Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
T he following day, Elizabeth peered through the side-glass from her seat in the Bennets’ carriage as they drew closer to Netherfield Park. She admired the scene before her as frost adorned the trees along the lane and a light snowfall dusted the ground.
As the house finally came into view, her sisters conversed energetically around her. Their parents, who originally intended to join the dinner, had been forced to stay home. Mrs Bennet had caught the cold suffered by Amelia and Lillian and needed to rest in hopes of recovering before the wedding on Saturday morning. Mr Bennet, perhaps keener to avoid the social event than out of true devotion, had opted to remain behind as well, claiming he must be at Longbourn to welcome Mr and Mrs Gardiner and Annabelle back from their short trip to London. Thus, only the five Bennet sisters would be attending the evening’s gathering. Elizabeth, anticipating her hours in Mr Darcy’s company, could only hope the youngest three would comport themselves well. At the moment, she feared the worst. Mary and Lydia were heatedly arguing. Elizabeth rolled her eyes; she had heard this dispute in one form or another a hundred times. She put her hands to her temples, feeling every bump of the carriage wheels as her head began to throb.
At long last, the carriage stopped in front of the entry steps to Netherfield. Elizabeth exited as quickly as she could, taking a few deep breaths before walking up the steps to enter the house. They were met at the door by a servant, who led them into the drawing room. The throbbing lessened but she remained a little unsteady and stared at one spot on the carpet as they were announced. Pray dinner will begin soon , she thought; she had eaten little and hunger often brought on headaches.
Happily, they were not too long in the drawing room. Within half an hour, the guests were led into the dining room. Elizabeth took slow bites of her soup, and gradually felt the pain in her head abate. As conversation swirled round her, she observed the dining room. It was beautifully furnished; everything about Netherfield was grand and opulent. Of the houses she had visited, it was second only to Rosings in its lavishness. Elizabeth reflected in disbelief that in a few days, it would be her sister’s home. She could not imagine living in a house as grand as Netherfield, having always pictured herself living in a home similar to Longbourn—which was, admittedly, a large home but not terribly grand . Likely for the best that things went off between Mr Darcy and I, as Pemberley is no doubt ten times as grand as Netherfield.
Her heart clenched, and she gave a big sigh. How things have changed! It was hard to believe she and Mr Darcy had once been so close to an understanding. She could not but shake her head at the thought, now certain it was for the best that he had been exposed to all of her family before it was too late. It would have been terrible for both parties if they had married, and he had learnt to despise them after the engagement or wedding. His own family would have scorned her, and perhaps him as well. Their marriage would have been filled with strife and unhappiness.
She gazed down the table at him thoughtfully. As if her mind had been read, the man himself was staring back at her. She averted her eyes away quickly towards the window. The sight of snow falling peacefully calmed her spirits, but she remained subdued throughout dinner. She felt unsure of how to act towards Mr Darcy. She had been heartened by his friendliness at church but now, only a day later, he seemed to have returned to his usual quiet manner. With my headache, I am scarcely better, but it remains all very awkward. Had he come to her side when they first entered Netherfield or offered his arm to escort her to dinner, she might have known how to act . He is difficult to understand. It seems too forward to suddenly seek his company or act overtly friendly. Drawing a deep breath, she comforted herself that the situation would end in a few days . This is the last gathering we will attend together before the wedding, and afterwards we can part as indifferent acquaintances.
Stricken by the thought, she turned her attention to the view outside of the window and watched as the snow began to blanket the trees outside. It was majestic; she wished she could go out and enjoy the brisk air. She wondered whether Mr Darcy enjoyed being outside in the snow, and imagined them taking a walk in it together. Wind began scratching on the windows, alerting her to the strange path her thoughts had wandered down .
Soon thereafter, Elizabeth realised that what had been a beautiful scene of flakes descending from the sky had taken a fierce turn. The wind was howling and she could hardly see out the window. A violent snowstorm was upon them.
Across from her, Mr Hurst shifted in his seat to look out the window. “This storm has come out of nowhere.”
“I agree,” answered Mrs Hurst. “I never expected to see such snow in this part of the country.”
“It is quite unusual,” Mary added.
Jane nodded in agreement and clearly concerned, looked at Mr Bingley. His eyes widened before he exchanged a knowing glance with Mr Darcy and abruptly turned and whispered to his sister. Miss Bingley rolled her eyes and took a sip of wine. Finally, she sighed, cleared her throat, and addressed the table.
“It appears as though the storm has only increased in its severity. I must request that you ladies stay here for the night. The roads would be too dangerous to attempt to return home. We shall wish for better weather so you may depart in the morning.”
Elizabeth groaned inwardly before looking around the room. Jane’s face appeared to relax at the invitation, as Mary and Kitty nodded in relief. Lydia, however, wore an absent expression as she held her hand close to her face and fidgeted with her nails. Elizabeth heard a screech of wind against the window and sighed. Perhaps it is better to stay. We cannot risk our safety because of my discomfort with Mr Darcy, about which none of my family is aware.
“We have rooms to accommodate everyone.” Miss Bingley paused, clearly wanting to stop her charity here, but upon her brother’s encouraging nods continued with a twinge of disgust. “And clothing to spare for those of you who will need them.”
Elizabeth masked her unease with an insincere smile. “Thank you for your gracious offer, Miss Bingley.”