Rapid Revelation
DISCLAIMER: "Pride and Prejudice" will forever be beyond my reach, whether it is Ms. Austen's delightful novel or Joe Wright's 2005 film adaptation. This is merely a humble tribute.
NOTE: Welcome to the penultimate chapter of the story!
We're almost there. One more chapter to go and I can wrap this all up.
This is mostly a quiet chapter because Elizabeth needed time to recover after some of the revelations of the previous one. Darcy, unfortunately, does not make an appearance in this chapter but he is heavily discussed by all. It's always fun to write about Elizabeth's changing perspective.
This also gave me the opportunity to write about the rest of the Bennet family as well, an interesting exercise since most of the action has been focused in Kent. I've never written much interaction between Elizabeth and Jane but I enjoy their dynamic and it was interesting to write about them for once. I also enjoyed touching a bit (but very slightly) on the points of view of the younger sisters and the Bennet parents. I think I've explored a lot of Charlotte's thoughts in the previous chapters so it was a change to shift to the Bennets. What's great about the original novel is we have a main character shaped by her interaction with her friends and family and even the 2005 film does a great job of showing the Bennets as a living and breathing familial unit, with all the chaos that entails. They love each other but they also get at each other's throats a lot. It's great.
I'm really aiming at finishing and posting the final chapter by Christmas but I don't want to make any promises at this point because December is the busiest time of year for me. My goal is still to complete this story by the end of the year so there's that.
Thank you for reading and I hope you like this chapter. Please review or comment. I would really love to hear what all of you think of this little project of mine.
Enjoy!
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Elizabeth was relieved to return to the familiar chaos of Longbourn after the baffling events in Kent. She was grateful for the distraction of Kitty and Lydia's constant squabbling, their mother's histrionics, and their father's sarcasm. This bedlam she could navigate with ease, and she resolved not to dwell too much on all that had happened in Hunsford and Rosings.
But something had shifted irrevocably after that last, mystifying conversation, and she knew that her peace had forever been shattered.
Even in the days after Kent, Elizabeth continued to muse over all that had taken place and the surprising paths her thoughts and feelings had taken. She had not expected much out of her visit to Charlotte, only a temporary break in the mundanity of her life in Hertfordshire. Now, she thought, she had gotten much more than she had bargained for.
Thankfully, Jane had also returned from London, in better spirits than expected, and Elizabeth was able to seek comfort in her gentle sister. But she was careful not to mention anything about Bingley or indeed about Darcy's interference.
Jane listened in astonishment and admiration as Elizabeth recounted Darcy's acts of heroism, from the rescue of the young child from drowning to his saving the family from ruin. Of all the Bennets, Jane had probably had the best opinion of Darcy though this could be credited more to her kind and generous nature than to her seeing any virtues in the gentleman. Jane always saw the best in people, so she had not agreed with the general dislike of him by her family and her younger sister in particular. So, she was pleased to see how much Elizabeth's opinion of him had improved because of the former's visit to Kent.
"How extraordinary," Jane exclaimed when Elizabeth concluded her tale, "I always thought highly of Mr. Darcy but I think even my opinion of him did not do him justice."
"My dear Jane, you think highly of everyone you meet, whether or not they deserve it, and that is to your credit," Elizabeth remarked with a smile, "And while I do not always approve of your generous esteem, in this case I am inclined to agree with you."
"You can hardly think ill of Mr. Darcy now, Lizzy," Jane told her, "Not after witnessing his noble qualities yourself."
"I confess I never dreamed of becoming such a witness," Elizabeth replied, "But I am glad that I was able to see another side of him. I daresay he would benefit greatly if he displayed his noble side more often."
"He does not require other people's approval, my dear sister," Jane said gently, "He is clearly a man of principle and he lives by his own moral code. He does not need to prove himself to anyone."
"That is true," Elizabeth replied, "He did not need to but has certainly proved himself to me."
"I am glad that he has made such a favorable impression on you," Jane said but with no hint of slyness.
"Perhaps you think me too harsh in my judgment of people at times," Elizabeth said, picking up on a nuance her sister had inadvertently revealed.
"I would not say harsh exactly," Jane replied after some thought, "But I do wish you would give people the benefit of the doubt more often. Some may surprise you."
"As we see in the case of Mr. Darcy," Elizabeth said with a smile.
Jane Bennet was hardly a suspicious person, but she did notice something different about her sister's expression when speaking about the gentleman that she had once loathed so expressly. It was clear that Elizabeth thought very well of him now, and Jane even thought that there was a certain softness in Elizabeth's gaze. And being the loving sister that she was, Jane hoped for Elizabeth's happiness, even if she was not sure what would bring this about.
