Jane kept her eyes closed as she listened to the wind and the waves. The sunlight was warm on her face and the wind played in her hair.
Charles had found them a secluded villa in a secluded part of Greece. Charles had many friends in many places, and from many places. Occasionally, Jane wondered if he knew pirates. If any one could befriend them it would be Charles Bingley.
The thought made her smile in amusement. Charles had been unendingly chivalrous and incredibly shocking at the same time. When they had arrived, she was mildly surprised to find no servants. But, unbeknownst to Mrs. Bennet, Mrs. Hill had taught Jane to cook well enough. Charles surprised her with his own abilities. One would cook and the other would do the dishes. They took turns sweeping the sand and salt from the villa. It was wildly unconventional, but she loved the feeling of being useful.
The villa was also exceptionally far removed from everything. Once a week a boy came with more supplies, but other than this, they were alone. She could walk naked from the villa to the sea with no one being the wiser. And they did, daily, to swim in the waves. Jane was a wreck of nerves at first, but after a few days and nights with only Charles she forgot how to be nervous.
And so they lived for above two months, slow and simple, but with a self sustained happiness by the sea. It was not to say it was all pleasant. They had their disagreements, but they did not last long as neither of them were confrontational and both forgave quickly.
A shadow fell on Jane and she gave a smile, not opening her eyes. She knew it was Charles who sat down on the beach next to her, bringing the sun back to her face.
"How are you, my love?" he said, with a smile in his voice.
"I wish we would never leave," she said, tilting her head and opening her eyes. The world was gray for a few minutes before her eyes adjusted. She cherished the view of him even while gray. He chuckled as he built a mound in the sand.
"I feel the same sometimes, but I must return. I've procrastinated too long."
"When did you agree to be back?"
"Two weeks ago," he commented, looking out over the sea.
"Charles!" Jane gasped.
"It's fine. I think they do better work without me there to distract them. And, I'm now a gentleman of leisure, which means the business should self sustain. Also, I couldn't bare to leave so soon," he said ending on a tender tone.
OOXXOOXoXX
"Jane!" Charles burst, spoking her, "he's bungled it! The fool!"
They were encased in a carriage traveling to Netherfield. Charles had spent three days at his warehouses in a manic energy. Jane was initially frightened when he came home late. But both the housekeeper and the butler assured her of Charles' whereabouts. At his warehouse doing a week's worth of work in one night, which was a practice of his. This matched what Jane had seen in Greece. She loved Charles, but the man never did anything in half measures. He either procrastinated tasks, or started them all at once.
"Bungled what? Who?" Jane asked in concern.
"Darcy! I think he attempted a proposal, but judging from his depressive tone he's made a mess of it." Jane was suspicious of Lizzy's short, even letter as well. No making jokes of their mother, funny anecdotes or amusing predictions. Very unlike Lizzy.
"It's a good thing we're almost to Netherfeild then. You can write to Mr. Darcy and I can call on Lizzy," Jane said thoughtfully.
"Oh, no! Can it not wait until tomorrow?" Charles beseeched. Jane was inclined to agree with him. However, the rest of the Bennet clan did not agree with him.
They had no sooner unloaded the carriage when the Bennets carriage pulled in and the whole family piled out.
"Mrs. Bingley!" the matron nearly scolded in lieu of a greeting, "what have you done to your complexion?" Jane looked down at her hands to see that they had indeed darkened.
"Why don't we all go into the parlor to visit," Jane answered, her serene smile pasted on her face. Charles pursed his lip, but allowed the company in.
"I should think your nerves couldn't be bothered with her complexion my dear. She has achieved the goal of matrimony after all," Mr. Bennet said sardonically, winking at Lizzy, who gave a mild smile in return.
"Lord Jane, do you not have a sun line?" Lydia asked as Jane settled into a seat. Jane blushed violently at Lydia peering down her dress, and Charles blushed violently from his knowledge that no, Jane had no sunlines.
"All the years! Wasted!" Mrs. Bennet wailed as Mr. Bennet merely laughed at the scene. Lizzy only stared at the rug. Kitty sniggered with Lydia and Mary began a tirade about modesty in all things. Charles grabbed onto her hand, and gave it a squeeze. She longed to be in Greece, or even in London.
