Lady Lucas preened and spoke about the upcoming wedding, but Charlotte was silent. It had only taken her a moment to know that Jane was suffering a good deal. She interrupted her mother. “Jane, might we not walk a bit? I am suddenly finding the room too warm.”
Jane agreed, listlessly, and Charlotte went to get her pelisse. While Charlotte was out of the room, Lady Lucasprodded Jane. “And how is your dear mother, Jane? She seemed rather out of sorts when I last saw her.”
Jane raised her eyes to Lady Lucas’ face in amazement and opened her mouth to say something horrible, but she was rescued just in time by Charlotte’s return.
Charlotte took Jane’s arm and all but marched her out of the house. They walked out of earshot, and Charlotte turned to Jane and said, “Has he not yet proposed?”
Jane stared at her.
Charlotte shook her head at her friend. “Jane, I am speaking of Mr. Bingley! We are all expecting him to propose at any minute! Reggie wrote to him to tell him to get on with it!”
Jane replied, slowly, “I think he was about to; he came to see me, all dressed up, but I would not go downstairs.”
“What on earth is the matter with you, Jane Bennet? You love him, he loves you!”
“Charlotte, you tell me how I am to say yes to the man I love and then turn about and demand three thousand pounds from him!” Jane hissed. Her sorrow had turned to rage, the very rage she had long feared to let loose. “When you tell me how I am to do that to him, to the best man I know, then I will say yes, yes, a thousand times yes! And until you have an answer for me, I can only ask that you leave. Me. Alone!” She turned and marched away, head held high, but tears pouring down her cheeks.
Charlotte stared after her friend for a long time, her heart hurting.
Chapter Eighty-Three
Miss Lucas is here to see you, Mr. Bingley,” Mr. Howard announced.
“Me?” Mr. Bingley’s eyes opened wide.
“Yes, and she says she must speak with you alone.”
“This is highly improper,” Mr. Bingley muttered.
Mr. Bingley was not in the best of humours. He had scarce slept a wink since he had visited Longbourn to propose to Miss Bennet, only to have her refuse to see him. His first instinct was to decline to see Miss Lucas; whatever it was that she wanted, she should ask Louisa or Caroline instead. Certainly she should not be found alone with him.
Then he recalled that Miss Lucas and Miss Bennet were fast friends; perhaps Miss Lucas could help him understand what he had done wrong with Miss Bennet? Well, with both Miss Bennets, come to that, for Miss Elizabeth had vanished without a word, and nowhisMiss Bennet, Miss Jane Bennet, would not see him.
Mr. Howard had already turned to leave, but Mr. Bingley called him back. “Never mind, Howard; I will see her in the library.”
Howard raised a questioning brow at his master, but finally nodded and departed.
Mr. Bingley went to the library and gazed at the mostly empty shelves for about half a minute before Mr. Howard came in with Miss Lucas.
“Please sit, Miss Lucas,” he said, politely. “I apologise that there is no fire, but you wished to speak with me privately and the drawing room cannot accommodate that request.”
Charlotte took a seat and wasted no time. “Mr. Bingley, doubtless you are very confused by the behaviour of my good friends, Jane and Elizabeth Bennet.”
“I am, yes,” he admitted, guardedly.
“I am here to explain everything.”
***
Ten minutes later, Mr. Bingley was on his horse, riding at full gallop to Longbourn.
***
Jane sat in the parlour with her sewing in her lap. Her hands were still; her face was drawn tight. She was embarrassed, truth be told, that she had told Charlotte Lucas so much. She was accustomed to confiding in Elizabeth, but not Charlotte, and now she was an object of pity to Charlotte. It was all too, too much.
Mrs. Hill appeared in the doorway. “It is Mr. Bingley, here to see you.”
Jane rose at once, panicked. “I am not here, Mrs. Hill. Do you hear me? I will not see him!”
