Rumour and Reputation (A Duology of Pride and Prejudice Variations)

Chapter 1

Gracechurch Street bustled with lively chatter and clamour, but Elizabeth Bennet hardly took notice as her carriage pulled to a halt. She peered up at her aunt and uncle’s home, a tidy brick building with handsome red shutters, hoping to spot her sister in a window.

She had thought herself so clever to suggest that Jane return to London with the Gardiners! It had seemed the perfect solution to the low spirits resulting from Mr Bingley’s sudden departure from Netherfield Park.

Only, matters had not turned out quite as Elizabeth had hoped.

Jane sounded cheerful in her letters, but Elizabeth did not trust the happy tidings she reported.

Her sister had not yet seen either Caroline Bingley or her brother, despite having received correspondence from Miss Bingley, no doubt full of empty promises.

It was only too like Jane to hide her sorrows at the lack of connection — both with Miss Bingley and her brother — behind a smile and pleasant words.

Determined to lift her sister’s spirits and chase away the shadows of heartbreak, Elizabeth marched up to the Gardiner’s front door.

The smell of horses, coffee, and bread wafted through the air, and the calls of friends meeting, shop boys loudly advertising their wares, and the laughter of girls as they swept up the street towards the shops hummed in her ears.

Before she could lift her hand to knock, Mrs Gardiner swung open the front door and welcomed her niece with a warm smile. “Lizzie, what a relief to see you! Come in, come in. Jane is in the drawing room.”

Elizabeth pressed her aunt’s hands. “How is she, truly?”

Mrs Gardiner’s lips thinned. The hesitation confirmed Elizabeth’s suspicions about her sister’s pretence at happiness.

“Jane is well enough, but she will be even better now that you are here.” With that, Mrs Gardiner looked fondly up at her brood, who had congregated on the stairs.

Though they had seen their cousin scant weeks ago during the Gardiner’s Christmas visit to Longbourn, renewed shyness prevented them from descending.

Elizabeth removed her cloak, and after bidding her cousins good day, hastened to the drawing room.

To Elizabeth’s relief, Jane looked entirely healthy and as lovely as ever.

She sat near the window with a book open and forgotten on her lap.

Hearing Elizabeth’s footsteps, she raised her eyes to meet her company, and seeing who it was, her countenance lit with joy.

She jumped to her feet, arms open to embrace her sister.

“Lizzie, I am so glad to see you!”

Elizabeth stepped into her arms as a wave of relief pulsed through her.

Whatever troubled Jane, it had not dimmed her light completely.

Breaking away from her, she peered into Jane’s face carefully.

She was a touch thinner in her cheeks, faint dark rims lined her eyes, and her arms had trembled slightly.

She cupped her sister’s face. “Oh, Jane,” she said softly. “If you tell me you are happy, I shall not believe it until you smile.”

Jane offered a quavering lift of her lips. “I am happy you are here.”

Elizabeth guided her sister back to her seat and settled herself beside her.

She brushed her hand fondly over her hair as she spoke.

“And your happiness shall extend past my arrival. We’ll go to every shop, theatre, and walk every street in London.

You will feel like yourself again soon, I promise. ”

Jane laughed softly. “You make everything sound so simple, Lizzie.” Her smile warmed, but Elizabeth caught the flicker of worry in her sister’s eyes.

Before she could press the matter further, the Gardiner children, who had finally gained their courage, surrounded them and began chattering so loudly and with such enthusiasm that all confidential conversation was at an end.

They passed the morning most pleasantly, sharing news and watching the children play games.

Elizabeth shared their mother’s latest excitements, Kitty and Lydia’s scamps and squabbles, and Mary’s new determination for moral improvement.

They spoke about Hertfordshire, and soon colour returned to Jane’s cheeks.

But when Mrs Gardiner departed to oversee the midday meal, taking her brood with her, the mood took a sudden turn. Jane reached for her book, but did not open it. Instead, she sighed and brushed her fingers over the cover.

Elizabeth seized her moment. “You need not pretend with me. You have been out of sorts for weeks. No, do not deny it! I know your heart, Jane. So does our aunt. Tell me what has been troubling you. Is it the Bingleys?”

Jane placed her book gently to the side. “They have been otherwise engaged, I think.”

“They have been so occupied they could not spare a note or visit, even knowing you are in the same city?” she asked pointedly.

Her sister blushed. “Do not be unkind, Lizzie. London is a large city, and their time is not entirely their own. There are many social engagements they must attend to, I’m sure.”

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. “I am aware London is a large city, but they have a carriage, do they not?”

Jane tried to smile again, but the attempt was painfully unconvincing. Her gaze fell to her hands, placed carefully in her lap. “I believe they mean well. Miss Bingley has written to me. More than once.”

Elizabeth made a noise in her throat that conveyed her scepticism. She had never held Miss Bingley in high regard, and her cold treatment of Jane since her arrival in London only proved that she was right to feel less than charitable towards her.

Ever optimistic, Jane continued, although Elizabeth suspected she was merely trying to convince herself to remain positive. “Perhaps they have good reason for not calling. They may be occupied with matters we know nothing about.”

Elizabeth took her sister’s hand in her own. “You give them every benefit of every doubt.”

“And you give them none.”

The words struck a chord in her chest.

“You see Caroline’s indifference, Mr Bingley’s silence, Mr Darcy’s reserve, and think the worst of them,” Jane said.

“But isn’t it possible that their behaviour is simply misunderstood?

We do not know what circumstances they might be facing, or why they would act in the manner they do.

Appearances can be deceptive, Lizzie. People can seem cold when they are uncertain, or distant when they are hurt.

When we look at someone, we only see the parts that they allow us to. ”

Chastened, Elizabeth squeezed Jane’s hand. The words carried more weight than her sister could know.