At length Elizabeth noticed Jane staring at her pensively and the younger Bennet blushed. She had nothing to fear from her sister. Jane was not the teasing type. Nevertheless, Elizabeth warned herself to be more careful about revealing the change of her feelings towards Mr. Darcy.
Seeing Jane again also brought back that last conversation with more vividness although that scene was never truly far from her mind. She was certain that Jane had seen nothing of Bingley in London and though the older Bennet showed no signs of disappointment, Elizabeth knew her well enough to know that Jane was not as happy as she could be. But again, she hid it well, and Elizabeth now had to give credit to Darcy's assertion that Jane seemed indifferent to Bingley because of her reticence.
"Did you have an opportunity to speak to Mr. Darcy after hearing about his generous acts?" Jane asked.
"He did call on me once in Hunsford but it was a very brief visit," Elizabeth replied, careful to conceal any details on Darcy's interference with Bingley.
"He had to leave urgently as he had received some news about his sister that gave him some concern," Elizabeth added, the vision of Darcy's distress clear in her mind.
Every now and then she wondered about what had happened with Miss Darcy and she found herself genuinely concerned. She surprised herself at her anxiety and found it hard to deny that her own preoccupation was more for the brother than the lady she had never even met. Most of their interactions in Kent had been so fraught that she only hoped that nothing too grave had called Darcy away.
As expected, Jane expressed her sincere concern about the young lady in question, despite never having met her. But she knew what it was to care about a younger sister and even from her limited acquaintance with Darcy, she had seen how affectionate a brother he was. He wrote to his sister often and spoke of her with such warmth that Jane had no doubt about the strength of their bond.
Jane noticed again that Elizabeth had a serious and worried expression on her face as she spoke of Darcy's hasty departure and his evident anxiety. But she attributed Elizabeth's friendly concern to her being better acquainted with the gentleman, having crossed paths with him several times in Kent.
In her eagerness to improve everyone's opinion of Mr. Darcy, Jane convinced a reluctant Elizabeth to share the accounts of his kindness with the rest of the family. Elizabeth had been hesitant at first but since there was not much to do at Longbourn, she realized that she had a captive audience in her younger sisters and even her parents.
Lydia and Kitty had been sunk in disappointment after their father had refused to allow them to go to Brighton, so they were eager for any distraction. Mary was always ready with a quote from scripture on every story. With no eligible young men arriving in the county, Mrs. Bennet was similarly idle; and she had always had a very strong, negative opinion about the haughty gentleman. And Mr. Bennet was always eager to hear Lizzy's stories about the foibles of her fellow man.
So, it happened that the whole Bennet family came to hear of the daring exploits of Mr. Darcy as he risked drowning to save a frightened child and as he convinced his esteemed aunt to be generous to a struggling family. Elizabeth told the stories with confidence especially when she noticed how interested everyone was in such an account. She was not sure why but she had become determined that her family to share her improved opinion of the gentleman.
She patiently repeated certain parts of the story to Kitty and Lydia, who were enchanted by the adventure of it all, and more interested in the saving of the young boy than in the long-term salvation of his family's fortunes. Mary found much to moralize on and did not hesitate to express her learned opinions on some.
Mrs. Bennet had been skeptical at first but knew her daughter to be trustworthy and she was soon simply pleased to have an intriguing topic to discuss with her friends. Mrs. Bennet being who she was, she could not help but reconsider Mr. Darcy as another potential match for one of her daughters. If he was not so bad as they all thought, he might very well do. After all, he did have ten thousand pounds a year.
And it was clear that he had taken some interest in Lizzy. While Mrs. Bennet was still upset at her second daughter for turning down Collins, the prospect of a better match had made her look favorably once more on Elizabeth. But how could such a thing be managed when the gentleman in question was not even within the proximity of her daughter? Mrs. Bennet spent much time musing on this conundrum and such activity kept her in good spirits.
As for Mr. Bennet, while he found the topic of Darcy to be exceedingly diverting, what interested him more was the sparkle in Elizabeth's eyes when she spoke of the gentleman. His second daughter was not as adept at hiding her feelings as her elder sister and it was growing evident to him that there was more than an improvement in Elizabeth's opinion. He had seen her show partiality towards certain young men, but these instances had been fleeting and even whimsical. But there was an expression of warmth, almost of tenderness, in her face when she spoke of the man who had once not found her tolerable enough to dance with.
It was clear that she had forgiven him his previous slights, but there was more to it than that. But whenever Mr. Bennet broached the subject, Elizabeth deftly avoided his hints. She would not be teased, and he also hesitated about being so flippant about the situation. Darcy was nowhere in sight and it was uncertain if they would ever find themselves in the same company anytime soon.
Mr. Bennet remembered making some remark to Lizzy about young ladies needing to be crossed in love every now and then. But judging by the seriousness of her expression when discussing Darcy, Elizabeth was in some danger. And Mr. Bennet hoped that his daughter was not so compromised. Lizzy was usually so prudent and careful about such things, after all. And it was also clear that she had no expectations.
