Chapter 6

Kitty asked Mary to come to her room. She wanted to ask her some questions. Usually, Jane or Elizabeth helped her understand what was occurring or helped her if she had a problem. But now she was alone and knew she could not speak with her parents because they always ignored her.

"Mary, have you received a letter from Jane? Does anyone know where Lizzy is and when she will return to Longbourn?" Kitty asked, unable to stop herself from shedding a few tears.

"No, Kitty, I do not think anyone knows where Lizzy is. Jane told me she sent her a very brief note informing her she was alright," Mary replied. She was also uneasy and felt helpless. The only thing she believed she could do was pray for her lost sister.

Lydia entered the room she shared with Kitty and was angry when she saw Mary there. "What are you doing here, Mary? This room is only for pretty and lively girls like me," Lydia laughed.

"Lydia, I asked her to come. This is my room, too," Kitty replied angrily.

"You have been insufferable lately, Kitty," Lydia said complainingly. Besides, I do not know why you want to talk to Mary unless you prefer to read sermons than visit the handsome officers with me," Lydia said mockingly.

"Lydia, I am worried about Lizzy, and I wanted to know if Mary knows something about where she is."

"Lizzy had to leave our home because she is an ungrateful daughter. If she had married Mr. Collins, we could live in Longbourn if Papa died," Lydia replied.

"And why do you not marry Mr. Collins?" Kitty asked when she saw her sister's indifference. She was outraged at the lack of solidarity with Elizabeth's situation.

"Because I shall marry a brave and very handsome officer," Lydia replied. "Mama says that I am lively and also very pretty. Lizzy is boring, and that is why she is the one who has to marry Mr. Collins."

Kitty was going to tell her younger sister everything she thought, but Mary intervened. "Lydia, try to think about someone other than yourself for once in your life. You do not realize our sister may be having difficulties, and you are here jesting about the situation."

Lydia preferred not to answer and ran out of the room towards the garden. There, where no one could see her, she also began to cry. Although Lydia tried to show that she was not interested in Elizabeth's disappearance, she was also worried. She was afraid to think that something terrible could happen to her.

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Mrs. Reynolds was concerned about his master's growing interest in his wife. Although she greatly respected Mr. Darcy and knew that her words might sound impertinent, she knew she must speak honestly with him. Therefore, she went to Mr. Darcy's study to speak with him. After she cleared everything, she would usher Mr. Wood into the study.

"Sir, would you like me to bring a tray of tea?"

"Yes, please, Mrs. Reynolds. Please tell Mr. Wood I am waiting for him."

"Sir…"

"Do you want to tell me something, Mrs. Reynolds? Is there a problem?"

"No, I am just a little concerned."

"Why?"

"I am concerned about you, sir. Mr. Darcy. If you allow me, there is something I must tell you."

Mrs. Reynolds remained silent for several seconds, trying to organize her thoughts. She knew she was just a servant and had no right to discuss such a personal matter with her master. She knew that she was jeopardizing her position. But her love for the Darcy family made her take the risk.

"Please, Mrs Reynolds, tell me what is troubling you."

"Sir, Mrs. Darcy is a very charming lady and… but you know that… Excuse me, sir, but..."

Mr. Darcy stood and interrupted his faithful servant. "Mrs. Reynolds, please, I shall ask you to tell me what bothers you so much once and for all. I have many matters to discuss with Mr. Wood," said Mr. Darcy nervously.

"I am sorry, sir. You are right; I shall speak directly with you. Mr. Darcy, I hope you realize that until at least a year has passed, you and Mrs. Darcy…" Mrs. Reynolds could not help blushing, "Both of you are young, and if things progress well, you will have time to…"

Mrs. Reynolds looked at Mr. Darcy's confused and surprised countenance and explained. "When a couple loves and admires each other, it is logical that they want to express their love for each other. What is also logical is that after the spouses spend time together, this has consequences..."

"I understand, but I do not see how that relates to my relationship with Mrs. Darcy."

"Mrs. Darcy must not conceive children for at least two years, sir. Otherwise, all your efforts to protect your sister will be in vain." Mrs. Reynolds felt her legs trembling.

Mr. Darcy was a little embarrassed, and although his first instinct was to reprimand his housekeeper, he preferred to keep his opinion to himself. In a way, he understood why she felt forced to talk about such an uncomfortable topic.

"Do not worry, Mrs. Reynolds. I shall not fail my sister twice. Believe me when I tell you that you have nothing to worry about and that we do not need to have a conversation like this again in the future." Mr. Darcy excused himself and asked Mrs. Reynolds to show Mr. Wood in. He wanted to demonstrate that her words did not affect him.

"I do not have much time and need to discuss and resolve important matters with Mr. Woods."

"Very well, sir, I shall tell Mr. Wood you are waiting for him."

