“Lizzy! Do be serious!”
“Oh, Jane, I know you think me awful. You must know, after the two days I have had, it felt wonderfully freeing to defy the rules so. I confess, I have longed to properly shock our esteemed cousin! Do not fear, Jane. He would not dare spread an ill report of me. He cannot do so without damaging his ownsterling reputation as a clergyman.” Elizabeth made a dour face and mimicked his pompous tone.
“But Lizzy, he is not very well disposed toward us just now. He considers himself greatly wronged by you, and even by Mr Darcy. He said as much at dinner. You know yourself, we can ill afford more rumours at present.”
Elizabeth sighed, then nodded reluctantly. “Fear not, Dearest Jane, no one could speak ill of you. Your Mr Bingley knows that you are a paragon of virtue, utterly untainted as the rest of us are by any wanton or wicked notions.” Her mischievous smile in the moonlight prodded her sister. “That reminds me… It is not only I who have much to share this evening, is it?”
Jane dipped her head, hiding what would surely have been a most becoming blush if there were enough light to appreciate it by. “That is true,” she confessed softly.
“Well?” demanded Elizabeth playfully.
“We… have an understanding. He asked for my hand, but we must speak to Father, or Uncle, before we can consider it an engagement.”
Elizabeth could tell from Jane’s inflections how truly pleased her sister was. Jane was far too modest to allow strong feeling to show, and one less acquainted with her might not detect the depth of her joy.
Elizabeth would not be fooled. “Oh, dear Jane!” She hugged her sister enthusiastically. “I am so happy for you! He is a fine man, and he will suit you well.”
Jane sighed contentedly, nestling her head onto Elizabeth’s shoulder. “I believe so. He is everything I had hoped to find—amiable and pleasant, and I believe his temper is much like my own.”
“Yes, save that where you are reserved, he is demonstrative. Have you found some way to assure him of your regard? You know that not everyone is as well acquainted with you as I, and it would not do for Mr Bingley to be in any way uncertain of your feelings.”
Jane cringed, but a tiny, embarrassed giggle escaped. Elizabeth pushed her back a little. “Tell me all,” she commanded firmly.
Jane took a moment to gird up her courage. Modest as she was, a confession of her intimate conversation with her intended, even to her dearest sister, pushed the furthest boundaries of her comfort. Finally, she began in a small voice, “He told me he loved me.”
Elizabeth waited for more, but nothing was forthcoming. “And?” Jane hesitated sheepishly, covering her mouth with her fingertips. “If that is all you had to tell, I will go to sleep, for I already knew as much,” Elizabeth chided her.
“He… he got down on one knee and asked for my hand.”
“To which, I assume, you replied that you would have to consider a while? Or did you refuse him outright?” Elizabeth playfully pinched her sister’s cheek and found it warm with embarrassment. “What else?”
“Well… then he—he kissed my hand. After that, he…. Oh, I cannot!”
Elizabeth’s fingers crept menacingly toward her sister’s ribs, threatening Jane with her own tactics.
“No!” Jane jumped, then hurriedly squelched her outburst, fearful of yet another visit from Mr Collins. Elizabeth cocked her head, insistently. “Oh, very well.” Jane blew out a puff of tension, then dared a low whisper. “He kissed me… and I confess, I—I believe I kissed him back.” Jane could scarcely believe she had given voice to her secret. She hunched her shoulders self-consciously.
“Capital!” crowed Elizabeth. “Good girl, I am glad you left him in no doubt of your feelings.”
Jane’s mouth gaped. “You do not think me immodest?Iam shocked at my behaviour when I recollect it.”
“Immodest to encourage the honourable attentions of a gentleman, to whom you have just become engaged? No, I do not believe anyone could accuse you of impropriety. If anything, they might say just the opposite.” Jane tilted her head questioningly, forcing Elizabeth to explain.
“Charlotte first attracted my attention to it, and I disagreed with her at the time. I believe now she may be right, at least a little. Your natural modesty becomes you, but a less secure suitor than Mr Bingley might not perceive your regard for him and might leave off the pursuit unless he was given some assurance that his feelings would be returned. I am glad he did not. It is clear to anyone with eyes that he loves you, Jane, despite the lack of encouragement he received from his companions.”
“Does that include Mr Darcy?” Jane’s voice was softly challenging.
Elizabeth closed her eyes. She had forced Jane to confess all. Now it was her turn. “That it does. I do not believe he was at all in favour of Mr Bingley’s preference for you.” Elizabeth’s tone took on a forced lightness. “I suppose the one good thing to come of recent events is that Mr Darcy had no longer the power to discourage your Mr Bingley from making you an offer. Mr Bingley has now done no more than Mr Darcy had already done himself.” She swallowed. “He kissed me as well, you know.”
Jane gasped. “He did not! When?”
“Yesterday, when I was at the creek. He came to apologise or console me or some other nonsense. Can you believe the cheek of the man, to presume an understanding when I had not given my consent? And then to take such a liberty! I slapped him soundly for his boldness.”
“Lizzy!”
Elizabeth turned an arch expression on her sister. “Would you have me acquiesce so easily when I hadnotagreed to an engagement? Of course, I had to act to rebuff such an advance! What would you say had I not done so?”
Jane sighed, admitting that Elizabeth had a point. “But surely, he did not mistreat you, did he? I cannot think that Mr Darcy would force such an intimacy.…”
