A/N
If it so Happened - Story 2, Ch 6 and 7. I will be posting Ch 8 and 9 immediately after this. so be on the lookout. FF sometimes does not show updates if they are done within 24 Hrs 😊
Hope you enjoy. As usual will be waiting for your feedback. Please do let me know your thoughts. A big thank you to all those who did so for the last post. 😊
To guest reader Dj – regarding Georgiana's familiarity with Wickham's lodgings – I think you missed the part where I have specially shown that she has no familiarity with it. Darcy asks the Inn keeper for directions to the private parlour (not bed chamber) where she has agreed to meet Wickham for the elopement (he says you are late and I thought you changed your mind.) Thank you for pointing out that it may not be explicitly clear to readers that it is the day of the elopement. I have made suitable changes in one of the dialogs to show Wickham mention their travels.
Important NOTE: I will remove the story for publication on 8th August 2023 at 9:30 am IST
Cheers
N
If It So Happened
In Mr Darcy's Shoes
Chapter 6
Elizabeth and Jane returned to Longbourn that day in Mr Bingley's carriage. They were welcomed by their family in the expected manner. While their father expressed his relief in having his only two sensible daughters back at home, their mother was naturally not happy to see them back so soon because Jane's time with Mr Bingley had been curtailed. Mary and Kitty came forwards to give them welcoming hugs, and Lydia, for her part, was keen to know whether Mr Bingley and his sisters had started planning for the ball.
Once the commotion caused by their arrival had waned, the sisters went to their rooms.
As she placed her clothes back in her closet, Elizabeth's mind was occupied by a problem — how to convey the 'dream' to her father. When she had been talking to her grandmother, she had been very sure of the success of her idea, but now she was back at home and without her grandmother's sympathetic presence, she was beginning to have doubts. Knowing her father, she could not tell how seriously he would take her concern, especially when it was about something as fantastical as dreams of people dead and gone and their cryptic messages.
Do I really need to talk about it? Mr Darcy was so good today, perhaps he will no longer be put off by Mama's behaviour? she thought as she recollected her conversation with him earlier. She coloured all over again as she remembered how embarrassingly the conversation had begun, but as her mind dwelt on the latter half of their discussion, a smile came to her lips.
"Somebody seems very happy to be back home."
"Oh! You scared me, Grandmama," Elizabeth complained.
"I came as I usually do, my dear. It was you who were miles away, smiling at some pleasant recollections."
"I was wondering whether to talk to Papa about your message."
"Why? What has changed since last night?" Mrs Bennet asked.
"Well…Mr Darcy and I cleared up some of our misunderstandings, and I was wondering if…" Elizabeth broke off, not really knowing how to put forward her confused thoughts.
Mrs Bennet looked at her blushing granddaughter and smiled to herself. "I am glad that you had a civil conversation with the boy, Lizzy. But in my experience, you can never be too careful. You have seen how cynical he has grown due to his experiences, and I believe it can do no harm if your father takes up his responsibility and ensures everyone in the family is a little better behaved."
"Hmm… Very well, Grandmama. I shall try to give him your message."
Suddenly, Elizabeth felt impatient for it to be over. "And, I think now is as good a time as any."
"Should you not wait for Mr Bingley to send the invitation for his ball?"
"No. I believe it will be better this way. It will give Papa something to think about when the invitation actually arrives."
"Perhaps you are right. Well then, do your best, my dear. If anyone can influence your father, it is you," Mrs Bennet said and then disappeared as suddenly as she had come.
"Papa, may I come in?"
"Ah yes, Lizzy, do come in and tell me about your stay at Netherfield."
"I do not have much to tell you, Papa, as most of my time was spent in Jane's room by her bedside. However, if you still insist, I can tell you that Mr Hurst can eat a ragout for every meal and play cards every day of his life, and if you ever want your pens mended, there is no one like Miss Bingley to do it for you. I can also tell you that Mr Darcy is a very conscientious brother, who writes regularly to his sister, and if Miss Bingley is to be believed, you would pay good money to visit his library at Pemberley."
"Hmm… I never thought I would wish to visit the disagreeable Mr Darcy at his home," Mr Bennet said with an amused smile.
To his surprise, Lizzy did not return the smile, and neither did she come back with a witty retort. Instead, she looked away from him and changed the subject. "Papa…while at Netherfield, I also noticed Mr Bingley's partiality for Jane and hers for him, but…"
"But what, Lizzy?" he prompted when Elizabeth fell silent.