Mrs. Reynolds understood that her master did not wish to speak further on the subject. She had done her duty and could not do anything more about it.

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"Dear, sorry to interrupt you, but I need to discuss something important with you. I know you are not busy with work..."

"Come in, dear. I was thinking of taking a break before I went to my warehouse," replied Mr. Gardiner.

Mrs. Gardiner asked a servant to bring a tray of tea, and she served a cup to her husband. They enjoyed sitting near the study fireplace, having tea, and converse. One of the keys to their harmonious relationship was trust and communication. For that reason, they always had time to converse and share their concerns.

"My dear husband, I know we have talked about this before, but Jane is even more reserved after encountering Mr. Bingley in Amanda's house. What do you think we should do? Do you think we have to intervene or express our concerns?"

"Madeline, I had not spoken to you about this subject because I needed time to analyze the situation. For now, I believe we should not intervene but remain vigilant.

"I agree, Edward. I know that Jane is determined to find a gentleman who can help her solve her problems. But she will soon realize that it is not that simple. Besides, if I am honest, I saw Mr. Bingley very excited when he saw Jane and tried to get close and speak with her."

"I have a very similar impression to yours, my dear. I assume he even tried to talk to me about whatever came to his mind to be close to Jane. However, if he approaches our niece to behave as he did in Hertfordshire, I shall not allow it and shall have no choice but to intervene. I will not allow him to play with Jane's feelings again."

"And I will support you, my dear. If that gentleman wishes to reestablish his friendship with our niece, he must prove his intentions are serious. Otherwise, he will not be welcome in our house. At least we know how to support Jane, but things are very different with Lizzy. You cannot imagine how much it worries me not knowing where and who she is with."

Mr. Gardiner took his wife's hand and kissed it tenderly. "I understand. I am, too, extremely distressed about Lizzy's situation. I am so angry with my sister and her irresponsible husband."

"I am not that hard on Fanny, although I do not intend to absolve her from her responsibility. I hope you do not think I am being hard on Fanny, dear, but your sister sees life in a very simplistic form. I know that even though it may not seem selfish, she will do everything possible to secure her five daughters' future."

"I do not know, Madeline. My sister has always been inconsiderate, has done what she wanted, and has never assumed her responsibilities. She is a grown woman and cannot expect her daughter to have to remedy her lack of foresight for the future. But, I do believe my sister lacks the common sense to know what is best for her daughters. But I cannot excuse Bennet; he is intelligent and knows very well that the daughters of a gentleman without fortune, proper education, and manners have very little chance of finding a good husband. He is the head of the family, and it is his fault for not having saved and provided for the well-being of his daughters."

"What do you think we should do about Lizzy? If you want, I can write to Fanny..."

"No, for now, I prefer that we keep them away from us. I am waiting to hear from Lizzy and make a decision, but I shall not wait forever. If she does not contact Jane or us in the next few weeks, I plan to talk to some friends and see what they suggest we can do to find a missing person. Although Fanny and Thomas are Elizabeth's parents, they have not acted as such, and we shall not waste our time trying to reason with them."

"It is unfortunate, but it is true," Mrs. Gardiner replied, taking her husband's hand.

Mr. Gardiner asked his wife not to worry anymore because he trusted his nieces and was certain they would both know how to solve their current tribulations.

After chatting for almost half an hour while they drank tea, Mr. Gardiner said goodbye to his wife and left for his warehouse to supervise the inventory of the new merchandise that had arrived the previous day.

For her part, Mrs. Gardiner invited Jane to walk in the park with the children. Although the afternoon was cold, the sun was out. She knew exercise and playing with the children would benefit her beloved niece.

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Elizabeth helped Georgiana put on her nightgown. She was a little tired after a day of various activities. Elizabeth also realized that Georgiana liked to be pampered and receive attention. Undoubtedly, that poor girl needed affection; perhaps that was why she had been easy prey for that scoundrel.

After Georgiana was in bed, Elizabeth read a chapter of a novel they both were reading. "I think it is time for you to sleep. I do not like those dark circles under your eyes."

"Lizzy, the book is fascinating; please, let us read one more chapter," Georgiana said and then yawned.

"No, my dear, it is time to sleep. Besides, if I am honest, I am a little tired too."

"Forgive me, you are right. It would help if you rest, too. Also, it would be best if you spent time with your husband. I must remember that he needs you, too, and it is not fair that I monopolize your attention all day." Georgiana said and yawned again.

"Do not worry about it, my dear. Your brother is very busy solving problems. Remember that we shall be going on a trip very soon, and he needs to get all his responsibilities sorted out."

"I know that, but William works too much. I hope that now that he has such a pretty and good wife, he will work less. Lizzy, I want you to make my brother very happy, so that you can compensate for the harm I have done to him."

"I hope you soon understand that you are a victim and that neither your brother nor I blame you for what occurred."

