"Good morning, sir. I see you have slept well." Elizabeth greeted Mr. Darcy warmly as he entered the breakfast parlor. She blushed, remembering his behavior the previous evening. However, she was determined to move past her embarrassment. With a soft breath of courage, she lifted her head and watched him. He was clearly not embarrassed, and neither should she be.
"Good morning." Mr. Darcy said without even looking in her direction, as he selected a plate and filled it with food. He then took a seat at the opposite end of the table where they could not converse without shouting and promptly opened the newspaper he had brought with him.
Elizabeth stared at him in shock. He had been congenial and friendly for a few days, but his current demeanor was more that of his last time at Netherfield. She sipped her chocolate and attempted to change her focus to her food, but she kept glancing at the man who was assiduously avoiding her. They sat in an uncomfortable silence for a quarter of an hour until Elizabeth finished eating. With a small huff, she declared she would take a walk around the rose garden.
Politely, Mr. Darcy added that it was a fine morning for a walk, though he thought it would rain later.
"You are so kind to predict the weather for my benefit, but I am used to a few drops of rain. Enjoy your breakfast, Mr. Darcy."
Mr. Darcy bowed as she left. As soon as the door closed behind her, he breathed out a great sigh of relief that he had not been more awkward. He had been far too forward the evening before, letting his baser interests take the lead. He could not raise her hopes that he would offer her marriage. With a pang, he took another bite of food that did not satisfy him. It was as though he had learned what he needed in life and it was sitting just out of reach.
Elizabeth returned from her walk equally unsatisfied. It had begun to rain while she walked, and she supposed it was fitting for the weather to be as miserable as she felt. Her pelisse was nearly soaked through. She sped through the house to get to her room as quickly as possible, hoping that her dripping clothes would not make too much mess for the maids.
"Lizzy, is that you?" Jane called from her chamber.
With a huff, Elizabeth opened the door to her sister's chambers and attempted more cheer than she felt.
"You are wet through, Lizzy. I do hope you do not catch a chill. Even from the bed, I can feel how cold it is outside."
"That is very like you, Jane. I am well enough. Allow me to change, and then I shall summon a footman. I believe you will feel better when you move to the sitting room."
Jane agreed, but she was not shaken from her suspicions. No sooner had they reached the sitting room with the assistance of a footman than she began, "There, now. I am feeling much better not sitting in bed. I can give my full attention to you. What has you all in a dither this morning? You would not normally choose to be out until you were soaked through. You are bothered. Would this happen to be caused by a certain gentleman?"
"There is no certain gentleman. The only gentlemen in the house are Mr. Hurst, who is unlikely to upset anyone, and Mr. Darcy, who does not deserve my consideration."
Jane smiled. She had her answer. "Tell me how Mr. Darcy imposed on you to make you lose your temper now."
Elizabeth blushed as she immediately remembered his kiss to her fingers. "He has not imposed on me. In fact, he nearly ignored me at breakfast. I thought we were becoming something like friends." Elizabeth had been sitting patiently but had to rise to pace around the room.
Jane would have said more, but Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst appeared and took the seats opposite the Bennets' sofa. They were dressed to impress. Elizabeth supposed that sitting for a maid to fix one's hair is as good an occupation as any.
Miss Bingley smiled as she gave her attention to Jane. "I had heard you would move to the sitting room today, my friend. I am glad you are on the mend. Moving to the sitting room is a step towards returning home, and you must be missing your home." She looked out the window. Without giving Jane a chance to respond, she added, "This rain is dreadful. I could not go riding this morning."
Elizabeth smiled and chose to respond to the first statement. She did not wish to give Miss Bingley any more proof of her country manners by walking in the rain. "Yes, while I admit that our house is often times busier than I would wish, I find it is too quiet here just as often."
Jane sensed that Miss Bingley might have some quip to make, and eagerly sought to prevent any argument. "I enjoy the noise when it is happy. This time of year can be boisterous and fun. It is almost time to begin decorating the house for the holidays, is it not, Lizzy? I suppose Kitty and Lydia will be in charge this year. That will likely mean there is not a single piece of the banister on the stairs bare to place your hand. They always use every space possible for the holly."
"Yes, and they only take the lower branches that are spiked, so it is dangerous to use the banister, should one wish not to fall down the stairs." Elizabeth laughed at a few memories. Noticing the sisters' blank stares, she explained a couple of memories that included holly on the banister. "A proper estate should be well decorated. The smell of pine and holly in the halls is delightful, though the pine is much safer than holly. How do you celebrate Christmas and the new year, Miss Bingley, Mrs. Hurst?"
"We go to the best parties in town." Miss Bingley said with a scowl. "There is usually some holly here or there, but only in the most dignified of ways."
