Chapter Thirty-Three
“ D oes Mr. Darcy mean to walk with you this morning, Eliza, or do you think he will be occupied with his aunt and cousins?” Mrs. Collins had arranged herself in a comfortable chair near her parlour window and was apparently occupied in mending a waistcoat belonging to her husband .
Elizabeth casually tossed the bonnet she had been carrying onto the small table beside the door. “Why do you ask if he should come, Charlotte? I have my bonnet, certainly, but I mean to walk out regardless of either of the gentlemen from Rosings coming.”
“He has come almost every other day, my dear, and you were not so pleased, I think, when he did not.”
Lizzy laughed. “Come now, you will own that the rain that day was dreadful and it is that which put me out of spirits. Neither was there any letter from Jane when I quite depended upon one coming. I closed my last to her with such a tease that I have been looking forward to receiving a blistering reply in return.”
Charlotte nodded in serene agreement. “You were, of course, moping about the rain. I beg your pardon, my dear. As to Jane writing you a letter that is in any way blistering, I should say that is more your style than hers, as Her Ladyship found out yesterday.”
Elizabeth tilted her head towards her friend and lowered long lashes mischievously. “Oh dear, am I in disgrace with you?”
“Mr. Collins was somewhat agitated by the exchange but I will own the provocation offered by Lady Catherine was immense.”
“If I am to give Lady Catherine credit, she attempted icy civility for approximately five minutes before she gave it up for an ill-mannered diatribe.”
“Yes, my dear.”
Lizzy frowned. “Mr. Collins cannot have expected me to humble myself and beg her pardon for the false and inconsistent things she accused me of. As though I am even able to be a militant old maid attempting to appease my own loneliness by converting Miss de Bourgh to a lost cause, and simultaneously an adventuress setting my cap at Mr. Darcy.” As an afterthought, she added, “I am unsure which accusation I found the most offensive.”
“I do not say you ought to have done any such thing. Neither would Mr. Collins have been reasonable to expect you to pretend contrition.” Charlotte permitted herself a brief sigh. “I suppose it was necessary to refer to Miss de Bourgh's upbringing in terms of 'shackles' when you were disclaiming your responsibility for her…her unusual ideas.”
“Not at all necessary but most satisfying.”
Elizabeth was reminded as to the reason the two of them had become such fast friends to begin with when a low laugh escaped Charlotte. “There is that, of course. Colonel Fitzwilliam was appreciative of your eloquence there, you know. He particularly gave his nod to the part when you stated that Miss de Bourgh, being of age and of independence, had every right to exercise that independence without reference to yourself or her mother.”
“Oh, did he? How sorry I am that he did not come into the room sooner. I was rather occupied, however, so I may not have noticed him. Lady Catherine is a formidable enough woman that my attention was otherwise focused. I suppose Mr. Darcy did not approve of my defending my own honour. What a pity it is that we ladies may not duel!”
“Ah, Eliza, you are quite out there. I was stood beside them in the hallway, you know, after Lady Catherine asked for a private word with you. I was not about to leave you entirely alone and the gentlemen arrived moments after you had closed the door.”
“That is good of you, Charlotte.” Lizzy waited expectantly, and when Mrs. Collins directed her smile to her stitching instead of telling her what she wished to know, said a little impatiently, “Well, what did Mr. Darcy say?”
“It is not what he said, Elizabeth, but the manner in which he said it. Would you pass me that little basket on the windowsill, please? I have almost run out of this red thread and I must soon replenish my supply.”
“You are becoming a terrible tease, Charlotte.” Lizzy brought the small round basket to her friend and watched as Mrs. Collins, with maddening patience, sorted through the well-organised basket of brightly coloured threads until she found what she was looking for. Then came the slow threading of her needle in the light before she continued relating what she had witnessed .
