“A word with Mr. Bennet?” A wide grin split Mrs. Bennet’s face. “Well, be off with you, then. He is in his study.” Mrs. Bennetgestured to the maid at Mr. Bingley’s side, who waited to see if tea was required. “Sally can show you the way.”
“I will show him,” Jane said, standing. “There is something I must say to him before he speaks with Papa.”
“There is?” Mr. Bingley asked with sudden worry.
“There most certainly is not,” Mrs. Bennet snapped.
Jane leveled a calm, even look on their mother. “He must know, Mama.”
“Know?” Lines creased Mr. Bingley’s brow. “What must I know before I ask…before I speak with Mr. Bennet?”
“Nothing,” Mrs. Bennet said so loudly that everyone winced.
Mr. Bingley looked from face to face, his own confused.
Jane drew in a deep breath. “Mary has eloped to Scotland with Mr. Collins. We have every expectation that they will wed there.”
Mrs. Bennet fell back against her couch with a wail. Kitty and Lydia watched Mr. Bingley with wide, avid eyes.
Mr. Bingley blinked rapidly. “I, ah, I see.” He cleared his throat. “Yes, ah…” His gaze went to Elizabeth and he frowned.
Did he somehow blame her for Mary’s behavior as well? Elizabeth cocked her chin, defiant.
“Should they return wed, it will not be so great a scandal,” Jane said softly. Her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, she continued, “I will understand if you do not wish to speak with my father until we know Mary’s fate.”
Elizabeth would not understand. Either Mr. Bingley loved her sister enough or he did not, and if he did not, why, then, he could—
“I will speak with Mr. Bennet now,” Mr. Bingley said firmly, squaring his shoulders. “I know the way to his study. If you will please excuse me?” He bowed to the room.
Jane sank back down onto the sofa as Mr. Bingley walked away. Trembling, she squeezed her eyes closed. Silence drapedthe room. Jane appeared as if any stray breath, any too-loud sound, would shatter her.
“He must mean to ask Papa for his consent still,” Elizabeth said tentatively.
“Yes.” Mrs. Bennet sat up straighter. “Elizabeth is correct.” She added a glare to that, the admission obviously galling her.
“Why did he look at you like that?” Jane whispered, turning to Elizabeth. “As if you hold the key to my worth?”
“I do not know.” Annoyance kindling in her gut, Elizabeth reiterated, “I have done nothing wrong.”
“Nothing we know about,” Lydia observed.
Elizabeth cast her youngest sister a murderous look.
Lydia shrugged. “You have obviously done something.”
Elizabeth clamped her lips tight over her anger, aware an outburst would only fuel her mother and sisters’ speculations. Yes, she had met Fitzwilliam several times while out walking, most of those times not, in truth, by chance, but she hadn’t done anything wrong. “It is not as if I eloped to Scotland,” she muttered.
That returned them to heavy silence…finally broken by two sets of footfalls.
Mr. Bennet and Mr. Bingley entered the room, both looking at Elizabeth’s older sister. “Jane,” Mr. Bennet said. “Mr. Bingley would like to walk with you, so he may ask you something. I have given him my permission to do so.”
Joy transformed Jane’s visage from worried to radiant in a heartbeat, shining from her like sunlight cutting through banked clouds. For his part, Mr. Bingley stared at her with obvious adoration, and Elizabeth decided he must love Jane well enough indeed.
In a show of considerable restraint, Mrs. Bennet made no sound until Jane and Mr. Bingley were all the way down the drive. Then her elation broke forth, driving Elizabeth from theroom. Fortunately, her mother seemed neither to notice nor to care, and Elizabeth hoped the new restrictions on her would be summarily forgotten now that Jane was engaged. Even if not, Mrs. Bennet would be out and about, visiting everyone in the neighborhood to impart the happy news.
For the next several mornings, though her announcement would have reached London too late to be added on the first day, and their papers were generally a day old, Jane preempted their father, who always read the news over breakfast. Tea at her elbow and Mrs. Bennet beside her, for the prospect of Jane’s engagement announcement had their mother rising earlier than usual, Jane secured the society pages before handing over the rest, to Mr. Bennet’s clear amusement.
On the third morning, as Elizabeth reached for the jam, Jane let out a gasp.
