Chapter 8
“Lizzy, Mr. Darcy, it is so good you have come. Perchance your presence will be just the thing to bring your father around. Oh, I pray that is the case. Your brother Geoffrey has been a true prince in taking over in your father’s stead, but I should very much like to see Mr. Bennet recover.
” Clutching a linen handkerchief, Mrs. Bennet placed her hand on her chin.
“I do believe I would be quite lost without him.”
“Oh, Mama, I pray that what you say is true—that my being here will make a difference.”
Geoffrey Collins and Jane came into the parlour to greet the Darcys, the former looking like the head of the village. Tall and exceedingly handsome, he and Darcy merely nodded at each other. Jane and Elizabeth rushed into each other’s comforting embrace.
“Lizzy, it is so good you have come.”
“Yes, Jane. It is good that you are here as well. How is Papa? Has there been any change in his condition? I should like very much to see him.”
Before Jane replied, Elizabeth looked back at Darcy. “Are you coming with me?”
Darcy nodded. “If that is your wish.”
“I do not know that I can do this without you.” It was enough said. Darcy walked to Elizabeth’s side, took her hand in his, and the two of them headed up the stairs to Mr. Bennet’s room.
What Elizabeth saw, upon entering her father’s room, took her breath away.
Instead of the hearty robust man whom she had last welcomed to her home at Pemberley with such warm delight some months ago at Christmas, she espied what could best be described as a shell of her father.
How pale and weak he looked. She silently vowed she would remain close by his side until he fully recovered.
This was her father and, in spite of all their differences over the years, she felt strongly that she owed him as much.
Darcy took hold of his wife’s elbow to steady her. They walked closer to the bed. Elizabeth leaned down and kissed her father’s forehead. “Papa, I am here.”
For a time, Darcy sat with his wife and offered whatever comfort he could as she busied herself attending her father.
Once the sun had all but disappeared from the sky, Darcy said to Elizabeth.
“Will you pardon me, my love, while I speak with my man to see that arrangements have been made for our stay in Meryton?”
Jane, who was happening by the partially opened door, entered the room.
“Pray forgive me, but I could not help overhearing you. There is no need for you to stay in Meryton. I have seen to it that the two of you are settled in the green room.” She said, “I apologise that the room is not up to your standards. The house is rather crowded, you see, and we all have to make allowances.”
“You need not have gone to the trouble. Mrs. Darcy and I do not mean to disrupt the household.”
“Nonsense, Mr. Darcy—it is unheard of that you should even think to stay in Meryton when there is no reason at all that we all should not stay here at Longbourn.”
Elizabeth said nothing during the discussion.
She was perfectly content to remain in the chair beside her father’s bed if it meant being close to him.
Her hasty departure from Kent had not been without immense distress over the prospect of leaving Ben behind.
How her heart ached over the uncertainty of not knowing when they would be reunited.
Still, she could not help but consider that their scheme to arrive in Hertfordshire ahead of Ben, Georgiana, and Anne was for the best. She missed him terribly.
What a brave little lad he had been through it all, going so far as to pen a letter to his grandfather—all on his own.
Elizabeth was close to tears when he handed it to her.
In truth, there was very little Elizabeth could do now, other than sit and pray and read. Her father loved nothing more than a good, long book. What pleasure he derived in immersing himself in one, especially a mystery.
Darcy placed his hands on his wife’s shoulder. He applied a gentle massaging pressure. “We have been sitting here for some time. What say you to pausing for dinner?”
“I do not feel the least bit hungry, but you must not feel obliged to forgo dinner.”
“I must insist you join me. There is no point in you sacrificing your own health. What purpose might that serve?”
Elizabeth reluctantly conceded to her husband’s demands.
Of course, he was correct. She would be of no use to anyone if she did not keep up her own strength.
Her stomach’s rumbling unceremoniously bolstered her decision.
She needed a bite to eat after all. But just a quick bite, and then she would return to her father’s side.
Standing, Elizabeth released her papa’s hand and turned to her sister. “Jane, what exactly does the physician have to say about Papa’s condition?”
“That is the hardest part about this, Lizzy, for Mr. Jones is at a complete loss to explain what brought about Papa’s illness. Papa was found days ago lying here in much the same state as you see him now.”
Darcy said, “May I ask who is Mr. Jones? Is he the man who attended you when you fell ill at Netherfield?”
“Indeed. Mr. Jones is the only person in Meryton who is to be consulted on such a matter as this.”
“I shall consult my own physician. He should be in a position to make a more comprehensive assessment of this illness that has beset Mr. Bennet.”
Geoffrey Collins entered the room in time to hear Darcy’s proclamation. “Your generosity is most appreciated, but I am afraid it is entirely unnecessary. I have made arrangements to bring in a specialist from town. He shall arrive tomorrow.”
“You are well within your rights to consult anyone whom you wish, just as I am within my rights to act accordingly.”
Elizabeth and Jane exchanged knowing glances. Already their husbands were at odds, and the Darcys had only just arrived. Suspecting this was the first of many differences of opinions that lay ahead, Elizabeth fought not to roll her eyes to the ceiling. And so it begins.
Darcy looked around the tiny quarters. His man stood silently by the door.
