Dear readers, I apologise for the delay in updating this story. I have been busy with work (really!). We are in the last two months of this academic year and being a teacher has never been so challenging than during this pandemic.
Thank you so much to the following guest reviewers:
pemsnowy, Deanna27, Lisa, Levenez, RHALiz, roses0002, Colleen S, crispill, srhittson, Motherof8, PDS1, Belatrixie, Shelby66, Guest, Ana, MelodieMLB, liysyl, SarahEC, Roselieemmamailie
A special thank you to the lovely readers who PM'ed me.
I really appreciate all the messages and encouraging reviews.
To MelodieMLB, I am pleasantly surprised that we like the same parts in this story. I am glad you are enjoying this so far. I will be honest – I have never seen a Marx brothers movie. ;-)
Ana, no worries about reviews. I am glad most of the feedback from this community are kind and positive. At least I feel that some people appreciate my efforts. I just have to learn to ignore the rude and negative ones.
Please stay safe and happy, everyone!!!
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Jane gently felt Elizabeth's forehead and asked,
"How are you feeling now, Lizzy?"
"I feel slightly better, though I still feel weak."
"Your body does not feel as hot as last night. I will ask for some broth to be brought up. You have not had food for a day."
"Do not trouble yourself, Jane. You must be exhausted looking after me."
"Lizzy, you need not worry about me. You have to try to regain your strength. Your Mr Darcy will not be happy if you do not get better soon."
"He is not my Mr Darcy, Jane. Did he... did Mr Bingley call today?"
Jane wanted to wait until Lizzy's health improved but she could not hide her news from her favourite sister.
"Yes, he did. Both Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy came to call today."
"And?"
"Mr Bingley asked to court me."
"And?"
"I accepted. Do you think I made the right decision, Lizzy?"
"Oh, Jane. I am so happy for you. I would hug you if I could. I think you made the right decision. It is very obvious that he cares for you."
"I do not want to rush things, Lizzy. I want to be sure that we would suit before we take our relationship any further."
"That is the sensible thing to do, Jane. I would like to think that Mr Bingley will be patiently understanding and will allow you the time you need."
"I do hope so. Mr Darcy was very concerned about you, Lizzy. He even asked mama if you might require the services of his doctor from London."
"H-he did?"
"Yes. He was quite distressed when he learnt you were indisposed. Papa called him into his study but I do not know what they discussed. The only thing I know is that Mr Darcy is leaving for London tomorrow morning."
This piece of information alarmed Elizabeth and she nervously asked,
"Mr Darcy is leaving?"
"Yes, but he stated that he be back after a day."
"Do you think papa said something…"
"Lizzy, I do not believe Mr Darcy will be driven away by anything papa told him. Now, what you need to focus on is to do your best to get better so you can see Mr Darcy when he is back."
Elizabeth felt tired after their short conversation. She did not know why but she was uneasy about Mr Darcy going away. As she had been asleep for a good part of the day, she did not get the chance to consider what she thought of him after the revelations from Georgiana's letter. She now acknowledged that he was a good man but they still needed to talk to clear up any past misunderstandings.
Jane was pleased to see that her sister seemed to show signs of changing her attitude towards Mr Darcy. She fed her some broth, redressed her wound and watched her till she fell asleep.
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Mr Darcy had a restless night at Netherfield. He woke up early and went about his morning ablutions. All the while, his thoughts were on Elizabeth. He had always thought of her as being very active and of a strong constitution. Knowing that she was ill and confined to her room was certainly causing him anxiety.
He checked with his valet that everything was in order for his departure. For some reason, he felt that he needed to do something for Elizabeth before he left. He did not wish to be parted from her. He wanted to communicate with her but he accepted that it would be most improper to write her a letter.
Do not be silly. You will only be away for a day. Since when did you become so sentimental?
Mr Darcy soon arrived at Longbourn to enquire about Elizabeth's health. Mrs Bennet assured him that Elizabeth was on the mend and that her fever was not as high as the day before.
"That is very good to hear, Mrs Bennet."
"Jane has been looking after Lizzy with the help of her sisters. Lizzy is in good hands, Mr Darcy. By the time you return, I expect that she would be able to receive calls."
Mr Darcy smiled at this welcome development and bade goodbye.
"I very much look forward to my next visit, Mrs Bennet. Thank you for your time and I apologise for disturbing you so early in the day."
Mrs Bennet cleared her throat, which made Mr Darcy turn back to look at her. She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head towards what the gentleman held in his hands.
Mr Darcy looked embarrassed and clumsily shoved the bunch of wildflowers into her hands.
Just then, Mr Bennet appeared and witnessed what happened.
"Good morning, Mr Darcy. You are aware that is my wife. I thought you were interested in Lizzy. Have you changed your mind so quickly?"
"Oh, stop teasing, Mr Bennet. You might scare him off. Mr Darcy, pray do not listen to my husband. He hardly takes anything seriously. Lizzy will absolutely love these flowers!"
Mr Darcy did not know how to respond to Mr and Mrs Bennet. He was unsure whether he should take part in their light-hearted exchange or simply ignore their comments.
Feeling awkward, he carefully addressed Mr Bennet,
"Sir, I brought a book that I think Miss Elizabeth might enjoy. When she is feeling well enough to read, that is. I will leave it with you to judge whether or not it is appropriate."
