18. 21 November 1811
ELIZABETH
Elizabeth’s mother and youngest sisters had gone to the milliner one morning, and since Mr Darcy was due to call that afternoon, Elizabeth had decided to stay home and finish sewing some baby clothes for the Roberts family.
Thus she was home when a footman from Netherfield arrived with a note from Mr Darcy, who expressed shock that, not just his sister and her companion, but three additional family members were coming to Netherfield Park that very day.
He asked if she and her elder sister could come to them that afternoon; he would send a carriage.
Elizabeth had just penned an affirmative answer and sent it off with the footman when her mother, Kitty, and Lydia returned to Longbourn. Not only were they hours earlier than she had expected, the three were ominously silent until Hill left the parlour.
What is wrong?
Her mother did not screech, for once. She spoke in a low voice: “Lizzy, honey, there are whispers around town about you and Mr Goulding.”
“What could anyone have possibly said? The only times I have seen him, I have been right here in this parlour, surrounded by family and the gentlemen from Netherfield.”
“Two different people said that, when you take your early morning walks, you are meeting with Mr Goulding and…allowing him to take liberties.”
“Well, that is absolutely not true. I suppose Papa will have to ride over to Haye-Park to ask Mr Goulding to refute the rumour.”
“I believe he will say that you have to marry Mr Goulding.”
“I did nothing wrong, and I will not marry Mr Goulding.”
Mrs Bennet sighed and said, “Well, I will tell your father all this, and we shall see what he will say.” She hurried towards the bookroom.
Elizabeth was determined to stand against a forced marriage.
She murmured, “Jane, I have to leave immediately. Please be ready for Mr Darcy’s carriage at half past one.
When my mother asks, tell her I had to visit the Marshalls.
I suppose you will have to tell her that they are tenants of Netherfield Park, as I do not suppose she knows that.
Be vague about why I had to go…maybe make it seem as if it is an emergency.
I will hopefully see you at Netherfield this afternoon. ”
Jane looked alarmed, but she just nodded.
Elizabeth ran upstairs to fetch a fresh dress, her hairbrush, and a pair of slippers. She placed these items into her calico bag and then raced downstairs to don her warm layers and her half-boots.
Worried that her father would chase her with the family carriage—or even on horseback— Elizabeth rushed towards Netherfield much more quickly than she had when she was going to tend to Jane.
Even though her father was quite indolent and had made few efforts to rein in Lydia and Kitty, he had proved to be more agitated by and actively protective regarding her suitors.
After hurrying through the forest and then crossing a fallow field, Elizabeth strove to stay hidden by running alongside the hedges that separated the fields. When she got to a spot where she could see the Netherfield manor house, she stopped and looked carefully for people or carriages.
She could see no movement at all.
Elizabeth walked as swiftly as possible to the servants’ entrance; once inside she said to the first familiar maid she spotted. “Becky, I am certain you are all very busy trying to get rooms ready for some unexpected guests.”
“Yes, miss, we certainly are.”
“I wonder if you could ask a footman to fetch Mr Darcy for a very important conversation below stairs?”
“Oh! I suppose, miss. I mean, yes, miss.”
Becky scuttled away, and shortly after Mrs Nicholls came in and said, “Miss Elizabeth! Oh, dear, is there trouble?”
“Yes, Mrs Nicholls, I am afraid there is. I have sent Becky to ask Mr Darcy to come down so I can tell him about it. Do you suppose I could have some water?”
“Right away, miss!”
Mr Darcy arrived at the same time as a cool glass of water, and although he looked frantic when he entered the kitchen area, the moment he spotted her—and, she supposed, her muddy skirts—his eyes darkened and a smile broke out.
She had to work to ignore him while she drank the water.
Finally, she gave Mr Darcy the empty glass and she said, “I may have some trouble on my hands. Is there somewhere we can talk privately? I trust Mrs Nicholls completely, as she is the sister of Mrs Hill, so she could be with us for the sake of propriety.”
Mr Darcy quickly found Mrs Nicholls, who led them into the housekeeper’s office. Mr Darcy shut the door and then looked inquisitively at Elizabeth.
