First of all, I must apologise for the huge delay in posting. Exams and life meant I had very little time to write – but I'm back now and have finished the entire story. So hopefully it will not take me too much longer to upload it all.
Thank you to all of you who have continued to read it – and especially to the guest who proofread my earlier chapters for me. If I could have privately messaged you to thank you I would have done. :) I have now updated all my previous chapters as well – although there have basically only been minor edits.
As always all comments, criticisms and reviews are welcome :)
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The next morning, as she was going downstairs, Elizabeth was met by her father, who came out of his library with a letter in his hand.
"Lizzy," said he, "I was going to look for you; come into my room."
She did as he bid; wondering what the letter could contain that it would have had her father venturing out of his private sanctum to find her.
"I have received a letter this morning" here, he waved the item about. "That has worried me exceedingly. Particularly as it relates to details concerning yourself – which I suppose means you have a right to know of its contents."
Elizabeth blushed slightly – but she couldn't find an adequate response. What could her father be speaking of? The letter couldn't be from Lady Catherine – surely she would not have written to him when she had made her opinion of their family so clear only the day before. Elizabeth could scarcely account for that.
"I see that I have your interest. Well, well, I daresay I shall shock you yet. For who do you suppose the author of this note might be? It is a question, is it not?" Elizabeth, for all that she loved her father, couldn't help but wish he was a little less prone to teasing at that moment. "Well, I shall tell you, for you must know. This letter is from Mr Collins."
"From Mr Collins!" Elizabeth found her thoughts thrown into a tumultuous mess – that it wasn't from Lady Catherine was a great relief, but she couldn't help but wonder that he might be just as poor a correspondent. "What does he have to say?"
"Well, you may very well wonder. He begins with issuing his thanks for our accommodating us for his stay and with his wishes that the visit might be continued – so as to continue to build the beneficial partnership of family – and words to that effect. I shall not bore you with reciting all he has to say on that subject." Elizabeth couldn't help but wish that her father could have got to the point earlier – but she couldn't try to change her father, that was too great a task even for her. "What relates to you is somewhat more concerning: "Having thus thanked you for my visit, I must broach another topic of somewhat more delicacy. On leaving Longbourn, it can be of no surprise to you that I had heard of your eldest daughters' courtships, on which they are to be much commended. But it should hardly be surprising that two such ladies of so many virtues, as my good cousin's bear, should have such fortune. It was very clear to me that the ladies were of a high calibre – even Miss Darcy – my esteemed patroness' niece and an altogether delightful young lady – commented as such to me. As such, I did not think too deeply before I mentioned to her Lady Catherine de Bourgh that I had seen her niece and nephews so recently in Hertfordshire and that they were in best of health. And now I fear that my joy for my cousins might have overwhelmed me, for she gleaned from my speech the news of Mr Darcy's interest in your daughter.""
Mr Bennet stopped talking at that point, and looked at Lizzy pointedly – it took her a moment to realise that fact, for she was waiting for him to continue with some impatience. Despite Mr Collins' style she found that she was desperate to know more of the grand lady. She couldn't help but wish that Mr Collins could give some excuse for her behaviour – something to change the dreadful feeling inside her that Lady Catherine de Bourgh represented a great number of the high society ladies who would hold great disdain for any connections Elizabeth might hold with either Darcy.
"It is curious is it not? I have never heard him so remorseful about anything?" Her father, as was his way, still found this all greatly amusing. ""My motive for relating all of this to you is as follows. It would appear that his aunt does not look upon this match with a friendly eye. And while I would wish to inform you that this will not affect you in the slightest, I would feel remiss in my duties to my family. Lady Catherine has taken this with rather less grace than I have come to expect from her – causing a great clamour that your daughter should "presume to take the place of her own" for her Ladyship, I believe, has always assumed that her nephew would eventually wed her own illustrious daughter. And although I would wish to spare you from such scenes – for they are, in fact, most ungentlemanly to relate – I fear that it is best for you to understand the opposition to such a match. She fears, I gather, that your daughter might have been attracted to her nephew due to his splendid property, noble kindred and extensive property, and as one of his few remaining family members can be rather protective." And then he goes on, but I shall not hold you any further. There is little more of substance."
Elizabeth tried to smile and meet her father's eye, but it was far more of a struggle than she usually encountered.
"It is most diverting is it not? For Mr Collins is nothing if not entertaining."
Lizzy forced herself to meet his grin. "Indeed – but it is so strange!" She couldn't help but wish she could read the rest of the missive – so that she could know for herself that the letter held no other meaning, no greater import. It was strange to look to Mr Collins for that, but he was ideally positioned in this instance. She wished to know more of Lady Catherine – and he seemed to have devoted his life to the study.
"But I must be serious for at least one moment – and you know how much I loathe doing that unnecessarily." Mr Bennet, whatever his words may have been, did not sound entirely solemn, but Elizabeth chose to ignore that while she could and humour him anyway. "Is this what the grand Lady saw fit to visit us about yesterday?" He chuckled even as he spoke – evidently thinking that the words were over dramatic.
