her words. It was a look she was very familiar with from her childhood, and brooked no disagreement, so she meekly sat, picked up a spoon and the bowl of chunky vegetable broth. The aroma of freshly cooked bread kicked her appetite into action and she ate the broth rapidly, using some of the still-warm bread to mop up the flavourful liquid left over at the bottom of the bowl. Still a little hungry, she finished her repast with a couple of biscuits and a cup of tea, then leaned back into her chair with a sigh of contentment.

'Miss Jane is coming up shortly and your papa says you should be getting back to Netherfield soon while the moon is still up.'

'Yes, I heard the carriage arrive. I didn't realise how late it was.'

'The sun sets early these days. You'll be safe enough for the trip, I reckon. They sent a couple of footmen along with the driver. Master was seeing to the books you wanted to take. They will be loaded and ready to go when you are.'

'Thank you, Hill. I just want to speak with the nurse before I go.'

'Mrs Mason is in the kitchen, having summat to eat afore coming back up.'

'I'll go down and find her then.' She moved to the bed. 'Mamma, I have to go back to Netherfield now. Lydia will be wondering where I have got to. She's recovering very well, and should be ready to come home in another week, I think.'

Mrs Bennet gestured to Hill to wait on her next spoonful, and exclaimed, although it was lacking in her usual vigour, 'Oh, my poor Lydia. Tell her I cannot wait to see her again and that I am glad she is improving. I miss my dear girl…' Her hand fluttered, and Elizabeth patted it.

'I will return in a few days, and I will have her write you.'

Elizabeth left the room and went down to the kitchen where she found Mrs Mason just finishing her meal.

'No, don't get up. Please finish your meal,' she said, as Mrs Mason pushed back her chair. 'I do not mean to interrupt, I just wanted to speak with you before I leave.'

Elizabeth pulled out a chair and sat across from the nurse. 'You knew she would survive, you told me not to worry about her.'

'Sometimes miss, you get this feeling. I could tell she weren't ready to leave you all jus' yet. She gave you all a fright but she has things to do before her time comes.'

Elizabeth laughed. 'My mother has always done things her own way. When we spoke just now, she said she had five daughters to marry before her time comes.'

'That'll be enough to do it,' Mrs Mason replied. ''tis a great responsibility, that.'

Elizabeth just nodded, reached for one of the small cakes on a plate in the middle of the table and nibbled at it while Mrs Mason finished her meal.

Mary, sent by Mr Bennet to hurry her departure, found her still sitting there, Mrs Mason having left shortly before.

She was still contemplating the nurse's words when the carriage pulled up outside Netherfield.

Lydia and Caroline were playing cards together when Elizabeth entered Lydia's bedchamber.

'Lizzy! We heard the news about mamma. Is she really going to be well?'

'I think so, Lydie. She sends you her love and wishes she could see you.'

I wanted to be there, but…' She shot a sideways look at Miss Bingley and pouted. 'Caro told me I could not go.'

Elizabeth gave Caroline a look of gratitude and said, 'She was quite right. We can't have you wandering the neighbourhood just now. If you keep recovering as well as you are, the doctor says we can go home in a week.'

'I certainly will be sorry to see you both go,' Caroline said, and she really meant it. With so many of the men angry with her, and her sister gone… a lump rose in her throat and the words "my own fault" echoed in her head… She mentally shook them away. Feeling she had few friends left, she wanted to cling to anyone that showed her even the slightest empathy, and the Miss Bennets' were proving to be - most unexpectedly - people she wished to know better. 'I am pleased Mrs Bennet is past the worst. I remember when my mother died. I was away at school when she was taken ill and she had passed away before I could arrive home. It was a very distressing time and I would not wish that on anyone.' She turned away to face the window, and lifted a hand to her cheek to brush away a tear.

An unhappy silence fell on the room as they all contemplated her words and then Elizabeth blew away the pall that had fallen over them. 'Come, tell me what you have been doing while I was away.'

Later, Elizabeth and Caroline left Lydia to rest and went to change for dinner. As the two ladies reached Elizabeth's door, Elizabeth turned to her companion, 'Thank you for keeping Lydia company today.'