"But I am afraid that those two will not find it easy to make their way to each other, when they very much deserve to do so."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because I could see that Mr Bingley's sisters look down on the rustic folk of Meryton, and if they could, they would ensure that Mr Bingley is separated from Jane."
"Are you not being a little melodramatic, Lizzy? Even if the sisters are conceited, why would Mr Bingley listen to them if he wants to marry Jane?"
"Well, Mr Bingley is a modest man who depends heavily on his friend and sisters for guidance. And perhaps I am being melodramatic, but I have been very worried ever since I had that dream last night."
"Now you are really confusing me, Lizzy. It is not like you to be so incoherent. What has your dream to do with anything?" Mr Bennet asked a little impatiently.
"Because it was no ordinary dream, and it has everything to do with Jane."
"What do you mean, it was no ordinary dream?"
"Papa, do you remember that once, long ago, Grandmother Bennet came to me in my dream?"
Mr Bennet's eyebrows rose in surprise, and for a moment he looked wary. "Yes, I do, Lizzy. What about it?"
"She…she came into my dream last night as well and…she appeared sad and worried. She also asked me to give a message to you."
For a long moment, Mr Bennet was silent as he stared searchingly at his daughter. As far as he could see, there was no sign of levity on Lizzy's face. If anything, she appeared quite perturbed. After a while, he heaved a sigh and asked, "Is this some sort of a jest, Elizabeth?"
The mode of salutation told Elizabeth her father was not amused. "Would I jest about something like this, Papa?" Elizabeth asked very quietly.
"No, my child." Mr Bennet sighed again. "Very well, tell me about this dream of yours."
"As I said earlier, Grandmother appeared in my dream, and she asked me to tell you…that…that she is still waiting for you to fulfil a promise. A promise that you made her on the day you informed her about your plans to marry Mama."
Mr Bennet's eyes widened in amazement, and for a while he appeared incapable of speech.
Seeing his response, Elizabeth hurried to finish her tale. "She said that you now have an opportunity to start making good on your promise. When we visit Netherfield for the ball, you and Mama must work together to ensure that Mr Bingley's sisters have no further ammunition to influence him to desert Netherfield. Jane and…Mr Bingley can find their way to happiness only if he stays in the neighbourhood."
Elizabeth had almost said 'Jane and I' but then had decided not to distress her father any more than was necessary.
Mr Bennet blinked at his daughter uncomprehendingly. "I do not understand. What ball? And I did not know Mr Bingley was planning to leave."
"I am just conveying what Grandmama said. Although, when Mama and the girls last visited Netherfield, Lydia extracted a promise from Mr Bingley to hold a ball."
"Oh, she did, did she?" Mr Bennet asked grimly.
"Yes, Papa, and perhaps he intends to do so."
"Hmm… Did Mother say what she wants me to do?" Although Elizabeth could not be sure, her father's query suggested at least he was listening with an open mind.
"No…she said that you already know what you promised her," Elizabeth replied with a shrug.
"Hmm…" Mr Bennet nodded and remembered how his mother had advised him to think carefully before offering for Fanny.
"Thomas, you have always been the best son a mother could ask for, and it pains me not to be overjoyed at your decision. But, my son, you and Fanny are very different individuals who want very different things in life. When the first throes of what you now believe is love are over, it will not be easy for you to adjust to each other's way of life."
He remembered how cocksure he had felt while promising, "Please do not worry, Mother. I promise I shall also be the best husband and father. I know Fanny's family are of a different station from mine, but I shall always be there to help and guide her when she needs it."
He came back to the present with a sense of melancholia. It was disheartening to accept, but his mother had been right in her judgment and her warnings.
"Do you have anything else to tell me, Lizzy?"
Elizabeth shook her head.
"To be honest with you, my dear, I do not know what to make of all this. I need time to think. So, if you have conveyed what you came to do, would you please leave me alone for a while?" Mr Bennet asked wearily.
"Yes, Papa," Elizabeth mumbled and got up to leave.
As he watched her go, Mr Bennet felt weighed down with guilt and confusion. He was well aware he had not kept his promise to his mother, though to be fair to himself, he had tried initially…but…things had not been easy. And now he no longer knew what he could do to make things right for his family.
