He drew her into his arms, furtively glancing down the conspicuously empty hall. “I am at your command, my Elizabeth.”
Wornoutandnearlyoverwrought, Elizabeth withdrew to her father’s room for the remainder of the afternoon. She tucked herself neatly into her double-knitted blanket and hovered near as Mrs Cooper spooned broth for her father. He was not what one might call alert, but he was becoming steadily more responsive. He was swallowing the nourishment offered on his own now, and his eyes opened more frequently. He still seemed only vaguely aware of his surroundings.
Elizabeth could not help but wonder at the singular consciousness which had roused him briefly the night before, but Mrs Cooper did not think the incident so remarkable. That opinion, Elizabeth thought privately, might change if Mrs Cooper had been toldallthe details of Mr Bennet’s wakefulness the previous night! She watched him closely as they helped him to lie back on his pillows. There was a brief eye contact, a flash of recognition, and a smile, and Mr Bennet slipped once more into peaceful dreams.
There was a soft tap on the door, and her uncle’s face appeared. “Lizzy, there is a young man here to see you.”
She pursed her lips in an attempt at annoyance. “Not Mr Darcy? It had better not be he!”
“No, I think we can safely guaranteethatyoung man is curled up sound asleep somewhere. This lad claims to have been sent by Mr Bingley to speak with you about your farm. I told him to wait for you in the library.”
“Oh! I had not expected this so soon. I had hoped that father….”
“Your father has confidence in your abilities, Lizzy. I thought I would stay in the room with you, but you can make this decision. You need the practice, after all.” Her uncle’s eyes sparkled with encouragement.
Elizabeth found the young man waiting nervously, crumpling a stained cap in work-hardened hands. He was young, perhaps her own age, but he had been head of his family already some while. He rose smartly and greeted her with every respect.
The interview was over quickly. She was impressed with his desire to care for his family—two sisters, he claimed, with a third employed at Netherfield. He also announced proudly to her that he had just become engaged to marry one of the other maids from that estate, who had recently inherited a generous dowry from an unknown uncle. “We won’n be needin’ char’ty through the win’ner, Miss,” he assured her. “We’re well ‘nough set up to start. All we ask ‘s a chance.”
“And you shall have it,” she smiled. “The Brown family are set to depart for Derbyshire in a few more days. You may take up residence as soon as may be.”
The young man’s face glowed. “Thank ye, Miss!”
He took his leave, and Elizabeth was treated to a broad smile from her uncle. She took his arm as he affectionately tugged her out of the library. He fixed her with a toying look, his eyes holding hers until she began to laugh. “What!” she finally demanded.
“You will make a fine mistress. I always knew you were cut out for more than a parson’s wife.”
Elizabeth sighed with a twinge of pride. Just a twinge. “I hope I can prove myself worthy. I wish very much to honour and please my h—Mr Darcy.”
“In that, my dear, you cannot fail. The gentleman seems determined to be pleased. He is quite obstinate, I daresay—almost as much so as a certain relation of mine.”
She grinned. “Yes, I suspect our future together shall not be boring.”
WhatElizabethhadlookedforward to as a restful evening proved to be somewhat less so. Scarcely an hour after the young farmer’s call, the bell was rung again. As it was growing rather late, the family were surprised to be receiving any callers. This past week, however, had taught even Mrs Bennet a new equanimity respecting the extraordinary.
Charlotte Lucas, shivering and wet from a fresh rainfall, was shown bashfully into the drawing-room to be surrounded by a bevvy of curious faces. “Charlotte?” Jane ventured wonderingly.
Charlotte blanched for a moment, then turned as her dear friend entered the room behind her. “Charlotte, darling!” Elizabeth enthused. “What brings you at this hour?”
“My mother desired my removal,” she mumbled, shuffling her feet on the rug.
Mrs Bennet’s eyes shifted between the two young women suspiciously. It was she, who had spent so many years contriving to marry her girls well, who first surmised the cause of the rift in the Lucas household. “Oh, dear me, you have gone and withdrawn your acceptance of Mr Collins!” she ejaculated. “And in this house! Oh, what will the neighbours say?” She wrung her hands in exaggerated worry.
Elizabeth drew a long sigh as Charlotte’s gaze sank. “Of course, Charlotte, you are welcome here!” She shot a penetrating stare at her mother, catching her aunt’s amused expression as she did so. “Weshall be most pleased to receive you.”
Charlotte wearily returned her friend’s smile. “Thank you, Lizzy. I shall not intrude long on your generosity...”
“Nonsense, Charlotte. We shall discuss everything in the morning.” Elizabeth firmly dragged her friend upstairs and made arrangements for a hot bath to warm her. Mary volunteered to share her smaller room, and at last, the tired family lay down to rest for the night.
“Iknowmymotheris dreadfully disappointed.” Charlotte set her cup down on her saucer and watched as Elizabeth arranged her father’s pillows.
“Mine would be,” Elizabeth sighed reluctantly. “I am curious, though; what led you on to do it? I always thought you rather practical regarding marriage, and this seems very contrary even to your own advice to me a few days ago.”
Charlotte nibbled a bit of her biscuit thoughtfully. “I suppose I could not bring myself to marry a man I could not respect,” she admitted at last. “Oh, I never had any great admiration for your cousin, you understand, but when he so easily betrayed your family and forced me to do the same, why, I knew I could never live under his rule. I would come to despise him—if I have not already done so—and I could not imagine knowing him as I now do and going through with the marriage. He is and will always be utterly subject to the whims of Lady Catherine, or another just as corrupt and domineering, and I would be subject to his. No, Lizzy, practical as I have always been, it was something I just could not do. I know it was foolish, and I have disgraced myself and my family, but… I just could not marry him.”
“It took courage to refuse him, Charlotte. You should be proud of yourself, as I am of you.”
“You say so, Lizzy, but now I am virtually homeless! My parents are ashamed of me, and I shall never marry another, for who would be willing to have me? I attracted little enough attention before, and now! No, there is none who would have me.”