“My mother reports that there are rumours about Mr Goulding and I having trysts the last few days, early in the morning. She says that supposedly I am allowing him liberties. She also said that my father may force me to marry Mr Goulding because of these rumours.”
Mrs Nicholls looked shocked, but almost immediately her surprise turned to anger.
Mr Darcy said, “The last couple of days you and I ran into each other each morning, while I was riding and you walking.”
Elizabeth nodded. She said, “Not only could you back my own story that Mr Goulding and I were not together in the early morning, we both know that no liberties were taken.” She did not throw a glance towards Mrs Nicholls, because that might seem shifty and therefore suspicious.
She hoped her reputation as a virtuous lady would ensure that the woman believed her words.
Mr Darcy said, “Well, I did kiss your hand once.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “I do not suppose the rumours were about a kiss to a hand.”
He looked steadily into her eyes. “You know I wish to court and marry you. My more important wish is that you will be free to say yes or no to my proposal as well as to Mr Goulding’s and to your father’s possible demands.”
He turned to Mrs Nicholls and addressed her directly, “Miss Elizabeth and I both trust your discretion with all that goes on here. I am afraid that I am about to suggest something shocking. I hope I can count on your silence?”
Mrs Nicholls nodded, and turning back to Elizabeth, Darcy said, “If your father is insistent that you marry your neighbour, but you prefer me to Mr Goulding, I will take you to Scotland and marry you. I am positive I have the resources to be able to elude your father in that effort.”
Elizabeth was shocked, just as Mr Darcy predicted.
But she was relieved that there was a solution they could turn to if other efforts failed.
She said, “I…I would prefer my reputation be restored rather than to elope, but I am almost entirely sure I wish to marry you, in any case, so if our only two choices are me marrying Mr Goulding or eloping with you, I absolutely choose the latter.”
Mr Darcy thought a bit, and then he turned to Mrs Nicholls.
“If I am to attempt to investigate the source of the rumours and then work on Mr Bennet and Mr Goulding to refute them, I would prefer Miss Elizabeth to be hidden somewhere safe and respectable, away from Longbourn. However, if that place is here, not only will Mr Bennet look here, but he will assume the worst of us.”
He shot a glance at Elizabeth and asked, “Since you ran here, I assume that you, too, do not wish to remain at home while this is worked out?”
“No, I will not stay at Longbourn. I have never realised how selfish my father is until recently. But I no longer trust him to do what is best for me. I do trust you.”
Mrs Nicholls had known of the Bennets throughout Elizabeth’s life, but Elizabeth had no idea what Mrs Hill had or had not told her sister. She looked nervously at the housekeeper and said, “I hope my attitude does not cause you consternation.”
Mrs Nicholls shook her head, brisk and efficient even in a crisis. She said, “Nobody in all of Meryton’s environs would blame you for escaping your father in this situation. His character, including his flaws, is known to all.”
At that very moment, there was a knock on the door. When Mrs Nicholls merely called through, “What is it?” a man—no doubt a footman—said, “Excuse me, Mrs Nicholls, but I thought that Mr Darcy should be told that three carriages have been spotted. They will be here in a quarter hour or so.”
“Ah…timing!” Mr Darcy murmured.
Mrs Nicholls turned swiftly to Elizabeth and asked, “Would you wish to stay at my brother’s home? The Nicholls live in High Cross, only forty minutes away by carriage, and they are everything respectable. He runs the bookstore in that town.”
“That would be wonderful, Mrs Nicholls! For now, I brought a clean dress to change into, knowing that trekking across the fields would get my skirts muddied. Could I have access to a room, and perhaps Becky, to help me change into my fresh clothing?”
“Of course.”
Mr Darcy said, “I will start investigating. Do I have your permission to confide all to my sister and my cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam? They both already know I wish to marry you and that you have not yet said yes.”
“If you trust them, I do too, Mr Darcy. I will send word when I am ready to appear, and then you can send word back when you wish me to do so.”
There followed a bustle of activity. As she moved to follow Mrs Nicholls and Becky, Elizabeth was aware of two novel sensations: first, she had done something scandalous by running away from her father and to her suitor; second, she had never felt so safe and secure.