Mr Bennet accepted the book and eagerly thought he would be able to finish reading the Shakespeare comedy before Lizzy recovered.
"How thoughtful and considerate you are, Mr Darcy! I would have never guessed you were a romantic. Lizzy is too," Mrs Bennet whispered the last couple of sentences as if she was passing on some secret hint.
"Stop fawning over Mr Darcy! You might be the one to scare him off. Are you sure you want Lizzy, Mr Darcy? You would have Mrs Bennet as your mother-in-law."
"Hush, you irritating man! Mr Darcy, I hope having Mr Bennet as your father-in-law will not put you off. He really is harmless, though a bit exasperating at times."
Mr Bennet rolled his eyes and sighed,
"Let the man go, Mrs Bennet. It would be best if he reaches London before dark."
Mr Darcy was amused to observe the interaction between Mr and Mrs Bennet. They appeared to be bickering but he somehow felt that their words were delivered with some degree of affection.
I wonder what it will be like being married to Elizabeth. Life with her will definitely be unpredictable but delightful.
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Elizabeth opened her eyes and felt disoriented. Her sleep had been filled with short, unconnected dreams but she could not remember most of them. The last one felt so real – she was secure in Mr Darcy's arms, he was caressing her face with his fingers, he gently raised her chin up and slowly leaned down. But that was where the dream had ended. Now she felt strangely unsettled and dissatisfied. She closed her eyes, willing herself to go back to sleep and continue the dream but to no avail.
Her mouth felt dry and she looked around the room to see if anyone could help her get something to drink. Lydia was rummaging through some drawers and Elizabeth wondered what she was looking for.
"Lydia?"
Her sister hastily shut all the drawers and quickly shoved one hand in her dress pocket. She turned and went over to Elizabeth.
"Were you searching for something, Lydia?"
"Oh! No… not really. I just thought maybe you needed a change of clothes so you can freshen up."
"I see. That is very kind of you, Lydia. Thank you for being here. Would you be able to get me something to drink please?"
"I will get Jane. She would know what to do."
Lydia left the room abruptly. Jane came through the door soon after.
"Good morning, Lizzy. It is good to see you awake. I brought you some warm tea to drink. I have asked cook to prepare something light for you to have for nourishment. I think you should be able to take in more food now."
"Thank you, Jane. You are such a dear sister. Mr Bingley will be so fortunate to have such an attentive wife."
"Lizzy! You know we just started courting. I cannot believe you are teasing me even when you are unwell. Ah, that must be a sign that you are indeed on your way to recovery."
"I do feel better this morning, Jane. Do you think I could go out for a walk later?"
"You can perhaps go down later this afternoon if you feel up to it. But you should wait till you feel a bit stronger before you venture outdoors. Your wound is healing nicely so I imagine you might be able to take a short walk in our gardens by tomorrow."
Elizabeth longingly looked out the window. Noticing a vase with brightly coloured wildflowers near the window, she smiled and thanked Jane.
"The flowers are from Mr Darcy, Lizzy. He came by early this morning before he left for London. He wanted to know how you are."
To say that Elizabeth was surprised would be an understatement. No man had ever given her flowers before. She would have never thought Mr Darcy would be one to make such a gesture. Her heart quickened and she felt warm inside.
"Oh Lizzy, you are blushing. Does this mean you are starting to feel something for Mr Darcy? I must say only you can turn him into a lovesick man."
"Jane!"
"Well? You are not the only who knows how to tease, Lizzy. But seriously, I think you ought to consider him as a worthy suitor. He even brought a book for you."
"A book? Where is it?"
"It is with papa. He must be nearly finished with it by now. I will bring it up to you later. I honestly think Mr Darcy cares for you, Lizzy."
"I admit he is being very thoughtful. I did not expect him to be so. But in a way, I am relieved that he is not here. That will provide me some time to think about all that has happened and how I feel about him."
"Take your time, Lizzy. You must make sure you get better first. Mr Darcy can wait."
"Will he? He must have women throwing themselves at him all the time… and maybe more so in town…"
"Lizzy! Stop worrying. If he wanted a glamorous, sophisticated lady from the ton, he would have married one a long time ago. He shows good sense and taste as he has wisely singled you out. He could not have chosen any better."
"You are being kind, Jane. I am nothing in comparison to the scores of women from his circle."
"He values you, Lizzy. I hope you realise that and you afford him a chance. At least get to know him better."
Elizabeth nodded and knew her sister's advice was sound. That would probably be the best way forward.
"Jane, did mama ask Lydia to look after me this morning?"
"Oh no, she actually volunteered to tend to you after breakfast. Would you believe it?"
"That is good of her to offer to help. Maybe there is hope for our youngest sister."
"Mamma is planning to go with Mary to the milliner's shop today. She is positively excited about all the wedding preparations. She is so proud to have one daughter engaged. I heard Lydia asking if she can go with them."
"Mamma will, of course, allow Lydia to join them. She easily gives in to Lydia's whims. Our sister will likely spend more money than necessary on frivolous items when they go out shopping."
"Lydia is still very young, Lizzy. You know she has always been mama's favourite. Hopefully one day, she will grow up to be a sensible young lady."
That day could not come soon enough, thought Elizabeth.
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Next up, more of the big rat or off to London. Hmmm…
For the fans of the Colonel, he will feature in maybe 2 to 3 future chapters. ;-)