Missing from the Netherfield Ball
Servants are people too. They know that they are stuck at the bottom of society. They also know who is kind, who is indifferent, and who is cruel. Few in the higher levels of society truly understand how powerful even those stuck at the bottom can be. Take, for example, the day that Susan the maid overheard a plot... and the night that Elizabeth Bennet vanished from the Netherfield Ball
That morning...
It was extremely unusual, even unheard of, for Mrs. Bennet to be up and about at this time of the morning. And when Mrs. Bennet, the Mistress of Longbourn, was acting unusual it always meant two things: First, she was up to something. Second, it was best for the servants to learn what they could before the woman's schemes turned the world upside-down... again.
Susan knew that today would be an extremely long day. Tonight was the Netherfield Ball, perhaps a great boon for the ladies of the house, but not for the servants. Susan knew that Mrs. Bennet would be in a tizzy from the moment she woke until they departed. When that woman was in that state she was shrill, demanding, fussy, and prone to issuing contradictory orders ALL DAY LONG! She also had a tendency to deliver little slaps and pushes when she was in that high-strung state. Never to her favorite daughters, but definitely to her least favorites... and to the younger maids... like Susan. She was not abusive at other times, but acted this way when in agitation.
Susan had woken at her usual time in the fall, just before dawn. It was her duty to stoke the fires in the main rooms, just as it was Jenny's duty to do the same in the bedrooms. Mr. Hill did this for Mr. Bennet's room and the guest room where Mr. Collins was residing, of course. Mr. Thomas Bennet, the Master of Longbourn, was a decent man who would never importune a female servant, of course. The same could not necessarily be said of the reverend Mr. Collins. Susand had felt and seen the man's eyes following her as she worked, and on more than one occasion he had gotten uncomfortably close to her when he caught her alone. Thankfully on all such occasions she had been able to dart away or someone else had entered that room. Susan had already decided that she would seek other employment when Mr. Bennet passed away and that man became master.
Susan had just finished stoking the fire in Mr. Bennet's study when she heard the voices of Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Collins. "She's gone off on one of her rambles this morning again, Mr. Collins. I trust that once you have her under your authority you will put an end to such foolishness?"
"On that you may be certain, Mrs. Bennet. Lady Catherine always says..."
"Yes, yes, Mr. Collins. The lady is wise, but our time is limited and we must talk. It is a cold morning and even Lizzy might cut her ramble short on such a morning. Are you prepared to do your duty this evening?"
"Are you certain that she will not simply accept my proposal, Mrs. Bennet? After all, I am the chosen rector of Lady Catherine DeBurgh and the heir to this estate, am I not?"
"I am certain, Mr. Collins. She is a good girl if a trifle stuck in her ways. She has it in her head that Jane must marry first, as the eldest. Jane will certainly marry Mr. Bingley, but gentleman of his standing take their time on these matters, while your most honored patroness cannot spare you for such foolishness. Better to fix the matter immediately. If you propose and she accepts, then it may take months for the wedding and cost you your savings in traveling back and forth. If there is a compromise, then the wedding will need to take place immediately. You will have no delays and will be able to take Lizzy back home with you."
"I worry about how headstrong she is."
"You are a man, Mr. Collins. Sometimes it behooves a husband to discipline his wife into better behavior. I am certain that you will be able to do that. And you cannot deny that Lizzy has charms that any man might look forward to enjoying."
Susan, standing on the other side of the study door, felt sick. She knew that Fanny Bennet held no great love for her second daughter, but to speak so and to seek to engineer such a vile event! And Miss Lizzy was one of the very best and kindest of the residents of this house! I must warn her of this!
Resolved, Susan waited until the two schemers left the sitting room. Then she hurried to grab her winter wear and prepared to go out into the cold morning. First though, she went to Mrs. Hill. Even though Mrs. Hill was the loyal housekeeper, she had always also been the greatest protector for both the servants and the daughters of the house. "Mrs. Hill, I must hurry and intercept Miss Lizzy to pass on a warning! I promise to explain as soon as I return!"
Mrs. Hill was startled at this sudden situation, but she liked and trusted young Susan. In fact she had planned to eventually train the girl to take her place... of course that was until she learned of the unsavory behavior of Mr. Collins, the next master. So when Susan behaved like this, she chose to trust that there was a valid reason. She took over Susan's morning duties and waited for her return.
