Copyright 2023 Elizabeth Frerichs

Cross-posted on elizabethfrerichs dot com and wattpad

Day 78/50

As she pulled on her wrap the next morning, Elizabeth nearly danced out the door, a cheerful hum on her lips. The night before, Jane and Mr. Bingley had sat with her and Mr. Darcy. The congenial company had opened vistas of a future that she wanted so badly it almost took her breath away. In addition, by the end of the night, Jane had confided how very much she liked this "new Mr. Darcy." How dearly she wanted that future, where the four of them enjoyed regular conversation and company, to come!. For now, though, the joy of the previous evening and the knowledge that Mr. Darcy awaited her was enough.

"Good morning, Miss Elizabeth," he said when she reached him.

She dropped him a playful curtsey in answer to his bow. "Good morning, Mr. Darcy."

"How are you, truly?"

Elizabeth took his arm and smiled sunnily up at him. "Well, thank you."

"Truly?"

She nodded as they began walking. "I have not yet seen Jane this morning, so I may be somewhat distressed after I speak to her today. However, I am quite pleased by how well our time together went yesterday. I did not realise just how much I missed my sister."

"It feels almost like another life, does it not?"

"These Tuesdays?" She hummed. "I was thinking yesterday about how insubstantial Jane has felt as of late. Everyone is just so . . . ."

"To me, they feel like characters in a book, rather than people. It feels rather pointless to repeat any significant conversations I have had with Bingley, and yet, if our friendship is to continue growing, they shall have to be repeated eventually."

"That is it precisely! I have grown, but Jane and everyone else are frozen around me."

"It will not always be this way," Mr. Darcy said comfortingly. "Did your sister have any useful suggestions?"

"She did. Or at least, she asked a very pertinent question: how much do we have to change today?"

"What do you mean?"

"You and I have changed a great deal on this Tuesday, but that is only because we are experiencing the passage of time. My sisters will only recall the one day. If Miss Engel is requiring complete character change in one day—"

"That would be impossible," Mr. Darcy said, his eyes growing bright.

Elizabeth nodded. "Which means that it is unlikely to be the requirement. In the midst of our quest, I had forgotten that we might only need some small shift."

Mr. Darcy's steps sped up. "And slight changes are much easier to effect." He slowed. "Unfortunately, we are back to our original problem: determining who is the linchpin and what they need to hear."

"Jane thinks we ought to ask Miss Engel."

Mr. Darcy scoffed. "Only if we can find her."

"That was my response as well. I simply do not know where to start, though."

"Perhaps it is simply a matter of isolating each of your sisters and speaking with them."

"And how do you plan to do that? They are surrounded by others throughout the day."

"Not in the afternoon," he pointed out. "Perhaps Bingley and I ought to accompany you back to Longbourn and secure an invitation to tea from your mother."

Elizabeth chuckled. "On the one hand, yes, she would be thrilled for you to stay. On the other, my mother would not invite you to stay for anything less than a four-course dinner."

"Well, we are already engaged to have dinner with Mrs. Phillips. At least we can try to speak to one of your sisters on our way back to Longbourn."

"And Mr. Collins?"

Darcy smiled down at her. "Let us enlist Bingley and Miss Bennet's assistance."

Days 79/51-91/63

And so that was what they did . . . for a dozen Tuesdays. By the end, Elizabeth was ready to scream. Mr. Darcy had been exposed to the worst of Lydia's and Kitty's flirtations, rudeness, and general ridiculousness. She felt as though a permanent flush lived on her cheeks. Through it all though, Mr. Darcy had been a saint—truly, she could not imagine anyone enduring her sisters with such kindness. It had been as disorienting as the sky turning green.

"We should alter our strategy," she said bluntly when they met at Netherfield's north field for the second rest day since they had begun. Elizabeth caressed Belle's nose, and then rested her forehead against the horse's neck, wishing she could escape the whole world.

Mr. Darcy gave her a lopsided smile. "Good morning to you too, Miss Elizabeth."

She huffed in mock annoyance. "Good morning, Mr. Darcy. You cannot believe we ought to continue as we have been."

Mr. Darcy gave a small shrug and helped her mount Belle. "We cannot know what may make a difference. It has been an enlightening week and a half."

"How so?"

He hesitated, before mounting Sisyphus, clearly gathering his thoughts. "I still desire to spend more time with your parents, but I believe I have begun to understand your sisters. Miss Kitty is much quieter when she is not around Miss Lydia. Her boisterousness is put on in an attempt to gain attention—mostly likely from your mother, given what you have told me, but also from the officers."

Had she not been holding Belle's reins, Elizabeth would have held her head in her hands. Both Kitty and Lydia had expounded a great deal on their affection for various officers and the "larks" they had been getting up to. Mr. Darcy had drawn them out quite handily. "They do not understand how wretched it would be to marry an officer. As I have told them, few officers have sufficient salary to support a wife and certainly not in the style they desire."

"Yes, I have noticed their lack of financial acumen." He hesitated. "They seem unaware of the cost of operating a household."

Elizabeth nodded. "My mother often complains about the high cost of running Longbourn, but I doubt my sisters have taken her complaints to heart." Not to mention that Mama regularly blamed Papa for not increasing her household allowance and did not seem to understand that there was simply no more room to increase it without going into dun territory.

"Then perhaps we ought to concentrate on her. After all, it is considered a necessary part of a young lady's education."

"Perhaps," Elizabeth said dubiously.

"What is your concern?"

"Frankly, my sisters have not listened to our mother for some time. Nor can I see her enforcing such a course of study. She would likely agree that it is important, but when the time came to do it, she would put it off in favour of visiting."

"Which we cannot afford," Darcy agreed. "I still believe it is time to turn our attention to your parents."

"Very well."

A/N: Poor them! It would be horribly annoying trying various permutations of the same conversation. I think I'd be ready to smack someone pretty early on!

Thanks for reading this story despite the various permutations of the same day ;) I love having you guys along for the ride! And thanks to Aimee and Stephanie, who did a great job of whipping this chapter into shape!

See you on Tuesday!