For the best part of the afternoon, Elizabeth patiently tended to her ill sister. On one occasion, she went down in search of a suitable book that she could read to Jane. Upon entering the drawing room, she found a number of the party at loo while the rest either observed the game or had a volume in hand. She declined the invitation to join the card table, for she worried they may be playing high stakes.
"Never mind Lizzy. She prefers books to cards," Mrs Bennet remarked.
"I find that rather singular! I suppose in the country, you might be limited in your choices of amusement. Do you have other interests besides reading books, Miss Eliza?" queried Caroline, momentarily shifting her attention to the dark-haired lady.
"Yes, I do, Miss Bingley. You might be surprised to learn that there are leisurely activities that people in the country and city commonly engage in. And if we ever tire of our usual mundane pastimes, with some imagination, one can come up with new things to occupy oneself with," Elizabeth answered with a smile.
"It is to your credit, dear cousin Elizabeth, that you have a creative mind. Have you chosen a book? If you have not, may I suggest Fordyce's Sermons? It would be my pleasure to lend you my personal copy," Mr Collins attempted to gain her attention.
"I thank you, Mr Collins. But I think Jane would enjoy some light reading to lift her mood."
"I am afraid I only have a small selection of books at present, Miss Elizabeth. I do, however, intend to acquire more over time. Darcy here may be able to make some recommendations," Bingley hopefully said.
"Oh, Mr Darcy! I heard that you have a vast collection of books at Pemberley! It is my hope that one day, I may have the opportunity to visit your grand estate. Perhaps when I have taken a wife, I could take her to the lakes for our honeymoon, and enroute we could pass by Pemberley," Mr Collins said wistfully, casting a glance at Elizabeth. This speech caused Mrs Bennet to grin widely, and Kitty and Lydia to giggle.
"Miss Elizabeth, would Miss Bennet like this book?" Darcy showed her the cover of the book nearest to him.
"'Gulliver's Travels'… yes, I think she would be diverted by that. But… are you not reading it, sir?"
"I was, but I have read it before, as with most of the books here. You are welcome to use it."
"I… I thank you, sir. I will bring it back when we are not reading it. We can… share," Elizabeth was mystified by the proud gentleman's offer. She quickly excused herself after receiving the book from Mr Darcy.
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When the rain had temporarily ceased later in the afternoon, Mr Collins took his leave to return to Longbourn. This he did with some reluctance, knowing that he would only have Mr Bennet's company and would be bereft of his desired choice of bride's presence.
A creaking noise was heard when the parson hoisted himself onto the donkey cart. When he settled into the seat, something gave way and he soon found himself toppling on the wet ground.
"Aaarrgghhh!"
A couple of manservants rushed to his aid, trying to help him get back on his feet.
"Oh, my back!" he groaned.
When he was escorted inside the house, he was disappointed that Elizabeth was unable to comfort him as the young lady was busy tending to her sister Jane. In agony, he had to wait for the apothecary to arrive.
Mr Jones examined his new patient and concluded that there were no broken bones but warned that he would most likely be very sore in the next few days, as well as develop some large bruises. Due to Mr Collins' suffering, the damage to the donkey cart and possibly some trauma to the animal, he received an offer to stay at Netherfield which he gladly accepted.
The apothecary then went to assess Jane's condition and reassured her family and hosts that there was nothing to worry about, explaining that some people take longer to make a recovery after a bout of nasty colds.
At dinnertime, Elizabeth divided her time between attempting to manage her family's silly manners and redirecting Mr Collins' unwanted attentions. She found that a mere mention of Lady Catherine or Rosings would send her cousin to a lengthy speech and made Mr Darcy's frowns deeper.
"Mr Darcy, allow me to say how well you and Miss de Bourgh suit each other. Your aunt, my esteemed patroness, Lady Catherine, is hopeful that her daughter's health would soon improve before the most anticipated union --"
"Mr Collins, I would caution you against speaking about matters you have no knowledge about," Mr Darcy glowered.
"I… I am sorry, sir. We are among family and friends here, so I am certain your private affairs would remain in confidence –"
"Mr Darcy! I was not aware you have an understanding with Miss de Bourgh --" Caroline could not help but exclaim.
"I do not. There is nothing more I wish to add about this matter. Pray, find something else to discuss," the gentleman stated in a serious tone.
For a good while, all that could be heard was the clinking of cutlery while the diners waited for someone to resume the conversation.
"The food is absolutely delectable! I must compliment you, Miss Bingley, on the excellency of the cooking. All the courses are exquisite, and this is a reflection on the hostess, most especially the colourful tart. A bit sharp but has a strong flavour."
"I thank you, Mr Collins. Netherfield has very able cooks in its employ," Caroline controlled her voice to sound civil.
Hearing Mr Collins' unconscious comparison of Miss Bingley to a tart caused Elizabeth's lips to form a small smirk. To her surprise, when her eyes met Mr Darcy's, the man likewise sported a similar expression.
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The gentlemen did not take long to rejoin the ladies after the separation of the sexes. Mr Collins was eager for another opportunity to endear himself to his object of admiration, while the other men could not tolerate more of his tiresome elocution.
Mr Bingley expressed a desire to have some amusement by way of music, to which his sisters happily obliged. Louisa and Caroline took it in turns to play and sing, not giving way to Mary who wanted to also display her prowess at the instrument. When Caroline started to perform a lively Scottish air on the pianoforte, Mr Darcy stared at Elizabeth and imagined dancing with her. Before he could make a move, he saw Mr Collins drawing near the lady.
"My dear cousin Elizabeth, do you not feel a great inclination to dance a reel?"
Elizabeth made no answer, once again feeling embarrassed at being singled out in view of an audience. Mr Collins repeated his question, assuming the lady was too modest to accept his first request.
"I do not think that your injured back could sustain the rigour of such an energetic activity, Mr Collins. You would not wish your pain to increase from the exertions of the dance," Mr Darcy advised.
"No, of course not, sir," Mr Collins smiled at the gentleman. "My dear cousin Elizabeth, I apologise for the disappointment, but perhaps we can dance another time."
Just when Mr Darcy was about to ask the lady himself, a confused Elizabeth rose from her seat and announced her departure so she may return to Jane. After a couple of hours of casual amusement and idle chatter, the party began to feel boredom and tiredness and headed to their chambers.
Later that evening, Mr Bingley was awoken by his housekeeper to inform him that an unknown man had been found unconscious on their grounds. Fearing the worst for the stranger in the midst of the heavy winds and rain, the kind-hearted man immediately issued an order to recover the man and ensure he was kept dry and warm. The apothecary would then be called for first thing in the morning.
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Hi everyone. I know I have not updated in a while. It has not been easy to write after a break. My mind is not in Regency gear. LOL. I will try to get back to writing/posting more regularly again.
Thank you all for your support.