Susan successfully intercepted Miss Lizzy on her way back towards Longbourn. As her mother had predicted, this morning was cold enough to shorten even the dauntless Lizzy's outdoor adventure. When Lizzy first heard it all, she was furious. Then she was worried, "I appreciate the warning, Susan, but I am at a loss as to how to avoid this situation."
Instead of entering the house through the front as usual, Lizzie entered through the kitchen. This was the servant's world and seldom breached by anyone in the family, so it was a safe place for Susan, Mrs. Hill, Mr. Hill, Cook, and Elizabeth Bennet to talk.
Had Elizabeth had absolute confidence in her own father, matters that day might have been more easily resolved. But lately the man had disappointed his daughter on more than one occasion by either laughing at her concerns or ignoring them. This created doubts that finally led her to place her fate in the hands of her trusted and beloved second family: the servants of Longbourn.
It was not easy for the rest of the day for either Susan or Elizabeth to behave normally. It was actually made easier because of Fanny Bennet's unusually cheerful mood. It was clear to the two younger women that the mistress was happy and confident that all was set in motion and her scheme would work.
The only evidence that pointed towards any portion of the scheme came when the greasy and leering Mr. Collins informed Elizabeth that he wished to change his pre-scheduled set with her from the first to the supper set. Elizabeth, not wanting to create any suspicions in the minds of either conspirator, consented. After the man left the room she had to fight every instinct to not shudder violently or throw up.
Meanwhile the servants of two great houses began communicating.
~ooOoo~
That night Elizabeth wore the new green ball gown that she loved so much. Sadly it was difficult to appreciate the compliments from her her sisters. Her mother never even felt the need to remind her that she would never be as lovely as "My Jane." Elizabeth felt disgusted when her mother, with gleaming eyes, rendered one of her suspicious praises. Worst of all was the hungry, slimy look that Mr. Collins gave her. He made to offer his arm but Elizabeth had already rushed past him to climb into the carriage in between Mary and Kitty. She ignored the tight squeeze and the protesting as Lydia shoved for more space on Kitty's other side.
At Netherfield Lizzy was numb to Miss Caroline's sneer in the receiving line or Mrs. Hurst's stark appraisal of her dress. She did notice when Mrs. Nichols, the Netherfield housekeeper, caught her eye and gave her a short but informational nod to tell her that all was in place.
Elizabeth was still distracted as she stood beside Charlotte after her first set and Mr. Darcy approached. She was startled out of her inner thoughts when the man solicited the second set from her, yet she had returned to her inner thoughts once they began dancing. That night she never thought to wonder where Lieutenant Wickham might be and never considered grilling Mr. Darcy about the man. Her thoughts were most definitely elsewhere... and on the impending alteration in her entire world.
"Miss Elizabeth?" Darcy's deep, rich voice finally broke through. Elizabeth looked up into shockingly concerned eyes, "Pardon me, Mr. Darcy. I seem to be in a brown study."
He surprised her again by asking sincerely, "Is there anything that I can do for you? You have merely to ask." When Elizabeth met his eyes during their dance, she could see that he truly meant what he was saying.
"It is... I thank you, Mr. Darcy, but there is nothing that you can do at this time. All is as it must be. I understand that your time in Meryton is growing short. I hope that all will be well in your future."
Darcy wanted to ask more, to say more, but the music ended and his dance partner seemed intent on leaving the floor. He surprised her one more time by offering his arm to escort her to the side, only this time she moved closer to the dining area instead of rejoining her dearest friend.
~ooOoo~
Several notable actions were taken over the next few minutes. Both Mrs. Bennet and William Collins were personally delivered replacement drinks. In each case the servant responsible was careful that nobody else took the drink off of the tray...
...And while this was happening a young woman in a green dress slipped out of Netherfield Park through the kitchen, only to climb into a waiting carriage.
Within the first ten minutes of the next dance, both Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Collins were fast asleep in their chairs. This caused some amusement, but no concern or alarm. Lydia, who had taken a great dislike to Mr. Collins and his wandering hands, thought it would be amusing to enlist the officers in a good joke. For the next few hours they "accidentally" managed to spill small amounts of food and drink on the sleeping reverend.
Jane was too distracted by her Mr. Bingley to notice that Elizabeth had gone missing. Mr. Bennet had gone to the card room and gotten himself involved in a game of chess. Mary, who had secreted a book on her person despite her mother's admonitions, had long before found a quiet corner to hide in. And both Lydia and Kitty were too busy dancing with officers and allowing certain ones to sneak a kiss... or more in Lydia's case, to pay any attention to one of their older and boring sisters.
