Chapter Ten #2
Elizabeth watched her sister produce tears as if she were pumping from a well, again, and attempted to picture herself standing up with Jane at her wedding.
After a long moment’s contemplation, she found herself unable to face it.
This was for the best. Perhaps after being married for a time, Jane would come to her old self again, but for right now, a bolt for London sounded like heaven to Elizabeth.
“I will pack.” She rose from her chair.
“Mrs Bennet, there is far too much happening today and tomorrow, and the horses are needed on the farm so they might be available for the wedding day.” Mr Bennet folded his paper and frowned, realising his wife was serious. “I will not give you the horses, nor even a mule.”
“Oh hush, Mr Bennet, as if I would allow your machinations to prevent me!” Mrs Bennet rose and left the room, her voice trailing behind her. “I shall ask Sir Lucas for the loan of his mule and cart, he is such a gentlemanly man.”
An hour later, Darcy, Priscilla, and Georgiana were shown into Longbourn’s drawing room.
A moment later, they were joined by Mrs Bennet.
“Good morning, Lady Priscilla, Mr Darcy, Miss Darcy. I fear you have found us all at sixes and sevens preparing for the wedding, and none of the girls are available for your call.”
“Of course, Mrs Bennet,” Darcy answered smoothly. “We are here because I have received an urgent message from my uncle, Lord Matlock, requiring our return to town immediately.”
“We penned letters taking leave of the rest of the neighbourhood, but we simply could not go without taking leave of Miss Elizabeth and Miss Mary.” Priscilla inclined her head slightly to the older woman.
“Lizzy is not permitted downstairs, she is waiting upstairs until Sir Lucas’s cart comes to take her to London.” Mrs Bennet shook her head. “The wild, reckless thing is probably ill, and I will not take a chance of her infecting Jane before the wedding.”
“Miss Elizabeth is unwell? And you are sending her to London in an open cart!” Priscilla was outraged. “Might I point out, Mrs Bennet, that when Miss Bennet was ill, you would not suffer her to travel three miles in a closed carriage so she might recover in her own bed?”
“I beg your pardon, but it was you and your headache that infected my Lizzy, and for all of your nobility and great shows of generosity, I would be most grateful if you returned to London forthwith and took no chance of infecting my Jane before you leave.” Mrs Bennet was firm.
“My Jane’s wedding takes precedence over everything, Lady Priscilla, everything! ”
“My headache? Very well.” Priscilla’s mouth was set in a grim line “Pray send for Miss Elizabeth. We are travelling to London today. She might as well occupy our carriage with us. We cannot permit her to travel in an open cart with a headache. Darcy?”
“Of course.” Darcy soothed over the tense moment between the two women, and patted his sister’s hand in reassurance. “It would be our delight to offer Miss Elizabeth a ride to London. To where in the city shall we deliver her, Mrs Bennet?”
“My brother’s house is in Gracechurch Street, near Cheapside.” Mrs Bennet rushed to the hall and bellowed up the stairs. “Lizzy! Come down here at this instant, it is time! Mr Hill, bring Lizzy’s trunk outside.”
Elizabeth came downstairs in her pelisse, tying her bonnet strings under her chin. She stopped in the hall when the others emerged. “Priscilla! Miss Darcy! What are you doing here? Mr Darcy.” She bobbed a curtsey to the gentleman as she greeted the ladies.
“We came to take our leave. We must rush to London, and since you and I apparently have the same headache, we have offered to conduct you to the house of your uncle.” Priscilla ignored Mrs Bennet bustling about the hall making a fuss over everything and nothing.
“How kind of you. Shall we? I should hate to cause you any delay.” Elizabeth obviously could not wait to leave, and Darcy wondered about the circumstances that drove her to flee her home two days before she was meant to stand up at her sister’s wedding.
In under five minutes, the young woman’s trunk was secured on the back of the carriage and their journey was underway.
None of her family came outside to see her off.
Darcy wondered what was wrong with the lot of them, and why they saw none of Miss Elizabeth’s worth.
He watched Elizabeth sit back and rest her head against the cushions with a long sigh of obvious relief.
As they pulled away from Longbourn, he watched her place a hand over her eyes. The poor lady seemed exhausted.
“Do you have a headache, Lizzy? Shall we draw the curtains lower to bring your poor eyes some relief?” Georgiana asked worriedly. Mrs Annesley had moved to the other carriage with the ladies’ maids to make room for Elizabeth.
“Her headache is the same as ours, I think, and its name begins with J, Georgie,” Priscilla said.
“If I did not have one before, Georgie, I most certainly do now.” Elizabeth attempted a tremulous smile.
Darcy, in a moment of sentiment, reached across from him and took Elizabeth’s hand and patted it tenderly. He then placed it back upon her knee and drew the shades, not all the way down, but low enough to bring the lady some comfort.
“Rest, Miss Elizabeth. You are with friends, please do not feel that you must entertain us. We shall deliver you safely to your uncle.”
Darcy hoped, in the near-darkness of the carriage, that he was the only one who could see the tear sliding down the poor lady’s cheek.
Then he saw Priscilla take note, and watched compassion cross his cousin’s face before her countenance hardened.
It was all Darcy could do not to allow his fury for their poor friend to show in his own expression.
To do so would only alarm his sister and cause the poor lady more distress and mortification.
He decided then that he would pursue a courtship with her when they reached town, and somehow make Elizabeth forget the tears her mother and sister had caused.
“Lizzy, you cannot be serious. My sister could not have sent you away for having a headache. Why, Madeleine and I are meant to leave at dawn tomorrow for Meryton!” Elizabeth’s Uncle Gardiner exclaimed in his study.
Mr Darcy and the others were taking tea in the drawing room with a rather excited Aunt Madeleine.
Gardiner examined the note from his sister in disbelief. “Shall you return with us tomorrow when you have not worsened? What a lot of trouble! If you were not ill before, you will become sick from so much anxiety and rushed travel.”
“I believe that my mother means for me to stay and mind my little cousins, and if it is not too much of a burden, I would welcome a brief respite from Longbourn, if you will have me.” Elizabeth smiled at her uncle.
She had slept nearly the entire way to London.
Apparently the moment she no longer felt at risk of wild accusations and strategic tears, she had calmed, and the long nap had been what she needed for her sore heart that had been badly trampled by Jane.
Her spirits were still low and she felt that after a good cry to her aunt, she might sleep for a week.
“Lizzy, it cannot be so bad that you would miss Jane’s wedding.” The shock was evident on Uncle Gardiner’s face.
“I-” Elizabeth’s breath caught like a sob in her throat. “Please, Uncle. If I begin now, I will not be able to master my composure, and I must still thank Mr Darcy and his family and bid them farewell.”
“Very well, Lizzy. Of course you ought not speak of it just now if you are not ready.” Uncle Gardiner came around his desk. “You are welcome for as long as you wish to stay and your parents can spare you. You are no burden here.”