Unfortunately, when Elizabeth was extremely vexed or anxious, she suffered from megrims, and they disturbed her for much of the week. Jane was still miffed with her for her mistrust of Mr Bingley, and determined not to leave the party, nor to humour her sister’s concerns. Then there was also Elizabeth’s mortification by Mr Darcy.
If any other man had insulted her, she would have laughed. She would have moved on immediately, without caring what the man thought. Except that she quite obviouslydidcare what Mr Darcy thought. She cared a great deal more than she wished to admit, and going downstairs to continue the farce of the house party in front of him, knowing that there was no other gentleman whom she wished to see there, was too much for Elizabeth, and the entire situation gave her a terrible headache. Her host visited her twice, and Elizabethaccepted some powders from the apothecary, but no other attention. She assured Mrs Darlington that the megrims would fade eventually, and was embarrassed by the worry she caused, for it was not in her nature to brood for so long.
There was, also to consider, the fact that when Elizabeth left Ever After End unmarried, she would eventually travel to Hunsford, which would substantiate Charlotte’s most recent insult, and she would be obliged to visit her cousin with her heart open to forgiving such a person. This weighed upon her more than her embarrassment with Mr Darcy, and she brooded upon her feelings regarding Charlotte excessively. She felt so much resentment and anger at her old friend, they were emotions she was unused to in such large doses, and she knew not how she would forgive her cousin’s wife. Elizabeth wished that she were in Meryton so that she might seek the counsel of Mr Abbot, but she had no expectation of visiting Longbourn before Christmas.
Mary had continued to enjoy the attentions of Colonel Gordon, until he had suddenly discovered an interest in the parson’s daughter, Miss Irving. It took two dances and an outing to Glastonbury Tor, all of which the Irvings attended, for Mrs Darlington to notice the man’s newfound interest, after which, the Irvings were invited to dine every night, and Miss Irving was invited to all of their activities. Mrs Darlington said that she had married off the local apothecary and the village solicitor’s daughter by similar means, and Mary told Elizabeth that her host had told Mr Irving, a widow, that he was next.
It was Mr Elwood who had helped spark Colonel Gordon’s interest in Miss Irving. Mr Elwood had inspired Mary to ask what those of the house party might do for the parish, and she and Miss Irving made plans to visit a few villagers and squatters' families that needed attention. Mr Elwood and Colonel Gordon wasted no time in offering their escort, and during the outing, Colonel Gordon had taken a shine to Miss Irving’s gentle and caring nature.
Jane and Elizabeth had mostly ignored each other after their words about Mr Bingley. Jane was rather cross with Elizabeth for not trusting her instincts, and for isolating herself upstairs, which drewunwanted attention to Jane and Mary while they were in company. Elizabeth was irritable with Jane because Elizabeth still believed that Mr Bingley was not to be trusted, and she had no wish to watch her elder sister be taken in by a rogue.
When Jane confided in Mr Bingley about Elizabeth’s worries, he had proven himself by marching to Mrs Darlington’s study, and writing her a bank draft for fifty pounds. Elizabeth told Jane that wasting fifty pounds was not a guarantee that a man was serious about anything but chasing skirts, which indeed, in a certain light, could be construed as seeking to pay for Jane’s approbation, if not seeking to procure something more sinister. Jane was outraged by Elizabeth’s opinion.
Finally Elizabeth,after sleeping and brooding until she thought she would go mad, then writing to her aunt, and pacing her room until she thought she would wear a hole in the carpet, acknowledged that she could not very well stay upstairs forever. A lady might occasionally be indisposed for an entire week, but anything longer would create a great deal of talk, and was unfair to her host and her sisters. She had only felt so out of sorts, fretting about Mr Darcy, Mr Bingley, Jane, and Charlotte Collins, that she could not bear to impose herself upon the rest of the party, lest she lose her temper and embarrass Jane and Mary even more.
