Chapter 1.10 #3
“Yes, I am sure it was an omission,” accepted Mrs Gardiner, as the tension between Mr Darcy and her niece was difficult to ignore.
“Mr Darcy,” she continued, trying to draw their attention, “I hope the accident you spoke of was not serious and Miss Darcy is now recovered.”
“Oh, she is better, but she was indeed very ill,” replied Mr Bingley, and his answer finally aroused Mr Darcy’s attention.
He began to speak to Mrs Gardiner, all the time feeling Elizabeth’s eyes burning his profile. “The accident was not very grave, but unfortunately, its consequences were quite serious. It happened on November 24; as you remember, there was a terrible storm.”
He addressed Mrs Gardiner, but his words were for Elizabeth alone, and he was keenly aware of her movements and almost felt her tense on hearing the date; it was the one they had spent together in the cottage. Mrs Gardiner only nodded, encouraging him to continue.
“She went to call on our aunt, Lady Matlock, together with her companion, Mrs Annesley. Unfortunately, my aunt was not at home, and Georgiana decided to return home. Although the distance was not very great, the storm soon intensified. Nobody really knows what happened. Apparently, thunder frightened the horses, and they bolted and began to run, colliding with everything in their way. A wheel of the carriage broke and the carriage rolled on its side. Nobody was badly hurt, but Georgiana’s left leg was caught under the seat and was broken. ”
A gasp escaped both Jane and Elizabeth as he resumed his story, obviously living through the horrible moments once more.
“The footman went for help immediately, and Mrs Annesley did all she could to protect Georgiana from the rain and cold but with little success. Help came as quickly as possible, but she was more than half an hour in that cold rain, and with her fragile constitution, she fell very ill.”
He rose from his seat and took a few steps across the room, followed by the worried eyes of the occupants.
“An express was sent to me that day; apparently, it reached Netherfield in just a few hours but was put with my other correspondence. I was not very…attentive to my duties on those days,” said he, with an unconscious glance at Elizabeth.
Her cheeks reddened from the implication of his words, and a shiver spread down her body as she remembered her own confused feelings during that time.
He stopped pacing and sat again. “I am sorry. It is still not easy to talk about this. After the ball, when looking through the things on my desk, I finally saw the envelope and recognised Mrs Annesley’s handwriting.
Of course, I opened it instantly, and you must imagine how I felt.
I left within half an hour, and Mr Bingley was good enough to join me.
We came straight away, reaching London at dawn. When we arrived—”
He stopped; his embarrassment was apparent at displaying his feelings openly. Mr Bingley continued somewhat more calmly.
“When we arrived, the doctor told us there was little hope of her recovering. Darcy never left her side for a moment; I practically fought with him to sleep a few moments from time to time while I took his place. Of course, the entire time more than one nurse and at least one doctor were in the house, but Darcy did not trust anybody enough to take care of her.”
Jane put her hand to her mouth to stop another gasp, her eyes by now brimming with tears, as were those of Elizabeth and their aunt.
Mr Bingley’s devotion to Miss Darcy was only one more proof of his affection for her, but Jane could not be jealous; all she felt was sorrow for Mr Darcy’s suffering and his sister’s illness, and pride at Mr Bingley’s loyalty towards the woman he loved.
The sorrow of not being that woman was painful but no stronger than the other feelings.
Her goodness and gentleness of heart would not allow her to feel any other way.
Many minutes passed in silence, everyone’s emotions so similar and yet so different.
Each of them felt a great disturbance, not only for themselves but for the others as well.
Thousands of thoughts spun in Elizabeth’s head, trying to find a balance between the unexpected happiness arising from her sense of Mr Darcy’s worthiness, and the great sorrow Jane would suffer at this confirmation of the affection between Mr Bingley and Miss Darcy.
Through it all, she remembered her father’s hushed but deserved words: “Did it never cross your pretty heads that perhaps there was an explanation that caused the gentlemen to leave in such a hurry?”
After a few moments, Mr Darcy regained his composure.
“Three days before Christmas, a miracle happened, and she slowly began to recover.”
And that very day he took the time to send a letter to my father, thought Elizabeth in astonishment, growing increasingly ashamed of herself for her frequent lack of trust in the gentleman.
“We were so happy and grateful that our prayers had been heard,” added Bingley, looking to Jane and hoping to evoke a relieved expression on her face, but all he could see was the deepest sadness.
“It was indeed a Christmas miracle, sir, and please believe me that, had we known, Miss Darcy also would have been daily in our hearts and prayers,” added Mrs Gardiner.
Her nieces only nodded, and Darcy, recovering from the emotion of his story, thanked her heartily, moving his eyes to Elizabeth and then to Jane.
The change in Elizabeth’s countenance made his heart soar; yet, at the same time, he felt bitter disappointment as he understood that she was still inclined to believe him capable of mean and purposeful deception.
His strongest feelings, however, were against Caroline Bingley, and he was relieved that she was not anywhere around him as he doubted he could control his rage.
But Jane Bennet…Darcy thought he had never seen her in such a state before; she was normally so serene, calm, and polite with everyone and pleasant to Bingley, but now…
She cannot even look at Bingley…and she hardly spoke at all.
All she said was…His eyes moved from her to Elizabeth as Jane’s last words came back to him; suddenly, a revelation struck him.
Oh my, how stupid we have been…and his heart ached for the young lady and her undeserved sorrow.
He took a deep breath, allowing a tiny smile to grace his countenance, and turned to Mrs Gardiner.
“The comfort and help of a loyal friend is indeed priceless at such a difficult time, and I deeply felt that in the last month when Bingley was my most reliable support. He was like the best of brothers for both me and Georgiana.” He knew he was right in his assessment the next moment when Jane startled and looked at him, her beautiful blue eyes filling with unshed tears.
“Oh, your praises are undeserved, Darcy, I did nothing more than any friend would do at such a moment,” answered Bingley, puzzled by Darcy’s unexpected statement and Jane’s unusual reaction.
“No, Bingley, you did infinitely more, although, poor Georgiana has had to pay a high price for his devotion. The minute she began to recover, all she heard from Bingley were stories about his friends in Hertfordshire and his eagerness to return there. Even my cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam declares he knows everything about the county now.”
When he finished, Jane Bennet’s eyes were indeed full of tears, but her beautiful face revealed a true expression of happiness. She was glowing, and Darcy’s heart melted with brotherly tenderness.
He allowed Jane to enjoy Bingley’s closeness and attentions fully and returned his gaze to Elizabeth, delighting in the depths of her sparking eyes, full of mirth and gratitude; his reward was there.