Update 26
"What happened after I went to bed?" Charlotte asked as she came into Elizabeth's room the following morning.
Elizabeth rolled over in bed. Her head hurt, but she knew it could have been worse.
Charlotte continued, "Maria is stuck in bed insisting that her head will split in half. How could you let her drink so much? She has never been drunk before."
Elizabeth sat up. "She shall recover, and perhaps she will not consume too much tonight as a result. Better to learn such a lesson with friends instead of a crowded ballroom with some of the best of society." Elizabeth pulled on her robe and moved to the window. "I had not realized how much we drank."
"Yet, you are well." Charlotte eyed her friend suspiciously.
"I have learned to drink water upon returning to my room, and I stopped drinking after reaching my limit. I have been in society long enough to know how to avoid such maladies."
"Was your game productive with the gentlemen?"
"We were up late, which was the colonel's objective, so I suppose we were productive."
"And what about the kiss?" Charlotte grinned.
Elizabeth blushed, "It was a prank, nothing more."
"You kissed Mr. Darcy." Charlotte stated calmly.
"And the colonel, as did Maria. What did she tell you?" Elizabeth blushed even more, though she tried to appear perfectly calm.
"Only that you were fine until you kissed Mr. Darcy, then you pulled her arm and fled the room as though you had been burned." Charlotte paused to observe her friend who was hiding by looking out the window. After a long pause, she asked, "You have begun to like him, have you not?"
"Yes, I suppose I have, though I have seen nothing of his regard for me beyond friendship. I must guard my heart should we part."
"This is serious, Eliza. Mr. Darcy does like you, but he might not do more if you do not help him on. He is too proud to show his feelings to a woman who does not reciprocate his affection."
"You expect me to flirt with him!" Elizabeth turned in astonishment.
"Yes, I do. Now, Lady Catherine has declared our isolations over and has ordered a full breakfast. Allow me to do your hair while we wait for your maid to appear."
Elizabeth shrugged as she allowed Charlotte to change the subject. Sitting in front of the mirror, Elizabeth pondered over the events that had passed. She could not be blind to the attentions Mr. Darcy had shown her, but neither could she be blind to the differences in their stations. While they were equals in that she was a gentleman's daughter and he a gentleman, his wealth and prominence made him far superior. She could not allow her heart to grow too attached to him should he up and disappear without a trace.
"You will be beautiful at the ball tonight, Eliza. Your dress arrived yesterday, and I took the liberty of adding a few small ribbons to enhance your figure."
"Charlotte! You are as bad as Mama!" Elizabeth declared, laughing.
"Not quite so bad. I did not lower your decolletage as your mother might have done." They both laughed. "There, you are very pretty, and I dare say Mr. Darcy will find you more than tolerable. He might even forget to eat his eggs. I would wager on it if I had the inclination to do so."
Elizabeth thanked her friend, but she could not help but worry that Mr. Darcy would not agree. She wanted him to think well of her and worried she would not succeed.
Charlotte dragged Elizabeth from her thoughts and from the chair. "It is time to go down, and I shall not allow you to overthink matters. You do best when you think on the spot. Your answers have given me hope, and I shall do nothing to jeopardize that."
They met Maria in the hall, skulking in a corner with a hand over her eyes. Elizabeth pulled her into their walking group and exclaimed, "Miss Maria, you must drink coffee at breakfast. You dislike the taste, but your head will feel better. Next time, drink less frequently and always with a glass of water in between glasses of punch."
Maria could barely concentrate on the steps, much less take the time to thank her friend. In the breakfast parlor, Maria followed Elizabeth's advice, and within half an hour, felt much more herself.
Lady Catherine was in fine form, having had days to think of all the ways she would give advice to Miss Bennet and Miss Lucas. Elizabeth barely listened except to respond, while Maria gave all the attention she could from her headache. She was desperate to make a good impression at her first society ball.
The gentlemen entered as Lady Catherine was describing which dances were the most accepted, knowing that Lady Metcalf would only play the best dances. "Shall we practice dancing today ladies?" The colonel beamed delightedly as he filled his plate with his favorite foods.