'It was my pleasure,' she replied, realising she actually meant it. 'Your sister is skilled at pointing out what designs and colours do and do not suit one, although maybe not in the most… diplomatic… manner.' She sighed. 'Much as I love the colour, I think I shall have to give up burnt orange. Apparently, it clashes with my hair in a "most ugly" fashion.'

Elizabeth laughed. 'Oh dear. I do apologise for her. Lydia has not yet learnt that she can hurt feelings rather severely with her intemperate words. She is still young enough to learn to temper her tongue, or so I hope.'

Caroline smiled, before saying, 'It seems that the saying, "sometimes the truth hurts" is quite accurate. I have found that out recently, but it has been necessary for me to hear it, and long overdue.' She grasped Elizabeth's arm, and earnestly assured her, 'I cannot tell you how relieved I am that your mother will recover. My prayers, on this matter at least, were answered.'

The one evening that Elizabeth could not wait to retire was one that seemed to last forever, even though it could not have been more than a couple of hours. Three at most. Her mind had been in a turmoil ever since she'd spent time alone with Mr Darcy in her father's study and soaked his coat with her tears. She needed some time alone to make sense of her emotional turmoil.

Eventually she pleaded a headache and escaped to her room, looking in on Lydia briefly on the way.

Once the maid had helped unlace her stays, Elizabeth dismissed her, impatient to be alone.

Sitting at the nightstand, brushing her hair and looking in the mirror, she asked her reflection, 'Why did I feel so disturbed when he stopped holding me? Surely I should have been most relieved when he let me go?' She had no immediate answer for herself. It would require more thought.

Finally dressed in her night-rail and with hair plaited, she slipped between the covers and propped herself up against the pillows.

Maddening man. Having made her mind up to dislike him, why was he now being so nice to her. So nice to everyone, even those he had previous deemed beneath him. Was it all an act? If so, why?

Stop. Think back. When did the change become obvious? His proposal was terrible but then came Lydia's attack. He was very gentle and non-judgemental there. So, between her rejection and his actions that same night, he seemed to change. Was it her dismissal, or Mr Collins' actions, that caused the change?

More importantly, was it a change that would stay?

She hoped so, because she… she liked this new Darcy. Oh! She liked him.

She dropped her face into her hands.

She liked him!

No. That wasn't strictly true. She more than liked him. She was attracted to him.

She had enjoyed being in his arms, having him stroke her hair. It was comforting and she felt safe there. Even just thinking about it made her feel warm all over, with a funny wobbly sensation in her stomach.

Never having been in love before, she had nothing against which to compare this feeling. She didn't think it was love, not yet, but there was no reason to say it could not ever be. Could she see herself loving him?

With a sinking feeling, she realised that she could very easily see herself loving this new Darcy.

The problem was that he had been rejected once. Rejected rather harshly. So harshly, she would not have blamed him if he refused to have anything to do with her, or her family, ever again.

But she wanted him to.

She shuffled down under the bed covers and buried her head under a pillow, muffling her groans of dismay.

No man would risk having the same woman reject him again, in so terrible a way. She had ruined her chance forever; she just knew it.

Author Note:

A comment - from 'Guest', regarding Elizabeth forgiving/understanding Darcy for his comment at the Assembly.

As Darcy himself told her, he was in a bad mood due to something that happened in the summer (and remember she knows about the Ramsgate issue as he told her and Mr Bennet - she is, after all, not a stupid woman and can add 2+2 correctly), and Bingley was nagging him to dance when he did not want to.

The Colonel had also told her Darcy hated being hunted for his fortune, as he had been since he inherited. Elizabeth knows there were women there who were discussing his fortune and single status - her own mother being one of them - and she knows he was aware of this.

So yes, she has put together all the bits of information she (and therefore we) know about, to work out that he had his reasons for being in a bad mood, and for saying what he said to deter any possible fortune hunters.

She also knows that he has since apologised for it and didn't really mean it.

Another comment - about breaking the entail from (a different) 'Guest'. The second option you state is the one they used here. Mr Collins 'payment' for the estate was non-prosecution for his actions. As, and when, Mr Bennet dies, the contract signing/selling the property to Lydia would be produced deeding the property to another. I will make this clearer when I rewrite.