Elizabeth watched her sister for a moment, a lump forming in her throat. “Sleep well, Jane,” she whispered, before leaving the room and shutting the door quietly behind her.
Mrs. Bennet continued to resent her second daughter for Jane’s injury. When Jane was recovered enough to finally make some token protest to her mother’s invectives against her sister, Mrs. Bennet quickly brushed it aside.
“You are a good girl, Jane. There is no need to try to protect Lizzy. You would never have disobeyed your father and gone to the stables if Lizzy had not made you go with her. She is a bad influence on you, and you must stay away from her from now on. I do not know why God gave me such a troublesome child. Sometimes, I think she must be a changeling. The fairies came and took the boy I should have had and gave me that unnatural child in its place."
Elizabeth tried once more to explain what happened, but Mrs. Bennet would not listen.
“Do not lie to me, Elizabeth Bennet! I know exactly what happened. You, with your unnatural ways, climbing trees and spending time in the stables. Well, I will not put up with it any longer. This is the last time I will permit you to harm my Jane.You are no longer welcome in my house. I will have your father turn you out. That is exactly what I will do.” Mrs. Bennet pushed Elizabeth out of her way and marched from the room, screaming for Mr. Bennet.
Upon hearing her mother’s threat to send her away, Elizabeth became hysterical. “Why did you not tell Mama, Jane? Why did you not explain that going to the stables was your idea and that you insisted I come with you?”
“Oh, Lizzy, I did not wish to make Mama more upset. I will tell her when she calms down.”
“It may be too late, Jane, she is going to send me away! Oh, help me, Jane!”
“Do not worry so much, Lizzy. She will not send you away. All will be well.”
Mrs. Bennet’s shrill voice could be heard throughout the house, and everyone present witnessed her harsh demands to Mr. Bennet that Elizabeth be sent away. Unfortunately, her father’s voice was quieter, and it was impossible to know what he said in response.
From this point on, life changed at Longbourn. Jane began to spend more time with her mother, and less with her younger sisters, especially Elizabeth.
Elizabeth felt even more alone, for she had lost her closest companion, her confidante, and her playmate. Jane’s absence left a void that Elizabeth did not know how to fill. She missed the way Jane’s eyes sparkled with excitement, the warmth of her smile, and the comfort of knowing she always had a friend by her side.
Instead, she spent time with the younger girls, especially Mary, who was more than a year and a half younger than her, but Mrs. Bennet still found ways to berate Elizabeth constantly. This continued for weeks after the accident, and Jane only grew more distant.
“Jane, would you like to go for a walk in the garden?” Elizabeth asked one day early in the spring, her voice hopeful that her sister might have finally forgiven her for whatever she had done to cause the rift between them.
Jane looked up from her sewing, her expression distant. “No, Lizzy, I think I prefer to stay here,” she replied softly.
Elizabeth’s heart sank. “But the flowers are beginning to bloom. You always loved seeing the flowers.”
“I know,” Jane said, forcing a small smile. “Perhaps another time.”
Elizabeth nodded, trying to hide her disappointment. She missed the Jane who would have eagerly jumped at the chance to explore the garden, who would have laughed and chatted with her as they strolled among the flowers. Now, Jane’s polite refusals and lack of enthusiasm were like a constant reminder of how much had changed.
As painful as Jane’s withdrawal was, it also meant that Mrs. Bennet’s treatment of her second daughter grew worse. Mrs. Bennet, always quick to find fault in Elizabeth, seemed to take out her frustration and fear over Jane’s injury on her more than ever. Every minor mistake Elizabeth made was met with sharp criticism. Every attempt to defend herself or explain was dismissed out of hand.
"Enough of your excuses!" Mrs. Bennet snapped. "Why can you not be more like Jane? She never causes me such trouble."
Elizabeth bit her lip, feeling the sting of her mother’s words She tried her best to avoid doing anything that might provoke her mother’s ire, but it seemed that no matter how hard she tried, she could never do anything right in Mrs. Bennet’s eyes.
One evening, after yet another scolding, Elizabeth found herself in the kitchen, helping the maid with the dishes, a punishment for some perceived wrong she had committed during dinner. The warm, soapy water was soothing, and she found comfort in the simple, repetitive task.
The door opened behind her, and Elizabeth turned to see her father enter the room. He looked at her with a mixture of concern and sadness. “Elizabeth,” he said gently, “how are you, my dear?”
“I am well, Papa,” she replied automatically, then sighed. “I just do not understand why Mama hates me. I did not do anything wrong. It was Jane who was determined to go to the stables, I only followed to convince her not to go. Jane even admits to that. But Mama will not listen and continues to blame me for what happened.”
“I know, Lizzy. I am sorry you are having such a difficult time,” Mr. Bennet said, stepping closer and placing a hand on her shoulder.
Finally, as the spring turned into summer, an unexpected guest arrived at Longbourn. Elizabeth was pleased to see her Uncle Gardiner when she saw him step out of his carriage, though his own expression was stern and serious. She felt a flicker of hope—perhaps he would intervene in the situation between herand her mother, perhaps he would make things right. When he noticed Elizabeth standing there, his face lightened somewhat as he smiled gently at Elizabeth and told her to go pack her things.
“You will be coming to London with me for a time,” he said. “Your aunt and I want you with us.”
Elizabeth stared at him, her heart pounding. “Why, Uncle? Is Mama sending me away like she threatened?” she asked, her voice trembling.
“It has been decided that a change of scenery would do you good,” he replied, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Elizabeth did as she was told but saw her uncle’s face turn angry again as he burst into her father’s study without so much as a knock. After asking Mrs. Hill to bring a trunk down to her room and begin packing her things, she slipped into the small room by the stairs, where she could overhear what was said in the study.