"Miss Bingley! You astonish me." Elizabeth laughed. "The purpose of holly is to bring cheer. It cannot be placed with dignity."
"If dignity cannot be maintained, there is no point in maintaining cheer, for no one would deign to visit to see it."
"That is entirely a matter of opinion, Miss Bingley. I shall not stir unless I know my work shall bring cheer. I dearly love to laugh."
"Yes, we have all heard your laugh many times." Mrs. Hurst tittered behind her fan. Jane and Elizabeth shared a look, forcing Elizabeth to keep her laugh to herself. Wisely, Mrs. Hurst changed the subject. "We hope to return to our home in London for Christmas, if we do not need to remain here. My husband's mother has a tradition of putting mistletoe in every doorway to keep everyone in line at the family estate."
Elizabeth laughed. "Does it keep everyone in line, or does it encourage misbehavior?" Kitty and Lydia were wild about putting mistletoe everywhere, including in the servants hall.
Miss Bingley tittered. "On a proper estate like Heatherdown, there is no misbehavior. The servants know their place and those who are courting are always well chaperoned."
"Caroline, you exaggerate. The servants do not use our doorways, so they do not get to misbehave. My husband tells me that he is terrified of mistletoe after having to kiss his sister when he was ten." Mrs. Hurst laughed gaily.
Miss Bingley looked at her sister as though she had grown two heads.
Jane decided to distract Miss Bingley. "Oh, Miss Bingley, you ought to decorate Netherfield. Your brother and Mr. Darcy would think it delightful. Though I cannot walk about, I can tie boughs of evergreen branches together. I should very much appreciate being useful when I cannot stir from my chambers."
Elizabeth smiled, "And if we can get some mistletoe, perhaps someone might get a kiss on the cheek from a gentleman." She looked at Jane, who blushed, thinking of Mr. Bingley.
Miss Bingley, on the other hand, was thinking of Mr. Darcy. "Perhaps you are right. As the mistress of the house, I ought to ensure all my guests feel the joy of the season. I shall instruct the footmen to begin collecting branches of evergreen."
"No, no, no!" Elizabeth scolded so loudly; Miss Bingley leaned back in her chair. With a quick breath, Elizabeth regained her composure. "The season is not perfect until we all go out caroling as we collect our own branches. The footmen attend us and carry the branches for us, but the gathering is the most fun of all. Have you never collected your own mistletoe?"
"Miss Eliza! After all the time we have spent together, do you really believe I would ever collect my own mistletoe?"
Elizabeth laughed again. "No, Miss Caro, I cannot imagine you doing so, but I believe we ought to fix that. There is nothing so exciting as walking through the forest as a family, singing and merrymaking."
"Sounds delightful." Miss Bingley stated, not believing that tramping through the wet paths could ever be fun. "As soon as this rain clears, we shall plan for an outing." She took a sip of her tea. Turning to her sister, she changed the subject with, "I had a letter from Lady Cecily. She claims that Lord Aimsworth is warming to her charms. She will be very well off as a viscountess."
Mrs. Hurst tittered and smirked. The two enjoyed speaking to each other for a few moments, while Elizabeth and Jane turned to each other. "It seems that we are not necessary, having no knowledge of the London elite."
Miss Bingley overheard. "Oh, I ought to have realized you would not be interested." She then turned to Jane and spoke of riding horses. "I remember you are fond of horses. Miss Elizabeth has a very good seat, but she is no proficient."
The conversation remained cordial for a quarter hour when Mr. Darcy entered and was invited to join them for tea. His hair was wet, causing Miss Bingley to comment.
Mr. Darcy took an awkward seat away from all the ladies and collected his cup from Miss Bingley. "Thank you for noticing. The weather began fine, so I went for a ride. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate." He paused and glanced at Elizabeth long enough to notice her hair was still wet also, and he fidgeted slightly in his seat before turning back to Miss Bingley. "Mrs. Nichols was clever enough to have hot water ready on my return. Miss Bingley, should you remain at Netherfield, you will find Mrs. Nichols is a gem." He then turned to Miss Bennet. "You appear to be feeling better. I am glad to see you are making your way around your chambers. Your sister has been most diligent in your care and must be the reason you healed so quickly this time."
Jane blushed. "Yes, I am glad my cold was not worse. I wish I could walk about, but for now, being able to have a change of scenery is nice."
"Perhaps with assistance, you could come downstairs for dinner. I shall be happy to assist you. There is nothing worse than being unable to move when the desire strikes you. I feel accountable, as it was my cat that tripped you."
"That is a very kind offer, Mr. Darcy. I believe moving to the sitting room is far enough. My ankle is still very sore, and I should not enjoy being bustled down the stairs until the swelling goes down some more." Jane would never ask for something that would be an imposition to others.
