Title: Time For A Proposal
Rating: PG/K+
Originally posted: 3rd July 2018
Originally written for: Nabielka
Characters/Pairings: Jane/Bingley
Notes: for Drabble Exchange 2020 at Dreamwidth and AO3.
When she was told by her sister, Elizabeth, not to give credence to the news that Mr Bingley was going to London, Jane was unsure how she could be so certain of his staying.
After all, Caroline Bingley had written herself to inform them of the news. All hope of a proposal was undoubtedly lost now... or so Jane had thought.
Within an hour of that letter's arrival, Hill had come rushing into the drawing room with the happy news that Mr Bingley had in fact come calling.
Naturally, Mrs Bennet soon ensured that her eldest and Jane's handsome suitor were 'accidentally' left alone before too long.
"I am a little confused, Mr Bingley. Were you not bound for London, this very day?" Jane asked in earnest.
"Er, yes, I was... that is to say... Well, I am sure I hardly know how to explain it," he told her, such an expression on his face as to confound Jane, as surely as he was confounded himself. "Shall we say only that... something compelled me, most strongly, to stay at Netherfield, and I dare say, you can quite imagine how I now wish to proceed."
He smiled most amiably and Jane felt a blush rising in her cheeks, anticipating her happiness that was sure to follow.
She had no notion that above stairs Elizabeth was smiling widely, sure now that her plan had succeeded. To think she had once thought the strange book she had found in the attic, marked simply 'Spells', was nothing but a good joke, and that her best attempt at manipulating time would never really achieve its goal at all.
"You see, Lizzie," said her mother then. "All we had to do was sit back and let nature take its course."
"Yes, mama." She smiled secretively. "Naturally."