"Lydia! Do you have my rose water?" Kitty hollered at her sister. They were refreshing before dinner, and both girls looked forward to sitting next to Mr Wickham.
"No, I have not seen it," Lydia replied, busy adjusting the bodice of her dress to allow for a more generous display of her ample decolletage.
"Well, I cannot find the bottle. Who else could be using it?" Kitty frowned.
"Are you accusing me of taking what is not mine?" Lydia's voice rose.
"It would not be the first time, you know," Kitty glared back.
"What do you mean? I am going to tell mama—"
"Lydia, Kitty, make haste! We do not want to be late for dinner. This is no time for your petty arguments," Mrs Bennet admonished.
"Mama! Kitty thinks I stole her rose water!"
"She must have! Just because she wants to divert Mr Wickham's attention away from me!"
"He likes me! Do you remember that message he wrote for me?"
"What makes you believe that it was for you? It was clearly meant for me!"
"What message are you talking about?" Mrs Bennet questioned her squabbling daughters. With some reluctance, Lydia showed the note to her mother, who tucked it away in her pockets after reading it. "Come, let us go down for dinner."
"Can I have the paper back, mama?" Lydia had her hand outstretched.
"No. It is absolutely improper for ladies your age to keep such messages. Besides, I do not think it was written for you," Mrs Bennet hurried her two girls along.
"But Mr Wickham wrote it for me!"
"You are just jealous that Mr Wickham has singled me out –"
"Girls, will the two of you stop bickering? Come along now!"
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Sometime after dinner, Bingley appealed to his sister Louisa for some entertainment. She left her husband lazing comfortably on the settee and rendered a number of classical tunes with ease. Wickham leaned back and enjoyed the music, a welcome respite from answering Lydia's and Kitty's constant stream of questions.
"Darcy, I recall you have a younger sister… does she still play the pianoforte? If my memory serves me right, she is quite accomplished on the instrument," Wickham asked all of a sudden.
Startled by the unexpected inquiry, Darcy failed to form a suitable response. Fortunately, his cousin came to his rescue and provided a timely intervention.
"Yes, Miss Darcy continues to hone her skills with regular practice. Mrs Bennet, which of your lovely daughters would delight us next with the gift of song?"
"Oh! Oh, yes! I am sure Lizzy and Mary would be more than willing to indulge us," Mrs Bennet felt flattered, her face flushing when the colonel smiled at her.
Elizabeth and Mary took turns in playing and singing a selection of folk songs. After the performance of "The Soldier's Adieu", Wickham seemed quite affected and appeared lost in thought. Meanwhile, Darcy felt temporarily relieved that Wickham had not mentioned Georgiana any further.
"I must applaud you, my dearest cousin Miss Elizabeth, for such heartfelt and soulful execution. The emotion in your voice, the passion in your playing, they leave me speechless. A lady with so much talent and virtue truly is a rare gem. I would never tire of listening to you," Mr Collins lavished his praise upon his chosen lady.
"Miss Mary is often considered the most accomplished among us sisters," Elizabeth reminded the man not to ignore her other sibling.
"Oh, yes! Of course, Miss Mary is likewise blessed with commendable traits," Mr Collins nodded at Mary.
"Mary likes reading books as well, and has a strong appreciation for those with moral and religious themes," Elizabeth added.
"Is that so? Then may I recommend this book to you, Miss Mary, for your reading pleasure?" Mr Collins reached for a volume, hoping that he would be able to converse more with Elizabeth while Mary was occupied with the book.
Not content with watching the parson attempt to employ all of Elizabeth's time and attention, Darcy thought to involve himself in their exchange.
"I am glad to hear that Miss Bennet is recovering well," Darcy spoke, very much aware that Elizabeth was fond of her eldest sister.
"I- I thank you, sir. She is indeed getting better. She has been able to partake in more food and her fever has not returned today," Elizabeth was surprised to be addressed by the gentleman.
"That is excellent news. It is admirable that you tend to her so diligently. But I hope you are careful not to exhaust yourself," Darcy kindly remarked.
Elizabeth studied his expression to ascertain if his concern was genuine. "Mary has been helpful in minding Jane. She is patient and attentive."
"As are you, my dearest cousin Elizabeth. My esteemed patroness specifically instructed me to choose my bride carefully and wisely -- one who will be a loyal companion and devoted partner in all aspects of my life," Mr Collins boldly declared, much to Elizabeth's utter embarrassment. While he sported a wide grin, Elizabeth averted her eyes and Darcy glowered. For a few moments, no one said anything.
"Darcy, pray tell me, how old is Geor-- I mean, Miss Darcy now?" Wickham wondered.
"She is sixteen," Darcy replied curtly, and Elizabeth heard a slight edge in his voice.
"Sixteen…" Wickham mumbled.
Before long, Elizabeth excused herself to attend to Jane's needs. Almost immediately after, Wickham claimed to experience a mild headache and expressed a wish to retire to his chambers. The colonel observed his cousin's discomfort and promptly acted, quickly following the pair out of the parlour.
Later on that evening, Mary passed the time by reading the book passed on to her by Mr Collins. As she turned to another page, she noticed a folded slip of paper. Opening it, she silently viewed the words scrawled on it.
Unable to conceal her astonishment, she gasped then cast her eyes upon Mr Collins.
"Are you enjoying the book, Miss Mary?" The man, bereft of Elizabeth's company, decided to speak to someone else. He deemed Mary to be a more favourable alternative in comparison to her two silly younger sisters.
"Yes! Yes, I am!" she answered with enthusiasm.
"Which section are you reading?"
"Ahh… let me see…"
Mrs Bennet glanced over at Mary and spied the piece of paper in her hand. Without warning, she snatched this out of Mary's grasp. Her eyes widened when she saw its contents.
Such delicate hands, I yearn to touch. The longing… tis too much.
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Sorry for the delay in updating. Work is very hectic.
Thank you very much for your patience.
Sooty85 and ANZA946: I hope you have seen my message via PM. FFN alerts have been playing up so I am not sure if you have received a notification.