"Then perhaps we can bring our entertainment to you. We could take our daily tea in here, and after dinner, we can come here for our evening discussions." Mr. Darcy would not allow Jane to be bored if he could help it.
"If that is your wish, I should be happy for the company. Other days, you could sit in the music room and listen to your hosts and Lizzy perform. Perhaps, if the doors are open, I shall be able to hear the music from here. I do enjoy listening to the pianoforte."
Everyone agreed this was a marvelous plan, and the company settled into silence broken only by a few sips of tea and crunching of biscuits. It would have been more agreeable if Mr. Darcy dared look at anyone other than Mrs. Hurst or the wall. Miss Bingley batted her eyelashes and ensured her profile was prominently displayed. Elizabeth wondered that Mr. Darcy was being kind to Jane and yet would not say much and still refused to look at herself. Jane was busy attempting to appear calm when her ankle hurt more than she would have liked to admit. Mrs. Hurst was hungry.
When Mr. Darcy finished his tea, he decided he had been long enough in company. Announcing he had letters to write, he excused himself. Elizabeth felt relieved that she no longer had to wonder what he was thinking and that she could focus on Jane, and was alarmed to find Jane's brows creasing, a clear sign she was hiding her pain. "I believe we have all tired you Jane. You ought to be in bed with a pillow under your ankle. Perhaps tomorrow you will be able to spend more time sitting."
Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst took this as a cue to depart, and they did so with gusto, announcing their desire to practice their music.
Elizabeth summoned the footman to assist Jane into bed. Once she was settled, Elizabeth turned to the window. "It is snowing!" She shouted gleefully as she hurried to the window. The ground was still drab, but large white flakes of snow were peacefully falling.
Jane leaned forward to see, smiling. "The first snow of the year. I suppose it is time for another walk. Do wrap up warm, dearest. You may not feel the chill, but you were already wet once today. I have not forgotten. As much as I would like your company as you recover from a cold, I should not like to listen to all your sneezes and coughing."
Elizabeth did not hear. "I must go out!" She declared as she quickly moved to her chamber to grab dry outerwear and rush downstairs.
As soon as she was outside, she took off at a run for the grassy lawn in front of the house, where white flakes had begun to stick to the green grass. Once she was surrounded by a soft green and white field, she lifted her arms and danced in circles as the flakes landed in her hair and on her pelisse. As she moved, her footprints became visible in the grass, and she relished the feel of the flakes melting on her cheeks.
When she began to cool, she ran again, this time running to the other side of the house and dancing amongst the roses and other flowers that had gone dormant for winter. Dancing there took more finesse to ensure she did not rip her sleeve on a thorn. Such was her determination to dance and run all the way around the house, which was much larger than Longbourn and took more than twice as long as her usual first snow dance of the year. Her energy was noticed by everyone in the house except for Jane. Only Miss Bingley voiced her disapproval. Mr. Darcy wished he could have joined her.
An hour later, Elizabeth returned to the house, ready for hot tea and a nice book when the butler informed her there was company waiting for her in the parlor. Mr. Collins had come to call.
Her joy evaporated. Mr. Bennet ought to have kept him home. Her manners reasserted themselves quickly enough for her to thank the butler before moving swiftly to the parlor. Best to get this over with. Squaring her shoulders, she opened the door and entered to find Mr. Collins pacing and mumbling under his breath. Elizabeth stifled a laugh as she wondered if Mr. Collins could ever be silent.
"Ah, my dear cousin Elizabeth. I am so pleased you have come so quickly. Your haste to see your suitor does you credit. Come, sit here so we may speak a while." He motioned for her to take one of two seats on a sofa. She sat in a chair by the fire instead. "Ah, yes, you must be cold. Your cheeks are rosy from exercise outdoors. Lady Catherine says cold weather is a balm to the health. If you can avoid catching ill, then the cold air can do wonders for the complexion. Your beauty is one of the traits I admire most about you."
"Lady Catherine in her benevolence, gave me the advice to marry and to heal the breach between your father and my father." He then continued a long litany explaining his reasons for marrying, each one more insulting than the last to any woman of sense.
She waited for an opportunity to refuse him, but he never even bothered to ask for her hand, such was his optimism. When she realized this, she could no longer listen in silence.
"There is no further reason to give, so let me now express how happy I shall be to introduce you to Lady Catherine as Mrs. -"
"You are too hasty, sir. You forget I have given no answer." She dared not explain that he had never asked for her hand. He would probably begin his speech again. "Allow me to do so at once. I thank you for the honor of your proposal, but I must decline your offer."
"Give me leave to say you are most enchanting. You are so clever, my dear. As it is the custom of many clever women to decline a proposal in the hopes of increasing the level of adoration in their suitor. When this betrothal has been sanctioned by your parents, you shall be most happy to accept my hand. Why, I ought to tell you that your excellent mother is aware of my intentions and has been most gracious to tell me that it would make her vastly happy to accept me into the family as a son-in-law."
