Copyright 2023 Elizabeth Frerichs
Cross-posted on elizabethfrerichs dot com and wattpad
Elizabeth's thoughts were muddled as she bid Mr. Darcy a temporary farewell. He regularly met them as close to Longbourn as he could manage in the afternoons. Her heart was as confused as her thoughts—exultant that Mr. Darcy loved her, worried that Wednesday might never come, distressed by the distance that would certainly result when it did, concerned that he might still change his mind, despite the fact that he was one of the most constant men she knew . . . and now, with this latest revelation, a host of other worries had descended upon her like a horde of locusts. If one of her sisters was doomed to marry Mr. Wickham or someone like him, bringing disgrace upon the entire family . . . . Miss Engel was giving them a chance, and yet, how could they take advantage of such a chance?
One day hardly seemed like enough time to effect any major character change.
Mr. Darcy's suggestion of telling Jane the truth seemed more reasonable the more she considered it. It was only her distaste for the pain of watching Jane forget their conversations, of gaining and losing a confidant over and over, that left her hesitant to attempt the enterprise. Yet, if they were ever to reach Wednesday, ever to save her sisters, might it not be necessary?
She grimaced and straightened her shoulders. Miserable it might be, but she could do what was needed. Over the course of the past months, she had many times daydreamed of telling Jane again and had landed upon a method of doing so.
"Pardon?" Jane asked, the slight widening of her eyes betraying her extreme confusion.
Elizabeth suppressed a sigh. Perhaps she had been too blunt. "I have already lived this day forty-nine times. As proof of my claim, today we will meet Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley on our way to Meryton. Once there, we shall encounter Lt. Denny and his friend, Mr. Wickham. Aunt Phillips will then extend an invitation to her card party tonight to Mr. Collins, and whomever else accompanies us to her house—Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley, most likely. The gentlemen will all accept the invitation."
Jane blinked at her.
"It is the truth, Jane. We can discuss it further later; I merely wished to prove my claim before this afternoon."
"Lizzy, are you certain you should go out? You must be ill indeed."
Elizabeth grabbed Jane's hand and brought it to her forehead. "Not a trace of fever. I may sound mad, but I assure you I am perfectly hale. If the events of this morning are not sufficient to convince you, I would like to play pianoforte for you this afternoon."
"Play pianoforte for me?"
"You heard me play recently, did you not?"
"Of course, when you practised last week, but—"
"My skills have improved far beyond what is possible in a handful of days." She held Jane's gaze. "Do not judge now. Wait, and we shall discuss this further this afternoon." Elizabeth glanced at the door. "I do not doubt that our sisters will be clamouring to be off sooner than we can be ready anyway."
"Very well," Jane agreed reluctantly.
Elizabeth gave her sister a quick hug. "I promise I am not mad. You shall see."
Without waiting for an answer, she pulled herself from Jane's embrace and flew down the stairs, wraps in hand. Tears pricked her eyes. Despite having steeled herself for Jane's disbelief, it had hurt. Not to mention the way her heart had lurched upon embracing her sister—how long had it been since she had hugged Jane? Normally, they were quite physically affectionate, but somehow, even Jane had faded into a shadow over the past weeks. Her solid hug had made Elizabeth realise just how deeply she yearned for her sister's presence and good sense.
A/N: Thanks for reading and all your engagement with this story! I so love hearing what you guys think about it :) As always, if you have any suggestions for how to strengthen it, let me know. Thanks to Stephanie for beta-ing this chapter!
See you on Thursday!