Chapter Two
Over the course of the next week, Elizabeth tried several times to speak privately with Jane Fairfax, but her efforts were in vain.
Lady Gresham had planned a great many entertainments for her large house party, from sea-bathing to picnics, exploring the village, and even a scavenger hunt in her expansive manor.
Elizabeth enjoyed herself, and even grew to like the company of several other guests.
She saw enough of Jane to form a thoroughly favorable impression of her, and Elizabeth hoped that the sentiment was mutual, but there seemed never to be a chance for her to broach the subject of their resemblance.
In the meanwhile, the maid assigned to Elizabeth had insisted on a hot bath for her every morning, to wash away the lingering scent that Mrs. Hill’s special decoction had left in her thick, dark curls…
until they were dark no longer. By the end of the first week, Elizabeth’s hair was nearly as light and golden as Jane’s, which only made the resemblance between them more marked.
Lady Gresham was all dismissal and deflection.
She supposed that two girls who knew so little of their parents might have distant relations in common, but the cavalier style in which her friend waved off the subject only made Elizabeth suspicious.
The rest of the party was hardly helpful – some even seemed determined to prevent Elizabeth and Jane from furthering their acquaintance, and discovering a possible connection.
Elizabeth had unwittingly made an enemy of Miss Campbell, and there was little chance of reconciliation between them so long as Mr. Dixon remained fascinated by Elizabeth.
When Miss Campbell was not monopolizing Jane’s attention, Mr. Churchill claimed that distinction, and when Mr. Dixon was not deviously detaching Elizabeth from their large party for unwanted flirtation, Mr. Gresham had that honor.
Elizabeth was already very near the end of her patience when a boating party went horribly wrong.
She had resolved to enjoy herself and put the matter of her resemblance to Jane Fairfax from her mind; Selina Gardiner had proven an exceedingly agreeable companion, and the two ladies had by unspoken agreement remained close to one another for most of their excursion.
But when opportunity presented itself, Miss Campbell simply could not help herself.
To the rest of their group, it appeared to be an accident when the main sail shifted quite suddenly, and the boom swung round, colliding with Elizabeth.
She did attempt to move out of the way, but Miss Campbell was conveniently positioned to deny Elizabeth any path to escape the inevitable impact.
She was thrown overboard, and plunged into the frigid water.
It felt like an eternity that she was submerged, kicking against her heavy skirts, lost to all sense of where the surface was.
She had learnt enough from her immersions in the bathing machine to press her lips together and hold her nose shut, but the panic disoriented her from helping herself any more than this.
Fortunately, Mr. Dixon and Mr. Gresham managed the rest. Desperate to take a breath and wearied from kicking against the weight of her garments, Elizabeth could see the sunlight a few feet above her, and yet she felt it impossible to reach.
And then the water swirled about her, and something large assaulted her.
She screamed, certain she was moments away from being devoured by some horrific predator, and the seawater burned her lungs.
Her voice gave out just as she broke the surface, and she found herself in Mr. Dixon’s grasp.
Her legs would no longer obey her command, and she was obliged to cling to him as he kept them both afloat.
Leaning far over the railing of the stern of the boat, Mr. Gresham called out to the other gentlemen to help him, and they all pulled at a thick rope that had been fastened around Mr. Dixon’s waist. Her salvation was at hand.
Their party talked of nothing but this daring rescue for the remainder of the day; everybody but Lady Gresham considered the event a mere mishap deftly prevented from becoming a tragedy.
Lady Gresham could barely contain her fury at dinner, for only the unexpected arrival of her husband Sir Duncan prevented her from expelling the Campbells from the house.
At the end of the night, Lady Gresham came to Elizabeth’s room after Sally the maid had left her. She brought with her a decanter of brandy, and she poured them each a glass as they sat before the fire. “I am sorry for what you suffered today, my dear.”
Elizabeth drew her dressing gown tighter around herself. “I feel as though I shall never be warm again!”
Lady Gresham smiled sadly. “It was a very mean trick; I strongly suspect Miss Campbell was responsible for your going overboard.”
