Jane answered before either woman could speak.
“Yes, please.”
Mrs. Bennet turned toward her. “You would rather come home?”
Jane nodded. “I should rest easier in my own bed. And I fear we have already overstayed our welcome here.”
Elizabeth promptly disagreed. “Mr. Bingley has been nothing but kind.”
“I know,” Jane said. “Which makes imposing upon that kindness all the more uncomfortable.”
Mrs. Bennet’s expression gentled.
“Very well. We shall prepare without delay.”
She turned to Elizabeth.
“Go pack your things, darling. We shall leave within the hour.”
Elizabeth hesitated. “Mama… the carriage?”
Mrs. Bennet’s mouth pursed almost imperceptibly.
“It appears several fittings had worked themselves loose,” she said evenly. “Once discovered, it was a simple matter to repair.”
Something in her tone pricked at Elizabeth’s suspicions straightaway.
Her mother met her gaze directly.
Then, very slightly, she shook her head.
Not now.
Elizabeth understood instantly.
She nodded her head and said nothing further.
Packing required little time, though Elizabeth found herself more distracted than she ought to have been by thoughts she had no business entertaining while folding gowns. Several times she paused entirely, recalling some particular moment from the morning walk.
His expression when she spoke of her father.
The warmth in his voice when he defended her.
The absurd seriousness with which he promised reform.
Elizabeth pressed her lips together firmly.
This would not do.
Mr. Darcy remained proud, reserved, and capable of astonishingly poor first impressions. A single agreeable morning could not erase all prior evidence to the contrary.
Her hands stilled over the open trunk.
No man had ever apologized to her so sincerely.
The realization carried uncomfortable weight.
By the time she finished, Jane had already been dressed for travel in one of her simplest gowns and wrapped securely in shawls against the damp air outside. Mrs. Bennet supervised the process with calm efficiency while simultaneously directing servants, thanking Mr. Jones, and ensuring fresh blankets were carried downstairs for the carriage.