"How did you come to know the time we'd arrive?" Jane asked a general question to the room, trying to deflect the attention away.
"Mrs. Bennet has more spies in Meryton than we have in France," Mr. Bennet said sardonically.
"I was visiting Mrs. Philips, I've already planned all our visits to re-acquaint you with the neighborhood, and she told me that Mrs. Smith told her that Mrs.-" her mother said, heedless of her husband. Jane could barely understand the meaning of the speech for all the words and tangents. So she smiled, nodded and agreed in what seemed like the correct places. "You can't even give your parents the respect of listening to them. You are ungrateful," Jane shuddered.
"Fascinating," Charles said at the end of her mothers explanation, "truly, your connections knows no bounds Mrs. Bennet. But, I believe, Jane and I need to walk in the garden, to stretch out from being trapped in the carriage."
"Oh! Jane doesn't need any more sun! She will need to stay inside until–"
"That's fine," Charles said, nodding, and pulling Jane up along with him. "I'll take good care of Jane. I rather like how she is now. Lizzy, care to join us?"
"But you don't know! She needs–!" Mrs. Bennet declared.
"I think she needs a walk in the garden. It's too nice an afternoon to waste inside," he said, pulling Jane from the room. Lizzy hopped up and followed.
"Well, what do you think of your dear Mr. Bingley now?" Mr Bennet laughed as the door closed behind them.
"I'm terribly sorry Jane, but they didn't even give us the chance to change and wash the dust off. I understand respect, but I've always felt you have to give to get," he said apologetically. Jane nodded and Lizzy snorted.
"I wonder at your friendship with Mr. Darcy then, if those are your thoughts."
"He's always tried his best, but none of us are perfect. And before we left, I had thought you were friends with him too," Charles said. Lizzy blushed and started to speak, though halted and subdued.
"Charles, would you mind if Lizzy and I walked alone?" Jane asked.
"Course not dearest," he said, quickly kissing her forehead, "I have to see to a letter I shouldn't put off until tomorrow." They shared a smile before he ambled off. Lzzy burst when he was out of ear shot.
"Oh Jane! He left us!" Lizzy nearly cried.
"Left us?" Jane asked bewildered.
Lizzy told her about Rosing. Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam had been there, as they knew. But the subject of Mr. Wickham had been brought up. Mr. Darcy was finally honest about the man and his history. Jane felt sick listening to the trail of carnage Wickham had left. Her heart ached to the point of nausea for all the nameless, faceless, but nonetheless devastated women
"He left us! Mr. Darcy left us alone with Mr. Wickham fully knowing what kind of creature he was!" Lizzy gasped, with betrayal of being a lamb abandoned by her shepard dog in the hands of a wolf.
Jane was also disappointed with Mr. Darcy. She knew Mr. Wickham didn't seem trustworthy, but this went beyond what she would even consider.
"Is Wickham still in the neighborhood?" Jane said hastily.
"No, he left with the militia for brighton. He put the cobbler out of business, nearly the barber and the tavern man. And the rumors mention he might have left two children behind as well." Jane fell to sit on the grass. To see her town in such a state on the actions of a single man. How could Mr. Darcy not have warned anyone?
Lizzy must've understood Jane's need for silence as she sat down next to her. The two of them stared across the lawn, over the fence and into the woods. Jane started to turn this information over and about in her mind.
She felt terrible for the cobbler. But was Mr. Darcy the reason the cobbler extended too much credit? If it hadn't been Wickham, it might have been someone else. And the tavern man and the barber were upsetting. But again, could their choices be laid at Mr. Darcy's feet?
Jane hated herself in some sense for thinking this, but the two ladies who were in such a predicament, that seemed to be a problem between them and Wickham. For as terrible as he seemed, violence and force were never used to describe him. Not by Mr. Darcy at least. It's possible Wickham took that which wasn't offered. It was also possible they did offer, like the line of credit at the cobblers, and Wickham didn't hold up his side of the deal. Could Mr. Darcy be culpable in a deal between a rejected friend and a stranger?
Not really, Jane thought. Every persons action was their own, and they ought not to have been so trusting.
But, Mr. Darcy should have warned them. Perhaps this was a lesson that could have been taught through words, not learned in such a heinous manner. A life altering manner. It was horrible to think of the poor girls!