As the door closed behind Elizabeth, Mr Bennet leant back in his chair and closed his eyes. Due to the anxiety that his daughter had left in her wake, he had forgotten to tell her about the visit of their cousin, Mr Collins, due on the morrow.
Two days after their return, the sisters went to Meryton with their cousin Mr Collins, a parson by profession and the heir to Longbourn, who had decided to honour them with a week-long visit.
Elizabeth was sure that under usual circumstances, her father would have derived much amusement from Mr Collins's visit, but her talk with him had obviously distressed him. Apart from being present to welcome their cousin, her father had shown no inclination to engage with the man.
All the responsibility to entertain their cousin had been left to the women of the house. And it had not been an hour after his arrival that all of them knew that he had come in order to 'offer them an olive branch' in the form of a proposal of marriage to one of them. His inclination for Jane was abundantly clear from the beginning, but unbeknown to the girls, Mrs Bennet had shrewdly guided him towards Elizabeth.
Since his arrival, the Bennet women had experienced a whole gamut of emotions, from amazement to amusement to irritation and finally annoyance, and it was not long before they started wishing to relieve the tedium of entertaining such a ridiculous individual. The day after his arrival, Lydia proposed a walk to Meryton in a bid to extract information about the return of a soldier, Mr Denny, from London. Except for Mary, all her sisters accepted the suggestion with alacrity.
Unfortunately for them, their mother, eager for Mr Collins to begin his campaign of courting Elizabeth, forced them to take him along.
Elizabeth gritted her teeth as she heard Mr Collins bleat another of what he believed to be pearls of wisdom from his noble patroness, Lady Catherine.
What an overbearing shrew! How I wish the lady was less diligent in offering advice about everything under the sun! she thought in irritation and tried to overlook Mr Collins to the best of her abilities.
As they entered the marketplace, Lydia was overjoyed to espy the object of her visit — Mr Denny. She was further intrigued to notice another man with a very handsome mien accompanying him. Eager to discover the identity of the newcomer, she hurriedly crossed the road, ostensibly towards the milliner's shop, and dragged Kitty with her.
Mr Collins pursed his lips in disapproval, but before he could start his homilies on the correct behaviour of young women, Jane hurriedly intervened. "Lizzy, it would be better if we stayed with Lydia and Kitty." Consequently, all of them made their way to where the two youngest Bennets stood being introduced to the recent arrival.
While crossing the road, Elizabeth also observed the newcomer; he had a charming, gentlemanlike appearance that for some reason seemed familiar to her. It is almost as if I have met the man before now, she thought in puzzlement. At that very moment, he turned to look at them. It was fortunate that his gaze first found Jane and stayed there for long enough for Elizabeth to wipe the shock from her face. It was Mr Wickham, the man who had tried to elope with Miss Darcy!
What is this scoundrel doing here? Elizabeth wondered angrily. She received the response almost immediately.
"Miss Bennet, Miss Elizabeth, please allow me to introduce my friend Wickham, whom I have finally convinced to join our regiment."
After the flurry of introductions, Mr Wickham set out to charm the lovely young ladies he had just been introduced to.
"Had you told me that Meryton boasts such a bevy of beautiful young women, Denny, I would not have needed so much convincing to join your regiment."
"My mistake, Wickham," a laughing Mr Denny replied.
"Mr Wickham, are you from these parts?" Elizabeth asked. "I do not know why, but I feel I have met you before now." Elizabeth could not contain her desire to disquiet Mr Wickham in some manner.
"I do not believe we have met before, Miss Elizabeth. I would not have forgotten such a beautiful countenance had we done so."
The man cannot speak without flattery spewing out of his mouth, Elizabeth thought in disgust.
Just then, they heard the sound of approaching horses, and she turned her head to observe Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley riding towards them. Mr Wickham followed her gaze and immediately turned pale on recognising one of the riders. Elizabeth was worrying what Mr Darcy would do when he came face-to-face with the rogue, but it pleased her very well to see Mr Wickham turning white at the sight of the man he had wronged so wickedly.
"Why, Mr Wickham, is something the matter? You look like a man whose past has finally caught up with him!" Elizabeth exclaimed with barely concealed satisfaction in her voice.
When Mr Wickham stared at her with wary surprise, she smiled guilelessly. "Oh, please do not mind me, sir, I was only jesting. I am sure you will be glad to meet some more of our friends." She nodded her head towards the two gentlemen from Netherfield, who were dismounting from their horses.