"And ensure you all are too tired to dance this evening? I think not, Fitzwilliam. You shall walk the gallery for your exercise if you must, but there shall be no dancing until you are at the ball. You cannot be so in need of practice that this is any hardship. My Anne would dance beautifully if her health would allow her to dance at the ball."
Anne coughed beside her mother in acknowledgement of her ailment. Then she winked at Elizabeth. They had already discussed dancing, and Elizabeth knew Anne expected to be able to participate in at least two dances, provided she could rest between sets and the sets were not very lively. Elizabeth nodded slightly as she tucked into her eggs before moving to sip her hot chocolate. The luxuries of Rosings must be savored. She held the cup under her nose for a moment as Mr. Darcy took the seat opposite her and began a conversation with Anne.
Lady Catherine paused her monologue long enough to enjoy watching her daughter speak with Mr. Darcy. A conversation about the weather seemed to be akin to a marriage proposal. Elizabeth turned to the colonel who sat beside her instead of rolling her eyes at the absurdity of Lady Catherine.
The colonel leaned forward to speak quietly with Elizabeth. "Well, we did an excellent job of staying up late. A rest this afternoon, and I foresee us keeping awake until dawn tonight." He took a few bites while Elizabeth continued to enjoy her chocolate. "Did you sleep well?"
"Certainly. I thought to take a long walk after we finish eating, but Lady Catherine has declared the gallery to be sufficient. What do you think?"
"Anne will remain in her room for the day to rest, but I shall go for a ride. Perhaps Mr. Darcy could show you the rose garden. Nothing is in bloom, but the leaves are pretty, and it is close enough to the house to afford you privacy while keeping with propriety. And as it is behind the house, it is very unlikely that Lady Catherine will see you and berate you for not following her orders."
Elizabeth nodded. "The rose garden it is then." She turned to Mr. Darcy to find him watching her with a small smile on his lips. She nodded slightly before she looked down at her chocolate again. Proud she managed without blushing, she set her cup down and returned her attention to her plate.
The colonel finished eating quickly so that he could be the first to leave on an important business matter. Elizabeth watched as he practically danced in his excitement to be able to leave his aunt's company earlier than the others. Laughing quietly, she looked to Mr. Darcy to find he was still watching her. This time, she did blush, but she did not allow it to overcome her. "Lady Catherine, I have heard much of your famous rose bushes. Though they are not in bloom, I would imagine they are still a sight to behold."
"They certainly are. You are to remain here for another month, are you not?"
Elizabeth replied that her plans to leave had not changed yet. "My father wrote to not delay my return. We were set to leave on Saturday, but we have extended for a fortnight."
"You should remain until the roses bloom. I expected you to stay two months, and this will cut your visit short. I am displeased you will not see my roses."
Elizabeth was glad the colonel was not here to encourage his aunt in this endeavor. "My father requests my presence in a fortnight. We shall leave then."
"Oh, your father cannot be so particular. He has his other daughters to show him deference. Fathers can never tell which of their daughters they are speaking to. Mothers spend more time with their daughters, if they know what is good for them. I spend hours with Anne when her health is good."
Anne choked on her toast at this pronouncement, but she caught herself before it turned into a larger coughing fit. She did not want her attendance at the ball curtailed. "I believe it is time for me to go rest. Darcy, you simply must show Lizzy the rose garden. She would be so pleased." Rising from her seat, she departed with almost as much excitement as the colonel.
Mr. Collins entered as Anne left, singing the praises of Lady Catherine and apologizing for being late for breakfast in the same breath.
Elizabeth fully tucked into her plate and finished in nearly record time. Gulping the last of her chocolate, she claimed she was ready for her walk in the rose garden.
"For the best view, you must exit from the South door in the gallery. There is just enough of a rise to see it in its entirety."
Mr. Darcy had not finished, but he knew better than to continue with Mr. Collins and Lady Catherine together, so he decided to let his food go. "I am ready to escort you, as a favor to my cousin." He gallantly offered her his arm and escorted her from the room.
