Chapter 31 #2
Rational, dispassionate thought had been nearly impossible.
It had been her heart crying out that had prompted Elizabeth’s letter to Darcy House in London.
The impropriety had not even occurred to her until long after it was sent, and then she had cared little for it.
She longed for him to be by her side, and propriety was of no consequence for the time.
She wanted the comfort of him whom her heart loved.
Yes, she loved Fitzwilliam Darcy. Their first fraught encounter was scarcely a fading memory, eclipsed by many conversations and visits and one extremely memorable occasion which had sealed in Elizabeth’s mind the admirable qualities of Mr. Darcy’s nature.
He was a better man than Mr. Bennet had been; even now, mourning her father, Elizabeth was able to freely admit it.
When a dire situation arose, Mr. Darcy boldly cast aside his own comfort, and even his own safety, to leap into action and rescue a foolish dog.
It was a stark contrast to Mr. Bennet, who had refused to save even one hundred pounds a year for the wife and five daughters who were fully dependent on him.
Fitzwilliam Darcy would never neglect his duty to the woman he loved, nor the children of their union. His future wife could repose her full faith in him.
Her heart fluttered again. Even now, every minute brought him nearer to Netherfield. Never had a few hours seemed so long, yet they stretched before her, an interminable period of anticipation before she could see the man whom she loved, respected, and adored.
“…will do an excellent job,” Charlotte Lucas said.
Elizabeth blinked and shook her head. She had lost the thread of the conversation.
“I am certain they will,” Jane replied placidly. She was, even dressed in a dyed black gown, radiantly beautiful.
“Will you stay here at Longbourn, Eliza?” Charlotte asked.
“I do not know,” Elizabeth said. “Jane and Charles have said that I may live with them as long as I like, which is very kind, but it rather depends on the needs of my mother and sisters, and perhaps I will soon be…”
“You know you are always welcome,” Jane said, interrupting Elizabeth’s explanation about Mr. Darcy. “And even if you choose to live here at Longbourn, you may find it a blessing to visit Charles and me frequently.”
Elizabeth turned a grateful look on her sister and decided to wait to share her news. She turned to her friend. “Charlotte, in the midst of all this upheaval, I have not asked, how are you and your family?”
“We are well enough,” Charlotte said. “Sir William is rather disturbed about the thefts in the area.”
Elizabeth frowned. “Are they still occurring? It seems quite impossible that no one has been identified yet as the villain in question.”
Charlotte sighed, “I completely agree, but so far my father has been unable to find anyone who could be the guilty party. The thievery takes place among every stratum of society, and no one person seems like a possible culprit. It is very frustrating.”
“Jane, have you lost anything at Netherfield Hall?” Elizabeth asked.
Jane hesitated and then said, “Not that I know of. One of my brooches went missing three weeks ago, but it may have come loose from my gown and fallen in a corner or something. I am not certain.”
“I see,” Elizabeth said. “How extraordinary and frustrating…”
She trailed off and tilted her head at the sound of murmured male voices in the direction of the vestibule.
She stood up and said, “I think the gentlemen have returned from the funeral. I will order more tea for them and then relieve Mary, as she should be down here. Charlotte, thank you so much for visiting today.”
“It is my pleasure, Eliza.”
Elizabeth departed on quick feet, making her way first to the kitchen and then upstairs to inform Mary of the arrival of the gentlemen.
Mrs. Collins left within minutes, and Elizabeth took her place on a chair next to her mother, who was lying in bed dressed in nightclothes, her face twisted with fretful sorrow.
“Lizzy, oh Lizzy,” her mother wailed, “I simply cannot bear this! I cannot! To be displaced by my own daughter as mistress of the house. It is not fair, not at all, and Mary is not even twenty years old yet. She is hardly capable of fulfilling her tasks appropriately. You clearly must tell her to allow me to stay in my role for at least six months, perhaps even a year!”
Elizabeth knew that Jane was too tender-hearted to argue with her mother, and Mary too busy with her new tasks, and thus she decided the time had come for some plain speaking.
“Mamma, when you were married to Father, you were not yet twenty, and yet you became mistress of Longbourn.”
Mrs. Bennet’s forehead creased truculently. “Yes, but that was an entirely different affair. My mother-in-law had died five years previous to my marriage to Mr. Bennet, so she could not assist me…”
“If she had been alive, would you have wanted her to order you and the servants about?” Elizabeth asked bluntly.
“I have no intention of ordering Mary about, Lizzy! I merely wish to assist…”
“By remaining mistress of the estate. You know that will not work, Mother. Longbourn can only have one master and one mistress, and it is time for William and Mary to take those roles.”
Mrs. Bennet promptly burst into noisy tears, interspersed with anguished complaints. Elizabeth was not inclined to soothe the afflicted lady, and thus the next hour was tempestuous indeed until Mrs. Bennet, exhausted by her outbursts, finally fell asleep.
Two hours later, Jane entered the room to take her turn sitting with her mother, and Elizabeth fled.
It was now almost three hours after noon, and Elizabeth suddenly could not wait any longer. Mr. Darcy would be here by dusk, and Jane had encouraged her to spend as much time at Netherfield as she liked. The day was warm and dry, and while the carriage was not available, she could easily walk.