Chapter 18
Elizabeth
The morning walk up to Oakham Mount had been a revelation to Elizabeth. She had certainly never known—honestly, she had never even imagined—that William could give her so much pleasure. She shivered with the remembrance of it, and she wished she knew how she could give him equal pleasure.
“I am ecstatic to have watched your face as I showed you my love,” William had said. “There could be no greater pleasure.”
But she had a sense that there could be something greater and was looking forward to the discovery.
She felt as if she was satisfied beyond measure—but also, contrariwise, she felt the most impatient she had ever been. How on earth could she wait almost four more weeks to wed?
Still, arrangements had been made, a dress and trousseaux ordered, guests invited—they would simply have to wait.
William had let her know that the residents and guests of Netherfield, including Richard but emphatically not including Miss Bingley, would be calling on the Lucases that afternoon.
“I promised Bingley that Georgiana and I would go with him, to return Sir William’s first call, but then we ended up not doing so, because I was so focused on winning the favour of your father.
But today he will be calling again, and I feel that I must support him, as the Lucases will likely wonder why Miss Bingley is not with him. ”
Of course Elizabeth had praised his effort to support his friend. “Will you be making the excuse that Miss Bingley is feeling ill?” she asked. “I suppose that Jane and I should be aware of what is being told to the general public.”
“Yes to all of that.” He asked if he could call on her afterwards. “Or will you be busy with wedding preparations?”
“My mother has us all making satin flowers as decorations, but we can now make them in our sleep, so we can certainly host your call while continuing to fold and stitch.”
Now she folded and stitched and waited. It was absurd how much she wished to see him again, as though it had been weeks since she had seen him—instead of less than six hours! Seeing Richard again, after what William had said, would be less happy, but she would manage, as she had on other occasions.
Hill announced, “Colonel Fitzwilliam, Mr and Miss Darcy, Mr and Mrs Hurst, Mr Bingley.” The six guests descended on the group of flower-stitching ladies. Having been expected, however, they were quickly seated as the sewing baskets were easily whisked aside.
Lydia and Kitty eagerly asked Mrs Hurst for news from their friend Maria Lucas, but she had not much to report.
“She is every inch a lady,” she said. Jane politely asked after Miss Bingley.
Mrs Hurst said, “She does not feel herself, and we are seeking an expert’s help; however, we feel certain that she is as comfortable as she can be and that it is not dangerous. ”
Her smile looked strained as she said this, and Mary looked to Elizabeth and then to Jane, as if she felt alert to something being afoot, but Elizabeth concentrated on smiling gently as she said, “We send our best wishes for a prompt and full recovery.”
Jane said, “Yes, Miss Bingley will certainly be in our thoughts while she ails.”
Mrs Hurst looked at them with very grateful eyes, and she asked Mary to explain how to make the satin flowers.
William had taken the seat closest to Elizabeth, and she sent him a warm look.
Mr Hurst was keeping her mother busy, asking about the food that would be served at the wedding breakfast. Elizabeth did not look to see where Mr Bingley or the colonel ended up, but she heard Jane happily speaking with the former and Lydia and Kitty peppering the latter with questions.
“How did it go?” she asked William softly.
“Smoothly,” he replied. She knew that this meant that Lady Lucas avidly listened to the tale of Miss Bingley being ill, and before long the news would spread all over Meryton.
“And Mr Bingley’s arrangements?”
“Coming along. Everything takes time.”
She nodded her understanding and finally looked across the room to study Mr Bingley.
He seemed remarkably composed; he still smiled easily and talked as eagerly as a young person with no responsibilities.
She admired his acting talent and knew that this ability to maintain his cheerful mien would help to protect their privacy about Miss Bingley’s… condition.
Suddenly Elizabeth’s father stepped into the room. “Mr Darcy,” he said, “a moment of your time, if you please.”
