CHAPTER 10 Afternoon in Hunsford
Darcy returned to the parlour and saw that Richard and Anne had now joined the party. It was then that Bingley suggested they take a short stroll in the gardens.
“It may do you some good, Miss Bennet,” he said, “to be out in the fresh air for a little while. And of course we would remain quite close to the house in case you are needed.”
“Perhaps it would do you some good, Miss Bennet,” concurred the doctor, who came into the room once more, “for there is nothing more to be done at the moment. I have made Miss Elizabeth a sedative and shall now sit with her for a while. Thus, the rest of you may take a little air. I shall not hesitate to call if you are needed.” He looked at Darcy and added, “You must also go, Mr. Darcy.”
“Yes, thank you, Doctor,” said Jane, taking a glance at Bingley.
Once in the garden, Darcy allowed Bingley and Miss Bennet to wander off by themselves, thus leaving him with Anne and Richard.
“How is Miss Elizabeth?” asked Richard, seeing the look of anxiety on Darcy’s face.
“She is sleeping.”
“And?” asked Anne. “Will she be well?”
Darcy walked in silence, his two cousins flanking him from behind. He did not wish to give voice to all his fears and so said nothing. He noted once more the fineness of the day and it made him even heavier of heart.
“We have known for several days now you are in love with her,” said Anne. “Even before you told my mother…”
Darcy stopped and turned back to them. “How? How did you know?”
Richard shrugged. “Come now, Darcy, it wasn’t hard. First you wished to leave, then you wished to stay. Then you sent for your doctor in London. The only explanation was that you were in love with her. Of course, I told Anne about it. I hope you do not mind.”
Darcy closed his eyes tightly then said, “No, I do not mind. In fact nothing seems to matter anymore in light of the fact that Elizabeth is more likely to die than not…”
“What?” asked Richard. “It cannot be that bad.”
He looked soberly at his cousin. “I am afraid it can.” He walked on and recalled the night before. And then this morning. He wished to be by Elizabeth’s side but instead he was here, walking in the garden with Anne and Richard.
“And I know you were at the parsonage last night with Dr. Stephens,” said Richard, breaking into his thoughts.
“You seem to know everything,” murmured Darcy, gazing in the direction of the parsonage. “I do not even wish to ask how you found out.”
“It wasn’t hard, for I am a light sleeper.”
He laughed humourlessly but said nothing.
“So what happened last night?” asked Anne.
Darcy sat heavily on a nearby bench, feeling that his night without sleep was finally catching up to him. Slowly, and without leaving anything out, he told his cousins about what happened the night before. And then told them what the doctor had said about patients with similar fevers.”
“But you mustn’t believe everything he says,” said Richard.
“What do you mean? He is a medical man. If I cannot trust his opinion then who can I trust?”
“Look, Darcy, I am not criticising his expertise but he does not know everything there is to know. After all, he must have seen many patients during his career, most of whom were likely already sickly…perhaps elderly. But, if someone is young and healthy to begin with, then of course their chances of survival are quite a bit higher.”
“Do you really think so?”
“I do. I have seen it in the soldiers I have fought with. Yes, some of them have had extremely high fevers - some even requiring an ice bath - but most of them survived.”
Darcy nodded, feeling a little bit less hopeless than before. “Thank you for that, Richard.”
“But why did you tell my mother?” asked Anne after a few moments of silence. “We were trying to help you keep it to yourself. But then you went ahead and confessed all.”
“I do not know,” said Darcy. “I suppose I did not care anymore. Or perhaps I simply wished to prove to Elizabeth - though she was not aware of it - that I was not ashamed…of anything.” He put his head in his hands and closed his eyes again.
“You should go to sleep, Darcy,” said Richard.
“But I do not wish to leave her.”
“Come then, Cousin,” said Anne, “let us go inside and ask Mrs. Collins for some coffee.”
“Shall I call Bingley?” asked Richard.
“Best not to,” said Darcy, “for I believe he wishes to get back into Miss Bennet’s good graces.”
Richard looked at him quizzically. “What do you mean? Is Bingley courting Miss Bennet?”
“He was,” said Darcy, “at least till I swayed him from her this past fall. I thought she was indifferent to him, you see.”
Richard suddenly slapped his palm against his forehead. “Are you saying that it was Miss Bennet from whom you saved Bingley?”
“Yes, but I was wrong. Apparently she does have feelings for him.”
“Oh, good heavens…”
“What is it, Richard?”
“I…”
“Yes? What is it?”
“I…ah…told Miss Elizabeth about your interference.”
Darcy blinked. “You told Elizabeth that I separated Bingley from her sister?”
“Yes, but I did not know, at the time, that you were speaking of her sister. I was simply trying to paint you in a good light…allowing her to see how you take prodigious care of your friends. The thing is, she did not seem disposed towards you and…I wished to change her mind.”
Darcy put his head in his hands and let out a groan. “When did you do this, Richard?”
“The day before yesterday.”
He nodded dismally as his two cousins looked on. “I proposed to her that afternoon,” he said.
“Oh, no…” said Richard.
“Oh, yes,” said Darcy.
“She turned you down?”
“Of course, she did!”
“Oh, good Lord, Darcy. I am sorry. No wonder you wished to leave! It all makes sense now.”
“Well it might make sense to you but what good is it to me?”
“I shall talk to her…”
“And say what? You told her the truth in the first place! What more can you possibly tell her?”
Richard grimaced, then shrugged. “Was her rejection…very bad?”
“The worst imaginable.”
There was a long silence before Anne said, “And yet…she said your name.” Darcy looked at her questioningly and she continued, “She asked for you in her fevered state. That has to be good, does it not? Perhaps she regrets turning you down.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“Why? You are a good man, after all. Perhaps she regrets her rash decision. And therefore you should spend as much time with her as possible. Perhaps her illness is a blessing in disguise.”
“Not if she dies!”
Anne nodded somberly. “‘Tis true, Cousin, she is very ill. And yet, if what Richard says is true, then she will recover. And you have this opportunity to assist her in her recovery, and show her a better side of yourself.”
“I agree with Anne,” said Richard. “I feel you have already changed since she turned you down. And, if she is an intelligent woman, she must see your worth eventually.”
“I hope I have changed,” said Darcy softly. “And I hope she lives to see it.”