“Of course,” I said with an exaggerated nod, my lips twitching in amusement. “Purely a gesture of friendship, nothing more.”
Charlotte huffed. “Exactly. And I won’t have you two spinning tales of romance where there are none.”
Jane patted Charlotte’s hand. “We mean no harm, Charlotte. It’s just lovely to see you so cared for. He is a kind man. Do you not agree, Lizzy?”
“Very kind,” I asserted. “Most… attentive.”
Charlotte rolled her eyes at our teasing but didn’t retort. She took a moment, looking down at her note and inhaling just a little more deeply. The soft rustle of paper was the only sound as she meticulously folded Mr. Van der Meer’s letter, its edges precise and corners sharp. She then gently set it on the table beside her, like a cherished keepsake.
Jane cleared her throat, drawing Charlotte’s attention away from the note. “Did Mr. Darcy or Mr. Bingley mention anything in particular in their letters?” she inquired with genuine curiosity.
“Just… kindnesses,” Charlotte replied, shifting slightly. “Mr. Darcy hoped I’d soon be fit to enjoy the beauties of the season, and Mr. Bingley wrote a few lines about the latest play he attended, thinking it might amuse me.”
I smirked, taking a sip from my tea. “How very like Mr. Bingley to divert your attention with theater while you’re bedridden.”
Charlotte laughed. “Indeed! But at least he tried. It was sweet of him.”
“And sweeter still that he managed to pass the note off without his sister intercepting it,” I said with a knowing wink at Jane.
“Lizzy.” Jane clicked her tongue. “One of these days, you’re going to have to forgive Caroline Bingley.”
“The day she becomes my sister-in-law, I will,” I promised.
“Oh, you are merciless! I say, Charlotte, heaven help any man who tries to court Elizabeth. I hope for his sake he does not possess a sister.”
Charlotte did not look up right away. Her hand had drifted back to the letter from Mr. Van der Meer. Her fingers traced the embossed crest as her gaze turned distant, lost in thoughts she wasn’t sharing.
I cleared my throat. “Yes, well notallsisters are as tiresome as she can be. So come, Jane, tell us the details of how you acquired that mistletoe berry.”
Jane’s mouth dropped in mock horror. “I could never!”
“Poppycock. I would wager a dozen people saw you, and now you would try to preserve your modesty? I only want to know who kissed whom first.”
Jane’s face flushed a deeper shade of pink, though her radiant smile remained. “I think I did.”
“Jane!” Charlotte gasped. “Brava!”
“You do not think me too forward?”
Charlotte shook her head. “I told Lizzy you were not forward enough. How was the man even to know you fancied him? I trust you have enlightened him now?”
“I believe I have. He… ah…” Jane blushed hotly and stared at her hands. “He asked me to come to a party he is hosting on New Year’s Eve. Just a small one. Aunt Gardiner already promised they could escort me.”
Charlotte lay her head back on the pillows we had arranged on the sofa and smiled. “I expect a lovely story to begin my New Year with, then.” Her lips thinned. “I wish I could attend this one.”
I tugged a blanket a little more over her lap. “Next time,” I said lightly. “We still have those gowns Madame Duval is creating for Twelfth Night. Be a good soul and eat your liver, and perhaps you will feel strong enough to dance the night away in just a few more days.”
“Hah,” she huffed. “Even I am notthatstubbornly optimistic.”
“You just need a goal,” I decided. “Some reason to hope. Now, let me see. Is he… tall?”
“Lizzy!”
“Rich?” I asked.
She puckered her lips. “I’m not listening.”
“Handsome, sweet, intelligent, a good dancer…”