"I would have loved to, Miss Elizabeth, but it is getting late, and I must report to my commanding officer without delay. Perhaps some other time. Come, Denny, we need to make haste." And with a hurried bow to the ladies, he left, not even bothering to check whether Mr Denny was following him. That young man stood in open-mouthed surprise for a long moment, then, with a quick round of farewells, followed his friend.
By the time Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley arrived at the place where they stood, only the Bennet sisters and Mr Collins were waiting for them. Mr Bingley immediately made his way to Jane and started asking after her health. Mr Darcy approached Elizabeth with a stern look and asked abruptly, "Miss Elizabeth, who was that man with the officer?"
Had Elizabeth not known why Mr Darcy should be so anxious, she would have definitely mistaken his abruptness for arrogance and taken umbrage. But now that she knew what he was about, she replied gently. "Do you mean Mr Wickham, sir? Do you know him? He certainly turned very white after noticing you gentlemen. And when I jested that he looked like someone whose past had just caught up with him, he became so upset that he did not even wait to be introduced to you."
All of a sudden, Darcy's stern expression vanished, and he grinned. "You could not have said anything better to him, Miss Elizabeth, had you known our joint history."
Elizabeth smiled back at him. "I am happy to have been of service, Mr Darcy."
Then, as one, they turned to look at the retreating backs of the two men hurrying away from them. Just before taking a turn into a side street, Mr Wickham glanced back and found his nemesis and that sharp-tongued female staring after him with identical amused smiles.
By the time Jane got round to introducing their cousin to Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley, they were already on their way back to Longbourn, and there was only one of them with her to be introduced — Mr Bingley. Walking much faster than the rest of the party, Mr Darcy and Elizabeth were quite some way ahead. Mr Collins was therefore left disappointed that he would have to wait to be introduced to Mr Darcy — the esteemed nephew of Lady Catherine.
"Would you mind telling me what Wickham is doing here?" Darcy asked Elizabeth as they started walking back to Longbourn. His horse, Poseidon, walked behind them.
"He is joining the militia stationed in Meryton."
"Oh!"
"You appear worried, Mr Darcy. What has you concerned?"
"In my experience, Wickham's arrival in a neighbourhood is rarely good news for the people in that area, especially shopkeepers, merchants, and young, impressionable girls."
"You seem to know him very well."
"Well, I should. We grew up together. He is the son of my father's steward. Old Mr Wickham was held in high esteem by my father, and that is why Wickham was my father's godson. Unfortunately, he was not worthy of either the honour or the affection."
"Oh! I am sure it is selfish of me to think so, but I really wish he had chosen a regiment that was not stationed in my town!"
"Hmm… Perhaps we can try warning the vulnerable, although it is never sufficient. He somehow is able to scalp a few victims every time." Elizabeth's heart went out to him at the grimness of his expression. She could understand what he must be feeling; Georgiana Darcy was so young. Only Lydia's age!
"I shall be very willing to help spread the word!"
At her fierce reply, Darcy turned to stare at her in surprise. Suddenly, his expression lifted, and he smiled. "I believe this time, Wickham is in for a shock!"
Elizabeth chuckled at the glee in his voice. "I very much hope so!"
"Well, let us forget about the rogue and talk about something much more agreeable."
"Most certainly, but what should we talk about?"
"Well…Bingley has decided the date for his ball, although the formal invitations have not been written yet."
So, Grandmama was right. There is to be a ball. I hope Papa is encouraged into some action when he comes to know of this, Elizabeth thought; however, for some reason she no longer felt as anxious about the matter. Perhaps it was something to do with the manner in which the man walking by her side continued to glance at her sideways at regular intervals. She looked up at him and chuckled suddenly.
"What is it that you find so amusing, Miss Elizabeth?" he asked in a curious voice.
"Well, I never thought that I would see the day when Mr Darcy would find it so agreeable to talk about a ball!"
Darcy smiled sheepishly. "Perhaps it is the company I hope to enjoy while dancing that has me so uncharacteristically enthusiastic about this ball."
"Hmm…then I suppose all your sets are already spoken for?"
He grinned at the jest and her pert look. "On the contrary, madam, I have come today with the hope that I may be allowed to request one of your sets before they are reserved."
