AN: I wanted to get a chapter finished before I go out of town this weekend, so I didn't get as much story covered as I would've liked :/ Because of that, it might seem like I picked a strange stopping point (kinda in the middle of things), but I want to switch POV's after that. Basically... the end point might seem awkward, but I did intentionally choose that spot.
They return to Longbourn late that night, but to Mrs. Bennet's delight they find Mr. Bennet waiting up for them. The sisters resign themselves to a complete re-telling of the evening.
"It was bound to happen eventually," Lizzie sighs as the girls take off their gloves and shoes. With nothing but family, there's no need to fall on decorum, so Lizzie also undoes her hair and combs it out with her fingers, putting the pins in her sleeves.
"Yes, but at least I could've escaped to Meryton if they'd waited til morning," Lydia pouts but joins them all the same. Despite her whining, none of them truly wanted to miss this. For it's not as though it were any ball Mrs. Bennet is about to describe, but rather the ball.
If only you knew just how important it was for all your daughters, Lizzie thought as she sat on the floor beside Jane. But then we'd never get any sleep. She takes her sister's hand and draws soothing circles along her wrist - still covered, but with the lace coverlet loosened so that the name would be visible should Elizabeth choose to look.
The evening starts with regaling Mr. Bennet of how kind and charitable Mr. Bingley's sisters were, spending all their free time with the Bennets particularly. "Such fine ladies, sharp in dress and wit, they sought out our Jane's attention. You can of course guess as to their purpose."
"I certainly cannot," Mr. Bennet deadpans, "But I think it delights you all the more in telling me."
"Why, they must know their brother's marks and that he and Jane are made for one another, of course!"
"Of course,' he agree solemnly. "And did Mr. Bingley himself give any reason to think that he is aware of our lovely Jane?"
Mrs. Bennet does her best to paint a picture of a handsome, wealthy young man totally and completely smitten. Radiating love and warmth. "They'll be engaged by the end of the month, mark my words Mr. Bennet."
"Consider them marked." He turns to Jane but sees her shy flush and averted eyes, and saving her from teasing for the moment, he turns to Lizzie for confirmation. "Shall I start the wedding invitations?"
"That might be a bit premature, but I would say he is well on his way to falling in love. He did dance with several young ladies, but Jane more than the others. And he spent a great deal of time trying to appear pleasing to her and her alone." Jane nudges her slightly with her foot, eyes wide. "Well, it's true. You'll just have to accept that you've met your soulmate and your day for marital bliss is soon upon you."
"Marital bliss," Kitty mutters to herself while looking warily between their parents.
"Well, if that's all, I think we should head to bed. Wouldn't want to deprive Jane dreams of her beloved."
"There is more," Lydia drawls out. Lizzie scowls at her but she waves her hand dismissively. "If I had to hear about it on the ride home, then Papa gets to hear it too."
"Hear what? What happened?"
"Mr. Bingley had a friend with him." Mrs. Bennet's earlier delight fades into a frown, arms crossed across her chest in a telltale display of disapproval. "Apparently a wealthy man, he possessed none of the amiability of his friend. He slighted our poor Lizzie you know."
"Did he now?"
Elizabeth feels the full weight of her father's curious gaze. With a sigh, she answers but won't meet his gaze. "He did."
"Said Lizzie isn't pretty enough to dance with!" Lydia laughed, as though it were the greatest joke she'd ever heard.
"As if anyone cares about that sort of thing in a dance partner," Kitty scoffs. "It's supposed to be all in good fun."
"Oh, only you would say that! You're plainer than Lizze or me, and if it mattered at all, you'd never get a partner!"
"Mama!"
"Lydia!" Elizabeth hisses.
"Oh, Kitty, you do look rather plain in that pink dress. I told you to wear the blue, but you never listen, child!"
"Mama!"
"And who is this man who scorned by poor Lizzie?"
"Mr. Darcy of Pemberly, some an over inflated with his own sense of importance. What sort of man takes delight in casting aside genial young ladies? Really, Lizzie, you shouldn't dance with him even if he should ask you."
"Mr. Darcy, eh?" Though she doesn't turn to look, she can feel the light dancing in his eyes and the seriousness belying his cheerful tone. "And how do we feel about that, Lizzie?"
For the first time since the topic was broached, she meets her father's eyes. She holds them for a moment before smiling demurely and answering, "You need not worry, Papa, I have no interest in Mr. Darcy's attentions."
"Well good. I'll have no broken hearts in this house! With five silly girls living here, I'm lucky to have gotten this far with success and I'm not keen on breaking that streak now." The jovial tone doesn't quite cover the sharpness underneath. His look is heavy with the promise that he will be speaking to Lizzie further about the matter.
In private, hopefully.
