Chapter Forty-Six
The next day saw Kitty and Lydia throwing the grandmother of all fits upon being made to understand that there would be no new gowns or ribbons for Mary’s wedding. Indeed, Mary herself would wear her best gown and would remake a bonnet for her wedding day.
“Did you not understand?” Jane had asked, in a rare display of anger. “There is no money! No! Money! None! Do you understand now?”
Kitty and Lydia had burst into tears and then ran upstairs and slammed their door so hard that the entire house shook.
Not long after, Charlotte Lucas came to call. “You find us rather dispirited today, I am afraid,” Elizabeth told Charlotte, as she handed her friend a teacup. The tea was rather weak, as the leaves were now being used many times before being relegated to sweeping the floor.
“What is wrong?” Charlotte asked. She was tempted to refuse the tea, but did not wish to insult her friends.
“Kitty and Lydia are just now beginning to understand the repercussions of our situation. No, Jane, it is all right; I have already unburdened myself to Charlotte,” she added, as Jane began to raise her brows. “But there is more, Charlotte.”
“Is it about the dinner last night at Netherfield? I am certain Mrs. Hurst served a fine dinner,” Charlotte replied.
“Oh, she did, indeed. But – well, we are a little confused with respect to Mr. Bingley.”
Charlotte smiled. “Say no more; let me guess! Mr. Bingley took one look at Jane and changed his allegiance at once.”
Elizabeth managed to smile. “It feels that way. But Mama is insistent on having him propose to me, not to Jane.”
“But why? Surely it cannot matter to her which Bennet sister he marries!”
“Mama seems to think that I am already more than halfway there, while Jane is starting from the beginning. And we are running out of time. We are already using tallow candles, there is not a good deal of meat on the table, and none of us have pin money. I need not mention the tea,” she added, nodding at Charlotte’s untouched cup.
Charlotte shook her head. “Your mother may end up scaring him off completely, if she is not careful.”
Elizabeth hesitated and then said, “There is even more, I am afraid.”
“More?”
“The strangest thing happened with Mr. Darcy last night.” She went on to describe the nearly-dropped teacups, and how he had all but run from her afterwards.
“Perhaps he must felt the same thing,” Charlotte mused. “This could be very exciting!”
“It would be, were it not for the fact that Mr. Collins says he may be engaged to his patroness’ daughter, Miss de Bourgh.”
“Oh.” Charlotte sighed.
“Oh, indeed,” Elizabeth sighed.
“Well, this is a right mess!” Charlotte exclaimed. “Mr. Bingley possibly in love with Jane, but Mrs. Bennet wants him for Eliza; Eliza in love with Mr. Darcy, but Mr. Darcy possibly engaged to his cousin! What of you, Jane?”
Jane turned her head.
“Jane?” Elizabeth asked. “You like Mr. Bingley, do you not?”
“I do.” Her voice was quiet.
“You would accept if he offered for you, would you not?”
“In an instant!”
“Have you felt any of the – er, symptoms that Eliza talks about, Jane?” Charlotte asked, her voice soft and comforting.
“I feel myself blush when he is near. I listen to everyone talk, hoping to hear his name. Then when Mama says he is meant for Lizzy, I want to cry! But I love my sister, and I would not stand in her way.” Jane’s confession was spoken so softly that the hearers had to bend close to hear her.
“That decides it,” Elizabeth declared. “I will not accept him, even were he to offer.”
“But you must!” Jane said, standing up. “We agreed!”
“That was before I knew you had such feelings for him. But now that I know, there is no power on earth that would compel me to accept him.”
“Even if refusing him meant that our family would lose Longbourn?” Jane demanded.
To that, Elizabeth had no ready reply. They were back to where they had begun; whichever lady was fortunate enough to receive an offer from Mr. Bingley was duty-bound to accept.