Elizabeth could only smile slightly wryly – if only she could find the words to explain herself to her father? – but somehow nothing seemed to make any sense. She knew with absolute certainty that he would find her fears ridiculous – he would think them absurd.
"Well, well." Mr Bennet was clearly barely holding in his laughter. "I have never seen you so rigid about anything. We must find our amusement in this – after all, what are our neighbours for if not to humour us in their time, while we humour them in our own?"
Elizabeth wished she could find something witty to say in reply – something to divert her father. Luckily, her mother burst into the room mere moments later informing Lizzy that she had to show her face downstairs.
Mrs Bennet had after all become far kinder to Lizzy in the time since Jane had entered her courtship, and it had become widely assumed that Elizabeth had entered into a similar situation. Sometimes, Lizzy couldn't quite decide if she welcomed the extra attention – but at this moment she had to think she did.
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Georgiana, despite her best efforts, couldn't ever get Elizabeth to explain what had happened in the conversation between her aunt and her friend. Of course, Georgiana knew something must have happened – both Elizabeth and Aunt Catherine had tried to hide it if course – but she had immediately spotted the strain in Elizabeth's smile when she had inadvertently interrupted them.
Aunt Catherine had only confirmed her suspicions when she had so obviously tried to hide her discontent. Georgiana had always found it amusing that her aunt acted in the nicest manner to her, when her Aunt was the most annoyed – most of the time, Aunt Catherine seemed to exist in a constant state of moderate disgruntlement. She had a remarkable skill at finding fault in absolutely everything.
Of course, Georgiana had no ability to say such a thing to Elizabeth, because the other woman completely refused to discuss her aunt or the conversation they'd had. It was utterly infuriating.
Perhaps, or so Georgiana hoped, her brother would have been able to find out what had happened – or at least to speak to her about it, because Georgiana was quite worried about the almost despondent attitude that Elizabeth had. Especially as that only became worse with each day – she still smiled of course – and was perfectly wonderful company, but Georgiana couldn't help but feel that something was off.
And still her brother didn't return. And neither did Mr Bingley.
Worst of all, Georgiana hadn't received a single note from her brother – and if Caroline or Louisa had heard from their brother they didn't mention it. Instead, Miss Bingley seemed more and more eager to return to town. And it was becoming harder for the rest of the occupants of Netherfield to continue to resist her.
Richard mentioned to her the deadline for him to return to his regiment and Georgiana couldn't help but consider the date with growing apprehension. But there was nothing she could do. She held no power here – especially not when Richard had apparently promised her brother not to leave her here alone – as though the Bennets and Hursts, Miss Bingley and Mrs Annesley were not company enough.
But the date was set, and in what should hardly have been a surprising turn of events, Miss Bingley announced their intentions to abandon Netherfield on the same day. Georgiana couldn't quench her growing sense of unease. That the gentlemen hadn't returned seemed worrying enough – but that they should have to leave too without hearing so much as a word from their brothers? That seemed foolish.
And there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.
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It was on the twelfth day since the departure of Darcy and Bingley that the rest of the Netherfield party left to return to town. Elizabeth had tried to face their departure with as much equanimity as Jane did – but she was sure that her façade was poor enough that anyone could tell that it was just that.
Jane had confided similar fears of course, so when they came in person to take their leave – a detour to their route that Elizabeth had a suspicion they should blame Georgie for – it was truly hard to not take her sister's hand in hers so that they could offer one another reassurance of a kind.
She resisted the impulse of course, instead simply exchanging a smile with her sister.
Miss Bingley was as she always was – utterly polite and correct, but still somehow able to give a very strong impression of disdain. Jane seemed as oblivious to it as ever – Elizabeth often worried that her sister's ability to see the good in people was so acute as to blind her to their flaws. But then, Miss Bingley did have a certain sweetness in her manner towards her sister, so perhaps that should be Jane's excuse.
Still, that sweetness didn't stop her hinting that the gentlemen remained away because of the superior company and true delights of town. That of course was followed by a pleasant recollection of the higher manners and conversation of those who were the equals of men such as her brother and Mr Darcy.
Even Elizabeth, who could see clearly what the woman was trying to do, couldn't entirely contain her doubts. That wouldn't have kept Bingley from Jane, she was sure – but if Darcy had seen his aunt and she had spoken as eloquently on Elizabeth's faults to him as Lady Catherine had to her, she couldn't help but fear that he would realise what a poor alliance his idea had been. After all, they were not strictly courting – and could not be until he returned.
That alone would explain their delay. But she knew him well enough to believe he wouldn't keep Bingley from Jane. She just feared the day when Bingley would return alone. She didn't know if she would be able to bear it.
"Don't be ridiculous." Georgiana had replied to Miss Bingley – for Elizabeth wouldn't have considered airing her worries. "I would wager that they will return to Netherfield before we have even found our way to town. They will wonder what has happened to us no doubt."
At the time, that had been enough for Elizabeth to find a smile again – and Jane too seemed more composed. They had bid their farewells warmly, with both Miss Darcy and Miss Bingley urging the sisters to write often – and, if the words had sounded distinctly more genuine from Georgie than from the other woman, no one commented.