"Oh!" Elizabeth blushed at the warm look in his eyes and glanced away hurriedly.
He cleared his throat. "So, may I have the first set, Miss Elizabeth?"
"You may, Mr Darcy."
"And may I have the supper set also?"
Elizabeth's eyes widened at the request.
"Oh, it is just to ensure that you no longer have any doubts about…ah…howtolerable I would find it to dance with you. So, may I?"
Elizabeth laughed at what had now become a private joke between them, and at that moment felt in complete accord with him. "You may," she murmured after a while, even as she tried to understand his actions.
If Mr Darcy danced with her twice, especially the first and the supper sets, it would send a clear message about his partiality for her, and it seemed he was not afraid of such an eventuality. Her feelings for him had undergone such a change because of what she had come to know about him, but…why had he altered so much? She looked into his eyes and was willing to believe the change was real, but she had no answers as to the 'why'.
She had no way of knowing that the only thing that had changed was his desire to continue fighting his feelings for her.
When they arrived at Longbourn, Mr Bingley informally told everyone about the ball, then proceeded to secure dances from the other Bennet sisters. Just like Darcy had done with Elizabeth, he had already secured his dances with Miss Bennet as they walked back from Meryton.
Mr Collins was torn between first introducing himself to Mr Darcy or securing the first set from Miss Elizabeth. He chose the latter and was quite disappointed to discover that her first and supper sets were already reserved by Mr Darcy and the second by Mr Bingley. He had to content himself with her third set.
While he was disappointed, everybody else in the Bennet family was astonished. That Mr Darcy should ask for two sets from Elizabeth seemed improbable, but that Elizabeth should accept him seemed well-nigh impossible.
However, despite her astonishment, Mrs Bennet was quick to sense an opportunity, especially as she noticed the manner in which Mr Darcy gazed at Lizzy. The man might be arrogant, but he has ten thousand pounds a year. And he seems to have the good sense to realise the worth of one of my daughters. Oh! Lizzy will have such carriages and dresses and jewels! How lovely! she exulted but soon had another worry to contend with — how to quickly direct Mr Collins's interest from Elizabeth to Mary. It should not be very difficult. Mr Collins seems to be a biddable man, she decided happily.
On the other hand, when Mr Bennet heard about the ball, it made him all the more anxious, as he remembered that he was yet to decide what he should do to fulfil his promise to his mother.
Chapter 7
That evening, Mr Bennet was sitting in his study, continuing to worry about what he should do. Was he being foolish to believe a dream that Lizzy had had for some reason. But how would Lizzy know about his promise to his mother? And then there was this ball.
Even if he believed that the dream was a message to him, what could he do to ensure that the high and mighty Bingley sisters were not given any reason to poison their brother's mind? Save locking my wife and the two youngest in the Longbourn cellar for the night! The thought brought a reluctant smile, which was wiped off at the temerity of the Bingley women to sit in judgment of the Bennets.
"They are the daughters of a tradesman for heaven's sake!"he muttered aloud, and was then disconcerted to hear a knock on his door. Before he could tell whoever was at the door to go away and leave him in peace, his wife peered into his study.
"Mr Bennet, I would like to have a word with you."
He sighed but motioned for her to come in and sit. "What is it, Mrs Bennet?"
"Has Mr Collins applied to you for Lizzy's hand?"
"Lizzy's hand!" Mr Bennet was affronted at the thought and controlled his anger with difficulty. "No. He has not. In fact, he has not applied to me for anything, except for a game of backgammon."
"Oh, really, Mr Bennet, how you love to tease! But please be serious for a moment and listen to me."
"I thought I was already listening to you, my dear."
Mrs Bennet huffed, but given the crucial nature of her mission, she disregarded the provocation. "Please refuse your permission if Mr Collins applies to you. At least for Lizzy's hand."
"I shall be most delighted to, Mrs Bennet. But…just for my clarification, is Mr Collins likely to ask for the hands of more than one of my daughters?"
"Of course not, Mr Bennet!" Mrs Bennet exclaimed in some irritation. "Initially, Mr Collins wanted to offer for Jane, but I told him Jane's heart was already engaged. So, he decided to court Elizabeth."
"Oh!"
"Yes, but what happened today made me think that it would be better if he offered for Mary. It is just that I have not yet decided how to direct Mr Collins towards Mary."