The house is dark and quiet. The occasional creak gives nothing away and allows Elizabeth to sneak from her room into Jane's without anyone noticing. Even in the pitch black, only occasionally broken by the moonlight as the clouds pass by, the way is familiar. She has made this trip many times since girlhood and she suspects there are a few more trips left yet.
There's a momentary fear that her sister might have already fallen asleep, since the room remains still as she quietly closes the door behind her. That fear is alleviated as she approaches the bed and her sister pulls aside the blankets for her.
"So," she whispers after sliding in, "What do we think of our Mr. Bingley now that we've met him?"
Jane looks like she's terrified. "Oh, Lizzie... He's better than I'd let myself imagine. I know it's rather romantic to say such things after only one meeting, but I dare say he's everything a gentleman ought to be."
"Well, I dare say you're right. But for him to be your soulmate, no other possibility had ever occurred to me."
Even without candlelight, Lizzie could see that something isn't quite right. That worry still sits heavy upon her sister, and she grasps both hands tightly in her own. "Tell me, sister, what troubles you? If he is all that you could want-"
"I worry that, perhaps... I'm not... What I mean is that perhaps I might not be enough..."
"Jane." She doesn't mean to be harsh, but her voice is hard and she schools it into something more sympathetic. "You are kind beyond measure and the most charitable person I have ever met. You are beautiful as well, proper beyond what our parents can be given credit for, and any such man would be lucky to have your affection." She loosens her grip on Jane's hands but does not let go. "And if you are his soulmate, he will no doubt agree."
"But, Lizzie, what if I'm not his-"
"Jane." She says it firmly and with all the conviction she can muster.
This is an old fear, one that Jane has expressed multiple times. There is talk that there are those who have soulmates that are not mutual. That the name on your wrist indicates your perfect partner, but that does not necessitate you being theirs. It's something only whispered about, rumors and speculation that don't circulate freely because of the implications.
Jane's own feelings of self-worth, so tied to the merits their mother harps on (good manners and a pretty face), have always made her feel less than adequate. What's a pretty face in comparison to Lizzie's humor and intelligence, or to Mary's music, or to Lydia's taste for fashion, or to Kitty's singing voice (little though she might use it). One's looks are so superficial compared to things that can actually carry a conversation.
Shyness bloomed in the wake of anxiety, only compounding the issue, and making it more and more difficult for Jane to become comfortable in new social circles. She's polite and courteous to a fault, but she lacks the initiative in making new friends. Jane seems doomed to never feel totally at ease with new acquaintances, despite Lizzie's coaching. Perhaps Lizzie's open nature in front of strangers, as well as the lack of a filter the rest of their family seems to possess, further exasperated the issue.
But none of that is any cause for Jane to fret about this. No, Elizabeth will simply not allow it.
"You and Mr. Bingley are a match, I promise you that."
"How can you be so sure, Lizzie?"
Elizabeth bites her lip and wonders how much to divulge. She heard, in addition to Mr. Darcy's not so flattering commentary about herself, the two young men discussing her sister. She knows beyond any shadow of a doubt that they employed the name 'Jane' before actually meeting their small party. How could he have known of Jane so soon? Yes, his sisters might have told him. They have taken an unusual interest in Jane and herself, but it seems more likely that their interest stems from knowing of their brother's soulmate.
And though she is quite confident in her appraisal of the situation, she's not sure it's the time to tell Jane. Jane will believe Lizzie too eager to see things as she wishes to seem them instead of how they are. She'll second guess herself even more in front of Mr. Bingley and Elizabeth dreads such awkwardness on her sister's behalf.
No, she'll hold tight what she knows and wait until Jane is more at ease. No need to put the extra pressure on her now.
"I simply know how wonderful you are and if he's half a good a man as he appeared this evening, he might almost deserve you."
The compliment has the intended effect. Jane laughs and relaxes into the blankets. With little coaxing, she starts talking about Mr. Bingley. How pleased she would be to marry such a man. Elizabeth smiles and indulges in the playful talk. It's nice to see her sister so hopeful and happy.
They don't talk about the other thing. Neither is quite sure what to make of Miss Caroline Bingley. She has been nothing but courteous, nay, more so even. It makes no sense that she should be a rival to or enemy of Jane's. But the name on Jane's wrist cannot lie. Her soulmate's sister is to be an obstacle to her. Jane of course cannot fathom how, given her friendly demeanor.
Elizabeth concedes that it is odd. She doesn't trust her flattery or her smiles, but even she will admit that she might have been looking for them to be false. She's known and hated the name for years, since they first appeared. All too aware that she wants to dislike Miss Bingley, she has trouble finding particular instances of bad behavior to warrant the negativity.
Mrs. Bennet does not have such scruples. She lashes out rudely against every minor thing Caroline Bingley says, whether it can truly be interpreted as negative or not. It leaves Jane flustered and Elizabeth trying to smooth it over. Honestly, at this point she's worried her mother is actually causing the rivalry rather than responding to it.