Only Fitzwilliam Darcy noticed Elizabeth's absence and began to grow alarmed. When he walked the entire room twice and failed to find her, he walked the halls and even braved the cold outdoors. Finally he approached the two people who were most "in the know" about their guests: Mr. and Mrs. Nichols. Their reply was unexpected, "Please do not concern yourself, Mr. Darcy. Only know that Miss Elizabeth had to escape a very bad situation and that she will be safe and well-cared for."
No amount of pushing for information would reveal more. In fact he was requested, with genuine concern, to not speak on the matter or reveal anything for the young woman's sake.
It was nigh onto one in the morning when the ball began breaking up and Mr. Bennet left the card room to discover, to his amusement, that his wife and distant cousin were both snoozing loudly. William Collins looked as if he had taken a bath in alcohol and crawled right through the food on the dining room table. From the glints in his youngest daughters' eyes he suspected that he knew the source of the fool's current state, but since he found his own amusement in the scene he chose not to scold them.
He did, however, call for all of his daughter's assistance in rousing their mother. He and several footmen worked to wake the very messy Mr. Collins. Since neither seemed to wake, they had to be manhandled into the carriage. The struggle to accomplish this was enough that it was a full ten minutes before he realized that he was still missing a daughter.
The carriage was immediately sent home with the two sleepers and his two youngest. Thomas Bennet, Jane, and Mary remained behind to search the house top to bottom for the missing Elizabeth. Caroline had already abandoned the assembly to sleep, as had the Hursts, but Charles Bingley and Darcy both joined in the search... of course since he abhorred deception he mostly absented himself to "search" in the servant's areas. There he asked the housekeeper, "Mrs. Nichols, do you intend to keep that poor family searching until morning?"
"No, Mr. Darcy. In fact Mr. Bennet should be finding a letter in his overcoat as soon as he dons it. Failing that, Miss Bennet will find one in her reticule."
With this knowledge, Darcy suggested a search outside for the men. As predicted, as soon as Mr. Bennet began to slip on his overcoat he heard the crinkle of paper and felt something in his inside pocket. The man quickly pulled out the note and began to read. First his face turned white, then red. Finally he sent for Jane and Mary and excused his little family. "Everything is explained and my daughter is safe. Thank you all and please forgive me for extending this already very long night."
Morning came. Mr. Darcy had not slept at all, so when the redoubtable Mrs. Nichols made her appearance, he had a sealed letter waiting for her. "Mrs. Nichols, I am still at a loss about what happened last night or what made it necessary. All that I do know is that you and your husband are honorable and that Miss Elizabeth Bennet would not do something like this without a reason. Now I must ask you to break propriety for her sake and have this letter delivered to her. It is not inappropriate in itself... I only wish her to know that if circumstances require her to seek another hiding place, she only needs to contact me."
Mrs. Nichols took the letter and looked into the tall man's eyes. Unlike the others in this great house, Fitzwilliam Darcy had earned the lasting respect of all of the servants through his daily behavior and his treatment of them. Because of this, she took a chance, "Mr. Darcy, are you aware that Miss Elizabeth took a great dislike for you... or that it was due to your own words and actions?"
This shocked the man and he all but demanded, "Why do you say that?!"
Mrs. Nichols explained about the overheard insult and the fact that his own hot and cold responses to the young lady had painted him in a very poor light. There was also the rumors of the stolen living that Lieutenant Wickham was spreading far and wide. Darcy's clear chagrin at the first, then his clear explanation about Wickham's true character at the last, helped the housekeeper to understand. "I have wondered, since you've never treated any of us servants with anything but the greatest respect. If I should see Miss Elizabeth again, I shall plead your case. I shall also speak the truth about Mr. Wickham in the right ears."
Darcy, mortified, thanked the housekeeper and then prepared to depart for London. He left the letter behind in Mrs. Nichol's hands.
When Thomas Bennet arrived home, he kissed the foreheads of Jane and Mary, then went to his study to think and rage silently. When the two drugged individuals, his wife and cousin, finally woke he had already set certain things in motion. Mr. Collins was dragged, protesting and cursing, outside with his luggage where he was swiftly bundled into a hired carriage and sent back to Hunsford. Thomas made it clear that if the man stepped foot on Longbourn property or approached any of his daughters again before Thomas' own death, then he would be called out.
