Page 117 of Mr. Darcy’s Diamonds

Gardiner,

You are aware, I am sure, that I was required to leave London suddenly. I regret my inability to take proper leave of you and your family. My presence will be required at Pemberley for the foreseeable future, although I will do all in my power to travel to Hertfordshire for Bingley’s and Miss Bennet’s nuptials in November.

Yours, etc.

F. Darcy

Darcy was surprised to receive no reply. He had hoped to hear news of Elizabeth and how she was occupying herself this summer, but he had not specifically asked after her, and Gardiner probably had too much business at present to remember to respond.

Part Three

Chapter Forty-Nine

November 1811

Darcy had been near madness during Elizabeth’s illness. After the bridge had broken and she had fallen into the stream, she had been feverish for far longer than Mr. Jones thought safe. Darcy had sat outside her door at Netherfield night after night, wishing to hear any word of her or at least be close to her while he prayed for her recovery. He could not lose her now. After all they had been through and all the times they had been separated, he needed her to get well. Even if she could never love him as he loved her and never become his wife, she must recover.

He assumed the Bennets had written to the Gardiners of Elizabeth’s condition, but when they did not come after four days, he wrote to his friend himself. The speed with which the family arrived after his express reached them told him they had not been previously notified. Gardiner clapped him on the shoulder in a clear statement of relief and gratitude for his letter.

“How is she?” the man’s wife asked anxiously.

“Her fever broke early this morning, Mrs. Gardiner. I have not seen her, of course, but I am told she sleeps a great deal and still has a cough.”

Darcy had been terrified to hear her cough in the first days, and he strained to hear all he could through the walls or when a maid opened the door briefly. He had been sure he had heard some improvement since that first day.

Enduring her illness from a distance had been even worse while he did not understand why Elizabeth had refused to speak to him in the weeks since his first evening in Hertfordshire, when he had danced with her at the Meryton Assembly. He had thought they had parted on good terms that night. Had something occurred after the Assembly to upset her?

He had castigated himself more than once for not proposing to her earlier. He had had so many opportunities in the spring, yet he had been waiting until he felt he deserved her. During her illness, he had finally realized he would never be fully prepared to be her champion, not knowing all they might encounter in society, but if she had agreed to marry him months ago, he could be with her now. He could have sat beside her bed and held her hand and given her comfort and supplied his own meager strength as her frail body struggled to heal.

Instead, he had waited too long, and the Bennets thought he had no right to be so concerned about her state of health. They had given him odd looks when they saw him outside her door, so he had taken to going for long rides, pacing his bedchamber, or attempting to sleep when they were likely to be about during the day. His nights were spent as close to Elizabeth as he could manage, which was infinitely too far away.

“Jane? Promise me you and Mary will not delay your nuptials even if I am still abed.”

“Oh, Lizzy. You are doing so much better now. The wedding is not for six more days. Mr. Jones has said you will be allowed to come home tomorrow if you continue to do so well. You have been sitting up for a few days and even walking in your bedchamber. Do you feel well enough to come down to dine this evening?”

“I will try. I am tired now, though.”

When next she woke, in the early afternoon, Aunt Gardiner was the only one in her Netherfield Park bedchamber.

“How are the children doing, Aunt? I am anxious to return to Longbourn, so I can see them. I have never been away from them for so long.”

“Do not rush your recovery on their account, Lizzy. If you are not well enough to travel tomorrow, I will bring them to you.”

Elizabeth sighed and thanked her aunt. She had been surprised to learn she had been here for nine days, as she remembered little of it. Between the fever and the sleeping, the time had actually passed quickly. She was finally beginning to feel a little stronger but did not know how she would walk down the stairs and to the carriage tomorrow. She would do all she could to go down for dinner this evening, however, so she would be prepared to go to Longbourn the next day.

“Have Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst been in to see you since they arrived yesterday?”

Elizabeth sat up more fully in her bed as she considered the sisters.

“They stopped for a few minutes this morning to tell me all their London news. Have you heard that Miss Bingley has finally decided between her two suitors?”

Her aunt nodded. “Yes. Apparently she and Sir Abraham Topplewight will marry in the spring. I cannot say I am surprised she chose a wealthy baronet over a tradesman. Still, I had thought she might choose the younger Mr. Hillyerd.”

“I admit I was surprised, too. I thought she would let herself marry for love rather than ambition. Perhaps she did not love Mr. Hillyerd after all.”

“Likely not. They looked to be in love, but she also seemed happy with Sir Abraham.”

“I suppose. It is not as though Miss Bingley and I have been confidantes for some time. I must have seen what I wished to. I hoped she would marry for love, so I saw two people in love.”