“If I did not know better, I would say that Collins had a hand in the selection of this room.” In a tone meant only for himself, he said, “That pompous bore seems to have wasted no time at all designating himself head of the family in Mr. Bennet’s stead. ”
The two small beds separated by a bed table would never do. Darcy turned to his man, Waters. “Mrs. Darcy and I will remain at Longbourn for as little time as feasible while Netherfield is being prepared. Please do what you can to see that this room is suitable to our needs—starting with the beds.”
“Shall I have another bed—perhaps a larger one—brought up, sir?”
Darcy waved his hand. “It is entirely possible that these beds will suffice; however, the arrangement does not suit. How do you find your own accommodations?”
“There is not much room, what with the deluge of additional staff from both Lincolnshire as well as Pemberley, but I am certain we shall all manage during the brevity of our stay.
“Once you have seen to the rearrangement of this room, I would have you head over to Netherfield Park and oversee the preparations for our arrival. I am sure I do not need to tell you what all that entails.”
“No, sir. I have a fine idea of your requirements.”
“Good man,” Darcy said and then headed out the door into the hallway to make his way back to Elizabeth’s side.
The next day, Geoffrey Collins involved himself with the arduous task of poring over Longbourn’s accounts. Always fastidious, he was rattled by the disorderly chaos of Mr. Bennet’s library.
Tapping his fingers on the cluttered desk, he released a heavy sigh.
It is bad enough that it will require a small fortune to bring the management of the estate under control; I must also see to the refurbishing of the manor house.
In addition, there was the added expense of bringing a physician from town to oversee Mr. Bennet’s care.
As matters of wealth—or rather, lack thereof—robbed him of his tranquillity, so did thoughts of Longbourn’s newest houseguest. Collins had been more aggrieved by Darcy’s presumptuousness regarding consulting a specialist from town than he had let on.
By all accounts, that gentleman never deigned to set foot in Longbourn before yesterday. He thinks he will arrive and start directing matters according to his wishes.
It is only proper that I should make the decisions on behalf of the Bennets in Mr. Bennet’s stead.
My only question is why Darcy would even presume otherwise.
“What of it that he has over ten thousand pounds a year and he owns half of Derbyshire?” Collins muttered.
“Neither of those things are of consequence in this situation.” He leaned back in the chair.
I am Mr. Bennet’s heir. I am married to Mr. Bennet’s eldest daughter.
As long as Mr. Bennet is incapacitated, and certainly after he is no longer with us and as long as the Bennet daughters as well as Mrs. Bennet reside at Longbourn, I am their protector.
I will not have an outsider dictate the management of my own home.
Speaking to no one in particular, for he was the only one in the room, Collins said, “Should the proud Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire raise any objections, he may very well carry his point by removing Mrs. Bennet and her unmarried daughters into an establishment that he owns—even the great halls of Pemberley if it comes to that.” Remembering the magnificence of the place and still smarting that anyone should live in the lap of such luxury, Collins huffed.
“It is not as though he does not have the room.”
Gillian and Emily raced into the parlour, just ahead of Elizabeth’s next eldest sister, Mary.
“Where is young Ben? Does he remain in Kent with Lady Catherine de Bourgh?”
“Good morning, young ladies,” said Elizabeth as she proceeded to give each of them a loving hug. “Ben is in London.”
“Why did you not bring him with you? I should hate to think he is in London with complete strangers,” said Gillian.
“Actually, Ben is with his aunt Georgiana and his cousin Anne. They are hardly strangers. And you remember the colonel, do you not?”
Bright smiles covered the girls’ faces—likely a consequence of his having spent time entertaining them when they were all at Pemberley at Christmas. They nodded in perfect timing. Elizabeth said, “Colonel Fitzwilliam will see that the three of them are settled at Matlock House today.”
Elizabeth’s next eldest sister, Mary, adjusted her spectacles.
“Why Matlock House? I am sure they would have been welcome to stay here at Longbourn, although the house is rather crowded what with Jane and our brother Geoffrey and Gillian and Emily and their governess.” Mary went silent for a moment.
“I suppose we could have—no, on the other hand…”
Elizabeth said, “Now, you understand my decision perfectly well for you have illustrated it yourself. Mr. Darcy and I rightly anticipated that there would be no room for our rather large party. Arrangements will be made to accommodate us all, and then Colonel Fitzwilliam will bring everyone to Hertfordshire. Ben sends his love, and he told me to tell you that he looks forward to seeing you again.”
This was information enough to bring a warm smile to Mary’s face.
Elizabeth knew that Mary knew that, of all his Bennet aunts, she was Ben’s favourite and for good reason too.
She was the aunt who always treated him best, taking time to read to him, even if it was Fordyce’s Sermons, as well as spending hours with him discussing his own favourite books from time to time.
Certainly neither of the two younger sisters, Lydia and Kitty, could be bothered with their young nephew.
Elizabeth had little doubt that Ben had as much use for them as they had for him.
But his Aunt Mary—well, she was special to him.
Mary said, “How wonderful. I pray we shall see each other soon. Ben’s liveliness might be just the thing that is needed here at Longbourn.”
“I am apt to agree with you. In the meantime, he will be safe and protected with Lord and Lady Matlock in town.”
Jane set aside her mending. “So, it is true that Mr. Bingley is returning to Netherfield and that you mean to reside there during your stay, as opposed to remaining with the family at Longbourn.”
“Surely you can understand that our party is large and has strained Longbourn’s resources considerably.”
“Oh, Lizzy, you know that is all inconsequential where family is concerned.”
Elizabeth huffed. “I am afraid my husband will disagree.” As will your own husband if I know anything about him at all.