Jane laid her head in her hands and started to cry a bit. Lizzy handed her a handkerchief and drew her close. Jane hated that she felt so deeply that she would cry for strangers. "If you were stronger, better, you wouldn't be such a cry baby."
OOXXOOXoXX
Jane and Lizzy re entered the parlor about ten minutes later to find Charles attempting the entertain everyone, dust still on his clothes. The dear man. Mr. Bennet laughed at Charles, Mrs. Bennet swung back and forth between adoring him and disapproving of him. Mary tried to upstage Charles with her learnings and Lyida definitely upstaged him with her enthusiasm and sidekick Kitty.
"Yes, we loved Greece, the sea was very pretty," Charles said with a genuine smile.
"I might have guessed you would have no interest in the structures in Athenas," Mr. Bennet muttered with a smile.
"It's so good of you to take her! You should've heard me tell Lady Lucas of it. But now Jane is ruined!" Mrs. Bennet complained.
"I think you were gone too long. To abandon industry and religion for such travel seems in contrast to the Bible," Mary declared.
"I would like to go to the sea. I wish Mrs. Foster could have taken me with her. I was such a favorite of hers," Lydia declared harder. Kitty declared hardest that she would go too.
Jane and Lizzy shared a sideways glance and both sighed. They sat down, Lizzy next to Mr. Bennet and Jane next to Charles, who looked absolutely relieved to see her. The conversation continued in the same uncontrolled manner.
As the family had finally stood up to leave, something very normal happened. Lydia looked carefully at Kittys bonnet, decided she liked it better and put it on. She gave hers to Kitty who complained.
"Lydia, think about how Kitty feels," Jane chided softly, trying not to draw attention to the rebuke.
"I did! That's why I left her my bonnet, it would suit her better anyways. She has such dreary dull hair, don't you think?" Lydia said with a giggle and a malicious gleam. Kitty looked close to tears. Jane knew it was due more to the comment than the action. Jane wanted to shake Lydia, but she took a deep breath instead.
"No, Lydia, that's how you feel: that Kitty would thank you for switching bonnets. You're not Kitty, and she's not you. So, sit down and think about how Kitty feels," Jane told her.
"Well, I'm closer to Kitty!" Lydia whined loudly, "I know her better than you could. You're just jealous because you have the same dull hair that Kitty has!" Mrs Bennet heard the commotion and bustled over.
"Mama!" Lydia spurted tears from thin air, a trick she typically employed, "Jane told me that I was wrong for loaning my bonnet to Kitty!"
"Oh Jane! You're being too harsh on the poor child! She was only trying to help," Mrs. Bennet tried to consol, gathering Lydia into her arms. Jane refrained from rolling her eyes, and could only tightly smile, knowing Lydia had won. Lydia knew she had won as well, leaving Kitty trying not to cry with Lydia's bonnet. An often occurring scene with the Bennets.
When they finally left Jane felt as though she sagged with her deep, aggressive sigh. Charles had a much quieter one, but laughed loudly upon hearing hers.
"I didn't think your mother would so heartily disapprove of your color!" he laughed. Jane had to smile with him, though she was not as surprised as he.
"No, but if you're not attached to Netherfeild, I think it would be nice to try a different home once your lease here is terminated," she said with a smile. This made him burst a new laugh.
"Now that you mention it, I've had a letter from Darcy suggesting a few places up near him. If the distance from your beloved family wouldn't be too terrible!"
"A little goes a long way I believe," she said.
"True, and with what little respect you get now, it doesn't make me fret about your attachment. I'm only glad you suggested it before I did! Perhaps though, we can invite Lizzy and Kitty," he said thoughtfully, his eyes moving rapidly in new thought. "And it always helps that they only need a monetary type of support, with your mothers network of connections here, should anything untoward happen with your father, your mother would have everyone wrapped around her hand for the mourning period." Jane laughed softly.
"True, it would be more of a loss to lose that level of attention. And Papa would hardly notice if Mama left for a week, so there can be no concern there," she said.
"Then it's decided, we'll live happily ever after somewhere near Derbyshire. We'll get Lizzy and Darcy back on track and I still think Kitty needs to not be afraid of her bonnets being stolen."
Jane could only laugh as they moved above stairs.