For her part, Elizabeth found that she could not stop thinking about Mr. Darcy, from wondering what had happened with his sister to those enigmatic words he had spoken so gently to her.
"Your happiness means a great deal to me, Miss Elizabeth, more than you know."
Had she dreamed it? And how exactly did she feel about such a declaration? She dared not admit anything, even to herself. But she was growing certain, anxiously certain, that Mr. Darcy's happiness meant something to her as well.
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A week or two later, the household was thrown into an uproar when the news spread that Mr. Bingley had returned to Netherfield. It was ascertained that he had returned alone while his sisters remained in town.
As soon as she heard of this, Elizabeth was certain that Mr. Darcy had kept his word about making amends. She had not imagined that he would do so in such a short time and she was disappointed to learn that he had not accompanied his friend back to Hertfordshire. But she chided herself on her selfishness and focused on observing Jane, who maintained her composure throughout. But there was a hopeful expression in her eyes, subtle but there, that betrayed some of her emotions, and Elizabeth hoped for the best.
Longbourn was in a frenzy of activity as Mrs. Bennet moved to and fro, trying to get things ready, and convinced that Mr. Bingley would call on them one of these days. But even Mrs. Bennet's eagerness was no match for Bingley's as he arrived at their doorstep early one morning, giving the Bennets barely any time to prepare.
He greeted them with his usual cheerfulness, but they also noticed that there was a certain purposefulness in his manner. He addressed them all cordially, but his gaze had rested most of the time on Jane. Mrs. Bennet barely needed any more encouragement and hastily arranged for Bingley and Jane to be alone in the room.
Less than an hour later and Mrs. Bennet was in ecstasy. Her fondest wish had finally come to fruition and she could not hide her delight at the success of her plans. Jane and Bingley were engaged at last.
While the entire family celebrated this momentous occasion, Elizabeth stole away and sat by one of the large trees in the garden. She was happy for Jane, of course, although no one could outdo her mother in expressing joy about this alliance. But she could not help but be certain that Bingley's prompt return and immediate proposal were the results of his friend's interference once again. He had effectively undone any damage done on Jane and Bingley's relationship and he had facilitated this felicitous result. This was all Darcy's doing and she was deeply grateful.
She wished there was some way to let him know that all was forgiven, that these were the happier circumstances in which they ought to meet again. She admitted to herself now that she longed to see him, to speak to him, and to know the truth behind his words to her.
Elizabeth felt heartened by the sight of Jane being so obviously happy. The eldest Bennet daughter glowed, and her joy was felt by all who saw her. But in a strange way, Elizabeth was slightly jealous of Jane's happiness, though she berated herself for even thinking this way.
But she could not help it. She could not see Bingley without thinking of his friend. Fortunately, as Jane's future husband, he visited Longbourn every day and Elizabeth had ample opportunities to speak to him. She congratulated him warmly and he received her well wishes with genuine affection.
Elizabeth found, to her relief, that she did not need to broach the subject of Darcy herself. Bingley eagerly spoke of his friend to her one day as she joined the happy couple on a walk through the park.
"I understand you saw much of Darcy when you were in Kent, Miss Elizabeth," Bingley told her cheerfully.
"Indeed, Mr. Bingley, your friend had demonstrated his heroism on a few occasions while I was there," Elizabeth replied.
"Darcy has always been too modest about his goodness," Bingley remarked, "But there is no one more reliable or trustworthy. He is the most loyal friend."
Elizabeth expressed her agreement before asking what she had been burning to know. "He had to leave urgently because of news of his sister," she began, "Would you know if everything has been resolved with Miss Darcy?"
"Oh, yes," Bingley remembered, "Darcy had been very distressed by that. Apparently, Miss Darcy had fallen ill, a severe cold because of the drastic changes in climate recently. But she has fully recovered, probably encouraged by the fact that her brother was at her side for the ordeal."
"I'm glad to hear that Miss Darcy is well," Elizabeth with genuine relief.
"She is a gentle soul and Darcy is extremely fond of her," Bingley added, "He does his utmost to protect those who are dear to him. So, I count myself extremely lucky to be his friend."
"I am sure he feels the same, Mr. Bingley," Elizabeth remarked, before adding, unable to resist, "When was the last time you spoke to him?"
"It's been several weeks, at least, he has been preoccupied with his sister and other business matters," Bingley replied after some thought. Elizabeth had expected this much but she dared not ask more or risk betraying her keen interest. Fortunately, Mr. Bingley had even more favorable news to impart.
"Incidentally, I received a letter from him just this morning," Bingley then added, "He will be arriving in Hertfordshire next week."