Chapter 28
Mr Darcy performed his greetings, this time in the correct order, and made no mention of there being any surprise at seeing them again. Instead, he behaved as if it were by arrangement. This time, Jane and Elizabeth were not joined by their cousin – instead, they were joined by their aunt.
Mr Darcy requested an introduction, and Jane did the service, as was her right as the eldest niece.
Mr Darcy expressed the right level of pleasure at meeting their aunt, and Elizabeth thought back to his disparaging remarks to Mr Bingley about their relatives in trade the morning after his stay in Longbourn.
She wondered if he remembered and if he was now ashamed of his snobbery, having met her ladylike aunt.
She could not even hint at this topic as she had been eavesdropping, even though it had been unintentional.
Again, the whole party began to walk; this time Elizabeth slowed her pace to ensure that Mr Darcy and she could not outpace Jane and her aunt.
She was therefore surprised, not a half hour later, to discover the distance which had stretched between Mr Darcy and herself, and Jane and her aunt.
She was about to suggest that they turn back to meet up again with them all the sooner, but before she could, Mr Darcy spoke.
“In vain,” he said, but was interrupted almost immediately by Mr Collins appearing from between the trees, quite out of breath.
“Elizabeth, you must come at once,” he said, “there has been most distressing news.” He looked around seeing Jane and her aunt behind them.
“What is it, William?” she asked, her voice urgent in her concern, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mr Darcy startle.
Mr Collins had become like a brother to Elizabeth and Jane, and she thought maybe to all her sisters.
They had felt nothing but blessed to have met him, and when he had yesterday suggested that while in private they use each other’s familiar names, with their father’s approval, she and Jane had agreed.
“You need to go to your father at once,” he said.
She went pale; something bad must have happened at Longbourn, she thought.
Her aunt and Jane had now caught up with them, and Mr Collins repeated his entreaty that there had been some distressing news, and they must return to Gracechurch Street immediately.
Not waiting to make her adieu to Mr Darcy, she ran as fast as she could, while Jane and her aunt followed on as fast as they could.
” They reached her father’s carriage and gave instructions, not even realising that they were leaving Mr Collins behind, but it did not matter as he had arrived in Mr Gardiner’s carriage.
“I have received some dreadful news from Longbourn: Lydia has eloped; she has thrown herself away on Lieutenant Wickham!” their father told them, and Jane fainted dead away at the feet of Elizabeth and her aunt.