Thomas endured his wife's protestations and wailing only until Mr. Collins had departed, then he turned his full wrath onto her. She attempted to deny any part in the compromise scheme at first, but soon her usual foolish dislike of her second daughter came out. She screamed and ranted that Mr. Collins was the best that Lizzie deserved and that it was her duty to marry the man to secure the family's future.
An hour after she woke, Fanny Bennet also found herself bundled into a carriage, this one the family carriage, to be carried to her sister's home in Meryton. Of course when Mr. and Mrs. Phillips read the accompanying note, they were not as prepared to welcome and condole with Fanny Bennet as she expected. Frank Phillips rode to Longbourn to learn the full story, then insisted that other arrangements be made. Of all of the Bennet daughters, Elizabeth was also one of his favorites and he could not fathom a mother taking such actions.
Five days after her ejection from Longbourn, the former Mistress of Longbourn found herself installed in a crofter's cottage in West Suffolk with a meager allowance and no-nonsense matron who seemed more like a jailer. Not one of her girls, even Lydia, ever visited the Fanny Bennet.
~ooOoo~
On the night of her escape, Elizabeth Bennet found that the carriage set aside to carry her away had warm blankets and hot bricks waiting for her. She traveled in the dark night for sixteen miles, to a currently empty estate on the outskirts of St. Albans where a sister of Mrs. Nichols was housekeeper. There she resided quietly for three days, until another carriage sent by her Uncle Gardiner arrived from London. When she boarded it, it did not turn south towards London, but instead north towards Lambton.
Eventually she learned of all that had taken place back at home. While it gratified her to learn that her father had finally taken steps to deal with this problem, she also felt that earlier action on his part could have prevented all of this. Her mother had mistreated her for her entire life, so this sudden remedy now felt both too little and too late. Were it not for Sarah and a group of dear servants she would not be in a life of misery.
On her journey northwards Elizabeth had provided herself with several of her favorite books, but it was a certain letter from an unexpected source that received her attention over and over. Mrs. Nichols had sent it to her sister in St. Albans and that lady had immediately placed it into Elizabeth's hands.
In the letter Mr. Darcy had expressed deep and genuine concern for her, wished her well, and had offered, almost begged to be allowed to assist her in any way that he could. An accompanying short missive from Mrs. Nichols informed her that the man was mortified and repentant for having insulted her. It also laid out the facts about Mr. Wickham as Mr. Darcy had explained them. By the end of that chilly three day journey Elizabeth was inclined to believe Mr. Darcy's version of events... and to wish that she could have known the man better without the taint of that first insulting meeting.
Mrs. Nichols spoke with Mrs. Hill over tea one day concerning the matter of Miss Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Though neither woman knew anyone who worked at Pemberley, Mrs. Hill was well acquainted with the servants of Mrs. Madeline Gardiner. Mrs. Gardiner's parents now hosted Miss Elizabeth and who came from Derbyshire. Persistence and determination resulted in the establishment of communication between Mrs. Reynolds, the Pemberley housekeeper, and the other two housekeepers. While the woman was unwilling to engage in direct match-making, she did make mention in her next letter to the master that a fine young lady by the name of Elizabeth Bennet had taken up residence with the Reverend Cumberland and his wife in Lambton.
Less than a fortnight later Mr. Darcy and his sister Miss Darcy arrived in Pemberley. Not two hours after their arrival the siblings were off again, this time to pay a visit to the parsonage at Lambton, where Mr. Darcy introduced his sister to Elizabeth Bennet. Georgiana Darcy, perhaps knowing her brother's interest in the lively and very pretty young woman, took an instant liking to her and immediately invited the parsonage couple and their guest to dine.
That winter was one of the coldest in memory up until that point, therefore little news traveled in or out of the area. When spring came it was also the spring in two hearts. Only the worst of weather prevented the frequent journeys between Pemberley and the parsonage, so that when April came Elizabeth Bennet, now twenty-one, was overjoyed to accept the hand of Fitzwilliam Darcy and to pledge to him the entirety of her remaining years.
Notice was sent to Thomas Bennet and Elizabeth's sisters at Longbourn. It was the first time that any of them had been told where there sister had fled to, though she had sent several letters assuring them that all was well. She was taking no further chances before she reached legal adulthood. Naturally the family, less her mother, were invited to attend the wedding in Derbyshire.