She dined upstairs again tonight, but tomorrow, she would return downstairs and make her apologies to Mrs Darlington. She hoped perhaps that Mr Brentwood, Mr Cartwright, and Mr Whittaker would have found other ladies in her absence. She was perfectly happy spending the rest of the party lightly chaperoning Mary.
Hearing giggles in the shared parlour, she rose and donned her dressing gown and slippers. The first two nights that Elizabeth remained in her rooms, her sisters and the other ladies visited Miss Darcy’s and Miss Bates’s parlour, so that they would not disturb her, but when she did not return downstairs, their group began tofrequent the Bennets’ parlour again. Miss Darcy and Miss Bates visited often, as well as Miss Dutton, and less frequently, Miss Crawford and Miss Bertram joined them as well.
Elizabeth had suffered enough of her own company, and when she met Mary, Miss Dutton, Miss Darcy, and Miss Bates in the parlour, she asked, “May I join you?”
“Of course, Lizzy!” said Mary. “Come, sit here by the window with me. I know you prefer the fresh air.”
“How do you feel, Elizabeth?” asked Miss Darcy. “Are you certain you are well?”
“I am not ill, Georgiana, but thank you. These last few days, I have been out of sorts. I received some correspondence that upset me, and I brooded myself into a megrim. Several megrims, in fact,” Elizabeth confessed. “But I do not feel unwell tonight, and I must re-enter company some time.”
“What correspondence?” asked Jane abruptly, entering from her bedroom, where she had just changed into her nightclothes and braided her hair.
Elizabeth realized that she had just worried her sisters, and said, “It was from Charlotte.”
“That’s the one that turned on you when you won your money, you said. Charlotte Lucas,” piped up Miss Dutton.
“She is Charlotte Collins now, but yes. That is her,” Elizabeth agreed.
“Reckon she misses you something fierce all of a sudden. Or she wants something.” Miss Dutton nodded in satisfaction. “Suellen writes me a letter every month. Sometimes she misses me. Sometimes she wants me to write to my father’s old partner and get her husband a job. I used to throw ‘em out unread, but after she sent so many, I got curious. I wish I hadn’t every time I open one. Last one put me so far off my chump I got into the last of my uncle’s brandy that my aunt was saving for sickness and drank until I was disguised. I never reply, but she still sends them.”
“Well… I do not mean to fall into drunkenness.” Elizabeth smiled at Georgiana, who always regarded Miss Dutton with alarm in her expression. “But I will admit that her audacity disturbed me. In any case, I cannot allow it to affect me any longer. I will join you all downstairs tomorrow.”
“I have just the treat to cheer you!” Miss Dutton jumped up and made her way excitedly to the door, “You all wait here!” She was only gone a few moments before she returned with a familiar package.
“Is that the parcel with the snakes?” asked Mary.
“Snakes?” said Miss Dutton in confusion.
“When you showed us that parcel in the village, you said something about snakes,” Mary said curiously.
Abigail Dutton laughed. “You sure say funny things, Mary Bennet. I think you’re my favourite Englishwoman! Come on all of you; we are going to the kitchens!”
The ladies followed Miss Dutton downstairs. “Are you certain that this is wise?” asked Jane worriedly.
“Don’t worry, Jane. I told Mrs Darlington about my surprise, and she gave permission. Said that we ain’t the only ones who stay up waking snakes; the gentlemen keep the cook’s assistant up all hours.” Miss Dutton led the way into the lower levels of the house, while the other ladies followed with their candles.
“That’s it! Waking snakes!” Mary cried. Miss Dutton stopped and turned as Mary continued. “When you had that parcel in the village, you said something about waking snakes.”
“That only means to cause a ruckus. Don’t you worry, Mary Bennet, this treat is far nicer than snakes!” Miss Dutton giggled.
The ladies stood back while Miss Dutton explained to the kitchen maid what she required. “Mrs Darlington said to expect you, and let you do as you pleased. Here’s the big pot and the lard, right here, miss.” The maid handed what was needed over.
