CHAPTER 2

A/N: I appreciate the corrections! My memory of the chronology is not great. One thing I learned about using this platform as a newcomer is the amount of spam on here. Very interesting.

Olde Reader: Thank you for catching the reign vs rein mistake! Learning proper grammar is an endless effort.

MarionM62: Oh, I thought the militia left before Lizzy went to see Charlotte. I gotta revisit the book haha. Thank you! I edited my summary.

Hoping to update this story on a consistent basis. It's been therapeutic to write and reimagine these characters. This is a way for me to relax and practice a level of creativity that's been missing from my life. I study something dull in school. Most of my classes involve corporate writing that is stripped down and soulless. By comparison this is so much more enjoyable.

Another short chapter.


As peculiar as his presence was to the household, Dr. Bancroft's kind demeanor and soft tone when speaking slightly eased the Bennet ladies' initial wariness, enough to allow him admission. His face held all the oaken wisdom of an old man of two and sixty. His manner of dress spoke of quality afforded to him by either legitimate expertise or owing to patronage. His thin figure bowed to the sisters in deference, with intentional depth as a signal of his willingness to answer Elizabeth's authority over their discussion. Stranger yet was his intelligence of their identities, addressing them as Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth before the women could first present it. Dr. Bancroft apologized for interrupting their peace so late in the evening. Elizabeth detected a hint of hesitancy, as if he were suppressing information, in each sentence of his introduction.

When he closed his brief speech, Elizabeth looked to Mr. Hill and Tommy—a young servant boy—who both stood close beside Jane and Elizabeth, in the event the visit might twist into intrusion.

"Sir," said Elizabeth, "I would not want to turn you away at this hour, as I suspect you have journeyed far to offer your care. My father suffers at this very moment. The staff and I attend diligently, but we do not know what else to do! Our own Dr. Smith, as learned as he is, could not in his conscience reassure me of my father's fate. Oh, I do not mean to reject your kindness, sir. However, we already have Dr. Smith overseeing him."

He nodded, "Yes, I was of course expecting the presence of another established doctor. But—er, how do I say this." The doctor shifted on his feet to ease the heavy medical box. Tommy approached to help set it on the table next to the couch in the drawing room. He spoke, "Miss Elizabeth, I must insist on offering my services. If you doubt my medical competence, I brought documentation. I studied in Scotland, but my practice is in London. It is my sincere desire to help your family."

"Why?" she asked. "I wonder what we have done to solicit your presence. Is there any reason to doubt Dr. Smith's abilities, sir?

"No, there is not."

"Then what is this visit?"

"It is not my wish to undermine Dr. Smith. I would be most grateful to work alongside him, two minds in unison. I do not say this with arrogance that I have advanced skills from extensive experimental research. My laboratory is the site of great breakthroughs in medical science beyond prescribing draughts. I treat both trivial pains and more serious cases, those with broken bodies and minds."

Elizabeth stared at him. "Sir, you must understand that we are in a difficult position. A doctor you may be, however you come abruptly to us as a stranger!"

"I am not gifted in finding the words to explain. My colleague sits in the coach outside. He is the better of us two for an explanation."

"You have brought another man at this hour?" Tommy exclaimed.

"Young man, Mr. Loomis is a proper professional. He rode with me with the express wish to inquire about Mr. Bennet's health. Fear not, your steward may assess my companion for himself outside should you have suspicions."

"This man is another physician?" Elizabeth asked. She did not expect his audacity.

"No."

"Your surgeon? Secretary?"

"Not mine."

She rose from her seat. "As he is neither, your Mr. Loomis has no business here. You have overstepped!"

"Miss Elizabeth, I beg you. I had not wanted to speak of this in the company of gentlewomen, particularly to be sensitive toward this terrible incident that has affected your family. He has interests which believe align with yours. His other objective for being in Hertfordshire relates to Mr. Wickham."

"Wickham!" Elizabeth gasped.

"Yes. It is that very Mr. Wickham of whom I speak. Mr. Loomis is here on business: to bring that wretched man to justice, and any other man who could have enabled his villainy."

Elizabeth sat back down. She urged herself to breathe deeply. She turned to Mr. Hill, nodding to invite Mr. Loomis into the house.

The gentleman introduced himself to the ladies. But in a similar fashion, he evaded the question of what had prompted him to take interest in Mr. Bennet, other than the implication that the Bennets would always be connected to Wickham, in memory of the day on the edge of Meryton. Mr. Loomis offered documents validating their identities, along with recommendations they could take to the clerk for verification.

Fifteen minutes passed by with the two men sitting on the other end of the room waiting for Elizabeth to finish examining the papers. Periodically, Mr. Loomis whispered to Dr. Bancroft words unintelligible to the rest of the room.

"Mr. Hill, please take the gentlemen with me to see Papa."


After Dr. Bancroft completed a preliminary assessment of Mr. Bennet's condition, the two gentlemen thanked Elizabeth, to which she replied she would speak to her Uncle Phillips and the clerk to inspect the authenticity of their claims. In her hand, she extended compensation to the doctor, but he waved her off politely. Mr. Loomis stood by her. He chuckled that she had no need whatsoever to hand over a fee, for they were compensated sufficiently.

Before she could ask further, the two men descended the path, departing from Longbourn in their coach toward a local inn.

Mr. Hill retired for the night.

Jane found Elizabeth an hour later in the library sweeping through Mr. Bennet's papers. She scanned frantically for the visitors' names. She crouched low beneath the desk in search of letters. Her rummaging yielded less than desired realizations. Though uncluttered, Papa's office, in which he often retreated away from the rest of the family, showed little sign of the attention and work she had expected from a master of an estate, even for £2,000 per year. It was at this moment that Elizabeth startled herself with an unfaithful thought which had never passed her mind. She shivered. Abandon it! She must be a terrible daughter to ever think ill of her poor Papa.

The book Mr. Bennet last read slid from the pile of paper on his desk to the floor with a swish of pages and a dull thump. Jane picked up the fallen book. She wavered, unsure of whether to interrupt Lizzy's midnight frenzy.

"Lizzy!" Jane finally called out.

Elizabeth stopped. She did not turn to her sister but stood, leaving the stack untidied at her feet. She stood silent for a minute before following her sister out of the library.

"I do not know what to think!" Jane whispered. "Their sincerity confuses me. What could truly induce Dr. Bancroft and Mr. Loomis to ride all the way to us from London?"

Lizzy made no answer.

"Do you suspect Uncle Gardiner arranged this? It must have been an abrupt decision to seek Dr. Bancroft."

"Impossible. He would have sent word. Our visitors would also have told us of Uncle's involvement."

"My only other guess would be that Papa knew—knows these gentlemen."

She shook her head, holding Jane's hand as they climbed up the stairs to bed.

"I think not, Jane. It is something else entirely, I am sure of it."