"Thank you, Lizzy."

Elizabeth kissed her sister-in-law's forehead and tucked her in. "Sleep well; tomorrow, we shall continue reading."

"Sweet dreams, Lizzy."

"Thank you. I hope you also dream of many wonderful things." Elizabeth caressed her sister-in-law's face, bid her goodnight again, and retired to her room. She wanted to write to Jane before going to sleep.

Unfortunately, writing to her sister was more difficult than expected, so she decided to write to Mrs. Gardiner instead. She did not want to lie, so she wrote a short letter to reassure her.

Dear Aunt,

I have been very busy these past few days with my new responsibilities, but I have taken this moment to tell you a little about myself and ask you to share this news with Jane. In the following days, I shall leave for an estate secluded from the world in Scotland, where I shall live for a year. During this time, I will be a companion for a young lady from a wealthy family. Aunt, I want to save as much money as possible to help her sisters. Please do not worry about me because I am well. When I have the address where I will live in Scotland, I shall send it to you so we can keep communication. Aunt, please share this information with the rest of my family.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth

Elizabeth sealed the letter and planned to send it the next day. Then she stood up and walked over to the window. It had snowed the night before, but that night, it was clear, and there was a full moon. Her room connected to a huge terrace from which she could see the enormous forest surrounding the park. Elizabeth was curious to see the moon's reflection in the snow and the small lake. Hence, she opened one of the wardrobes in search of something to keep her warm and found a beautiful robe made of very soft wool. Without thinking, she put it on and went to the balcony for a few minutes.

Although it was cold, the robe warmed her nicely so she could enjoy the beautiful view of the frozen night over the lake and the forest.

Mr. Darcy was reviewing some documents sitting by the fireplace when he heard someone open one of the terrace windows. Mr. and Mrs. Darcy's rooms were connected through a door and the beautiful terrace. He approached the window and saw Elizabeth in the middle of the terrace, looking at the moon. He wondered what she was thinking and could not help but feel an inexplicable tenderness towards her. Mr. Darcy saw Elizabeth so helpless that he felt the needto go out to the terrace to see if everything was well with her.

'Dear Jane, I hope one day you can be happy with the man you love. At least I am pleased to know that I shall be able to help a young girl who desperately needs affection and compassion,' Elizabeth thought as she looked at the moon. But suddenly, she realized that someone was watching her and returned to reality.

"Mr. Darcy," she said nervously.

For several seconds, Mr. Darcy did not know what to say. He wanted to talk to Elizabeth and invite her to the library to discuss whatever subject. He wanted to be close to her. He needed her company, for her to tease him so he would not feel so alone. But he remembered everything Mrs. Reynolds told him and decided he would not give in to feelings that had no place in his life.

"Mrs. Darcy, it is very late, and you must rest. Also, it is too cold, and you cannot get ill because we must travel in two more days. I hope you do not forget it." Mr. Darcy was angry, but he did not understand why.

"Do not worry, Mr. Darcy. This robe is warm, and I do not feel cold."

Mr. Darcy looked at her intently and added, "That robe was my mother's. Please do not take or use any of her belongings again. Although she passed away long ago, this is still her home."

Mr. Darcy's voice was stiff and sharp. Elizabeth felt uncomfortable and understood what he meant. Even though they were married, he did not consider her his wife, much less worthy of taking his mother's place.

"Pardon me, sir. I promise I shall not do it again," Elizabeth replied and entered her bedroom.

Mr. Darcy knew that he had been unfair to Elizabeth. But he was aware that it was necessary to keep distance between them. He could not raise expectations he could not fulfill. He hoped that if Elizabeth thought something was possible between them, she would put the idea out of her head. That way, everything would be much easier. In the last few days, she had treated him much more familiarly and even teased him just as she had done in Netherfield. The connection and flirtation between them had been reborn, and he knew how dangerous that was, so he would avoid it at all costs.

As soon as Elizabeth entered the room, she removed Lady Anne's robe and left it in the same place where she found it. She felt sad, humiliated, and, above all, very lonely. Although she did not wish to cry, after a few minutes of walking around the room to calm down, she could not help but throw herself on the bed and cry.

'Oh, Jane, my dear Jane, how I miss you,' Elizabeth thought, while she could not stop crying.

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Thanks to everyone who follows the story with interest and leaves supportive comments.

This story has a lot of drama and misunderstandings; I warn you for those with a low tolerance for drama, lol. But I also want to inform you that none of my stories, no matter how dramatic, will contain infidelity between ODC or that Elizabeth or Mr. Darcy have married others or had children with others. So, there is not that kind of drama here :)

In the next chapter, Mr. Bingley will have an interesting conversation with his aunt Amanda. Meanwhile, in Pemberley, things will get even more complicated between our dear couple :) (DRAMA)

See you soon!

Saludos,

Yo