Left. Right. Open. Honest. Jane strode towards the summit of Oakham Mount.
Left. Right. Open. Honest.
Left. Right. Open. Honest. Head down. Why hadn't she signaled three o'clock? She could have sauntered; had time to think about what she was going to say to Charles.
Left. Right. Open. Honest.
Left. Right. Open. Honest. Jane started to pant. Since Lizzy went away, she had not gone on any long fast walks. Since Lydia's ruination she hadn't even walked to Meryton.
Left. Right. Open. Honest.
Left. Right. Open. Honest. Jane started to perspire. Her mother would say that ladies don't perspire, they glow. Jane snorted to herself; she was not glowing, she was glowering.
Left. Right. Open. Honest.
Left. Right. Open. Honest. The sun shining in her eyes made Jane squint and so she went to pull the brim of her bonnet down. Which was not there, she had forgotten her bonnet. Too late now.
Left. Right. Open. Honest.
Left. Right. Open. Honest. Display of affection. Jane sniffed. How about a display of disaffection? He had been gone ten months. Maybe a smack, or two, or ten; one for each month. That'd be honest.
Left. Right. Open. Honest.
Left. Right. Open. Honest. Jane brushed hair out of her eyes. Her bun was coming apart. No time to fix it now.
Left. Right. Open. Honest.
Left. Right. Open. Honest. Display of affection. What exactly was that? June stumbled on a root and almost went down. That was all she needed, rock rash all over her face. Concentrate.
Left. Right. Open. Honest.
Left. Right. Open. Honest. Jane burst through the trees onto the summit. Charles was there. Waiting for her.
Left. Right. Open. Honest. Bingley's eyes got bigger and bigger as his angel, her pink face glowing, blue eyes flashing, blond hair haloed around her face, stalked towards him.
Left. Right. Open. Honest.
Left. Right. Open. Honest. Bingley went down as Jane slammed into him.
Open. Honest. Open. Honest.
-}{-
"We're leaving at nine tomorrow morning. Go pack your trunk. We won't be coming back so don't leave anything behind you'd miss. And go through Kitty's things as well, and pack up any treasures of hers you find, she won't be coming back either."
Mary could not move, so dumbfounded was she that all she could do was stare at Jane.
Jane continued to speak as she was going through her closet. "Charles and I will marry as soon as he can obtain a common license, which should only take two or three days. Until then we'll stay with Uncle and Aunt Gardiner. Then we'll move to Charles' townhouse until he purchases an estate." She turned and looked at Mary. "Which won't be Netherfield, or anywhere close to Meryton." Jane looked at the dress she was holding and put it back in the closet. "Don't worry about taking too many clothes, Charles will be buying us new wardrobes."
"When you say we?' Mary asked.
"You, me, and Kitty. Charles is going to take care of us. He is going to see that you have music masters and Kitty has art masters."
"What about his sisters?"
"Mrs. Hurst and her husband are at his parents' estate in Somerset; the former Miss Bingley is with her new husband in Scarborough. It is very doubtful that we will be seeing either one of them any time soon."
"Mr. Bingley is being very generous."
"That follows on from him being very guilty."
"It strikes me that Mr. Bingley is exchanging a very controlling sister for …" started Mary.
"A very loving wife that wants the very best for him and his loving family" finished Jane.
"My words exactly" said Mary as she was heading out the door. She stopped as she had a thought. "Who is going to chaperone us on the ride to town with Mr. Bingley?"
Jane laughed. "One of the benefits of being ruined already is that you don't need chaperones. Oh, before I forget, not to a word to father or mother; I'll leave them a letter." She shooed Mary away. "Get packing."