For a moment, Mr Bennet could only stare at his wife in fascination. "Hmm. What exactly happened today that changed your mind, my dear?"
"Mr Darcy asked Lizzy to dance two sets with him at the ball! And do you know which ones?" Before Mr Bennet could respond, she continued, "The first and the supper set!"
"Oh!"
"Yes! And what is more important, Lizzy has accepted!"
"What?"
"Yes! And oh, you should have seen how he looked at our Lizzy today!" Mrs Bennet sighed with a dreamy look.
"Are…are you sure? Are we talking about the same arrogant and disagreeable man we have observed for the last month?" By now, Mr Bennet was finding it difficult to understand what was happening any longer. Lizzy and Mr Darcy? he thought with a twinge of unease.
"Oh, Mr Bennet, there was no sign of any arrogance on his countenance today!"
"If you say so, my dear," Mr Bennet replied.
"Oh, I certainly do."
As he observed his wife's happy face, Mr Bennet felt a strange mixture of guilt and pain. It shamed him that his wife continued to tirelessly plan and scheme for the futures of their daughters — despite setbacks, despite or mayhap because of her own insecurities — without any support whatsoever from him. Her understanding was perhaps not the best, and one could question her methods if one wanted, but there was no dearth of trying and no dearth of a dogged determination to do better for her family.
The least he could do was to support her, at least in those schemes that could bring about happiness for his daughters. Suddenly, he knew what he would do. Fanny's desire to do her best for their daughters and themselves could be used to make her behave with more decorum and propriety. Once he was sure of his plan, he would have to take her into his confidence, as much as he could.
"Very well, Fanny, I promise you that I shall send Collins on his way if he comes asking for permission to pay his addresses to Lizzy."
Mrs Bennet clapped her hands. "Oh, Mr Bennet, how kind of you!" She got up from her chair and before leaving came round the desk to drop a kiss on his cheek.
At the door she turned to address him once more. "Mr Bennet?"
"Yes, my dear?"
"Please do not be overly stern with Mr Collins. Remember, Mary's future may depend on his good humour."
"Of course, Fanny. Please do not worry about it any longer."
Mrs Bennet saw one of the most gentle smiles on her husband's face that she had seen in years and felt embarrassed to feel the prick of tears in her eyes at the sight.
"Good-night, Thomas," she murmured before turning away.
The next evening, the Bennet sisters, along with their cousin, went to their aunt Phillips's home, for they had been invited to a card party.
When they arrived, they found that their aunt had invited a few soldiers from the militia as well. Mr Denny was among them. Elizabeth looked around for the rogue and was relieved not to be forced to see him again so soon. Her youngest sister obviously felt differently and soon asked Mr Denny about Mr Wickham.
"Why, Mr Denny, where have you left your handsome friend this fine evening?"
"Oh, it is the strangest thing, Miss Lydia. One moment Wickham was hurrying to report for duty, and the next he had decided that he could no longer join our regiment!"
"How odd! We shall surely miss such a charming man in our midst! Why did he go away, do you know?"
"I have absolutely no idea, and he would not say."
"Perhaps he decided that the bevy of women in Meryton were not beautiful enough for his tastes," Elizabeth retorted with an amused smile.
"Oh, I would not believe that to be true at all, especially when such loveliness is before me," Mr Denny said gallantly.
Their aunt soon called them over to the card tables, and the matter was dropped. Elizabeth, for her part, felt impatient to share this fantastic piece of news with Mr Darcy.
Perhaps the gentlemen from Netherfield might call tomorrow, she thought hopefully before concentrating on the game.
Unfortunately, that was not to be. It started raining heavily in Meryton the same night and continued to do so off and on until the day before the ball. Obviously, no calls were made between the inhabitants of Longbourn and Netherfield in the intervening period.
This enforced stay indoors had a number of other consequences. The almost continuous presence of Mr Collins without many breaks for relief made all the Bennet sisters irritable and nervy, even the most good-humoured Jane. It also made them reluctant to enter any room in which they espied their cousin. For his part, Mr Bennet started locking the door of his study to ensure that his cousin could not just walk in after a perfunctory knock.
