Chapter 31
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
H ours later, Elizabeth gazed upon herself absently in the mirror as she brushed her hair to prepare for bed.
“Lizzy!”
Startled, she turned and saw Lydia standing in the doorway.
“What are you doing? I have been standing here for two minutes and you have brushed the same section of hair over and over again,” exclaimed Lydia. “What in the world is wrong with you? You look absolutely mad.”
“Oh…um…” Elizabeth’s hand rose to her cheek as she fumbled for a reply.
“I hoped to borrow your brush, but I can tell you will need it the rest of the night to finish brushing all the hair on your head!”
“Oh goodness, you are right.” She joined Lydia in laughter. “I suppose I was deep in thought about…when we shall be able to return home. ”
“Yes, a second night at Netherfield wearing Miss Bingley’s finery.” Her sister grinned.
“Are you missing your plain flannel night-rail? Mrs Hurst and Miss Bingley will soon run out of gowns to share with us.”
Lydia’s eyes widened. “It cannot be so long before we are able to leave!”
Elizabeth smiled reassuringly. “If there is no further snowfall, we might leave as soon as we receive word that the roads are deemed safe. I hope it is tomorrow.”
“Kitty and I as well,” Lydia said, nodding in agreement. “Hopefully Mr Bingley does not keep us locked in here longer than necessary. I cannot help but wonder that both he and Jane enjoy this current predicament.”
“Lydia!” Elizabeth exclaimed, chuckling. She had wondered the same thing. After their laughter subsided, she added, “I am quite ready to leave, but cannot help but remember that once we return to Longbourn, Jane will be leaving it again only days later to make her home here.”
Her younger sister frowned. “It will be strange, will not it?”
“Very much so.”
They sat in silence for a moment before Lydia said, “Here, let me brush your hair since you seem so incapable. We would not want you to brush yourself bald, would we?”
She came to stand behind Elizabeth at the dressing table and began brushing her hair. Elizabeth watched in the mirror as her sister stifled a huge grin. “What are you laughing at? What are you doing to me?” She began touching her hair to ensure Lydia had not pulled a prank on her.
“It is nothing,” Lydia said, giggling. “Do you remember the time Mama horribly singed the top of her hair with the curling tongs?”
Elizabeth burst out laughing. “Yes! I came home from a walk to the smell of burnt hair! The entire house smelt horrid!”
“She had to wear a cap for months until her hair grew back! It looked so odd, standing straight up until the weight of it could pull it down again.”
“And we were only allowed to use rag curlers from then on!”
Tears streamed from Elizabeth’s eyes and Lydia was nearly doubled over.
“Papa hardly knew what to do with her nerves over it,” Lydia recollected between giggles. “He came into the house, smelt the hair, heard the screaming, and turned and walked back out the door and down the lane until after sundown.” She paused again, struggling to contain her merriment. “Without even trying to help or calm her! I daresay our parents are some of the most ridiculous people I have ever known.”
A moment later, Jane entered the room. “I could hear your laughter echoing down the hall and had to find out what was so amusing.”
“Come join us,” Lydia said.
Elizabeth rose from her seat and the three sisters climbed onto her bed to recount the story to Jane.
“Poor, dear Mama! I remember that day, too,” Jane said, trying to suppress a smile.
They continued sharing stories about their parents and life at Longbourn, and soon heard the door swing open. Kitty and Mary stood in the doorway. Mary appeared noticeably stronger than she had earlier that day, while Kitty looked positively giddy, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Mary, how are you? You were asleep the last time we went to check on you.” Elizabeth sat up straighter to get a closer look at her sister.
Mary managed a small smile, leaning slightly on the doorframe for support. “I am better. Still weak and tired but improving every hour.”
Elizabeth felt relief wash over her. “How wonderful. Come join us.” She patted the counterpane and moved herself closer to Jane to allow room for Mary and Kitty.