But again, they don't discuss it. It's a shadow over everything Jane confesses through excited words and bright eyes. Lizzie ignores it in favor of gently encouraging her sister. She's quite hopeful, but the enigma of Caroline Bingley has her cautious. There are no guarantees, not even among soulmates.
It's only when Jane drifts off to sleep that Elizabeth allows herself to examine Mr. Darcy's behavior. She supposes his behavior suggested he was a rival or enemy to her or those she loves, but honestly she finds him to be nothing more than intolerably proud. Hardly an appealing trait, yet not one that should outweigh all other merits he might possess.
She sighs and rolls away from her sister. Though her heart swells at the possibilities now before Jane, an unease settles in her gut. For better or worse, she met a man today whose fate is supposedly linked to her own. It would be easy, so easy, to assume him her enemy. Wounded ego aside, there's a worry in the back of her mind she's not ready yet to voice. That perhaps Mr. Darcy will pair with Miss Caroline Bingley to separate Jane from Mr. Bingley. Elizabeth is quite convinced it's the only thing she could never forgive anyone for.
That fear nags at her, but she tries to put it aside. She will do her best to give him the benefit of the doubt. She might wonder at the wisdom of it, but she shall try.
Elizabeth conveys all of this to her father the next day when he corners her in the library. He is less than impressed with Mr. Darcy's behavior, but defers to his favorite's plan to be open-minded. At least he says as much. She suspects it will be even more difficult for Mr. Darcy to improve himself in her father's eyes than in her own.
They've barely sat down to lunch when a message is delivered. Lydia and Kitty continue squabbling about which officer is more handsome (and Kitty's insistent claims that when she turns sixteen and a name appears on her wrist, it will most certainly be that of an officer or she'll assume it's some ghastly mistake). The rest of the family continues eating with apparent disinterest, only Mrs. Bennet perking up until the letter is handed to Jane.
This has the family's attention, all of them pausing their meal to stare (some more openly than others) as she reads the note.
"I am invited to tea at Netherfield this afternoon by Miss Caroline Bingley."
Mr. Bennet's mouth curls up slightly, though otherwise he's a mask of indifference. His wife is much less so.
"There it is! Already another meeting between you and Mr. Bingley!"
"Mama," Elizabeth interrupts. The enthusiasm is shared, to be sure, but level heads must prevail. "The invitation is from Miss Bingley, there can be no guarantee her brother will be in attendance."
"You mark my words, Miss Elizabeth Bennet," their mother huffs, "Mr. Bingley will be there and he will dote upon your sister!"
"Not that we are likely to know the truth of it," Kitty says. "Jane is too cautious an observer and will never relate what happens in the privacy of their meeting."
"Yes, but..." Their eyes are drawn back to Jane, who fidgets slightly. "The invitation does include Elizabeth as well..."
Now all eyes shift to Elizabeth and it is she who shifts in discomfort.
"Why Miss Bingley should take such an interest in you I shall never know!" Mrs. Bennet scowls, but it's more in surprise than actual condemnation. "All the better, Lizzie can tell us all about the meeting when they return."
Elizabeth thought nothing of it when she insisted the girls go horseback. In fact, she was secretly pleased. Her love of fresh air and the beautiful scenery nearly outweighs how bad she feels for poor Jane, who is not much fond of the exercise. Or at least, she was pleased up until she notices the alarming number of gray clouds and a crack of thunder makes her start to wonder at her mother's intentions.
Sharing a concerned look, the two girls urge their horses on but manage no more than a quarter mile before a downpour is unleashed. It comes as no surprise that the sisters arrive on the steps of Netherfield completely drenched. A maid helps them dry off before announcing them to the ladies of the house.
Caroline Bingley's shocked and utterly scandalized look upon seeing them is quickly schooled into a polite smile. Her teasing is to be expected, Elizabeth supposes, since they are friendly with one another. Though there's an undercurrent of something hostile that Lizzie's not completely sure she's imagining.
"It was of course quite the adventure," Lizzie laughs. "We used to play in the rain as children. Well, I did at least. Jane would always go inside at our mother's first insistence, whereas I had a knack for finding the deepest puddles and ruining my skirts."
The answering laugh is a little overdone and it grates on her, despite her firm attempt to remain neutral towards Caroline.
At least until you show your true colors. If you dare hurt my dear Jane...
But unlike their mother, Lizzie is fixed on the idea of not causing trouble for Jane. If there is to be any instigation, any wrongdoing, let it be entirely on Miss Bingley.
AN: I don't really agree with Elizabeth's decision to keep what she knows from Jane here, but I feel she would try to keep some privacy (whether it be about her concerns regarding Bingley or her uncertainty about Darcy) to protect herself or her sister. Which is something she does in the book...