Although they were not able to attend the wedding, personal letters were sent to each and every servant who stepped in to protect and aide Elizabeth, along with thick packets to provide a more pecuniary reward. In the letters they were also told that if they ever found themselves without employment, they had only to notify Mrs. Darcy and she would ensure that they were taken care of. Susan was invited to take up that offer immediately and she soon found herself training as a ladie's maid under Mrs. Reynold's stern but gentle guidance.
As to the others who played a part in this tale: Mr. Collins, after being ejected from Longbourn, made the journey towards Hunsford. He caught a bad cold on the journey since nobody was inclined to provide him with hot bricks or warm blankets. He had to break his journey at a small inn south of London, where, after his fever finally abated, he tried to impose himself on a young and very buxom maid at the inn. That maid turned out to be the innkeeper's daughter and the intended bride of the constable. Since the magistrate counted the constable and the innkeeper as friends, it was an easy matter to see Mr. Collins brought up on multiple charges and transported. From there he is lost to history. Not even the redoubtable Lady Catherine could get him back.
Mrs. Fanny Bennet found herself completely abandoned by everyone she might have called upon for aid. Even her own sister and brother refused to visit her, read her letters, or send her money. One day while the servant who was more like her jailer was out shopping, she packed one valise and fled from the cottage. She was seen boarding the post for London, but she only had sufficient coin to carry her to the outskirts, an area not usually visited by the gentry. It is unknown what became of her after that, since no word was hears nor visit was made. Eventually the family just stopped waiting for her to show up.
Armed with the information and warnings that Mr. Darcy had provided, Mrs. Nichols engaged the servants' network in Meryton. Within days the easy welcome and easy pickings that Mr. Wickham had came to expect dried up. Instead he found himself facing demands for accounts payable and the unfriendly looks from the young women that he had hoped to seduce. He had already begun to plan to leave the area when debt collectors from London arrived at the camp. In a trice he was finally incarcerated. It is recorded that he entered debtor's prison in December, but no further records on the man exist.
Finally, on a happier note, matters improved at Longbourn with the expulsion of Mrs. Bennet. Thomas, deeply convicted for his inaction and for allowing his wife to behave in such a matter, applied himself to be a better father for his remaining daughters. It was impossible to rectify more than a decade of neglect completely, but he did try to do better by his remaining four girls. With Mrs. Bennet absent, it fell to Mrs. Hill to take on many of the motherly duties. Even Lydia, shocked to learn of her mother's plan for Elizabeth, tried to become a better person and less like her mother.
Mr. Bingley had delayed his departure after the sudden disappearance of Miss Elizabeth. He was distressed enough about the previous night that he rode to visit Jane prior to leaving for London. Because of this he was at Longbourn when his sister's deceptive and insulting letter arrived for Jane. When he saw it and witnessed Jane's reaction, two things happened: He disowned his sister and her formalized his interest in Jane. By the time that Elizabeth's wedding invitation arrived Jane was already Mrs. Bingley.
In the years that followed Elizabeth reconciled with her father. Whenever the Darcy's journeyed from Pemberley to London or vice-versa, they always made a stop at Longbourn. And whenever that happened, Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam also took the time to visit with the servants of Longbourn and Netherfield. Eventually that became unnecessary due to the fact that the elder servants retired... and due to the fact that most of the others now worked on one of the Darcy properties.
The Darcy children were raised to show much more respect and kindness to the servants. And, though it was not their intent, the Darcys were always rewarded for that with loyalty and aide in time of need.
AN: As always, thanks for your reviews. I wanted to make short replies to several.
To CFW: I am working on your request, though I am not certain where to take the story yet.
To GaijinVamp: I am sorry for what you have gone through and am pleased if my stories inspire you. My mother also suffered multiple strokes. Though she had a good life afterwards the aftereffects always frustrated her. Take care and my thoughts are with you.
To the many who commented on "The Dark One" and the Huguenots, I may have left some confusion. That group fled more than a century before, established homes and even a few settlements, and blended in. Then, when another group of people fled, aristocrats and the like, some who still had relatives among the first group welcomed them.
To the other Guest who seemed offended that I gave my main character a tan: My inspiration for the story was actually "The Secret of Roan Inish," a favorite movie among my family. Please note that the entire focus of these stories is to present a different story than in canon. Jane Austen already wrote her original stories and I cannot write them better.
My original stated purpose was to clear out my archives and finish those pesky unfinished stories. Unfortunately I keep getting new ideas (many of which are also left unfinished). It is a wonder I ever finished anything in my life the way that my mind keeps veering off on tangents... … … Oh, sorry, had an idea and just had to jot it down. Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing.