Mary stepped slowly into the room. “I was feeling well enough that I wished to leave my room and take a short stroll around the house. I came across Kitty in the corridor, and?—”
Kitty interrupted, practically bouncing on her toes. “And you will never guess what we heard!”
“What?” cried Lydia.
“After I all but bumped into Kitty,” Mary said, sinking slowly onto the bed, “she realised she had forgot her magazine in the drawing room. We walked there to retrieve it but stopped at the door when we overheard Mr Darcy, Mr Hurst, and the Bingley sisters talking…and our names mentioned.”
“Oh dear,” Elizabeth said lightly. “Dare I suppose you did not like what you heard?”
“Miss Bingley had the most to say,” Kitty said, rolling her eyes. “She complains that Mama can hardly hold her tongue, and that all of us save for Jane lack basic manners. It was quite rude, particularly as we are guests under her roof.”
Remembering how Miss Bingley had studied her at dinner, Elizabeth asked, with affected nonchalance, “I should imagine she shredded me very well. ”
“Her opinion is that you have no beauty. She thinks you have a thin face, no handsome features, your nose wants character, that your eyes are shrewish?—”
“Kitty, enough!” Jane cut in sharply.
It was wounding to hear such cruelties, but Elizabeth maintained an air of indifference. “Thankfully I do not want for her good opinion. It does not bother me if people I care nothing for despise me. It only proves what I already suspected of her feelings.”
Jane took Elizabeth’s hand and squeezed it. “How very uncivil. I cannot believe she would speak so! I will speak to Charles about it in the morning.”
“But wait! We have not yet got to the good part!” cried Kitty. “Miss Bingley said that although Mr Darcy had reported to her of your beauty before she was acquainted with you, she was quite disappointed when she finally met you. She found your manners unfashionable and said you were far too self-sufficient. She was quite underwhelmed with you.”
“Kitty, we do not care to hear more,” Jane said in a shocked voice.
Heedless of Jane’s protest, Kitty went on, “And then Mr Darcy said—sounding not at all amused, I might say—‘Not only do I think her beautiful, I think she is one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance, whether in the country or in town. And while you may consider her too self-sufficient, I consider her perfectly confident considering she is one of the most intelligent people that I know.’”
Elizabeth swallowed and, unwilling to let her sisters see how his words affected her, looked down at her toes.
“Kitty! I was there, too. You are taking over the story,” protested Mary .
“ Then ,” Kitty continued excitedly, “Miss Bingley said ‘Perhaps without her low connexions and ill-behaved family she could marry out of her sphere.’ But Mr Darcy would have none of it. He said quite sternly, ‘No, that is not to be borne. Any man would consider himself blessed to be united to her. Family and all’.”
Mary interjected, “Kitty, you are forgetting what he said about Mr Bingley.”
“He said he even told as much to Mr Bingley when Mr Bingley suggested some members of his family objected to Jane.” Kitty looked at Jane and asked her, “Did you know such a thing? Who objected to us?”
Before Jane could answer, Mary interrupted again. “That is not all of what Mr Darcy said to Miss Bingley! He told her that he had encouraged her brother’s attachment to Jane because marrying anyone connected to Elizabeth could only bring honour to the Bingley name. It could only be a privilege to marry into such a family.”
Elizabeth felt her eyes widen and her mouth drop open in shock before she remembered herself and closed it.
“Just then we heard someone stand, and come towards the door. So, we were forced to hurry away quickly and did not hear the rest,” said Kitty. “Nor did I fetch my magazine.”
“Lizzy, did you not believe Mr Darcy despised you, and all of us?” asked Lydia.
“That is what we all thought,” Mary added. “But Kitty tells me he very kindly danced with all of you tonight.”
Lydia nodded. “However, he insisted on Lizzy for the first dance, and did stare at her a great deal tonight.”
Elizabeth looked at her sisters, all watching her curiously. She felt their surprise and carried it more deeply herself. But she could only return their gazes silently, for she had no answers to give.