Satisfied with her sister’s lack of argument, Jane pressed on earnestly. “You must keep an open mind, even toward those you distrust. We cannot judge the whole of a person on first impressions.”

Though she longed to argue, Elizabeth found she did not want to sully her sister’s favourable opinion of the world. “You are too good, Jane.”

“I have had a great deal of time to think about it. If we decide we already know someone’s heart, then we may blind ourselves to the truth of it.”

Elizabeth shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

She had always believed herself to be an astute observer of character.

She relished her ability to sum up a person easily, but her sister’s sentiments gave her pause.

Her thoughts flickered inexplicably to Mr Darcy and his grave expression at the Meryton assembly, his cruel comment about her appearance, his coolness at Netherfield, and, most unforgivably, his interference in Jane’s happiness.

Elizabeth’s distaste for him was unshakable.

She had never considered that she might be mistaken, and Elizabeth did not intend to give the idea much weight now. She pushed the thoughts of him away at once.

“I will try to be more like you, dearest,” she said lightly. “But do not ask me to like Miss Bingley.”

“Even she may have her reasons, Lizzie.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes good-naturedly. This was precisely why she had come to London. Her sister was too kind and sweet for the rough edges of London society.

But all that could be put aside, and Elizabeth intended it would be. She would soon cheer Jane and make her forget her heartache.

∞∞∞

The next morning, Elizabeth was in high spirits. Jane’s countenance was warm; her mood much lifted. It was very good that she had come to London, and Elizabeth predicted that, under her ministrations, Jane would return to her usual good humour within a fortnight.

She never would have noticed the piece of paper tucked gently next to the tea tray if Jane had not gone suddenly pale. Her fingers hovered over the sheet, trembling.

“Jane? What is it?” Elizabeth asked quietly.

“Nothing.” Jane attempted to smile and pretend all was well, but Elizabeth gently took the paper.

“It’s only foolish gossip. It doesn’t matter,” Jane said.

Elizabeth unfolded the paper, recognising it as a cheaply printed broadsheet, the sort that their father would have lambasted soundly, had he seen it. They sold for pennies on street corners and were filled with tattle. She scanned the column quickly, searching for the source of Jane’s distress.

There, in the middle of the sheet, was the story responsible. Elizabeth drew in a quick, shocked breath as she read it.

A certain country Miss B, noted for her beauty, is said to have used delicate indisposition to secure the attentions of a wealthy gentleman of fortune (B), going so far as to impose herself upon his company with well-timed fainting spells and illness.

Though the gentleman’s admiration was widely observed, some whisper it was encouraged by the young lady’s manipulations and private attentions meant to ensnare a generous heart.

Elizabeth felt the colour leave her own cheeks. “You think this…this nonsense refers to you?” A knot settled in her stomach. How could anyone think this of her sister? There was no proof of the lie, clearly meant to ruin Jane’s reputation.

Jane bit her lip. “I am certain of it.”

Elizabeth threw the scandal sheet onto the table. “This is utterly ridiculous! Clearly the author has never met you.”

Jane took the scandal sheet back and folded it neatly.

“It is not the first of such rumours. Aunt Gardiner has intercepted several others that hint the same, though none has been so bold thus far. No others have dared use initials to identify the subjects. She says she’s heard comments and other indelicate remarks in town, too. ”

“How long has this been going on?”

Jane blinked away her unshed tears. “Two weeks.”

“Why did you not tell me?” Elizabeth clenched her hands in her lap, struggling to contain her fury.

“I did not want to worry you. I hoped they would stop on their own. There is always fresh gossip. It means nothing. And people do not really pay any mind to these things.”

“Yes, they do,” Elizabeth said hotly. “When the rumour is this specific. It is not idle speculation. Someone who knows us intimately, or who has been to Hertfordshire and knows about your stay at Netherfield.”

Jane said nothing.

At last, Elizabeth understood the true reason for Jane’s poor spirits.

Not only had she been suffering from a broken heart, she had also been the subject of public humiliation.

Someone was orchestrating a campaign against her, for reasons she couldn’t hope to guess.

The realisation of her sister’s misery only fuelled her anger.

“This is deliberate.”

Her sister sipped her tea. “I don’t like to believe that anyone would do such a thing.”

“Whoever wrote this wishes to make Bingley believe you sought to entrap him.”

Her sister’s careful composure fractured. “But I did not.”

“And anyone who knows you understands you never would. The cruelty in this lies in how believable it might appear to those who don’t know you as I do.”

Jane’s eyes welled with tears once more.

“If I find out that Caroline Bingley is behind this —”

“No, Lizzie. I don’t believe she would do this. She has been distant, but who can wonder at that? If she has seen these terrible accusations, it is only natural that she would not wish to see me.”

Elizabeth bit back her retort. “Regardless of who it is, I will find them.”

Jane dried her cheeks. “Don’t jump to conclusions, please. For my sake. Don’t let anger cloud your judgement.”

“I am perfectly capable of judgement.”

“I know, but sometimes your temper leads you to see enemies where none exist.”

Elizabeth pressed her lips together. “If there is a villain, I shall find them, but I shall investigate with an open mind. If I discover who has been hurting you…”

She could not finish the sentence. She did not need to.

Jane gave a small, weary laugh. “You have always been my fierce champion.”

“And I always will be.”

A knock sounded at the door, and Mrs Gardiner entered with a tray of fresh tea and an expression of cautious optimism.

“Shall we go for a walk, my dears?” she asked. “The fresh air will do you good.”

Jane smiled faintly. “Yes, Aunt.”

Elizabeth readily added her own agreement to the suggestion. It was the perfect opportunity to begin her investigation. She would walk by her sister’s side and open her ears for any hint of who was behind this malicious campaign.