“Colonel Fitzwilliam was all admiration of you. He seemed particularly to appreciate your turn of phrase when you told Lady Catherine de Bourgh that her difficulties with her daughter were all her own doing, and besides which, you had existed within the higher echelons of society long enough to know that a rude inquisition into the reasoning behind the single status of a dinner guest would have been seen, in London at least, as decidedly gauche. It was at that moment, on account of Her Ladyship falling silent, that I was able to hear the colonel muttering to Mr. Darcy that he liked you enormously. You remind the colonel of a cannonball — blunt, I think he said, but remarkably effective. I do think you have quite caught Mr. Darcy's cousin, Eliza.”
Lizzy considered this. “That is, of course, gratifying, and yet one of the oddest compliments I have ever received.” She laughed then. “How very like the colonel. Did Mr. Darcy proceed to compare me to a battlefield weapon, Charlotte?”
“He did not and neither do I believe he enjoyed the colonel's warm appreciation of you, but the expression on his face when he responded was all that any young lady could wish for in a suitor.”
“Charlotte Lucas, if you do not instantly tell me what Mr. Darcy said I will turn out this basket to the floor and deliberately disorder the colours.”
“An excellent threat. You know me well, old friend. As you wish. I shall cease my teasing and if you wish to be silent on the subject of Mr. Darcy's obvious courting of you I will not press you. Mr. Darcy turned to his cousin and stated simply, 'Though she be but little she is fierce.' There now, I have drawn out my punishment on my husband's behalf quite sufficiently, I believe. I will also add that Mr. Darcy has just come through the garden gate. It seems he does mean to escort you on your walk today. How fortuitous that he knocks just as you have come downstairs with your bonnet ready. It is almost as though the time for walking out was prearranged between you.”
Very red in the cheeks, Elizabeth tugged the bonnet onto her head and exited her friend's parlour to the hallway, where Mr. Darcy had just been admitted by the maid. Charlotte followed and greeted him in her usual manner.
“Good day, Mr. Darcy. We had been wondering if you would call today. I trust that Her Ladyship and your cousins are in good health after the unpleasantness yesterday.”
He bowed to both the ladies. “I thank you, madam; they are all well. My aunt has been persuaded to spend a little time resting for a few days. My cousin Anne added her voice to mine that she cannot be quite well to abuse a guest in your home as she did yesterday afternoon.” He turned to Elizabeth. “I beg your pardon for any distress Lady Catherine caused you, Miss Elizabeth.”
“Pray do not think on it, Mr. Darcy. I am far too reasonable a creature to hold you accountable for someone else's words or deeds. ”
Mr. Collins, who had been concealed in his bookroom that whole morning, exited it to the sound of Mr. Darcy's voice. Elizabeth supposed to herself that it was the depth of that voice that caused it to carry, for he never spoke loudly. Such a timbre would have served Mr. Collins better for preaching — he did have to project so strenuously in order to be heard in the church.
His obvious nerves in greeting Lady Catherine's favourite nephew did the pitch of his voice no service. “Mr. Darcy, you have honoured us again. We had begun to fear, my dear Mrs. Collins and I, that my young cousin's disrespect to your aunt yesterday afternoon might have driven you from our most humble abode forever.”
Mr. Darcy, who had bent a little to look Elizabeth in the eye, straightened. “I am only sorry, Mr. Collins, as I am sure you are, that Miss Elizabeth was obliged to defend herself. It is not a position a young lady ought to find herself in when staying under the roof of a relative.” Lizzy was learning that Mr. Darcy's words became a little more formal and a touch chillier whenever he addressed her cousin. Compared to the softer, slower way he spoke to her, she could only come to the conclusion that he had little care for Mr. Collins .
Mr. Collins stammered for a moment, confused as to what his response ought to be to the great Mr. Darcy of Pemberley, who appeared to be condemning his own aunt, the sister of an earl. “Not at all, no sir, no indeed, I am sure there is no apology needed from you. It was all quite…well.”