"My mother does not have the authority to speak for me. She may be made happy. That does not mean that I shall do her bidding or yours. You say I am clever, so believe me when I say that I could never make you happy. I am not biddable as you have said is a requirement in a wife."
"You are clever, and when you are my wife, you will be made so happy as to agree with me. It must be so, for the Lord says." He was stopped as Elizabeth rose and attempted to leave the room. "You may believe me when I say I am still determined to have you as my wife. After I speak to your father, he will sanction the betrothal and you will be convinced of my sincerity. When I next -" he was cut off by the entrance of Mr. Darcy.
Elizabeth blushed in mortification, but Mr. Collins only bowed profusely. "Ah, Mr. Darcy, allow me to tell you how pleased I am to see you here. You must have heard the commotion and come to wish me joy. I know your aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, will be most pleased by my choice of wife. Miss Elizabeth knows how to make a small income go a long way, as is evidenced by the modest gowns she wears. Her cleverness will be put to use in entertaining Lady Catherine, for who in her company can remain obstinate. Such benevolence as displayed by your aunt will not fail to bring silence and demureness to my lovely wife to be."
Mr. Darcy paled as he took in Mr. Collins' words. He looked at Elizabeth, who stared at the ground in mortification. His mind reeled, and he knew he would never sleep again. "Mr. Collins." He said forcefully, forcing the man to stop speaking immediately. Elizabeth jumped at his sharp tone, but she did not look up. "Are you telling me that you have offered for Miss Elizabeth?"
"Yes, and when she accepts, she will make a most beautiful bride. Your own aunt has been most generous, and has declared she will visit my wife when we return to Hunsford."
"Mr. Collins!" Once again he spoke sharply. The buffoon would not cease talking even for breath. "Has Miss Elizabeth accepted your proposal?"
"I have not." Elizabeth spoke quickly, before Mr. Collins could speak further.
"It is only a formality. It is all the rage, I am sure, for a lady to deny the suit of a person she means to accept in order to increase his ardor. When her father sanctions the union, she will be very pleased to accept me."
"Mr. Collins, it is not usual for a man to wish to ask a woman for marriage a second time. In fact it is rather unseemly. Miss Elizabeth is a very capable, intelligent woman, and she knows her mind better than anyone else might. You must do her the honor of accepting her word."
"But she cannot be expecting any other addresses. My situation in life is such that it is very much recommends my suit. She will be mistress of Hunsford Parsonage, assisting me with visiting my parishioners while she makes my home comfortable. She will help Lady Catherine fill a card table, for Lady Catherine often asks for my presence at dinner and after-dinner entertainments. She will be mistress of Longbourn when her father passes. Despite her manifold attractions it is by no means certain that she will ever receive…"
"Desist Mr. Collins. I beg you." Mr. Darcy shook his head in disgust. Mr. Collins did stop talking, and the silence was uncomfortable. Mr. Darcy attempted to make eye contact with Elizabeth, but she studied the rug intently. "You have made Miss Elizabeth uncomfortable with your continuation of a conversation that has been concluded. You made an offer. She refused it. Accept her answer and take your leave."
"But sir, I have been waiting for her to return to Longbourn. I have already stayed longer than I ought to give her time. I shall speak to her father."
"Miss Elizabeth, do you give him leave to broach such a delicate topic with your father in your absence?"
Elizabeth finally looked up. "He may speak to my father. My answer will not change. I believe it is time for me to check on Jane, if you would excuse me."
Mr. Darcy bowed as she departed. He then turned his fury to Mr. Collins. "Miss Elizabeth is far too sensible to be your wife. You will not approach her again on this topic. You will be civil as befits a gentleman of your station, and never speak of this again to anyone other than Mr. Bennet. If I find out you have gone against my dictates, I shall speak to my aunt about your fitness to be a clergyman. You had best be on your way." He followed Miss Elizabeth out of the parlor, hoping never to have to sit in there and relive that conversation again. Miss Elizabeth married to Mr. Collins! The idea was absurd. His blood boiled as he pictured them together.
AN: Hello my dear readers. I am so happy to be able to tell you that a well edited version of Close Quarters is now on amazon. If you google my name, Lorraine Hetschel, you will find my books on amazon. For those of you not wishing to buy, then keep on track with my story as I write it so you get it for free here. My summer task was finished with 6 hours for me to sleep before going back to school. That said, my ability to write will be diminished. I hope to have this story done by Christmas. It will not be as long as my others. Just going to have fun with the Christmas themes. If I screw up any British traditions, let me know. I will try to have fun and keep with the times.