“I am relieved, I suppose, that I am not alone in my thinking. I had begun to wonder if I was judging her too severely, for surely nobody could really be so cruel.” Elizabeth shook her head and sipped her brandy, relishing the way it burned her insides.
“I spoke privately with Mrs. Campbell before supper, and even she could not give a convincing performance of her daughter’s innocence.
Miss Campbell has very few friends, and before Mr. Dixon she never had a beau, nor any hope of a marriage not borne of mercenary motives.
It is no excuse for her behavior, of course, but she was not pleased that you could swiftly win over the interest of her only friend and her betrothed, in a matter of hours. ”
Elizabeth scoffed and screwed up her face with disgust. “I do not want her intended, and I should think Miss Fairfax might be friends with me without forsaking her. ”
“Yes, but you are a rational creature. Miss Campbell is clearly not. I never had any cause to think ill of my niece’s friends before today, but I shall tell you candidly that they have lost my good opinion forever.
I cannot, unfortunately, say that this is worth much, for my husband is of the opinion that it would be very ill-bred of me to ask them to leave.
But I wish you to know, at any rate, that I am on your side. ”
Elizabeth finished her drink and set it aside, and then took Lady Gresham’s hand in hers. “That is worth a great deal. It is a comfort to know that I do not judge that lady too harshly, or imagine malice in what was merely an accident.”
She might have said more, might have beseeched her gracious hostess to help her speak privately with Jane Fairfax, but a tremendous yawn prevented her from speaking further, and she slumped backward in her seat.
“You must be exhausted, you poor dear. But that reminds me!” Lady Gresham reached into a pocket in her voluminous skirts and produced a small jar. “This is a salve, to ease the strain of your muscles. I saw you walking stiffly this evening.”
“Kicking against my skirts,” Elizabeth murmured before yawning again.
“Apply it generously to your legs, and it will speed your recovery. I can easily procure more, if you require it.”
Elizabeth accepted this offering with a warm smile. “You are very kind.”
Lady Gresham’s expression turned wistful, and she looked away. “I only wish I could be kinder still.”
There was a light tapping at the door, and Lady Gresham crossed the room to open the door a small bit. Jane Fairfax stood in the corridor, hugging herself anxiously. Lady Gresham made way to admit Jane, who closed the door behind herself. “Miss Bennet….” She promptly burst into tears.
Elizabeth winced at the difficulty of standing, but she managed to go to Jane and take her hand. “Lizzy, remember?”
“Oh, Lizzy, I feel so awful! I have but a moment, for Mrs. Campbell is giving Diana such a dressing down, I have never seen such a row in their family! She will surely be wanting me to console her after, but I had to see you, to speak to you. I know what she did, and it is too horrible! She will never apologize, but I must do so. Please tell me there is some way I might make amends.”
“Hush, Jane, it is not for you to apologize.” Lady Gresham came toward the two young ladies, taking them each by the hand in a motherly pose of affection.
“But I fear I have been too easily led by my friend,” Jane sighed. “I allowed her to convince me that I ought to distrust you; perhaps my complacency made her wickedness today possible.”
Elizabeth chewed her lip for a moment, and then she was struck by a most fortuitous notion. “If you wish to make amends to me, Jane, I would speak privately with you, some other time, when we might converse at length. Surely you must wish to discover if there is some connection between us.”
She gestured to the mirror, and Jane looked over.
Never had their resemblance been so marked, for Elizabeth’s hair was now the same golden shade as Jane’s; the two women had even plaited their hair in identical braids draped over their shoulders.
Jane gasped. “I can hardly account for why I should be frightened to know….”
Lady Gresham’s somber demeanor had altered to unbridled glee.
“Of course you two must speak about it! It is Miss Campbell's influence that makes you hesitate, but you must think no more of that . Lizzy’s curiosity is perfectly natural, and I think that one lengthy conversation is a fair way to make amends.”
Elizabeth considered the salve Lady Gresham had offered her, and decided to place her faith in its efficacy.
“In Hertfordshire, I often take long walks in the morning before breakfast. Perhaps if we both rise early on the morrow, we might walk out together and speak freely, without the interruptions of our companions.”
Jane nodded and offered Elizabeth a bright smile. “I should like that very much. What hour?”
“Six o’clock?”