“We will say no more about it then, Mr. Collins. You are very good.” Lizzy found herself smiling at Mr. Darcy in the friendliest manner. Whatever she might have thought previously regarding his manner of ordering things how he liked, she must own that it was useful. He caught her eye and the haughty expression softened. “Do you mean to walk today, Miss Elizabeth? May I accompany you?”
She took the proffered arm, and avoided Charlotte's satirical eye. “I would enjoy it if you would. Thank you, sir.”
“I will return your friend safely, Mrs. Collins. I had thought we might go in the direction of Fountly and then to the hill there. I believe Miss Elizabeth will enjoy the view.”
“I have no concerns on that score, Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth could not be in better care than yours, sir.” Mrs. Collins's tone was bland but Lizzy shot her a dismayed look before she and Mr. Darcy turned through the front door together .
Even as the maid shut the door, Mr. Collins was left bowing to Mr. Darcy, which the recipient of his civility ignored, his attention instead being upon the young lady beside him .
He waited until they had passed through the gate and walked down the lane a little way before Mr. Darcy bent his head and earnestly enquired, “You are indeed untroubled?”
She had begun to trust him enough for frankness in reply. “I am afraid I was angry when I responded to Lady Catherine's accusations, Mr. Darcy, and did not temper my words well. If I have concerns, they are regarding how long I shall be in disgrace with my cousin. Your remark to him before we left may have mended that for me, however. I am grateful.”
“I regret that I did not remove my aunt sooner. I did not wish to burst into Mrs. Collins's parlour without her, or even Mr. Collins's, leave.”
“Your timing, Mr. Darcy, was excellent. I ought to have quit the room rather than engaging with Lady Catherine — I will own that to you . To Mr. Collins I contested that I was quite justified in every syllable I uttered. It is partially why I have not been privileged to see him this morning. He has been brooding in his bookroom rather than coming to breakfast. I was being punished by his absence.”
“I hope that Mrs. Collins will see to the discipline of any possible children,” Mr. Darcy said, quite seriously, “or with such threats as his, they will be quite unmanageable.”
His frown lightened at her amusement and she laid her other hand on his arm for a moment. “You must not look so solemn, Mr. Darcy, on my account. I have been used, recently, to see you smile a good deal more. Did you glower because I am in disgrace with my cousin, sir? I assure you, I have been a troublesome being all my life and am quite used to Papa's displeasure with me, and he, you know, is a far more fearsome creature than Mr. Collins.”
Mr. Darcy smiled and covered her hand with his. “Your father is very partial to you, Miss Elizabeth. It is well known. I believe Bingley mentioned it recently in a letter.”
“Which,” she replied triumphantly, “only goes to prove that I am a provoking creature, does it not? Otherwise, we should live in quiet harmony at Longbourn. Papa most dislikes it when I prod him to answer his letters — it is of all things the occupation he most dislikes. It is then he becomes testy and tasks me with organising his books — if he must suffer, so must I.”
“You dislike arranging books?” He sounded, to Elizabeth's ears, strangely absorbed by this new information about her .
“It is more my friend Charlotte's favoured pastime than mine. She delights in order and organisation. I have a shelf where my favourites are and read them often enough that it troubles me very little if they are not grouped by author or subject. Lydia once attempted to organise Papa's shelves by way of colour but I fear his response was not so grateful as she had hoped. ”
“I think, at Pemberley, we may…” Mr. Darcy broke off as a horse and its rider came thundering down the lane and he pulled Elizabeth a little behind him to the side of the road to wait until the horseman passed by.
Upon seeing them, the rider slowed and pulled up his horse. It was apparent as he came near that he had the spurred garb of an express rider. He looked to Mr. Darcy. “I am bidden to the town of Hunsford, sir, and to the parsonage there. The last signpost I saw was broken in two and thus I had to guess. Am I nearby, sir?”
