“It is cold indeed,” Elizabeth agreed. And that is the first thing I will fix, she thought.
She pulled the bell cord and Martha was there in three minutes. “Martha, where is Mr. Bingley?”
“I am not certain; shall I find him?”
“Yes, please; tell him I must speak with him.”
Ten minutes later, Mr. Bingley knocked on Jane’s door. Elizabeth opened it.
“Miss Elizabeth! You have come to nurse your sister, have you? How does she, poor Miss Bennet?”
“First, Mr. Bingley, I must thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing Jane to stay here, as she clearly cannot be moved just yet.”
Mr. Bingley pinked with pleasure. “The apothecary says she absolutely must not be moved. But, of course, it is a pleasure to have her here! Not a pleasure to have her sick; it would be far better if she were not sick. But if she must be sick somewhere, it is good that she is sick here.” He began to look rather confused.
“I am very grateful that you sent for Mr. Jones. The thing is, Mr. Bingley… well, of course, I hate to be a bother at all…”
“Oh, no! No bother! Anything I can do!”
This was the open-handed offer Elizabeth had been hoping for. She immediately said, “Oh, you are so good! Mr. Bingley, I am quite familiar with Netherfield, as my dear friends, the Donaldsons, lived here for many years, and I know the room my sister is in to be inadequately heated. It is quite the coldest bedroom in the house. If you would step inside for just a moment…yes, yes, I know, but I am here to chaperone.”
Mr. Bingley stepped inside the room, trying desperatelynotto glance over at Jane on the bed. His eyes widened. “Why – it isfreezingcold! No one could get well in such a place. I wonder at Caroline putting her here!”
“Might we not move her?” Elizabeth asked. “Two doors down there is a bedroom that is quite a bit warmer.”
“Yes. I will have this done directly.”
“Mr. Bingley, if you would wait just a moment.” Elizabeth knew better than to allow time for Mr. Bingley to confer with his younger sister on the matter. She pulled the bell cord and Martha appeared almost immediately. “Perhaps you mightinstruct Martha here to help me move Miss Bennet to a different room, as you quite rightly suggested?” It had not, of course, been Mr. Bingley’s suggestion, but after watching Mama interact with Papa for twenty years, Elizabeth well knew how to get things done.
“Yes, yes, immediately! Martha, we must move Miss Bennet to the – to the –?“ And he looked at Elizabeth enquiringly.
“To the Blue Room, two doors down,” Elizabeth supplied.
“Yes, to the Blue Room! And make up a fire directly; Miss Bennet must be kept warm at all costs.”
“Yes, sir, right away.”
Mr. Bingley bowed and left, smiling, flushed with his success at having protected Miss Bennet from the cold. Martha ran out to have a fire lit in the Blue Room, and Elizabeth prepared Jane for the move. It took some time, as Jane could scarcely keep her eyes open and had to be helped every step of the way, but she was eventually settled in a larger, warmer room.
Chapter Four
As the day went on, Elizabeth kept a close eye on the progress of the sun across the horizon. As the shadows began to lengthen, she kissed Jane on the forehead and said, “I shall return right away.”
“Where are you going?” Jane whispered.
“To force Miss Bingley to let me stay here until you are well.”
Jane started to laugh, but the attempt ended in a hacking cough.
“Rest quietly, Jane; I shall be back directly.”
As she ran downstairs, Elizabeth prayed to encounter Mr. Bingley rather than his younger sister. A benevolent deity must have heard her silent supplication, for Mr. Bingley was standing at the foot of the stairs, almost as if he had been waiting for her.
“How is she, Miss Elizabeth?”
“Very poorly, I am sorry to say. But it is getting full dark; I fear I have waited too long and can no longer make the journey home on foot. Might I be allowed to travel to Longbourn in your carriage?”
“Travel to Longbourn? But Miss Bennet needs you!”