William sent an expressive, questioning glance her way, but Elizabeth did not know what her father wished to say, or ask, so she just shrugged her eyebrows and watched him leave the room with a bit of concern. Still, she turned to Georgiana and asked in a low voice, “How are you faring?”
“I am doing well enough,” she whispered, “but things are feeling tense at Netherfield. Mr Bingley seems unchanged, for some reason, but the servants and the Hursts, Brother and I all seem to be on edge. It is not as if I fear that Miss Bingley will burst from her room and hurl sleeping draught into my mouth and steal my best slippers…but it does feel less friendly and safe in that house.”
“I wonder if you would like to stay with us here in Longbourn for a night or two, Georgiana?” Elizabeth asked. “You could sleep with your companion in the guest room, or you could join me in my room while Jane sleeps with Mary. It could be delightful!”
“Oh! That sounds wonderful! But—I do not know how my brother will feel. And your mother—would she approve of such a plan?
Elizabeth’s mother was eager to not only approve, but a minute later she took credit for the idea. “You may certainly bring your companion, as well, Miss Darcy, or your lady’s maid. Whatever you need. We would not want you to feel as if you must do without!”
At that moment William came back. He looked unchanged, for the most part, but his red cheeks showed that he was at least discomposed to some extent. Not seeming to notice, Georgiana flew to him with news of Elizabeth’s invitation and her great wish to say yes.
“That is an excellent idea; I thank you all.” He turned from Elizabeth to her mother as he said this.
“I would love for Mrs Green to come and bring our clothing, but I would still love to sleep with you, Elizabeth. Would that work?”
“That would be splendid!” Elizabeth responded.
“I will be happy to send her down with your trunks, Georgiana,” William said.
Elizabeth’s eyes accidentally encountered the colonel’s gaze, and she was embarrassed to see his look of admiration directed her way.
She dropped her eyes immediately but counselled herself that it was appropriate for a relation of William’s to be admiring of her efforts to provide additional comfort and safety for his own cousin.
William leant towards her, whispering, “I will miss our walk tomorrow morning, but I do hope that Georgiana feels safer at Longbourn than she has recently at Netherfield.”
Elizabeth nodded, stricken with the notion that she would miss walking with William more than ever before. He may have read the emotion on her face, because he smirked. She supposed he was proud to have made it so that she so badly wished to be with him.
Well, let him smirk; he had every right to be self-satisfied!
Soon, William, the Hursts, Mr Bingley, and the colonel made their way to the door. Elizabeth and Jane followed to see them out, but once they were outside, Mrs Hurst said, “I must apologise to all of you. Can we do so in the carriage, so as not to be overheard?”
Elizabeth glanced at the others; everyone seemed as surprised as she was. They all climbed into the carriage, with three of the men on one seat and the three ladies plus William on the other. All eyes were on Mrs Hurst.
“Again, this is an apology. Obviously, I never meant to keep important information away from others. It is only now, in hindsight, that I see the mistake I made in not telling other people of Caroline’s oddities.
“You see, I always knew that she was quite greedy. I used to call her Maggie because she so liked shiny things and colorful stones, and she sometimes stole them, like a magpie. Of course, whenever I saw her steal anything, I would secretly return it. But I never told on her.
“Caroline hated being called Maggie, and she would cry and beg me to stop. At the time, I thought that calling her a name would shame her into not stealing any more things.”
“I was always so puzzled by that nickname!” Mr Bingley exclaimed.
Mrs Hurst shook her head. “I should have told Mother. Or possibly Father. I should have done something more. I just thought if I made it right—if I put the things she took back where they belonged—everything would be fine. But I was so very wrong.”
“You were a child,” Elizabeth said. “You are not to blame.”
A sob escaped the woman, and she dabbed at her eyes.
“That you could say that, after my sister gave you that horrible cordial. I am just…stunned by your forbearance. By everybody’s forbearance, really.
And, again, I beg you to understand that I now know better, and I take responsibility for Caroline’s failings, since she is perhaps not competent to do so. ”