“You are indeed nearby, Hunsford itself is only a little way down the road and as to the parsonage — this young lady is residing there.”
“You have a letter?” Elizabeth asked eagerly, fearing that Charlotte might have some urgent news from Meryton, half wondering if Sir William's health might be involved. “I shall take it back to the parsonage directly if you like. ”
The rider reached into his bag and held out the express, Mr. Darcy found his coin purse and gave him his due before passing the crumpled letter to Elizabeth.
“Thank you, sir,” he said quickly and rode off again at a pace. Darcy watched him until he disappeared around a bend in the lane.
Lizzy glanced down at the letter and let out an exclamation. “It is not from Lucas Lodge for Charlotte as I assumed. It is for me, from Longbourn and in Jane's hand. ”
She tore it open where she stood and read .
Lizzy ,
I write to beg your return home as soon as may be. We are all in grave distress here, but you must not fear that it is any malady of illness that troubles us. We are all well. What I have to write concerns Lydia .
We went to bed as usual on Tuesday night and when we arose in the morning Lydia did not come to breakfast and her bed was empty. Kitty had been put out that perhaps Lydia had walked into town without her to see our Aunt Phillips but when the afternoon came and she still had not appeared, it became apparent that it was not so .
She is gone, Elizabeth, and we do not know where. There is no letter left behind and no word from anywhere what direction she may have taken. Kitty says that a very few of her dresses are gone and so we can only believe that she has left Longbourn of her own will. Papa, I fear, blames himself — he enlightened her, in no uncertain terms, that Bath would not be the social delight that she had been expecting it to be. We thought at first that she was staying away to alarm us a little, in fun, but she did not come home that night and our uncertainty has turned to abject fear for her safety.
My dearest Charles has offered to seek out information around the town from anyone who last saw her. We do not know how open we ought to be, lest by some unwise words we damage her reputation and that of our family. Yet, Lizzy, what use is a reputation if our own beloved sister's well-being is at greater risk? Mama has taken to her bed and I have never seen Mary nor Kitty so distraught. Do come home, Lizzy, as soon as possible. We long for your comfort as we wait for news.
Jane.
Lizzy heaved a great breath and, suddenly unsteady on her feet, leant on Mr. Darcy, crumpling the letter and turning into him. His arm immediately went about her shoulders .
“I must go home. I must leave now,” she said rapidly, her voice trembling. “I must lose no time. How shall I get a chaise? Must I send word to Westerham or may I hire one in Hunsford, do you think?”
Concerned, Mr. Darcy put a hand to her now pale cheek but his words were confident and did not brook argument. “You will not travel in a hired chaise, Elizabeth — you will take my carriage. I have it at Rosings and it is utterly at your disposal. Come, tell me what is the matter that has you so white and trembling. There is illness in the family?”
She shook her head and tried to find words. “No, no, it is nothing like that. It is Lydia — here, you read it, Mr. Darcy, and see if you can make any more sense of it than I can. She is gone! My poor, poor sisters.”
He took the letter from her hand and, still with one arm about her shoulders pressing her to himself, acquainted himself with its contents. He frowned as he read it and then crisply folded it back up and handed it back to her .
“I will return you to Mrs. Collins where you may oversee the packing of your trunks and I will bring my carriage to collect you. We may be off in little more than half an hour.” He raised her chin with his finger and met her eye. “It may be better to say little at the parsonage, at least until we know more. ”
She nodded quickly and he lowered his hand. The tears had begun to fall now, as the import of her youngest sister being missing fully struck her. She found her handkerchief and wiped at her face with it .
“Yes, that is just what ought to be done. Thank you, Mr. Darcy. I cannot…I cannot think, but I thank you.” In gratitude, she reached for his hand and pressed a kiss to it, unheeding of the propriety in doing so .
He swallowed before taking her hand and leading her back along the lane. “Come, Elizabeth. The more swiftly we return to the house, the sooner we may leave.”