Mrs Bennet tried a few times to make Mr Collins forget the idea of courting Elizabeth on his own, by pointing out her daughter's headstrong nature and a few tomboyish eccentricities that she had not outgrown even as she neared her majority. At the same time, she started praising Mary's sobriety and her knowledge of the scriptures — essential requirements in a parson's wife. The Bennet matriarch was hopeful that their cousin would soon realise that Mary, not Lizzy, was an ideal choice for him. Frustratingly for her, and unfortunately for Elizabeth, Mr Collins was quite slow to understand. He continued to hover around Elizabeth, every ready to offer a heavy-handed compliment.
When the weather finally cleared on the day preceding the ball, there was an almost frenzied edge to the sisters' attempts to get out of the house and into the weak sunlight. This resulted in a minor accident that could be considered a disaster or a blessing, depending on the person who was looking at it.
In her joy to be finally out in the open after days of incarceration, Lydia did not pay enough attention to a water-filled hole just beyond the gates of Longbourn. The inattention proved costly, as it not only resulted in the ruin of a favoured gown, but the ensuing fall caused an injury to her ankle. Mr Jones, the apothecary, came and examined the injury and soon declared it to be a simple sprain that would be easily mended in a few days, provided the patient rested it adequately. Lydia was understandably downcast for not being able to attend the ball she had been instrumental in conceiving. Even Kitty's kind offer to keep her company could not cheer her up.
Mr Bennet had decided to take his wife into his confidence, but he had been worrying about the exuberant and often improper behaviour his youngest two exhibited in company. He was worried because it was neither possible for him, or for that matter anyone else, to continually check Lydia and Kitty in a large gathering, nor was it practical to effect a behavioural change in a matter of days, even if he knew how to go about it. So, although he felt guilty to be feeling so, to him, Lydia's accident felt like divine intervention.
The next day, when all those who were going to the ball were getting ready, Mr Bennet knocked on the door of the room Lydia and Kitty shared.
He opened the door and peered inside only to find a disconsolate Lydia being cheered up by Kitty. It was clear that the girls had not heard his knock.
"See, Lyddie, I have brought the novel from Maria that you were so keen to read. Now you just lie down comfortably, and we shall have a lot of fun while I read it out to you."
As Mr Bennet heard Kitty trying to cajole Lydia out of her ill humour, he realised with not a little surprise that his second youngest was a very kind girl. Not only had she chosen to give up her own enjoyment for her sister's sake, but she was now trying to comfort Lydia when she could do with some cheering up herself.
"I do not know how I am going to enjoy anything when I am not able to attend the ball. It is so unfair! I convinced Mr Bingley to hold the ball, and now I cannot attend!"
Mr Bennet cleared his throat, and the two girls turned to look at him in surprise.
"Papa!" they chorused when they saw their father in the doorway.
"May I come in?"
"Of course, Papa," Kitty said, but her voice was uncertain.
"I thought you both could do with some rallying, but I see now that Kitty here has things well in hand," he said heartily. Perhaps a little too heartily.
The manner in which both his daughters goggled at him struck at his heart. He cleared his throat once again and held out the package he had brought for them.
"Ooh, what is this?" Kitty came hurrying forwards with a delighted smile, and he recollected that she had always been easily pleased, even as a small child.
"Well, just like you, Kitty, I thought you both could do with some entertaining while all of us are away."
By now, Kitty had opened the packet to see a novel by Mrs Radcliffe and some ribbons. "Lydia! You had resigned yourself to buying the pink ribbon next month, but look, you have it now. There is even some of my favourite blue here."
Mr Bennet was pleased to see that even Lydia had started looking more cheerful. "Show it to me!" She held out her hand.
"So, I shall see you girls later. I hope you are able to keep yourselves tolerably entertained and completely out of further mischief," Mr Bennet admonished and started on his way out.
He was pleased to hear giggles and a chorus of, "Yes, Papa."
"You can now decorate your bonnet to match your pink frock, Lydia."
"No, no, I shall use the ribbon to first repair the frock of my doll. Please, will you hand it to me?"
"Your doll? Really, Lyddie, you will be sixteen soon! Besides, that doll is more than six years old and is beginning to fray."
Mr Bennet looked back at his daughters as he was closing the door and saw the doll in Lydia's hands. Something pierced his heart as he recognised it. He had bought it for her ninth birthday — the last gift that he had personally given her.
He closed the door and walked away. He was finally beginning to understand why his mother had considered it important to send him a reminder of his failures.
~§§§~
If It So Happened
Copyright © 2023 by S. Neha
All rights reserved.